Tonight on channel 10 I was watching The Project and heard about the DNSchanger malware alert. I’d also seen some articles in the press. I thought this was an interesting alert and worth investigating. Some alerts are hoaxes, but in this case this appears to be a real alert.
There appears to have been malware, referred to as DNSchanger, which changes the DNS settings for a computer or the router, people use to connect to the internet. Temporary action was taken by the FBI in November 2011 to provide a solution, but that solution will be closed down in July.
I’d suggest you should check your DNS settings for your computers and your router and make sure they aren't set to one of the following values.
Rogue DNS IP Ranges
85.255.112.0 - 85.255.127.255
67.210.0.0 - 67.210.15.255
93.188.160.0 - 93.188.167.255
77.67.83.0 - 77.67.83.255
213.109.64.0 - 213.109.79.255
64.28.176.0 - 64.28.191.255
You can use the site provided by the Australian government (www.dns-ok.gov.au) to check your computer, but I'd suggest a manual check will be more thorough. The reason is the ISP you use may have taken action which means, whilst you may be infected, you may not be able to tell.
It is stated it is expect that around 10,000 Australians (about 4 million worldwide) will not be able to access the internet when the FBI removes the temporary solution to the problem on the 9th of July 2012. Whilst that will cause inconvenience, the side effect will be those who are infected will know and then need to make the necessary changes.
If you need assistance checking your DNS settings, I'm available to assist people in the Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and surrounding area. The cost to check your DNS settings will vary depending on how many computers you have and the type of router you have, however it shouldn’t be that much.
Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for assistance.
Providing support in Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham
and the surrounding area.
Friday, March 30, 2012
DNSchanger malware alert by FBI mentioned on The Project on channel 10.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
MyAnswers: How can I recover my domain (.com.au) password?
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How can I recover my domain (.com.au) password?
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Kelvin Eldridge
www.MyAnswers.biz
(An Online Connections service.)
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Free Parking today at La Trobe University for Graduation
Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 if you require help with your computer.
No problem too small.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Laptop repairs Doncaster, Templestowe, Eltham and surrounding areas.
Most laptop repairs are problems with software and not the actual hardware. If you have a hardware problem with a laptop computer it can often be very expensive and if it is an older laptop, often it may not worth repairing. If you have a problem which isn’t hardware and is software related, then a repair can be very cost effective.
For example one client had a HP netbook which when it was started did nothing but come up with a blank screen. HP advised the price would most likely be around $550 to replace the motherboard, which was more than the cost of many new netbooks. Another seemingly simple problem where the user damages the power connector can also be an expensive repair because of the work involved.
As long as your laptop computer can start to the bios or Windows screen, there is a good chance your computer can be repaired.
It is a good idea to get a quote for a repair. Many businesses will quote a fixed price. I recently heard of one company who comes up in the Google ads on searches, charged retirees $250 for a 15 minute job. I don’t consider that appropriate.
My approach is to set an upper limit so the client knows worst case what to expect. An older computer only has a certain value and it is crazy to spend too much money on a repair. In some cases it takes more time to do the repair and to me that is good luck for the client. When it takes me less time, that is the time I charge the client, so in both cases the client comes out a winner. On a couple of occasions where I’ve investigated a problem and found I can’t fix the problem because it is a particular type of hardware failure, there has been no cost to the client. I simply return their equipment and thank them for using my services. I see no reason, if I don’t provide value to a customer, that they should be out of pocket. Other businesses have done that to me and I know it doesn’t feel good, so it isn’t something I’ll do to others.
If you have a computer problem, give me a call and I’ll look after you to the best of my ability.
Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 if you require computer assistance.
Covering Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding areas.
How much electricity does a computer use and thus its cost to run?
When I reviewed the electricity usage of appliances around the house, one device which stood out in terms of electricity usage I must say I’d never really thought about.
I’d turn the computer on in the morning and leave it on all day. I work from home so for me having the computer on made sense. Often I’d even have a couple of computers on. The children even had their computers on as well. But the real surprise wasn’t when the computers we on, it was when they were off.
An off computer isn’t off. It is in standby and it keeps consuming power. The LCD screen looks off, but again it is in standby consuming more power than you’d think. Those additional devices such as the printer, the scanner, the external drive, all sitting there sipping away at the power and ready to immediately jump into action at your beck and call, even when you are asleep.
All those devices even when not used are in standby up to 24 hours a day in some cases (such as when you go away for the weekend) and all consuming power which is costing you real money.
Yet amazingly the answer is simple. When you power down your computer turn it off also at the switch on the wall. When you power off the devices at the wall you save power, you also prevent the situation of a brown out where the power drops and your computer ends up in an unknown state and doesn’t want to work and you also reduce the chance of a power spike taking out your computer during a storm.
Determining how much your computer is costing you when it is running and how much it is costing you when it is in standby is very easy. You can purchase a cheap power meter for under $30 and measure the power usage in watts. Then use the Electricity Cost Calculator I provide, enter the power usage, the time the device is on, or the time it is in standby and the calculator will let you know the daily cost and the yearly cost. If you use your electricity retailers tariff you’ll get an even better idea.
I’d highly recommend that everyone should measure how much the devices in their home are using. We’ve reduced our daily electricity usage to around 6.5kWh down from around 12-14kWh per day. From what I’ve read the average power usage for a home is around 18kWh. We now save around $400 to $600 a year off our electricity bill and it all started with the purchase of a low cost power meter. We’ve added a couple of convenient foot switches and one remote control power switch (all quite low cost), some simple changes to how we turn devices off and the impact on our power bill has been significant. I know I prefer the $400-$600 in my pocket than the power company’s.
I wrote the Electricity Cost Calculator to help me when selecting high cost energy efficient lights compared to the lower cost normal lights. The calculator helped me make better purchasing decisions. I found the Electricity Cost Calculator was also very handy for working out the cost of appliances we had running in the home which helped me make informed cost saving decisions. I’d found the government and media would focus my attention on what they wanted (such as installing solar panels for their carbon certificate scheme) where I could achieve the same or better result with almost no cost.
Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 if your require computer assistance.
Covering Doncaster, Templestowe, Eltham and the surrounding area.
MyAnswers: Which anti-virus software would you recommend either free or paid?
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Which anti-virus software would you recommend either free or paid?
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Kelvin Eldridge
www.MyAnswers.biz
(An Online Connections service.)
MyAnswers: Which PDF writer software would you recommend?
The following MyAnswers solution 2208 is now available:
Which PDF writer software would you recommend?
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Kelvin Eldridge
www.MyAnswers.biz
(An Online Connections service.)
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Electricity tariffs increase in January has now been adjusted in the Energy Cost Calculator
In January the price for electricity from my retailer increased as it did for a lot of people. The biggest increase which people often don’t notice, was the Service to Property Charge which increased by a staggering 25%. For me that’s another $62 added to the bill which I can’t control. I can control my usage, but when the increase is added to the Service to Property Charge that has nothing to do with usage.
I’ve now updated the Energy Cost Calculator with the latest peak energy rate which is 22 cents per kilowatt hour. The Energy Cost Calculator allows you to determine how much your devices are using over a year and the cost. It really is amazing how just a few cents a day saved on a single device can add up to quite a bit over the year.
When comparing electricity prices don’t forget to compare the Service to Property Charge as well. The best approach is to take a couple of bills and do the calculation for each bill with each of the electricity retailers you are thinking of using. I’ve seen some retailers with quite high Service to Property charges, whilst their usage rate compares well or better than others, it was when the full calculation was done they were shown to be worse than a higher usage rate.
With basic changes to our families electricity usage we’ve move than halved our electricity bill and now use around 6.5kWh per day. By using a low cost power meter and the Energy Cost Calculator, I was able to determine which devices were using how much energy, the cost per year, and with some basic changes, we now make considerable ongoing savings.
You can check out the Energy Cost Calculator at http://www.justlocal.com.au/clients/energy-cost/.
Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Outlook Express French spell check (spelling check) fix for British and Australian users
Both of these situations are easily fixed using a program I’ve written. The program provides American spelling and British spelling. Whilst British spelling is sufficient for Australian users, those who have access to an older version of Office 97 or Word 97, are also provided with instructions on how to obtain the Australian dictionary so they can have Australian English spelling.
You can find the program at http://www.justlocal.com.au/clients/oespellcheck/.
Kelvin Eldridge
http://www.onlineconnections.com.au/
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
MyAnswers: How do I add a PayPal Donate button to my site?
The following MyAnswers solution 2207 is now available:
How do I add a PayPal Donate button to my site?
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Kelvin Eldridge
www.MyAnswers.biz
(An Online Connections service.)
Computer PC Repair Melbourne
The majority of computer pc repairs I find are for problems which are software based. That means there is no cost for parts, just the time to fix the problem.
The most common problem which affects a lot of people at some time is a virus infection. Like it or not, when we’re connected to the internet we’re exposed to the possibility of infecting our computer with a virus. No one is safe is from a newly released virus as it can take 24-72 hours before their anti-virus software is updated with new signature files.
People should backup their data because with some very bad virus infections, it is possible the computer may need to have the operating system reinstalled. If you don’t have a copy of your data it could be lost. In quite a few cases we’ve backed up people’s data before removing the virus which ensures their data is not lost. I now provide a free online tool to enable clients to create a backup script which they can run to backup their data easily.
The next common problem are computers running slow. As you use computers you install software. Often you click on a link on a web page and install software inadvertently. For example how many toolbars do have showing in your browser and you have no idea how they got there. Even anti-virus software which is supposed to help us, if you purchase some anti-virus programs the impact on the speed of the computer can be significant. Installing Apple iTunes is a performance killer for an older computer. I’ve even seen clients with a number of camera software packages installed for cameras that have long since died. On a number of occasions I’ve had clients who wanted a new computer, but once their computer was cleaned up, it ran faster than they needed and there was no longer a need for a new computer.
If there is a hardware problem I’m able to isolate the problem and advise the client what to do next. I had an unusual problem recently I’d not seen before, where the hard disk was faulty and on hot days would cause the computer to freeze. Whilst I’d seen many computers freeze before, I’d never seen a hard disk behave like this. There is an irony that a hot day can cause a computer to “freeze”.
Computers usually have a life expectancy of 3-5 years, or even longer. During the lifetime of the computer most problems are software related. Towards the end of the life of the computer if a hardware failure does occur, then this is when you need to weigh up the cost of repair over the purchase of a new computer. The cost of labour plus parts can often go a long way towards paying off an entry level new computer, which is now faster and has more capabilities than the ageing computer. In the case of the faulty hard drive mentioned above, the computer also required a replacement DVD drive, a floppy drive and a hard disk drive. Add those to the cost of labour, reinstalling the operating system, applications and data, and a repair of the hardware was not economically viable. At this point you need to make sure you look after your own interests. If you take the computer to a repair shop in this condition they will repair it for you, but they won’t necessarily advise you to save your money and put it towards a new computer. They make their money by doing the repairs. On the other hand a computer retailer will simply tell you to buy a new computer. If a business is a good business and looks after you, they will let you know your options. Seeking independent advice is an option and can help you make a better decision and save you money in the long run.
Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Alert: ANZ Sign-In Protection Alert
I received the following message and felt the techniques used by the scammer were interesting and hoped that no one is tricked by this type of email anymore.
An attempt to access ANZ Online Banking was denied on Tuesday, 20 March 2012, 10:07:48 EDT.
If you do not remember trying to access Online Banking on the above date and time, please select
That was NOT me.
You will then be prompted to safeguards your account.
2012 ANZ Bank Limited.
What I thought was interesting was the logic of tricking people into saying it wasn’t them, rather than the direct approach of getting them to go to their account. I thought that was an interesting social engineering technique.
The second technique was the time involved. This was within a couple of hours of the actual time which potentially lends credibility to the information provided.
It is a very obvious scam email. Straight text which I don’t think any large corporate would use. The link is to a Netherlands domain which has nothing to do with ANZ Australia, however the email originated from Bulgaria.
My approach to banking email is that I don’t provide my bank with my email details where I can, except for the one where I had to, and I asked that they don’t send me any emails. That way all emails from banking institutions to me are scams. My approach is very low tech and I’d suggest it to others who are concerned about scammers. I see almost no reason for my banks to have or use my email address, except for marketing, which I don’t want, so why provide them with details they don’t need.
I am amazed in this day and age how all of us are approached multiple times a day with scams. Certainly different for years ago when the internet didn’t exist.
Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
MyAnswers: Send emails using my business email address with Outlook using ISP's email.
The following MyAnswers solution 2206 is now available:
I'm using my ISP to send and receive emails so everyone sees the ISP email address. Can I still use my ISP's email service but send emails using my business email address with Microsoft Outlook?
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Kelvin Eldridge
www.MyAnswers.biz
(An Online Connections service.)
MyAnswers: Send emails using my business email address on iPhone using ISP's email account.
The following MyAnswers solution 2205 is now available:
I'm using my ISP to send and receive emails so everyone sees the ISP email address. Can I still use my ISP's email service but send emails using my business email address on my iPhone?
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Kelvin Eldridge
www.MyAnswers.biz
(An Online Connections service.)
Photography Class Melbourne 2012
Des Pitfield Photography, based in Doncaster East, have announced their “Camera Skills Workshop” dates. The Camera Skills Workshops are run in Des Pitfield’s Doncaster East studio on either a Tuesday or Wednesday evening, starting at 6pm over 4 weeks.
If you are someone you know would like to learn from a professional how to use all the features of your digital camera and move away from that little green auto button, this is a course for you. Once camera features are covered participants look at the “rules’ of composition, light and what makes a great photo great. Groups are kept small, relaxed, interactive and fun.
The location is CVC Studios 25 Rosella Street, Doncaster East. The brand and type of camera isn’t important, as long as it’s digital and offers the ability to select settings such as aperture and shutter speed. Courses can also be organised at a Richmond studio based on registration of interest.
The course is $295 per person, 4 evenings over 4 weeks with a group field trip which takes place on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, depending on the needs of the group. Start dates for the next workshops are: Wednesday 27 March and Tuesday 10th April. A minimum of 6 people are required for each workshop.
This is a great opportunity to learn camera skills from a professional making a living from photography. I know I’d much rather learn from a professional who is sharing their skills rather than the many training organisations running courses with instructors whose income is from teaching. Theory is great, but there is so much more you learn when you live and breathe photography as your profession.
You can find Des Pitfield Photography on the Doncaster East JustLocal page.
Kelvin Eldridge
www.JustLocal.com.au
(An Online Connections service.)
MyAnswers: The iPod cannot be used because the Apple Mobile Device service is not started.
The following MyAnswers solution 2204 is now available:
After connecting my Apple iPod Touch and starting iTunes I get the message: "The iPod cannot be used because the Apple Mobile Device service is not started." How do I fix this issue?
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Kelvin Eldridge
www.MyAnswers.biz
(An Online Connections service.)
Monday, March 19, 2012
Alert: Discount Fuel Australia Card - Save 4 cents a litre off pump prices
I'd highly recommend if you receive unsolicited offers like these in your email you delete them. These are spam and that's how the should be treated.
The approach I take is if a business has the ethics to breach the anti-spam Act, then they aren't a business I want to do business with. I'd rather give my business to a professional and ethical business.
Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 if you require help with your computer.
No problem too small.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Worksite Solutions now on the Doncast East JustLocal page.
Welcome to Worksite Solutions. Sandra Taylor of Worksite Solutions has 13 years experience in Corporate and Industrial Occupational Therapy, providing Ergonomic and Occupational Therapy to the Melbourne East region.
You can find Worksite Solutions on the 3109 postcode page (www.JustLocal.com.au/3109).
Kelvin Eldridge
www.JustLocal.com.au
PayPal Here could be a game changing for banks and credit card companies in Australia
I just read on the internet PayPal Here has been released by PayPal in Australia today. I’ve submitted a request for details from PayPal and look forward to their response.
PayPal Here is a device which is triangular shaped and plugs into the sound socket on an iPhone. It enables businesses to use PayPal services to process credit card transactions. For a business like mine where I provide computer support, that will provide a much needed additional payment method which is convenient and easy to use.
I’ve previously produced a document for clients with the issues of using PayPal, but for smaller and start-up businesses, PayPal is a low cost and easy to use service to handle PayPal and credit cards as payment options. I currently use PayPal on my site and it has generally worked very well, but there are some catches which I explain in the document.
On the Online Connections site I have a page where people can make a payment (www.OnlineConnections.com.au) which works well. Hundreds of people have made purchases using PayPal as the payment method for online purchases from my sites. I also provide a link for those interested in PayPal for Business on the main page of JustLocal (www.JustLocal.com.au). (NOTE: The PayPal link is a referral link so potentially a payment is received if this link is used.)
For me the new option of PayPal Here offers an exciting point-of-sale option which is very much needed.
The reason it is a game changer, is PayPal is relatively low cost and when I signed up, had no upfront set-up costs.
When I approached one bank for merchant services (the ability to accept credit cards) they wanted 7% of every purchase, around $40 a month for equipment/service costs and if I recall correctly, a couple of hundred dollars set-up fees. Even worse though, their terms and conditions prohibited me from using another service (which I wanted for overseas current transactions and they couldn’t provide) and should there be an issue, I’d have to commit to paying for legal costs, which to me meant an open chequebook for them to retain any legal services at my cost and to me that was a risk I wasn’t prepared take. PayPal does come with its own associated risks, so you need to make sure you make an informed decision.
I look forward to PayPal Here being made available in Australia and the opportunity to try out the service.
Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Onsite services to Doncaster/Templestowe/Eltham and the surrounding area.
Support available independent of location if onsite support not required.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Panic Pizza Menu Doncaster East
I mentioned a while ago that Panic Pizza at the The Pines Shopping Centre in Doncaster East should have their menu available online. I personally like to ring up first and then pick up the pizza which saves some time. Having the menu available online means it is easy to see all their range and not just order the same pizza every time.
You can find the Panic Pizza Menu at www.justlocal.com.au/clients/panic-pizza-doncaster-east/. I’ve also added Panic Pizza to the 3106 and 3109 JustLocal pages.
Kelvin Eldridge
www.JustLocal.com.au
Monday, March 12, 2012
Middle Camberwell Fish and Chips menu - Example of single page web site for a small business
Do you need a single page site up on the internet for your business to let your customers and potential customers know about your products, services and contact details?
I regularly order fish and chips from Middle Camberwell Fish and Chips when I visit family in Camberwell. The problem is I don’t really know what they have on their menu so generally just stick with the basics, even though they have quite a bit to offer. I asked Jenny the owner, for permission to put her menu on JustLocal so I could more easily check their menu next time, make it available to other family members and that also means it is available to her customers. I also felt it would be a good example for other small business owners to see what they could easily do to help promote their businesses. You can find the Middle Camberwell Fish and Chips menu at www.justlocal.com.au/clients/middle-camberwell-fish-and-chips/.
The work involved in putting your business information onto the internet for others to find isn’t that large, if you approach it in the right way. If you’d like a relatively low cost presence to get your business started on the internet, give me a call on 0415 910 703 or send me an email at sales@onlineconnections.com.au.
Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Middle Camberwell Fish and Chips menu.
The Middle Camberwell Fish and Chips menu can now be found on the JustLocal site.
Please enjoy.
Kelvin Eldridge
www.JustLocal.com.au
Friday, March 09, 2012
Apple iOS 5.1 update Australian release date
I use an older 3GS iPhone and none of the new features made me feel there was an urgent need to update. To my surprise the update had started without my knowledge.
I sometimes use a 3G wireless hotspot and without realising it, the mobile phone switched to the wireless service which I had on to test Android 4 on a tablet. The 3GS was plugged in and charging. This combination was sufficient for the iOS 5.1 update to silently and without my knowledge to start updating. I only knew the update had started because when I checked to see if iOS 5.1 was available, I was surprised the download was already started but in a paused state.
The caution here is to watch your data plan usage if you're using a 3G wireless hotspot, or make sure you turn off wireless on your Apple device when not using the feature. The same situation could occur if you're using an Android or Apple 4/4S as a hotspot with a Touch or iPad. I had no idea the update would occur without warning. Usually I'll connect to a fixed broadband service for large updates.
The good news is the iOS 5.1 update is available now for Australian users. Connect your device to power and a WiFi connection and the update should start. I'd also suggest using the software update feature to manually check for updates and make sure the update starts. If you have an older version of iOS (before version 5) you'll need to perform the update using iTunes, which I believe is a very big update.
Two features that caught my attention are: the camera is now available from the lock screen, which is convenient, and apps that can be downloaded without a WIFi connection has increased from 20MB to 50MB, so watch that data usage.
Happy iOS 5.1'ing.
Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 if you require help with your computer.
No problem too small.
Thursday, March 08, 2012
Apple iPad 3 Australian release date
The Apple iPad 3 has now been announced in the States. The new features are:
Higher resolution display
A5X chip with quad-core graphics
5 megapixel camera
1080p HD video
4G
Personal Hotspot for 5 other devices using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or USB.
The operating system has been updated to iOS 5.1 and includes some new features.
The iPad 2 will be reduced in price.
The Apple iPad 3 will be available in Australia on Friday the 16th of March, which is the same time as the United States.
This information is provided for those interested in the Apple iPad 3. This isn’t meant to be a recommendation. You should review the iPad 3 against your requirements as you would any computing device. I assist clients with their Apple devices including services such as connecting their Apple devices to their home or business networks, setting up email, and general support.
Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for assistance with your computers.
Servicing Templestowe/Doncaster/Eltham and the surrounding suburbs.
Wednesday, March 07, 2012
Android 4 ICS (Ice Cream Sandwich) now available for Acer A200 tablet in Australia
Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
iPad or Android tablet as mobile computer replacement for netbook, notebook or laptop
I have to say I was keen to try a tablet computer as a replacement for my ageing netbook. The netbook has been (and still is) a great machine. I’ve been able to run all my Windows based applications and the built-in Ethernet adaptor and wireless meant that when travelling, I could connect to both wired and wireless access at hotels. Tablets only have wireless access which rules out a lot of hotels. The attraction of the tablet is the long battery life and the slimmer form factor.
So I purchased an Apple iPad 2.
As I was working with others I noticed I was using the iPad 2 to demonstrate what a site/blog would look like on the internet, but the real work had to be done on the netbook. After a couple of weeks I felt it was absolutely crazy to be carrying both devices around. I also found many sites just didn’t work with the iPad (even those that didn’t use Flash). A major limitation for me was Apple crippled the browser so you can’t upload files using the browser, a feature I use regularly. To Apple’s credit they took the device back with a full refund.
More recently I purchased an Android based tablet (Acer A200) running Honeycomb 3.2. A number of the online sites I use are Google sites so I felt surely Google’s own sites would work better than with the iPad. How wrong I was. Google’s own sites are sluggish at best and often simply don’t work. The built-in email application is very basic and even lacks basic spellchecking. I’m hoping Android 4 will make the tablet useful, or otherwise it will have been a waste of money. When I check the reviews for Android based tablets I often see high scores. To me that simply doesn’t make sense. I’ve found the Android tablet to be flakey and the functionality far from what I expected. The Acer hardware feels well made and doesn’t feel like it is the problem. The problem is the operating system, or more specifically for me, the browser.
If you’re considering a tablet as a replacement computer make sure you try out the tablets first. Don’t just try them out in the store and hope for the best, try them with the applications/sites that you run. Putting in the passwords to use an online site isn’t something you or I would feel comfortable with in a store, so you need to find a way to get a device and try it in a real world situation.
For clients I now have an Android 3.2 tablet you can test your real world applications/sites. At the end of the test we can reset the tablet so your important information such as your passwords are wiped.
The irony is all I require is a decent browser on a tablet and I’d be happy. If Apple provided their full Safari browser I would have been happy. If Google provided their Chrome browser I would have been happy. Both companies have chosen to provide a limited experience which to me is a shame.
The lesson here is if you think a tablet device is potentially a more portable replacement for your ageing notebook or netbook, then make sure you test each of the devices in a real world situation.
Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 if you require computer assistance and live
In Templestowe or the surrounding suburbs.
.
Tuesday, March 06, 2012
mcupdate.exe can not start. File mcupdate.exe is infected by W32/Blaster.worm. Please activate Internet Security to protect your computer.
A new client from Lower Plenty dropped off their computer on Friday which had a virus. The program, Internet Security, which warned the user, was the actual virus. As I understand it, Internet Security is a scam designed to infect the computer and then trick the user into purchasing a solution.
If you end up with the program Internet Security on your computer, you have a virus and need to get the virus removed.
I’d suggest that people obtain a fixed price quote for removing a virus. My approach is to first neutralise the virus, install the anti-virus software I have confidence in (many anti-virus products from retailers or which come with the computer I’ve found aren’t as good), perform a quick scan to locate any additional viruses and then perform a full scan which can take a number of hours. In this case the computer was a netbook and a full scan took 4-5 hours. You don’t want to be charged for the total elapsed time, just the time involved in fixing the problem. A full scan can be run whilst other work is done so there isn’t a need for the time to be charged. If you have a business and call someone out to fix the problem, you’ll often be charged the full time as the person needs to be onsite for the full amount of time. Because I work locally, I’ll often take the computer away for clients so as to minimise the time involved.
Some virus infections are very difficult to remove. I suggest to clients to set a limit to their cost of around an hour and a half. In this case it took less time so the charge was reduced appropriately.
Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 if you need assistance with your computer.
Servicing Templestowe, Templestowe Lower, Doncaster, Doncaster East,
Montmorency, Lower Plenty, Eltham, Warrandyte and Bulleen
Thursday, March 01, 2012
Eastern Freeway from before Bourke Road outbound traffic at a standstill.
I’ve just been advised the outbound traffic on the Eastern Freeway, a distance before Bourke Road, is at a standstill. The closed outbound lanes is due to a high speed crash on the freeway late this morning.
It is best to avoid the Eastern Freeway at this time. Time reported 3:32pm.
I’ve now added the Live Camera feeds from VicRoads to www.JustLocal.com.au/3105 (Bulleen page) which shows the traffic at Fairfield and Bulleen. You can see the traffic has now banked up to Fairfield and there is no outbound traffic at Bulleen as a result of the closure. Checking the Live Camera feeds before you travel on the Eastern Freeway this afternoon could save you from being caught in the traffic.
Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
How to create birthday invitations.
I’ve found creating a professional whizz-bang birthday invitation is a fun and easy project. The comments we’ve received back from people amaze me as they’re astonished by the quality that we can easily produce and have no idea how we’ve done it. The software I use is free and the cost per invitation including high quality invitation, label and matching coloured envelope would be under 50 cents, and just 10-15 cents each if you just want to hand out the invitations.
It occurred to me that since I find it fun and interesting to create birthday invitations, others may also be interested in creating stunning birthday invitations as well.
If you’re into creating your own invitations, leave a comment, and if enough people are interested, I’ll produce an e-Book to help others produce their own high quality birthday invitations.
Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
