Keepass + Dropbox = Securing Your Digital Life

In light of the recent gawker.com security breach it might be time for you to really crack down and create more secure passwords.  Yes passwords, as in different passwords for each site you use that are not your kitty cat's name.  There are many ways to go about doing this, but if you are like me you want it to be as painless as possible.  Enter a little application called keepass.  Keepass will store all of your passwords into an encrypted database, which means nobody will be using your facebook profile to market free ipads!  Keepass is a very simple installation(i recommend the portable version) and super easy to get up and running.  Download it here and get started today.  No seriously, you need to do it now!

So now you have your keepass database setup and all your passwords are characters (and spaces) long.  Good for you.  But what happens when you use a different computer, are you going to email that password database around or store it on a usb key?  That doesn't really make sense because if you need to change a password or add one, it will take a lot unneccesary work to get everything synced back up.  This is where it gets really cool.


Dropbox.  Dropbox is a Web-based file hosting service
that allows you to sync your files across as many computers as you want!  Great thing about dropbox is that its windows, mac, and linux compatible.  No matter your preference, dropbox has a version that will work for you.  First you need to create an accout at dropbox and then install the utility.  Dropbox will create a folder on your computer and whenever you copy a file into that folder in an instant the file will be in your dropbox account online and synced to your other computers.  Do you see where I am going with this?

Keepass + Dropbox = having your passwords with you wherever you go and most importantly, in a secure fashion.  All you have to do is take your keepass database file and copy it into your dropbox folder.  Instantly you have your password database at your fingertips everytime you go online.  Plus any changes you make are instantly synced so you never have to worry about copying the latest version to your usb drive or uploading it somewhere.  You make a change or add a password, click save, and instantly its synced everywhere else.

I think it makes the most sense to store the keepass database file and also the keepass executable in your dropbox folder.  This way if you ever get into a situation where somebody doesnt have keepass installed and you need access to your passwords your just go to your dropbox account, download keepass.exe and your keepass database and you are all set.  Both files are super small so it will always be ready in just a snap.

Taking these small steps will make your digital life a million times more secure.  In the case of the gawker hack the first 8 characters of the passwords were decrypted, but with keepass you can make your passwords as big and as complicated as you want and never have to remember them!  You pretty much guarantee that you will be safe.  And online safety is becoming a bigger issue everyday.  So I encourage you to get right to it.  Download keepass, go create your dropbox account, and secure your online life now!  Do it!

Swagbucks: Yes, I swear this site is legit

Swagbucks.com is an online portal dedicated to helping you earn digital dollars called “Swag Bucks”, which can be redeemed for exclusive Swagbucks.com merchandise. The best thing about swagbucks is that you are earning money or prizes for doing something we ALL do everyday, searching the web!  I am sold on the legitimacy of swagbucks mainly because I have earned so much.  I registered just over 3 months ago and have earned $250 in Amazon Gift Cards.  I have outlined some of the ways you can earn swagbucks below and searching is just the tip of the iceberg.


Searching


The best way to win Swag Bucks is to use the engine for genuine search and discovery. Doing a ton of searches, or clicking on search results, will not increase your chances of winning in any way.


What I have found is that you can generally win a maximum of 4 times per day. Searching over and over typically will not produce better results than just searching naturally. To be honest, in my experience you will almost always win some bucks within the first 5 searches everyday. If you are lucky you might win again in the next 10 minutes or so, but you are usually better off searching a few hours later, maybe around lunch time.


I typically search first thing in the morning and get a win. Then search at lunch time and get a win. Repeat for the evening and maybe try for a 4th win before I go to bed. Searching all day everyday will do nothing more than get you frustrated. It doesn’t matter what you search, you can type in anything and sometimes i just type the same things everyday. Good luck with your searches, be consistent, and you can count on about 30-40 bucks per day using this method.


Friday is "Mega Swagbucks Day" meaning you have a chance to win very large amounts, maybe even a 1000 swagbucks in one search. I'm not huge on this day because it seems that you have a greater chance to win big, but it seems you win less often.


Be consistent in using swagbucks to search and you should be able to earn in the neighborhood of a 1000 swagbucks a month just through this method. That right there is enough for 2 $5 Gift Cards at amazon. Not bad.


Daily 4
Want 4 swagbucks everyday, guaranteed? Do the daily four, it only takes about a minute to do.


1. The Toolbar: Everyday when you open your browser if you have the toolbar installed you will instantly win 1 swagbuck. Thats it, you dont have to DO anything. Plus, with the toolbar you can search, find codes, etc. It really comes in handy.


2. The Daily Poll: Every day there is a new poll question. Go check it out every morning, cast your vote and earn another swagbuck. Do it everyday! Plus, if you submit a poll question and its used in the daily poll you get more swagbucks.


3. NOSO: Look for this link in the "Earn" dropdown menu. This will show some offers for you, but you dont have to do any of them, you can just skip right through and earn your swagbuck. Easy as pie.


4. Trusted Surveys: Also in the "Earn" menu, just for checking the available surveys you will earn 1 swagbuck. Not to mention that if you complete a survey(available to you after 7 days as a member) you will earn upwards of 150 swagbucks.


Thats it, everyday you can get 4 easy swagbucks right off the bat for doing practically nothing. 4 swagbucks might not seem like much, but in 1 month thats 120 SB. In less than 4 months you will have enough just from the Daily 4 to buy a $5 Amazon GC for doing nothing!


Swagbucks TV
This is a relatively new feature to swagbucks but its a great way to bring in some extra swagbucks each day. You win by simply watching short videos ranging from Entertainment to Sports to Health & Lifestyle. Each win is worth 5 swagbucks and each day you can win up to 15 times!


One great thing about swagbucks tv is the auto-play feature. You can set it to continuously play and as long as your browser continues to be the main window on your computer swagbucks tv will just keep on playing... forever. This is a surefire way to get a lot of wins and subsequently a lot of extra swagbucks!


Special Offers


Ok, so by searching, doing the daily 4, and watching videos you can earn a nice haul each day, probably in the neighborhood of 75 - 100 swagbucks pretty consistently. But if you want to take your earnings to the next level you have to take advantage of all the special offers available.


There are 6 "walls" currently advertising offers. Each of these offers can range from 1 swagbuck for watching a video all the way up to 13000+ swagbucks for subscribing to DirecTV. Of course the higher the offer the more work and/or commitment. I have found that while many of the big offers require a purchase, there are many in the 500-1000 swagbucks range that are still 100% free. As long as you stay on top of the free trials you will be earning huge amounts of swagbucks for absolutely no money out of pocket.


Some tips to keep in mind when doing offers. It is recommended that you clear cookies before attempting to initiate any offer. This will ensure that you get the proper cookie onto your computer with the necessary information for the advertiser to credit you. Also, it is wise to take screenshots, save confirmation emails, and anything else you can think of that will help you prove you did complete the offer when you inevitably don't receive credit for an offer you did.  I keep a spreadsheet to remind me what I have completed, whether I have been credited, and whether or not I have had to open a support ticket.  I have made the spreadsheet freely available if you want to have a look and use it for yourself.


All that being said, if you want to get major swagbucks really quick, the Special Offers are where its at. Head on over to the "Special Offers" section to find out what other members are saying and which offers they recommend.


Surveys
Surveys hold a lot of potential but can also be maddening. After you have been a member of swagbucks for 7 days you will start to find surveys that you are eligible to take. Unfortunately, a lot of times you will be "screened" out and not be able to complete the survey. Sometimes this can even happen when you have been in a survey for as much as 30 minutes. Fortunately, if this happens the good folks at Swagbucks will automatically enter you into a swagstakes for a chance at 1000 swagbucks. Hey, at least its some kind of consolation, right?


Anyway, make sure you setup all your profiles for the surveys, that will net you over 100 swagbucks right there. Then try and take any survey you can. You might only complete 1 out of 10, or even less, but when you do, that extra 75-150 swagbucks will feel real good!


Daily Deals
The daily deals section is something you might want to check each day even if you hardly ever use it. Reason being that there are generally deals relevant to your geographical location and if you want to go out for dinner on a Saturday night and there just happens to be a groupon for your favorite restaraunt then you might as well rack up a few hundred extra swagbucks in the process. Like I said, you might not use it often or ever, but then again it doesn't hurt to take a second and look.


Coupons
The coupons section is interesting. I haven't used it yet, even though I probably should. My wife does a lot of coupon cutting so why not earn some swag for it in the process, right? Well, the main drawback to this earning channel is that it takes so long. You print off coupons and can use them in the store that very same day, however you wont see the swagbucks in your account (10 for each coupon used) for up to 12 weeks! I guess on the plus side if you do use a lot of coupons you will probably forget about it and then 2-3 months down the road get a nice bonus in your swagbucks balance that you weren't expecting. Either way, if you coupon shop this is something you probably should take advantage of.


Trade In
This is another avenue to earn some extra swag for your old stuff that you don't use. I have not personally used this feature as I just don't have much old junk around the house. Then again, even if I did I am not sure if I would cash it in for the patry number of SB they offer. But maybe its worth it to you. Perhaps its at least worth a look.


SwagCodes
Lastly, keep an eye out for swagcodes. They come in many forms and in all kinds of places: the toolbar, the swidget, the blog, the store, literally everywhere. Codes are released at random and generally only live for a couple of hours so you have to be on your toes. Mostly they are worth 5-10 swagbucks, but you never know when a big one will be released in the wild!


Referrals
Oh yeah, I almost forgot about this great way to get even more swag for literally sitting back and doing nothing! For each referral you get you can earn up to 1000 swagbucks. How does it work? Simple, everytime your referral searches and wins you win too! Your referral just won 12 swagbucks? Well so did you! This is a really great tool for residual earning. So get out there and post your referral link everywhere and convince your family and friends that swagbucks is the real deal. That shouldn't be too hard when you start showing them all your loot!


Thats pretty much all the ways I can think of to earn swagbucks. Im sure i have missed something here or there and if so please comment so everyone can know about it. Hope this helps.

Ipad 2 Specs: Quicker, Thinner, and Face Time

We know the iPad 2 is coming--be it a feeling in your bones, a sign in the wind, or because it's typical of Apple's normal hardware update pattern. Now we have enough rumors to give us a shape to the idea, and hints about what it'll be like.

Size and Shape

Numerous leaked iPad 2 cases have arrived from China, and though the first ones were viewed suspiciously, enough have now arrived to suggest that Apple has shared some basic dimension data with its third-party manufacturer partners.

iPad 2 is going to be slightly smaller than iPad 1, but much slimmer--that's the big take-away, which may imply that it's lighter than the first generation device (to tackle one of the few criticisms of the tablet). Its back is also flat, so it can rest on a table and not rock around when you tap at its screen, and the edges seem to be styled similarly to the iPod Touch so it keeps design consistency. One thing we don't know is what it'll be made of? Part of the shaping of the iPad 1 was due to milling inside its aluminum casing designed to make it stiff, but thin and light. With a flat back to the iPad 2 the risk is that the rear face may flex if it's made of thin aluminum, which is a design trick Apple is unlikely to tolerate. To compensate for this, Apple could either incorporate clever structural elements inside the device (which risk impinging on space that could be better used for battery) or use a different material. Will we see a carbon-fiber iPad?

Non-Smudge Screen Tech

One of the other criticisms of the iPad (although you can level it at other tablets too) is that jabbing at its screen leaves you with hundreds of greasy finger smudges. This is something that Apple, which is hypersensitive to questions of look/feel/user experience, has worked on and new rumors suggest the iPad 2's touchscreen--which will be the same physical size at 9.7 inches as the existing iPad's--will be both smudge-proof and anti-glare. If Apple manages this, it'll improve both the day-time and night-time use of the iPad, and give it a big leg-up in the battle with Amazon.

Speakers and Ports

The leaked case designs sparked many rumors about the ports the iPad 2 will have because of an enlarged slot where the existing speaker ports are on the iPad. At first people connected a rumor that the iPad 2 will have an SD card slot with the enlarged hole in the case, but thinking has now centered on some better speakers, with a slightly re-positioned grille--possibly driven by the thinner profile of the device.

Cameras

The iPad 2 will definitely have a rear-facing camera, given the holes in the top-left corner (seen from the back) in the leaked case designs. The size of the orifice is close to a centimeter, which is bigger than the hole found in front of the camera on a MacBook, or in the front of an iPhone 4--both units are low resolution ones. The iPad 2's camera may even be higher resolution than that on the rear of the iPhone 4 (a 5-megapixel unit with autofocus), or it may have elements like an optical zoom that need more space.

The cases we've seen this far don't impinge on the front of the iPad, so they don't interfere with the touchscreen, so this doesn't tell us anything about a front-facing camera. It would seem logical for the iPad to get one, though, so Apple can push its FaceTime video calling system further.

Chips

Apple's A4 chip, now in the iPhone 4 and Apple TV, was the iPad's secret sauce, so it makes sense that Apple would push the tech in the iPad 2. Now there are strong rumors that the iPad 2 will get a dual-core CPU, certainly based on ARM tech and probably using a Cortex A9 reference design. This decision would allow Apple to significantly boost the processing (and graphics) power of the iPad without pushing the clock speed up too high or sucking too much precious power from the battery.

Models and Verizon Version?

New rumors suggest the iPad 2 will come in three versions, not two like the current edition. The tech in each will be Wi-Fi only, UMTS, and CDMA, manufactured in a ratio of 3:4:3 to match expectations of sales of CDMA units and informed by current sales patterns of the iPad.

Did we say CDMA? Oh yes. Paralleling rumors that Apple's embracing the 3G (ish) tech that Verizon uses for its U.S. cell phone network, it seems the iPad will also be available natively on Verizon. This is one sure-fire way for Apple to seize huge swathes of the U.S. tablet market in 2011 all to itself.

Arrival Date

Foxconn is reported as being ready to ship about 500,000 iPads as soon as the end of February 2011--only about 10 weeks away. This could imply Apple is bringing the device to market sooner rather than later, in order to stem the tide of Android tablets expected next year.