- TechRepublic Author Biography
Bill Detwiler is Head Technology Editor for TechRepublic. Previously he worked as a Technical Support Associate and Information Technology Manager in the social research and energy industries. Bill is a Microsoft Certified Professional with experience in Windows administration, data management, desktop support, and system security.He has bachelor's and master's degrees...- more about Bill Detwiler »
TechRepublic Resources
- Pop quiz: Solid-state drives
- Although solid-state drives SSDs have been in limited use since the 1990s, they are rapidly gaining ground in the laptop market--Apple offers a 64GB SSD in the MacBook Air. As SSDs fall in price and grow in capacity, they may eventually overtake the venerable hard disk as the data storage...
- Tags: Knowledge, Laptop Computer, Notebooks, Storage, Storage Management, Strategy, Hardware, Notebooks & Tablets, Management, Bill Detwiler
- Blog posts 2008-05-14
- Video: Change the Windows XP product key
- Unless you're working in a geographic region with a high rate of counterfeit software, it's unlikely the Windows XP machines you support will have invalid licenses. However, even in the best run IT shops, unauthorized software can find its way onto the desktop. An end-user may have installed a pirated...
- Tags: Product Key, Video, Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows, Operating Systems, Software, Bill Detwiler
- Blog posts 2008-05-12
- Video: Degaussing machine erases hard drive data in less than 10 seconds
- In my previous IT Dojo post, "Crusher destroys hard drives in seconds", I featured a video of a commercial device that destroys hard drives in about 75 seconds. If you want to erase the data in under 10 seconds, then a degaussing machine might be a better option. ...
- Tags: Hard Drive, Video, HD-3W High Energy Pulse Degausser, Bill Detwiler
- Blog posts 2008-05-08
- Video: Crusher destroys hard drives in seconds
- A few weeks back, I needed to destroy one of my personal hard drives. The drive had failed, and being paranoid about data security, I didn't want to ship the unit off to the local computer recycler without first rendering the drive unusable. So, I broke out the screwdrivers, Channellock...
- Tags: Hard Drive, Video, PD-8400, Bill Detwiler
- Blog posts 2008-05-08
- IT must prepare for $200-a-barrel oil and a rise in remote workers
- Admins, start your VPNs! As oil and gas prices soar, IT organizations should prepare to support more remote workers. On Tuesday, Goldman Sachs analyst Arjun N. Murti predicted that oil prices may hit $150 or even $200 a barrel in the next six months to two years....
- Tags: VPN, Oil, Workplace, Information Technology, Worker, Transportation, Recruitment & Selection, Strategy, Human Resources, Workforce Management, Management, Bill Detwiler
- Blog posts 2008-05-07
- Video: Disable USB storage under OS X or Windows
- Hollywood would have IT pros believe that the biggest threat to network security comes from international super hackers or high school kids trying to download games like global thermonuclear war. In reality, we face a far more mundane threat--our end users, particularly those wielding USB storage devices. ...
- Tags: Storage Device, Microsoft Windows, Video, USB, Apple Mac OS X, Storage, Operating Systems, Software, Apple Mac OS, Hardware, Bill Detwiler
- Blog posts 2008-05-05
- Pop quiz answers: Hexadecimal basics
- Our pop quiz on hexadecimal basics was a hit with TechRepublic members. As of grading time, nearly 2,000 people had tested their knowledge of hexadecimal math. If you haven't had a chance to take the quiz, I encourage you to try your luck, before reading the answers below. Now, on...
- Tags: Correct, Quiz, C, C/C++, Programming Languages, Software Development, Software/Web Development, Bill Detwiler
- Blog posts 2008-05-02
- IT Dojo pop quiz answers: Hexadecimal basics
- Nearly 2,000 people took IT Dojo's pop quiz on hexadecimal basics. Here's a list of the correct answers and a breakdown of how well those who took the quiz scored. by Bill Detwiler
- Tags: TechRepublic Inc., Information Technology, Quiz, Strategy, Management, Bill Detwiler, it dojo, pop quiz answers, hexadecimal, hardware, computing
- Image galleries 2008-05-02
- Lesson 2: Build an IT toolkit fit for almost any occasion
- During my years in IT, my time at TechRepublic, and even my personal life, I've built, disassembled, and cracked open more computers than I can remember. Whether you're removing a stubborn screw from an insufferable Packard-Bell case or troubleshooting a PC that won't boot, using the right tool will make...
- Tags: Software, Information Technology, Toolkit, Tool, Productivity, Tools & Techniques, Management, Bill Detwiler
- Blog posts 2008-04-30
- Video: Create your own bootable USB flash drive for Windows XP
- Welcome to the first episode of TechRepublic's IT Dojo show. During this weekly video, I will discuss best practices that you won't often find in the official product documentation, demonstrate advanced tips that aren't widely known but are highly useful, and share lessons learned from the experiences of real world...
- Tags: Information Technology, Microsoft Windows XP, Bootable USB Flash Drive, Bootable USB, Video, USB Flash Drive, Microsoft Windows, Operating Systems, Software, Bill Detwiler
- Blog posts 2008-04-28
- Require help desk analysts to make the most of down time
- Should help desk analysts be allowed to do whatever they want when they're not answering and documenting calls? Or should they be asked to perform other duties between calls? Is too much down time a sign the help desk is overstaffed? There's been some fervent debate and...
- Tags: Jeff, Help Desk, Call Centers, It Operations, Bill Detwiler
- Blog posts 2008-04-25
- Pop Quiz: Hexadecimal basics
- Whether you're reading a memory dump or just trying to remember the memory address of a PC's COM ports, understanding hexadecimal math can make the task a bit easier. To test your hexadecimal skills, I've created a quick, five-question quiz that tests you on some hex basics. ...
- Tags: Basics, Memory, ActiveX/COM/COM+/DCOM, Software Development, Software/Web Development, Bill Detwiler
- Blog posts 2008-04-25
- Lesson 1: Respond to end-user bloopers with professionalism
- If you spend any time in IT, odds are you're going to run across a few shocking examples of computer mistreatment. End users, even well-intentioned ones, can do some pretty wacky things when trying to "fix" their computers. Need a few examples? Check out our, "Computer bloopers...
- Tags: Bill Detwiler
- Blog posts 2008-04-24
- Don't overcomplicate small IT projects--manage them with Excel
- Microsoft Project is a robust, capable project management tool but, you can effectively manage small or midsize projects with Excel--saving yourself or your IT budget a pretty penny. In 2002, Ken Brown, submitted what he labeled as a "low-budget Excel version of Microsoft Project." At the time,...
- Tags: Team, Information Technology, Tool, Microsoft Project, Microsoft Excel, Productivity, Team Management, Microsoft Office, Office Suites, Software, Management, Bill Detwiler
- Blog posts 2008-04-22
- Pop Quiz: Computer History
- What would a classroom be without the occasional pop quiz? To celebrate IT Dojo's first week, I'm republishing one of TechRepublic's most popular Pop Quizzes. Way back in 2002, I challenged members to test their knowledge of computer history, and over 3,400 people answered the challenge. After tallying the results,...
- Tags: Computer, Productivity, Bill Detwiler
- Blog posts 2008-04-17
- Welcome to TechRepublic's IT Dojo
- If there's one constant in the IT world, it's change. Hardware grows obsolete, software is constantly updated, and new regulations require revised policies and procedures. Such relentless change forces IT professionals, no matter how competent or experienced, to continuously learn and grow. It also keeps IT exciting, and makes it...
- Tags: TechRepublic Inc., Information Technology, Strategy, Management, Bill Detwiler
- Blog posts 2008-04-17
- CTIA Wireless 2008 goes almost green
- I've been attending tech conferences from the past 10 years and have always been dumbfounded by the mountains of paper these events waste. I would wager most of the show guides, press releases, product brochures, and expo floor maps end up in a landfill instead of being recycled. Yet as...
- Tags: Attendee, CTIA, CTIA Wireless 2008, Cellular Phones, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Bill Detwiler
- Blog posts 2008-04-09
- Your VoIP vision could win you a 56-inch Samsung HD DLP TV
- Texas Instruments' new Vision for Voice contest asks individuals to submit a short video that describes a specific VoIP product, improvement to a current voice technology, or a new voice technology they would like to see within the next 20 years. Viewers can watch the submitted videos on TI's Vision...
- Tags: VoIP, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Vision, Texas Instruments Inc., TV, Corporate Communications, Strategy, Telecommunications, Marketing, Management, Bill Detwiler
- Blog posts 2008-04-08
- Virtual worlds invade the average business meeting
- While video conferencing and telepresence seem to be the up-and-coming collaboration technologies, IBM is keeping its options open and exploring alternatives. During his VoiceCon Orlando 2008 keynote, Rhodin demonstrated a 3D virtual meeting room complete with conference phone, presentation screen, and faux leather chairs. (Okay, the chairs...
- Tags: 3D, Collaboration, Video Conferencing, Avatar, IBM Corp., Groupware, Enterprise Software, Software, Bill Detwiler
- Blog posts 2008-04-07
- Mobile Enterprise blog shoebox
- TechRepublic's Mobile Enterprise blog offers product reviews, deployment advice, troubleshooting tips, and insight on the latest news for IT professionals supporting mobile users, remote offices, the latest wireless devices. This gallery is a shoebox for images used in the blog. by Bill Detwiler
- Tags: TechRepublic Inc., Blog, Advertising & Promotion, Blogging, Marketing, Internet, Bill Detwiler, Wi-Fi, mobile, wireless, Business Case, Microsoft Windows Mobile, Newsletter, Network, Information Technology, Microsoft Corp., Tool, Microsoft TechNet, Wireless Network, Nokia Corp., Wi-Fi Network, Smart Phone, Benefit, Avaya Inc., Carrier
- Image galleries 2008-04-02
