I’ve recently written an article on smartphones only to think about a few things. One of the things I thought about was the fact that nobody has created a VPN service that is truly anonymous (as in not keeping logs) for smartphones. (They claim they are, but there is very little truth to that). So,…
Category: Performance
A review on Alix Boards for a Firewall
I know firewalls and have definitely tested and worked with many appliances. One of the most interesting and successful appliances out there seems to be the Alix board. These boards are built on Cheap chipsets (VIA) and cheap processors (Geodes). So here’s my reaction to them. (I own 3). 1. If you’re going to use…
Making Windows feeling like it’s a new installation
After realizing all the people I meet that have extermely slow installations, I thought I’d write a post / article on how to make / fix your windows installation to make it work like it’s a new computer. There’s really only 3 steps to doing this. 1. Download or Buy Auslogics Boostspeed and run the…
Smartphone Bloatware, the New Malware.
I like my smartphone. I use a Galaxy S II vs. the Galaxy S III. Why? I didn’t want to pay the $200.00 overhead for a phone that will be worth $300.00 less in 6 months. This doesn’t mean I don’t get the performance I need. All the carriers (T-Mobile, ATT, Verizon, Vodacom, Virgin, etc.)…
Backups. Being prepared for the restore.
Backups are something that is so important in any system that one should look carefully at not just the backup solution they are using, but the restore solution they’re going to have. Here are my recommendations and views on Backups. 1. Don’t assume that just because you bought a backup package that it just “works”…
When was the last time you had a technology audit?
This is a message to everyone who runs any kind of technology in a business. The posting is directed towards everyone who has their own applications, servers, blogs, websites, etc. Special Note to CIOs/CTOs: I understand you run an organization that has many people under you. I understand that you feel you’ve got your resources…
n-Tier Architectures what they are in a nutshell
If you’re in Enterprise IT, you’re going to hear one buzz-word a lot. The buzzword? 2-tier Architecture or 3-tier architecture. I like to refer to it as n-Tier architectures. So what exactly is it and what does it mean? A Tier in an architecture is simply the number of layers of an application or system…
Undeleting files on NTFS and FAT from a Formatted RAID Array or Hard Drive
It’s happened to all of us every once in a while. We find ourselves in the situation where we accidently deleted a file. (Yes, it happens to me too! lol). Everyone claims to have an undelete program that actually works, but they all vary in their ability to recover a file intact. This is why…
VOIP and Technology in the cloud, an 8 year review
People always wonder whether or not the Cloud is a good idea. Early adopters of technology (like me) test these technologies long before they’re put into production. For me, as a CIO/CTO/Consultant, if it passes the Percy test, it goes on my list of recommendations. So what exactly is the “Percy Test”? It’s a long-term…
A truly free and unblocked VPN for one year
Every VPN provider claims that they’re truly free and not blocking ports. (well.. maybe I’m not going to put them all in one basket). The reality is every VPN provider I have come across has blocked access or throttles you one way or another. So I’ve actually come up with a simple solution. Using Amazon’s…