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Image of Recuva program

At one point in the life of computing, everyone has mistakenly deleted a file. Does that mean the files we delete are permanently gone for good, with no chance of ever seeing them again? Not necessarily.

There are ways to recover the deleted files. Sometimes the file is still in the Recycling Bin, in which that is easy to recover. When you “remove” a file from the Bin, it is still on your hard drive, just not accessible from the folders that you use while on the computer. Using a file recovery program will get back what you lost in no time and no worry at all. The best chances of recovering a file as with saving a life, is the sooner you get to it after you delete it the better.

Recuva is the best program out there for recovering lost or misplaced data. It is also free, and real easy to use as it gives you a wizard that guides you through the process while it does all the hard work behind the scenes. The maker is a trusted source of computer helpers, Piriform also made CCleaner and Defraggler, which are recommended programs to keep your computer running fast and smooth. What Recuva does is go into the place where all the “permanently” deleted files are, or free space on the hard drive, and brings them back to used space. The only catch is that if you do not get there in time, Windows 7 or your Operating System might have already written over the file it saw as free space, in which data recovery is impossible.

What often is the case is that you did not even delete the file but your hard drive was or computer was damaged in some way, making it hard for you to get all those music files from iTunes or the business contacts saved on the hard drive. This is where the data recovery comes in to save the day. The easiest way to describe the process of recovery is the use of a live cd, or bootable operating system that mounts the system drive and moves it to a backup disc.

Examples of physical recovery procedures are: removing a damaged PCB (printed circuit board) and replacing it with a matching PCB from a healthy drive, performing a live PCB swap (in which the System Area of the HDD is damaged on the target drive which is then instead read from the donor drive, the PCB then disconnected while still under power and transferred to the target drive), read/write head assembly with matching parts from a healthy drive, removing the hard disk platters from the original damaged drive and installing them into a healthy drive, and often a combination of all of these procedures. Some data recovery companies have procedures that are highly technical in nature and are not recommended for an untrained individual.

If you are faced with such a problem, you know who to call. The Geeks at Geek Choice: 1 800 433 5435. We can recover what is lost, and make sure you have an easy and stress free day by solving the problem for you.

There is a new cloud on the horizon, and it is in the shape of an office. It is called Google Cloud Connect for Microsoft Office, and it is going to be a huge advancement in how people conduct their business and personal lives. DocVerse is a startup company that was bought by Google last March, and now is getting a chance to shine through integration into a widely used application for email.

The combination of a program like Google Docs and an email powerhouse like Office is deadly. One of the coolest features of Google Docs is the ability to access a document and edit it simultaneously with co-workers or other people. Forget about attaching the documents, that takes too long and is a thing of the past.

This is an amazing tool that will make life so much easier, no more having to wait for your client to look over changes in the document you just emailed and send it back, with Google Cloud Connect all you have to do is share the email and you are closer to finishing before you even start.

Another great feature of Google Cloud Connect is that you can connect to it from anywhere, just like Google Docs, all you have to do is save it. Once you save it, the document is given a unique URL(Uniform Resource Locator), allowing you to get it on your smart phone or office computer.

It is really a beautiful thing, this new “software of a service” office suite will be offered for free WHEN IT COMES OUT. Right now it is in the stage of testing.

The main reason Google is using MS Office as its platform to launch this new software is the fact that there are millions of people using Office, and it is not likely they will move to Google any time soon…unless…

Google Cloud Connect is targeting Microsoft Office and is taking over. With this new service users will also be able to work on PowerPoint presentations and Excel documents as well. The ones who need this are small business owners or companies that communicate throughout a large office that is otherwise hard to get things done.

Don’t worry, it will work with all existing Office versions, from Office 2003 to Office 2010.

Perhaps the best feature of Google Cloud Connect is the ability to access it from anywhere in the world with a computer and internet access. This is the cloud feature of the software. Personally I am an editor for a newspaper, so this tool is perfect for a person like me that needs to have constant contact with editors and writers on stories. When I am away from the computer, anything can happen where if I do not get to a computer, the whole operation could be compromised due to the fact that I could not see the article before it went to press. Google Cloud Connect will help a lot of people, including me.

Stay tuned to Geek Choice Blog for cool news and awesome updates that are sure to keep you informed and in-the-know.

Having a computer means you have everything, the ultimate tool to connect to the places you want to go while sitting at home or at the office, so here are some tips to help ensure that the tool does not break.

Rule number one: keep your stinky finger away from the power button, do not switch it off until Windows has shut down. The only exception is when your computer freezes and there is not alternative but to hit the button to reboot. The problem with hitting the button is that it damages the hard drive, and also loses all your data and work you saved on the computer that you were working on. If you can, hit Control-Alt-Delete in that order and hold it for a second to get the taskbar, which will allow you to end any task that is “Not Responding”.

Don’t wait until it is too late, back your system up now! There is no reason why you should lose important data from your computer, the tools are right there provided for you to save a copy to a flash drive, a CD-RW. or a zip disk. All these will store the data and be ready to use if in the event your computer freezes and the power off button destroys your files, the backup will be right there.

System Restore yourself to sanity. This tip will save your life, it has saved mine and countless others because of its capability to recover what was recently lost. I had an old Dell desktop that I needed for business, it was 5 years old and in computer years that means the Dell was 50, time for a new computer right? Wrong. It was slow because of all the programs and P2P software that was bogging it down with viruses and downloads. So what did I do? I had a mental breakdown and prayed to the computer gods. My prayers were answered in the form of system restore.

• I clicked on Start Menu, All Programs, Accessories, System Restore. I was asked to pick a date on the calendar when the computer was saved, before it all went sour, and like magic the computer was returned to health as if nothing ever happened.
• System Protection makes this possible with regular restore points as a fail-safe back up plan for us stupid computer users.

Give your C: drive some space. If you decide that you need every last MegaByte of your C: drive, let me tell you what will happen…I will need to wait 10 minutes to type out this sentence because the computer is so slow. Leave at least 300 to 600 MB of space to prevent it from data to your hard drive, rendering your computer unusable.

Leave it up to the professionals. Do not try to be a hero and save the computer from peril, you can end up becoming a villain instead. Realize your own powers are not good enough to solve the problem if all you have tried does not work. Call us at Geek Choice, we will be there for you when you need us, right on time.

This threat has been an on-going concern for web browser developers and security experts for the past five years. It is a very serious threat because it involves you and me, the victims when a hijacker takes over the computer without us even knowing what hit us.

Hackers can easily snatch up all the cookies in the jar. HTTP cookies are the reason we have anti-spyware, malware, and weaknesses in the wall against attack from invaders. They leave a trail of information, since they are basically text files saved by the web browser, a hacker can follow the trail towards sensitive, personal information saved from the internet. Here is a couple tricks the hackers will use to pull your pants down, no one wants to be caught with their britches hanging out in the wind, so Geek Choice will tell you how to prevent this from happening too.

Session Fixation: A session is when you log onto the internet, either through LAN or Wireless. The fixation is sending a link that will set the user’s session id once the user logs in. Once this is done, the hacker has easy access to that user’s computer.

Sidejacking: This is a common attack from hackers where they sniff out the packets of information being sent back and forth between two parties and steal the session cookie. While many sites encrypt the login password at the homepage, the rest of the site is often unrestricted, allowing hackers to intercept the information that the user might think is secure yet little does he know…a hooded, sniveling little junior high genius knows this is his in, his entrance into your computer. WiFi are vulnerable and are perfect for hackers to run around hijacking your browser and stealing all the files you thought were safe.

Cross-site scripting: Another widely used and widely damaging attack by hackers who want to hijack your computer is by a trick. The trick is by fooling the computer into thinking the code is trusted, meanwhile it is malicious and once in your computer-devastating.

Man-in-the-Middle: The worst one of all. Let’s set the stage for this attack: Two people are involved in a private conversation online about matters that do no need to be heard by anyone else. On the side is a third party, an unknown party that could benefit from the information being said between the two people. All the third party has to do is wait for one of them so send the public key, and once that is intercepted, the third party can impersonate the two people and take complete control of what is talked about. Scary. The best way to prevent this is to put passwords on public keys so that when you are using WiFi, it is not open for hackers to jump right in.

We talked about the different types of hijacking, now let’s talk about preventing them.

Use a long, random number as your session key, this stops the hacker from guessing the key through trial and error. Encrypting your session is a good way to waylay attackers by creating complicated algorithms that will make the sensitive information only readable to you and others who have the key.

One simple and easy tip that Geek Choice will leave you with: log out when you are done with a session, it will save your life.

We all know about heroin, cocain, alcohol, reefer and how addictive they are, but what about computers? Does not the big glowing screen give the user a sort of euphoric feeling in a hypnotized state? Look around you on the subway, or at work, or in homes(it’s okay to peep a little) and notice the screens effect on people.

The eyes are wide open and glossy, transfixed on moving images and lights that create a special feeling, one of escape. For is that not what today’s world consists of? The hopeless reality of life seems too depressing so we turn to distractions like sex, drugs, T.V. and computers to forget about your nagging girlfriend or crazy parents and just sit there.

There is a new term out that characterizes such a state. It is called computer stoned, and it is the result of too much computer. The Webopedia definition is: “A slang term used to describe a person who has spent too many hours in front of a computer resulting in a drug-like induced state of being. Symptoms of being computer stoned includes fatigue, headache, sore eyes, bloodshot eyes or a lack of energy.” Funny, and I mean funny like peculiar.

It is peculiar because I am stoned right now. I have been staring at this computer screen for two hours straight, the symptoms are starting to show, and this is not right. Looking at myself through someone else’s eyes, I am basically wasting time sitting and staring when I could have been doing something outside or more productive and active.

That is the way the world is now: online, plugged in, and booted up. It is not heroin I am booting up, no, I am booting up the CPU and getting high off the new features, the constant updates, the feeds that never end. So what are some ways to get myself out of this potential hazardous to health problem?

Well, that is common sense: get away from the computer. Take a break, go for a walk or work out, or just close the eyes and meditate for a little while. If you do not believe in relaxation, then read a book or perform some other task that does not involve staring at a screen. Right now I need to take a break, my eyes are watering and my neck and back is cramped from being in the same position for two hours. I mean, it cannot be good for my body and mind to sit on my bum, not blink for hours on end, all the while wondering why I have a headache all of a sudden, or why people think I just smoked a doobie because my eyes are shot.

It is important to take care of yourself while you are working or just using the computer. It may not seem like a big problem, but it is all about how you want to live your life and if you care about your body. Wake up from the zombie living dead status on your Facebook page! There is nothing worse than a computer addict trying to tell his story about recovery in a meeting, no one really considers the computer a drug. It is a drug, because it changes how someone feels.

To conclude this message from the D.A.R.E. program, don’t do drugs, drink your milk, and stay away from too much computer activity.

If you have not heard about this new word processor, then you have been missing out my friend, because Google Docs competes with Office and is completely online. There are so many benefits to this type of document platform that they are too many to write about in this blog. However, I will try to contain it in simple and easy terms that even a layman could lay down and understand.

The centerpiece of Google Docs is the collaboration feature that allows multiple people to look at a piece of writing and edit it simultaneously. I have used this tool I cannot count how many times, and it never fails to amaze me as well as save me. My editor could be across the country, yet by connecting via Gmail to the Google Docs folder, we can look at an article together like we were sitting next to each other. Technology shines light on how easy life can be with new tools which make working and writing much better.

Let’s say for example, that you are in the airport on your way to Wichita, Kansas for a big business meeting. On your laptop you have saved the big presentation, all on Google Docs, and there is not a cloud on the horizon. CRASH! No more presentation because the laptop is infested with a virus. What are you going to do? Head to the bar and drink your anger away? Get on the plane and have a breakdown and end up behind the bar? Or are you going to take a deep breath and realize that you are safe, with no fear because you can get onto the presentation from anywhere that has internet access! If you have an iPhone, iPad, or Android, there you go!

More great features include the auto-save and the organisation of Google Docs. When you are using an online application to write anything from school papers to business protocol, auto will save your life if the server goes down and freezes, making sure that data recovery is simple by saving all the time. As I write this blog, WordPress saves the document every minute, this action has literally saved my life and my blog a couple times when if I did not have this auto-save action? A lot of words would have been lost in cyber space this way, they are floating around out there when they should have been saved.

About organizing, Google Docs gives you a folder to share with others along with the ability to move folders and files to different locations. This is perfect for people who need to have things just so. Google Docs is perhaps the best way to write, save what you write, and to share what you write,  organize it all in a nice package, and live life easy.

I strongly recommend using Google Docs if you are a writer like me, or work in any business related to communicating with the outside world where editing and proofreading are essential to getting the job done. Amen.

In Google Docs We Trust.

Instead of one or two sets of footprints in the sand, there could be hundreds as you operate your business or personal activities on the computer. It is a nuisance to you and to everyone who wants a fast working computer because data storage stores hundreds of ONE file. Who knew?

Not a lot of people, that’s who, because all this happens behind the LCD scene. There are all these processes that go on that we do not see, like sending an email or receiving an email, did you know that for there is 100 instances of one Mega Byte of email attachment? Fascinating language, and it is true.

It is also true that if you are aware of this nuisance, you can take action to reduce all the extra crap that takes up space on your computer. Here are some useful tricks to use while you walk the sands of the internet to make sure you have only one footprint, not hundreds.

Compression: it is probably the most well-known data reduction trick out there. Compression is the process of finding and being ridding of repeated patterns of bytes. It works well with databases, e-mail, and files. It’s included in some storage systems, but you can also find stand-alone compression applications or appliances.

By compressing, which means pressing together the data files so that it does not take up your whole hard drive space, you are able to use up the free space on the hard drive for programs and files that you actually use. Do not let your computer get slow and stupid because somebody forgot to keep up with all those files getting duplicated.

Another useful tool in making sure your computer is running at peak performance is visualization. By pooling all the storage devices together, like data backup and disaster recovery, in one pool is most efficient. It eliminates the unnecessary back and forth between different programs of data storage by having them all together.

With this method, the proper management policies are then applied to a single copy of the data, defining where, for example, it is stored and how it is deduplicated during functions such as backup and replication. This can cut storage needs greatly. The less need for storage, the less need for spending money that could be saved if you only took the time to become aware then act.

The last trick is called thin provisioning. This means setting up an application server to use a certain amount of space on a drive, but not using that space until it is actually needed. Thin provisioning is a concept that should be the normal way the storage should operate, if you are not using a program, why is it running or taking up space on the hard drive?

Make sure you have enough space, check the hard drive to see how many giga bytes you have left free. There is nothing worse than forgetting to keep your drive clean until it is too late, when you have to pay someone money to fix it.

For all you frugal frogs out there feeling jumpy about paying for that “extra protection” on your Anti-Virus program, here is some information that might help with that decision.

Personally I run two programs on my laptop, AVG and Avast, both on the free plan. That means on the “upgrade” screen that always keeps popping up to remind me to buy the “good” version, mine is the one with only one check next to it while the “good” version is the one with ALL the checks.

If you are unsure about whether to pay that $50 clams for the “good” version, there is a good reason to hesitate. AVG, or Anti Virus Guard, used to be free with all the protection available. Then it was bought out and was offered at a price, but what happened to the protection? You might have noticed the pop-up feature, and it pops up once per day for one month each year, all this is designed to make you buy the better version.

The free antivirus kit has less protection now, it has an outdated search tool for rootkits, which is malware that enables continuous access to a computer. Apparently the older free version 7.5 can search and root-out rootkits, but the newer version  lacks any ability to do anything like protect your computer from such a threat, which is a dangerous one.

Are you thinking what I am thinking? If this trend of taking off protection on the free versions continues, then that so called anti-virus will no longer be free, it will cost you a crashed PC!

The recommended version of AVG includes online and identity protection, anti-spam, and enhanced firewall, along with the basic free version features of High Speed Anti-Virus and Anti-Spyware with auto updates and LinkScanner for safe searching.

In a test run by PC World who were also concerned with this question, the results came in with AVG at number 3, Avast at number 2, and Avira AntiVir Personal came in at number 1 for detection, disinfection, and speed. The test was run through a program AV-Test based in Germany, and these three along with Microsoft Security Essentials, who came right behind AVG in the rankings, PC Tools, Comodo, Panda Cloud, and ClamWin.

That old adage comes back with “nothing is free”. If you want the best protection from those viruses, spam, and malicious software that is constantly attacking people’s computers, then you better whip out the dollars and pay up. It is unfortunate that there is no altruistic company out there offering it’s security for free, like Microsoft Security Essentials is boasting, but that is reality. I just checked my AVG’s status, and it told me LinkScanner and other “paid for” features are running smoothly. Interesting, very interesting how they offer this for a price yet it tells me I can use it for free.

The decision is yours, the information that Anti-Virus programs gives you is very confusing, so consulting with others is strongly recommended to get a good opinion on the right program.

It is all over television and magazine ads, and you might have run into those people who have different opinions than yours, about which computer is better: The PC or the Mac? Yes, there are two types of people in the world today that differ in their preference for a computer system, and they turn that preference into a side which they stand on thinking their choice is better.

In one commercial there is a hip guy who has been in cool movies as a side actor alongside a pudgy older guy who is confused about what is better: his choice of PC or this kind of funny guy who is telling everyone about how great the Mac is. The symbolism is super, the message is clear, but is that just a slander campaign or is that a fact?

PC just came out with a commercial a couple years late making an attempt to swing back at Apple.

In this video the decision to buy either a PC or a Mac might be swayed because of the ability of new PC laptops to play Blu-Ray discs. This is becoming a standard for PC’s. What does the Mac have to match up to that power?

Well, Popular Mechanics ran a real test to finally prove who is the stronger machine.

What a lot of people do not see in these commercials and are not told this by the companies, is that they both get there stuff from the same store. They are more similar than you think, they both use Intel processors, and both Windows Vista and Mac OS X Leopard have similar built-in media and internet browsers.

Now while the approach to these applications might be different, such as Macs’ Safari and Windows’ choice of Internet Explorer for a web browser, the goals are the same. But users are looking for that speed, that easy use, that perfect computer.

So Popular Mechanics decided to see which of the two had these three attributes. They used a Gateway One PC that was 400 MHz slower than the iMac, but had two extra gigs of DDR2 memory to make up for it. The test looked at how fast each computer booted and shut down, launch time for Internet Explorer and Safari, and other applications built-in put to the speed test, as well as ease-of-use and comfortable feeling.

So who do you think won?

If you thought PC, you are sadly mistaken my friend. iMac came out on top with numbers that beat the PC marginally. Both of them are very easy to use, very fast, and very comfortable. We have come a long way in the world of computers, it is amazing to see how far that it is and how awesome the capabilities are on these machines.

So which one should you pick? It depends on you and your preference, as well as on your environment. If you grew up in a predominantly PC neighborhood, chances are that crossing over to the “other side” will not happen. Which type of computer you use is almost a class of people now, as the divide between the two companies grows-the knowledge that they are very similar should not be over looked as the truth about these computers: they are the same!

I know, if you were just born then this is already old news about Facebook being used for everything except actually living your life. But quit running from the truth and acting like you are too good for such a thing as being social on a network. The truth is that Facebook is instantaneous information in your face internet intensity. The internet is supposed to be all of that allowing people across the globe to communicate with each other easily with fast speeds.

Email has been the first choice for communication, mainly in business, replacing the telephone. This AirTrans commercial is a funny one explaining this trend.

But there is a figure on the horizon, and it is in the shape of an ‘F’: yes, Facebook is coming out with another idea to make messaging better. Not that it isn’t better already, I mean we have come along way from lighting signal fires and dialing a rotary phone, but how much more can we communicate better, faster, easier?

Well, let’s email Facebook and see what they have to say.

I haven’t heard back from them, but I got an instant response on Facebook, and this reveals the appeal for Facebook to combine email with instant messaging: contact. Everywhere you go online or anywhere that is related to sharing business, videos, music, ideas, advertising, you see a link to put it on Facebook. It is a connection that goes where email cannot go.

So when CEO Mark Zuckerburg remarked about comments concerning the revamp of the social messaging system Facebook and how it will be the ‘Gmail killer’, he said “It’s not email.”

What is it? The new Facebook will allow you to get email on Facebook. Wow, after all the virus and hack breakdowns that Facebook has had, I am surprised they are tempting such a thing. We will probably be hearing about people being hacked and having to call Geek Choice to clean up all the viruses on your computer, but until then if you live life on Facebook then this new edition will fit the bill perfect.

Email and instant messaging are becoming the normal ways to communicate, talking is awkward, email is less personal and you can put your thoughts down easier to communicate better.

By combining the two, the new Facebook will grab multiple types of communication such as email and turn it into a more real-time messaging service. Say you use Gmail to get messages from clients and since you run your business on getting updates from customers instantly online; receiving fast updates beats out regular email since you will get all you need on Facebook.

To wrap this up, Facebook is just looking to pioneer out from the boundaries of their target market, almost like Google has been doing for the past couple years. They are looking at voice-chat and new ways to communicate.

Talking face-to-face is just boring, it is so much more fun writing it down and adding a smiley face!