Buying a Computer? Here's a Few to Consider!

Here's some I would consider buying!

Laptops

• http://laptops.toshiba.com/laptops/satellite-pro/L500
• http://www.dell.com/us/en/home/notebooks/laptop-studio-1555/pd.aspx?refid=laptop-studio-1555&s=dhs&cs=19
• http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_mac/family/macbook_pro
• http://www.panasonic.com/business/Toughbook/fully-rugged-laptop-toughbook-19.asp (for those who need a laptop that will endure anything practically)

Desktops

• http://www.gateway.com/programs/lxseries/index.php?cmpid=topnav_computers
• http://www.dell.com/home/desktops#subcats=&navla=135390~0~6687268&navidc=DT: Processor&navValc=Intel Core i5&a=135390~0~6687268
• http://www.apple.com/macpro/specs.html

I have left out one major computer manufacturer intentionally. It was not an oversight.

Need Office 2007 for Home?

Do you need Office 2007 for home, but can't afford the big price tag? The Microsoft Office Suite is quite pricey, but there is a way to get Office tools without paying an arm and a leg! The most cost-effective way to get Office for home is to but the Home and Student version which right now is coming with a free upgrade to Office 2010 when it ends beta testing. (I'll discuss what I like about 2010 in another article).

Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 It's only $100.00 from Amazon (with no tax or shipping) or 99$ from Walmart . I'm still running 2003 at home except on my laptop I am beta'ing Office 2010. So, I plan to pick this up while they are still offering the free upgrade. Amazon offers free shipping for orders over 25$ and there is no tax. Can't beat that. I ordered my version from Amazon because the no tax/shipping makes it a sweet deal.

The Home and Student Version comes with Word, Excel and One Note. It doesn't come with Outlook which is no big loss! Thunderbird is a more robust email client and is free. :)

Download Thunderbird from here: http://www.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/thunderbird/.

Be sure to read the licensing agreements on all software packages and stay in compliance with them. The fines are five figures if you are out of compliance. Owning a disk doesn't mean you can install the program on multiple computers. Read the licenses to know for sure what you are allowed to do.

What is a Port?

On big ship with round windows that have hinged covers, those are called port holes. You can throw your message in a bottle out that port hole and hope someone gets it! On a computer a port is also a hole, but it's also an interface. On the back of your computer (and the front and sometimes side too) are holes that you plug devices into.

Most everyone has heard the term USB because practically everything is available for USB (mice, keyboards, printers, cameras, and the list goes on!). The port (hole) that you plug a device into allows your computer messages to go out (to a printer or whatever device you have plugged in). It also allows information to come in.

There are other types of ports available: PS2 (for mice and keyboard) and LPT (for printers) are fading fast and being replaced by USB and Firewire. Com ports used for modems have become less important as they are repleced by high-speed communications. You also can have TCP/IP ports. The IP address of the device you want to connect to becomes the gateway or interface to the device.

So why do you need to know about ports anyways????

1. One reason you need to know about ports is security software. Often they block common things that you need to do such as attach to a printer. Sometimes you have to allow exceptions to your security software so that a port will be allowed which is adding  a hole through which information can travel. These exceptions are defined by you so they are relatively safe.
2. Outlook users need to be aware of ports because Outlook sends email through different port numbers. Because of spamming many internet providers are blocking port 25 (Outlook's default sending port). If you have a problem sending out emails through Outlook at home, then you may need to ask your provider if they block port 25. Mine is Verizon and they do block port 25.

I hope this was a simple enough explanation of ports. If you know what a port is you can get your messages through!

Recycle Your Tech Equipment Worry Free!

• Recycling your cell phone with the sim card in it? Giving your phone to a friend or family member and want to be sure all your data is out of it?http://www.recellular.com/recycling/data_eraser/default.asp Use this link to download a data eraser for your cell phone data.
• Printer memory is volatile; when you turn your printer off it erases everything in memory. They can be donated as is worry free. (You might want to wipe the IP addresss if you set one.)
• Computers need to be formatted to ensure the data is completely erased. Format C: does that job from a command prompt.
• Photocopiers have an internal hard drive. If you want to donate a photocopier worry free, contact the manufacturer for instructions how to wipe the contents of that hard drive.

Remember the Trojan Horse Story?

Do you remember the Greek mythology story of the Trojan Horse? The Greeks hid inside a large, wooden horse and after the Trojans fell asleep the Greeks got out of the horse and killed the people of Troy.

A trojan horse in computers hides in your computer stealing information such as browsing history. Trojans are usually piggybackers. They come in as a "helper" to another program. For example, youtube can be a dangerous place if you are not on your toes! A "plugin" may be "required" for certain videos. That's a red flag to investigate what is trying to install on your computer. Some plugins are legitimate and helpful, but you have to research everything you want to install on your computer otherwise you might end up with some things coming out of your computer that you would like to remain private.

Running scans often is a necessary part of using a computer. If you use a dish or cup, you must wash it. If you use a computer you must run scans. If you are sharing a computer with more than one person, don't assume he/she is scanning the computer. Be proactive and do it yourself that way you know it is done.

See: Superantispyware to download a free version of Superantispyware. 

Is Your Email Encrypted?

This is an important question for people who are using email for business. Sending contracts, social security numbers, phone numbers, driver's license numbers, date of births, and account numbers is dangerous if you are using unencrypted email. If your email is being sent plain text, then it's easy to hack.

For more about encryption, see this link: http://janetperkins.wordpress.com/2010/04/02/use-encrypted-email-for-your-transactions/

If any of these change, please let me know, but at present here is the list of emails and their security:

Unencrypted Email Systems

• Yahoo
• Hotmail/MSN
• Verizon personal webmail
• Comcast personal webmail
• GMX
• Juno
• Inbox.com

Encrypted Email Systems

• Verizon Small Business Email
• AOL/Aim
• Gmail
• Rackspace

If you are unsure whether your provider encrypts email, give them a call and find out. Ask if they have a SSL login page. If they don't anything you send is plain text. Scarey stuff!

Why Do I Have a Simple Email Signature?

I like people to receive my emails. Anything you do to spiff up your signature increases the chance that your recipients will not receive your email. Occasionally, I email someone who works for the federal government and even though I am very careful about what I put in my emails to that person, I still get reject notices  (failure to deliver messages).

This is my email signature:

Janet Perkins

Technology Help Desk/System Admin

MY COMPANY name here
MY WORK PHONE HERE

Add me in Facebook! (this is hyperlinked to my profile)

Check my blog! (this is hyperlinked to this blog)
My advanced user blog! (this is hyperlinked to my advanced user blog)

I don't add any badges or photos. I do not use Word to format my messages and I most certainly do not have a background to my messages. I would rather be cute elsewhere and have my recipients receive my emails.

Here's how you know that your email signature is a problem. One or two people complain they never get your emails and you don't know why.  Your emails aren't going to spam because they checked that already. Here's what you do. Take out everything in your signature: Word formatting, badges, photos and backgrounds and see if they receive your emails.

If you have important information that needs to reach people, keep it simple and they'll get your emails.

Why Does My Computer's Setup Program Keep Coming Up?

Probably the CMOS battery died. Everything on a computer is powered by electricity. The setup program holds the computer's hardware configuration in the CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) program by battery power.  If the computer is a few years old and an older motherboard was used in it, then the battery probably has died and it's time to replace the battery. They are on the motherboard held in place by a clip. Check with your manufacturer for a replacement. Any time you open up a computer case make sure that you discharge static buildup  by touching the outside of the case.

What are Home Groups?

Home Groups is a Windows 7 replacement for workgroups. It's a group of computers that are associated with each other for the purpose of printer and file sharing. The only differences between home group and workgroup are 1) you need a password to join a home group 2) home groups are not backwards compatible. Vista and XP users cannot join a home group. The more people you have in a home group, the slower the file sharing will become. Only use this with less than 10 users. Microsoft gives you a larger number, but your network slows down too much if a large number of people are doing this type of file sharing.

In a business environment usually file permissions are associated with domain accounts. A domain is large group of computers that share files usually stored on a computer designed to store files. The files are usually backed up to another disk or tape drive.

Why is my Computer Stuck in Logging Off Mode?

Probably because your Vista computer has a corrupt hibernate file and is stuck in hibernate or sleep mode. Hibernate mode is for conserving battery power. Hold your power button down for 5 seconds and your laptop will shut up. When it comes back up tell it to boot normally. That should fix the problem. If it doesn't, then do the automated recovery deleting the files it asks about.

To avoid this error:

• Don't shut your computer off with other users logged onto it.
• Close all your applications before choosing shut down.

Wrong Number Means ---No Way!

This problem comes up every once in awhile at my work. Someone brings his/her laptop computer to work and gets on the Internet by connecting to the WiFi at the coffee shop next door. Then they want to print something to a shared office printer. Will he/she be successful? Probably not.

Anytime you get onto a wireless network, you are given a number that looks something like 71.88.44.149. This is called an IP address. It's basically an address on the network, just like a phone number is your spot on a telephone network. Each wireless network has a different set of numbers. The last number is unique and specific to your computer only.

If your office printer is 171.19.122. 44 and your computer is 71.88.44.149, what do you think your chances of printing are? Slim to none. If, however, you connect to the network at your work thru a cable or by using a company-owned wireless access point and  you get a number of 171.19.122.133, then you have a good chance of printing to a printer with a number of  171.19.122.44.  The numbers look the same almost because they are on the same network.

Maybe that set of numbers looks unfamiliar to you, but it's not harder than a telephone number; they are just with periods and not dashes. Hope that helps.

What Would You Do If You Lost Your Laptop?

According to one security software company, a laptop is stolen in this country every 53 seconds. The amount of dollar loss due to stolen/lost laptops could be lowered if every laptop owner took the proper precautions with their laptops.  If your laptop was lost, or was stolen what would you do? Is all your data and email backed up? Is your data secure? Probably, it's not. At the very least, you need a logon password. All a thief (or finder) has to do is boot up your laptop and they gain access to too much of what you don't want them into.

Don't think that your data is secure with a log on password. That can be wiped easily in minutes. These days, password protection isn't sufficient protection for your lost/stolen computer. If you are traveling via air and laptop is stolen, major damage can be done to your financial health before you even reach your destination.

You probably all read or heard about the student that took home without permission a laptop from his school. He hadn't paid the necessary fee and so the security software was activated and he was caught on webcam. Everyone was outraged that the school would be "violating" the student's rights. What if it were YOUR laptop? Then you might not feel so concerned about the rights of the person using the computer! Thumbs up to the school for deploying their laptops with protection. Thumbs down to the student who didn't follow his school's procedure.

There is laptop recovery software available that can send emails to the person using the computer. See this link for an example of such a program. http://preyproject.com/ This is an open-source (free) program.

Another program worth checking out is Laptop Sentry: http://www.laptopsentry.com/. Upon alarm activation, you are immediately sms'd information about your computer. Important files are emailed to you as well as IP information that you can provide to authorities to recover your laptop. It's not very expensive either and it can be used with blackberry and iPhone devices.  $5/month is a small price to pay for protecting all of your personal files, data and accounts.

If I were traveling a lot with my laptop, I definitely would invest in some time of laptop security software to protect my files and accounts.

How to Clean Your LCD Monitor/Laptop Display

Power OFF the monitor. 
Never use paper products to clean the monitor as they can scratch the display (no paper towels and no tissues)
Never use alcohol, ammonia or any other cleaning solution with these in it.
Never spray anything on the display as it can drip down into the case of the display and ruin it. 
Never press hard to clean spots. You can damage the crystal this way.

Only use a soft cloth such as a turkish towel.
If the soft towel doesn't remove the dirt, then moisten the towel with a solution of 1:1 distilled water/white vinegar.

The case of the display can be cleaned with ordinary cleaners, but be careful not to get any on the display itself as these are easily damaged.

Can I Have Your Password? (Please)

"Hello, is this (your name)?"  "Yes."  "This is (some one from IT) from technology and we are doing some user maintenance and we'll be needing your username and password to do an upgrade of the email system. Can you please tell me your user name and password?"   What is your answer?

Unless you recognize the voice, I hope that your answer is "No" because that is probably a spear phisher. We don't need your password. If you want us to test something for you and phone us that is one thing. If someone calls you out of the blue, be suspicious. When we have new things going on, we announce it ahead of time in newsletters and emails.

Someone calls you asking for names of individual who head certain departments. Do you give them out or do you ask for their name and phone number and say someone will get back to you? I hope the latter.

An "officer of the law" calls asking for private information about someone you know from a cell number. Do you tell him or her?

All of these are known as social engineering attempts. They find out as much as possible from social interaction with employees and then try to crack the company's defenses.

Be paranoid! They ARE out to get you!

Someone on my facebook home page keeps popping up and it says that I have 58 friends in common. I've never seen this girl, I can't find any record of her employment with our company. Be careful! I had a bad experience with a former relative who started friending my coworkers. This relative is in the Middle East. Check profiles! Know who you are doing business with.

When on the phone and you get suspicious, say I'll call you right back can I have your name and number. If they don't give you their number, I wouldn't give them any information they want.

Hackers use social engineering to crack networks. What better method to do social engineering than on social networks! You can learn everything. You can learn who the CEO is, who the COO is, who does the accounting and who is the director of IT.

Be careful about what kind of information you divulge, especially if you are on a wireless network. Take care.

Regards, Janet

I Guess No One Minds Adobe's Heaviness

Every program update of Adobe Reader gets worse and worse, in my opinion. They weight it down, but don't add anything that I find useful. Adobe 9.3 is 37.3 Mb which is more than double the previous version. Every program "update" is double in size. Everyone says bad things about Microsoft, but no one ever bashes Adobe. Why is that?

Maybe I'm being too cranky about this, but I don't think so. Maybe other programs are bigger than 37.3mb, but other programs are programs, not a pdf reader. PDF= portable document format which means you can read the document and print it out on any printer. It's not a fully functioning word processor or desktop publishing system.

How big are Adobe's small-guy competitors?
FoxIt Reader 6.67 mb
Kumatra 1.2 mb 

Both are super easy to download and install. There's others that require a little effort to install.

If you have complicated raster graphics or optical character recognition, you may not be able to use them, but I've never had a problem reading with either of them. I have noticed that you can't fill in forms in Kumatra, but you can print them out and then fill them in. I, personally, have never had a problem with forms in foxit reader.

If you are needing a full-fledged pdf creator and editor, Foxit has a suite for 99$ where Adobe's Acrobat Standard is almost 300$.

Every person's need varies. Some people need form capabilities and some special graphics or fonts. It's worth evaluating your needs and making an informed decision rather than accept what came installed on your computer as the only way to view a file.

It's something to ponder, and it's my two cents.

Don't Pay For An XP Downgrade!

If you are buying a new computer, it is going to have more than one processor on the chip called the CPU (central processing unit). To take full advantage of this super duper computer brain power you need an operating system that matches it. Windows 7 is designed to do that. You love XP and don't want to change? Get over it! XP and a multiprocessor computer aren't meant for each other. If you put XP on an i3 or above it's like putting ME behind the wheel of a Ferrari! What's the point? I'm never going to take full advantage of all the horsepowers under the hood of that Ferrari. Same with XP, it's never going to take advantage of all you have in your brand-spanking-new laptop.

Oh, and do you really want to pay Microsoft any more than you really have to? I think not. Windows 7 is OK and even kind of cool in some regards. Good luck with your new computer! Bet it's awesome!

Don't Associate With Rogues!

Rogue is another word for scoundrel or bad guy. A rogue antivirus infection is a type of infection that comes from clicking on an offer to disinfect your “infected” computer. Don’t give into scare tactics like that!

When I was an elementary student, we made a school field trip to Zurich Bog in upstate NY. For those of you that don’t know a bog is a swampy type of ecosystem. We all came back from this trip with jars full of tadpoles. Well one guy tricked me out of my jar, by saying mine were sick and he could help them. He definitely was a rougue!

Rogue infections operate the same way. They try to scare you into downloading them and infecting your computer. Once you see their little shield, you are infected. You can’t uninstall from add/remove programs because it’s not there! It’s an infection; that’s why it’s not there. Buggers!

If it’s a really nasty one, your computer become unusable and you can’t get out on the net.


To prevent rogue infections: use Firefox with adblock plus installed and don’t use MSN as your home page. To fix a rogue infection: reboot in safe mode and install malwarebytes antimalware. If you can’t update malwarebytes antimalware it means that rogue set a proxy server. Go and remove the proxy settings so you can update it. That should clear up your infection.

Good luck and stay away from rogues! ;)

DoYou Want Spies in Your Computer?

Yesterday, I was cleaning up systems at work for five hours and need to go back again today. Here is what I found. People who are diligent about updating their definitions and running their spyware scans have faster computers. It makes sense doesn't it? Get all the junk out of the browser and operating system and the computer goes a lot faster. It's not enough to just click on scan. You must update to download the latest protection. Try to make it habit to click on update every time you go into your spyware program (unless it automatically updates). If there is no update, it will tell you and nothing is lost. If there is one, and you don't update your valuable time is lost.

Another thing is change is good. Especially when it comes to spyware protection. Read the reviews of new products and don't stick with one for ten years or even five years. They loose their umph! They get to the point where they bog down your system and you need to change to regain that processing power. Review your spyware protection every year and do weekly scans for best performance. :)

Also, I found you are less likely to get infected if you are using Firefox with the adblock plus add-on. If you are using Internet Explorer with pop-up blocker off and setting MSN as your home page, you are asking for a rogue antivirus infection. 

Coral IE Add-On for Firefox Browser

 For those of you wanting to use Firefox because of its safety and speed, but needing a web application that is IE only, there is help! I thought I would pass on this tip, courtesy of my boss, and used with his permission.

The IE Add On for Firefox allows you to run an instance of Internet Explorer 7.0 inside of your Firefox browser. This is a huge time saving option if Firefox is your default browser and you happen to navigate to a site that does not display properly in Firefox. Assuming the site is IE compatible, you can quickly switch to IE without having to leave Firefox. Here’s how:


1. Install Coral IE add-on for Firefox.

2. When you reach a page that needs to use Internet Explorer, click on the Firefox icon in the lower right corner of the browser window. This will switch you to Internet Explorer. The icon will change from the Firefox logo to the IE logo. Clicking again will toggle back to Firefox


3. If you would like to permanently set Firefox to use Internet Explorer automatically when you navigate to this page/site, Right-click on the same Firefox icon and select “Sites Filter”. The dialogue box below will appear and this website’s URL in the URL field. Simply click the Add button to add this site to use the IE Add On. Then click OK to close the window.

Let me know if this helps!

My Display is Rotated! How did this happen and how do I fix it?

It probably happened because you are running XP and accidentally hit Control Alt and an arrow key instead of delete. To fix it you press Control Alt and an arrow key (left if rotated right and vice versa). If you are running Vista, you have to have hotkeys enabled to use this fix and to get it that way in the first place. The fix is the same. In Windows 7 you do screen rotation thru control panel: Appearance and Personalization>Display>Screen Resolution. It's one of the drop downs.

What's the Difference Between an Add-on and a Plug-in

If software was fruit, the add-on could be an apple while plug-in might be a granny smith or a red delicious. Add-on is a general term and can be an extension, a plug-in, themes, and sometimes perhipherals are referred to as add-ons.

A plug-in is a small program that enhances a bigger program sometimes referred to as the host program. In my work, we use Mozilla Firefox which has many plug-ins including Flash which allows you to see flash movies within the Firefox browser.

Happy Friday!

Stop Annoying Everyone with Facebook Application Posts

Some people don't want to see the hugs you received, the stingray you captured, what level  of Mafia Wars, or the kittens you found in Farmville.

Here's how to stop annoying them. Make a Friend List called Huggy people or Game People or whatever. (Directions how to make a list in my last post) Then, when you go to publish, to the triangle between Publish and the lock. Click on it and then Customize. Where it says Make this Visible to choose Specific People and then type in your list name.

Give it a try. People will be less annoyed and there will be more kittens for me! ;)

Maintaining Your Privacy in Facebook

Create lists. Go to Account and Edit Friends. Create New List. Enter a name for the list such as teammates, church family, or drinking buddies. Choose friends by clicking on their photo and then click on Create List. To send a facebook message to just that list, go to a new message and in the TO box start typing the name of the group.  The group name pops up and you can send it off to just that list!

What is missing in Facebook is the ability to customize the news feeds: for example, if you only want your gamer friends to see your game updates you are out of luck. It used to be editable and they took it out. Grrrr! The newsfeed edit options are almost non-existant. You can hide and show individuals, but not how your newsfeed feeds.

Got friends from high school on your list? Suppose they tag you with a photo of you from 1974 in a loud print shirt? It hasn't happened to me yet, but right now I have my settings to inform only me when I am tagged.  Go to Account and Privacy Settings. Choose Photos and Videos and drop down to Customize. You can choose Only Me or you can create a customized list.

Don't put you are going on vacation! Robbers use that opportunity to break into your house.

Hope this helps.
Regards,
Janet

Optical Drive Maintenance

An optical drive is the piece of hardware that plays CD's or DVD's or both. Much of this is the obvious, but a good reminder nonetheless.

Here's a list of do's and don'ts for maintaining your optical drive.

• Number one on the list is remove your cd's/dvd's when you are not using the drive. The disc is still spinning away and causing unnecessary wear and tear on your computer. Put the disc away in its case so it doesn't get dusty.
• Never use warped, cracked, or badly scratched discs in your drives.
• Don't put labels on the unprinted, shiny side of the disc surface. If both sides are shiny, don't put labels on either side. As for the printed side, ONLY USE CD/DVD labels. Never put stickies or other types of labels on CDs; they can come off in the drive and ruin the hardware. Always remove post-it notes before you put a cd in a drive and if you prefer to write information on a CD, use a permanent marker not a ball-point pen or pencil.
• Don't move your computer while a CD/dvd is reading.
•  Avoid drive exposure to extreme temperatures (above 110 F) and high humidity (above 40%). Don't place drive (or discs) in direct sunlight.
•  Never put a dusty or dirty disc into the drive. HP recommends that you do not clean the drive or discs with alcohol which can damage the finish. For the discs, use wipes or cleaners especially designed for discs. For the drive itself, use drive-cleaning kits. Always consult manufacturer directions regarding cleaning.
• Don't use novelty-shaped discs such as rectangular or heart shaped and only use round mini-discs if your drive door has an indentation to fit them.
• Do handle discs from the edges; avoid leaving fingerprints on the data side of the disc; such oily residue can cause the optical reader to skip or miss data.
•  Last, but not least, avoid using the CD tray as a cupholder. :)

I've Got Power Issues Stuck in my Head!

Photo courtesy of Terry Webb. Used with permission.

I've got power on the brain so I'm blogging it. If a small shock that give someone after walking across carpet can give a person a shock, imagine what an electrical storm can do. You need a surge protector on every expensive piece of electrial equipment that you own. Save the receipt and box together in some safe place. Read this previous post for more information about surge protectors: http://janetperkinstech.blogspot.com/2010/04/surge-protection-pays-off.html

Also you have to be concern about power cuts. Sudden power cuts can cause hard drive issues. An uninterruptible power (UPS) supply can help with that. A UPS is a battery for your computer that kicks in when you lose power. They can also provide surge suppression power. Here's a simple UPS designed for home use: APC Back-UPS ES 8 Outlet 550VA 120V.

Never Install a Second Antivirus Program

If you install a second antivirus program the two programs will work against each other and bog your computer down to the point that it is painful to work on it. I once logged into a computer that had three antivirus programs! I was crying "Uncle!" The more you install on a computer that stays resident in the computer's memory, the slower the computer will go. It's like carrying two 50lb sacks of potatoes- one is a heavy load. (Omg my villager girl is showing, but at least I didn't say taters.)

Most Internet Security Suites are merely bloatware. They slow down your computer and provide protection that most internet providers already provide through the internet hardware appliance. If you are unsure of what protection you need for your computer, ask your internet provider. In most cases, all you really need is the Windows Firewall, an antivirus program and a malware program. Internet Security Suites rob your system of resources (and rob your wallet of money) and often affect performance negatively and unecessarily. You can turn off certain features of an internet security suite, but why pay for extra feautures if you don't really need them? Ditch the internet security suites and opt instead for the 3 recommended program types: Windows Firewall (which comes installed with Windows, a plain antivirus program and malware protection).

Your computer has a finite amount of memory; don't fill it needlessly. Here's a review of my new favorite antivirus: http://janetperkins.wordpress.com/2010/04/03/product-review-microsoft-security-essentials/; it explains why you should give it a try!

Give Hootsuite a Try!

This is just one of the applications I'm using to send updates to my social networking sites. It's a real time saver! I usually just ignored 1 or 2 of my sites, now I can keep them all up to date. What I like about this program is the interface is easy to use. It's easy to set up and you can easily check which sites you want to send your update to. You can add Twitter, Facebook, Facebook Fan Pages, LinkedIn, Ping.fm, Wordpress, MySpace and Foursquare.

Pretty slick! Give it a try. http://hootsuite.com/

Flash drives are the new floppy disk.

Ever wonder why hard disks are called hard disks? Those of you who are new to computers probably have never used a floppy disk. Older computers may still have a 3.5" floppy drive, but really the disks aren't floppy. When I first started studying computer science, floppy disks were floppy! They were 5.25" and the plastic disks were in a lightweight cardboard. They often failed and were easy to damage being they were so floppy. Prior to the 5.25" floppy, 8" floppy was the standard. That was before I got involved into computers so I've never used one. Nowadays, we are storage piggies. At least I am. That's why I bought this: Western Digital 1 TB Caviar Green SATA Intellipower 64 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Desktop Hard Drive WD10EARS. I love this drive, even though my photos, music, and data files don't even approach half the capacity.

Most people only need a flash drive for storage. This is my new work flash drive: Corsair Flash Voyager 16 GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive CMFUSB2.0-16GB. It stood up to the durability test for my office mate, so I'm sure it'll be sufficient for me as well. What I already like about it is they didn't put anything extra on it. I don't like extra flash drive utility programs. I just want something easy to use and this is.

Professional people who don't carry a laptop with them wherever they go need a flash drive to store their important documents on. Even if you do store your documents on your laptop and bring it with you wherever you go, you still need a flash drive. What if your laptop is stolen or you break it? Your files need to be backed up. Backing them up to a flash is a green way to do it and, at the risk of sounding oink  oink oink, you have more storage capacity on a flash than you do on a cd. It's financially smart too because you don't have to keep buying cds (or dvds).

Grandparents: you can store lots of photos of your grandchildren on your flash drive. ;)

If you don't have a flash drive, buy one! Even they have multipacks of flash drives at Costco/BJs so you can buy one for everyone in your family. Backup your files today!

Protecting Your Passwords

Here's what you should be doing regarding passwords:

• Change your passwords every 60-90 days
• Use a combination of uppercase, lower case and numbers. This is called a strong password. When computing online it's important to use strong passwords. Weak passwords use just letters or just numbers. 1234 isn't a good password. 24poodle1977 is a better choice. And the more characters, the harder it is to crack - go with at least 6 or more characters. And don't come up with this super secure password then write it on a sticky note on your computer monitor. 
• Keeping your password to yourself. Some companies write up employees who break security protocols and even terminate them.
• Always log out of public computers.
• Password protect your laptop (in case it's stolen or you lose it).

Here's what you shouldn't be doing:

• Never email your password-even if you use an encrypted email, it's bad form to email passwords.
• Don't keep default passwords to anything. Always change your password right away when getting into a new system.
• Don't believe emails saying this is IT and we need your passwords. This is a social engineering attack aka spear phishing.
• Never leave your passwords in plain sight.
• Don't use the same password for everything.

C is for Cookie

A cookie  is a small piece of text which is stored on your computer by your web browser. AKA tracking cookie. A cookie consists of information such as user names and passwords. Cookies should be deleted often. You can do that by going to Tools, Internet Options and clicking on delete. Cookies can be used maliciously as spyware. You can set your browser to auto-delete cookies.

Cookies aren't all bad. They are used to remember your information so that you don't have to type it in over and over again. With ease of use come vulnerability to spyware attack. So you may have to do some extra typing, it's worth it. Cookies can't cause pop-ups or spamming, but they can provide information about you. Wireless users need to be diligent at deleting cookies!

Cookies are also delicious sabateours of many diets!

All About Laptop Batteries

Rechargeable batteries have undergone an evolution. The first ones were NiCd (nickel cadmium)and they had a memory problem; if you charged a half drained battery you could only charge it half way the next time. Then, came the NiMH (nickel metal hydride) batteries which are used in cameras, kids’ toys and whatever you need rechargeable batteries for.

Today’s laptops are using lithium-ion batteries. Over time, like any battery, they will lose their ability to hold a charge and need to be replaced (even if it isn't being used). However, they are different from the batteries in the past in that they should not be completely drained or they will lose their ability to hold a charge sooner. HP recommends never using more than 60% of the battery power. When you need to charge your battery several times a day, then you know it’s time to replace it. HP also suggests that laptop batteries need to be replaced every year. While that may be a little bit of a stretch, they don't last forever. Since they are so costly, here are some tips to extend the life of your laptop battery.

• The best thing you can do to extend your battery life is not use it. But, that's what it is for, right? Yes and no. It's designed to be used when electrical power is not available. If you are sitting at your desk, plug it in to AC (and leave the battery in your laptop case for when you really need it.)
• Having a second battery reduces the number of charges to one battery. It also gives you extra time while stuck on a long flight.
• Never charge a battery for more than 8 hours. Check the manufacturer’s website for charging times and follow them!
• Many manufacturers have battery check programs. Consult the help section of your computer to find the battery check program for your laptop. Such programs will provide you a graphical look at the condition of your battery which can be more accurate than what Windows or the battery meter in the sys tray shows. Charging and recharging a battery confuses Windows and it eventually will start give you bad readings. Use a battery check program for accurate results.
• Never remove or insert the battery with the AC power on.

Finally, some tips on how to get the most out of your charge:

• Don’t watch DVDs on battery power.
• Don’t run intensive applications (like games and CAD) on battery power.
• Turn off your wireless radio signal when not connecting wirelessly. (Many laptop models have a button near their keyboards with a blue light lit when wireless is on)
• Reduce the brightness of your screen. A really bright screen is a big battery hog.
• Don’t store your laptop and battery at places where there are temperature extremes. Too cold or too hot for you is too cold or too hot for your computer battery.

As with all technology topics, it pays to do your homework. Read the documentation for your computer and follow the instructions for your model. They are ridiculously pricey because they are not standardized across computer manufacturers.

Do You Like Spear Phishers?

I don't! They pretend to be ME while targeting YOU. I don't like them at all! You'll get an email from TECHNOLOGY DESK or IT HELPDESK asking you for personal information, it's probably not from me. If an IT staffer wants your information, we'll pick up the phone and call you. Spear phishers are bad. They pretend to be somebody in your company needing your information. Don't fall for them. Call whoever is sending you an email if you are suspicious about it. If technology is wanting to contact everyone in an organization, usually it is done from an email address you recognize; don't look at the name -- look at the email address. It probably doesn't end in yourcompany.com, but some generic email like yahoo or hotmail. That's a warning flag.

Be cautious when opening emails from people you don't know. If you need to do that for business, make sure you don't open their attachments without verifying their identities. If you absolutely know it's a phisher, like UK lottery scammers, don't reply because once they receive your email they know it's a valid email address and you'll be marked as a target for more emails. 

Be Careful Which Ecard Provider You Choose

Happy Easter everyone. He is Risen! May you know the joy of the resurrection in your heart every day. I just wanted to caution you against probably the most common infection I find OTJ. FunWebProducts isn't very much fun for me! Maybe it's fun at the time for you, but in the long run it won't be.

Safe places to send ecards from:

• Prea (for Prudential affilitates only) 
• Yahoo American Greetings 
• Blue Mountain 
•  Care2 Cards
• The absolute best place for Easter cards (and other Christian holiday cards) that I've found is Crosswalk 
• For Jewish holidays, Jew Cards
• For Eid cards, Eid Mubarak (Eid Mubarak means Congratulations on the holiday)
• For Buddhist ecards click here 
• Hindu click here

The general rule of thumb, is paid sites are safe. There are, of course, exceptions. Religious sites tend to be sponsored by that religion and are usually safe. If you would like me to add any safe sites to the list, I'll be happy to. These are the ones that I have found to be safe and I'll be glad to check yours out. With all these great sites, you don't need FunWebProducts or the headaches associated with that site!

Enjoy your Easter holiday.

Surge Protection Pays Off!

Electricity does not flow through your house or office at a constant rate; it fluctuates. It goes low and high like a wave. The high part is what I want to talk to you about in this article. Years ago, my brother’s upstate NY home was hit by lightning. Everything in the home that was plugged into an electrical outlet was lost…. From the garbage disposal to the major appliances. Anything plugged into the wall was lost and, fortunately, covered by his homeowner’s insurance. You know how they say lightning never strikes the same place twice? Well THEY are WRONG. It did. He lost everything again and gave up and sold the house.

So what should he have done? We all know the answer, yet no one does it. You unplug everything from the wall, well at least everything you care about. Lightning strikes at such an incredible speed and intensity; the only safe thing to do is power down. Read stories or play cards until the storm passes. If you are using a laptop, you can run on battery power until the storm passes but don't be connected to the internet unless it's by wireless. And while you are at it, reach around and unplug the cable to your TV. Both TV cable and network cables can conduct electricity and send "spikes" to your electronics damaging them.

Plain power strips don’t provide surge protection against spikes. They only provide power for multiple devices.
A surge protector comes with a guarantee for X amount of dollars should your equipment suffer electrical damage. The guarantee is on the packaging. If it isn’t there, then it is most likely a plain power strip and good for your clock radio and lamp, but not your precious electronics.

Belkin and APC are the big names in surge protection. I usually stick to one of those two, but any brand will do the job; be sure to save the packaging and receipt in case you ever need to collect on that guarantee you are buying. You should compare the ratings and ensure you are getting a good quality surge protector. Of course with all electrical stuff, you can get bells and whistles which include plastic outlet covers, network and phone cable surge protection, and swivel plugs. You'll have to decide what fits your budget.

When you are buying surge protection, think about more than just your computer. Remember your $2000 big-screen TV, stereo systems and even printers!

Choosing a Laptop Bag

I was surprised to find there is very little on this subject on the web. So here's my thoughts and experience of 18 years of lugging around laptops on airlines, trains, buses, and cars.

• Never use a regular tote bag to transport your laptop. Maybe you have been lucky so far, but your hardware investment will go down the drain very quickly with one hard, unprotected knock. Please don't chance it.
• Buy a quality case. I always buy Targus cases. They are padded well and come with a killer warranty. Keep your warranty information and receipt in a safe place.
• Slingback and backpack cases are popular with women because they are stylish. Ok, this is the type I have, I admit it. It came in really handy on my last trip when I had to arrive at the gate for my next flight ten minutes before we landed. My flight was delayed and I was able to put my computer on my back and half run to my gate in another terminal (of course).
• Hard cases offer more protection than soft cases, but they add to the weight you are carrying around. These are long lasting and are popular with commuters who don't have other peripherals to carry around; they hold the laptop and not much more.
• The rolling laptop bag has really gained in popularity, especially with people who are on the go locally, but not traveling. Weight isn't a big problem with these because you are rolling around the weight. If you have a heavy laptop you might want to consider one.
• No laptop case provides complete protection against abuse. Never check your laptop bag. When packing this bag don't overstuff it especially if you are going on a small commuter flight with limited overhead room. The airline will ask you to check your bag and you will end up hand carrying your computer while its bag goes in the belly of the plane.
• Add identification to whichever laptop case you buy. Make sure your contact phone number stays updated.

Best Computing Practices

Sometimes we do things because they are fast, but not necessarily the best thing for us. When we are lax it provides an opportunity for neer-do-wells to strike. The following is information technology "common knowledge" that we are passing on to you.
Passwords belong to you. It's poor computer security to tell your passwords to coworkers or people that you allow to use your computer. Once you tell them your password, change it immediately after they are done using your computer. If coworkers need access to your files, create a shared directory of files.  Best computing practice is that each person has their own private password.
Best computing practice is to set up your computer so that other profiles cannot see your files. Best computing practice is to have a Windows log on password. This is especially important if your children use your computer. Disabling the guest account is also recommended security practice until such time that it is needed.
If a coworker needs access to your email, auto forward your email to them. Another alternative is to create a separate email address just for shared business functions. OURTEAMSELLSITQUICK@honestfolk.com could be shared by all team members as an address for responses to email inquiries about a property. If you have a shared resource such as an email address, it's important to change the password immediately after someone leaves your team even if Joe Realtor is still your personal friend. (Joe might turn into Judas.) Change your password every 60 days. Use strong passwords (combination of letters and numbers or characters).
Lock your computer. If you walk away from your computer to get a cup of coffee, lock your workstation. Although you may trust your colleagues, it is not considered good computing practice to walk away from your computer and leave it unlocked. This is especially important if your computer has access to sensitive information. USB flash drives make it real easy to pocket your prospect's names and contact information. "Trust no one" is best computing practice and it's just easier to trust everyone with a locked computer. You wouldn't leave a full wallet on your desk!
Store your backups in a secure location (safe, bank vault, or at least a locked file cabinet). They should be labeled and dated in case you need to get to them quickly (but not on your desk next to your keyboard). Backups are like insurance. They hurt at the time, but when something happens you are real happy you have them. Whether you do weekly backups or biweekly backups, check to see that you can see the data on your backup media. If you are not backing up your files, begin immediately!  If your email is critical to you and you are an outlook POP3 user, you probably should be backing up your PST file as well. Imagine that lightning struck your computer and you lost everything. Make a list of everything that you wish you could have retrieved from your computer. Now go back up everything on the list.
If we start thinking of our files and our contacts as cash, we'd probably take better care to safeguard them. Take care of your data and email and it will take care of you!

No, You're Really Not Offering Your Friends Foreign Brides

You're infected, is all.

1. Make sure your antivirus definitions (and client) are updated. Run a scan. (If you have a good antivirus program that should take care of the trojans responsible for this.)
2. Update and run your spyware.
3. Make sure your Microsoft updates are completed.

Regards,
Janet

Product Review iPod Shuffle

If you are looking for last-minute items to stick in Easter baskets, here's one you might want to consider. I've purchased almost every type of mp3 player, but this one is my favorite.

Apple iPod shuffle 4 GB Pink (4th Generation) NEWEST MODEL
Yes, of course, it's pink. It comes in other colors.

Apple iPod shuffle 4 GB Black (4th Generation) NEWEST MODEL

Apple iPod shuffle 4 GB Blue (4th Generation) NEWEST MODEL

Apple iPod shuffle 4 GB Silver (4th Generation) NEWEST MODEL

Here's what Apple gets right:

• Voice over: Pressing the volume control on the headphone cord tells you who's the artist and the name of the song.
• Fast downloading of songs: It really does transfer faster than my old mp3 players.
• iTunes library: You can arrange different playlists. One library for work, one for working out, one for chilling, put an audio book on it for your work drive and one for whatever you do. You name the library and can easily sync it to your iPod. It's really slick how easily you can change the playlist on it. You don't have to drag folders or delete.

I love it; I hope you will too. Does anyone own this one already? What is your opinion of it?

Different Types of Email

Web-based: You can access them through a web interface only. Usually they are free and they come with no support or guarantees against email loss. If someone hacks your email, you have no legal action you can take against the email provider. There is no encryption offered with them either, so confidential emails that you send through them are sent as plain text and can be easily intercepted. Examples of this type of email is Yahoo and Hotmail. I would not recommend sending any SSNs or contracts through this type of email. Gmail is encrypted. If you are unsure about your email and whether it is encrypted or not, contact your email provider's website. AOL has some encryption, but the abundance of AOL decryption programs makes AOL a poor choice for sending business emails.

Pop3: Pop3 downloads to a single computer and stays on that computer. You are limited only by the storage limit of your email client. The disadvantage of Pop3 is you can view your email on only the computer that it is downloaded to.

IMAP: IMAP is an Internet folder and can be used as either web-based or with an email client. It has a storage limit set by the Internet provider. The advantage is its versatility and you can see your email from any computer in the world. That's why it is my personal favorite.

Using company provided email is usually the best option for business customers because there is both the encryption that you need for confidential transactions and the guarantee if something goes wrong. At my company, we can restore emails up until 2 weeks after the email loss.

Exchange email: Exchange is an email system that provides both web based email and Outlook email. The storage limit is limited only by the hardware of the host computer. The disadvantage is administration and cost. A medium sized company will need an Exchange administrator full time to take care of this email system. The software and hardware are expensive to replace. Ten years ago, Exchange was the all the rage, but it has gone out of fashion because of the high expense needed to maintain it. In today's economy, Exchange is losing big time.

Whatever email you use, it's important to know how to back it and if you need to do so. It's also important to know if it provides encryption or falls short of being a good business email system.

I Can't Standz No More

Remember watching Popeye as a kid? He says, "I've had all that I can stand, and I can't standz no more!" Well, ditto. Every day I'm working on viruses.

Here's what you are doing wrong:

• Using LimeWire
• Installing "fun"web products
• Using MySpace
• Using ViewPoint Media Player
• Using IE
• Using Facebook apps without using Firefox and the adblock plus add-on
• Not running scans
• Not having any current antivirus program on your computer
• Ignoring disabled antivirus warning
• Clicking on offers to "clean" your computer
• Having MSN as your IE homepage.
• Trusting Norton SafeWeb.

Continue doing all of this and I'll be talking to you soon!

The Geniuses at Microsoft.

April Fool's! The "geniuses" at Microsoft by default have your computer automatically restart after an update is applied. So if you go to lunch and lock your computer with a document not saved, you get a terrible surprise.

Save your work whenever you go away from your computer and know what your settings are. In Windows 7 and Vista: start circle, control panel, system security, automatic updates. In xp, start, control panel, automatic updates.

At least the settings are highly customizable even if the geniuses at Microsoft aren't.