The Computer Kid

MIT sketching ASSIST - Free Download

2008-01-19T20:29:00.000-08:00

After watching the following Youtube video I decided that I had to have the software the professor in the video was using, or at least something like it. Luckily, I discovered that Microsoft has an application that is virtually the exact same thing and best of all you can download it for totally free. The application is called "Microsoft Physics Illustrator for Tablet PC" and is just one of the many cool applications available for free in the "Microsoft PowerToys for Windows XP Tablet PC Edition". While the application is designed to run on an XP tablet, I had no difficulty installing it on my Vista tablet. Click Here to visit Microsoft PowerToys page where you can download "Physics Illustrator" and any other table PowerToys you want... or Click Here for the direct download link and start using this amazing application now!

Royalty Free images for Free

2007-12-17T09:37:00.000-08:00

Finding free images that are actually high quality can be quite a difficult task. Most sites that provide free images either provide “crappy” images or the images have license restrictions that prevent you from using them on websites or redistributing them. After spending some time searching the web I was able to find a few sites that actually provide free images that are royalty free (no license restrictions). Here is a list of sites that really do provide high quality royalty free images for completely free!

Well there is a few great sites to get you started, but if anyone happens to find any other sites that offer royalty free images for free please leave a comment below with the URL.

Disable List of Recently Used Documents and/or Programs

2007-12-16T12:33:00.000-08:00

By default Windows Vista saves a list of all the recently used files and programs that have been run. While this can be a helpful feature it can also be a pain in the but. Lets just say theoretically that you were looking at some photos you would rather your parents not find out about, then disabling this feature is very important.To disable the list of recently used documents and/or programs that are automatically saved, and listed in the Vista start menu, simply begin by right clicking the Start button and selecting Properties. Now, either un-check "Store and Display a list of recently used files" or "Store and Display a list of recently used programs" or both. Finally, hit OK and from now Vista should no longer keep tabs on what files you've been viewing.

Note: I really did just give a theoretical example so please don't comment about how porn is bad. Plus those pictures could be Christmas gift photos..... Right?

Video Wallpaper Backgrounds for Vista

2007-12-15T14:44:00.000-08:00

Stardock has now announced that as of Feburary 2008 they will be realeasing DeskScapes 2.0 which will allow Vista Home premium, and any other version of Vista (that can run Areo effects) to play video files as their desktop background. Previously, this feature was only availible to Vista Ultimate owners but now Stardock brings it to every Vista distro, and best of FOR FREE!!! As I said this download is free but if you want you can choose to pay $20 for an enhanced version which will include Object Desktop.

For those of who are running Vista Ultimate edition you don't have to wait; you can simply visit http://www.stardock.com/products/deskscapes/ and download DeskScapes which will allow you to play hundreds of free custom made video backrounds. But for the rest of us we will simply have to count down the days untill February arrives and we can finally download DeskScapes 2.0

Display a Site in any Browser, Resolution, or Operating System

2007-12-14T20:06:00.000-08:00

Making sure TheComputerKid.com looks good in every browser is extremely important. As any webmaster knows different browsers display pages differently. To test how your site looks you could download a bunch of different web browsers and test each one yourself or you can do what I do and simply visit Browsershots.org This site takes screen shots of your site in different browsers, different operating systems, and different screen resolutions. This is a great tool that can really improve your visitors experience and best of all its completely free!

My Computer on Vista Desktop

2007-12-13T18:37:00.000-08:00

If you are missing the My Computer icon from your desktop in Vista don't worry it will only take two seconds to put it back. First, click the start button and then right click on Computer and click Show on Desktop. Now you should have the My Computer Icon back on your desktop. To get rid of the My Computer Icon from your desktop simply reapeate the same steps.

Print Webpages Without Headers or Footers

2007-12-12T14:08:00.000-08:00

Am I the only one that finds the URL footer at the bottom of printed web page annoying and ugly? Luckily in Internet Explorer 7 it is very easy to print pages without the hideous headers and footers. Simply select Print Preview and then click the Turn headers and footers on or off button and print the page. Alternatively, you can permanently (but you can change back if you want) turn off the headers and footers by going to Page Setup, selecting the Margins & Header/Footer and selecting both the Header and Footer to be Blank.

Copy the Path of a File or Folder in Vista

2007-12-11T20:47:00.000-08:00

Being able to copy the path of file can be very handy if you are working on a batch file or you want to make a short cut…. or any number of other reasons. Luckily, in windows Vista all you have to do to copy the path of any file or folder is simply hold down the Shift button, right-click on the item and then select Copy as path. Now you can paste the path of the file/folder. Volia! It’s that easy.

Stop Windows Vista Sidebar

2007-12-10T13:26:00.000-08:00

While some people love the sidebar in Windows Vista, others find it to be a waste and want to save Ram by stopping it. To stop Windows Vista Sidebar from automatically starting every time the computer does, simply right-click on the sidebar and select Properties. Now, un-check Start Sidebar when windows starts and hit OK. Now, right-click on the Sidebar (for the last time... yea!) and click Exit. From now on, you don't need to worry about Windows Vista sidebar starting up with the computer or hogging the Ram.

Add Encrypt/Decrypt In Vista Right Click Menu

2007-12-09T12:31:00.000-08:00

I encrypt files all the time so having a encrypt/decrypt option on the right-click menu is very handy. To add this option to the right click menu in Vista, begin by starting Regedit.exe and then browsing to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\
CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced Now, in the right side panel click on a blank space, right-click and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value and name it EncryptionContextMenu. Next, right-click the new key and choose Modify. Finally, change the value data to 1 and click OK. Now when you right click on a file or folder you will see the encrypt/decrypt menu option.

Encrypt or Decrypt Files in Vista

2007-12-08T12:17:00.000-08:00

To Encrypt or Decrypt files in Windows Vista simply right-click on the item and select Properties. Next, under the General tab click on the Advanced button. Now, either check or un-check Encrypt contents to secure data and hit OK. Finally, click Apply (If you are encrypting you will be prompted whether you want to encrypt just that file or also the parent folder). Thats it. Now your file is either encrypted or decrypted.

Hibernate Shortcut for Vista

2007-12-07T08:21:00.000-08:00

Hibernate has always been my favorite shutdown option, thus having a simple shortcut on my desktop that I can click to put my vista computer into hibernation mode is extremely convenient. To make your own shortcut for hibernation mode in Vista simply right click on the desktop and select New and then choose shortcut. Now in the text field type "shutdown /h" (without the quotes) and click Next. Now you will be prompted to enter a name for your shortcut (by default the name is shutdown but it is still a hibernation shortcut). Finally, after you have entered the shortcut name click Finish and you should now have a Hibernation shortcut which will allow you to put your computer into hibernation mode simply by double clicking your new desktop shortcut.

Related Articles: Hibernate Shortcut for XP

How to add Digg, Delicious, Reddit and other social bookmarkers to Blogger

2007-12-05T12:15:00.000-08:00

You may have noticed that now at the bottom of each of the posts on this blog there is a submit button for Digg, Delicious, Reddit, and many others. Normally adding social bookmarker links is a fairly simple process, as long as you are only adding them to just a few webpages. Unfortunately, when you have a blog on blogger and have hundreds of posts (like myself) adding links for Digg or Delicious can become a tedious task if you do it manually. Luckily there is some simple code which you can copy and paste into your blog template, so that every time you make a post the links are automatically included (including your past posts). Simply go to www.Addthis.com and within five minutes you'll have a social book-marker button on your blog or website. There are multiple configuration options to choose from, and once you have installed the button you can also view how many times your posts are submitted to each of the different bookmarking sites. Feel free check out how this works by going to the bottom of this post and submitting it (Hint, Hint...). Overall this is great way to increase site traffic and is extremely easy to install.

Edit Host File in Vista

2007-12-03T17:07:00.000-08:00

Windows Vista has beefed up its security, thus editing the Host file is a little more difficult (if you don't know how) than it was in previous Microsoft operating systems. To edit the Host file in Vista simply follow these steps.
1) Click Start search Notepad
2) Right click the Notepad program and choose Run as administrator
3) Click Continue on the UAC prompt
4) Click File and then Open
5) Now browse to C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc
6) Change the file filter drop down box to All Files (*.*)
7) Select hosts and click Open
8) Now you can edit the host file in Vista. Yeah!

Side Note: a cool prank to pull on a friend is to -- edit your friends host file so that when they type in a site (like google.com) they are taken to a different site (use your imagination). To do this simply find out the IP address of the site you want to send them to and then type the following in thier host file on a blank line (but change the IP to the site you want them to go to.)

207.68.172.246 http://www.google.com/

Trust me this is a funny prank.

Related Articles: Host File Hack for XP

Music Piracy Alternatives

2007-11-13T21:40:00.000-08:00

“College student sued for downloading music illegally!” is an all too often news headline. Music piracy and the consequences that result are constantly making today’s top stories. If you download music illegally, it is important that you protect yourself from becoming just another court case by ensuring that you use free legal alternatives.

With iTunes charging nearly a dollar per song it is not surprising that many people who want to amass a large music library are turning to cheaper alternatives; dirt cheap if you get my drift. While there are several file sharing programs such as Limewire, Bearshare, Morphious, and many others, which allow you to download music for free, these programs can also put you at risk for a lawsuit over copyright infringement if you use them incorrectly. To ensure that you are not breaking any such laws it is important that you confirm the copyright filter (under the settings of your program) is activated. Once this filter is activated you will only see search results that are not copyrighted and therefore “A OKAY” for you to download and distribute.

Another option for illegal downloaders who have now seen the light is to simply listen to songs over the radio instead of downloading them. While at first this may sound absurd because of the inconvenience one might assume there would be, it is actually quite easy and efficient due to modern technology. Now you can listen to radio over the Internet, commercial free, and specify exactly what type of genre you want (I suggest Pandora.com). With the boom of free internet radio, downloading illegal music just doesn’t seem worth the risk.

If Internet radio just isn’t for you, don’t worry you can still download all the songs you want for free, and best of all legally too. There are now several sites that will allow you to download songs from virtually any artist (all the way from Enya to 50 Cent), and don’t charge you a dime. Undoubtedly, you are now asking yourself “what’s the catch?” Well, the catch is that the music you download is wrapped in a DRM (Digital Rights Management) shell. What the DRM does is different for every site. For the example, www.SpiralFrog.com requires that you visit the site every six months in order for you to continue playing downloaded songs. This is a small price to pay when you take into consideration that you are getting tons of music for free, but, of course, there will always be a few music purists out there who will refuse to have their songs corrupted by DRM.

In conclusion, the next time you consider downloading a song illegally, stop and ask yourself if it’s really worth the risk, when all you have to do is simply use one of the many free and one hundred percent legal alternatives.

Free Full Length TV Shows Online

2007-11-12T16:54:00.000-08:00

TV has finally crossed over into the internet realm, and best of all for free. Now many of the big broadcasters are beginning to air their shows via the web. Bellow is a list of full length tv shows you can watch via the web for free and the links to the players for them.

NBC

30 Rock
Bionic Woman
Chuck
Friday Night Lights
Heroes
Journeyman
Las Vegas
Life
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Miss Teen USA
My Name Is Earl
The Office
Passions
Phenomenon
Scrubs
Tonight Show With Jay Leno

CBS

Big Bang Theory
Cane
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Miami
CSI: NY
Guiding Light
How I Met Your Mother
Jericho
Kid Nation
Moonlight
NCIS
Numb3rs
Power of 10
Rules of Engagement
Shark
Survivor: China
The Price Is Right
The Unit
The Young and the Restless

ABC

Big Shots
Brothers and Sisters
Carpoolers
Cavemen
Dancing with the Stars
Desperate Housewives
Dirty Sexy Money
Extreme Makeover Home Edition
Grey's Anatomy
Lost
Men In Trees
October Road
Private Practice
Pushing Daisies
Samantha Who?
The Bachelor
Ugly Betty

FOX

American Dad
‘Til Death
Talk Show
The Simpsons
Prison Break
Nashville
MAD TV
K-Ville
Kitchen Nightmares
King of the Hill
House
Family Guy
Cops
Bones
Back to You
Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?

Discovery

Last One Standing
Myth Busters
Meerkat Manor
What Not To Wear

News Stations

MSNBC
CNN Video
CNN Live
Fox News
CNBC

Bad Dog

2007-11-02T07:51:00.000-07:00

I have finally decided to write about Bad Dog and explain exactly what happened. I know this is more of a personal post than what I typically have on this site, but Bad Dog is of course tech so I think it is appropriate. Overall, I just hope someone can learn from the mistakes I made.

Bad Dog

There I sat typing away in the dead silence of the small, dimly lit, sound proof room, which had originally been intended for the school’s TV production studio. Now the room was mine, and as far as I was concerned, I was living out a real-life scene from the matrix. My fingers moved methodically as I rushed to design what would soon become my greatest triumph, and in the end, my downfall. This was the moment where I would truly “stick it to the man” as they say, and finally begin my own secret rebellion.

It was the beginning of sophomore year, and I knew that this year things were going to be different. I had taken several computer classes my freshman year, including eighth and ninth period courses online, and now I was going to use that knowledge to fight back against what I saw as a dominating, patriarchal system that was just begging to be brought down. That system was my school district’s web filter.

It seemed that every time a student needed to do research, the overbearing web filter called Bess (who’s logo was of a guard dog) would stop us dead in our tracks. After dealing with this infuriating nuisance for more than a year, I had had enough. Now at age sixteen, I, Conrad Sykes, was going to put an end to that evil digital guard dog. Within the first month of sophomore year, I had created a website which allowed my fellow classmates and I to access any site without the watchful eye of the filter. I appropriately dubbed my creation “Bad Dog.”
News of my site spread like wildfire, and soon students from all over the school district were accessing the web without being told where it was and was not okay to go. Eventually, “Bad Dog” broke away from being just a school phenomenon, and students across the country were logging on. It was an exhilarating rush to see my web stats sky rocket every day, and to know that thousands of people were viewing something I had created. Unfortunately, it was my own success which would inevitably bring about my undoing.

Perhaps it’s the fact that high school students can’t keep secrets, or maybe the school traced the site back to me through the ads I had placed in an attempt to make some money, but either way, the cat was out of the bag and the school was on to me. It was during my first period math class that the call I will never forget came over the loud speaker.

“Conrad Sykes, please report to the office immediately!”

I knew right away that the game was over. As I walked down the flights of stairs to the office my heart raced faster than I had ever known it to before. With every step I took, I imagined what terrible scene would be awaiting me once I arrived. The thought of expulsion and the shame I would feel having to tell my parents raced through my mind uncontrollably. Now, drenched in a cold, fearful sweat I pushed open the door to the principal’s office and found three school officials waiting to be my judge, jury, and executioners.

“Do you know why you are here today Conrad?” asked one the officials in an icy tone that could pierce strait to the bone.

I was questioned for what seemed an eternity and answered all the questions honestly, not only because I felt morally obligated to, but also because I figured that if I just confessed to everything, there would be no reason to continue interrogating me. After I had sung like a canary it was time to decide my fate. Just like in a criminal TV show, I was able to strike a deal for my freedom. By agreeing to permanently shutdown “Bad Dog” and all the blocking counter-measures I had put in place, the school granted me a reprieve from expulsion and simply sentenced me to a three-day suspension.

Having to destroy something I had shaped, molded, and watched grow, was quite difficult. “Bad Dog” had become more than just a mere website. “Bad Dog” was my rebellious, teenage alter ego and now I was going to have to kill that part of myself if I ever wished to return to school. Taking down the site was worse than being suspended and facing my parents, but I must admit that at the same time, I felt a great swell of relief knowing that it was finally all over--or so I thought.

A few days later, I returned to school to find the rumor mill had done its job and turned me into a mini-celebrity among the geek and nerd crowd. Stories ran rampant that I had been expelled and that the school was doing a military-style crackdown on anyone who had ever even murmured the word “Bad Dog.” Unfortunately, I could not enjoy my celebrity status; in fact, the last thing I wanted to discuss was “Bad Dog.” After returning to school, I learned that while I had been on suspension, my computer teacher, my mentor, and my friend, Mr. Marburger, had been put on administrative-leave because of what I had done. Mr. Marburger was removed from teaching computers despite the fact that the only crime he was guilty of was doing his job too well. I had never fathomed the possibility that anyone besides myself could have been hurt by my actions, but whether intentional or not, the fact still remained that I had killed a Mocking bird.

Ironically, I eventually went on to work for the school district, assisting teachers with online classroom development and dealing with technical problems that would arise. I was even fortunate enough to receive a tech scholarship that greatly reduced my college expense burdens and allowed me the ability to attend Eastern. So while things turned out alright for me, all the benefits I’ve reaped from “BadDog” are accompanied by a bitter taste that reminds me that it has all been at the expense of another. I live with the guilty knowledge that the repercussions of my actions have resulted in the destruction of someone else’s life and that he is still serving out the sentence I deserve. While I realize it is impossible to turn back the hands of time, I have vowed never to let history repeat itself, and hopefully partially atone for my past mistakes by insuring I never make them again.

Microsoft 2007 Ultimate Edition

2007-10-02T21:45:00.000-07:00

In general I am a fairly cautious person. If I hear of a deal that sounds to good to be true I usually assume it is not true. So when I heard that college students could purchase Microsoft Office 2007 Ultimate Edition for only $59.95 I figured it was just some scam. Fortunately, I did some digging and found out that there is some hope for the world still left. I visited the Microsoft website and found this page which describes in detail the entire agreement that Microsoft has with the company, providing this discount software, and their clients. I quickly purchased the software for myself and have to say that I couldn’t be more pleased. Everything went smoothly while purchasing the software and downloading was totally painless (you have 30 days to download); although I do have to admit I was a little panicky during the 20 or so minutes I had to wait for the email to arrive containing my activation key (but it arrived and worked like a charm). To make a long story short, if you are looking to purchase Microsoft Office and you are a college student there really is no better deal than what you will find at http://www.theultimatesteal.com/

Clear Internet Traces Using Command Prompt

2007-10-01T12:41:00.000-07:00

This tip works for both XP and Vista. Through the command prompt you can clear IE 7 history, temp files, or pretty much any traces IE 7 leaves behind on your PC. To delete Internet history and traces simply start the command prompt and then use one of the following commands.

Delete Temporary Internet Files
RunDll32.exe InetCpl.cpl,ClearMyTracksByProcess 8

Delete Cookies
RunDll32.exe InetCpl.cpl,ClearMyTracksByProcess 2

Delete History
RunDll32.exe InetCpl.cpl,ClearMyTracksByProcess 1

Delete Form Data
RunDll32.exe InetCpl.cpl,ClearMyTracksByProcess 16

Delete Passwords
RunDll32.exe InetCpl.cpl,ClearMyTracksByProcess 32

Delete All
RunDll32.exe InetCpl.cpl,ClearMyTracksByProcess 255

Turn Off Click Sounds in Vista

2007-09-30T11:32:00.000-07:00

Windows Explorer in Vista makes a sound after practically every click you make. This gets very old very quickly, to say the least. To turn off this annoying feature go to the Control Panel and then select Sound. Now click on the Sound tab and scroll down to Start Navigation. Next, select None under the sounds drop down list. Finally, hit Apply and then Ok. Now you will be free from windows explorer click sounds.

Show Hidden Files in Vista

2007-09-29T13:44:00.000-07:00

To show hidden file or folders in windows Vista open up explorer and then click Organize and select Folder and Search Options. Now click the View tab and mark Show hidden files and folders. Its that easy, from now on you will be able see any hidden files.

Remote Control a PC for Free

2007-09-28T11:15:00.000-07:00

Having remote control over a pc can come in very handy, especially when its free! For example, there have been many times where I have left an important file on my home pc and need to access it when I'm at school or a friends house. By having the capability to remote control my home pc my data is always easily accessible. Another advantage of remote controlling a pc is that you can bypass any filters or restrictions on which ever computer you are using (like a schools computer). And of course you can always help your less tech savy family with their pc problems, remotely. For free pc remote control I would highly recommend using Logmein.com because it offers several unique capabilities such as being able to remote control a Macintosh, Windows (XP, Vista) and even Linux pc's. LogMeIn is web based so you can access your home pc without installing any software on who's computer your using. LogMeIn is simple to use and 100% free. The only down side is that there is no file transfer capability in the free version so if you need a file (like a school report, ect.) then you will need to email it to yourself to access it; or you can just copy and paste of course (if its just text, no music or actual files).

Hide a Drive in Vista

2007-09-27T09:21:00.000-07:00

There are several reasons you may want to hide a drive in vista... for example if you have a nosy little brother who you need to keep away from your important files. When I say hide a drive what I mean is that you won't be able to see it when you go to My Computer but that you will still be able to access it if you type in the drives location and programs will still be able to use the drive. To hide a drive in Vista start regedit.exe and then go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer. Now right-click on some of the white empty space and select new 32-bit DWORD and call it NoDrives. Next, in the Value data field enter in the number that corresponds to the drive you want to hide (see chart below).

Drive Letter	Decimal	Hex
A	1	1
B	2	2
C	4	4
D	8	8
E	16	10
F	32	20
G	64	40
H	128	80

Finally restart your computer and now the drive you selected will be hidden from view. Note: to undo this tip just delete the NoDrives registry key and your computer will be back to normal.

Disable Delete Confirmation Dialog box

2007-09-26T08:52:00.000-07:00

The Confirmation Dialog box in windows Vista is normally a good thing to have activated (protect you from yourself) but there are several occasions/reasons that it would be appropriate to disable this feature. To do so begin by right-clicking on the trash bin and selecting properties. Now simply uncheck Display delete confirmation dialog and hit Apply.

Vista Key Board Shortcuts

2007-09-25T10:25:00.000-07:00

Items in the Quick Launch bar are automatically assigned a keyboard shortcut (as long has you have 10 or less items). To launch an app simply press the windows key plus the corresponding number (what position the icon is on the bar). I find that this tip can be especially useful if you have the snipping tool in your Quick Launch bar. When you need to take a screen capture simply press the windows key plus the number and then you can easily select what you want to capture.