Category: Aim
In this week’s Inside The Insider, I talk about what’s in this week’s issue of The Insider, as well as send a big “thank you” to everybody who signed up in the last week.
- How to get started using Evernote (a lot of people are confused how to integrate it into their lives. We’ll help.)
- Fixing Java on your Computer
- A resource to turn your Gmail account into a full-blown task manager
- How to use “old school” Outlook Express 6
- Using the Internet to “automate” regular household tasks
Thanks to everybody.
And, if you’re not yet an Insider,
You can join for as little as /month – but this pricing is going to be changing shortly.
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Even though I use Google Chrome as my primary browser these days, I admit with no hesitation that Firefox completely obliterates every other browser in the plugin/add-on/extension department. To this day, nothing else comes close to the extension options that are available for Firefox.
Some people when browsing just want a simple-as-possible on/off toggle for everything other than text, meaning on/off toggles for everything. Does such a toggle utility exist? In Firefox it does, and it’s called
Contrary to its name, QuickJava is not just for the on/off toggle of Java, as it does do The Big 5 (JavaScript, Java, Flash, Silverlight and images).
How to configure it is as such:
1. Install QuickJava. Use the Firefox browser and click the link above, the install the extension.
2. In Firefox, click View > Toolbars > Customize OR Firefox > Options > Toolbar Layout.
3. For the new window that opens, scroll the bottom and you will see drag-able buttons for Css, Proxy, JavaScript, Flash, SilverLight and Images.
4. Drag JavaScript, Java, Flash, SilverLight and Images after the "Stop" button (the Stop button is the one with the X).
Note: Its normal to see some blue (enabled) and some red (disabled) or either all blue. We’ll get back to that in a moment.
When done, click the Done button on the Customize Toolbar window, and you’ll be left with this assuming your Firefox is using the default layout:
5. Click each button so it turns red.
You will have this once you do that:
At this point, JavaScript, Java, Flash, SilverLight and images are all disabled.
Now all you have to do it test it. Go to a content-heavy site like
Will certain features of websites be disabled with everything turned off?
Yes. For example, most webmail services will not work with everything disabled. But that’s fine because you can toggle on/off certain things at whim whenever you want. For example, you don’t need Java, Flash or SilverLight to use webmail, so you can toggle on/off whatever you need at the given moment.
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The largest advantage of the Xbox 360, hands down, has to be a lovely little issue known as the Red Ring of Death. Most everyone who doesn’t have a new model has probably suffered from this at least once. I’ve already had it happen twice.
But hey, no big deal, right? Just send it off to Microsoft, right?
The trouble is, most consoles that still suffer from the RROD aren’t under warranty anymore. Meaning your choices are to either pay Microsoft 0 dollars to send you back a refurbished console…or drop 0 on a new system.
Not much of a choice, is it? Thankfully, there’s a third option- Do it yourself.
Option 1: Baking With A Towel
This one’s pretty simple – though I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it. Essentially, cover your system with a towel, turn it on, and leave it running. With any luck, the console will ‘bake’ itself, and reset the internal hardware.
Unfortunately, this is only a temporary solution. As you’d expect, baking your system has some pretty nasty effects on its inner workings. Chances are, you’re only extending the console’s lifespan for about another month or two, if that, then you’re back where you started.
Option 2: Dust Out The Internals
Though it’s probably something you should have done before your console up and zogged out, you can always take the system apart and use a can of compressed air to wash all of the dust out. There’s a small chance this could fix the problem, but at the same time it’s likely you’re going to have to try option 3.
Option 3: Apply New Thermal Paste
Occasionally, the thermal paste between the heat-sink and the motherboard can dissolve or simply ‘wear out,’ causing pretty considerable heat issues, as a result.
The solution here is simple.
Wrong.
What’s to stop your system from red-ringing again, a few months down the line? The thermal paste isn’t just dissolving as a result of wear and tear. The system’s heat-sink is designed in such a way that it can’t adequately dissipate heat.
Fortunately, we have it on our power to fix that.
Option 4: Fix The Design Fault
See, the problem with most early-generation 360s is that the heat-sink is positioned far, far too close to the motherboard. It can’t properly dissipate heat, and as a result, the console essentially slowly cooks itself.
To fix your Xbox, you’ll need the following supplies:
- 4 12mm Cheese Head Screws
- 8 M5 Nylon Washers (1mm thick)
- 16 M5 Steel Washers (1mm thick)
- A soft cloth
- Arctic silver thermal compound and thermal compound remover
- A small flat head screwdriver
- A phillips head screwdriver
- Torx T10 and T8 keys
- A 1/4” Nut Driver or a Wrench and pliers
- 13/16 Drill Bit And Drill4
Step 1: Dismantling Your 360
Refer to the
Step 2: Clearing The Case
Remove everything from the case. Yes, EVERYTHING. Even the fans. Start by unplugging everything, then removing the power button and wireless controller board, then the motherboard. Be careful you don’t get any dust onto any of the components and take extra care not to scratch anything.
Step 3: Taking The Heat-sink Off The Motherboard
First up, put some corrugated cardboard over the motherboard – you do not want your screwdriver to slip and damage something on the motherboard. If that happens, it’s curtains for your console and no amount of fiddling or tinkering will fix it. You’ll want to take your flat head screwdriver and pry free the brackets holding down the heat-sink to the motherboard. Once you’ve gotten three of the brackets off the fourth should pop free without too much trouble.
Once you’ve gotten the brackets free, pull the heat-sink off the motherboard. The thermal paste, if there’s any left, might be holding it in place, so you might need to put a little ‘oomph’ into getting it free.
Step 4: Stripping And Cleaning The Heat-sink
While your at it clean the motherboard, too. Use a soft cloth or if you’re feeling daring, a toothpick, to clear off the cheap, gooey thermal paste that’s likely caked to the CPU and GPU. Follow up with a few small dabs of rubbing alcohol to clear off any additional mess.
When you’re done, everything should look shiny and new.
Step 5: Fitting The Heat-sink With New Screws
Be careful, and make sure there are no metal shavings remaining. You want to slowly and cautiously enlarge each of the four mounting holes on the heatsink that the clamps were originally attached to. You’ll need to make them a bit larger in order to fit the larger screws and washers to them. Once you’ve finished drilling, install all of the screws and washers to the heatsink. Use some tape to hold the screws in place, if necessary.
Basically, once you’ve made the holes bigger, all you need to do is put the screws you bought into the heat-sink and add three steel washers to each screw then a nylon washer. Easy as pie.
Step 6: Re-Applying Thermal Paste
Carefully apply a thin coat of thermal paste (preferably arctic silver) to the CPU and GPU of your 360, as well as the side of the heat-sink that will be facing the motherboard.
Step 7: Connecting The Heat-sink Back To The Motherboard
Add another steel washer and nylon washer to each of the mounting screws, then start screwing them into the heat-sink. Tighten each screw until you feel a bit of resistance, then use a wrench to attach the bolts to the screws. Make sure you’re evenly distributing the force – tighten one a little, then another, then the next, and so on. If you tighten one side before the other, you could very well end up with a cracked motherboard.
Finally, once you’ve got the bolts secured, tighten each screw as much as you can.
Step 8: Re-Seating The System
Basically, follow the steps outlined in the Dismantling tutorial in reverse. Put everything but the fan shrouds back in.
Step 9: Overheating the GPU
This might seem a touch counterproductive, but this is actually a fairly vital step in the process. Position one of the fans so that it cools the CPU, and then turn the console on. You’ll want the GPU to get hot enough that it ‘re-solders’ itself to the motherboard, since there’s a good chance the connection’s come loose. Once you’ve overheated the GPU enough (45 minutes should do it) put everything back together.
Step 10: Your Working Console
If everything’s gone as planned, your console should be good as new!
Images via
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All my new, old, current, whatever… ALL MY SOURCES… Make sure to enter them EXACTLY!! As of TODAY they all WORK!!!!! theiphonespotrepo.net repo.iphonedesignz.com cydia.hackulo.us sinfuliphonerepo.com cydia.xsellize.com c.imodzone.net i.danstaface.net repo.woowiz.net cydia.touch-mania.com repo.modyouri.com repo.yourcydiarepo.org repo.insanelyi.com www.ihacksrepo.com repo.halo4iphone.com To receive all trusted sources… Go to Sections. Click on Repositories. Install PwnCenter. Then you will see that there is a package called “All Sources” Install ‘All Sources’ package. Finished. Enjoy hacking!
Video Rating: 5 / 5
Here are my favorite Cydia sources in the order presented: #5: biteyourapple.com #4: c.imodzone.net #3: sinfuliphonerepocom #2: Cydia.xsellize.com #1: repo.insanelyi.com Don’t forget to rate, subscribe, and Enjoy. Thanks!!!
Video Rating: 4 / 5
Valve’s Steam platform has more or less revolutionized the world of PC gaming. Currently the world’s largest digital distribution platform for games, it boasts over 35 million active users, with thousands upon thousands of titles, achievement lists, friend lists, media sharing, and communities. All in all, it’s pretty awesome.
But it’s not perfect.
Have a look.
1. Check The Steam Server Status
In rare cases, it might not actually be your system that’s borked itself. Steam’s servers do suffer from the occasional hiccup, and they do occasionally go down for maintenance and the like. Take a look at the
2. Restart Steam
This is a pretty obvious solution, and it’s the first step you should try if something goes wrong.
3. Try Restarting Your Computer
Another fairly obvious solution, but one that you should still attempt, nonetheless. There’s always the possibility that Steam might be having some trouble ‘playing nice’ with your operating system. Sometimes, a restart’s all you need to fix the problem.
4. Ensure Steam Is Up To Date
While it’s true that Steam does generally automatically update, there’s a small chance that some glitch has prevented an update from going through correctly. There’s a good chance that if you simply leave Steam running 24/7, you might have missed out on an update. Click on the “Steam” context menu in the upper right of your screen, then click on “Check for Steam Client Updates.”
5. Delete the “clientregistry.blob” File
This little file holds the registration data for all your steam apps (games), and is responsible for about 30% of all issues that occur on steam. Often, deleting it will fix the problem as restarting steam after it’s deleted will force the client to restore the file with all your default settings intact.
To find clientregistry.blob, go to your Steam directory. The file should be in the main folder.
6. Delete Everything Except Your Apps
If deleting clientregistry.blob doesn’t fix the problem, you might just have to force a repair. Delete everything in your Steam folder except for your “Steamapps” folder and the client itself. Start up Steam, and kick back. This could take a while.
7. Reinstall Steam
We’re getting more and more extreme here. If you’ve tried all of the above steps, and it still doesn’t do anything to fix the problem, you might simply have to do a full reinstall.
8. Check For Registry Issues And PC Errors
If reinstalling Steam doesn’t seem to do the trick, the problem probably lies with your computer. Do a full registry scan and error check, and run malware and spyware scans as well.
9. Contact Valve
Finally, contact
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Video Response to a comment about switching from Cydia to Rock. Also has Advantages and Disadvantages of both. Enjoy guys
Video Rating: 4 / 5
Apple Weekly: iPhone 5, Mac Pro, iMac & Macbook Air Refresh This week in Apple Weekly: – iPhone 5 Protoype – New Mac Pro’s – More hints towards revised iMacs – New Macbook Air’s soon, mass production next month (May) – Apple vs Samsung – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – iGlaswegian on iTunes: itunes.apple.com SPONSOR: www.parcelmonkey.co.uk ******************* Would appreciate if you guys could check my new venture out www.ayegear.com iGlaswegian T-shirts http Visit my site: www.iglaswegian.com Twitter www.twitter.com Facebook: www.facebook.com FlickR Gallery: www.flickr.com My OTHER YouTube channel: www.youtube.com apple weekly 25 new mac pro 2011 imac refresh thunderbolt sandybridge big display macbook air lightpeak faster sandybridge quad core i5 i7 june launch OSX lion apple vs samsung lawsuit sue this is my next iphone leaked 5G 4Gs a5 dual core chip theunits3 iglaswegian i6laswegian glasgow scotland scottish steve jobs tim cook
Video Rating: 4 / 5
“CNET’s Brian Tong claims that Apple is gearing up to launch a revamped Mac Pro and an upgraded Mac mini in either late July or early August — more likely in August. Details are scarce on what this “next-gen” Mac Pro holds, but if what 9to5Mac has previously been told is showing up in these 2011 models, we’ll be seeing a smaller, rackmountable design that can hold multiple solid-state-drives. Lending credence to the report are shortages of the Mac Pro server model. EXCLUSIVE: My sources tell me ALL NEW Next-Gen Mac Pros and Mac Minis will launch either end of July first week of August. The Mac minis are said to be receiving the Thunderbolt I/O and Sandy Bridge Processor treatment, which the MacBook Pro and iMac families received earlier this year. Summer 2010 was the scene of a major Mac mini redesign, so those hoping for an all new Mac mini should wait a couple of refreshes. Mac minis (and Mac mini servers – on Amazon as well) are currently short on supply (thanks, Mr. X!). Separately, we’ve been hearing independently that Apple is gearing up to release upgraded MacBook Airs — we should have our own details on that soon.” -9to5mac.com
Video Rating: 3 / 5
But why should corporations do all the work? After all, Earth’s kind of our home, too. We should all do our part, as well.
Plus, in the long run, being greener tends to save money… so it’s kind of a win-win situation.
But how can you go about being greener?
1. Turn it off if you aren’t using it
This should be obvious, shouldn’t it?
Got any gadgets plugged into the wall that you aren’t using? Cut the power. Better yet, unplug them until you have occasion to use them again. Even electronics (particularly computers and peripherals) that are turned off draw a small amount of power. If you don’t need them at the moment, flip the switch. Yeah, it’s a bit inconvenient, but it’s better than wasting energy.
2. Tweak Your Power Settings
If you’re using Windows 7, go to the Control Panel and select “Power Options.” This’ll take you to a menu where you’ll be able to control what your computer does if you haven’t been using it for a while.
It’s pretty straightforward from there. Set it to sleep or hibernate after you haven’t been using it for an hour, and it’ll turn off while you aren’t using it. Of course, that might not be an option if you’re updating a program or running a torrent. In that case…
3. Disable Non-essential hardware and software
Believe it or not, your system actually does draw more power when it runs more programs. The hardware needs to work harder, and it needs more energy to do so.
If you can think of any programs you probably won’t be using when you turn in for the night, get rid of them. Don’t think your system will need its wireless card or display? Turn them off. Same goes for Bluetooth.
4. Recycle Your Old Hardware
If you’re upgrading your system, don’t just throw out the old one. Give it to a recycling program (there’s quite a few businesses that make their cash recycling old electronics), or sell it to someone. As a last ditch effort, donate it to a thrift store or something (though there’s a chance they might throw it out if it’s not up to their standards).
You could always do what I did, and set up a file hosting/game server.
Long story short, don’t just toss it, find a new use for it.
5. Install Green Computing Software
There’s actually quite a few decent programs out there that are designed to help you monitor and reduce energy use – both in your system and in your home. It might well be a good idea to try installing one of these applications.
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By default, on launch the tab you land on is "Everything", and it will show information like this:
Important note to laptop users: You may see certain run commands that look "weird". For example, the one above that would look weird to most people is "Persistence" and "HotKeysCmds". Both of these are from Intel and particular to my Dell netbook. More often than not you will see weird/odd entries on laptops compared to desktops.
Another one that probably looks out-of-place is OA012Mon, which is for the
If you see anything in your run list that you’re not sure is safe or not, simply search for it on the internet and you will get the info you need on whether it’s safe.
When and when not to freak out if you find something "bad"
Seeing something like this from the "Drivers" tab may freak you out:
…until you do some research and find out
The point is that if you do find something that "looks bad", search it first online to confirm it is in fact something truly bad.
On a final note, Autoruns is not exactly what you’d called a beginner’s utility. It’s very detailed and for some may be a bit overwhelming. What I mean by this is to NOT go unchecking everything in there, as it may render your Windows inoperable. Simply use Autoruns to make sure everything on startup is exactly what should be there and nothing more.
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