PCMech » PCMech Videos

Google Chrome (Video)

Rich Menga — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:51:00 +0000

Google Chrome is a web browser very recently released by Google. While Dave concentrated more on the “guts” of the browser, I concentrated more on its usability. What I discovered is that while Gmail and Yahoo! Mail work, the full version of Hotmail does not. The bookmark import from Firefox on initial install didn’t work. There’s also some Java stuff that doesn’t work and the zoom feature isn’t too great either (compared to IE or Firefox). However I will say that yes, it’s really fast, zippy and easy to use. See video below for details.

How-To: Mass Rename Files in Windows XP/Vista

Rich Menga — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 17:12:33 +0000

A freeware utility called Rename Master is all you need to mass-rename any type of file you want to in Windows XP or Vista. While it’s true you can mass-rename file extensions from the command line in Windows, it’s not so easy to touch a specific part of a filename. But with Rename Master you can do this easily. See video below for details.

How-To: Buy A Computer Case

Rich Menga — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 19:44:54 +0000

Shopping for a computer case is at times a daunting task because there are so many to choose from. The video in this article will show you how to use NewEgg to review cases on your own without spending a dime. When finished you’ll know how to get to reviews and details on which case is right for you.

Using Your Own FTP Server With Foxmarks

Rich Menga — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 15:05:27 +0000

Foxmarks is a freely available add-on for the Mozilla Firefox web browser. Normally what you would do to send/retrieve your bookmarks is use the Foxmarks servers to store this information, however if you host your own web site (or just use free FTP space provided by your ISP) you can store your own bookmarks privately via FTP. See video below for details.

Rant - Opening Plastic Packaging

David Risley — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 22:04:38 +0000

I picked up a new USB 2.0 hub at Best Buy. And, as usual, it was packaged in that really tough plastic packaging that, I swear, was designed by Nazis.

I understand that they do this to alleviate shoplifting, but come on!

21 Windows Apps - DS Clock

Rich Menga — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 09:20:34 +0000

DS Clock is admittedly a very old application but it easily falls under the “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” type. Why? Because it works as is.

Why get DS Clock?

The “Internet Time” portion of the clock, seen here…

…doesn’t work. Or rather, it doesn’t work the way most people would expect it to. Periodically your system clock will be “off” by a few minutes. The existing time synchronization within Windows works mostly well but not well enough.

DS Clock does work all the time, every time. It is a very small app and can easily be put anywhere on your screen. It can be 100% customized. You can choose font size, bold/italic/underline. You can have it show just the time or time/date or time/date/year and there are many more options.

For example, this is how I have mine set up:

Pressing “Date”, “Time”, “Time Zone” and other buttons at the top bring forward a ton of options to use.

For those who want an accurate system clock (and who doesn’t?), give DS Clock a try. Works great.

Here’s a video of DS Clock in action.

Is Blocking Ads Right?

Rich Menga — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 16:32:06 +0000

A while ago an article was written here on whether blocking advertisements on web sites was ethical or not. My opinion is that it is ultimately your choice whether you want ot see them or not (given the fact many people use ad blocking software these days). I say that for the web sites you visit, if you like what they have to offer and use ads to pay the bills (like PCMech), let the ads display. It is an easy, simple and free way to help out the sites you like.

A Word On Instant Messaging

Rich Menga — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:56:58 +0000

In my experience the safest instant messaging is to use the “from-service” clients. For example, if you use Windows Live (formerly MSN), it is best to use their client. If you use Yahoo instant messaging, the same applies. With the from-service client there are added security features that the multi-protocol clients (like Trillian, Pidgin, etc.) do not have.

I’m not suggesting that if you use a multi-protocol client to dump it. But if you want the most security when it comes to IM, the from-service client is the way to go.

Using The Windows Live Mail Client - Part 5 of 5

Rich Menga — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 17:25:01 +0000

In this small mini-series of videos I explain how to use the Windows Live Mail client that includes setting up with POP, IMAP, Gmail and of course Windows Live accounts like MSN, Hotmail and so on.

This is video 5 of 5 - the last in the series.

Using The Windows Live Mail Client - Part 4 of 5

Rich Menga — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 17:13:22 +0000

In this small mini-series of videos I explain how to use the Windows Live Mail client that includes setting up with POP, IMAP, Gmail and of course Windows Live accounts like MSN, Hotmail and so on.

This is video 4 of 5. The other parts will be posted soon.