DIY Kitchen Internet Radio using old Android phone
Finding uses for superceded technology rather than throwing it away is a passion of mine. I guess it’s because of my age and living through some tougher times that I reckon it’s always worth trying to extend the life of any ‘tech’.
I only just reluctantly parted with a perfectly fine Panasonic Laser because Windows 7 refuses to play nice and run it, so it got put out front with a ‘Free to a good home’ sign on it!
Living down the south coast of NSW has enormous benefits, quieter lifestyle, beautiful beaches and friendlier people – but some things are a bit behind. Take radio for instance. We can only get 2 or 3 FM stations here (and reception isn’t that great) and Digital radio isn’t in our area yet, so I had thought for a while about getting an internet radio for the kitchen. Prices are a little steep however, so I decided to have a go at making one out of an unused Android smartphone which, while too slow for most things still worked fine streaming internet radio. Continue reading
Broadband – What Affects Your Speed?
By: Nick Cox
Broadband providers have been under scrutiny recently, as it has come to light that broadband speeds advertised by ISP’s (Internet Service Providers) are not matching actual broadband speeds that customers receive.
It’s proving to be a frustrating time for many customers. Many have been promised speeds of up to 8 Meg, but they are finding themselves with connection speeds, that in some cases are only marginally better than dial-up. Continue reading
Just What The Heck Is Spyware, Anyway?
by Scott Drinkard
What Is Spyware?
It goes by different names. Spyware, adware and malware are some of the more popular monikers. It really doesn’t matter what you call it, though. The bottom line is that you don’t want it on your computer. First of all, let me state for the record that I think the internet is a wonderful thing. I think a majority of people would agree that the World Wide Web has made life for all of us a little more convenient. Whether it’s reserving a hotel room, buying music online, checking the local weather or any number of thousands of useful sites (did I mention email?) we all have gotten a little bit spoiled with having all this information right at our fingertips. Continue reading
PLEASE don’t click on fake security alerts!
by Andy Turner
Coastal Computers & Design
I’ve just spent the last 2 hours attempting to clear another ‘Smitfraud’ spyware variant. They are notorious buggers to clear completely, hopefully this one has gone for good – but I won’t hold my breath! Update: Nope – this system has a ‘rootkit’ infection as well… more work!
Ninety-nine percent of infections like this are caused by downloading an infected ‘codec’ to watch a particular type of video or a ‘drive-by’ spyware attack – but once you have been infected, please, please don’t ignore it or try to remove this yourself unless you know what you are doing. Continue reading
What Is VoIP? How It Works
by Rivers Cruz
Simply put, VoIP or Voice Over Internet Protocol is the transmission of voice traffic over IP-based networks. It is also sometimes referred to as IP Telephony. VoIP has become immensely popular because of the savings an individual can make on long distance calls, especially on international calls. It is cheap, and some are even offering it for free. Savings can range from 60 to 90 percent, depending on your usage.
How can I use VoIP?
There are three ways of using VoIP. The first one is PC to PC, wherein both parties must have their computers turned on to communicate. Second is PC to Phone, where a party must contact a phone through his computer. Last is Phone to Phone. Continue reading
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