Active Computers & Programming Posts

News: Are You Noob-Positive or Noob-Negative?

noob - Short for "newbie." Someone with little to no experience or skill. In some gaming communities, there is fierce debate over the distinction between "noob" and "newb"—one being derogatory while the other simply indicates being a novice. While some may argue the semantic differences, "noob" is the most common spelling seen around the internet, for both purposes.

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: Keep Your PC Running Smoothly

Introduction This is one of the things I am asked the most and there are so many different answers. It is hard to just tell you without know your computer's current speed or what type of hardware it has. So here I will talk about how to speed up a slow computer and how to keep your computer running fast.

Classic Commodore 64 Reborn: Get a 2011 PC in Retro Skin

Back in 1982, the Commodore 64 home computer was released by Commodore International for $595 (which would now be close to $1,300). It featured an 8-bit microprocessor, 16-color video microchip, awesome sound chip, parallel and serial capabilities, and a whopping 64 kilobytes of memory, all of which helped make it the best selling home computer from 1983 to 1986. It surpassed anything IBM had out at the time. Its greatest competitors were the Apple II and Atari 8-bits, 400 and 800. And it had...

How To: Move list items when programming in Java

Want to program your own Java games and applications but don't know beans about object-oriented programming? Never you fear. This free video tutorial from TheNewBoston will have you coding your own Java apps in no time flat. Specifically, this lesson discusses how to use the Collection framework when writing code in the Java programming language. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, watch this helpful programmer's guide.

How To: Make a crossover ethernet cable from scratch

In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to make a crossover cable from scratch. Users will need an Ethernet cable. Begin by removing one side of the connector and strip off the outside casing. Then separate the wires. Change the sequence order of the cables to: white green, green, white orange, blue, white blue, orange, white brown and brown. Make the cables straight and close together. Then cut off about half of the wires and carefully put back on the connector. Use pliers to squeeze the c...

How To: Remove Ubuntu and the GRUB Loader

This video illustrates the method of Removing Ubuntu Linux installation and the GRUB Loader. The process is composed of the following steps -Step 1Insert the Ubuntu Linux Live CD. Boot from CD and select the install option.Step 2Click on install button and wait until the next screen appears. Now , you would be presented with two options that would enable to either "Uninstall Ubuntu" or "Install it again".Step 3Choose the Uninstall option and check the Remove GRUB loader option. Also check the...

How To: Use type hinting in your PHP design patterns

Type hinting in PHP appears frequently in design patterns but can be distinctively confusing unless you are totally familiar with it. This walkthrough from JREAMdesign raises your exposure levels to using type hinting in your parameter functions with objects and arrays.

How To: Install Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic Koala) on Your PC

This tutorial will walk you through the steps required to install the Ubuntu 9.10 operating system (Karmic Koala) on your computer. I have a Suzuki Kuiper 1411 HKS notebook computer with 2.1 GHz Intel Dual Core processor, 4GB RAM and 320GB hard drive. It has a dedicated 256MB Nvdia GeForce 9300M GS graphics card and 1270++MB of VRAM in SLI mode.