TECH INSIGHT

Tech Insight by Mr. A.

Holla guys. Happy new week, guess some of you have started lectures. Well I did promise some PC tips this week and a man has to keep to his promises. I will try to make this tips cut across almost all brands and platforms. So here we go;

1. Always read your pc manual: I know we can be Africans about this but seriously, no be ya mama make am, so read ya manual. Why? 'cos there are tips in there the manufacturer put. It will help you get familiar with all the buttons and weird functions so u won't think airplane mode makes it fly. :) . You will get to know your laptop's model name, your warranty possibility etc.

Now when u get past the manual, pop the pc open and power it on.

2.Do not install software/applications that exceed your system capacity:Laptops come in 64 and 32 bits- this tell the size of the system buses…never mind that its complicated for most people. Use only compatible software versions to avoid sluggish or outright failure of both software and PC. Also note your systemSpecification (specs for short) like RAM, Hard disk size, Processor speed, etc. Helps you know what can run on what and prevents repair guys stealing your hardware during repairs.

3. Know pc shortcuts: Well I know most of you, me included bought Windows PCs. Get to know essential built in shortcuts. I'm gonna give a list of some of the major ones.

I. Windows button + E : this opens the My computer window.

II. Ctrl+C: Copy the selected item.

III. Ctrl+X: Cut a selected item.

IV.  Ctrl+V: Paste a selected item.

V. Ctrl+Z: Undo an action and to counter it;

VI. Ctrl+Y: Redo that thing I just undid.

VII. Ctrl+A: Select everything.

VIII.

Print:Ctrl+P: Print.

IX. Ctrl+ any arrow (up, down, left right):  Helps select multiple items.

X. Ctrl+ Alt+Esc:this shortcut opens your task manager and allows you shut down all the hanging applications

I’m gonna stop here ‘cos that’s what I’m watching a movie and don’t wanna push it too far. The + means they have to be pressed together, press the first then the the next button while still holding the first.

4. Do not tamper with your PC system files: They are really critical and if there’s a mistake in one register (its a data bank of sorts used by the processor) a lot of bad things can happen like your PC might bail out on you, change owners or something.

5. Install a good antivirus: This works to protect your pc from lots of harm from both online and offline threats. Always keep your antivirus up to date, so best leave it on auto update to ensure you keep getting the latest virus definitions cos viruses change overtime and keep getting better at the shit they do, which is to mess up your pc. Scan all external memory before opening them on your PC for protection: After getting an antivirus, scan all external devices and scan your PC thoroughly once in a while for safety. You can’t tell what came in from the internet.

 I will share a list of good antiviruses so you can make your pick. In no particular order;

·         Avast

·         Norton

·         Bitdefender

·         McAfee

·         Avira

·         Kaspersky

·         AVG

·         Panda Cloud

·         Microsoft essentials 2014 (thought people still prefer the conventional antiviruses)

You can get most of them at http://www.filehippo.com

Besides an antivirus get a tune up software like TuneUp.Also have your firewall up and running.

NOTE: if you are using stuff like smartAV you need to get off that stuff now

6. Always check out for file extensions while downloading: The file extensions tells what kind of file it is, either software, document etc. here are a few;

.exe- executable file, all windows software come like this

.msi- Microsoft installation file

.pdf- Portable Document Format

.apk- Android package file

.bin-binary file

.zip/.rar- compressed zipped file could be opened with winrar, 7zip, power iso

.mp3/4-audio file or music file

.avi- Audio Video Interleave (movies, videos comes in this format there are others video formats like flv, mkv, mp4 etc)

.wma-windows media audio

I’ll just mention a few. Some other day we gonna review this. You can check for more online just Google: File extensions and you will get the whole gist.

7. Lower your screen brightness to save battery:  this is good practice, not only will it save our battery but it will also save tour eyes as well, trust me I use glasses, yes definitely NERD frames. This advice also applies to phones cos display tends to suck battery more than application processing.Also do not let your laptop battery run down totally it is very bad and weakens the life span of your battery.

8. If your PC warns you do not ignore it:  I will go back to mention this again. Do not tamper with hidden system files. If your are not sure what something does, go online and find out or post a comment here.

9. Turn off your Bluetooth and Wi-Fi network when not in use:  these tend to drain battery, and you can be hacked via these network pathways. So be careful, do not accept any suspicious request from any device and do not connect to any Wi-Fi to try your luck, chances are the owner is seeking for data to retrieve and use maliciously.

The last but not the least, it’s not easy typing this stuff. Getting my eyes heavy

10.Handle your PC carefully, it’s like you have two girlfriends now, she and the PC: This is cos they are similar, you have to care for them more thanyourself, provide for them, talk to them once in a while, check them out to see that all is well, spend money to maintain their beauty. They also remember a lot of stuff from previously and you have to clean up the clutters and rubbish.

            Be careful with your USB ports, charging port and all other holes. Do not cover the vents beside and beneath the PC to avoid overheating. Protect your screen at all cost, we won’t want to poke the missy in the eye now do we? Do not hit, jab, slam, poke, push, shove or use any harmful words on the PC or you might end up with bits and pieces, Software is repairable, hardware…not so much. Avoid spills from liquids, dust, food matter etc. that can get stuck in system components.

Good night guys, I’m pretty tired but I do hope this few tips serve well the purpose for which they were intended. BY the way, the s5 is getting a mini soon. Hurray, hopefully some of us will be able to afford it.Next week we will look at a few internet tips and I think there will be a few Christmas surprises, some PS5 and maybe a new Xbox? Who knows? Also Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is getting a revamp coming soon. I’m still waiting to hear about the FIFA 2015 gameplay from you guys.

Good night people.

12:02