Category Archives: Technology
Rocket Book Wave
Paper Notebooks aren’t at risk of being completely replaced by laptops, tablets and computers just yet, but they could still stand to be a little smarter. In comes RocketBook Wave!
I take notes in this notebook, just like any other notebook. However, when done, I can open an app on my cell phone, take a picture of the page and the page will be instantly sent to either my email, another email, my dropbox, my evernote, my google drive, or other cloud service automatically. Or it can be sent to any combination of the above. It’s pretty awesome.
At the bottom of each of the Rocketbook’s pages is a set of seven icons, what the company calls magic buttons. Each button can be assigned to a location in the cloud, meaning that all your scribbles on that particular page will be sent directly to wherever you’d like them to go. Need those lecture notes compiled neatly in your university Evernote folder? Or perhaps that inspired series of illustrations sent to Dropbox? Then just mark the relevant magic button.
Best of all when my Rocketbook Wave Notebook is full, I don’t have to buy another: using heat-erasable Pilot Frixion pens to write, microwaving the notebook for a few minutes (and until its blue cover logo turns white) will erase all of its pages for a fresh start.
That’s right. When my notebook fills up, I just nuke it for a few minutes and it’s empty again. But since I saved everything to evernote and/or dropbox, my musings are safe forever!
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/rocketbook-wave-cloud-ready-microwavable-notebook
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How do I keep my computer from getting infected?
The first line of defense against malware is … you!
You can check whether a file is harmful before you install it. Sometimes you can check before you even download it. VirusTotal (https://www.virustotal.com/en/) is a great website where you can check a file against 40 or so antivirus resources to see if it’s likely to be dangerous. It’s dead easy. A more complete explanation of the site is here: https://www.virustotal.com/en/about/. That page explains how to submit a file for analysis, too. If you do a lot of downloading, you might be interested in the advanced tools, here: https://www.virustotal.com/en/documentation/.
Once you’ve downloaded a file, you can (and should) check it before you install it. So given a choice to Save or Run or Save and Run, the best choice on a file you’re not sure about is Save. When the download finishes, right-click on the file. You will see options to scan the file with your antivirus and antimalware program. Do it! That scan takes seconds!
Even great, safe programs will try to force stuff on you. Sometimes it’s Google Chrome (I’m talking about YOU, Avast! Free) or McAfee Security Suite. (What does that have to do with updating your Java? Stop it, Adobe!) Always choose Custom Install over Typical or Express. Custom Install allows you to decline unwanted programs, toolbars, and search hijacks. Typical or Express installs mean that you accept whatever is offered. Clear the check boxes for the stuff you don’t want.
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Boot up time on your computer
I just found a new software solution that I really like. Have you ever noticed that over time your computer bootup gets slower and slower? Well, go to http://www.soluto.com/ and download their software. It is very easy to install and very easy to use. It basically analyzes all the files that run in startup and tells you which ones you can safely remove. The really neat part is that it utilizes the social power of the “cloud” – the world of internet users. It keeps track of what changes you make and uses that information to help determine what others should do when dealing with that same startup application.
I really like it. (okay, now for the disclaimers. I like it. I am a software guy. I pretty much know what I am doing. SOOOO… DON’T call me if you don’t know what you are doing, if this does not work for you, or if you don’t like it.). This blog is NOT meant to be an online help desk. and if it screws up your computer – well – again – don’t blame me).
Shelly
Shelly Berryhill 