OneTechTip was a tech blog founded by two individuals, Hugo Guerrero and Juan Zepeda. We were students at Santa Barbara City College pursuing degrees in Computer Network Engineering and Computer Science field. Being students, money has been short. OneTechTip.com will reside in peace for future recollections.

Why Did We Create This Site?

Juan Zepeda received the idea to start OneTechTip.com after he to receive calls from his friend asking him about ways he could fix his computer. Juan willingly helped his friend but then Juan started to inform his friend on alternatives and easier ways he could utilize technology to his advantage. The "light bulb" came on and right away he called Hugo to tell him of his great idea. He told him they should start a tech related website. Where they would write daily tips that would help their tech savvy and non tech savvy users.

Thanks to the authors who contributed.

Angel Montero
Enrique Guzman
Garvan M. Kuskey
Max Remirez

Juan ZepedaJanuary 13, 2013Comment

How to change your FB relationship status without everyone knowing about it!

Graph Of When People Break Up On Facebook

Your on Facebook and have gone through a tough sad break up. You know that if you change your relationship status you will get some of the dumbest comments hurting you even more. Ok ok ... changing your relationship status does not always mean you are doing it to break up with someone. I know people who do not want to grab attention when they are engaged or even married. The point is that you DON'T want the world to know that you changed your relationship status. Here is how to do it...

If you are using Facebook's timeline

1.) Start on your Facebook Timeline.

2.) Click Update Info

3.) Go to your Family Section

4.) Click on the Edit button. Then Select "Only Me"

5.) Make sure you hit save before changing your status!

6.) Now change your status.

Graph by [BUZZFEED]

technology, WebJuan ZepedaMarch 18, 2012facebook, relationshipComment

Think Twice About the Windows built in Calculator

I was like you at first. I did know about the calculator in Windows but did think much of it. I only used it for basic math till i discovered it had many more advanced tools like calculating a vehicle lease, mortgage, fuel economy, unit conversions, programming mode and few more features. Yes the built-in Windows calculator does do more than your basic math. In order to dig up these option go to your calculator usually hidden in your Accessories folder. Start >Programs > Accessories > Calculator. Now I wont tell you where to find these features just dig under the menu bar because I want it to be a cool surprise. Happy hunting!

Computer, Software, WindowsJuan ZepedaMarch 16, 2012Caculator, fuel economy, mortgage, Programming, unit conversions, windowsComment

Android app: Y5 - Battery Saver

Recently I did a factory reset on my Android phone and I noticed an app, that I had taken for granted, was missing. Every time I stepped into a hot-spot my WiFi would turn on and when I left it would turn off. This app had worked so well that I though it was feature of Android. I guess not. I had installed the app Y5- Batter Saver. This app simply did what was mentioned above. Turn on your WiFi when you had saved a hotspot to the phone and when it was out of range it would turn off WiFi and turn on your wireless carries data. Simple as that! Also it worth mentioning that your phone wastes less battery on WiFi than on 3G/4G connection.

Andriod, Cell PhonesJuan ZepedaMarch 15, 2012Android, app, battery, saver, wifi, y5Comment

Tune in to Blackfriday.fm

This upcoming Black Friday will have many of the large retailers opening at Midnight instead of the early morning. If you would like to get a head start or possibly avoid leaving the family earlier then you need visit http://www.blackfriday.fm/

Blackfriday.fm is a great resource to plan ahead and save yourself time as well as money.

The site has a plethora of information on Black Friday Deals in particular has BlackFriday ads before they have been revealed to the public.

This Black Friday utilize technology to save yourself money and time.

Apple, Cell Phones, Computer, deals, Gaming, Mac, Software, technology, TV, Web, WindowsJuan ZepedaNovember 21, 2011Amazon, bestbuy, Black Friday, jcpenny, retailers, Shopping, stores, target, walmartComment

Sync Folders between Computer with Windows Live Mesh

Just recently I ran into a small problem. Well, I would say big problem. I wanted to sync up three computers up with the same content. I knew it was not going to be easy but I was wrong. Out of all the programs I found Windows Live Mesh to solve my concerns. All you need is a Windows Live or Hotmail account and the software. Install the Live Mesh and sign into your account. Here is a detailed tutorial. After you do that, pick a folder that you want to sync and move on to your next computer and repeat the process till you have set up all the computer you want to have synced together. Would I really liked about this software is how straight forward it was and without thinking about, it was all synced.

I got to say I am impressed by Microsoft on this product. To download go to Windows Live Mesh.

Software, WindowsJuan ZepedaNovember 3, 2011computers, folders, mesh, microsoft, pc, syncComment

The Easy Way to Protect Your Files with a Password

Just last week I was helping out a person who had gone through some tough incidents. That person had files stolen from their personal computer. Those files were sold online for a high amount of money. This sadden me and immediately I thought of what things could have been done to protect the user. The user told me about a program they were told about, Safe House Explorer. I looked into and was impressed by the simplicity and security level. Safe House Explorer is a FREE program that creates a secure password protected folder or as they call it a vault. It uses maximum-strength 256-bit advanced encryption to completely hide and defend your sensitive files.

I would defiantly suggestion users to double thinking about their security and take action about their personal data.

Security, Software, technologyJuan ZepedaNovember 2, 2011files, folders, free, microsoft, password, Security, winodwsComment

Free Legal Full Length Movies

Here's a treat that many people are not aware of. Youtube the past year or two has increasing been updating the site to support full length movies/documentaries. What many Youtubers do not know is they could watch full length featured movies without the Part 1/10, Part 2/10, etc.

Youtube has a section of Full Length Documentaries and Feature Films. Even a free section which you may view here.

And with a recent announcement that Youtube will feature over 100 original channels in a year or two expect Youtube to replace cable/satellite very soon.

deals, technology, TV, WebJuan ZepedaOctober 31, 2011documentaries, entertainment, free, google, movies, stream, YouTubeComment

In the Market for a New Computer? (Laptop vs Desktop)

Black Friday is coming up soon and people start looking into buying a new computer. The first question generally is do you want a laptop or desktop? This question is quite common. Below I will point out a few things that really make up the minds of users.

Laptop

The key thing for a laptop is the portability. If you are the traveling person hands down your choice is a laptop. The weight of a laptop has gone down and the standard sizes for laptops are 10', 11',13', 15' and 17'.

The price on laptops can go for as cheap as $300 for a net book which has a 10'-11' screen and is great for carrying around everywhere. Laptops from $400-$1,000 are usually good for a normal sized load. That can include your browser, doing Word, and other similar applications. Laptops from $1,000 and up are usually loaded on the side of performance. They can handle memory hog programs like CAD, Photoshop, etc. but are not ideal.

A key last point that make up the minds of users is battery life. Laptops are portable but are only useful when they are on. Additional batteries can be bought but they add weight to the overall laptop. Battery that have 9 cells have a longer battery life than 6 cell batteries. I have seen the duration of a laptop batteries from 2 hours to 8 hours. This all depends on each computer. In this case, research is needed on each laptop.

Desktop

The life span of desktop is greater than a laptop because it does not take the beating and are more customizable. Desktops are popular with gamers because they can interchange graphics cards and overclock the CPU. The price of cheap laptop from $400-$700 are usually equal to laptops who are between$800-$1,200. A desktop, which is stationary, are great for big memory hog programs because its cheaper to upgrade/buy that extra RAM.

A downsize to a desktop is that a monitor, mouse, and keyboard need to be considered if not owned. Also, space and long-term airflow are necessary for a good life span of a desktop.

In the above, I generalized statements based on experiences and trends that I have seen to help the average user. If there are still question please comment below. :_)

Photoby[Guillaume Paumier]

ComputerJuan ZepedaOctober 29, 2011buy, compare, desktop, laptop, Screen, Upgrade Comment

How to be logged into multiple Gmail accounts or any other account

I have multiple Gmail accounts, one for personal, one for work, and one just to play around with, and there have been times were I want to see all my accounts at the same time. How do I solve this issue? Well, I have been doing this for a long time and taking it for granted until I told my friend about it. I was surprised he didn't know . In order to have multiple Gmail accounts open or any other account open at the same time you can either do two things.

Now all three of the most popular browser, Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Chrome have a privacy mode. You can have one account in normal mode and the other account in privacy mode. That way you will have two windows of each with a different account and you can see both at the same time.
The Second way is to have different browsers. You may pick from the following three Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Chrome. Open one account in one browser and the other in account in another browser.

You can either chose either if these steps and it will solve your problem. Happy browsing!!

Apple, SecurityJuan ZepedaOctober 26, 2011Apple, Firefox, Gmail, google, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Security, web, WebsiteComment

How to buy at Costco without a Costco Card

Costco has large quantities, cheap prices, and an awesome return policy but what if you don't have a card? How could you possibly take advantage of these great deals? Also, I bet people go to Costco once or twice a year so it is not worth investing into a membership. Did you know that you can still shop at Costco without a membership! Here it what you need to do.

Go to Costco.com in the Cash Cards section.
Purchase as many cash cards as you need of $25.00.
When you checkout, grab a friend with a Costco membership to help you enter their membership number.
After buying the cards, every time you walk in to Costco show one of your Costco cash cards
At the cashier pay with your cash card.
Done, you will be buying at Costco without a membership. :-)

Happy shopping!

If you enjoyed this tip, you may head over to the consumerist.com to see more information on this tip or other related tips.

deals, WebJuan ZepedaOctober 25, 2011costco, gift cards, membership, money, online, webComment

Optimize Windows with Advanced Care

Today, we are featuring a software that will enable you to optimize your Windows PC, Advanced System Care for Free! Optimizing entails clean up files, delete old program files that you remove long ago, clearing up cache, freeing up memory, applying updates, etc. Fortunately, Advanced Care enables you to do all this with a few clicks without the need of several programs to do each task.

If your computer has been sluggish and have not done much outside of a virus scan. I recommend running the Deep Scan for full optimization potential, results may vary of course. The Deep Scan will do:

Full Malware Scan
Deep Registry Fix
System Optimization
Short Cut Fix
Privacy Sweep
Junk Files Clean
Passive Defense- Spyware,malware prevention
Disk Scan - scan and fix hard disk errors
Vulnerability Fix
Disk Defragment

The duration will take some time especially if you have not kept your computer running efficiently. It will be worth the wait.

After a doing a deep scan or if you feel like your computer may need some regular maintenance outside a deep scan you can access the tool box from the main screen. From the toolbox you could access various tools to address specific problems or concerns that you may have.

A common tool that I have utilize is the Smart Ram. Since I primarily use a netbook I find the computer slowing down when running programs after a period usually after running the browser for a while. Since netbooks are limited in memory and a large portion is used by the OS memory get filled up quick. Freeing up memory reduces the sluggishness in your computer, once again your results may vary. Outside a clean install/reinstall, as well as technical expertise Advanced System Care will enable you to clean up your computer in one place

Below is a screen cap from the program itself. As well as the download link.

http://www.iobit.com/advancedsystemcareper.html

Computer, Security, Software, System Maintenance, WindowsJuan ZepedaOctober 24, 2011

MAC MALWARE ALERT!!!!

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="189" caption="Image via macstoreupdates"][/caption]

Presently, many Mac users have a false sense of security due to the common notion that Macs can not get virus or malware. The main reason being that ten or even as recent as five years go Mac were rarely used by your average consumer. Now as they are increasing become more popular, largely due to IPhone and IPod,

Unfortunately, today's post is a Malware Alert for Mac users. The exploit it appears to be via Adobe Flash Player as reported in a article for Sophos, Mac malware evolves - time for Apple owners to wake up. The article also provides a link to how to check if this current Mac exploit has effected your Mac, if you wish to go straight to how to check follow the following link, Mac Flash/Trojan.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="219" caption="Image via uncyclopedia.wikia.com"][/caption]

Sophos, a IT security company, also has an article The short history of Mac malware: 1982 - 2011, I recommend Mac users read this brief history to be better informed in regards to security threats towards Mac computers.

Long story short, any technology is vulnerable in some form. The question for most virus/malware creators is which tech out there will make one famous.

Apple, Mac, Security, Software, System MaintenanceJuan ZepedaOctober 22, 2011Apple, mac-malware, SecurityComment

Three Programs to Check for Malware

In today's post I will give you a break down of three programs that I use to scan for malware. These are my choices but if you ask each IT guy they will have their own opinion. All of these are free, some are only for personal use and others have limited uses. I use these religiously.

1.) Malwarebytes - www.malwarebytes.org

Malwarebytes is a standalone application that does not interfere with anti-virus software. It's designed to catch the normal stuff but also rogue security software, adware, and spyware. I have used this for about 7 years and only once have I met a false positive.

2.) Microsoft Security Essentials - www.microsoft.com/en-us/security_essentials

Microsoft Security Essentials also known as MSE for short is Microsoft anti-virus product released in 2009. This is a program that can replace your McAfee or Norton antivirus. This was designed to remove computer virus, spyware, root-kits and trojan horses. I have used this since the beta and have found it very useful. It makes to use a ant-virus made by the people who actually make Windows.

3.) Super Anti Spyware - www.superantispyware.com

Super Anti-Spyware , another standalone program, is designed to remove spyware, ad-ware, trojan horses, rogue security software, computer worms, root-kits. I really have fallen in love with this software because it is really effective in remove tracking cookies. I am very shocked in what it finds sometimes.

-Q&A-

Why should I use multiple programs?

It's a good question. The main reason is that not all programs work the same and do not have the same virus database. Each will find different things.

Will these programs clean everything?

In most cases if you ask a security expert they will say no but in most cases if you ask an IT guy they say yes. I always say it is NEVER a guarantee that you will know that your computer is clean unless you reformat your drive and re-install Windows. It is that sad truth.

Verizon Wireless is collecting your information

It looks like Verizon Wireless will be pushing out a new privacy policy as reported by a few reputable technology websites like: PCMag, International Business Times and others. Verizon has been sending out email in regards to this change. If you have not received that email here is a link to it. Verizon will be collecting:

URLs of website you have visited
search terms
app and device usage
consumer information about the use of the product
demographics in age, gender, pet owner, and other similar demographics

They will be using this data for marketing purposes and targeting content.

If you do not agree with these changes you can op out by Calling them at 1-866-211-0874 or visiting www.vzw.com/myprivacy.

Andriod, Apple, Cell Phones, WebJuan ZepedaOctober 20, 2011ads, advertising, Cellphones, data, online, op out, privacy, usage, verizon, Website, wirelessComment

Play Snake inside YouTube.com

What if you could turn a boring YouTube video into a little game. Well, you can! Google has placed an Easter egg inside their modern YouTube videos. Giving credit to my friend Noe, who led me to this finding, was tutoring and wanted to show a helpful educational video to a youngster and accidentally used the arrows keys when trying to navigate the search box. The Snake game pop 'ed up in front of the video. I was stoked when I heard this. Maybe, this wont be as useful as other tips but for a fact it is exciting and fun!

Now, here is how to enable it: Hold the left directional key down for about 3 seconds and press the up directional key, while still holding the left key. Now, you can play snake on top a YouTube video. Here is one you can try it on. Have fun!

technologyJuan ZepedaOctober 19, 2011directional keys, Easter Egg, google, keyboard, video, web, Website, YouTubeComment

App of the Week: Gesture Search (Android)

Each Tuesday we will feature a smartphone app of the week either iOS or Android compatible. Gesture Search by Google is an application that enables the user to search their phone's contents via writing, using your fingers instead of the conventional typing.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="124" caption="Image from Android Market Place"][/caption]

After installing via the Market the application indexes the contents on your phone. The time required to index may vary depending on the amount of content on your phone. You may also have it index the contents of your phone in the background when using the Gesture Search for the first time. Gesture Search utilizes image processing amongst other technical details to recognize what letter you are writing and provides list of potential content that may match up what you are trying to spell.

For example,

Step 1: Draw a letter, let's say 'H'

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="Image provided by Google"][/caption]

Step 2: Write the next letter. Note as you write the second letter, a list behind it is visible where you could select content that matches what you are looking for.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="Image provided by Google"][/caption]

Step 3: Repeat Step 2 until the content that you are looking for on your phone is available for selection.

I found Gesture Search easy to use and prefer it over searching manually via multiple screens or using the on-screen keyboard. Note: My phone does not have a slide out QWERTY keyboard.

Gesture search is great for searching for contacts, website book marks, apps and more. I definitely recommend you give it a try.

Unfortunately, you need to launch it each time to use it, which is a good reason to have it on your home screen for easy access. Hopefully, in future releases you will be able to simply "Gesture Search" from your home screen.

Download via Market :

https://market.android.com/details?id=com.google.android.apps.gesturesearch

Andriod, Cell Phones, Graphical Interfaces, technologyJuan ZepedaOctober 18, 2011Android, android market, app, application, Gesture, google, Search, smartphoneComment

Where are your References!?

Today's post largely caters towards students or anybody who is composing a research paper article. Often the very last portion of the research paper is the Bibliography or the citations. Yet, many people have difficulty remembering the proper format for citations especially if the professor/teacher asks for a specific format, for example MLA or APA. There's a website for that. EasyBib makes writing easier.

The site enables the user to construct a Bibliography in any style you desire.

The Autocite function enables the writer to simply input, for example, a title of the book and it will provide you a list of citations for the book with that title. From there you may select which one to add to your citation list. Below is an example of the short process

Step 0

save image

Step 1: Search for a book for example 1984

Step 3: View citation and make any necessary changes

Tip: You could also cite specific pages under the citing option.

save image

Step 4: Hit Create and add to an exportable/printable list aka done!

save image

Step 5: Repeat to add to current list at no charge :)

You may create an account doing so will enable you to save your list online for later usage.

http://www.easybib.com/

technology, WebJuan ZepedaOctober 17, 2011Comment

How to get the full potential from your batteries - Lithium Ion

This tip is not about what habits to change with your phone/device but the maintenance for your device on how and when to charge your battery. This only applies to batteries of type of Lithium Ion. Now with older batteries it was always recommended that you always discharge your battery to reset the "memory" like in nickel metal hydride and NiCads but it is the opposites with Lithium Ion. Like Steve Gibson says

"What lithium-ion batteries want is to stay charged. This allows you to get the most battery life."

Now what kind of devices have a Lithium Ion batteries? The three of the top of my head are iPad, iPhone and the Kindle. I bet there are many more but that ill leave that to you. Another thing to add is that all three devices I mentioned do not have a removable battery which doesn't allow you to buy an extra one. In the end. this leaves you with just one solution. To extend that battery life of your Lithium Ion battery is a good idea to always keep it plugged in when you can.

Security Now 321

photoby[marioanima]

Andriod, Apple, Cell Phones, technologyJuan ZepedaOctober 15, 2011Apple, battery, charge, Device, Hardware, kindle, Lithium IonComment

Google Takeout - Who is hungry!

Sorry! No, Google does not have a food service but something similar. It's not with food but with your data. Now, your data is very valuable to you but also to online companies. If you are a Google user you might use the majority of their services. It's a scary thought that one day all your mail, posts, contacts, and other things will always stay up there without being able to have a copy. Luckily, the data liberation team, "an engineering team at Google whose only purpose is to make it easy for users to move their data out of Google products, has been involved in Google Takeout . Yes, here is where i got the pun. If you head over to Google.com/takeout you may export all your data from Google to keep locally. I was very excited when I heard about this because I truly believe the user should be in full control, like the data liberation team states in their mission statement...

"Users should be able to control the data they store in any of Google's products. Our team's goal is to make it easier to move data in and out."

Take advantage of this and really push for other companies to be open with there data.

www.google.com/takeout

Software, WebJuan ZepedaOctober 14, 2011browser, data, download, Gmail, google, Google Chrome, online, takeoutComment