Active Computers & Programming Posts

How To: Call a web service in .NET

Microsoft ASP.NET is a free technology that allows programmers to create dynamic web applications. ASP.NET can be used to create anything from small, personal websites through to large, enterprise-class web applications. All you need to get started with ASP.NET is the free .NET Framework and the free Visual Web Developer. In this tutorial, you'll learn how to call your first web service in .NET. In just few minutes you'll be up and running with your own web service in .NET framework in ASP. F...

How To: Turn an Iomega ZIP Drive into a USB drive enclosure

The good old Zip Drive introduced by Iomega in late 1994 served its purpose as a medium-capacity removable disk storage system until obsolescence kicked in as it was replaced by flash drives as well as rewritable CDs and DVDs. This video presents a number of fun, DIY art projects that you can do with your old Iomega Zip Drive. Specifically, this how-to looks at how you can take your old Zip Drive and make of it a USB driver enclosure. For more, or to get started on your own Zip Drive project,...

How To: Use Windows 95 with Matthew Perry & Jennifer Aniston

Looking, however improbably, for an introduction to the Windows 95 operating system? No? How about if we throw in two of (yesteryear's) brightest sitcom stars? With the help of this two-part promotional video from Microsoft and your friends, Matthew Perry and Jennifer Aniston, you'll be using the Windows 95 Start Menu and Recycle Bin in no time. Take a look.

How To: Use the Ironkey High Security Flash Drive

The Ironkey is a high security thumb drive designed to provide strong AES encryption, tamper resistance and other security services. Some of the topics covered will include: How is the drive mounted without admin privileges in Windows? How is it mounted in Linux? How does the "Self Destruct" feature work? What is Secure Sessions? How is the Ironkey better than just using Truecrypt? For answers to these questions, take a look. Use the Ironkey High Security Flash Drive.

How To: Use DNS spoofing in Ettercap

In this video, you'll find instructions on how to use the Ettercap plug-in dns_spoof to set up DNS spoofing on a local area network. This Ettercap plug-in is ony one potential way to pull of DNS spoofing, and only works if the attacker is on the same subnet. To get started DNS spoofing with Ettercap, press play! Use DNS spoofing in Ettercap.

How To: Build an Air Collada Papervision3D viewer in Flex 3

If you work with the Adobe Air Collada format a lot, and have certain formats you want to bring into Collada and into Papervision through that Collada file format, you'll need to compare Collada files and graphics, which requires that you createa viewer. This video tutorial offers instructions on doing just that. For more information, and to get started making your own Collada Papervision3D viewer in Flex 3, take a look!

How To: Use scaffold_resource in Rails

There are some really helpful people in the Rails community, but you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who helps bunny and green coders more than Ryan Bates. While this tutorial is geared towards intermediate Rails users, beginners are certain to walk away with something as well. In this video tutorial, Ryan and Miles K. Forrest provide a walkthrough of scaffold_resource. If you're even a little bit interested in learning more about Ruby on Rails, you'd be well served to take a look!

How To: Install a 233 PowerForce G4 accelerator in a Mac Tower

The PowerForce G4 Series 233 is the versatile single processor upgrade for PowerMac G4 AGP towers, G4 Cubes, PowerMac G4 Digital Audio, QuickSilver, and QuickSilver 2002 models. It features the G4-7451 and G4-7455 processors, with speeds up to 1.2GHz. The PowerForce G4 Series 233 processor card, like its predecessors - the Series 100 and 133 upgrades - is the most advanced, highest performance CPU card available on the market today. It's also easy to install Feature List: PowerPC 7451 or 7455...

How To: Install an OWC Mercury Extreme processor on a G4 Mac

The OWC Mercury Extreme G4 is a fantastic high speed single processor replacement to your current processor. The Mercury Extreme, unlike other processor upgrades, does not use or require 'enabling' utilities to operate. It's the easiest upgrade for your G4 Quicksilver Macintosh to boost its speed. This video tutorial will take you, step by step, through the installation process. For more, take a look!

How To: Install a PowerForce G3 ZIP on an IBM 750fx or gx CPU

The PowerForce G3 ZIF (Zero Insertion Force) is the super-fast, yet economical CPU upgrade for your "Beige" Power Mac G3 desktop or minitower, "G3 All-in-One" educational model, Blue and White Power Macintosh G3's and the Power Macintosh G4 "Yikes." This video tutorial will walk you through the PowerForce G3 installation process. For step-by-step instructions, take a look!

How To: Use panels in Ubuntu for quick access to applications

Ubuntu Linux offers panels that you can create and customize to launch your most commonly used programs and applications quickly and with ease. Ubuntu panels and the applications launcher are found at the top of your screen–at least initially. This video tutorial offers step-by-step instructions for customizing your own Ubuntu panels. For more information on using panels within Ubuntu Linux, take a look!

How To: Use Ubuntu Linux

If you're brand new to the Ubuntu Linux operating system, you'll seem some help acclimating to your new platform. Fortunately, this video is here to help you do just that. For more information on using your new operating system, as well as setting up applications and games, take a look at this tutorial, which covers the very basics of using Ubuntu.

How To: Speed up your Windows PC with MSConfig

In this video tutorial, you'll learn how to speed up your Windows computer's startup efficiency (and so its startup time) with MSConfig, or the Microsoft System Configuration Utility. MSConfig will allow you to disallow unnecessary programs from starting up when you boot your PC. For more information on using MSConfig to speed up your computer, take a look!

How To: Send email with Evolution in Ubuntu Linux

Sending email with the Evolution client in Ubuntu Linux is much the same as with any other email program. In addition to offering step-by-step instructions for the setup and use of Evolution, this Ubuntu tutorial also will teach you how to access your address book when writing an email. For a detailed look at the Evolution email client, take a look!

How To: Use the Print Screen button in Windows

When you press the Print Screen button on your keyboard in any version of Windows, be it 95, 2000, ME, XP or Vista, Windows will take a picture of your display output and put it into your clipboard. Once in your clipboard, it can be pasted into most any image editing program (e.g., Paint). For more information on taking screenshots with Print Screen, watch this helpful Windows tutorial!

How To: Pimp your quick launch bar in Windows Vista

One nice little feature built into Microsoft Windows, since Windows 95, in fact, is the ability to dock the quick launch bar on the side of your screen. While this feature has been removed in Windows Vista, in this video tutorial, you'll learn how to create something comparable with a toolbar. For more, or to try the this Windows trick for yourself, take a look!

How To: Change desktop icons in Microsoft Windows Vista

One of the most common positives one hears about Windows Vista is that it's pretty. Indeed, Windows Vista has new icons, a new theme and it does look nice. But what if you want to add even more pizazz to your desktop? In this video tutorial, you'll learn how to change any desktop (shortcut) icon. For more information, and to get started changing icons on your own desktop, take a look!

How To: Chage the Adobe Flex 3 preloading screen

Altering the preloading screen in Flex 3 sure can be complicated, to say the least. Wouldn't it be awesome if the whole process was easier? Maybe if someone made, I don't know, a tutorial that walked you through the steps so that even a beginner could understand the procedure. Wouldn't that be fantastic? We thought so too... so here it is. Watch and learn how to change the Flex preloading screen in this programming tutorial.

How To: Install Cairngorm in Adobe Flex 3 and use MVC

In this tutorial, Mike Lively of Northern Kentucky University discusses the MVC (Model Viewer Controller) architecture, installs Cairngorm into Adobe Flex 3, and discusses one of David Tucker's examples. The MVC model is comprised of a Model (encapsulates information from the d base (XML file), View (presentation layer that the user interacts with, and Controller (processes and responds to events and invokes changes to the model and viewer). See how to use the MVC model and install Cairngorm ...