Using today’s web browsers, there is really just one big switch controlling JavaScript: it’s either on, or it’s disabled for your entire web experience. Pop-ups are usually blocked, but otherwise, that’s a pretty blunt control. I may not want some random site to potentially exploit some issue via JavaScript, but I can’t check my webmail without it. Disabling JavaScript completely isn’t a good option.

White-listing to the rescue! By explicitly saying which websites can run JavaScript in your browser, you can reduce your risk quite a bit. Unfortunately, in researching this post, I could only find one tool for this job: the NoScript add-on for Mozilla Firefox. I use it, but I expected to find similar offerings for the other web browsers.

So, here’s a new twist here at HTH. We’d like to know what our readers use for JavaScript control, if anything. Lots of folks also just block pop-ups (which is the default behavior in most recent browsers), or Flash, or plugins in general.

What do you use for JavaScript control, if anything?

As I was searching for a quick utility to help clean up my laptop, I stumbled across CCLeaner.  CCleaner is a great utility that allows a user to clean up the junk on their computer, and fix registry problems.  It also allows users to manage the applications that launch at windows start-up (leading to those long log in times where one can go down the street to buy a sandwich, come back, and just be getting to the desktop).

CCleaner System Cleaner

The utility is easy to use.  To clean your system, you simply launch the application and click “Run Cleaner”.  An “Analyze” option allows you to review all of the temporary files on on your computer before you run the cleaner.  CCleaner also allows you to to select and deselect what types of files you want to clean.  For example, if you like to keep your “recent documents”, you can uncheck this option and prevent CCleaner from deleting them.

CCleaner Registery Integrity Utility

CCleaner also gives you the ability to troubleshoot and clean up the registry.  By clicking “Scan for Issues”, a list of all problems with your system registry will be displayed.  You can then correct the problems one-by-one, or in batch.  CCleaner also gives you the option to back up your registry before making any changes, so that if one of the changes messes up your system, you have the ability to recover.

CCleaner Tools

The CCLeaner tools section contains some additional helpful utilities.  In this section, you can manage your applications and remove unwanted programs without having to deal with Microsoft’s slow and cumbersome “Add/Remove Programs” Control Panel item.  You can also disable and enable the programs that launch at system start up, allowing you to troubleshoot what exactly it is that allows you to go buy a sandwich while you are booting your PC.  Finally, Windows keeps data about system restore points, which allow you to roll back changes in the event of  a problem.  CCleaner allows you to remove those that you no longer need.  For example, when I examined it this weekend, I had about 50 restore points dating back over two months.  At this point, some of the older restore points are fairly useless, so removing them freed up a little bit of space.

CCleaner is a great free utility for helping to keep your system clean and organized.  It is by no means the single tool for system maintenance (it doesn’t handle drive checks, defragmenting, etc.), but it is simple to use, effective, and accomplishes what it sets out to do.  Keeping your computer free of clutter is one way to prevent performance degredation and maximize your disk space.  CCleaner handles that task admirably.

Since the battle between Netscape and Internet Explorer ended, different web browsers have come and gone, with varying levels of success.  The Browser debate also garners a lot of passion as people get very attached to their personal choice of web browser.  While there are countless minor web browsers out there (which we will examine at some point in the future), we focus on the five major web browsers currently in use:  Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla FireFox, Apple Safari, Google Chrome, and Opera.

Internet Explorer: Internet Explorer (IE) is the default web browser as well as the browser with the most market share, because it is made by Microsoft and is automatically installed on every single instance of Microsoft’s Windows operating system.  Since IE beat out Netscape in the original browser wars a decade ago, it has had the majority of the market share.  That market share, however, has eroded in the past few years as people have become more Internet-savvy, the availability of more powerful and faster browsers has become commonplace, and the stagnation of the IE browser in terms of a development roadmap has frustrated users.  With the latest release (8.0), Internet Explorer adds many more features  and improves performance, but still lags behind compared to other browsers.

• Latest Major Release: 8.0
• Pros: Standard with Windows, no installation necessary.  New version has some neat features such as color-coded tabbing and Accelerators to increase productivity, and somewhat catches it up with other browsers in terms of standard features.
• Cons: Still bloated and slower than other browsers, doesn’t support latest HTML5 web-standard.  Only available for Microsoft’s Windows Operating System.  Doesn’t meet web rendering standards.
• More Info: Internet Explorer 8 Home

FireFox: FireFox was created from the Mozilla Open Source project as an alternative to Netscape.  Introduced in 2004 as a lean, fast browser, FireFox has always led IE in both performance and features.  Firefox is a fast, feature-rich, and efficient browser, and is the favored web browser of techies (and also my own personal browser of choice). It is cross-platform, meaning it can work on any of the major operating systems (Windows, Mac, and Linux), and has a rich library of plug-ins that allow anyone to easily extend the browser’s capability.

• Latest Major Release: 3.5
• Pros: Fast and light, recent version speeds up JavaScript.  Plugin capability and best memory utilization.  Perfect balance of performance and features.
• Cons: New version is a bit more bloated than past versions, not as fast as some of the lesser browsers.  Doesn’t have some of the new usability features of IE 8.
• More Info: Mozilla FireFox

Safari: Safari has been the default browser for Macintosh computers since the release of Mac OS X in 2003.  Safari quickly gained a following among Mac fans, and was touted for its speed.  In 2007, the browser was ported over to Windows.  The Safari browser is known for its speed, being among the fastest browsers, but lacks many key features present in other browsers, and suffers from some website compatibility problems.

• Latest Major Release: 4.0
• Pros: Fast, nice graphics and interface.
• Cons: Memory hog, no plugin support, lacks many standard features found in IE and FireFox, no Linux version.
• More Info: Apple Safari
  

Google Chrome: Chrome is Google’s entry into the browser space.  It gives a new, different spin on the web browser concept, giving the browser a minimalistic frame and focusing more on the web pages themselves.  Chrome, being a Google product, also integrates Google’s search expertise right within the browser, allowing users to type in URLs  and search terms (or both at once) directly into the address bar.  Still being a relatively new entry into the browser market, Chrome has a tendency to be buggy, and although it allows plugins (unlike Safari), it has very few of them.

• Latest Major Release: 2.0
• Pros: Fast, light interface.  Different web browsing experience, more about the pages and less about the browser.  Unique address/search bar allows for a more intuitive browsing experience.
• Cons: Few features, buggy, prone to crashes.  Currently only available for Windows.
• More Info: Google Chrome
  

Opera: Opera has the least market share of the major web browsers, but it has its own loyal following.  Known more for their mobile and non-PC based browsers (Opera’s browser powers the Internet Channel on the Nintendo Wii), the Opera Browser has its own unique features that make it a compelling choice for a browser.  Opera has always been known for coming out with new, advanced features that eventually make their way into other browsers.  For example, Opera invented the concept of browser tabs that have become a de-facto standard in any web browser.  With Opera 10, Opera again pushes the envelope and also makes some major inroads in performance, making Opera a compelling alternative to the other browsers.

• Latest Major Release: 10.0
• Pros: Unique, powerful features, and new, fast level of performance.  Cross-browser platform available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
• Cons: Less add-ons than FireFox, no privacy mode.
• More Info: Opera

In the end, the choice of a browser is a personal one.  All of the major browsers have their pros and cons, and the available choices provide the browser world with much-needed competition to keep innovation happening.  What looked to be a Microsoft monopoly a few years ago has now turned into a rich software marketplace that gives end users multiple good options.  So if you’re still on the default Internet Explorer 6 or 7, try a new browser.  Even if it’s just an upgrade to IE 8, you’ll be pleasantly surprised, and the alternative browsers offer features and performance benefits that will make you wonder how you ever lived without them.

Your Router

A router is the device that connects all your devices to the external Internet. Whether you get your Internet access via cable modem, DSL or some other means, the router sits between your devices and the Internet, doling out all the networking goodness.

When purchasing a wireless router, you’ll usually find that it’s not entirely wireless. These days, the most common configuration sold seems to be a router with four Ethernet ports. There isn’t usually any practical limit to the number of devices you can connect wirelessly to the router, but you’re generally limited to those four wired devices. There are a few things to know about wired networking, but mostly, go with the fastest that fits your budget. 100 Mb/s (“Fast Ethernet”) is standard, but more devices now support 1000 Mb/s (“Gigabit Ethernet”). There’s no worry there, though, because you can mix and match those speeds, and the network will figure on its own out the fastest speed it can go. Generally, we suggest you future-proof your network by getting a faster router, and your devices can catch up later.

Wireless Security

You can set your router to one of two basic modes: open or secured. If you leave your wireless network open, anyone within close physical range can connect to the Internet, and your home network, through your wireless router. That’s generally not recommended, though some people make a point to host an open access point. We recommend, though, that you secure your home’s wireless network.

The industry’s first attempt at wireless security was WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy), which was intended to offer the same level of security as physically controlled network plugs when the “plug” is simply the air. For various technical reason, this didn’t end up working well, and this security model is highly discouraged because it is very easy for a motivated person to gain access to a WEP-secured network.

The best wireless security method widely used today is called WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access), the most secure variant being WPA2/AES, which is a revision of the original WPA using an encryption method called AES. This combination is known to hold up very well to even very motivated attackers, and it is widely supported on any new wireless router. The instructions for setting up this level of security vary slightly with different routers, but it is still a very straight-forward process. See your router’s manual for set up instructions.

Wrapping it Up

Setting up a wireless network in your home can be intimidating. Just keep a few of these terms in mind, along with your budget. Setting up a wireless router and your devices to access it has only become easier with the introduction of new technology. With a little time invested, you’ll have a low-maintenance, secure, easy-to-use home network.