Laptop theft is rampant. You have a 1 in 10 chance your shiny new laptop will be stolen. And the real shocker: according to the FBI 97% are never recovered.
And they should know, the U.S. Department of Justice stated in a recent report that the FBI lost 160 laptops in a 44 month period ending in September of 2005. If FBI agents have trouble keeping track of their laptops, imagine what the ordinary person is facing.
The statistics are pretty grim. A laptop is stolen every 53 seconds. Ouch!
With stats like those you have to do everything in your power to avoid becoming a victim of laptop theft. If you keep valuable personal or business information on your laptop the consequences can be even more gruesome and devastating. For laptop hardware can be easily replaced, but your valuable information may be lost forever.
So here are...
10 Practical Ways to Protect Your Laptop Against Theft, Loss or Misplacement.
1. Keep Your Eyes On Your Laptop
Be aware of your laptop at all times especially when traveling. You wouldn't leave a Thousand Dollar Bill lying around unattended would you? So watch your laptop closely.
2. Don't Use An Obvious Laptop Bag
Carry your laptop in regular luggage that doesn't look like it has a laptop. Don't advertise your laptop to any would-be thieves.
3. Use Visual Locks And Restraints
Use visual locks and restraints to secure your laptop and to act as a deterrent. It won't fool hardened thieves but most will opt for a less secure laptop. For example, you can use a product like STOP, this system works by attaching a specially-made security plate to your laptop. This plate is barcoded and registered. It also carries a warning label letting would-be cyber thieves know that the ownership of your laptop is permanently monitored.
4. Use Passwords And Encryption
Use passwords and encryption to protect any sensitive information on your laptop. Again, unless you use very sophisticated encryption it won't fool the experienced hacker or hard-core digital thief but it will slow down and hinder the common criminal.
Set a BIOS Password for your laptop. You have to take advantage of any security option that's on your laptop's OS or operating system. For those using Mac OS X you can encrypt your entire hard drive and set-up a master password in order to view it.
Windows XP & Vista lets you encrypt files and folders. Just right click your data, select properties, open general tab and then advanced to check "Encrypt contents to secure data box".
5. Use Encryption Programs Like Steganos Safe 2007
You can also try something like Steganos Safe 2007. Vital files can be encrypted and it can even turn your USB thumb drive or iPod into a key for unlocking your hard drive.
6. Use Anti-Theft Software Like LoJack
Use anti-theft software that can track and locate your laptop or computer through the IP address once the stolen laptop is used to access the Internet. Use systems like "LoJack For Laptops". It costs Costs around 50 bucks a year but it may be worth that price for your peace of mind alone.
According to the info on their site they recover 3 out of 4 stolen laptops equipped with the LoJack system. It basically places hidden and silent software that reports back the IP address and location of the laptop once it is stolen and the thief connects to the Internet.
7. Use Invisible Ultraviolet Markings
Use invisible ultraviolet markings so that any recovered stolen laptops will be clearly marked as yours to the police. Keeping track of your laptop's serial number is also a good idea and have this number stored in a different place other than on your laptop.
8. Try Remote Data Deletion
If you place important information on your laptop have a remotely controlled self-destruct solution in place. Then your highly sensitive information can be deleted remotely after your laptop is stolen.
9. Be Prepared
Create company policies for management of your company's laptops. Have set procedures in place for tracking and reporting of any laptops stolen or misplaced. Be prepared for the inevitable.
10. Backup Backup Backup
Regularly backup any vital information you have on your laptop. Most information will be useless to potential thieves but may be extremely important to you personally or for the running of your business.
No matter if it is through theft or simple misplacement, losing a laptop is a painful experience, one you should avoid at all costs. However, if it does happen to you, be assured you can minimize the pain by having a complete backup of your laptop's contents. In most cases, this information will be much more valuable than the laptop itself.
For hardware can be easily replaced, your personal data and months/years of work may take forever to recover or redo. Sometimes it is lost forever, so BACKUP your information regularly. Keep your laptop and its contents safe and out of harm's way. Simply protect yourself and your laptop by using the tips you have just read.
Article Source: http://www.superfeature.com
By: Titus Hoskins
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
What Is Adware and What Can You Do to Prevent It from Affecting Your System?
Adware is used as a supplemental program in some cases. Adware can be used as a part of an internet program and used as a way of letting you use a service without paying for it: rather than using a program with limited features and rather than paying the full cost of the program, you can choose an ad-supported version. The adware used will track the sites you visit and ads that are related to your interests will be shown to you during your session.
Of course, that is an example of your consent to having adware installed on your system. Another possibility is that you install software and don't fully read the part of the user agreement that suggested that third-party software was included to see how the software was used on your computer.
This third-party software is typically adware. With it, the person who wrote the software can collect money from advertisers who will be able to know which users might be interested in their products.
For many people. However, adware quickly becomes an annoyance. In addition to feeling uncomfortable that they are being watched – associating the feeling with being spied on and the adware with spyware – they just want to be able to go about using a program or surfing the internet without a steady stream of advertising or even advertising pop-up windows slowing them down.
As a result, they start looking for ways of removing adware from their computer.
Removing adware from your computer can be done by installing ad-blocking software. Removing adware, in many cases, can also be done with the installation of anti-spyware programs.
But why settle for removing adware when you can make efforts to keep it from getting on your computer to begin with? Rather than dealing with adware and having to find ways of removing adware from your system, consider doing the following:
· Read the licensing agreements that come with software programs that you are thinking about installing. If a mention is made of third-party software that will track the way you use the program or the software is listed as ad-supported, do not agree to the terms of service and choose an alternate program. In many cases, the user agreement or licensing agreement are available to you before you download and install the software;
· Choose the free but feature limited software or pay for the program rather than using the advertising supported version to avoid installing adware on your system;
· If you think that you are getting adware or spyware on your system and you have been using Internet Explorer as your web browser, consider making the switch to another browser that contains ad-blocks;
· Make sure that the security patches for your computer's operating system as well as your anti-spyware and firewalls are up to date.
In easer words, the best means of removing adware from your computer is to not install it in the first place. Taking control of your computer is not only the best way of preventing adware but also some of the more dangerous security threats including spyware, trojans, worms and viruses. Once you have the right software installed you can now Surf the net with more confidence, privacy and therefore with more security.
Article Source: http://www.superfeature.com
By: kirby
Of course, that is an example of your consent to having adware installed on your system. Another possibility is that you install software and don't fully read the part of the user agreement that suggested that third-party software was included to see how the software was used on your computer.
This third-party software is typically adware. With it, the person who wrote the software can collect money from advertisers who will be able to know which users might be interested in their products.
For many people. However, adware quickly becomes an annoyance. In addition to feeling uncomfortable that they are being watched – associating the feeling with being spied on and the adware with spyware – they just want to be able to go about using a program or surfing the internet without a steady stream of advertising or even advertising pop-up windows slowing them down.
As a result, they start looking for ways of removing adware from their computer.
Removing adware from your computer can be done by installing ad-blocking software. Removing adware, in many cases, can also be done with the installation of anti-spyware programs.
But why settle for removing adware when you can make efforts to keep it from getting on your computer to begin with? Rather than dealing with adware and having to find ways of removing adware from your system, consider doing the following:
· Read the licensing agreements that come with software programs that you are thinking about installing. If a mention is made of third-party software that will track the way you use the program or the software is listed as ad-supported, do not agree to the terms of service and choose an alternate program. In many cases, the user agreement or licensing agreement are available to you before you download and install the software;
· Choose the free but feature limited software or pay for the program rather than using the advertising supported version to avoid installing adware on your system;
· If you think that you are getting adware or spyware on your system and you have been using Internet Explorer as your web browser, consider making the switch to another browser that contains ad-blocks;
· Make sure that the security patches for your computer's operating system as well as your anti-spyware and firewalls are up to date.
In easer words, the best means of removing adware from your computer is to not install it in the first place. Taking control of your computer is not only the best way of preventing adware but also some of the more dangerous security threats including spyware, trojans, worms and viruses. Once you have the right software installed you can now Surf the net with more confidence, privacy and therefore with more security.
Article Source: http://www.superfeature.com
By: kirby
Monday, July 23, 2007
Can someone tell me what VoIP is?
Without going into any technical terms I will explain to you what VoIP is and how you can benefit from it. I answer your questions and at the end of this article you will fully understand why you ought to have it.
Once you understand about what VoIP is you will be really keen to use it.
The first and very last bit of a hint of technical terms is what the letters VoIP mean. It means Voice over Internet Protocol. Wow, now we have got over that we can talk about just what it is all about. Basically, all this means is that, instead of your voice being sent down a line in the old way down landlines, it is now being sent down an internet connection.
There are a couple of differences between these but basically the internet way is very fast and you voice is sent in little data packages which is converted back to your voice at the other end. The old way was slow so not as economical cost wise. Hence, although you may not have realised it your phone companies have been converting your voice messages to VoIP for some time now. They can handle thousands of conversations at the same time down the same line whereas previously they could not. However, they have been reluctant to reduce prices until the pressure has been put on them recently by new VoIP companies springing up.
So… There we have it. VoIP is just anther way to have a conversation between two or more people. How hard is that to understand?
Now we come to the bit where you have a choice. Do you stick to paying a high price to phone all over the world or do you look for someone to use that will give the same – if not better service much cheaper. I know what I do!
This is where most people start to panic asking the questions – How do you do it? With whom do you do it? Do I need to have some special phone line? Do I need a special telephone? It's still a mystery to me, who will help me? And so it goes on. Yes, all these and many more questions are quite understandable. These changes are very new and like anything new, we fear the unknown until we get some of the answers.
So let us tackle some of the questions here and you will see that there is really nothing over complicated at all. After all, at the end of the day you are going to save a lot of your money. Afford to be more in contact with your friends without worrying how much the call is going to cost you.
I have written a lot of published articles that are reproduced around the world so I can give you the guidance that you may need. Let's find the answers to some of those questions.
How do you do it? First you need to decide on a VoIP service to go with. There are a lot around, some based on original VoIP platforms and have developed an impressive array of web facilities. Such a Skype, Verizon and other well known's. But there are a number of new VoIP service providers that are pushing forward the VoIP technology. These are patenting these new platforms /features. Check my resource at the end.
With whom do you do it? Sounds the same as the first question; however what you want is someone to guide you in both your choice and in understanding how to use the VoIP features. Better a service that provides you with a personal helper.
Do I need to have some special phone line? No. You will be using just your normal cell phone or telephone line.
Do I need a special telephone? No. Not necessarily so unless you wish to have an I P telephone. This all depends on how far you want to go in ease of use. Alternatively to are able to use an adapter to which you plug in your normal phone. However, the service can be used without special setup, using your ordinary landline, computer, or a cell phone. You do not even have to have a connection to the internet with companies such as Global1touch. You simply dial a special number, disconnect. You will get a call back asking which number you wish to call. You enter it and you are connected via VoIP. There is no cost involved with your normal landline or cell phone service provider. In fact on a cell phone you will not even lose any ‘free' time minutes.
It's still a mystery to me? Well I hope that you now see that it is not really something beyond anyone to use. Now if you had a person to assist you, you would find your worries disipate. Did you know that VoIP customers worldwide are doubling year on year, so it cannot be that hard.
I recommend VoIP to all and particularly to families where a huge saving can be made. Small to medium business are taking up VoIP rapidly, realising the massive savings they can make, plus now that VoIP communications are becoming mobile and no longer chaining you to a computer it is even more appealing. Contacting personnel via cell phones locally and internationally runs up large communication accounts, sometimes on top of actual cell phone package deals. Using VoIP slashes the costs dramatically.
I am convinced that now you have read this article you will feel more comfortable in considering bringing onboard VoIP in your communications as a package.
Article Source: http://www.superfeature.com
By: Michael Moore
Once you understand about what VoIP is you will be really keen to use it.
The first and very last bit of a hint of technical terms is what the letters VoIP mean. It means Voice over Internet Protocol. Wow, now we have got over that we can talk about just what it is all about. Basically, all this means is that, instead of your voice being sent down a line in the old way down landlines, it is now being sent down an internet connection.
There are a couple of differences between these but basically the internet way is very fast and you voice is sent in little data packages which is converted back to your voice at the other end. The old way was slow so not as economical cost wise. Hence, although you may not have realised it your phone companies have been converting your voice messages to VoIP for some time now. They can handle thousands of conversations at the same time down the same line whereas previously they could not. However, they have been reluctant to reduce prices until the pressure has been put on them recently by new VoIP companies springing up.
So… There we have it. VoIP is just anther way to have a conversation between two or more people. How hard is that to understand?
Now we come to the bit where you have a choice. Do you stick to paying a high price to phone all over the world or do you look for someone to use that will give the same – if not better service much cheaper. I know what I do!
This is where most people start to panic asking the questions – How do you do it? With whom do you do it? Do I need to have some special phone line? Do I need a special telephone? It's still a mystery to me, who will help me? And so it goes on. Yes, all these and many more questions are quite understandable. These changes are very new and like anything new, we fear the unknown until we get some of the answers.
So let us tackle some of the questions here and you will see that there is really nothing over complicated at all. After all, at the end of the day you are going to save a lot of your money. Afford to be more in contact with your friends without worrying how much the call is going to cost you.
I have written a lot of published articles that are reproduced around the world so I can give you the guidance that you may need. Let's find the answers to some of those questions.
How do you do it? First you need to decide on a VoIP service to go with. There are a lot around, some based on original VoIP platforms and have developed an impressive array of web facilities. Such a Skype, Verizon and other well known's. But there are a number of new VoIP service providers that are pushing forward the VoIP technology. These are patenting these new platforms /features. Check my resource at the end.
With whom do you do it? Sounds the same as the first question; however what you want is someone to guide you in both your choice and in understanding how to use the VoIP features. Better a service that provides you with a personal helper.
Do I need to have some special phone line? No. You will be using just your normal cell phone or telephone line.
Do I need a special telephone? No. Not necessarily so unless you wish to have an I P telephone. This all depends on how far you want to go in ease of use. Alternatively to are able to use an adapter to which you plug in your normal phone. However, the service can be used without special setup, using your ordinary landline, computer, or a cell phone. You do not even have to have a connection to the internet with companies such as Global1touch. You simply dial a special number, disconnect. You will get a call back asking which number you wish to call. You enter it and you are connected via VoIP. There is no cost involved with your normal landline or cell phone service provider. In fact on a cell phone you will not even lose any ‘free' time minutes.
It's still a mystery to me? Well I hope that you now see that it is not really something beyond anyone to use. Now if you had a person to assist you, you would find your worries disipate. Did you know that VoIP customers worldwide are doubling year on year, so it cannot be that hard.
I recommend VoIP to all and particularly to families where a huge saving can be made. Small to medium business are taking up VoIP rapidly, realising the massive savings they can make, plus now that VoIP communications are becoming mobile and no longer chaining you to a computer it is even more appealing. Contacting personnel via cell phones locally and internationally runs up large communication accounts, sometimes on top of actual cell phone package deals. Using VoIP slashes the costs dramatically.
I am convinced that now you have read this article you will feel more comfortable in considering bringing onboard VoIP in your communications as a package.
Article Source: http://www.superfeature.com
By: Michael Moore
4 Things You Need To Know Before You Switch To VOIP Services
VOIP Service for making and receiving phone calls is probably the most cost effective way to communicate, and is showing the phone companies that their "cash cow" of home telephone service may be coming to an end on the horizon. Still, VOIP service is not for everyone, and here are some things that you need to verify and feel good about before you consider switching to VOIP service.
1. Your High-Speed Internet Connection is critical.
Almost any VOIP service that you choose is not going to include high-speed Internet service. The VOIP provider assumes you already have that, and would have that whether you decided to implement VOIP or not, which is probably true in most cases.
However, what the VOIP service provider does not tell you is that your high-speed Internet connection needs to be fast, stable, and reliable. Depending on where you are and what high-speed Internet provider you have chosen, this may not be a given. The VOIP provider has ZERO control over this – if you have a lousy Internet connection, VOIP will be lousy, it is a one-to-one relationship.
There are various online sites that allow you to do a speed test on your connection so you can get a feel for how fast it is. The problem is that these tests do not tell the whole story – it might have been fast at the moment you did the test, but is slower than molasses an hour later. Do you notice it stopping when you are using it or having significant time delays? This could be a sign that VOIP will not work well on it.
Also, do people in your household also use the computer when you would be talking on your VOIP phone? If so, your connection may not be capable of handling both connections at the same time. Typically this is more of a problem for DSL than for cable, but it can represent a problem with a cable connection as well.
Is your only option a satellite high-speed Internet connection? Forget it. You are not going to be happy with the results of VOIP service on a satellite connection.
2. When your high-speed Internet connection goes out, so does your phone
Despite the fact that they have over-charged us for years, you need to give the telephone company credit, since when you pick up the phone, you almost always can hear the comforting sound of a dial tone, ready to make your call.
With a VOIP phone, you are depending on your Internet connection to make and receive phone calls. If your high-speed service goes down, then your ability to use your VOIP phone also goes down until the internet service comes back up. This again goes back to the reliability of your high-speed Internet connection and provider.
3. Be sure 911 is supported
All VOIP providers are supposed to be setup so that they support 911 (or E-911) services in case of emergency. You see, with a traditional phone line, if you call 911, they can tell where you are calling from. But this same ability does not exist with a VOIP phone, so you need to register your VOIP phone with the service so that if you call 911 from your VOIP phone, the emergency responders will know where to go.
4. Be ready to save money and have tremendous flexibility.
There is no doubt about it, VOIP service is significantly cheaper than traditional phones from the phone company. At no extra charge, you typically get the features you would pay the phone company extra for, like caller ID, call waiting, voice mail, and call blocking. You also typically get unlimited or high-usage local and long distance calling throughout the country at no additional cost with VOIP.
If you travel, you can take your VOIP phone with you. If you are traveling to visit your friends in Denver or cousin in New York, just plug your VOIP phone into their high-speed modem and you can continue to make and receive calls just as if you were at home, using your same phone number. If you are in a hotel in Chicago, again plug your VOIP phone into the high-speed connection in your hotel room, and you are making and receiving phone calls as if you were at home.
Article Source: http://www.superfeature.com
By: Jon Arnold
1. Your High-Speed Internet Connection is critical.
Almost any VOIP service that you choose is not going to include high-speed Internet service. The VOIP provider assumes you already have that, and would have that whether you decided to implement VOIP or not, which is probably true in most cases.
However, what the VOIP service provider does not tell you is that your high-speed Internet connection needs to be fast, stable, and reliable. Depending on where you are and what high-speed Internet provider you have chosen, this may not be a given. The VOIP provider has ZERO control over this – if you have a lousy Internet connection, VOIP will be lousy, it is a one-to-one relationship.
There are various online sites that allow you to do a speed test on your connection so you can get a feel for how fast it is. The problem is that these tests do not tell the whole story – it might have been fast at the moment you did the test, but is slower than molasses an hour later. Do you notice it stopping when you are using it or having significant time delays? This could be a sign that VOIP will not work well on it.
Also, do people in your household also use the computer when you would be talking on your VOIP phone? If so, your connection may not be capable of handling both connections at the same time. Typically this is more of a problem for DSL than for cable, but it can represent a problem with a cable connection as well.
Is your only option a satellite high-speed Internet connection? Forget it. You are not going to be happy with the results of VOIP service on a satellite connection.
2. When your high-speed Internet connection goes out, so does your phone
Despite the fact that they have over-charged us for years, you need to give the telephone company credit, since when you pick up the phone, you almost always can hear the comforting sound of a dial tone, ready to make your call.
With a VOIP phone, you are depending on your Internet connection to make and receive phone calls. If your high-speed service goes down, then your ability to use your VOIP phone also goes down until the internet service comes back up. This again goes back to the reliability of your high-speed Internet connection and provider.
3. Be sure 911 is supported
All VOIP providers are supposed to be setup so that they support 911 (or E-911) services in case of emergency. You see, with a traditional phone line, if you call 911, they can tell where you are calling from. But this same ability does not exist with a VOIP phone, so you need to register your VOIP phone with the service so that if you call 911 from your VOIP phone, the emergency responders will know where to go.
4. Be ready to save money and have tremendous flexibility.
There is no doubt about it, VOIP service is significantly cheaper than traditional phones from the phone company. At no extra charge, you typically get the features you would pay the phone company extra for, like caller ID, call waiting, voice mail, and call blocking. You also typically get unlimited or high-usage local and long distance calling throughout the country at no additional cost with VOIP.
If you travel, you can take your VOIP phone with you. If you are traveling to visit your friends in Denver or cousin in New York, just plug your VOIP phone into their high-speed modem and you can continue to make and receive calls just as if you were at home, using your same phone number. If you are in a hotel in Chicago, again plug your VOIP phone into the high-speed connection in your hotel room, and you are making and receiving phone calls as if you were at home.
Article Source: http://www.superfeature.com
By: Jon Arnold
Thursday, July 19, 2007
What's Up With Wikipedia
Wikipedia - The biggest free-content encyclopedia on the internet and one of the top 100 websites in the world. It is also the most popular example of a Wiki (How Wikis Work). This unique online encyclopedia allows users to log on and become contributors. As a result many articles are written by the foremost experts in a field with lots of current information. Unfortunately, some articles are also poorly written and may contain incorrect information. This has led to several controversies.
The website has often been criticized for inaccuracies by educators (some examples here). Even the co-founder of the website, Larry Sanger has publicly stated that: "While Wikipedia is still quite useful and an amazing phenomenon, I have come to the view that it is also broken beyond repair." Here is a link to Wikipedia's response to the question of:
No mater how you feel about it, there are some good uses for a site like Wikipedia. For example, one good use for Wikipedia is researching the most recent developments in technology. Because of the way it is edited it can be quickly updated with the most recent information about technological developments long before more traditional reference sources can even start to make updates. It can also be useful in pointing a researcher towards more reliable sources of information. Most Wikipedia entries include several links to outside websites that contain additional information for example. One also has to admit that the site is well laid out, easy to use and has a pretty efficient search engine. At the very least educators should become familiar with it just as they should become familiar with any web phenomenon that effects their students' learning.
A few years ago there was a research study that compared Wikipedia to Britannica for accuracy. The study, which was published in December of 2005, showed Wikipedia to be more accurate that Britannica. You can read about the results here:
cnet.com: http://news.com.com/2100-1038_3-5997332.html
wired.com: http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2005/12/69844
In a more recent development the co-founder of Wikipedia has founded a new website called Citizendium where he hopes to improve on the Wikipedia model by adding "gentle expert oversight" and requiring contributors to use their real names.
The website has often been criticized for inaccuracies by educators (some examples here). Even the co-founder of the website, Larry Sanger has publicly stated that: "While Wikipedia is still quite useful and an amazing phenomenon, I have come to the view that it is also broken beyond repair." Here is a link to Wikipedia's response to the question of:
No mater how you feel about it, there are some good uses for a site like Wikipedia. For example, one good use for Wikipedia is researching the most recent developments in technology. Because of the way it is edited it can be quickly updated with the most recent information about technological developments long before more traditional reference sources can even start to make updates. It can also be useful in pointing a researcher towards more reliable sources of information. Most Wikipedia entries include several links to outside websites that contain additional information for example. One also has to admit that the site is well laid out, easy to use and has a pretty efficient search engine. At the very least educators should become familiar with it just as they should become familiar with any web phenomenon that effects their students' learning.
A few years ago there was a research study that compared Wikipedia to Britannica for accuracy. The study, which was published in December of 2005, showed Wikipedia to be more accurate that Britannica. You can read about the results here:
cnet.com: http://news.com.com/2100-1038_3-5997332.html
wired.com: http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2005/12/69844
In a more recent development the co-founder of Wikipedia has founded a new website called Citizendium where he hopes to improve on the Wikipedia model by adding "gentle expert oversight" and requiring contributors to use their real names.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
DY undRst& dis msg?
It's called "Texting" or "IMing" or "Lingo" or more formally "SMS Language" and it refers to the sometimes complex language of abbreviations and acronyms that teenagers and others use to communicate via cell phone Text Messages and online Instant Messages.
Here are some examples:
lol = laughing out loud
RUOK? = Are you OK?
dis = this
asslp = asleep
whr = where
xlnt = excellent
A/S/L? = age, sex, location
gr8 = great
This is the language of chatrooms, cell phones, instant messaging and digitally connected teenagers everywhere. It's function is to minimize the number of key strokes and punctuation needed communicate a message. It's officially called Short Message Service or SMS Language.
Wikipedia also has a pretty good list of these abbreviations:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_SMS_abbreviations
There's even some online translators that can help you communicate in this language. Try one of these translators:
transl8tit: http://www.transl8it.com/cgi-win/index.pl
lingo2word: http://www.lingo2word.com/translate.php
TxT Speak Translator: http://www.madhousebeyond.com
So what does the title of this technology tip mean?
DY undRst& dis msg?
Do you understand this message?
av a nce dy!
Here are some examples:
lol = laughing out loud
RUOK? = Are you OK?
dis = this
asslp = asleep
whr = where
xlnt = excellent
A/S/L? = age, sex, location
gr8 = great
This is the language of chatrooms, cell phones, instant messaging and digitally connected teenagers everywhere. It's function is to minimize the number of key strokes and punctuation needed communicate a message. It's officially called Short Message Service or SMS Language.
Wikipedia also has a pretty good list of these abbreviations:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_SMS_abbreviations
There's even some online translators that can help you communicate in this language. Try one of these translators:
transl8tit: http://www.transl8it.com/cgi-win/index.pl
lingo2word: http://www.lingo2word.com/translate.php
TxT Speak Translator: http://www.madhousebeyond.com
So what does the title of this technology tip mean?
DY undRst& dis msg?
Do you understand this message?
av a nce dy!
New Time-Saving Technology Is About To Revolutionize Your Life
While it may seem nothing much changes, a lot is changing, and often right under our noses. Time-saving technology is always at work to help us complete tasks at home and on the job even faster than ever.
When we save time doing a task that used to take us longer, we suddenly have more time to do that task even better or switch our attention to an entirely different task.
Just think how you did business a few years ago. Instead of answering email, you probably spent much of your day talking on the phone. Now clients organize their ideas more efficiently to contact you with convenient email. You still spend time working with clients, but I'll bet it's not nearly as much as you spent in the "telephone only" days of the early 1990s.
Think about how technology has changed life in the home. Eighty years ago people didn't have all the high power vacuum cleaners we have today. Homes were a lot dirtier than they are now (despite how Grandma may remember them:-). When vacuum cleaners became affordable and a feature of every home, people started doing a lot more housework. Believe it or not, historians tell us the average homemaker spends far more time cleaning than she/he did 80 years ago.
That's why I'm so excited about the new lines of "robot" technologies we're starting to see. Actually, this technology has been lurking in the wings for years, but has only recently become advanced enough to operate trouble-free at an affordable cost.
Robot vacuum cleaners can now automatically clean your home, working all day and all night if needed. They don't complain and never need to be paid. Furniture, kid's toys, and pets don't confound them, they just go around.
Equally exciting are new developments in robotic lawn mowers. If you're one of millions of Americans who own a large yard or endure uncomfortably hot summers, you'll immediately see the value of this technology. A Robotic lawn mower can cut your grass with professional quality, handing anything from a small yard to a large five acre estate. Reliability, energy efficiency, and overall convenience have all improved, making this a time-saving technology whose time has come.
Take the long look at technology in your life. Realize that time-savers let you do your job better and can free up more time to do new activities.
About the Author:
Kerry Clabaugh has long had an interest in time-saving technologies. He is the founder of http://www.bamabots.com , a site specializing in a wide selection of top robotic lawn mowers.
Article Source: www.iSnare.com
When we save time doing a task that used to take us longer, we suddenly have more time to do that task even better or switch our attention to an entirely different task.
Just think how you did business a few years ago. Instead of answering email, you probably spent much of your day talking on the phone. Now clients organize their ideas more efficiently to contact you with convenient email. You still spend time working with clients, but I'll bet it's not nearly as much as you spent in the "telephone only" days of the early 1990s.
Think about how technology has changed life in the home. Eighty years ago people didn't have all the high power vacuum cleaners we have today. Homes were a lot dirtier than they are now (despite how Grandma may remember them:-). When vacuum cleaners became affordable and a feature of every home, people started doing a lot more housework. Believe it or not, historians tell us the average homemaker spends far more time cleaning than she/he did 80 years ago.
That's why I'm so excited about the new lines of "robot" technologies we're starting to see. Actually, this technology has been lurking in the wings for years, but has only recently become advanced enough to operate trouble-free at an affordable cost.
Robot vacuum cleaners can now automatically clean your home, working all day and all night if needed. They don't complain and never need to be paid. Furniture, kid's toys, and pets don't confound them, they just go around.
Equally exciting are new developments in robotic lawn mowers. If you're one of millions of Americans who own a large yard or endure uncomfortably hot summers, you'll immediately see the value of this technology. A Robotic lawn mower can cut your grass with professional quality, handing anything from a small yard to a large five acre estate. Reliability, energy efficiency, and overall convenience have all improved, making this a time-saving technology whose time has come.
Take the long look at technology in your life. Realize that time-savers let you do your job better and can free up more time to do new activities.
About the Author:
Kerry Clabaugh has long had an interest in time-saving technologies. He is the founder of http://www.bamabots.com , a site specializing in a wide selection of top robotic lawn mowers.
Article Source: www.iSnare.com
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Is "Malware" Malicious
According to Wikipedea "Malware" is: "software designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system without the owner's informed consent."
In today's technology tip we have some definitions of the names you might have heard for various kinds of malware.
computer viruses - a computer program that can copy itself onto a computer without the permission or knowledge of the user (complete wikipedia definition). Viruses could be introduced to your computer from a disk, flash drive, CD.
computer worms - Similar to a computer virus but a worm can "Self replicate" itself to other computers throughout a computer network without any user involvement (complete wikipedia definition).
trojan horse - Just like the mythological Trojan Horse, these programs appear to be useful free downloads but when you download them to your computer you also download other unwanted and malicious programs onto your computer (complete wikipedia definition). Trojans could thus be used to install all kinds of malware onto your computer.
spyware - Malware that is downloaded to your computer with the purpose of tracking or recording the user's activities without the user's consent (complete wikipedia definition). Such malicious software could be used to log keystrokes to get passwords, or just track internet search histories to target pop-up advertisements.
adware - Some free downloads from the internet will ask the user for consent to install spyware software on the users computer as part of the download agreement (complete wikipedia definition). Such software is usually refered to as adware instead of spyware since the user has given consent to be tracked in exchange for some free software.
web cookies - These are usually harmless bits of text that are downloaded automatically whenever you open a website. (complete wikipedia definition) The cookie is used to track your visits to a specific website. The cerators of websites use cookies to gather data about who and how often their website is being accessed.
How to clean malware off your computer?
For starters, here's a popular free download for finding spyware on your computer: Ad-Aware from Lavasoft: http://www.lavasoftusa.com/
They have a free version that you can try.
Then there's the anti-virus software you can buy. Here's a review of the Top Antivirus Software from PC World:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,124475/article.html
You might want to consider protecting your personal computer with these products. If you already have some antivirus software you might want to check it's expiration date.
In today's technology tip we have some definitions of the names you might have heard for various kinds of malware.
computer viruses - a computer program that can copy itself onto a computer without the permission or knowledge of the user (complete wikipedia definition). Viruses could be introduced to your computer from a disk, flash drive, CD.
computer worms - Similar to a computer virus but a worm can "Self replicate" itself to other computers throughout a computer network without any user involvement (complete wikipedia definition).
trojan horse - Just like the mythological Trojan Horse, these programs appear to be useful free downloads but when you download them to your computer you also download other unwanted and malicious programs onto your computer (complete wikipedia definition). Trojans could thus be used to install all kinds of malware onto your computer.
spyware - Malware that is downloaded to your computer with the purpose of tracking or recording the user's activities without the user's consent (complete wikipedia definition). Such malicious software could be used to log keystrokes to get passwords, or just track internet search histories to target pop-up advertisements.
adware - Some free downloads from the internet will ask the user for consent to install spyware software on the users computer as part of the download agreement (complete wikipedia definition). Such software is usually refered to as adware instead of spyware since the user has given consent to be tracked in exchange for some free software.
web cookies - These are usually harmless bits of text that are downloaded automatically whenever you open a website. (complete wikipedia definition) The cookie is used to track your visits to a specific website. The cerators of websites use cookies to gather data about who and how often their website is being accessed.
How to clean malware off your computer?
For starters, here's a popular free download for finding spyware on your computer: Ad-Aware from Lavasoft: http://www.lavasoftusa.com/
They have a free version that you can try.
Then there's the anti-virus software you can buy. Here's a review of the Top Antivirus Software from PC World:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,124475/article.html
You might want to consider protecting your personal computer with these products. If you already have some antivirus software you might want to check it's expiration date.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Things to do for a healthy and secure PC
A Top 10 List That Can Save Your Computer
---------------------
Many who read this article may find these recommendations to be old news. However, think about the number family, friends, and associates that ask you for help fixing their PC and I believe you will understand why I chose to write this article..
This list of recommendations for a healthy & secure PC is by no means a complete list of everything you can and should do. It is however a great start if you want to keep your computer running properly for an acceptable period of time. It will also help prevent some of the most common issues related to PC security.
1. Hard Drive Fragmentation
---------------------
Believe it or not, many people have never even heard of hard drive fragmentation, or the process of Defragmentation. In a nutshell, when you install software or create files and data, the Operating System stores this data on your hard disk drive. The most efficient way of storing this data would be in one continuous disk file. However, files are not always stored this way, or are initially stored this way and later become split up, or fragmented. Because of this, when the data or file is retrieved, the hard drive must be searched in multiple places just to combine data that makes up one file. This slows things down tremendously. If you are running Windows 2000 or Windows XP, you should perform a disk defrag at least once every two weeks, more if possible. All of my systems run this process automatically once every week in the evening hours.
2. Installing Games & Disk Intensive Software
---------------------
If you're a gamer, or regularly use disk intensive software, the above Defragmentation process will help. However, you can also take another step to make things move a little faster. If you have two physically separate disk drives in your system, I suggest that you use one primarily for the Operating System and related software, and devote the other physical disk for installing games and other disk intensive applications. This cuts down on the competition for disk resources between your Operating System and other applications. There are other things you could do as well, such as configuring the appropriate type of RAID where multiple disks appear to the operating system as one big logical disk drive. This takes a little more planning to get the most out of your drives so I'll cover that in a future article.
3. Virus & Spyware Protection
---------------------
The bottom line here is; make sure you have installed some sort of anti-virus and spyware protection. Furthermore, don't just assume that the default configuration of the program is best suited for your environment. For instance, I can't tell you how many people I know whose computer has contracted a serious virus because of just one minor but very important task. When the anti-virus software pops up a message and tells you that your subscription is about to expire, don't just hit the ignore button. Take a five minute break from what you are doing and renew your virus signature subscription. Not only will this keep you up to date on newer viruses, it will allow your software package to update to newer versions. The same thing goes for spyware protection. There are plenty of free spyware protection solutions out there, none are perfect, but most do the job. I suggest using Microsoft's AntiSpyware Beta package at the least.
4. Software & Hardware Firewall Protection
---------------------
If you are not using a firewall, then you are just asking for trouble. Actually, there is a significant chance that your system is already compromised if you have no firewall protection at all. Many cable/DSL router combo devices have built in firewall protection, and this is at least a good start. However, if you have Windows XP SP2, go ahead and enable the built in firewall as it will provide you another level of protection. Oh, yes, and when the system pops up a message about whether or not to allow a certain application or communication to take place, don't just hit the ok button, read it thoroughly then make a decision.
5. Installing & Uninstalling Applications
---------------------
Just about every time you install a new application or piece of software you increase the time it takes to boot your PC and in some cases decrease its performance. On thing that drives me crazy is printing software. For the life of me I cannot understand how or why printer support software could total 400MB in size, but they sometimes do. Not only that, they tend to load all kinds of unnecessary real-time running applets. HP printers are notorious for this. Be very aware of what it is you are loading and only load those components that you need. Even some off-the-shelf software packages load adware and other not so helpful applets. Also, when you uninstall software, not all the software gets uninstalled in many cases. One thing I suggest is to purchase a registry cleaner. This can dramatically decrease boot times and in many cases increase the overall performance of your PC.
6. Purchasing & Downloading Items On The Internet
---------------------
When you download or purchase any software from the Internet, make sure you pay close attention to everything you are agreeing to or checking off on the various pages that lead up to the final purchase or download. As with everything else, make sure you read the fine print. You may be agreeing to download and install something you don't need or may impact the security and performance of you PC. Also, how many more mailing lists do you really need to be on? How many Internet Explorer tool bars do you need? Most of these tool bars should be renamed to "adware / spyware bars"
7. Installing Operating System & Application Patches
---------------------
In a nutshell, if you are using Windows XP, make sure that automatic updates are turned on. This is very important. Microsoft releases security and bug fixes routinely and some of them are critical in nature. Something people tend to overlook is updating and patching their applications. For instance, Microsoft Office has critical security patches and performance enhancements available in the form of patches and service packs. It's not just Operating System bugs that can put you at risk, applications can too.
8. Updating Drivers
---------------------
Similar to the above, hardware manufacturers routinely update their drivers. This includes video cards, sounds cards, capture cards, system boards, you name it. Some manufacturers have started to release automatic updates for their hardware, but many have not. Make sure you check these sites regularly and when a driver update is available, install it.
9. What Do Your Children Download
---------------------
This is a really big one. I can' tell you how may times I have been told by people that they have no idea how something got installed on their computer. Usually their second sentence contains "one of my children must have downloaded it". The first thing that comes to mind is "why do parents let kids download what ever they like in the first place". Not only can this severely impact the security and performance of your computer, who knows what your kids are getting their hands on. Do you know what one of the most frequently installed application installs I see on a teenagers machine is? Kazaa, BearShare, eDonkey, all P2P file sharing programs. I don't care what anyone says regarding how convenient and safe these applications are now, they are wrong. Monitor what your children are doing / downloading on the Internet. Install a parental control software package if need be.
10. Rebuilding Your Operating System
---------------------
If you are not familiar with system imaging software, I suggest you read up on them. One of the most popular packages is "ghost" and it's been around for quite some time. I rebuild my systems pretty much on an annual basis. When I first configured them, I used an imaging package to create a complete image of the basic OS and application install. This allows you to not only re-install the base operating system and applications by hitting just one button, but can save you big time in the event of a system disaster.
Conclusion
---------------------
Many of my peers and other technical people will read this and say it's all common sense and very basic. Well, if this is what you do for a living then yes, it is. But many people don't know these things or did know about them and have forgotten. So many PC are in such bad shape and it's beyond me how the average person even deals with it. It has to be frustrating not knowing where to turn or what to do, especially if you don't have a tech friend or family member to call on. I hate to sound pessimistic, but things are not getting better for the average home or small business person. Technology should not be this difficult to maintain. The average person just wants something that will work, and stay working.
Source:
http://www.defendingthenet.com/newsletters/TenThingsToDoForAHealthyAndSecurePc.htm
---------------------
Many who read this article may find these recommendations to be old news. However, think about the number family, friends, and associates that ask you for help fixing their PC and I believe you will understand why I chose to write this article..
This list of recommendations for a healthy & secure PC is by no means a complete list of everything you can and should do. It is however a great start if you want to keep your computer running properly for an acceptable period of time. It will also help prevent some of the most common issues related to PC security.
1. Hard Drive Fragmentation
---------------------
Believe it or not, many people have never even heard of hard drive fragmentation, or the process of Defragmentation. In a nutshell, when you install software or create files and data, the Operating System stores this data on your hard disk drive. The most efficient way of storing this data would be in one continuous disk file. However, files are not always stored this way, or are initially stored this way and later become split up, or fragmented. Because of this, when the data or file is retrieved, the hard drive must be searched in multiple places just to combine data that makes up one file. This slows things down tremendously. If you are running Windows 2000 or Windows XP, you should perform a disk defrag at least once every two weeks, more if possible. All of my systems run this process automatically once every week in the evening hours.
2. Installing Games & Disk Intensive Software
---------------------
If you're a gamer, or regularly use disk intensive software, the above Defragmentation process will help. However, you can also take another step to make things move a little faster. If you have two physically separate disk drives in your system, I suggest that you use one primarily for the Operating System and related software, and devote the other physical disk for installing games and other disk intensive applications. This cuts down on the competition for disk resources between your Operating System and other applications. There are other things you could do as well, such as configuring the appropriate type of RAID where multiple disks appear to the operating system as one big logical disk drive. This takes a little more planning to get the most out of your drives so I'll cover that in a future article.
3. Virus & Spyware Protection
---------------------
The bottom line here is; make sure you have installed some sort of anti-virus and spyware protection. Furthermore, don't just assume that the default configuration of the program is best suited for your environment. For instance, I can't tell you how many people I know whose computer has contracted a serious virus because of just one minor but very important task. When the anti-virus software pops up a message and tells you that your subscription is about to expire, don't just hit the ignore button. Take a five minute break from what you are doing and renew your virus signature subscription. Not only will this keep you up to date on newer viruses, it will allow your software package to update to newer versions. The same thing goes for spyware protection. There are plenty of free spyware protection solutions out there, none are perfect, but most do the job. I suggest using Microsoft's AntiSpyware Beta package at the least.
4. Software & Hardware Firewall Protection
---------------------
If you are not using a firewall, then you are just asking for trouble. Actually, there is a significant chance that your system is already compromised if you have no firewall protection at all. Many cable/DSL router combo devices have built in firewall protection, and this is at least a good start. However, if you have Windows XP SP2, go ahead and enable the built in firewall as it will provide you another level of protection. Oh, yes, and when the system pops up a message about whether or not to allow a certain application or communication to take place, don't just hit the ok button, read it thoroughly then make a decision.
5. Installing & Uninstalling Applications
---------------------
Just about every time you install a new application or piece of software you increase the time it takes to boot your PC and in some cases decrease its performance. On thing that drives me crazy is printing software. For the life of me I cannot understand how or why printer support software could total 400MB in size, but they sometimes do. Not only that, they tend to load all kinds of unnecessary real-time running applets. HP printers are notorious for this. Be very aware of what it is you are loading and only load those components that you need. Even some off-the-shelf software packages load adware and other not so helpful applets. Also, when you uninstall software, not all the software gets uninstalled in many cases. One thing I suggest is to purchase a registry cleaner. This can dramatically decrease boot times and in many cases increase the overall performance of your PC.
6. Purchasing & Downloading Items On The Internet
---------------------
When you download or purchase any software from the Internet, make sure you pay close attention to everything you are agreeing to or checking off on the various pages that lead up to the final purchase or download. As with everything else, make sure you read the fine print. You may be agreeing to download and install something you don't need or may impact the security and performance of you PC. Also, how many more mailing lists do you really need to be on? How many Internet Explorer tool bars do you need? Most of these tool bars should be renamed to "adware / spyware bars"
7. Installing Operating System & Application Patches
---------------------
In a nutshell, if you are using Windows XP, make sure that automatic updates are turned on. This is very important. Microsoft releases security and bug fixes routinely and some of them are critical in nature. Something people tend to overlook is updating and patching their applications. For instance, Microsoft Office has critical security patches and performance enhancements available in the form of patches and service packs. It's not just Operating System bugs that can put you at risk, applications can too.
8. Updating Drivers
---------------------
Similar to the above, hardware manufacturers routinely update their drivers. This includes video cards, sounds cards, capture cards, system boards, you name it. Some manufacturers have started to release automatic updates for their hardware, but many have not. Make sure you check these sites regularly and when a driver update is available, install it.
9. What Do Your Children Download
---------------------
This is a really big one. I can' tell you how may times I have been told by people that they have no idea how something got installed on their computer. Usually their second sentence contains "one of my children must have downloaded it". The first thing that comes to mind is "why do parents let kids download what ever they like in the first place". Not only can this severely impact the security and performance of your computer, who knows what your kids are getting their hands on. Do you know what one of the most frequently installed application installs I see on a teenagers machine is? Kazaa, BearShare, eDonkey, all P2P file sharing programs. I don't care what anyone says regarding how convenient and safe these applications are now, they are wrong. Monitor what your children are doing / downloading on the Internet. Install a parental control software package if need be.
10. Rebuilding Your Operating System
---------------------
If you are not familiar with system imaging software, I suggest you read up on them. One of the most popular packages is "ghost" and it's been around for quite some time. I rebuild my systems pretty much on an annual basis. When I first configured them, I used an imaging package to create a complete image of the basic OS and application install. This allows you to not only re-install the base operating system and applications by hitting just one button, but can save you big time in the event of a system disaster.
Conclusion
---------------------
Many of my peers and other technical people will read this and say it's all common sense and very basic. Well, if this is what you do for a living then yes, it is. But many people don't know these things or did know about them and have forgotten. So many PC are in such bad shape and it's beyond me how the average person even deals with it. It has to be frustrating not knowing where to turn or what to do, especially if you don't have a tech friend or family member to call on. I hate to sound pessimistic, but things are not getting better for the average home or small business person. Technology should not be this difficult to maintain. The average person just wants something that will work, and stay working.
Source:
http://www.defendingthenet.com/newsletters/TenThingsToDoForAHealthyAndSecurePc.htm
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