Banking Safe With Puppy Linux

OK

We all worry about how safe it is to do Banking and Credit Card operations on-line.  The horror stories are endless, cyber crime and identity theft have been everyday topics for decades now, and the bad guys just get more and more tricky.

What is the solution?

The most obvious one is simply to not use a computer and the Internet to do financial stuff online.

If you want to give it a go though... and are not sure which path to take... try this article:

Banking on a Live CD

That was the first hit I got using this search:
https://www.google.com/search?q=Banking+Safe+With+Puppy+Linux
... try other articles and searches yourself.

The above "Krebs on Security" article does a pretty amazing job of compacting the Linux Live CD process into one relatively short article.  Still, if you need some more background and detail on the whole Linux Boot Disk process, try my: a58tech Linux Section.

Though untested by me at this time, I like the link to the "Free ISO Burner" software for MS Windows.  it looks very compact, and user friendly.  The reviews are mixed at C-Net's Download.com, but it is likely as good an alternative as CDBurnerXP.    I reckon there is something similar for Mac OS - ISO Burning..

The bottom line is that...

For all the security articles I've read so far, the reoccurring theme is that nothing is entirely bulletproof, and it is mostly a matter of numbers.

Since Microsoft products still run on the overwhelming market share of computers world wide, they are the biggest target.  As Linux catches up, will they become a bigger target?  Possibly.  But for now Windows is still the target of choice.

As a quick aside...

You can also Run Linux on a Mac Computer.  Look for a future article on that soon.

:-)

The Hour of Code

Stumbled on this through a Google.com landing page link... almost missed it.

This is FUN... and a very coolbeans idea!

The Home Page Video is a really good one to see too.  Check it out and see who is talking about it.

When you are done with the introduction experience, try some of the links to the many other similar tutorials.  These are fun, and educational.

Promote Computer Science

Enjoy!

:-)

Know Your UOM - (Unit of Measure)

While reading the Wikipedia bit about the Apollo 11 Moon Landing, I was reminded of an event I frequently think of and cite as an example of why it is important to know (and display) your unit of measure.

Google: Mars Climate Orbiter Mission Fails Due To Unit of Measure Error

Distance is a good example.  Say you are telling someone how to get somewhere and you say: "Go 3 and turn Left."  Ummm, OK... 3 what?  Blocks?  Miles?  Light-years?  There is a difference.  Liquid is a good example too.  "It takes 10 to get that done."  10 ounces?  10 gallons?  10 Acre Feet? ... Again, big differences.

Just a quick thought.

Have Fun!

:-)

Apollo 11 Computer vs IBM XT PC

Be sure to check out the following article...

How powerful was the Apollo 11 computer?

by Grant Robertson on July 20, 2009

http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/07/20/how-powerful-was-the-apollo-11-computer/

... Published on the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing

I've often wondered about how the computers of today, especially "Smart Phones" and "Tablet PC's", would compare to the equipment used by the early US Astronauts of the Gemini and Apollo programs. According to the above article, there is no comparison really... to get a useful comparison you need to go back to the IBM XT PC, which was released in March of 1983, which by today's tech standards is a whopping 14 years after Neil Armstrong's July-1969 Moonwalk.

So even a simple cell phone that a lot of folks (like me) still use today has a LOT more computing power than the early astronauts used for their missions. Think about that a bit... especially the next time your cell / smart phone acts up, or fails completely. Would you want to fly to the moon and back dependent on a computer as advanced as your phone?

:-)

Amaya (web editor) ... by W3C

Amaya (web editor)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amaya_(web_editor)

W3C's Web Editor
http://www.w3.org/Amaya/

Getting the Binary Distribution
http://www.w3.org/Amaya/User/BinDist.html

Read the "Amaya User Manual"
http://www.w3.org/Amaya/Distribution/manual.pdf

This is a locally installed program (similar to your Browser).

The opening blurb (on the 1st run after installing) reads as follows:

"Amaya is a Web client  that  acts both as a browser and as an authoring tool. It has been designed by W3C and INRIA with the primary purpose of demonstrating new Web technologies and helping users to generate valid Web pages. Thanks to the European (FP6) Palette project,  Amaya 11 is much easier to use, through its new user interface and its innovative templating system.

With Amaya, you can manipulate rich Web pages containing forms, tables, and the most advanced features from XHTML. You can create and edit complex mathematical expressions and graphics within Web pages. You can style your documents using Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). "


Some User Info... "About" pages... etc.

Notes on the Amaya HTML Editor
http://heather.cs.ucdavis.edu/~matloff/amaya.html
<this page is exceptionally basic... but that makes it a fairly decent introduction>

Try searching the web for more information.  There are a number of references like vids on YouTube that may be useful.

:-)

Another program to consider, if you have not tried it already, is KompoZer ... which is produced by Mozilla (the makers of Firefox and Thunderbird), and is another Open Source project.

:-)

Weird Cylinders on Computer Cables... What are they for?

RF Signal Attenuation

The short story is that they are Ferrite Beads or Ferrite Chokes.  They are made of a material that will reduce (dampen, or attenuate in tech-speak) the effects of radio signals in electronic equipment cables.  If the cable only has one of these, it is best to install that end (such as with VGA cables) closest to the Computer, since that device is most likely to create (or be affected by) EMI (electromagnetic interference) and/or RFI (radio-frequency interference).

Additionally... The cable itself can act as an Antenna... picking up RF (radio-frequency) signals, and "broadcasting" it to your equipment, causing interference, flaky operation, "noise", etc.

Almost any Hi-Tech device can create EMI and RFI however.  So you may need to experiment a bit.  You can also buy these chokes and install them yourself.  They are not very expensive.

Google:  Ferrite Bead or Choke for Computer Cables

Check out these articles...

Gizmodo
What Do Those Mysterious Lumps on Your Cables Do?
http://gizmodo.com/5871162/what-do-those-mysterious-lumps-on-your-cables-do

"The arrangement acts as an EMI blocker. And the block is most effective when close to the source."

How Stuff Works
What are the bumps at the end of computer cables?
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/question352.htm

"These "bumps" are called ferrite beads or sometimes ferrite chokes. Their goal in life is to reduce EMI (electromagnetic interference) and RFI (radio-frequency interference)"


See also:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrite_bead


:-D

Buying a New PC (Notebook?)

My preference is for a Desktop PC.  But I seldom need the portability.  A desktop PC is typically easier (and a lot cheaper) to repair and upgrade.  But eh convenience of a notebook or laptop is easy to understand.

For this post, I will mostly discuss Notebook Personal Computers (PC's).

If you want a Windows OS (operating system) Personal Computer, Then I'd suggest Windows 7.  If you cannot find one in a store, they are easy enough to find on-line.  (See examples below.)  MS Windows is a real dog IMHO, but sometimes you gotta have it.  But if not, consider Linux.

There are a few things about Win-7 that are making me crazy at times now, but it is probably mostly my lack of familiarity with it (which is rapidly changing, as am now coming in contact with more of them).  All-in-all, based on what I've heard, and what I've experienced, I'd be inclined to say that Win-7 may be the best release of the Win-OS to date.  On it's initial release, it got a fair amount of praise in reviews, which is not very common with Microsoft products.

Win-8 has generally gotten lousy reviews in general, in fact less than is typical for a Win OS release, which sounds pretty bad.  The main complaint I've seen is basically that they tried too hard to make it look like the interface of a hand-held device (like a mobile phone, or a "Tablet PC").  I've not used it yet, but it sounds really awkward to me, and likely will be a difficult transition for a lot of folks.

Something you have to understand is that the Software is what drives the Computer Industry... and it is what forces you to have to upgrade to a new PC eventually.  Buying a PC with really robust "Hardware Resources" will allow that machine to operate at a decent speed for a longer period of time... before it needs an upgrade, or all-out replacement.

RAM (random access memory) is the biggest deciding factor here (on speed vs. longevity).  The more RAM you get, the longer the PC will last (assuming no failures anywhere).  I'm guessing that for most folks, with Win-7, 4GB RAM will be fine... but 8GB won't hurt.  Sales people will try and sell you a 2GB RAM PC... but they want you to come back in 2 years to buy another one too.

Again... Notebooks are nice for the portability, but they are expensive and difficult (if not impossible) to upgrade (as well as repair), so when it gets too slow to use (or fails), it is often easier to replace them (as they get older).  Not very "Green"... but there it is.

So with this in mind... by spending a bit more now, any PC (even a desktop) will be more likely to "live longer" (in terms of the hardware not getting outdistanced by the software, and getting painfully slow too soon).

Another option is to just get what you can (or want to) afford... use it for as long as you can... and then load Linux on it, and get a few more years use out of the machine (assuming there are no hardware failures).  Helps with the "Green" issue.  And there are plenty of Lightweight Linux Distributions out there, that can run very well on older hardware (you still need to look at the spec's though).  This would be somewhat similar to getting a "Chromebook" now.  (See below.)

So... here are two examples of Win-7 PC's... and why...

... these are BOTH "64-bit" machines...

Acer TravelMate TMP273-MG-6448 Notebook PC

$730 ... Tiger Direct

Win-7 Pro - 8GB RAM - Dual Core Intel i5 2.6GHz CPU

 - 17.3" Display - DVD-RW - 7# (weight) - 4hr battery

• This comes pre-loaded with Win-7... and has Win-8 in the box, to install later if you want.
• Notice the RAM.  This is a bit of a "Powerhouse" now... but this PC will likely run fast for you for a long time.
• This has a nice, big display... but it is heavier too.
• This is a very feature-rich machine. and will do just about anything you want.
• This is a "Business Class" machine.
• It is a very good deal... the $100 Instant Savings is an added bonus.  This instant savings offer is a good thing to look for at Tiger.  They are usually exceptional deals.

Acer Aspire V5-131-2629 11.6" Laptop

$350 (w/ free shipping) ... Amazon.com

Win-7 Home Premium - 4 GB RAM - Dual Core Intel Celeron 1.5 GHz CPU

 - 11.6" Display - 3.3# - 6.5hr battery

!!! No DVD or CD (optical) drive... but has build-in card reader (plus it will accept USB flash drives, which are very easy).

• Look at the reviews... this looks like a very nice PC. 
• Again... notice the RAM.  I'm guessing it will be fine "as is" though, for most folks.  But you can upgrade to 8GB RAM (see user Q&A), but this would only be efficient if you can order it that way.
• If you have "Amazon Prime", this product qualifies, and I find that to be a bonus (because they tend to be more reliable products/sellers).
• If you want to compare performance... the Antec PC in the front office is a Win-7 Pro OS running on 4GB RAM.

Again... either of the above PC's could be converted to a Linux PC if they "get too slow" in a few years, which could extend the life of the hardware another couple of years or more.

Don't forget to consider the size... if you already have any accessories like a carry case, etc.  No point in buying all that stuff all over again, if you don't have to.

However...

If you use your notebook mostly for Internet use... especially if mostly on Gmail and Google Drive, etc... then you may want to consider a...

Chromebook

$250 - 11.6" Screen - 2.4# - 6.5hr battery

... they start at $200 ... more info

Google support: About Chromebooks

Chromebook at Tiger Direct (they have a recycle program)

• Acer C710-2487 Chromebook
  
• All Current Choices at Tiger

I would urge you to seriously consider a Chromebook (I'd suggest an Acer, but I have had really good experience with Samsung products too)... especially if you are concerned about costs... and if your computing needs are not very "resource intensive" (such as HD [video] streaming, editing video, heavy-duty multitasking, etc.).

Chromebooks are based on the Linux OS.

They are intended to be "Cloud" machines (strictly for Internet use)... but they have enough "local apps" so that you can stay busy off-line as well.  The thing is, these days it is very easy to be on-line constantly, and reliably.

Be aware that you can ONLY use Google developed apps on this machine.  It is NOT a traditional Linux PC, that will run any Linux app you can download off the web.  This is not much of an issue though, as Google Apps covers a WIDE range of tasks... and many of them are "free".

Chromebooks are probably better than just about anything commonly on the market right now, in terms of the software not outdistancing the hardware too soon... ensuring a longer life for your money.

Have fun!

:-)