Hot Computers & Programming Posts

How To: Protect your computer from snoops

Keep private info from prying eyes and earn some peace of mind when you safeguard your PC or Mac against nosy intruders. You will need several great passwords, virtual desktop software, snoopware blockers, a screen filter, a mirror, a healthy sense of paranoia, WPA encryption, and an understanding IT specialist.

How To: Fix a wet laptop

How were you supposed to know your computer can't swim? Isn't it called a laptop? You will need paper towels or lint-free cloth, cotton swabs, a towel, lots of luck, and professional help. Warning: liquids and electricity don't mix. Please make sure your hardware and all points of electrical contact are completely dry before plugging them in.

How To: Set your mouse cursor to leave a trail on screen

See how you can make your mouse cursor leave a trail behind it. First, go to "Start" and then "Control Panel". Then go to "Printers" and "Other Hardware" and then "Mouse". A new window should pop up and you should go click on the "Pointer Options" and then select the length of the trail you want your cursor to leave behind. It's easy to set your mouse cursor to leave a trail on your computer screen.

How To: Build an Android application for mobile devices

This video tutorial is about Android, and no it's not a robotic creature, it's a software platform and operating system form mobile phones and PDAs. The Android system is based on Linux and was developed by Google and the Open Handset Alliance. Code is managed in the Java language, but can be written in C also, although C is not officially supported. A lot of the new cell phone and other mobile devices will be running off of Android, so know how to use it.

How To: Hack an Oracle database

In this installment from the Unorthodox Hacking series of Internet security tutorials, you'll learn how to get a shell on an Oracle database. To see how to pop a shell from within Oracle or even perform a port scan from the database itself, watch this hacking how-to.

How To: Bypass RealVNC authentication

VNC stands for Virtual Network Computing. It is remote control software which allows you to view and fully interact with one computer desktop (the "VNC server") using a simple program (the "VNC viewer") on another computer desktop anywhere on the Internet. The two computers don't even have to be the same type, so for example you can use VNC to view a Windows Vista desktop at the office on a Linux or Mac computer at home. For ultimate simplicity, there is even a Java viewer, so that any deskto...

How To: Hack a Virtual Host, or vhost, with PHP

This hacker's guide demonstrates a quick PHP script which may allow you to crawl through the operating system on your hosting provider. demonstrate the power of PHP on a Virtual Host, or vhost, if PHP is not correctly secured by your web hosting provider. For more information on this hack, watch this helpful video guide.

How To: Exploit Microsoft Windows in new and unusual ways

In this installment from the Unorthodox Hacking series of computer security videos, you will explore a few of the areas in Windows that most Sysadmins don’t even know exist. See how to become Local System through the Task Scheduler and abuse long filenames. Take a look at some of the features within Windows—registry—that many system administrators don't know exist with this hacking how-to.

How To: Hack Windows shares

In this installment from the Unorthodox Hacking series of computer security tutorials, you'll learn a number of methods for hacking Windows shares as well as means of mitigating those hacks. For detailed instructions on Windows shares, and what you can do with them, watch this helpful video guide.

How To: Crack a computer running a telnet daemon with Brutus

Brutus, first made available in 1998, is one of the fastest, most flexible remote brute-force password crackers you can get your hands on - it's also free. It is available for Windows 9x, NT and 2000. In this video tutorial, you'll learn how to use Brutus to crack a Linux box a running telnet daemon. For more information, and to get started hacking with Brutus yourself, watch this video tutorial.

How To: Completely erase a computer hard drive to remove all private data

Data thieves don't have to be programming wizards to get their hands on your personal information. They often find hard drives that contain financial and other sensitive data at flea markets, charity shops, the city dump—even on eBay. In this video tutorial, PC World explains how to completely erase sensitive data from old drives before recycling or discarding them. Wipe your old hard drives with this how-to.

How To: Use ActionScript 3.0 in Adobe Flash CS4

Adobe Flash Creative Suite 4, or CS4, Professional software is the industry-leading authoring environment for creating engaging interactive experiences. It is ideal for interactive designers, graphic designers, and developers. But having the program isn't enough; you need to know how to use it. That's where this video tutorial comes in. In it, you'll find a schematic guide to using ActionScript 3.0 in Adobe Flash CS4. For more, and to get started incorporating ActionScript into your own Flash...

How To: See who is connected to a computer with netstat

Want to see whether your PC is being accessed by hackers? Netstat (network statistics) is a command-line tool that displays network connections (both incoming and outgoing), routing tables, and a number of network interface statistics. It is available on Unix, Unix-like, and Windows NT-based operating systems. This video tutorial presents a basic introduction to working with the netstat tool. Determine whether you've been hacked with this how-to.

How To: Detect hackers with netstat

Netstat (network statistics) is a command-line tool that displays network connections (both incoming and outgoing), routing tables, and a number of network interface statistics. It is available on Unix, Unix-like, and Windows NT-based operating systems. This video tutorial presents a basic introduction to working with the netstat tool. Determine whether you've been hacked with this how-to.

How To: Port scan with Nmap

Nmap ("Network Mapper") is a free and open source (license) utility for network exploration or security auditing. Many systems and network administrators also find it useful for tasks such as network inventory, managing service upgrade schedules, and monitoring host or service uptime. Nmap uses raw IP packets in novel ways to determine what hosts are available on the network, what services (application name and version) those hosts are offering, what operating systems (and OS versions) they a...

How To: Capture packets with the Wireshark packet sniffer

Wireshark is the world's foremost network protocol analyzer, and is the de facto (and often de jure) standard across many industries and educational institutions. This video tutorial demonstrates how to get the Wireshark packet sniffer up and running to do a capture as well as how to run a traceroute command. To get started hacking with Wireshark, watch this how-to.

How To: Hack a network with Nessus 3

The Nessus vulnerability scanner, is the world-leader in active scanners, featuring high speed discovery, configuration auditing, asset profiling, sensitive data discovery and vulnerability analysis of your security posture. Nessus scanners can be distributed throughout an entire enterprise, inside DMZs, and across physically separate networks. In this network security video tutorial, you'll learn how to hack a network using Nessus 3.

How To: Choose a new computer

So many choices, so little patience? That’s why we've cut to the chase for you. The most basic questions to ask yourself: a Windows (PC) OS or a Mac and laptop versus desk top computer. You'll also need to determine what you need your computer to do. Watch this video tutorial and learn how to choose a new computer.

How To: Remove the Windows Genuine Advantage Validation tool

Are you a ... Windows Developer? Interested in ... testing the vulnerabilities inherent in your own operating system? If so, you're in luck. This video tutorial demonstrates a simple hack that will allow you to remove the Windows Genuine Advantage Validation software. For step-by-step instructions on removing the Windows XP Validation tool, watch this video guide.

How To: Set up an Oki C8800n Color Laser Printer

In this video tutorial, you'll learn exactly what you need to do to set up your new Okidata C 8800n color laser printer. This guide includes all steps necessary to set your new printer up, from taking the printer out of the box to installing the toner cartridges. For more information, and to get started setting up your own Oki 8800n laser printer, watch this video tutorial.

How To: Set up an Oki C 3600n color printer

In this video tutorial, you'll learn exactly what you need to do to set up your new Okidata C 3600n MFP printer. This guide includes all steps necessary to set your new printer up, from taking the printer out of the box to installing the toner cartridges. For more information, and to get started setting up your own Oki 3600 color printer, watch this video tutorial.