What Type of Printer Interface Do You Need?

When you are buying a printer, one of the first questions you are asked is wired, wireless, or USB. I don't even think you can buy SCSI, firewire, parallel or serial printers except for specialty business printers. Here's how you know what type of printer interface you need:

USB: For a home single user. Desktop users not sharing out their printers. It's a direct connection so this is fast but not as fast as an ethernet printer. We are talking hi-speed 2.0 USB with a data transfer rate of 480 mbps. If the device doesn't say "HIGH speed USB" then assume it is 12 mbps.

Wired:For multiple computer users need to connect to a printer. Also when you need faster data transfer rates! This speed varies, but can be up to 1000 mbps for gigabit ethernet. Fast ethernet is about 100 mbps.

Wireless: Small house (short distance for the wireless signal to travel) and multiple users want to connect. Also choose this if you don't have a network drop for the location where you want to place the printer. Wireless data transfer rate depends on the wireless card you have and the wireless router you have. Usually it's slower, but more convenient than wired printing.

Hope this helps!

Save a Backup Copy of Your Outlook Contacts for a Rainy Day!

In Outlook:

• Go to File and Export
• Export to a File
• Choose PST if you just want a backup, otherwise choose CSV (comma-separated values-Windows one) if you want to import into another program like webmail.
• Choose the Contacts folder and Next
• Choose the path where you want to save this file to and Next.
• Watch it export the addresses!

Store them on your phone, Google or another webmail!

I'm Never First in Line for Tech Purchases

I'll admit it; I never buy anything when it first comes out. I wait. I wait for all the bugs to be fixed. Example: iPhone4 has a reception problem that won't be solved until the first week of July (estimated). So all the folks who waited in line for this item have to put up with reception problems for over a month (when they could be enjoy good reception with their old phone).

When an OS (operating system) comes out, all the hackers try to find the vulnerabilities. It takes a couple of months for the vulnerabilities to be exposed and patches made and distributed.

Price usually drops with age; so waiting usually makes financial sense too! Now if they offer 50% off if you buy right now, I'm there!! I always buy things at bargain prices. I've got plenty of gadgets, but they were all on sale when I bought them! My digital camera is never far from me and was 50% off. I don't know how I managed before I bought a gps (sale), 2 cell phones (practically giveaway) in case I have a problem with one of them, 3 printers (all free with tech purchases), lots of computers, and you can have my iPod when you pry it out of my cold, dead fingers.

Why do people feel they HAVE to have something right when it comes out? Does it have to do with self-esteem? Certainly having a buggy product isn't about having something better than everyone else! Is it about curiousity? Do they just have to see exactly what it can do? Is it something else???? Please, I would appreciate any enlightenment you can provide on this subject.

Use Rechargeable Batteries for Maximum Green Power!

Using rechargeable batteries is a green thing to do, yet many people don't consider battery type when they purchase electronic items. For me this is always a major consideration. What always flashes through my green mind is do I have the right type of charger for this battery type? (Or will I need to fill up landfills with batteries?)

Rechargeable batteries aren't right for everything: smoke detectors, remote controls, alarm clocks, and emergency items. For these items you need alkaline because they drain slower.

Rechargers are getting pretty cheap these days and some even come free with the purchase of batteries.  Next time you make a tech purchase, consider how you are going to power it! Steer in the direction of rechargeable for maximum green.

Yep, I'm Snobby (When It Comes to Camera Lenses)

Ok, I'm a lens snob. A relative who was a film major taught me to be one. The better the lens, the better the photo. I'll be the first to admit that I'm a crappy photographer, but somehow in spite of myself I manage to pull off some really good photos. It's the camera, not me and I know it. I have gone through every brand of digital camera, mainly because I lose cameras (my fault). Now, I don't experiment with brands any more. I locate the best Nikon I can afford and get that one.

Lens do make a difference. Once you've owned a Nikon lens, you love Nikon lenses. People always ask me when they see my photos which type of camera took it. It's always a Nikon point and shoot (because I don't know how to use SLR, nor have the desire to learn). If you would prefer an expert opinion see this link: http://photo.net/equipment/35mm/canon-v-nikon.


I bought my mother, who is in her 70s, a Nikon point and shoot. It was her first digital camera. When I gave it to her she said something to the effect of she already had a camera. Now she can't part with this camera. Even she will not loan it out and she loans out everything.

Next time you are in the market for a digital camera, consider a Nikon.; really they rock. Unless you are buying for your department a shared camera, then buy something that won't disappear; a Nikon one will. Anyone have experience with Nikon cameras/lenses and like to share about it?

Free Alternative for Desktop Publishing

I don't have 500$ to spend on a desktop publishing program, so I download a great program for desktop publishing. The publisher is Serif and the program is called PagePlus Starter Edition. It's totally free and it only requires your name and email address to get a key to activate the software.

PagePlus is a fully-functioning desktop publishing software program. Some advanced-features such as export to PDF, adding hyperlinks, and bookmarking are disabled. If you can live without those, then you are good to go! If you absolutely need the advanced features, you can buy the full version of it PagePlusX4 for just $79.99. That's a far cry from the price of the desktop publishing programs of similar caliber. The only program that is available in that price range is PrintShop and you don't want your documents looking like your kid made them!

If you want to spend 19.99$ more, but don't want to upgrade to PagePlusX4, you can receive the Companion Content Pack which includes 2000 graphics, extra fonts, 800 templates and more. Also, quite a bargain!

Download Serif PagePlus from http://www.serif.com/FreeDownloads/.

Enjoy!

Freebie Windows Vista and 7 owners must use!

Windows 7 and Vista come with a built in defrag scheduled, but it doesn't run unless the computer is on at the scheduled time. You can use the Windows defrag, but in Windows 7 and Vista, it is non-graphical and people just don't like it.

A freebie I recommend is Defraggler. Even the name sounds cool. It's not WOW cool, but it will do. It's graphical and has colors. Best of all, it's freeware. Download Defraggler from: http://www.piriform.com/defraggler/download. Be sure to click on the second choice, download from Piriform. Enjoy and keep those hard drives defragged for a faster computing experience!

I Want More Memory!

Sure you do; everyone does. Everyone always complains about the memory on their computers, saying they need more. If you want to upgrade the memory in your system.

Here's how to determine how much memory you have: right click on MY COMPUTER and then choose properties. The box that comes up will tell you how much RAM you have. Then, open the case and see how many slots are filled and see how many are empty. From there, you just do the math to see what size sticks you have.

Then consult with the documentation that came with the computer. The motherboard's documentation will accurately tell you how much RAM the motherboard will support. If you phone the manufacturer or consult with a website (which is what most people do), the company may (and probably will) oversell you RAM and waste your money! If you lost your documentation, call the manufacturer of your computer and, hopefully, you'll get a good salesperson.

Only upgrade memory one time on a computer. If you are thinking about upgrading RAM a second time, think about buying a new computer.

Good luck with your new memory!

You've Got Mail! Is It Safe??

Maybe. Maybe not. If the email is from an employee, say his name is Tommy, who you have been exchanging emails with for four years and in that entire time Tommy has never had a virus. That tells you Tommy runs a pretty squeaky clean system and you can trust files from him.

What is the employee sending you a file is one who gets a virus every other month? I'd suggest downloading the file and then scanning it with updated antivirus prior to opening it.

What if you advertise for a position? Well then you have to accept files from people with resumes and letters of recommendation. This is so dangerous though. Perhaps you could save all resumes received to a flash drive and then scan the flash drive with updated antivirus before opening the files.

What if you get an unsolicited resume? You didn't advertise for a position, but you get one anyways. In our present economy, it may be a bona fide solicitation for work. If the wording is very suspicous or if there are misspellings or grammatical errors that lead you to believe that the person is not from this country, delete the email without responding. If the email gives you your company name and has your name or something about the community, then it might be safe to respond, but ask the person to copy and paste his/her resume as text so it's safer for you. If they comply, then maybe it's safe to accept attachments from them in the future. Suspicion is good. Scanning is good.

Your computer is a part of you. You can't practice email abstainance, so you have to practice safe emailing these days.  You don't end up with an unwanted virus and have to go to the computer doctor for a prescription. Hope this helps!

The Writing on the Wall

Writing on someone's facebook wall posts  a message on the profile page of one of your facebook buddies. It also puts it in the newsfeed for you and any common buddies. It does not put it in the newsfeed for uncommon facebook friends. Some folks disable this feature so that uncommon friends don't see the posts and because they don't want your posts on their walls. You'll know this is the case when you see it's their birthday and you click on their name and you can't post to their wall; you get an error message. Personally, I don't like people writing on my wall. I don't have it disabled at present, but I don't know why I just don't like it. Maybe it's because I am shy.

What to do in that case: Send them a message or an email wishing them a happy birthday or anniversary.
What not to do in that case: Send the wish in your news feed. When you just type a message in the "What's on your mind?" area, the message posts to all your friends, even people who do not know the person. If a person has disabled wall posting, they probably don't want their name in the news feeds of strangers. It also annoys the people who are not common friends. If everyone wishes everyone on their friend list happy birthday via the newsfeed, it adds up to a LOT of birthday wishes for today strangers. So that's a lot of annoying people unecessarily (which increases the chance of your newsfeed being hid or worse yet being unfriended).

Here's a list of things that people don't like and hide/unfriend for:

• game posts (create a gamer's list -see instructions in my previous post)
• too many posts
• posts to deceased people(it's likely only the living see FB posts anyways)
• daily reports of workouts (seems people are only interested in their own workouts)
• indecent photos, excessive profanity (I unfriended someone for this reason!)
• false information in posts
• excessive commercial posts (mix personal and business!)

These are things people have mentioned to me; tell me, what have you unfriended people for?

I Wish I Were a Widgit... I Could Fit in ANYwhere!

Widgits are great. They are chunks of  code that add functionality to a web page. You can stick them in Blogger accounts to add functionality to your blog. For example, you can add a widgit that allows people to tweet your blog entry or Facebook it. 

You can add a widgit to Facebook to add functionality. For example, you can go to realtor.com and create a widgit that will allow you to put your listing with photo on your Facebook profile.

Whatever you use widgits for, they are definitely an enhancement for a webpage. Share what you learn about creating widgits with others!

When Your Kids Go Off To College With a Laptop...

They should have this for their laptop. Even I use this every day to protect my personal laptop. The Targus brand has thicker padding than its competitors and has lasted me through my many travels. It's small enough to fit in overhead bins and the price is really low. It  has plenty of other compartments for all your storage needs... even a place for your waterbottle.

Laptops should not be stored in a regular tote bag. I've seen many people do it, but it's very risky. Laptops shouldn't be stored in cars either! The extreme temperatures are bad for everything inside the laptop. This backpack design makes it easy for me to travel with my laptop and not leave it in the car where it can get stolen or heat damaged.

Hope you like yours as much as I like mine!

Are You Being Smished?

I'm not, but I don't have a popular cellular provider. You probably are. Smishing=phishing attack to your cell phone via SMS. Most people nowadays know not to put "Mom", "Dad", "Home" in their cell phones in cast they are lost or stolen. Instead use Mom's last name and first initial. If you put "Hubby," a thief can text a message asking for his pin number because he "forgot" it.

However, much of your personal information is available for theft. Some folks have their cell phone numbers on their websites; those folks need to be especially carefull. If your cell phone is unpublished, it's still out there. You've given your cell phone number to doctors, car repair centers, 411, friends and family. Perhaps it's on a utility bill or an order form. Random phone number generators are available too. Once they hit upon a working number, it's a target for smishing. Don't use SMS to give personal information unless requested to do so by voice first.

Overall smishing attacks have gone down this year because of the arrest of the world's largest cyber criminal gang. Other gangs have increased their efforts. If you get a pop-up on your phone asking to verify your password, phone your cellular provider and ask if it's a valid request from them.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Janet

Hide Your Post From Me!

Ok, This is something that is very little practiced on Facebook: lists and hiding. You can organise lists in Facebook: say friends and family, Tamil speakers and English speakers, coworkers and neighbors, or hip people and prudes. When you publish your Facebook posts you can publish to that list you created and even you can hide publishing from certain individuals.

Click on the down triangle (see the picture on the right) in between the share button and the padlock. Up will pop up a box and you can drop down to whichever friend list you want to publish to. In the bottom box you can drop down and specify a list that you want to hide the post from.  So, if you want to hide your drinking pictures from your coworkers, you can drop down in the bottom box to your coworkers list. It will still post in your profile, so be careful what you post in Facebook always. I recommend don't drink and Facebook!

Reply All Means Telling Too Much!!

Another Facebook design flaw is in messaging. Every Facebook user needs to be especially careful about this. If someone sends you a message as part of  list of people and you hit the obvious reply button at the bottom of the message, you are replying to all of the message recipients. If you want to reply to only the sender of the message, you have to find the very small text at the top of the message that says Reply is for when you want to reply only to the sender of that message.  This is something worth complaining about I think. I've made this mistake and so have my friends.

In Outlook and Thunderbird, the Reply and Reply All buttons are equal size and in the same area so it's harder to make that mistake. In Yahoo and Gmail you have to drop down to get to the Reply All button. These ways seem much more logical than the way Facebook is doing it.

Just my two cents which is worth less than two cents I think!

My Internet Explorer is Not Working!!!

Heard it hundreds of times. IE is hijacked. If your Outlook is sending and receiving email and other browsers are browsing web pages, then your IE has been hijacked or hosed. Good. Use the other browser.

If you are stubborn and daft, and still want to fix it, try running virus and adware scans. If that fixes your problem, then seriously contemplate: if IE is so easily hijacked, should I continue to use it? If you do continue to use it, you risk identity theft and blacklisting. Is it worth risking either of those things? If you are doing this at work, you risk your whole company being blacklisted. Your whole company will feel the effects for weeks of your infection if you get blacklisted. Identity theft is expensive to fix and takes months to repair.

Still want to use IE? Try removing the proxy settings and see if you can connect to the Internet. Tools, Internet Options, LAN settings, and wipe out everything leaving a check mark in the top box. Restart your browser. If your IE still isn't fixed, reinstall Windows and choose a safer browser next time.

Refusal to learn a new browser is no excuse for ditching IE. When cell phones came out, did you stick with your home handset and say cell phones were too hard to learn? Of course not. You learned how to use a cell phone and a new browser is much less complicated than a cell phone. Spend the time to learn a new browser, and you will love it after a short time.

Email 101 for Beginners... Understanding the "System"

This is the basics of how emails work. This is important for all beginner users to read. Say I wanted to set up a public email server with my friends: Jim and Steve. It's important I pick guys who can handle stuff when I am sick or on vacation. Otherwise I have to hire people to do it (which is what google, yahoo, and all the other mail providers do, but I've got confidence in these two guys).

I buy my equipment: a big computer called a server that has lots connections to the internet. I register my domain: janetopoly.com. I connect my computer to the internet. Install software to handle the email load (many of you have heard of Microsoft Exchange, but that is just one of many programs that will do that and if I am smart I won't be using that program or even a Windows-based system.)

Next I advertise Janetopopoly email accounts. I've decided to make them free accounts. You sign up for one and you get a welcome email from webmaster@janetopoly.com telling you to invite your friends to janetopoly email. They sign up and then everyone knows about this free email service.

One day you have a problem with janetopoly email. You call your friend, Maxine, and tell her you are having a problem with janetopoly email. She asks what you want her to do about it and tells you I didn't invite her to be an admin to that system so she can't log into that computer and check on her problem. She tells you to call myself, Steve or Jim. She calls Jim and he logs into the system and finds out she is using a port that her internet provider blocked and tells her what port to use and she is able to send mail again.  Then she thanks Jim and says great, now can you help me with my Quintenium email. Does Jim help her? Can Jim help her? Probably not. Unless Quintenium ALSO asked Jim to be an admin with their system and gave him an access account and password to log into their system. (Just like you can't use your Macy's card at Nordstrom, one username and password doesn't work at all sites.)

Each email server computer has users and admins. Usually the computers are located in different states and the admins of one computer are not the admins of another email server. The Comcast guy can't help you with Verizon email (and vice versa) any more thatn the Comcast guy can help you with plumbing issues. Each email server has different systems on them.

With email issues, always:

• check to see there is a working internet connection.
• check to see that other people are able to use the same email system
• check the web interface to make sure the system is working.

Never:

• send personal information through unencrypted email systems (such as yahoo or hotmail).
• archive  old emails in an email system that can be easily hacked.
• leave your email logged in on a public computer.

He Seemed Fine to Me

Ever hear that from a young lady about a fellow she dated that turned out to be a bad guy? Well rogues (antivirus infections) are the same way. They look nice from the beginning just like their human counterparts, but after some time their shenanigans start!

When a girl wants to date a guy, she checks him out. She gets to know everything she can about him before she actually gets in a car with him! It would be unwise to do otherwise! Well, when you want to install something on your computer, you should do the same. Google the "program" offering to "help" you with your computer otherwise you might end up in a bad situation same as the girl who didn't check out her date! If the first ten items are tech sites telling how to clean that program, then steer clear of it. Sometimes the website for the program will come up in the first ten, but the other sites are bashing the program. Believe the bashers. Most bad guys say they are good guys.

What a rogue looks like: usually a pop-up or an email offering to help you clean up your computer. The name usually sounds very helpful, but don't let a helpful name fool you. Once you have installed it, you seem to be locked out of anything until you purchase the software you thought you had already downloaded and installed. What you downloaded was an infection and now the infector wants you to pay for cleaning up the infection that he caused. At this point download Malwarebytes Antimalware and run to clean your infection. If that doesn't work, get some tech help.

Make scanning for adware a regular part of your computer maintenance time. Use a safe browser. Don't click pop ups. Research virus and adware programs prior to installing them. Re-evaluate yearly to see that your virus protection needs are being met.

Do You Like Vampires?

Ok, I'll admit, I like vampires, but only on the silver screen. Real life vampires, I hunt down and kill. I'm not talking blood-sucking undead creatures, but electronic equipment that you think is powered off. Electronic equipment that isn't used can suck up your electricity which is why it is called a "vampire load." We don't like those, do we? Older monitors that don't have an energy saver mode are energy hogs. Big older printers that don't have energy-save mode stickers on them are also vampire loads. Maybe a scanner that you use maybe once every two or three weeks is your vampire load.

Check your power settings to make sure they are energy efficient, but before you do that do check with your manufacturer as to how to get your system out of energy-saving mode. Turning off your computer will get it out, but it's better if you follow the manufacturer's instructions for this.

Free Website with Integrated Blogger

Have a hobby or an interesting life and need a free website to talk about it? Want to rant and rave on the Internet? Here's your chance!

Read more:
http://www.networksolutions.com/free-website/index.jsp?siteid=519&channelid=P128C519S512N0B2A1D544E0000V101&ProspectID=CC0AC603DA41483AA728ADF89D18FA98&clickid=1517872128

Once You've Been Infected, What Next?

After your computer has been uninfected, what is your strategy for the future?

It should include:

• changing all online passwords. Use a strong password (combination of letters and numbers with one capital letter at least six characters long). You do not know for sure that your passwords have been compromised, but why take that chance? Even if you have never been infected, it's a good idea to change passwords periodically.
• changing browswers. Use a safe browswer. Firefox doesn't allow you to directly open downloaded files. It forces a save on the local drive giving real-time virus protection a chance to do its thing.
• changing browsing/email habits. Use caution when browsing and opening email attachments.
• changing how you receive files. If you receive files via flash drives or CDs, you might want to re-evaluate that practice or, at least, include a scan of the media before opening files on it.
• changing antivirus and malware solutions. Two of the leading antivirus suites are big processor hogs and really are unsuccessful at keeping computers clean.
• changing how often you scan your computer. Virus scans should be daily and malware scans depend on how and how much you use your computer.
• changing how often you delete cookies and temporary internet files. A lot of viruses sneak in via temporary internet files.

Hope this helps keep you uninfected!

What is this an example of?

This is to officially inform you a lump cash deposit of $15.9m in our bank
and which was made in your name by the head oparating officer of Central
Bank of Nigeria.

We want to tell you that your payment will go via the Debit Card means.

KINDLY RE-CONFIRM TO ME THE FOLLOWING:

1) YOUR FULL NAME......................................

2) YOUR CONTACT ADDRESS ...............................

3) PHONE, FAX AND MOBILE...............................

4) AGE AND MARITAL STATUS..............................

AS SOON AS THE ABOVE INFORMATION ARE RECEIVED, YOUR PAYMENT WILL BE MADE TO YOU VIA DEBIT CARD MEANS

You can use your ATM DEBIT CARD to withdraw money in your country and from
any ATM machine all over the world.

When replying, do not fail to also send your means of identification:

(INTERNATIONAL PASSPORT or DRIVERS'S LICENSE) to confirm official dealing
with you.

Sincerely,

James Duru (Mr.)

Director: ATM DEBIT CARD DEPARTMENT
Oceanic Bank International Plc

Is this an example of:

1. Spam
2. Phish
3. Bad ethics

 Answer: All of the above!!! 
 
Oceanic Bank???? A google of that name brings up a Nigerian bank. The person who received that email has never been to Africa. I've been to Africa twice, but never to Nigeria. I'm wondering is Nigeria so rich that it would be giving money away?? Reconfirm to him the information??? He left it blank! Send ID information thru email?? Does he think you are that doodooish?  This is a bad phish. Some are more clever, they actually provide a lot of your personal information which is easily available on the net, but want you to fill in the rest. Don't fall for it. Be the phish that got away. ;)

Is it Zero Day Yet?

Um, I have bad news. It's always Zero Day. Sorry. Bad guys look for ways into your computer through security vulnerabilities- basically the weak spot of your software programs. When they find the weak spot they attack. That is Day Zero.  When the developer of the software program becomes aware of the hole in their program, the race begins. They want to release a fix to their customers right away, but they have to develop and test before it can be released. When they finally release a fix, then it's no longer Zero Day.

What does this mean for computer users? It means you are unprotected against new attacks! Smart web surfing is always in order.

To avoid zero-day attacks:

• Don't purchase new Operating systems or programs until hackers have had a chance to exploit them. Wait until all the holes are patched before you buy it.
• Don't surf the web using an administrator account. If you are logged on with admin privileges you can accidentally install malicious software. If you are logged on with a limited account, the program can't install and you buy time to research whatever is going on to see if it is legit or not.
• Always update security patch right away and make sure Windows Update is set to update automatically.
• Be suspicous of attachments. Scan them before opening. If you don't know a person, don't open an attachment in an email from them. Opening an attachment may be giving them your usernames and passwords. You wouldn't give user names and passwords to a stranger, but that is what you may be doing by opening up their attachments. Be paranoid about this.
• Be careful about which Adobe Flash ads you click on, which plugins you install in your browser, and which websites you visit.

Let's Play the Blame Game!

You got phished. Who's fault is it? Let's find out. In one corner is Evil Phisher and you are the opponent.

Round 1: Is your home wireless secure? Does it have a password on it? Do you use  only "free" wireless spots that have a password provided to you??? Do you avoid anonymous hotspots? If you answered "Yes" to all, you survived round 1!

Round 2: Do you use your children's names as passwords? Do you use your birth date as a password? Do you use your address as a password? Do you have the same password for everything? If you answered "No" to all, you survived round 2!

Round 3: Do you use a secure email system such as a company-provided account or gmail? Do you delete emails asking for your username and password without responding? Do you logout of email systems on public computers or shared computers? Do you avoid emailing your passwords? Do you clean your cookies regularly? Do you do scans regularly? Is all your malware and virus protection up to date? If you answered "Yes" to all, then you survived round 3 and went the distance!