Listen to the audio of the September 19, 2009 Compute This radio show.
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:
- Microsoft IE 8
- Mozilla Firefox
- Google Chrome
- Opera
- 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.