TR Dojo
This blog will help IT pros in small and mom-and-pop shops tweak and bolster their systems without breaking the bank.
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Video: Change the Windows XP product key
Even in the best IT shops, it's not impossible for a pirated copy of Windows XP to find its way onto the desktop. In this IT Dojo video, Bill Detwiler, TechRepublic's Head Technology Editor, shows you how to change a Windows XP product key with a quick registry hack.
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Video: Degaussing machine erases hard drive data in less than 10 seconds
You don't have to crush a hard drive to securely remove its data. Comercial degaussing machines can remove all a drive's data in under 10 seconds.
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Video: Crusher destroys hard drives in seconds
It might not match a sledgehammer's fun-factor, but the PD-8400 portable crusher can mangle, mutilate, and destroy a hard drive in mere seconds.
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IT must prepare for $200-a-barrel oil and a rise in remote workers
Admins start your VPNs! As oil and gas prices soar, IT organizations should prepare to support more remote workers.
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Pop quiz answers: Hexadecimal basics
Nearly 2,000 people took IT Dojo's pop quiz on hexadecimal basics. Here's a list of the correct answers and a breakdown of how well those who took the quiz scored.
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Build an IT toolkit fit for almost any occasion
Whether you're removing a stubborn screw from an insufferable Packard-Bell case or troubleshooting a PC that won't boot, using the right tool will make the job go much faster and produce a more professional result. Here 30+ hardware, software, and spare items that TechRepublic members, writers, and editors think should be in every IT toolkit.
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Video: Create your own bootable USB flash drive for Windows XP
In this IT Dojo video, Bill Detwiler, TechRepublic's Head Technology Editor, explains the process and pitfalls of creating a bootable Windows XP USB flash drive. You'll learn how to configure a computer's BIOS to boot from a USB drive, how to download and use the free software to create a bootable drive, and how to installed Windows XP on the drive.
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Require help desk analysts to make the most of down time
During this 16-minute podcast, help desk guru Jeff Davis and Bill Detwiler, TechRepublic Head Technology Editor, explore the issue of help desk time management.
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Pop Quiz: Hexadecimal basics
Whether you're reading a memory dump or just trying to remember the memory address of a PC's COM ports, understanding hexadecimal math can make the task a bit easier. To test your hexadecimal skills, I've created a quick, five-question quiz that tests you on some hex basics.
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Lesson 1: Respond to end-user bloopers with professionalism
If you spend any time in IT, odds are you’re going to run across a few shocking examples of computer mistreatment. Successfully handling end-user bloopers requires technical know-how, finesse, and above all professionalism.
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Don't overcomplicate small IT projects, manage them with Excel
Microsoft Project is a robust, capable project management tool but, you can effectively manage small or midsize projects with Excel--saving yourself or your IT budget a pretty penny.
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Pop Quiz: Computer History
From the origins of the Internet to the birth of RAM, IT Dojo celebrates its first week with a pop quiz on key events in computer evolution.
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Welcome to TechRepublic's IT Dojo
IT Dojo is built around a philosophy of constant learning. We’ll demonstrate best practices that you won't often find in the manual. We’ll walk through advanced tips that aren't widely known but are highly useful. We’ll talk about how to work more effectively with end users, upper management, and your fellow IT professionals.
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IT veteran describes working overseas for the CIA's IT Group
Many IT professionals at the Central Intelligence Agency ride alongside the CIA's "ops" personnel on overseas mission. These jack-of-all-trade techs must be able to handle any technical problem that pops up--from troubleshooting a LAN to fixing a generator.
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IT should use a little fear to promote cyber security
IT shouldn't proclaim that the sky is falling, but Bill Detwiler thinks a little fear can be a powerful motivator for improving IT security.
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How to find and develop Android tablet-specific apps
Jack Wallen answers a reader's questions about finding Android tablet-specific apps and getting started with mobile development.
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Outsourcing shouldn't be a dirty word
Outsourcing doesn't have to signal a flood of pink slips. Carefully planned outsourcing can let you use your current IT personnel more efficiently.
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OS X Lion upgrade: Smooth, quicker than expected
Apple's download-only distribution for OS X Lion could have been and upgrade nightmare, but Bill Detwiler installed the Mac OS in under 45 minutes and with no problems.
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Only two percent of iPhone apps categorized for business
Just over 2 percent of iPhone and iPod touch apps are listed under the App Store's Business category. But are there more, hidden business apps?
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Nortel attacks "Cisco Energy Tax" in TV commercial - Are you swayed?
The Nortel "Piles" commercial seeks to win over existing Cisco customers with an "our equipment costs less to power" message. If you are/were in the market for new networking equipment, how much impact would Nortel's ad have? Are Nortel's claims of a "Cisco Energy Tax" even accurate?
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Ninety percent still don't trust the cloud
Amazon Chief Technology Officer Werner Vogels broadly outlines the benefits of a cloud-based infrastructure. Are you ready to jump on the cloud bandwagon?
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Next-generation SIM cards may run advanced apps and contain embedded sensors
Telenor's Fritjof Bogner Engelhardtsen and Sun's James Gosling look at a new experimental development platform for SIM cards that allows programmers to design new mobile services including adding sensors and Wi-Fi radio directly on the card.
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NETGEAR announces 4G mobile Broadband router and other products at CES 2011
Bill Detwiler looks at four new networking and storage products from NETGEAR shown at CES 2011.
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Restore discolored computer parts to like-new with Retr0Bright
Retr0Bright (a homemade hydrogen peroxide solution) can be used to remove the yellow discoloration from old, plastic computer parts.
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Revive unbootable Windows 7 PC with System Image Recovery
Hard drive failures don't have to be a crisis. Bill Detwiler shows you how to revive an unbootable Windows 7 PC using the System Image Recovery tool.
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Tech industry titans share insights with 60 Minutes
In this montage of interviews, tech industry heavyweights Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, Larry Ellison, Pierre Omidyar, Shawn Fanning, Sergey Brin, and Mark Cuban talk about what drives them, how they got into business, and whether they were always the smartest guy in the room.
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The great tablet flood of 2011: Are you ready?
Tablets are everywhere at CES 2011. How will your IT department navigate the coming flood of tablet devices?