Tip of the week – 29th May 2009

May 29

How-To Guides David 1 Comment
encryption, passwords, privacy, security

[Security Tip]

If you need to generate very strong random passwords for your security passwords, I’d like to recommend the GRC password generator:

https://www.grc.com/passwords.htm

This page will also explain how the passwords are generated and what makes them strong.

Tip of the week – 22nd May 2009

May 22

How-To Guides David No Comments
encryption, privacy, security, truecrypt

[Security Tip]

Today, I am going to recommend an open source application, which is available for Linux, Mac and Windows.

Truecrypt.

With Truecrypt you can either encrypt an entire drive (and now with version 5, even system drives can be encrypted) or you can create an encrypted “File Container”. A File Container is an encrypted file which Truecrypt mounts as a virtual drive on your computer.

If you recall yesterday’s tip of redirecting where “My Documents” in Windows is located, you could point it at a Truecrypt drive (either a real partition or a mounted file). So that when you’re not using your computer, everything you keep in “My Documents” is safely encrypted in case your computer falls into the wrong hands.

(Of course, you could encrypt your entire computer for even more security, but if you forget your password, you’re really hosed. The choice is yours.)

What is a Gravatar?

May 20

How-To Guides David 1 Comment
avatar, blogs, comments, facebook, forums, gravatar, image, myspace, self, social, Twitter

Gravatar? That’s a strange word! I hear you say, and yes, you’re right it is. It’s a pretty funky word too, sounds a bit like gravity, but then I’m a physicist, so I would say that. Although, it has nothing to do with gravity at all.

Before I start explaining what on earth a Gravatar is, let me explain the problem that a Gravatar would solve for you.

Quite simply, you use a lot of websites (social networks, forums, commenting on blogs, etc.), and on each you most likely an avatar, a little picture representing you. It’s rather time consuming, and boring, setting up an avatar on each and every site that you use, isn’t it? Be honest, isn’t it boring trying to find that same little picture on your computer every time you join a new site?

Now, wouldn’t it be rather grand if each website you joined, knew what your avatar was just by your e-mail address? Think about it, no more having to keep and find that little picture on your computer, and upload it as part of joining every new website. Not only that, but it would also just come up whenever you left a comment on someone’s blog.

Well, there is a way, and they are called, yep you guessed it, GRAVATAR’S! Which is short for (and I do hope this makes sense to you now), Globally Recognised Avatars. Simply register at http://en.gravatar.com/ and you can upload an image which will be associated with your e-mail address. You can even upload multiple images so you can simply log in and change the image to be your current Gravatar.

By using a Gravatar you have a consistent avatar on any site you join which supports the Gravatar system. This is where the got’cha comes in. A lot of big, mainstream, sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, etc., don’t use this system. Most blogging platforms support it, so that you’ll get your avatar appearing whenever you leave a comment on someone’s blogs, and I think it’s an optional extra people can install on their forums (someone please validate this for me).

However, what’s important is that this is a really great idea, and the more people who use it, means the more likely it is that it will be supported by larger sites. Personally, I think Gravatar integration on Twitter would be a fantastic idea.

So there you are, join http://en.gravatar.com/, upload your favourite avatar, and start splashing it around the web, you know you want to

Related Links:

• Connor Wilson » Blog Archive » How to Setup Gravatars for your blog

• How To Set Up Your Gravatar

• How to to find Information on Blogging – Creating a Gravatar

• Chris Pirillo on Gravatar

• Gravatar – How To Have Your Image Appear in Blog Comments

• How To Match Gravatar Account And WordPress Account Name?

• How to Change the Default Gravatar in WordPress | Build Internet!

• Gravatar: How To Get Your Picture With Your Comment In This Blog

Update

WordPress.tv has just produced a video explaining what Gravatars are, so I thought I may as well add it to here too!

Tip of the week – 15th May 2009

May 15

How-To Guides David 1 Comment
documents, files, folders, windows

[Windows tip]

Did you know that you don’t have to your “My Documents” folder in the place that Windows make it?

Say for example, if you wanted to have your documents on a separate drive to the drive you have Windows installed. Simply follow the steps given in this knowledge base article:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310147.

Tip of the week – 8th May 2009

May 8

How-To Guides David 2 Comments
disk, freeware, space, windows

[Windows Freeware]

If you want to have a clear out of your hard drive and track down where all the space-hogging files and folders are then try this awesome, yet tiny, application: Space Monger.

It works by giving you a visual representation of the size of everything on your hard drive. Say if your “Program Files” folder takes up 25% of your disk, then the block representing that folder will take up 25% of the folder, e.g. like this screen shot .

I’ve linked to version 1.4 which is free (of cost), there is a version 2.x branch which will cost you around $20. Although I think the free version will do all you need it to do. Again this is something I’ve been using for a long time and really recommend it. I only wish there was something like it for other OS’s because it is just so helpful.