Advice and Recommendations
NEW: How to Achieve Higher Download Speeds and Better Internet Access Performance
The document below is an explanation of the steps we recently took to improve our internet experience. This covers how to really achieve download speeds in excess of 100 Mb/sec. A number of other recommendations are also covered including how you can maximize Wi-Fi Performance.
Achieving High Internet Speeds
How to protect yourself against Phishing
After a recent bad experience with opening an email that turned out to be a fake phishing email, I thought it would be useful to write up an article on how to avoid getting in trouble.
In general, do NOT open an email that suggests it is from a bank or other business that you know unless you are VERY SURE that it is legit. Read this new article for more information.
How to fix a slow PC
Rather than pay some big box store a lot of money to fix your slow PC, all you need is the right set of software tools that can clean things up. One excellent example is CCleaner; available for free online. This runs in minutes and can get you working much faster than you ever thought your PC could run.
To download CCleaner, go to http://www.ccleaner.com and check or uncheck the options you want. Then click on Run CCleaner and it will get rid of all the unnecessary stuff hanging around that is taking up space.
If you like to keep cookies, don’t forget to remove the check on cookies.
If CCleaner does not seem to be doing enough to get your PC running faster, then you may have more significant problems in your PC’s registry or other file related trouble. We would recommend Norton Utilities, which is usually packaged with other tools and an Anti-Virus program as Norton System Works. Fix It Utilities Professional is also very good, but it is a bit more confusing to run. If you are not too experienced with these kinds of things, it may be best to consult with a professional repair center or send us email.
A warning about Malware and Virus Protection
One of the most critical security items that you should be concerned about is virus protection. In today’s world, desktop PCs, laptops, tablets, and virtually any device that can be programmed is susceptible to a computer virus or a somewhat less dangerous variant; adware and spyware.
Every PC user should be running a good anti-virus and anti-spyware program that they purchased themselves. Do not rely on free anti-virus software that you find online. In general, these are likely to be suspect.
The software on a Tibbo device is comprised of two categories of programs. The first is the Tibbo device firmware itself. The second part is an application that can be uploaded to a Tibbo device after the firmware is installed.
Tibbo devices have a very good protection system that uses passwords at the device level. You simply cannot install new code on the device without the use of Tibbo’s Device Explorer installation tool.
Thoughts about Open Source Software
As we have mentioned in the product descriptions, the software provided by Willabay Design is not Open Source code. The software is proprietary for a two reasons; one is obviously to protect our investment. The second is that we believe that Open Source software, typically found in applications for hobby kit type devices, is not safe enough for any security application. The most important aspect of our systems is reliability and the assurance that the product will continue to work as expected even after future updates and releases.
Some very good products such as Arduino’s line of board level devices supports a huge Open Source following where users can obtain free software for their projects. Willabay Design will continue to keep our critical applications proprietary but may release some educational applications in the future. These applications may include the Tibbo Basic source for the application as well as the object code.