Fred Opinion: 2014

Infectious Diseases Course, Here I Come!

infectious diseases 12/08/2014

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Humanness in Providing Medical Services

humanness 9/16/2014

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Leaked Nude Celebrity Photos: Can we Really Trust the Cloud?

celebrity nude photos 9/02/2014

Leakage of nude images from top celebrities isn’t really new. Previously, nude images had already been spread by anonymous individuals which were acquired through hacking into cellphones or computers of these celebrities (such as Scarlet Johansson and Paris Hilton).

However, in the recent event involving leakage in the web of nude photos of many major celebrities (my sympathies to those who are affected) which is said to have been acquired from Apple’s iCould. Furthermore, with the large number of users using cloud services such as iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox, etc. The question that remains is ‘How safe is the cloud?’

Can you trust the Cloud?

Technically, when we store files into the cloud, we are storing it into someone else’s (or a company’s) hard drive. Like some controversies that commonly arises in the World Wide Web such as the one’s involving Facebook, we have the issue of privacy. Can we trust these companies providing cloud services to keep our information or files away from thieves? Or can we even trust them not to divulge these stuffs in exchange for money?

Companies providing online storage will often stress their commitment to security and privacy in order to gain the trust of users. However, in line with the fast pace of how technology evolves. The security measures enforced by these companies can easily become obsolete which could render the user’s files at risk of theft.

What can you do?

If you can’t stay away from these cloud services. The rule of protecting yourself from cloud storage theft could be the same as any other rule being applies to social media sites in protecting yourself from identity theft. Here are a few tips that you probably have encountered before:

Secure your Password – this is a rule that is often neglected by users. It is suggested that a user should pick a password that isn’t based on a word. As much as possible, it should include random letters and numbers and atleast include a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters. The longer the password the better.
Choose what you upload – It is advised to avoid uploading files that include sensitive information/content (in the case of the celebrities, nude photos). This also includes credit card numbers, addresses, etc. Or anything that you wouldn't want others to have.
Choose your Cloud service provider – This should also be consider if you still intend to avail these services. You should pick a reputable cloud storage service provider which you could trust. If possible, read first reviews about the service provider on how they provide these services especially on how they take security seriously.

I believe that we could all learn a lesson from what had happen to these celebrities. We should know that although the internet has given us a lot of benefits. It also has its disadvantages. What I could only ask is that to please have respect for these women. Please stop spreading the leaked photos. Share responsibly.

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Once a Month Windows PC Maintenance

maintenance 8/26/2014

Computer maintenance is one thing most computer users neglect or even dreaded in doing. Although it could be very beneficial, only a few would do it. Maybe because computer maintenance would involve cleaning up your hardware which meanings a lot of unscrewing, screwing, blowing, brushing and other stuffs life that. I didn’t even mention cleaning the software part of your computer.

For this guide, I’m going to teach you how I unclutter my Windows PC, on the software side, quick and easy. I recommend doing this atleast once every month or when needed. This routine have helped me kept my laptop as well as desktop running for years without the need of reformatting/reprogramming.

Uninstall Unnecessary Apps

This part of uncluttering a Windows PC has appeared on my guides but once question still remains. How would you consider an installed app “unnecessary”? In my case, I usually uninstall apps that hasn’t been use for 3 months. Of course, you could set your own criteria (which could be 6 months or maybe a month). You only have to be careful not to uninstall apps that are needed by other programs (e.g. Microsoft .NET Framework). If you are unsure whether you need the app or not, or maybe unfamiliar with the app, I would recommend googling the app first before uninstalling.

For the uninstallation of apps, I would recommend using Revo Uninstaller Pro. Revo uninstaller pro is a great software/app removal tool, especially if you have problems uninstalling one. Also, it could also delete leftover data that is usually left by the usual windows uninstall tool.

Clean Your Windows Registry

There has been debates on the benefits of cleaning the registry. Some experts say that it does improve computer performance while others say it doesn’t. Well, in my case, I say that there’s nothing wrong with removing those unused registry entries. You don’t even need them after all so why keep it there.

To scan for unused or old registry entries, I would recommend using CCleaner. Overall, CCleaner has a lot of built-in tools for cleaning your Windows PC. I have been using its registry cleaner for years now and haven’t had a problem with regards to missing registries.

Free Up Disk Space

This is also an integral part of your computer maintenance. I don’t even need to tell you how much this helps with regards to freeing up space in your computer. Just try it!

For this part, I would recommend using 2 tools. CCleaner and Windows “Disk Clean Up” tool which can be accessed through right-clicking the local disk to be cleaned up and go to “Properties”. The Cleaner tool in CCleaner could cleanup your apps’ temporary files, cookies, history, etc.

Furthermore, you could also do this manually especially for your locally stored files. Delete unused files on your PC or might as well as keep them organized by placing them on designated folders.

Scan your PC

Also an integral part of computer maintenance, scanning your PC would greatly improve computer performance especially if it is being slowed by a computer virus or spyware. I would recommend doing this part more than once a month especially if you’re in doubt whether your PC is infected or not. I would recommend using an antivirus that scans the PC automatically during start-up or when a flash drive is inserted.

My tool of choice for this part of maintenance would be ESET NOD32 Antivirus. It has features such as start-up scan and you could also set it to automatically scan and clean inserted flash drives and multimedia devices. You won’t even have to worry about your friends randomly inserting their flash drives in your computer.

Defragment your Disks

Defragmenting your disk would help your computer find and read files easily thus speeding it up. I would recommend including this as part of your routine as most users do neglect this part. However, if you’re already on Windows 7 or 8, it does it automatically for you on a scheduled date so you don’t need to worry about a single thing with regards to defragmenting your disks.

Although a very daunting and boring task, computer maintenance really helps in speeding up and keeping your computer in good condition. It could really help add a few years unto it. So please! I hope that through this guide you could give your PC a pit stop even once for every month.

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