Jeff's BLOG ABOUT something.

calibre 0.8.35

2012-02-05T19:12:00.000-08:00

Is your e-book collection is a disorganised mess of different formats and competing viewers? It doesn't have to be that way. Calibre is an e-book management tool that will quickly bring order to the situation, and help you get more from the format, and (if you have one) your portable e-book reader.

The process starts by letting the program organise your e-books library. Point calibre at your files and it'll quickly (and almost automatically) build a database around your collection, downloading metadata like covers for extra visual appeal. You can then sort and search your books by title, author, date published, rating, custom tags and more, making it quick and easy to find whatever you need.

Calibre can then display your book, too (as long as it's not DRM-protected), with an integrated viewer that handles all the main formats and supports features like table of contents, CSS, printing, searching, embedded fonts and more.

http://downloads.pcauthority.com.au/article/4386-calibre

AirDroid for your Android Phone.

2012-01-26T14:53:00.000-08:00

AirDroid is a fast, free app that lets you wirelessly manage & control your Android device from a web browser Over-The-Air.
This is the best wifi phone management software that exists on the market. I'll definitely be using this application for quite some time to come - being able to use a keyboard to send texts to people is going to be nice. Best part is it's FREE.

https://market.android.com/details?id=com.sand.airdroid&hl=en

Lookout Mobile Security for Android phones.

2011-12-30T19:04:00.000-08:00

Antivirus prevention isn't anywhere near as necessary for Android devices as it is for Windows computers just yet. As Android's market share grows, though, so will the attacks. More importantly for the here and now, Lookout Mobile Security provides key security options that are unique to the mobile market. Along with the antivirus and anti-malware tech, there's a lost and stolen phone locator service, an application privacy adviser, and a backup service.

Lookout's broad range of effective mobile device-specific security features are coupled with a minimal performance hit, making it a must-have app.

Download from:
https://www.mylookout.com/ or
http://download.cnet.com/Lookout-Mobile-Security-for-Android/3000-2239_4-75157534.html

Ancestral Quest is genealogical research freeware

2011-11-29T23:34:00.000-08:00

Ancestral Quest is genealogical research freeware that can search over 1 billion entries freely at FamilySearch as well as 500 million names, though that feature requires a free log-in ID. You can also upgrade to the paid version for access to more search options. However, the free tool offers a lot.

Ancestral Quest's installer let us opt for free or paid searches, something that happened frequently while using the freeware version, though that's why it's free. The setup also gave us the option to search Ancestry.com (though a subscription may be required) and make other choices. AQ's interface, charts, diagrams, and data fields all use nice, large fonts by default, which makes the data easy to see, but the look and behavior are just a few of the many options we could change. To start using the program, we could choose to create a new database, import an existing AQ database, import GEDCOM data, set up collaborations, and much more. AQ lets users open multiple database instances. We started a new family database, which involves entering a name in the family tree template on the Pedigree tab. This called up an extensive wizard for entering and saving biographical data like birth and death dates. The program suggests adding yourself as the first person (skip the death date for now) though you can use an ancestor. Our saved data appeared in the Family tab, where we could add Spouse, Children, Mother, Father, Other Relatives, and more. The Names List tab resembles a spreadsheet. The Individual tab is inactive in the freeware; it requires an upgrade to the premium product to access the dathttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifa. The free search options are extensive, though. We could access the Search Center as well as perform Individual, Relationship, and Marriage searches on the Search menu. The Tools menu includes a Research Manager, Relationship Examiner, Calculators, and more. The help menu is one of the most extensive we've seen, which is just as well because there's a lot to this free application.

Despite the freeware's limitations and the need to access online accounts to search some databases, Ancestral Quest offers an excellent introduction to Internet-based genealogical research, and a great way to learn how to use the tools and resources efficiently, if you do decide to take your research to the next level.

http://www.ancquest.com/index.htm

Thousands fleeced in 'Microsoft' scam

2011-11-03T20:37:00.001-07:00

Thousands of Australians have been taken for hundreds of dollars each by cold call scammers pretending to be Microsoft but police, regulators and the software company are powerless to fight the growing problem.

The scammers, typically based in Indian call centres, cold call people claiming to be Microsoft staff informing them that their computer has a virus on it. They provide bogus evidence of a virus infection and after winning over the victim, convince them to allow the scammer remote access to their computer through an internet website.

The scammers then pretend to fix the machine and ask for a fee that is up to $400. They use a combination of high pressure sales tactics and social engineering to scare the victim into paying the fee and because victims willingly hand over their credit card details, there is little legal recourse.

But the head of the NSW Police fraud squad, Detective Superintendent Col Dyson, said in a phone interview that in addition to taking payment the scammers also stole money and planted viruses on the victims' computers.

"We've had quite a few people report this to us and it's increasing all the time ... you're basically opening the door to your bank accounts to a criminal," he said.

"We have strong indications that they're looking at activity logs so they can pick up things like passwords and bank account details; some people's computers have also been infected with viruses and keyloggers.

The easiest way to get rid of them was to tell them that you do not have a computer.

What to do when USB flash drives refuse to mount in Windows

2011-08-04T05:43:00.000-07:00

USB flash drives come in handy for ferrying files to other systems, carrying bootable ISO images and even serving as cat toys (well, those on my desk get used for that, whether I like it or not).

One constant frustration I have with USB drives -- apart from the cat toy thing -- is how, when I sometimes plug one into a Windows machine, it will not mount. I know the drive works because it mounts just fine in another machine, and it might even have worked fine in this one before. But for some reason, in this particular machine, right now, it absolutely refuses to come up.

Over time, I've found a few consistent reasons why this happens and developed some troubleshooting strategies to work around this problem. It happens to me even with the newest drives and late-model PCs, so I can safely assume the problem isn't going away anytime soon.

Solution 1: A misinteraction between the hub and the device
All USB hubs are not created equal. I have learned this the hard way. I'm not just talking about the fact that one has "Belkin" on the front and another has "Rosewill." Different USB hubs, even from the same manufacturers, have profound differences in how they work under the hood that aren't apparent to the end user until something goes wrong.

A classic example of this happened to me recently. I have a tiny USB dongle -- barely bigger than the socket itself -- which accepts a MicroSD card. Plug the card into the dongle, plug the dongle into your PC, and the contents of the card come up as a removable drive (in theory, anyway). When I plugged this dongle into my eight-port desktop USB hub, however, strange things happened. The contents of the card would appear for all of about five seconds, and then the drive would show up as blank.

After some experiments with another machine -- and backing up the card's contents there -- I ruled out that the drive itself was defective. It mounted fine elsewhere. Swapping in another MicroSD card didn't change anything. Finally, I tried plugging the dongle directly into the PC's front USB port. No prizes for guessing what happened: It mounted perfectly and hasn't given me a lick of trouble since.

So what happened here? My assumption is that there's a bug in the firmware for the hub related to certain classes of devices -- specifically, removable drives. Similar things have happened when I've connected digital , for instance, to the system via the same hub. In those cases, I worked around the problem entirely by simply loading the 's memory card into my PC's card reader, which is probably what I should have done in the first place.

Because there are so many USB devices out there and so many possible combinations of device plus hub, a full list of compatible devices is probably nigh-impossible to assemble. But this is worth keeping in mind as an initial strategy. If you're not getting any luck with the port you're using, try not only a different port, but also an entirely different USB connection -- a direct connection to the PC instead of a hub, or the back vs. the front.

Solution 2: A corrupt device reference
If you can't get the device to mount no matter where it's plugged in -- and you know it worked before! -- then another possible explanation is that the reference in the system's USB device database needs to be deleted and recreated.

There are a couple of ways to do this. The first, and possibly the most familiar, is to uninstall the device. If you can find the device in the Device Manager tree, all you need do is right-click on it (while it's still plugged in) and select Uninstall.

Another method involves a utility named USBDeview, which lets you see the entire USB device database regardless of whether or not the devices are plugged in. This is actually my preferred method -- if only because I can see a bit more information about the device I'm removing. Once you find it, you can uninstall it using the tool and see if that helps.

Run the USBDeview tool as administrator, and you'll be able to sort USB devices by a whole slew of parameters. (When I was debugging with the above-mentioned dongle, I sorted by drive letter.) Right-click on a device, and you can detach it, uninstall it and perform a host of other information-gathering operations on it.

Note that whichever method you choose, you'll need to reboot afterwards to make sure everything is set.

Go to Article

Serdar Yegulalp,

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Serdar Yegulalp has been writing about personal computing and IT for more than 15 years for a variety of publications, including (among others) Windows Magazine, InformationWeek and the TechTarget family of sites.

CCleaner 3.09

2011-07-27T05:08:00.000-07:00

After installing and removing software, then browsing the Internet for a few months, all sorts of temporary information is left strewn across your hard drive. Worse, the Registry, which is a database of information about your computer, is left with erroneous entries that point to long-deleted directories, link file types to applications that don’t exist and even attempt to launch start up applications that were removed from your machine.

The answer is a system cleanser and there are few better tools than the free CCleaner. This tool will remove unwanted information, temporary files, your browsing history, huge log files and even the settings left behind by previously installed software. It also includes a Registry cleaner and optimiser, which will find and remove entries and streamline the database.

CCleaner doesn’t stop there. It includes some security tools such as a data eraser so you can make sure files and information is completely removed from your PC.

New features include a 64-bit native exe, brand new UI graphics and icons, much-improved internal scanning architecture, a Drive Wiper tool and a Intelligent cookie-keeping functionality.

CCleaner 3.09 ships with these new/improved features.

- Added Firefox 6.0 beta support.
Firefox: Temporary files, history, cookies, download history, form history.
- Added Google Chrome: Temporary files, history, cookies, download history, form history.
- Added Opera: Temporary files, history, cookies.
- Added Safari: Temporary files, history, cookies, form history.
- Added HTML5 Offline cache cleaning and management for Firefox.
- Added wildcard support to folders. (i.e. "Include1=PATH|%AppData%\*\|*.txt|RECURSE" or FileKey1=%AppData%\?*e|*.txt|RECURSE)
- Added convertion of custom file entry to folder when using wildcard.
- Added cleaning for Zune, BreezeBrowser Pro, FastStone Image Viewer, Notepad++ and NoteXpad.
- Improved cleaning for Real Player.
- Improved Chrome Saved Form Information and Saved Passwords cleaning.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
- Improved Enabling/Disabling Start Up items.
- Improved icons detection for Uninstall screen.
- Improved drag-and-drop functionality for Include/Exclude screen.
- Improved localization support.
- Improved Start Up items discovery.
- Improved memory handling and garbage collection.
- Minor UI tweaks.
Verdict:

You can't get much better than this free optimization tool, that will give your system a boost

Download from here: http://www.scanwith.com/download/CCleaner.htm

Facebook Scam Promises Google+ Invitation

2011-07-20T05:30:00.000-07:00

Facebook Scam Promises Google+ InvitationTrying to get a Google+ invitation has been a hot conversation of the Internet, while people try their best to obtain an invite to the newest social network. Even though Google has loosened the reins and invites have started to flow, some Facebook users have received bogus invitations. These bogus invitations are scams deliberately designed to attack your Facebook account and steal your identifying information.

So how do the scammers know that Facebook users will fall for the bait? The scammers use an age old ploy and that is people’s weakness for greed. The announcement promises a user an invitation for themselves, plus additional invitations for 50 of your friends. However, once the user with the Facebook account takes the bait, the scammers can control their Facebook account.

The scammers’ next job is to attack the accounts of the Facebook user’s friends and family. So the attacks are not just limited to the greedy user, but can also have an effect on others who know the person whose account has been hacked. The scammers can then send more spam to other Facebook users making it look like you are the bad guy, when in fact you have no knowledge of what is being sent out by those using your Facebook account.

Last week someone on my friends and family list took the bait for a porn scam video. The video was an advertisement for a porn site and unfortunately, my achttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifcount was used to make it look like I had sent out the message. After being notified by a friend of the receipt of the porn, I was able to find the offending post, remove it, and it now sits in my list of blocked junk Web sites and applications.

For what it’s worth, I received a Google+ invitation and I am currently testing the new social networking Web site. My circle of friends, acquaintances, and family is currently very small while I test out Google+ and I have only sent out one invitation thus far.

Posted by Ron Schenone on Jul 14, 2011
See post here

10 Rules of Public WiFi Etiquette

2011-07-07T07:45:00.000-07:00

by admin on July 6, 2011

Public WiFi hotspots are becoming more and more prevalent and are being used as a value-added feature by many businesses. While the offer of free internet access is sure to attract customers, there are some limits to its cost-effectiveness. This has caused some retailers and coffee shops to institute policies or charges for the service. For customers who want to to continue frequenting that bistro with laptop in tow – and still be welcome to so – the following are 10 rules of public WiFi etiquette you may want to keep in mind.

Pay Your Way – Remember that the goal for retail venues is sales, and that WiFi is a perk they are providing toward achieving end. Make sure you order something from the menu. For longer stays, make a purchase about once every hour.

Sit at a smaller table and use one chair. Leave the larger tables for parties of more than one. Use one chair and make the rest available to other tables and patrons, or consider sharing one if no smaller tables are available.

Charge up before taking your portable device to a public hotspot, thereby minimizing your need for external power. This is a hefty overhead cost for the WiFi host. An extra battery is also a good idea.

Be a good tipper. Remember, if you’ve got a server, he or she is likely to be subsisting on tips, which are normally based on a percentage of the check. So if you’ve been nursing a latte for over an hour, guess who pays for your visit, Mr. Skinflint?

Keep it Clean #1 – Be mindful of the websites you visit, and files you may open while in a public place. Avoid any potentially offensive material.

Keep it Clean #2 – Police your area and minimize the work required to prepare your table for the next visitor. Bus your own table between orders.

Don’t Hog Bandwidth – Keep the downloads to a minimum. Large file downloads when there’s a large group of users sharing bandwidth is a no-no.

Keep it Down – Not everyone wants to hear your music or your videos or whatever other kind of audio you’re listening to. Use earphones or a discreetly low volume setting and give those around you a break.

Mind the Traffic – If it’s none too crowded, then an extended stay to worhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifk from your laptop is probably OK. Once things start getting more crowded, though, it may be time to pack it up for the day.

Obey House Rules – Some establishments have policies regarding internet access, like restricting use during peak business hours, or maximum usage durations. If the AC outlets are covered up, take the hint.

If you have any interest in WiFi then you will want to read further articles at Wireless Internet Reviews, I found this to be a site to list in my bookmarks. Jeff.
http://wirelessinternetreviews.com/

Mozilla Thunderbird

2011-07-05T07:04:00.000-07:00

Thunderbird is an email client from Mozilla, the organization better known for the Firefox web browser which has a great deal to offer. In addition to handling multiple email accounts, the program can also be used to subscribe to RSS feeds and access online newsgroups and a new tabbed interface makes it easy to jump between individual emails or different aspects of the program.

There are new tools available to make it easier to manage a burgeoning inbox Email archival makes it possible to remove messages from your main inbox while retaining them for future reference, and the advanced search facility takes the hard works out of tracking down messages using a keyword filtering and timeline system.

As is the case with Firefox, Thunderbird supports add-ons can be used to customize and extend the features of the program. Getting started with the email client has been greatly simplified thanks to automatic account setting detection and nice touches such as the appearance of a warning if an email is written which includes the word 'attached' but no attachment is added make Thunderbird a joy to use.

With advanced security, phishing protection and automatic updating, coupled with countless other features which are simply not found in other email clients, Thunderbird is the ideal program to handle your email correspondence and much more.

Verdict:
Thunderbird is a highly adaptable email client, feed reader and newsgroup tool and support for add-ons means it is endlessly extendable

http://downloads.pcauthority.com.au/article/2273-mozilla-thunderbird-3111

Is your WiFi secure.

2011-07-01T04:27:00.001-07:00

Someone may be using your WiFi connection, they may well not be doing so
maliciously or even knowingly. Sometimes people can't tell which is
their own connection and they may honestly believe that they are using
their Wi-Fi router rather than yours. The best way to deal with this is
to set up your own security.

The optimal solution is to set up a strong password using WPA and change
it regularly. Once your network is functioning, you can switch off the
SSID broadcast [which prevents it from advertising the name of your
network] so it would effectively disappear as far as your neighbours are
concerned.

Firstly you need to determine the ip address of your
modem/router/gateway by finding the Gateway address [try the bookwork
that came with your modem] and putting that ip in the Address line of
your favorite Internet browser [You may not be able to do this via the
wireless (a security feature) so you may need to connect via an ethernet
cable] The address will be something like 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.2.1 or
10.1.1.1 or 192.138.1.254 etc.

At this point you will need to know the default username and password to
login to your device. Login is usually something like administrator or
admin, with a blank or admin password or just a blank username field
with the word password for the login credentials [try the bookwork that
came with your modem for this too].

After you login to the device look for a tab or link that simply says
"Wireless" or "Wireless Security" where you can select the type of
security [use WPA-PSK as it is the strongest of the encryption methods,
or WPA2 if your computer will support it, it is the optimal security
method] that you would like to use for wireless access by computers
connecting to your network. You will need to add a shared-key, to
protect against an attack, a random passphrase of 8 to 63 printable
ASCII [Letters/numbers/symbols]characters is sufficient.

This key will basically be the PASSWORD to your Network [other
computers on your network will also need to use this same key], so only
people who know it will be able to log on to your network. The name of
your network will still appear for people in range, but they will have
to know your shared-key key.

Anyone now trying to access your network will be asked to log in with
your shared-key key. With them not knowing it your network is secure.

Nitro PDF Reader 2.0

2011-06-26T04:23:00.000-07:00

Create, view, edit and convert PDFs with this powerful “no strings attached” software. Get the free download here.

Nitro PDF Reader 2.0, which offers PDF conversion, creation and editing tools in addition to its basic viewing capabilities, is marketed by Nitro as “no strings attached” software because of its extended functionality and lack of registration nags or ad-supported components.

Nitro PDF Reader is bursting with additional features, some of which you won’t find elsewhere. There’s QuickSign, for converting your handwritten signature into a stamp for placing on PDFs. Nitro will also allow you to view web-hosted PDFs from inside your browser (assuming it’s IE, Firefox or Chrome). There’s collaboratiohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifn and review tools in the form of virtual sticky notes, a typing tool for adding text to the page, and options for filling in forms electronically.

Despite all these features, the program is simple to use thanks in part to its ribbon interface, ensuring all the main features are accessible with a simple click. It’s fast too.

How to know if LulzSec hacked your email

2011-06-23T23:41:00.000-07:00

By Darren Pauli [ passed on because of its importance to you ].

So easy, even your mum could use it.

A Sydney-based security researcher has developed a web portal that allows administrators to check if work email accounts have been compromised.

The portal, (https://shouldichangemypassword.com) allows users to search through databases of email addresses stolen during recent attacks by the likes of LulzSec.

The databases were collated by researcher Daniel Grzelak.

Grzelak intended the web site as a means by which an IT administrator could check whether staff have reused work passwords and email addresses on other web sites which have subsequently been compromised in the recent spate of hacking incidents.

Such concerns are not without warrant: Dozens of government agencies were included in LulzSec's recent publication of 62,000 emails and passwords, and the group's followers boasted that they had reused the details to gain access to user accounts on other web sites including PayPal and Amazon.

Grzelak has thus far integrated some 800,000 email addresses into the portal database, lifted from 13 databases exposed by LulzSec.

He told SC Magazine Australia that he intends to expand the list and would consider building a batch processing facility that would allow businesses to check an entire staff email directory.

"There is an information asymmetry in the security industry, where attackers know everything and users know nothing," Grzelak, a former penetration tester of seven years said. "This is about changing the balance."

Without it, administrators would have to download stolen databases and search them manually for affected email addresses.

The PHP portal requires an email address to search the list. If it returns a hit, it displays details about the email address was last compromised and how many times it has been included in stolen databases.

Grzelak has removed passwords and other sensitive information from the portal database that are often coupled with stolen emails addresses.

All of the emails are publicly available on sites like The Pirate Bay, which reduces the benefit from hacking Grzelak's portal.

The portal, originally developed for Grzelak's mother and friends, could have the batch processing facility ready within days, he said.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

He doesn't condone LulzSec's hacking spree, but recognized the paradoxical argument that the group is highlighting security flaws that would otherwise remain unnoticed.

"If they weren't publishing this stuff, others may be silently using the details for financial gain, and I would not be able to build the database."

Check your email address here. https://shouldichangemypassword.com/

Free PDF to Word Converter 1.5 [Windows]

2011-06-20T23:34:00.001-07:00

Free PDF to Word Converter - easy and free pdf to word freeware, convert pdf file to word doc file. Totally Free PDF to Word Converter.Easy and free pdf to whttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.giford freeware, convert pdf file to word doc file. The world's best Freeware to convert pdf to word! Convert your PDF to Word right now! Free PDF to Word Converter can help you convert PDF file to Word doc easily to edit and reuse.

From:
http://downloads.zdnet.com/abstract.aspx?docid=1019315&promo=100200&tag=zd-left;tab1

Panda Cloud Antivirus Free

2011-06-07T21:04:00.000-07:00

The first free antivirus from the cloud

Panda Cloud Antivirus Free connects to the Collective Intelligence servers in the cloud to protect your computer, without requiring traditional updates or penalizing the performance of your system. Now all knowledge is in the cloud, and thanks to Panda Cloud Antivirus, you can benefit from this.

Panda Cloud Antivirus detects all types of viruses, Trojans, worms, spyware, dialers, hacking tools, jokes and security risks, whether they are active or latent on your PC.

Panda Cloud Antivirus protects your computer permanently, monitoring files that you open or run at any time (including those that execute automatically), and blocking any that could be dangerous for your computer.

http://www.cloudantivirus.com/en/

Microsoft Windows Support [ AMMYY ] scam

2010-12-23T19:33:00.000-08:00

Watch out, this scam alert is all over the internet; so it's real!

We just received a phone call from an Indian speaking guy who said he was with Microsoft Windows Support and that our computer was emitting a warning signal that we had a "fatal" operating system errors that needed immediate correction. He told Mark that they needed to access our desk top through AMMYY remote access to fix the problem. Fortunately, Mark was suspicious and refused to play his game. After the call, I checked out AMMYY scams on Google.

Apparently this group has been pretty successful convincing gullible people to log into the legitimate AMMYY website and give these thugs access to their computers. Once in, the callers are accessing software and potentially personal data they can use for identity theft. They are also known to be selling illegal copies of software they "scalp" while they are hacked into the remote computers. According to the various scam warning web sites and blogs--some of these guys are in and out of your computer quickly--telling the person they have fixed the problem (once they have copied all the data they think will be useful to their purposes ). Other go so far as to try to get people to give them credit card or bank information to pay for "continued monitoring and protection".

I hope most folks are savvy enough not to fall for this scam, but thought you may know some folks on your contact list who may not catch on quick enough to prevent these thieves from stealing data from their PCs.

The easiest way to politely fix this is to tell them that you wish to inform them before they start talking that you are recording this conversation, [ really you are not ] and they will hang up, if it was genuine they would not mind you doing so.

SpeedyFox

2010-12-19T18:50:00.000-08:00

Direct download from here

iView ABC Widget

2010-04-16T20:33:00.000-07:00

Easeus Todo Backup 1.1

2010-03-23T02:47:00.000-07:00

Good backup utilities that combine maximum user friendliness with excellent functionality and some helpful extras take the chore out of an essential duty. When all that comes for free, the excuse to not do backups wears thin. Easeus Todo Backup is just such a free backup and restore utility. Like any good backup tool, it will back up your entire system's current state, data, settings and all, or just what you want it to, including partitions or full disks, and restore your computer in the event of a hard-disk crash or other calamity. Its Disk Cloning feature will help you migrate your operating system and data to a new hard disk when it's time to replace the old one. You can also use it to create bootable CD-ROMs using either Linux or the powerful Windows Pre-installation Environment (PE).

Two things set Todo Backup apart from many other backup utilities [three things, if you count that it's free]: its easy-to-use interface and its wizard-based operation.

Easeus Todo can be picked up at http://download.cnet.com/Easeus-Todo-Backup/3000-2242_4-10964460.html

Personas 1.5 for Firefox

2010-01-15T01:21:00.000-08:00

There probably isn't an easier way to change the look of Firefox than with this little freeware add-on. Personas installs just as easily and quickly as any other Firefox extension. When it starts for the first time, a Web page opens giving instructions in three steps. That's all you'll need to understand how this program works.

Instead of access through a File menu or right-click, you'll find a tiny fox icon in the lower left of the browser window. Just click to find four options: New, Most Popular, Recent, or All. Navigate to any of these to find options aplenty to skin Firefox. You won't even need to restart the browser for the new look to take effect.

Change your Firefox theme as often as you like with this simple, effective freeware. Personas is recommended for any Firefox aficionado.
Reviewed by: CNET Staff

2010-01-12T17:44:00.001-08:00

Tips and hints from Intel and industry experts

2009-12-15T17:47:00.000-08:00

As technology races ahead at a speed that most consumers can't keep up with, Intel® is providing a cheat sheet outlining what consumers need to look for in their new laptop. Each component of the PC is explained and a take-away tip under the 'remember' section provided so consumers can be confident of what they need for their computing requirements.

Read More

How to disable MS Word 2007's Mini Toolbar.

2009-07-03T07:08:00.000-07:00

When you highlight text, MS Word 2007 displays the Mini Toolbar. It’s a toolbar that puts a number of formatting options at your fingertips [versus searching through the Ribbon options]. Not everyone likes the Mini Toolbar. Some people report that they find it downright annoying. So if are one of these people, then you can disable it, as below:

1. Click the Office button.
2. Click Word Options [bottom right].
3. Popular is selected by default in the left pane. Uncheck the first option, Show Mini Toolbar On Selection.
4. Click OK.

If you decide that you really do need it, just repeat the sequence and check Show Mini Toolbar On Section in step 3.

Stop your Homepage from being Changed.

2009-05-29T20:51:00.000-07:00

I've noticed several different programs that will stop your homepage from being changed, this however seems like a lot of fuss for a simple thing.

to keep your homepage the same all you need to do is change the target of your internet browser shortcut.
right click on the shortcut on your desktop or in the start menu and click properties, there will be a box labelled "target" which will have the value:
"C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe"

by simply adding the web address of your homepage to the end of this it will override your homepage preferences in the internet options tab.
"C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" www.google.com

this is sometimes a bit tricky for the shortcut pinned to the start menu but if you play around with it for a few minutes then its not a problem.

Conficker (Downadup) - New Developments

2009-05-06T04:58:00.000-07:00

A recent development regarding the Conficker virus has been detected, where it is now directing infected machines to download new, harmful files, thus activating the botnet. Here’s how this new behavior works:

Conficker sends out email spam without the PC owner’s knowledge. In addition, Conficker uses pop-ups to warn of PC infection and offers fake antivirus software, called 'SpywareProtect2009' at a price of $49.95. If purchased, credit card information is stolen and the virus downloads even more malicious software.

If you encounter a pop-up like this, do not click on the pop-up at all - not even to close the box. To remove the pop-up without infection, open your Task Manager (Ctrl+Alt+Delete), and end the task from your Browser (Explorer, Firefox, etc.). You should take additional precautions to ensure you are not already infected and have adequate protection: Info thanks to ZoneAlarm.

How to handle suspicious e-mail

2009-04-15T05:41:00.000-07:00

Phishing dos and dont's

Phishing, pronounced "fishing," is a type of online identity theft that uses e-mail and fraudulent Web sites that are designed to steal your personal data or information such as credit card numbers, passwords, account data, or other information.
Follow these guidelines to help protect yourself from phishing scams sent through e-mail.

1. If you think you've received a phishing e-mail message, do not respond to it.
If an e-mail looks suspicious, don't risk your personal information by responding to it.

2. Approach links in e-mail messages with caution.
Links in phishing e-mail messages often take you to phony sites that encourage you to transmit personal or financial information to con artists. Avoid clicking a link in an e-mail message unless you are sure of the real target address, or URL.

Most e-mail programs show you the real target address of a link when you hover the mouse over the link.

Before you click a link, make sure to read the target address. If the e-mail message appears to come from your bank, but the target address is just a meaningless series of numbers, do not click the link.

Make sure that the spelling of words in the link matches what you expect. Fraudsters often use URLs with typos in them that are easy to overlook, such as "micosoft." For more information, see Typos can cost you.

3. Don't trust the sender information in an e-mail message.

Even if the e-mail message appears to come from a sender that you know and trust, use the same precautions that you would use with any other e-mail message.
Fraudsters can easily spoof the identity information in an e-mail message.

4. Verify the identity and security of the Web site.

Some sites feature verified identity and security information. When you visit a verified site using Internet Explorer 7, the browser address bar turns green and the identity information appears on the right-hand side of the address bar. This makes it easy to check the identity information and ensure that it matches the site that you expected to see.

Make sure the site is secure before you type. You can do this by checking the yellow lock icon on the status bar, as shown in the following example.
Example of a secure site lock icon. If the lock is closed, then the site uses encryption.

Example of a secure site lock icon. If the lock is closed, then the site uses encryption.

The closed lock icon signifies that the Web site uses encryption to help protect any sensitive, personal information that you enter, such as your credit card number, Social Security number, or payment details.

Note that this symbol doesn't need to appear on every page of a site, only on those pages that request personal information.

Unfortunately, even the lock symbol can be faked. To help increase your safety, double-click the lock icon to display the security certificate for the site. The name following Issued to should match the name of the site.

If the name differs, you may be on a fake site, also called a "spoofed" site. If you're not sure whether a certificate is legitimate, don't enter any personal information. Play it safe and leave.

Tip: If you don't see the status bar at the bottom of your browser window, click View at the top of the browser, and then select Status Bar to activate it.

5. Type addresses directly into your browser or use your personal bookmarks.

If you need to update your account information or change your password, visit the Web site by using your personal bookmark or by typing the URL directly into your browser.

6. Use an updated browser

Regularly updated Web browsers incorporate an ever-expanding set of features, such as the , Phishing Filter, designed to help protect you when you click links in e-mail messages.

7. Don't trust offers that seem too good to be true

If a deal or offer in an e-mail message looks too good to be true, it probably is. Exercise your common sense when you read and respond to e-mail messages.

8. Report suspicious e-mail.

Forward a copy of the e-mail to the faked or "spoofed" organization. In Australia contact the Australian Communications and Media Authority on sub-111383-DB892846EB0E3F9BFF6B@submit.spam.acma.gov.au

9. Don't enter personal or financial information into pop-up windows.

One common phishing technique is to launch a fake pop-up window when someone clicks a link in a phishing e-mail message. To make the pop-up window look more convincing, it might be displayed over a window you trust. Even if the pop-up window looks official or claims to be secure, avoid entering sensitive information, because there is no way to check the security certificate. Close pop-up windows by clicking the red X in the top right corner (a "Cancel"button may not work as you'd expect).

10. Update your computer software.

Visit Microsoft Update to scan your computer and install any high-priority updates that are offered to you.

Criminals extort money from users, through 'scareware'

2009-04-09T05:07:00.000-07:00

Criminals are continuing to extort money from vulnerable users, through 'scareware' practices that trick users with bogus security threats.

The threat of rogue security software, or 'scareware', has risen dramatically over the past year or so, according to a new report from Microsoft, but there was good news for the industry after a fall in the number of vulnerability disclosures.

Scareware is used by criminals to extort money from vulnerable users by persuading them that their PC is at risk or infected, and urging them to buy bogus security software.

The Microsoft Security Intelligence Report Volume 6 claimed that these threats are now among the most prevalent in the computing world.

The report highlighted Win32/FakeXPA and Win32/FakeSecSen, which Microsoft has detected on more than 1.5 million computers, pushing them into the top 10 threats in the second half of the year.

Win32/Renos, meanwhile, which is used to deliver rogue security software, was detected on 4.4 million unique computers, an increase of 66.6 per cent over the first half of 2008.

"The criminals are playing on people's fears. People are aware of security, and these guys want to prey on that," said Microsoft security and privacy lead Cliff Evans.

"We are not seeing a whole new attack vector, but things are changing. There is a different emphasis on rogue software now, and a shift from operating system to third-party application vulnerabilities."

This continuing trend of attacking the application layer means that users should always keep application versions up to date, apply new patches as soon as possible and keep anti-malware software current, Evans advised.

While the "vast majority" of corporates understand the importance of these precautions, education is still required for many consumers who do not understand the value of automatic updates and the like, according to Microsoft chief security advisor Ed Gibson.

"The report shows again that, because of the steps we're taking to make the operating systems more secure, and working with partners and suppliers to improve their [security] processes, [criminal] organisations are moving towards the weakest link: you and me," he said.

There was a note of optimism in the report, however. Industry-wide figures for unique vulnerability disclosures were down by 12 per cent from 2007, while high severity vulnerabilities were down 16 per cent.

Graham Titterington of analyst firm Ovum agreed that the drive to improve standards is having an effect on the quality of applications and systems being built.

"To win the battle IT systems need to be engineered to be significantly less vulnerable, and we are making progress on that," he explained. "Much is being done to improve the standards in the engineering of systems and security products."

Jay Abbott, threat and vulnerability leader at consultancy PricewaterhouseCoopers, praised Microsoft for the work it had done in improving the security of its products. But he warned that major risks still exist in web applications and browsers.

"People are focused on delivering the product, and security is a secondary problem so the code is often weak," he said. "Certainly we need better coding practices, but even secure code can have holes picked in it."

Getting maximum life from a laptop battery

2009-03-20T21:50:00.000-07:00

by Watzman - http://forums.cnet.com/

Laptop Lithium Ion batteries are very expensive (quite a few of them are over (WAY over, in a few cases) $200). They CAN last 10 years (in fact I have some 1995 Toshiba batteries that are still nearly as good as new), but they can also be destroyed in less than 6 months. As an engineer who has both worked for laptop manufacturers and who services laptops, here is what I can tell you:

The most important rule of getting good life from a battery is this: If you are not traveling, if you are stationary and are going to be plugged into a wall outlet for a day or two or perhaps essentially all of the time, take the battery out of the computer entirely and store it in a cool, dry place (some people will recommend a refrigerator, but that is not necessary, will probably not make a difference that you will really notice, and can damage the battery if the temperature gets too cold (freezing)).

It's not clear why this is necessary, and on some models it may not be necessary (your post, however, suggests that it IS necessary on your model). However, there is OVERWHELMING anecdotal evidence that this is the single most important thing that you can do to have your battery last years and years, for the times when you really do need it, when you are traveling and want to use the laptop in a car, on a plane or in various transient locations.

The two likely culprits here are overcharging and heat.

While in theory the charging circuits should shut down [COMPLETELY] when the battery is fully charged, there is evidence that in many laptops they don't; they continue charging the battery continuously , albeit in a "trickle charge" mode. This may sound good, but in practice it can damage the battery.

Secondly, it is a well known fact that Lithium Ion batteries are terribly sensitive to permanent damage by exposure to elevated temperatures (and "elevated" in this case starts in the range of around or just over 100 degrees F (about 40C)).

With regard to elevated temperatures, storage in a turned-on laptop is problematic for two reasons. First, there is a lot of heat in the laptop (from the various laptop components: CPU, hard drive, power supply, etc.), and the battery is, to varying degrees, exposed to this heat (note, however, that battery exposure to this heat varies by model depending on the thermal design and placement of the battery relative to other heat generating components). Secondly, if the charging circuits do not shut down COMPLETELY, charging itself (even "trickle charging") generates heat from directly within the battery itself which is harmful over time.

Now, a few more comments:

First, it's probably not a good idea to remove the battery while you are staying in a hotel for a few days, even if you won't need it. The risk of forgetting the battery in the hotel room when you check out is significant (you can mitigate this by leaving the battery in your laptop bag, but ask anyone who uses PC Cards about "lost dongle cables").

Second, notwithstanding the general advice to remove a battery that is not needed and not being used, the battery needs to be exercised 2 to 4 times a year. So, once in a while, put it back in the laptop, draw it down to about 25% (NO LOWER!!) and then charge it back up to about 60% (or 100% and then back down to 60%; Lithium batteries store better with a less than full charge although in my personal experience I have not found the difference to really matter very much).

Third, if your laptop is really used as a compact desktop at home or at work and in fact doesn't travel much, removing the battery robs you of it's function as a "un interruptible power supply". Solution: Buy a [real] UPS. For a laptop, you only need a small one (300 to 350VA), these can be found for $40 or less (sometimes even "free after rebate"), and a UPS is a lot cheaper than using a $200+ lithium battery as a UPS but destroying it over a period of 6 to 24 months in the process.

Also note that Lithium batteries have a finite and limited life in terms of the number of charge/discharge cycles, calendar time not withstanding. Although this varies by battery model, it's in the low-to-mid hundreds (say 300 to 600 cycles as a typical range). If you really are using your battery while traveling, charging and discharging it on a daily basis, this fact will "get you" no matter what you do. But, more commonly, people find that they have destroyed their battery without ever really using it, by leaving it in the laptop while the laptop was plugged in continuously. And we have already covered the solution to that problem.

One last comment, given the price of laptop batteries, it's worth noting that SOME extended warranties cover the batteries. If you are really going to be using the battery heavily (see the previous paragraph), this may be worth taking into consideration when the colored shirt guy at Buy More offers you an extended warranty at the time of the laptop purchase. Find out (IN WRITING!!) if the battery is covered, and if your use pattern is such that you will probably be going through more than the initial battery over the course of the extended warranty, maybe you are in one of those situations in which an extended warranty really does make sense.

2009-02-22T21:51:00.000-08:00

New tool in the war, Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware.

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware is considered to be the next step in the detection and removal of malware [Trojans]. In this product they have compiled a number of new technologies that are designed to quickly detect, destroy, and prevent malware. Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware can detect and remove malware that even the most well known anti-virus and anti-malware applications fail to detect. Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware monitors every process and stops malicious processes before they even start. The Realtime Protection Module uses our advanced heuristic scanning technology which monitors your system to keep it safe and secure. In addition, they have implemented a threats center which will allow you to keep up to date with the latest malware threats.

Get this from www.malwarebytes.org

How to maintain XP after Microsoft ends support

2008-11-13T03:44:00.000-08:00

By Stuart J. Johnston

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said recently that it's OK with him if you want to stick with Windows XP until Windows 7 is available late next year.

XP lovers may still be able to buy a new PC with that operating system installed for another year or so, but unfortunately, Microsoft plans to end most free support for the OS within months.

On that date — Apr. 14, 2009 — millions of PC users, some of whom bought their systems less than a year earlier, will be left in the lurch. These users will have to pay Microsoft for Windows XP support, although downloading critical security patches is expected to remain free of charge.

The end of support is planned despite the fact that consumers can still buy a new PC that runs XP rather than Vista, which was released nearly two years ago. It's ironic that no less a personage than Microsoft chief Ballmer tells users that staying with XP until Windows 7 ships late next year is a viable option.

What's a poor Windows XP user to do?
Third-party vendors pledge XP compatibility. Ballmer has said repeatedly over the past 10 to 15 years that the stiffest competition a new version of Windows confronts in the marketplace is the previous version of Windows. If the previous version is "good enough," then a lot of people won't buy the upgrade. XP just may prove Ballmer right.

According to a study by Gartner, there will be more than 1 billion computers in use worldwide by the end of 2008. The vast majority of them run Windows XP.

In fact, according to an analysis by Web analytics firm Net Applications, some 68 percent of the client computers in use around the world use XP. The OS's closest challenger — Vista — represents just over 19 percent of the worldwide PC market. If these stats are accurate, there are nearly 700 million copies of XP on the planet.

While Vista has been picking up steam in recent months, it has a long way to go to catch up with its older, more mature sibling. Even if Microsoft redoubles its efforts to market Vista, it's unlikely the newer version could pass XP in installed numbers by late 2009, which is when Microsoft officials hint that Windows 7 will be available.

Anyone who uses XP — whether on a new machine or an early-2000s model — has to wonder whether new hardware and software will continue to support the old OS.

The answer is a qualified "yes."

XP's huge installed base helps to ensure that hardware and software companies are continuing to support their existing XP users while also making sure their new products will work with the OS. Every one of several third-party hardware and software firms I checked with claims its new products will be compatible with both Vista and XP.

For now, anyway, losing the support of third-party vendors is far from the biggest threat facing anyone who sticks with XP. The bigger problem is Microsoft's impending free-support cutoff date for the OS.
XP's support has been extended once before. Microsoft's policy is to support each version of its operating system for 10 years. For the first five years, users get "mainstream" support, which combines free help and fee-based services. This is in addition to the standard patches and hotfixes that Microsoft periodically releases.

The second five-year period constitutes "extended" support. During this time, users must pay for support, aside from critical patches that continue to be offered by the company for free.

XP will reach the end of mainstream support on Apr. 14, 2009, despite the fact that Service Pack 3 for XP was released just last spring. (XP first shipped in late 2001, so the end of its mainstream support is coming more than two years later than is typical — a testament to XP's popularity.)

After April 2009, XP moves into the extended-support period, which is expected to last through Apr. 8, 2014.

Under extended support, if you encounter problems installing a security patch or other critical fix, tech support will help you free of charge. Any other help from Microsoft tech support, however, will be on a pay-per-incident basis. Microsoft currently charges $59 per incident for help with operating-system problems.

If you bought a new PC with XP preinstalled, it's important to note that you must contact your PC maker for all support. Microsoft has assembled a list of phone numbers and support sites for major PC vendors.

The list can be found at http://support.microsoft.com/gp/oemphone

Even though Microsoft has cut off retail sales of XP, the company will continue to allow PC vendors to sell XP Professional on new systems at least through the end of January 2009.

Today, that's usually done by opting for the vendor's "downgrade" license, which lets the buyer choose between Vista and XP Pro.

For example, Dell Computer says it will sell systems with XP as a downgrade option through 2009 and possibly longer.
There are plenty of XP resources out there Of course, you aren't stuck with Microsoft when it comes to your XP support options. If you're looking for an XP device driver, and you're not having much luck with the vendors' sites, try browsing through the posts at various PC community forums.

Forums are great places to post questions and (hopefully) receive answers from other users who have experienced the same problems and found solutions. Microsoft's XP newsgroups are a good place to start.

Other useful XP support sites include the TechArena community, BoardReader, and AllExperts.

You'll find all types of XP support from the members of PC user groups, many of which offer live, in-person meetings where participants exchange tips and solutions. Listings for Microsoft user groups are available at the Microsoft Mindshare site.

These are by no means all the support options available to XP users, but they provide a starting point to help you keep XP alive and well until something better comes along — whether another flavor of Windows or something completely different.

Stuart Johnston is associate editor of WindowsSecrets.com. He has written about technology for InfoWorld, Computerworld, InformationWeek, and InternetNews.com.

Essential checklist when shopping around for a broadband plan

2008-11-11T01:42:00.000-08:00

Here’s our essential checklist of tips and traps when shopping around for a broadband plan.

• Can you get broadband? Most providers’ Web sites allow you to check this.

• How fast is it? The cheapest ADSL plans offer a 256/64Kbps maximum download/upload speed, which is roughly five times the top download speed of a dialup connection. But heavy downloaders will want more than this.

• Get a suitable download limit. Cheap plans with sub-200Mb monthly limits may be OK for occasional Web browsing, but many users will soon bust those limits. So, try to avoid excess download penalty fees. See if the plan has Shaping [ where you are not charged extra, but the speed id droped down to half ], at least with shaping you won’t get hit with a nasty excess bill.

• Watch out for contracts, minimum terms, early termination fees and other hidden charges. To give yourself the option to move to a cheaper or better service when you want, try to stay with a contract that goes for no longer than six/twelve months.

• For the same reason, look for an ADSL provider that supports rapid transfer.

• Read the fineprint. For example, some plans have data limits that include both downloads and uploads. You’ll also find some benefits too, such as some providers with special sites (eg. for downloads and online games) that are not included in the download limit.

• Check the initial one-off costs, such as the connection fee and the cost of the modem.

• A relatively new catch: some new budget plans offer an enticing monthly fee for the length of the contract only, after which it reverts to a higher price. And if you live outside capital cities, check for regional price differences.

• Most ADSL plans assume you’ll do the installation yourself, so check the availability and cost of on-site installation if you need it.

• Check the tech support options and hours. Some budget providers don’t have any phone support.

• Look for extras such as the number of email accounts, Web space on the provider’s computers for your own Web site, free spam and virus protection for your email, a free dialup account for travelling or emergencies.

OK, these tips will help you in deciding which Internet Service Provider to go with.

Zamzar.com

2008-10-05T03:45:00.000-07:00

Zamzar.com online file converter adds browser plugin

Zamzar.com is a free online service that will convert video, audio, and documents. You upload the file, enter your email address, and Zamzar will send you a note when your new file is ready for download.

Well now it looks like Zamzar's got the online video bug, adding support for converting videos from YouTube and a number of other services. You can either enter the URL of the video, or use a new browser plugin to automatically find videos to convert on the page you're visiting.

Zamzar will allow you to convert files from YouTube, Google Video, Myspace, Revver, putFile, Break.com, Apple Trailers, Dailymotion, Metacafe, iFilm, Grouper, and Blip.tv. You can convert files to a variety of formats, including 3GP, FLAC, MP4, and AVI.

How to recognize spoofed Web site.

2008-09-18T04:32:00.000-07:00

Site Spoofing

Some malicious individuals use phishing scams to set up convincing spoofs of legitimate Web sites. They then try to trick you into visiting these Web sites and disclosing personal information, such your credit card number.

Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to help protect yourself from these and other types of attacks.

What is a spoofing attack?

Spoofing attacks are commonly used in conjunction with phishing scams. The spoofed site is usually designed to look like the legitimate site, sometimes using components from the legitimate site. The best way to verify whether you are at a spoofed site is to verify the certificate.

Do not rely on the text in the address bar as an indication that you are at the site you think you are. There are several ways to get the address bar in a browser to display something other than the site you are on.

How to verify a site certificate

Always verify the security certificate issued to a site before submitting any personal information. Before you submit any personal information, ensure that you are indeed on the website you intend to be on.

You should find that the http://www. In the address bar has an S added to the address, like this https://www. This indicates a Secure site.

You should also be checking the yellow lock icon on the status bar.

This symbol signifies that the website uses encryption to help protect any sensitive personal information—credit card number or payment details—that you enter.

Secure site lock icon. If the lock is closed, then the site uses encryption. Double-click the lock icon to display the security certificate for the site. This certificate is proof of the identity for the site.

When you check the certificate, the name following 'Issued to' should match the site you think you are on. If the name differs, you may be on a spoofed site.

If you are not sure whether a certificate is legitimate, do not enter any personal information. Play it safe and leave the Web site.

Also, be cautious about clicking links in e-mail messages or in online ads from retailers you don't recognize or trust. If you have any doubt about a link, do not click it.

Instead, type the Web site address into the address bar of your Web browser, or try to confirm that the link is legitimate.

Remember, if an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Something new in your fight against the nongs.......

2008-04-10T03:49:00.000-07:00

Threatfire

"ThreatFire 3's ability to block installation of malware strictly by identifying bad behaviour is phenomenal. It did a better (and faster) job than Norton AntiBot and even beat out Spy Sweeper, our current Editors' Choice for signature-based anti-spyware. This free tool is an excellent addition to your security arsenal."
- www.pcmag.com, October 2, 2007*

What is ThreatFire?
ThreatFire is zero-day security software designed for the average consumer. ThreatFire protects in real-time against viruses, worms, trojans, spyware, adware, rootkits, keyloggers, and buffer overflows. It is designed to be used alongside your current antivirus to protect you between antivirus updates. Because it is behaviour-based and not signature-based, ThreatFire protects against both known and unknown, or zero-day, threats. It is easy to install, painless to use, and immediately effective against today's computer security threats. And best of all, ThreatFire is free to all home users.

http://www.threatfire.com/Download/

Play Safe when using a Public computer.

2007-07-04T03:20:00.000-07:00

Don't save your logon information. Always log out of Web sites by clicking "log out" on the site. It's not enough to simply close the browser window or type in another address. Many programs [ especially instant messenger programs ] include automatic login features that will save your user name and password.
DO NOT use this option so that no one can log in as you.

Don't leave the computer unattended with sensitive information on the screen. If you have to leave the public computer, log out of all programs and close all windows that might display sensitive information.

Watch for over-the-shoulder snoops. When you use a public computer, be on the look out for thieves who look over your shoulder or watch as you enter sensitive passwords to collect your information.

Don't enter sensitive information into a public computer. These measures provide some protection against casual hackers who use a public computer after you have. But keep in mind that an industrious thief might have installed sophisticated software on the public computer that records every keystroke and then e-mails that information back to the thief. If you really want to be safe, avoid typing your serial numbers, User names/Passwords, PIN credit card number or any other financial or otherwise sensitive information into any public computer.

Are public computers at libraries, Internet cafes, airports, and copy shops safe? That depends on how you use them! Take these tips to help keep your personal or financial information private.

jdbgmgr.exe virus

2007-06-07T21:37:00.000-07:00

You have received an eMail telling you about this virus.
The eMail identifies an obscure file found on tens of millions of PCs -- and it offers simple instructions on how to find the file in question.
The file uses a teddy bear as its associated icon, giving the impression that an immature hacker drew it.
Gullible users will assume they have found a dangerous virus -- simply because they WILL find this file on their PC.
So you're staring at this file on your PC. It's JDBGMGR.EXE, just like the eMail from your friend warned and your antivirus software says "no viruses found," What do you do.
We believe gullible users will trust their eyeballs over their antivirus software.

What will happen if we delete this file from our computer?
We posed this very question to Microsoft. Their answer: If a user has Visual J++ 1.x installed but JDBGMGR.EXE is missing, the net result would be that some Java programs wouldn't run.

Ok, before we do damage to our computer or send an eMail on to our friends. How do we check any eMail sent to us like this one to see if it is a hoax.

Just do a little checking before getting into a tiz be going to http://urbanlegends.about.com/ or http://www.truthorfiction.com/search.htm and do a search first.

2007-06-07T21:07:00.000-07:00

Firefox keyboard shortcuts

2007-05-02T03:54:00.000-07:00

Many Firefox keyboard combinations are the same as those of Internet Explorer. In particular, menu navigation uses the same combinations of arrow keys and Alt as most Windows applications, and navigation within text-editing fields supports the same keystrokes as most text editors (Ctrl+Left Arrow to move one word left, for example). Scrolling keys such as Page Up and Page Down work as you'd expect, too. The table below shows the major keys used by both browsers. (On the Macintosh, substitute Command for Ctrl and Option for Alt.)

Keyboard shortcuts common to Firefox and Internet Explorer

Key combination Use
----------------------------------
Ctrl+A Select all content
Ctrl+C Copy current selection
Ctrl+D Add a bookmark
Ctrl+H Display the History sidebar
Ctrl+I or Ctrl+B Open Bookmarks sidebar
Ctrl+N Open a new window
Ctrl+O Open a file
Ctrl+P Print current page
Ctrl+R or F5 Reload current page
Ctrl+Shift+R or Ctrl+F5 Reload current page from origin
Ctrl+V Paste currently copied content
Ctrl+W or Ctrl+F4 Close the current tab
Ctrl+X Cut the current selection
Ctrl+Y or Ctrl+Shift+Z Redo last operation
Ctrl+Z Undo last operation
Alt Begin menu navigation
Alt+D or F6 Focus and highlight the location bar
Alt+F4 or Ctrl+Shift+W Close current window
Alt+Home Go to home page
Alt+Left Arrow or Backspace Go back one page
Alt+Right Arrow or Shift+Backspace Go forward one page
Delete Delete current item
End Move to bottom of page
Esc Stop current operation
F11 Display in full-screen mode
Home Move to top of page

Firefox also has some unique keyboard combinations. The next list shows the common ones that don't match Internet Explorer.

Keyboard shortcuts available in Firefox only

Key combination Use
------------------------------------
Ctrl+hyphen Decrease text size
Ctrl+Plus Increase text size
Ctrl+0 (Ctrl+Zero) Restore text to normal size
Ctrl+Down Arrow Select next search engine in location bar
Ctrl+F or / Find content by search string
Ctrl+G or F3 Repeat last Find operation forward
Ctrl+J (Ctrl+Y on Linux) Open download manager window
Ctrl+K Search the Web using the current search engine and keyword
Ctrl+n (where n is a number) Go to the nth tab
Ctrl+S Save current page as file
Ctrl+T Open new tab
Ctrl+Tab or Ctrl+Page Down Move to the next tab
Ctrl+Shift+Tab or Ctrl+Page Up Move to the previous tab
Ctrl+U View page source
Alt+Enter Open URL in a new tab
F6 Move to next frame
F7 Toggle caret browsing
Shift+F3 Repeat last Find operation backward

MSoft does not support security updates for 98 anymore. What do you do !!!!

2007-04-22T03:38:00.000-07:00

So you use Windows 98, can't afford to update to XP and MSoft does not support security updates for 98 anymore. What do you do !!!!

Try these sites.......

HPC Factor.
http://www.hpcfactor.com/support/patching/win98/
Windows service packs & updates win 98 and 98se.

The Software Patch.
http://www.softwarepatch.com/windows/index.html
Windows service packs & updates win XP.

CWS Internet.
http://cws.internet.com/category/2256-1-d.htm
Windows service packs & updates.

Changing Your Icons for another.

2007-04-20T05:39:00.000-07:00

Whether you create your own icons, or download a bundle of them
from the Net, you can install them pretty easily. Here's how...

Select an icon on your desktop. Those that won't let you change
them won't have the function for change. You'll see what I mean
in a second.

Right click an icon and select 'Properties' from the context menu
that appears after right clicking. If the icon can be changed
easily, you'll see a 'Change Icon' button. If not, you won't see
that button.

Click the 'Change Icon' button. The 'Change Icon' dialog box pops
up, showing you the present icon, and any others that might
included. [Some programs pack a number of different icons along
with them.] Click the 'Browse' button, navigate to the folder you
saved your homemade icon in, and select it. Click 'Open' and then
OK, and OK again. Your new icon should be installed where the old
one was located.

Create Shortcuts on the Desktop to Your Favorite Websites

2007-04-20T05:32:00.000-07:00

So you have found this particular site you visit ALL the time
and would like to be able to go to it with a click on your
desktop icons. Easy.

Open your browser and click on the Maximize button and make
your browser smaller so that you can see the Desktop behind it.

With your super web page open, you'll see the address bar has a URL in
it. Just click on the "Icon" you see just before the URL,
hold the mouse button down [the left one] and drag the
address onto the desktop. Of course you'll have to make sure
you can see the desktop behind the browser, at least enough
to make the drop.

When you do this, the browser [ or Favicon ] icon is created with
the title of the page you've been visiting. Now that's just so
convenient! Next time you want to visit your favorite and
frequently favored page, just double click that icon.

Okay, I hear you thinking. "Why don't you just
use the Favorites item that's on the Start Menu? The last
bunches of pages you visited are always in there."

Well, that's ok. And you can. But if you visit a few sites
ALL the time, the desktop is still the best place. It's visual,
easy to see, and an easy place to get to.

2007-04-08T06:48:00.000-07:00

Yahoo POP3 Access in Microsoft Outlook Express.

In order to use an email client to send and receive Yahoo! Mail messages, you must designate a new incoming (POP) mail server and a new outgoing (SMTP) mail server.
If you can't add new POP or SMTP servers, you'll need to change your current server settings. Before you change anything, write down your current settings -- you may need to revert to your original settings later if you decide to send and receive messages from your other email addresses.

Here are the basic server settings for Yahoo! Mail. They can be set up by going to the Tools menu, / "Accounts."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Incoming Mail (POP3) Server: pop.mail.yahoo.com
Outgoing Mail (SMTP) Server: smtp.mail.yahoo.com
Account Name/Login Name: your Yahoo! Mail name (your address without the "@yahoo.com")
Email address: your Yahoo! Mail address (i.e., user@yahoo.com)
Password: your Yahoo! Mail password

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SMTP Settings for Microsoft Outlook Express

From the Tools menu, choose "Accounts."
Select the "Mail" tab.
Double-click the account labeled "pop.mail.yahoo.com."
Select the "Servers" tab.
Check the box next to "My Server Requires Authentication."
Click "OK."

NOTE: Before doing any of the above, you need to go to 'Yahoo mail site', Click on the 'Mail Options' link, top right hand side, Go to 'POP Access and Forwarding' and set it for 'Web and POP Access'.