Hot Computers & Programming Posts

How To: Program with Python

Welcome to Google's Python Class – a seven-segment, two-part free virtual class for people with a little bit of programming experience who want to learn Python. The class includes written materials, lecture videos, and lots of code exercises to practice Python coding. The first exercises work on basic Python concepts like strings and lists, building up to the later exercises which are full programs dealing with text files, processes, and http connections. The class is geared for people who ha...

How To: Hide/unhide files and folders & view/edit extensions

This video shows you how to easily hide or unhide files and folders and how to edit extensions of files. The first thing you have to do to hide or unhide files and folders is to open Control Panel and then open Folder Options. Next, click the View tab in the upper menu and check one of the following options: Do not show hidden files and folders or Show hidden files and folders. You can hide a file or a folder by making a right-click, then clicking properties and then check the Hidden File box...

How To: Change your IP or MAC address

The video is about how to change the IP address. MAC address is the unique identifier a site of the most network adapters. MAC address is used to determine what IP address the computer will have and one way to change the IP address is by changing the MAC address. The method is only applicable for the windows systems and for the MAC systems you need to look at the link provided. In Windows in the start menu, type cmd in the run/search box, which will launch the command window. Type ipconfig/al...

How To: Set up a network tarpit or teergrube

A network Tarpit, sometimes know by the German word Teergrube, is a service or set of hosts that deliberately try to slow malicious network connections down to a crawl. The idea is to put up unused hosts or services on the network that respond to an attacker, but do things to waste their time and greatly slow their scanning (or spreading in the case of Worms). To follow along with this video tutorial, you'll need a package called LaBrea by Tom Liston and an unused IP address to tarpit. Set up...

How To: Open ports on your Windows XP computer

In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to open ports on a Windows XP computer. Begin by clicking on the Start menu and open Control Panel. Double-click on Network Connections and select your network connection. Right-click on it and select Properties. Click on the Advanced tab and click on Settings. Select the Advanced tab again. Click on your internet connection and click on Settings. Click Add and fill in the port information. Click OK. T forward a port, users need to go to their router'...

How To: Share Local Drives and Folders using Oracle VM VirtualBox with a Guest Windows OS

There are several virtual machine managers present in the market. However, the main functionality of all VMs are the same. Most people like to get free VM managers, so that they can install as many operating systems as they like over the host operating systems. One of these free VM managers is Oracle's VM VirtualBox, which can be downloaded from Oracle's website for all popular operating systems, such as Linux, Windows and Mac.

How To: Make an Auto Clicker in Visual Basic 2008

This article will show you how to make an auto clicker program in Visual Basic Express Edition 2008. An auto clicker is a very useful program that makes your mouse click many times automatically, wherever it's pointed. It's a very good AFK (away from keyboard) program. Just point your mouse on your screen and turn it on! It's very useful for computer games (FPS, MMORPG, and others).

How To: Identify your system specifications in Windows XP

In this video from exosploit we learn how to find your system specs in Windows XP. If someone is trying to help your computer, you might need this information. Right click My Computer, and click Properties. Here you'll see your operating system, service pack, and how much RAM you have. Also google cpuz. Go to the first link and download it. Extract it and click the main file. Here it will tell you your processor, mother board, what bios version you have, how much RAM you have, and it will tel...

How To: Burn .iso image files to a CD in Windows XP

In this tutorial, we learn how to burn .iso image files to a CD in Windows XP. To start, you will need to first burn the image with Image Burn 2.1. Decide if you are going to use a CD, DVD, or multiple CDS. If you don't already have Image Burn 2.1, you can download it from this site: download.imgburn.com/SetupImgBurn_2.4.1.­0.exe. Once it's installed, you can make a copy of your image and then verify it when it's finished. It will go through the burning process, which will take from 2 minute...

How To: Turn any video into a screensaver on a Windows PC

You can make a screensaver with a MPG you get from the web and use "CamStudio" as one idea. You can use Infanview40, and install it the way you want it to open mpegs and add plug-ins that you get from the homepage.Open Infanview40, right click your .exe file to install in the program. Click "open" and Slide Show on INF.,scroll down to MPG that you want to add for your screensaver. Now the MPG is in the INFanview program,add to the screensaver.Click on "Play in full screen mode. Current Monito...

Cheat Sheet: Keyboard Shortcuts for Both Mac & Windows

If you already have your basic keyboard shortcuts under control—we're talking classics here, Control-C (copy for PC) or Command-C (copy for Mac)—it's time to load up your memory bank. There are endless shortcuts available (truly endless—since you can customize them yourself), but you don't need to memorize them all, only those you expect to use most. Below, two cheat sheets for upping your keyboard maneuvering status from "basic" to "intermediate" for both Mac and PC users.

How To: Make a USB drive out of an old floppy disk

Want to make an old floppy disk useful again? Turn it into a USB drive. It's easy. So easy, in fact, that this free video tutorial from CNET can present a complete overview of the process in just over three minutes and a half. For detailed instructions, and to get started modifying your own floppy disks into working USB drives, watch this handy how-to.

How To: Take screenshots in Windows XP with Print Screen

In this video, the instructor shows us how to take a screen shot off of Windows XP. First, you will want to pull up the screen that you want to take a screen shot of. After you have this up, you will hit the "Alt" and "Prnt Scrn" button at the same time. Nothing will show up on your computer, but it will have saved the image. Next, open up the program "Paint" and click "edit" on the top toolbar, then click "paste". The image will then show up on your screen. To save, click "File -> Save As", ...

How To: Extract .rar files on your PC using Windows XP

In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to extract .rar files. Begin by opening your internet browser and go to Google. Search for Winrar and select the 3rd result. Download and save the file. It is recommended to save it to the desktop to find it easier. Double-click on the file and follow the instructions to install it. Click Install and check all the file types for the program to be associated with. Once finished, open a file, select Extract To and choose the destination to save it. This...

How To: Align the printhead on your Epson printer

Not aligning your printer before you print is like going to a job interview without brushing your hair: Everything else looks right, but you somehow still look unprepared and messy. Aligning the printhead on your printer will help ensure all text prints out where it's supposed to print out and there's no awkward color blurring with pictures.

How To: Use the Hacker Defender rootkit or HackDef

Hacker Defender is one of the most widely deployed rootkits in the world. It is a user-mode rootkit that modifies several Windows and Native API functions, which allows it to hide information (files, processes, etc.) from other applications. In addition, Hacker Defender implements a backdoor and port redirector that operates through TCP ports opened by existing services. This means it is not possible to find the hidden backdoor through traditional means, like launching a remote port scan agai...

How To: Protect Your PHP Website from SQL Injection Hacks

As a web developer, I often read articles about hackers (from the lowly to the knowledgeable) infiltrating websites via the dreaded 'SQL Injection' method and completely taking control, changing, gaining access, or destroying the owner's data. As a fellow web developer, I'm sure you want to know how to protect against it. Well, here it is! In this article, you will find out what SQL Injection is, what you can do to protect against it, and additional recommendations that are easy to do and onl...

News: Are You a Mac Yuppie or a PC Nerd? Find Out if You Fit the Stereotype

With over 60 commercials, chances are you've seen one of the Get a Mac spots run by Apple, which brands Mac as intuitive and hip, compared to their boring and clunky PC counterpart. You also probably saw Microsoft's response in their I'm a PC campaign. But who are Mac and PC users really? Do jeans and hoodie-wearing yuppies really use Macs? Are the suit-and-tie types strictly operating PCs?

How To: Check If Windows XP Is Activated

Some people might check their activation status of Windows XP by simply right-clicking on the My Computer icon on their desktop, then clicking on Properties. It opens up a new window with General tab showing some basic information about your PC, like system info, registered to, and computer hardware. However, it does not actually tell us complete information about the system, like whether or not your current copy of Windows XP is activated or not. To check the complete details about your Wind...

How To: Use EoF statements in Microsoft Visual Basic 6

In this clip, you'll learn how to work with EoF or end-of-file statements within MS VB apps. Whether you're new to Microsoft's popular event-driven program language & IDE or a seasoned developer merely looking to improve your chops, you're sure to find benefit in this free Visual Basic programming lesson. For more information, including a complete demonstration and detailed, step-by-step instructions, take a look.

How To: Customize your Safari toolbar

In order to customize your Safari tool bar, you can alter your buttons. All you have to do is click on "view" and "customize tool bar". Select a button that you like from the 2 rows in display. Then, click on the button you would like to add to your tool bar and drag it to your tool bar. You can use buttons as shortcuts to go back and forward, with the back and forth arrows and to take you to your favorite sites, with "top sites".