rsync is a protocol built for Unix-like systems that provides unbelievable versatility for backing up and synchronizing data. It can be used locally to back up files to different directories or can be configured to sync across the Internet to other hosts. It can be used on Windows systems but is only available through various ports (such as Cygwin), so in this how-to we will be talking about setting it up on Linux....
Google doesn’t provide an easy way to see the storage, RAM, CPU, and other specifications of your Chromebook. But it’s possible to dig all this information up, just as you can on a traditional computer operating system. RELATED: 4 Things to Keep in Mind When Buying a Chromebook For Linux The specifications matter if you’re considering upgrading your Chromebook and want to know how much hardware you have. The techniques we’re covering also tell you if you have an ARM or Intel CPU, which is important if you’re installing a full Linux system on your Chromebook....
In a perfect world, there would be no way for your computer to be infected via your browser. Browsers are supposed to run web pages in an untrusted sandbox, isolating them from the rest of your computer. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen. Websites can use security holes in browsers or browser plugins to escape these sandboxes. Malicious websites will also try using social-engineering tactics to trick you. Insecure Browser Plugins Most people that are compromised through browsers are compromised through their browsers’ plugins....
Anyone who logs serious time at their computer desk knows the toll the keyboard and mouse can take on your wrists, shoulders, and even back. Today we take a look at the Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Desktop, a highly ergonomic keyboard and mouse combo that purports to realign your posture and chase away the carpal tunnel. What Is The Sculpt? The Sculpt Ergonomic Desktop (herein referred to as the Sculpt for brevity) is Microsoft’s most recent iteration in their long standing (and popular) ergonomic keyboard lineup....
Arch Linux is a great Linux distribution but infamously complicated to install. EndeavourOS provides the closest thing to a plain-vanilla Arch installation—without the pain. Let’s look at how it differs and how to install it. RELATED: How to Install Arch Linux on a PC Arch Linux and EndeavourOS Arch Linux is famous for being its own thing, done in its own way. Most distributions are built on other distributions. Ubuntu is based on Debian, Manjaro is based on Arch, and Fedora is based on RedHat Linux....
Keyboard shortcuts are a crucial way to do almost anything on your computer faster, whether it’s browsing the web, working with text, or just getting around your desktop. Among its other useful features, VLC is packed with keyboard shortcuts. These are particularly useful when you have VLC in full-screen mode. Perhaps you’re using VLC to play videos at a distance — you can turn a wireless keyboard into a makeshift remote control....
Have you seen that message in Windows 8 that tells you your computer is going to reboot and there is not a thing you can do about it except save your work? Here’s how to make sure that never happens again. This tip works for Windows 7 as well. Note that we have covered this method before for preventing Windows 7 from automatically rebooting. This article has two methods for doing the same thing....
You’ve probably given a few applications or websites access to your Google, Facebook, Twitter, Dropbox, or Microsoft account. Every application you’ve ever allowed keeps that access forever — or at least until you revoke it. In other words, there are probably quite a few other web services that have access to your personal data. You should regularly check your lists of connected services on the websites you use and remove services you no longer use....
Have you heard? Antivirus software is dead — at least according to Symantec, maker of Norton Antivirus. But they’re still making Norton Antivirus and want to sell it to you, so what does this statement even mean? Antivirus software is still helpful. It’s an important layer of security. But, now more than ever, you shouldn’t rely only on antivirus software. Traditional antivirus software doesn’t catch many threats. Why is Antivirus Software “Dead”?...
Streaming devices and sticks are a straightforward way to get all of your streaming services to the most important place—your TV. All of the streaming devices we recommended have all of the major streaming services like Netflix and HBO Max available from the get-go (even if sometimes finding the show you want is a little difficult) without all the hassle of dealing with a Smart TV’s UI. One key factor to keep in mind with streaming players is that, while all of these devices will have the most popular streaming services on them, when it comes to less popular or more niche services (such as Viki or Philo), you’ll want to make sure the streaming device supports it....
USB Naming Used to Be Simple Once upon a time, USB came in two main flavors, 2.0 and 3.0. All you needed to know about them was 3.0 was faster than 2.0. You could buy a USB 2.0 flash drive and plug it into a computer that had USB 3.0 slots, and it would still work—just at the slower USB 2.0 speeds. Buying a USB 3.0 drive and plugging it into a USB 2....
When you are shopping around for a new hard-drive for your computer or laptop, you may run across the terms Bare and/or OEM, but are they actually that different from other hard-drives or are they the same? Today’s SuperUser Q&A post has the answers to a confused reader’s questions. Today’s Question & Answer session comes to us courtesy of SuperUser—a subdivision of Stack Exchange, a community-driven grouping of Q&A web sites....
Chime.in is a social network brought to you by UberMedia; the people behind UberSocial apps and Echofon. They aim to improve your social network experience by integrating rich media, community discovery, and flexible user following. At a glance, here are some features that sets it apart from other social networks. Everything is public. There are no private messages, direct messages, or circles. Media can easily be integrated into every post (sorry no gifs)....
The CPU-GPU Relationship You may have heard of a CPU or GPU ‘bottleneck” before, and resizable BAR exists to deal with a very specific type of bottleneck that can happen between the CPU and GPU as they work together to draw the next frame. That naturally raises the question of why the CPU is involved with the GPU in the first place. The two types of processors are good at different things....
If you are not familiar with it, you might think of Usenet as a completely different ‘network’ from the Internet, but are they two completely separate entities or are they ‘inter-connected’? Today’s SuperUser Q&A post has the answer to that question. Today’s Question & Answer session comes to us courtesy of SuperUser—a subdivision of Stack Exchange, a community-driven grouping of Q&A web sites. Screenshot shown above courtesy of Wikimedia Commons....
Most of the time you do not need to restart your computer after uninstalling a program, but there are times when Windows will ask you to do so for a particular program. Can shutting your computer down work just as well as a complete restart? Today’s SuperUser Q&A post has the answer to a curious reader’s question. Today’s Question & Answer session comes to us courtesy of SuperUser—a subdivision of Stack Exchange, a community-driven grouping of Q&A web sites....
Most Linux distributions come without support for MP3 audio, H.264 video, Flash content, and even commercial video DVDs. Patents, closed-source software, and even laws that make certain types of software illegal restrict what can be included in a Linux distribution. Linux Mint’s inclusion of such restricted software out-of-the-box was one of the things that made it so popular when it was first released. Even if this software isn’t included, it’s very easy to install afterwards....
The deadline for the end of Windows XP support is drawing closer every day now, yet many people and businesses continue to use it. Microsoft is adamant that once April 8th comes and goes, there will be no end-of-life extensions, assisted support options, or online technical content updates of any kind, period. With this in mind, many security experts are expecting malware authors to start stockpiling exploits and vulnerabilities in the lead-up to the cut-off date....
Sometimes you need to shut down your Windows 10 or 11 PC, but thanks to something called “Fast Startup,” you might not be shutting it down all the way, with a fresh OS reload on the next power up. Here’s how to make sure your PC really shuts down completely. Fast Startup: Stealth Hibernation Usually, you don’t need to shut down your PC. Sleep mode can place your PC into a low-power state that is quick to resume whenever you need to use your PC again....
Now that Skype has been merged with Windows Live Messenger, it’s more popular than ever. There’s no way to use Skype with a third-party client, but Skype does offer hidden features that can make it more powerful. These are a few useful Skype tricks you won’t find unless you go off the beaten path, offering ways to sign into multiple Skype accounts, use IRC-style chat commands, record Skype calls, and even disable some of Skype’s built-in advertising....
