Let’s face it – geeks make for a better relationship than any of those alpha-male types. Exactly why is that though? Are you prepared to shun good looks for reliability and utility? What can you expect when you exchange your old boyfriend for a new geek version?

I’m going to assume here a geek boyfriend case type, though of course geek girlfriends have also been known to exist in the wild. Unfortunately, data on these rare creatures is still quite scarce, so we will not discuss them today. It’s tragic that I have to say this, but please don’t take this as 100% serious dating advice, and take a deep breath before posting vile comments about how shockingly generalised and stereotypical this portrayal of geeks is.

Free Tech Support

A standard issue geek is, by default, able to stop both your microwave oven and the TiVo, from flashing incessantly at you 00:00. His tech-savviness will ensure you stay atop of HDMI, HTML, HTTP and HDTVs with attached HDDs. He’ll certify that your virus definitions and various operating systems are all up to do date, managed via a central house server while-u-wait.

Don’t test his patience though – while the geek boyfriend will be more than happy to tutor you in Java and PHP, he will not appreciate questions about Windows XP. You have an expert at your disposal here, not a replacement search engine. Girls not willing to learn for themselves need not apply for a geek boyfriend – your Facebook will be checked, and you will be Googled!

Logic-Based Functionality

All geeks are pre-supplied with a Logic Interpreter, though they lack the typical Emotional Response Decision Determiner. While they may not be of much use in emotionally troubled times, you can depend on them to make logical decisions when the water level climbs. When the floods come, who would you rather be with? Someone to offer a shoulder to cry on, or a geek who can seek out the nearest high ground, upon which to set up an ad-hoc wifi communications protocol?

They won’t leave you

In terms of “going to cheat on you” and related factors, geeks are far less likely than their jock detractors. A geek is eternally grateful that you chose to merge with his interface, and won’t be in a hurry to seek out an alternative base.

They will however, have an unhealthy obsession with one or more of the following mythical beings:

• Rei from Evangelion
• 7 of 9
• Princess Leia
• Starbuck

Since he’s never going to get laid with any of them though, you should regard these as harmless fantasies, and they may even lead to…

More Fun in the Bedroom

Your geek has probably spent hours on the internet exploring every possible facet of his sexuality watching a lot of pR0n, so if you have a geek that’s open about it then you can always be sure to find something to guarantee fun. You might want to be open to the naughty side yourself though, or be in for a shock when things go down below.

At the very least embrace his kinky side, and keep a healthy collection of sci-fi costumes supplied. Slip into one of these anytime you need to a send an intra-person control message (ICPM) of “I want sex now”, and I guarantee a 100% error-free transmission rate, (wow)!

You-Time

It’s likely that at numerous times in your relationship, your geek will become 100% absorbed in a new video game, surrounding himself with chips and dip. Don’t worry about leaving him alone sometime, geeks are expert hunter gatherers - in their prime. They use the power of logic, Google maps, and PayPal, to find and locate daily essentials within their locale. Unlike your typical man who drives around for hours yet ends up buying beer, the geek knows exactly what he needs and what it is near. Don’t feel guilty about using this time to get out more – your geek is simply being hardcore.

Is It Worth it?

Dating a geek will require you to have a wild side, but it’s a dependable and fulfilling ride. You’ll end up understanding an unhealthy number of four letter acronyms, and may even develop a keen interest in programming the next Sims. As long as you can handle long periods of hardcore gaming and more or less no social contact ever, your geek will ultimately serve you well, and leave you never. So what are you waiting for?Upgrade now!

by James Bruce of MakeUseOf.com

For those of you that installed a 32-bit version of Windows, you have my condolences. Otherwise, you really made the right choice based on a number of reasons. I think it’s important in this day and age to run any operating system on the highest possible bit width offered, but there’s a few reasons particular to Windows 7 that might make its x64 version more advantageous than simply running on 32-bit x86 microprocessor architecture.

1. It Still Runs 32-Bit Applications

Not so long ago, people were making a transition from 16-bit to 32-bit. Today, there are still many people running 32-bit versions of their operating systems when 64-bit editions are available for fear that their old applications might not run on the newer version. To those who know how processor registries work, this would be like worrying whether you can put the same amount of clothes in your new washing machine with a 9 kg capacity as you did with the older one that had a 7 kg capacity.

Processors work much like onions, with several layers of registers. Two 16-bit layers compose a 32-bit layer, and one 32-bit layer always sits within a 64-bit layer. That allows for total reverse compatibility. I still almost exclusively run Win32 applications, although I run a 64-bit version of Windows 7.

2: The OS Recognizes More RAM

Windows x86 users often complain that they don’t even see all 4 GB of memory when they have that much RAM installed. Guess what happens when you install 8 GB of RAM on your x86 system?

Windows x64 is able to detect as much RAM as you put into it without any hitch. There’s no magic trick you have to perform to add memory, and you don’t have to fight with the system to get it to recognize everything. In the end, you come out winning, especially if you’re a gamer. In fact, x64 supports up to 192 GB of RAM!

3: Less Driver Fuss & BSODs

I’m serious. You’ll have less problems with compatible drivers and less blue screen errors (crashes) when you use a 64-bit version, particularly because drivers on Windows x64 are digitally signed. Heck, I keep the computer on for months on end without stability issues. That’s something I cannot say about my experience with x86 versions. The only setback, though, is with older drivers that don’t run on 64-bit systems. 32-bit drivers cannot run on Win64. Make sure you think of this when making a hardware purchase.

4: Lower Response Time

Despite the fact that, at the time of this article’s publication, there are less 64-bit native applications out there, you can still enjoy the benefits of faster response time with bigger processor registers used for every single hardware signal in Windows. The operating system will handle just about any request you make at the bat of an eyelash because all your hardware will be using a bigger bit width. The Windows environment itself, to say the least, will run almost solely on the 64-bit channel and run faster.

The Other Side of The Coin

Wait a second… If you’re still using a computer with less than 4 GB of memory, you shouldn’t be in a hurry to upgrade. The addressing system on a 64-bit machine might have a lot of unnecessary zeros to work with, which ends up being a waste of time. If you still use legacy applications or old devices that didn’t express compatibility with Win7, you’re in for a headache if you try to run a 64-bit OS. There still are reasons an upgrade would be illogical, but on more modern systems, you’re good to go.  by Miguel Leiva-Gomez

Call us to discuss moving to a 64 bit environment and what it means for your production.

704-631-9983 | info@brightflow.net

If you’re considering buying your first smartphone, you’ve got a fairly big decision to make. As well as choosing a carrier, plan and minimum contract period you then have to trawl through the barrage of handsets until you find something you like.

Most buyers will probably end up choosing between the Android operating system and an iPhone, running iOS. So how do you know which is right for you? In this editorial I’ll put the iPhone argument forward and explain why I think Apple’s plan is better than Google’s. Don’t forget to have your say in the comments.

UI Response & Lag

I’ve had enough terrible mobile phones in the past to understand the value of a smooth and responsive UI, and this is guaranteed with the iPhone. Pretty much every mundane task you take for granted – scrolling your Facebook feed, looking up a phone number or responding to email – is silky smooth with very little lag at all. Even if you managed to pick up an ageing 3GS you’d still be pleasantly surprised as the OS glides through most tasks the way you’d expect.

Unfortunately, Android has still not quite caught up despite Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) making leaps and bounds over previous versions. The Galaxy Nexus is surely one of the most talked-about devices of 2011, but even it seems to have some issues. This controversial TechCrunch article claimed: “It’s still not as smooth as it should be. For the most part, ICS fixes many of Android’s performance issues, but there are plenty of times that you’ll still see stutters here and there.” Let’s not forget the multi-touch issues and rotation lag that has plagued the device as well, making some apps and games unusable.

Popout

Google even acknowledged Android’s lag issues before Christmas, and whilst Ice Cream Sandwich is a huge improvement not every brand new Android phone in the shop will be running it. So why, when manufacturers continue to pile on the power, is Android still stuttering through some pretty basic tasks?

Too Many Handsets

The dazzling array of phones sporting the Android operating system is enough to confuse many people considering a purchase, especially your average consumer. Globally HTC released 4 Android phones last year, Motorola and Sony Ericsson turned out 6 but none could match Samsung who incredibly managed a total of 12.

Aside from the release date, choosing between these phones is bound to confuse your average consumer. The names become even more obscure (see AndroidNameGenerator for a humorous take on the situation) with only letters, words like “Droid” or “Galaxy” and screen size to tell the models apart.

Apple’s response is a one-size-fits-all device, released every 12 months or so. The company devotes its time to one product and the multi-device iOS operating system that every iPhone uses. The result might be limiting in terms of choice, but when it comes to quality of build, software-hardware integration and support, no manufacturer comes close. Which leads me on to…

Update Cycles

Many people were surprised when Apple announced that their iOS5 update would be compatible with the 3GS, a device that was released mid-2009 (making it three years old when the update hit). This level of support is much easier for Apple to provide considering they produce much fewer devices and control the operating system on which the products run.

As previously mentioned, there are a lot of Android phones on the market today with varied hardware set-ups, many running outdated versions of the operating system. The problem with releasing 12 phones in one year (Samsung, I’m looking at you) is that many of them will probably never see a single update, partly due to the perceived cost-effectiveness of updating “old” devices (for free) and partly due to the fact that the manufacturers do not control the core OS.

The result? A horrible mess of varying Android versions on the shelf of your local smartphone retailer and updates that might never arrive. Much of the time this update process is hindered by another bane of the Android OS…

Preloaded Crapware

Be it the carrier or the manufacturer, Android phones are guaranteed to come with some sort of custom interface that is designed to make your life easier. The only problem is that in the long run these interfaces – HTC Sense, Motorola MotoBlur, Samsung TouchWiz to name a few – slow down the upgrade process as they introduce more work for developers.

Another issue (which is often purely subjective) is that these interfaces may bloat and slow down devices, with no straightforward “disable” option. Tweakers prepared to flash their phones on a regular basis might be happy enough with a custom ROM, but for your average consumer who just wants a phone that works: this is not the way it should be.

Apple were stubborn over crapware ever since the iPhone was announced, declaring that no additional carrier-installed software would ship with their devices. This ensures a smooth uniform experience, regardless of whether your device is 3 weeks or 3 years old, and to top it off there’s no custom interface to write for when it comes to updates.

Malware

One thing Android users have to worry about is malware, which became a real problem in 2011. In August of last year McAfee announced a 76% surge in malware over a matter of months with incidents reported in the Android Market and seemingly benign apps. Now the problem is so bad that there are dedicated scanners designed to remove malware for the platform, such as Avast! for Android 2.1 and above.

Another report from McAfee in December of last year announced:

Apple so far has done an excellent job of securing its devices; as we write this there were no reported cases of malware for iPhones that have not been jailbroken.

The report criticises the Android security model and goes on to analyse Apple’s approach as proactive and Google’s as reactive, stating:

from the security perspective [Google’s approach] creates exactly the kind of environment in which malware gangs feel comfortable.

Clearly, there’s work to be done.

Conclusion

These are my personal reasons for choosing and above all recommending the iPhone to friends and strangers alike. Whilst this is an editorial, there’s no denying that Android devices have become fragmented, threatened with a lack of updates, loaded with custom manufacturer ROMs and are the highest-risk devices on the market when it comes to mobile malware.

Finally, it must be said that the iPhone is not a perfect device, especially for users who don’t appreciate the locked-down nature of the OS. Then again, if you want an easy to use, rock-solid device with performance and build quality to match…

What do you think? Do you own an Android device? An iPhone? I bet you’re itching to get stuck in, so have your say in the box below.

Image Credit: HTC Sense (Wikim

Microsoft Windows is a very easy operating system to use, and the latest versions certainly have taken security seriously. However there are still many people who don’t know enough about their computers to use them properly. Words like “CPU,” “hard drive,” and “RAM” are commonplace for tech-savvy people, but the average person isn’t as familiar with the concepts and easily falls victims to scammy gimmicks and expensive computer repairs. If you’re not so literate with computers, here’s four things you should know that might help you in the long run.

1. Don’t Listen to Websites Promising to Speed Up Your Computer

In most cases, you’d probably land on a pop-up advertisement promising that your computer will run much faster after you try out their software. I assure you that this is a gimmick intended to make you pay money for software that only takes up space on your hard drive. If you really want to make your computer faster, you’re going to have to pay some real bucks to get its hardware in shape.

Everything running on your computer depends on the hardware to run smoothly. Go to your local computer store and ask for a quote on a hardware tune-up. Most likely, if you bought your computer less than two years ago, the process will be painless and inexpensive. Make sure they don’t get cheap and install a bunch of low-grade parts on the PC just to give you a temporary boost in speed.

The software you really need to make your computer run faster comes with Windows already. Disk Defragmenter is one of them. All computers running a Windows version above 3.0 can defragment their drives, and you’ll find the defragmentation utility in the Accessories sub-menu of your “Start” menu. The utility finds files on your hard disk that have been scattered all over the place and puts them all in one place, making them easier to find.

Other third-party utilities might speed your computer up efficiently, also, but don’t listen to the pop-up ads that advertise a utility that can speed up your computer. Use things like Tune-Up Utilities or something you can purchase from your local computer store.

2. There Are Two Types of Memory on Your Computer

This might be rather rudimentary, but there are cases when people can’t distinguish between random access memory (RAM) and storage. Both types of memory store things, but RAM only does this temporarily.

RAM stores everything you’re running right now, at this very second. This page you’re reading, for example, occupies a certain space in your RAM and will disappear once you close the page. Active components of every program are committed to this memory. A computer’s RAM takes the form of small cards that sit in slots on the motherboard.

Storage is the kind of memory that stores everything your computer has, like installed programs and the operating system. This memory often resides in the hard drive or solid state drive. Both devices have the same purpose, but are designed differently. A hard drive has multiple platters that spin, and read/write heads that manipulate and retrieve data. It’s sort of like a vinyl record player that can also write to the record. Solid state drives are designed with flash memory, much like the memory on your digital camera or phone.

3. Windows UAC and Security Isn’t Enough

Sure, Microsoft can boast about how its product has immense security and how you are less likely to get infected by a virus, but that doesn’t eliminate the possibility of a virus finding its way to your computer. You should always install an anti-virus application on your computer to keep it safe from threats, particularly one that regularly updates its database. There are many mixed reviews about anti-virus software, so you’ll have to do a little bit of homework to find out which one is right for you. Our favorite is Microsoft Security Essential though.

Try to avoid buying an AV from a company that’s not reputable. Do a Google search for “anti-virus review.” You’ll see a whole bunch of reviews related to many different anti-virus programs. Even better, search for “top 10 antivirus software.” Just so you know, BitDefender hits the top for 2012 and it’s affordable, priced at $30. That’s much better than paying insane prices for a computer repair after an infection.

4. Windows Update is Your Friend

Some people might tell you to turn off Windows Update because of bad experiences they’ve had. DON’T DO THAT! Microsoft usually releases an update within a week of discovering a new vulnerability. By updating your computer regularly, it keeps your computer running with tighter security that others might not have. If you don’t feel comfortable turning on automatic updates, at least let Windows prompt you when new updates are available so you can pick and choose them individually. Some of the updates released by Microsoft plug up serious security holes in the operating system.

If you are looking out for a good weather application for your iPhone, here are five choices you must check out!

1. The Weather Channel

The Weather Channel application has been available for the iPhone for a long time, and is probably the most used third-party application due to its accurate weather predictions and solid, useful features.

Apart from the usual weather report and predictions, the weather channel application also provides the user with an interactive map with animated weather radar showing the user how the weather is moving, giving the user the ability to make a prediction of his own too.

You can also view an hourly, or 10-day weather forecast and view videos of breaking news and weather coverage – a great feature for people who want to watch the weather coverage and not just see it.

The Weather Channel

2. AccuWeather

AccuWeather provides one of the most reliable and accurate weather forecast available on the Internet, and so, the application does its best to give you that data on your phone.

Just like The Weather Channel app, AccuWeather provides the user with a full-animated radar map with weather forecast, video coverage of weather and even an interactive Google Map on which you may place your contacts and see what weather they are going through – a nifty feature I must say!

Detailed forecasts can be checked from within the app, which include detail such as the wind speed, the UV forecast and other health and lifestyle forecasts.

AccuWeather

3. AeroWeather Lite

This application is best suited for anyone who is travelling or is wishing to travel. The AeroWeather Lite application gives the user a complete, detailed forecast of the weather including information like sunrise/sunset, daylight saving times, and wind speed and directions.

Another great feature is that unlike other apps, the AeroWeather Lite shows you the predictions and weather report from more than just one nearby station and shows you as many as it can, giving you the upper-hand of forecasting how the weather is most likely to be – whether best to travel, or not.

AeroWeather Lite

4. WeatherBug

WeatherBug is an application for iPhone, and iPad that provides the user with more than just their average weather forecast and details.

The WeatherBug application is fitted with an interactive map and a Doppler radar that allows user to put a pin anywere on the map to view the weather of that specific point.

Another nifty feature found in WeatherBug is the Weather Cam that allows users to view images from more than 2,000 weather stations across the U.S – giving you a hint as to how the weather it (great if you are going to travel to that area).

WeatherBug

5. Thermo

Thermo is one of the best weather applications available for the iPhone – not because it has many features, because it does not.

The application, unlike others, provides the user with one of the simplest user-interface by just providing the user with a beautifully designed thermometer, which shows the user the current temperate.

The user can also shift between Fahrenheit and Celsius and even refresh the thermometer by simply tapping the thermometer.

Thermo

There you have it folks. These five great weather applications will keep you up-to date with the weather situation wherever you are, and whenever you want, and features that help you in more than just one-way.

Image credit: Big Stock Photo