On this program Thor popped the top on a 16 ounce Redbull and went to work.

Thor spent some time today talking about the need for good antivirus software (not AVG). In fact, if you don’t have good anti-virus software your PC can actually catch H1N1!

The guys also took a number of calls during the show and covered a variety of topics. Some of the questions included:

• Can you back up installed programs to an external hard drive?
• Can upgrading Adobe Flash Player give your computer a virus?
• Can your iPhone get hacked wirelessly?
• What can I do to install a Windows Update that won’t install?

Tune into Compute This live every Saturday from 10-11 AM CST on KFOR 1240 or listen online and call in with your question or comment at 489-1240.

On this program Thor talked about the prototype 2009 Holiday Special computer. This week Thor went into more details about what was included in the system:

• 23″ 50000:1 contract ratio monitor
• Quad Core Processor
• 8 GB DDR2 Memory
• 1 TB Rotating Disk Hard Drive
• 128 GB Solid State Hard Drive
• Windows 7 Home Premium

Thor did not take calls during this show, but included a number of questions in the show that had been emailed in throughout the week.  Some of the topics covered included:

• What is a Solid State Hard Drive and why are they AWESOME
• Why is the contract ratio on your monitor important?
• If you get an email asking you to change your security settings, should you do it?

Tune into Compute This live every Saturday from 10-11 AM CST on KFOR 1240 or listen online and call in with your question or comment at 489-1240.

On this program Thor was broadcasting live from Schrock Innovations’ Lincoln Service Center during the official launch of the 2009 Holiday Special computer system.

Throughout the show, Thor took calls and broke away to live interviews with customers who were attending the Holiday Special / Windows 7 launch party.

Some of the questions covered during today’s show include:

• Can a Solid State Hard Drive be added to an existing computer?
• Do I need to have a registry cleaner? How much do they cost?
• Will my programs work on Windows 7?
• How do solid state hard drives change the way scratch disks are set up?

Tune into Compute This live every Saturday from 10-11 AM CST on KFOR 1240 or listen online and call in with your question or comment at 489-1240.

On this program Thor talked about the prototype 2009 Holiday Special computer and made one available to Chris to try out after the show.

In related news, Thor also announced that Schrock Innovations would be holding a Windows 7 launch party on October 17th at Schrock Innovations on 27th and Pine Lake Road at 10:00.  You can try out the 2009 Holiday Special and get a sneak peak at Windows 7 before anyone else in town gets to see it!

The guys also took a number of calls during the show and covered a variety of topics.  Some of the questions included:

• What kind of specifications should you look for in a good gaming computer?
• Should I use Norton’s Identity Protection or Internet Explorer’s ID Protection?
• Which is better in a camcorder? Mini-DV, VCD, or Hard Drive Based?

Tune into Compute This live every Saturday from 10-11 AM CST on KFOR 1240 and call in with your question or comment at 489-1240.

On this week’s show, Thor wrapped up the the Great XP Escape sale and moved right into phone calls.  The phones were a little lighter than usual due the the Nebraska vs. Virginia Tech game, but those who did call did not disappoint!

Here is a little of what was covered on the air:

Action You Need to Take NOW to Protect Your Computer

There is a security vulnerability that impacts Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 that could leave your computer open to attackers.

Thor posted an article on his blog about action listeners can take right now to save themselves from a potential $150 repair bill.

Apple’s Safari Browser is Such a Drain

On the show, Thor listed some of the top browsers on the market in the order of hos efficiently they use power.

If you use a notebook, Safari will use 33% more energy than any other browser on the market.  Here they are in order of efficiency:

1. Microsoft IE 8
2. Mozilla Firefox
3. Google Chrome
4. Opera
5. Safari

My Computer Won’t See My DVD Drive Anymore!

Phyllis bought one of our 2008 Modular Computer systems and all of a sudden her DVD drive has disappeared form her Computer.

There are only 2 reasons this typically happens.  Thor let her know that either her DVD drive is bad, or the upper and lower filters need to be deleted form the Windows registry.

The procedure is pretty straight forward, but it you are uncomfortable editing the registry, it would be best to leave it to a technician.

I broke one of the pins in my VGA Cable – What Should I Do?

Frank called to ask Thor and Chris what he should do about a broken VGA cable.  The VGA cable is used to connect a monitor to a computer, and the plug has 15 pins in the end.  One of his pins had broken off, and he wanted to know what he needed to do to repair the problem.

Thor advised him not to attempt to repair the cable.  The last thing he needed was to have that broken pin end up lodged in his monitor with no way to get it out. A replacement cable runs about $30.

My Auto-fill Feature Stopped Working!

Mike from Wahoo, NE called into the show today to ask why his auto-fill suddenly stopped working.  Mike had the Yahoo Toolbar installed and after setting MSN as his home page it suddenly stopped working.

From what Mike described, it sounds like his Yahoo toolbar was replaced by the Bing toolbar.  All Mike had to do was click on view (Alt-V) select toolbars, and check the Yahoo toolbar.

What is Your Opinion About Netbooks?

One of the final callers on the show called to ask Thor his opinion about Netbooks.

Thor explained a little about what a netbook is, and then went on to share his own personal opinions about the models on the market.

Thor uses the HP mini because it has a 92% keyboard (almost a full-sized keyboard).   He recommended users steer clear of Sony netbooks because they are super expensive for absolutely no reason.

If you are looking for a lower priced option, the MSI netbooks offer great style for an affordable price.

All netbooks pretty much have the same basic specifications, so its all a mater of taste.

Don’t miss next week’s show!

Compute This airs live every Saturday at 10:00 AM CST on KFOR 1240 in Lincoln, Nebraska.  If you are not in the Lincoln area, you can listen live on the KFOR website.

We were able to take advantage of some limited offers, rebates, and other cost saving measures that allowed us to snag some really inexpensive components. We only had 10 units and they went fast! There ARE benefits to listening to the show!

Calls were a little light this week due to an early Husker game, but here are some of the topics we covered:

What Should a Beginning Computer User Look For in a PC?

A caller asked Thor and Chris what kind of features should a person look for in a computer.  On the hardware side, Thor recommended nothing less than 2 GB of memory and a dual core processor if you are running Vista (which will probably be the case).

Additionally, beginning users often underestimate the value of support.  At work, many PC users have a help desk they can call if something goes wrong.  At home, users have fewer options.  That is why we invented the Schrock Desk, an online support system much like what you normally have at work where a technician can bail you out when you get in over your head.

Should I Buy a Laptop or a Desktop?

Many people buying new systems find themselves asking if they should stick with a desktop system or should they make the move to a notebook computer.  There are definite advantages and disadvantages to each.

Desktop computers are typically more upgradable than notebooks.  Because of their upgradability, desktop systems tend to last longer than their notebook counterparts.  Additionally, when something breaks or fails, desktops are usually less expensive to repair than notebooks.

Notebooks on the other hand, are less upgradeable but they are portable.  If you need to take your computer with you, or just like to work wherever you are in your house, a notebook is the way to go.  Notebooks are more expensive feature for feature than desktops, so you are trading upgradablility for portability.

Music Sounds Funny When I burn my Music

Another caller asked Thor and Chris why his music sounds one way on his computer and another way on his friend’s computer when it is burnt to CD.  The guys worked through a process of elimination with the caller to help him narrow down the treble-robbing culprit that was making his music sound different after being burnt to disc.

Don’t miss next week’s show!

Compute This airs live every Saturday at 10:00 AM CST on KFOR 1240 in Lincoln, Nebraska.  If you are not in the Lincoln area, you can listen live on the KFOR website.

This week our show focused heavily on the the latest Vista service pack update. The update was originally scheduled to be released June 30, however Microsoft has been pushing for it now. If the install is popping up on your computer, you need to install it ASAP. We recommend you bring your computer to Schrock Innovations for our $39.99 installation special. This way you can be assured the update has been installed correctly.

In the News

The latest virus hitting the internet is called Gumblar. This virus attacks websites you trust and infects your computer. An interesting fact is that 37% of the websites you trust actually infect your computer. The Gumblar virus is no exception. The best way to prevent this from happening to you is to stay up-to-date on your security software. As always, we recommend Norton 360.

The Key to Key Words

Have you ever searched for song lyrics or “free” stuff on the ‘net. The majority of us have and the likely hood of you getting a virus is great. Our suggestion, call your radio station and ask for the lyrics to the song and simply stop searching for free things.

There are, however, key word searches you can type in without worrying about getting a virus. These are phrases such as things about the economic crisis and health questions. Search away about the economy and that agonizing pain in the neck-you’re safe.

Computers 101

After much discussion about the Vista Service Pack, we moved to the phones where we had several computer questions.

.dll extensions
Mike had an issue with his Windows XP machine. When he went to boot his computer he received a message that he needed to run a .dll file. A .dll extension means that there was probably malware on his computer that was taken off by his security software, but the extension was still on the computer. To solve this problem we recommended that Mike go his start, run menu and then type in msconfig. Then he needed to uncheck the box in the Microsoft utilities window for the .dll extension and it won’t show up anymore.

Vista Service Pack and the Internet
Sharon had a question about the service pack update. Since Sharon said she never gets on the internet, the updates will not be pushed on her. However, we recommended that she updates her computer with the latest vista because it will speed up her file transfer times and also keep her battery life running longer. Keep in mind this is true for both laptops and desktop computers.

Virus Protection, Protection you should have
Ellen’s computer boots up and tells her that she needs to download an update. However, when she goes to click cancel on the update, it does not let her. This is because it is not a genuine Microsoft, meaning she has been infected with Malware. We suggested that Ellen has a maintenance checkup to get rid of her viruses and registry keys. This a $59.99 special at Schrock Innovations.

Tune In

Tune in next week for Compute This radio show, Saturday, June 7 at 10am on KFOR 1240 am. We will answer your computer questions, draw a winner for the 25 dollar gift card to Schrock Innovations and get you up-to-date on the latest computer news.

A Reminder

If you have Vista and need your computer updated with the latest service pack, stop into Schrock Innovations and get the $39.99 special. If you questions you can also give us a call at 423-9595 and we will be happy to answer your Vista questions!

1. Microsoft Vista
2. Gateway
3. HD DVD
4. Vonage
5. YouTube
6. Sirius XM
7. Microsoft Zune
8. Palm
9. Iridium
10. Segway
(from times.com)

FBI experiences a virus

In other news, the FBI and US Marshal were hit with an inexplicable virus. The FBI was not releasing any information at the time, except that social security numbers had not been accessed.

Marketing can happen to you

Despite the holiday weekend, we had many callers with computer questions. Charles had trouble getting off his internet. He was given a message that if he left the site he would lose everything. In reality this is just a marketing trick, you will not lose anything by closing this window.

Norton 360: All around protection for up to 3 computers

Bill had a question about getting his Norton 360 on his other two computers.

If you are experiencing similar problems, I recommend calling Schrock Innovations to set up a Schrock Desk. It is a simple way for us to see what you are seeing and we can help you get rid of the problem or get your Norton up and running.

Adobe Acrobat(ics)

Mike had a question about Adobe 8, which was not working properly. After viewing the Acrobat in his programs files he saw that it had to do with Acrotray.exe files. To fix this problem go to adobe.com/downloads to disable it and upgrade to Adobe 9.

Tune in next week..

If you are experiencing any computer problems stop by or call Schrock Innovations at 402-423-9595 and we will get your computer fixed up and in working order. Otherwise, be sure to tune in next week at 10 a.m. central time to KFOR 1240 am for next weeks, live, Compute This! Call in and ask a question, you may win $25 to Schrock Innovations.

On Compute This, the term “whaling” was discussed. No, this is not another word for fishing; it is a word that describes online attacks for account information. We also touched on Google’s crash that happened earlier in the week. Google’s search engine was down for several hours, leaving users unable to use the site.

We then, of course, left time for our callers to ask questions. One man asked about the heat that was coming from his tower. This is simply an issue with a fan spinning too fast. If you are noticing the same thing, stop into Schrock Innovations and we will put in a different fan for you. We also talked about IP addresses and how to change them. All you have to do is call your internet service provider to get this changed. Another point we touched on is the life span of our computers. Most computers last up to three years, however Schrock’s computers last for about five to six years.

Our winner this week of the $25 gift certificate to Schrock Innovations was Harlow. That day Harlow came to the shop and picked up a surge protector.

We are also proud to announce that during the show our onsite technician, Eric, was given a pat on the pack for his knowledge. Our caller referred to him as “one smart cookie.” Way to go Eric!

On last thing, we still have surge protectors for a low price of $29.99 while supplies last. Call or stop by to get yours today and be sure to catch our next Compute This show at 10 am on KFOR, this Saturday, May 23.

With storm season in our midst, we took the opportunity in this show to address some common surge protector myths.  In this episode we answer questions like:

• Do surge protectors heal?
• How can you tell if your surge protector is damaged?
• How often should you replace surge protector?
• Will a surge protector work on a non-grounded outlet?
• Are battery backups better than regular surge strips?

We also launched a one-week special on Schrock’s audible alert surge protectors.  These units audibly beep when they are work out so you know they need to be replaced.  Normally these units are $49.99, but this week only they are on sale for only $29.99.

The sale ends on May 16th at 8:00 PM, or while supplies last.

This was a recorded show, so there were no live callers.