DIGITAL SANKALP

How to use Gmail, Calendar, Docs offline

How to use Gmail, Calendar, Docs offline

The great thing about Web apps is that you can access your information on the go, and on variety of devices like mobile phones and tablets...

10:08 pm

Does it matter which charger I use?

Does it matter which charger I use?

Recently, news about two people getting electrocuted by counterfeit iPhone chargers made its way to the internet. Though Apple has offic...

5:06 pm

How to clean your mouse and keyboard

How to clean your mouse and keyboard

Before cleaning your mouse and keyboard, shut down your computer. Unplug the mouse and the keyboard. For keyboard: Tilt the keyboard upsid...

5:00 pm

Essential toolkit for your PC

<div class="stname arttitletxt" style="font-size:1.75em;line-height:28px;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;float:left;margin:0px;padding:10px 0px 5px 10px"> </div><div class="storycontent_outer" style="font-size:0.91em;line-height:20px;font-family:georgia;margin:0px;padding:1px 5px"> <div class="storycontent" style="font-size:16px;line-height:normal;margin:0px;padding:5px">It's the secret software that tech support engineers rely on.S N Reddy must-have tools that will keep your machine shipshape. Don't worry, they are all absolutely free and easy to use 1) The PC takes time to boot to the desktop; opening and searching for files and folders is slow.  Solution: Auslogics Disk Defrag Free Your computer's hard drive needs to be given a break once every month. The constant moving and deletion of files and folders results in data being stored in bits and pieces all over the hard disk. Accessing these fragments starts taking a toll on the drive's performance and longevity. Auslogics Disk Defrag Free (ADDF) is a light and effective tool that sets things straight; it does it while you're working on your PC (unlike the built-in Windows tool that requires you to stop all tasks while a defrag is in process). Additionally, ADDF can also strategically place system files on the hard drive where access times are the lowest, thereby improving performance. <a href="http://www.auslogics.com">www.auslogics.com</a> 2) The browser seems slow, and the PC becomes sluggish while connected to the internet.  Solution: Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware There is a likelihood that your PC has been infected by malware - a trojan, worm, a rootkit, etc - that insidiously works in the background for all the wrong reasons, of course. They are meant to simply cripple your machine; turn it into a bot to relay information or steal login credentials of your various online accounts. Enter Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware , a software that uses its database and heuristics to deworm your PC to the pink of health. Just make sure you use this cleaner every week and keep it updated. <a href="http://www.malwarebytes.org">www.malwarebytes.org</a> 3 ) You accidentally deleted important files, permanently, and you need them back!  Solution: Orion File Recovery Software You will be pleasantly surprised to know that clearing the contents of the Recycle Bin does not necessarily mean that the data has been lost forever. What Windows has done is taken the record of the files' existence off its shelf. The files still exist on the hard drive, but only for a short while until they are replaced by other data. Assuming the location where the files were stored on your hard drive have not already been refreshed with new data, you can fire up Orion File Recovery and hunt them down. In fact, it can be used to scan memory cards and USB drives as well. And on the flip side, Orion can also be used to permanently delete "deleted" files. <a href="http://www.nchsoftware.com">www.nchsoftware.com</a> <img class="gwt-Image" src="http://m.timesofindia.com/photo/21753678.cms" style="width: 288px; height: 208px;"> 4) You have no idea of your machine specs, and don't know whom to ask.  Solution: PC-Wizard  It is not important to know your PC config by heart, but it is extremely useful to have a spec list handy, especially when you're seeking tech support from friends and your service engineer. There might be a time when you'll need to share details like the amount and kind of RAM, hard disk size and type of processor with your local tech support guy. CPU-ID's PC-Wizard is a simple info tool that scans and lists all the devices and components it discovers in your system. The list can be saved in various formats, including as an image, PDF, and HTML file. <a href="http://www.cpuid.com">www.cpuid.com</a> 5) You have uninstalled programs, but still see their folders in Windows Explorer.  Solution: Revo Uninstaller Free  Uninstalling software with Windows' built-in utility is good enough, right? Most of the times, yes. Sometimes, however, you might come across folders of software that you've uninstalled ages ago. Some programs do not remove all data unless explicitly instructed to do so via a check box. Others don't bother to offer such customizations and leave residual files that are usually of no use. Revo Uninstaller Free is your uninstaller on steroids; removing remnants and also including eight tools for more control over the clutter that's clogging your PC. These tools are neatly arranged in tabs and can be used to control the programs that are loaded on startup; remove junk files; and even permanently clear out data you thought you had deleted a long time ago. <a href="http://www.revouninstaller.com">www.revouninstaller.com</a> 6) Your PC keeps freezing, restarting or just crashing "randomly".  Solution: WhoCrashed Even though it might seem that your PC is randomly doing these bizarre things, most of the time there is a pattern before which it has a seizure. Even if you aren't able to put a finger on whether it locks up after you start playing music files, opening the browser or playing a game, you can try WhoCrashed and find out whodunit. The software reads the file that's created each time a PC crashes and throws up an inference to the errant device driver. While this may not always be completely accurate, it is a simpler way to get to the root of the problem. The resulting diagnosis can also be used in technical forums, if you need more guidance. <a href="http://www.resplendence.com">www.resplendence.com</a> 7) The hard disk is running low on space and you would like to get rid of files that are not required.  Solution: CCleaner Bloated temporary files and folders are a perennial problem, a problem that worsens if you prefer to use multiple web browsers. There is another issue that may arise from this problem - malware. The temporary internet files may harbour rogue files or cookies that are tracking your browsing habits and sending data back to servers on the sly. These activities not only hog system resources, they also slow the browser down. CCleaner is a one-stop shop where you can delete the temporary cache of files, cookies, and history from all your browsers - Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari or Opera. It will even scan the rest of the hard drive for files that it feels need to be cleared out and 'spring clean' the Registry for you. <a href="http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner">www.piriform.com/ccleaner</a> 8) You would like to know when updates are available for the software and drivers on your PC.  Solution: SecuniaPSI An up-to-date system has its advantages - it means that all your hardware will be running current drivers; Windows will always be primed with the patches for any reported vulnerabilities; and all installed software will sport the latest version. But you will only get to know there is an update available when you specifically start looking for one. The easier way out is a tool that shows you a neat little dashboard with a list of all the installed hardware and software - and whether they need an update or not. This is where SecuniaPSI will come handy. It will notify you when security updates for Windows are available for download as well. If this is also too tedious a process, just set it to automatically do the dirty work for you and you are sorted. <a href="http://www.secunia.com">www.secunia.com</a> 9) Taking a backup of all your important stuff with Windows' built-in backup utility is more tedious than you thought.  Solution: FBackup Windows does have a decent backup and restore system in place; unfortunately, it isn't intuitive or straightforward enough for the average user. Try Fbackup. The software lists simple backup and recovery actions that can be initiated at the click of a button. What's more - the software can be further configured with the help of free plug-ins that can also make a copy of program data and settings so you don't have to do it all over again after recovery. <a href="http://www.fbackup.com">www.fbackup.com</a> </div></div>

Essential toolkit for your PC

It's the secret software that tech support engineers rely on.S N Reddy must-have tools that will keep your machine shipshape. Don'...

4:58 pm

How to find a lost device that is in silent mode

How to find a lost device that is in silent mode

I lost my tablet somewhere in my house and have been searching for hours. It's an Android device, which seems to have Wi-Fi-enabled (r...

4:54 pm

How to recall a sent mail on Gmail

How to recall a sent mail on Gmail

In the Compose tab of Gmail, as you start typing out in the 'To' field, you are prompted with probable email addresses. It's...

4:52 pm

How to find your phone’s IMEI number

How to find your phone’s IMEI number

This is designed to be a helpful guide - do not do anything you're not comfortable doing on your smartphone. UKMobileReview, it'...

4:51 pm

How to turn off ads on Gmail

How to turn off ads on Gmail

When Google introduced the new tabbed interface for Gmail, it also brought along some new ads under the Promotions tab. The ads look a ...

4:49 pm

How to protect yourself from apps that make Wi-Fi hacking simple

<div class="stname arttitletxt" style="font-size:1.75em;line-height:28px;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;float:left;margin:0px;padding:10px 0px 5px 10px"> </div><div class="storycontent_outer" style="font-size:0.91em;line-height:20px;font-family:georgia;margin:0px;padding:1px 5px"> <div class="storycontent" style="font-size:16px;line-height:normal;margin:0px;padding:5px">It's not paranoia: Using public or open Wi-Fi networks without taking your security into consideration is a bad idea. You don't even have to crack the network's passwords to grab tons of data from unsuspecting users on the network-We've shown you how to do it, and how to stop it from happening to you. Now, dSploit, a security toolkit for Android, makes that process so simple anyone can do it. Here's how it works, and how to protect yourself.  What is dSploit? dSploit is actually a suite of security tools bundled together in one application. It runs on rooted Android (2.3+) devices, its code is freely available at GitHub, and it's actually a great utility if you're a security professional or otherwise enjoy the ins and outs of network security, hacking, and penetration testing. We want to be clear that we're not villainizing the tool here; unlike apps like Firesheep, Faceniff, and Droidsheep, dSploit isn't made for the sole purpose of cracking networks or hijacking user sessions. It can certainly sniff out passwords transmitted in plain text on an open network, and it can crack poorly secured Wi-Fi networks. It can also scan networks for vulnerabilities, crack keys on common routers, and of course, hijack browser, website, or social network sessions and hold on to them. You can see a full list of the tool's features here.  For a security professional, an amateur looking for an affordable way to learn more about network security (or who's been tasked by their office to secure their Wi-Fi but can't afford professional pen-testers), or someone looking to protect their own network, dSploit can be a valuable resource. It can also be a valuable resource for people looking to steal your data. That's why we're going to talk about how it works and how you can protect your passwords and private data from anyone else using it.  How dSploit (and other apps like it) work dSploit makes it easy to do two things: Sniff out passwords being sent unencrypted, and hijack active browser sessions so you can masquerade as someone who's already logged in to a site or service. In both cases, they're really one-touch operations once you have the app installed. The former is easy to do. If someone is visiting a site, or logging in to a service without using HTTPS or SSL, your password is likely being sent in clear text. Anyone sniffing packets on a network can capture them without having to do any real kind of packet inspection, and once they have it, they'll try it on as many sites and services as possible to see if you use it for other accounts. The video above, from OpenSourceGangster, explains how the app works in detail, and how to use it.  The latter is a bit more intricate. If you're not familiar with session hijacking, it's the process of capturing cookies to exploit a valid active session that another user has with a secured service in order to impersonate that other user. Since no sensitive data like a login or password is transmitted in the cookie, they're usually sent in the clear, and in most cases they're used by web sites and social networks as a way of identifying a user with a current session so the site doesn't forget who you are every time you reload. This is the most common attack vector for apps that sniff out passwords and sessions via Wi-Fi. We showed you how this works when Disconnect, one of our favorite privacy protecting browser extensions, added protection against widget jacking and session hijacking, if you want to see an example.  dSploit approaches session hijacking in a similar manner to the other tools we've mentioned, mostly because it works well. The folks over at MakeUseOf explain how the app works in further detail, including some of the things you can do with it. Many web sites just encrypt your username and password, and once that handoff is made, everything else is unencrypted. While many sites have moved to HTTPS (and there are tools to help that we'll get to a little later), most require you to activate their HTTPS features. Many other sites haven't bothered moving to HTTPS universally at all.  What's the real risk here? The real risk from tools like this varies. The odds of you encountering someone in your local coffee shop running dSploit, Firesheep, or any other app like them to capture passwords and hijack sessions is pretty slim, but as we've mentioned, it only takes one person to ruin your day.  Someone could just capture as many Facebook or Twitter sessions as they can (after which they can change a user's password and keep the Facebook account for themselves), hijack Amazon shopping sessions and grab address and credit card information, read your email and chats, and so on. The risk goes up with more and more tools available that are easy for anyone to use, and with the number of people out there who simply don't protect themselves by encrypting their data.  How can I protect myself? Protecting yourself from these tools like it is actually remarkably easy if you put in the effort to actually do it:  * Turn on HTTPS on every site that allows you to connect with it, and install HTTPS Everywhere. This will make sure you're using HTTPS at all times, whenever possible, and none of your web browsing traffic is sent unencrypted.  * Get a privacy-protecting browser extension like Disconnect, which also protects against widget jacking or side-jacking. Disconnect is our favorite, but it shouldn't be the only tool in your toolkit.  * Use a VPN when browsing on public, free, or other open networks. We've explained why you should have a VPN before. We've even explained how to tell if a VPN is trustworthy. Using a VPN is the best way to make sure all of your data is encrypted and safe from anyone else on the same network, whether it's wired or wireless, public or private.  * Use your head, and practice good internet hygiene. Hone your phishing and scam detection skills, turn your BS detecter up to max, and learn how to protect yourself from online fraud. Someone doesn't have to hijack your session or passwords to get to you-they could just as easily replace the website you're on with one that looks like it but insists you give it a ton of data first. Be smart.  * It doesn't take much to use HTTPS everywhere you can, fire up a VPN if you're going to be working from the library, or just not to use public Wi-Fi and wait until you get home or tether to your phone instead (that's always another option). However, if everyone did it, unscrupulous use of tools like these wouldn't' be an issue and only the people who needed them would use them. However, as long as they're so effective, it makes sense for you to take the necessary steps to protect yourself. </div></div>

How to protect yourself from apps that make Wi-Fi hacking simple

It's not paranoia: Using public or open Wi-Fi networks without taking your security into consideration is a bad idea. You don't ev...

4:45 pm