tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76047710720378409862024-03-13T23:08:41.802-07:00Computer Tamer805-701-0061
The care and feeding of the (almost) tame domestic computer.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7604771072037840986.post-81660946163202246712016-01-15T09:44:00.001-08:002016-01-15T09:44:28.458-08:00Best Browser for Windows 10!And it's not Internet Explorer 11...<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.zdnet.com/article/whats-the-best-windows-10-web-browser-the-benchmarks-are-in/?tag=nl.e539&s_cid=e539&ttag=e539&ftag=TRE17cfd61" target="_blank">http://www.zdnet.com/article/whats-the-best-windows-10-web-browser-the-benchmarks-are-in/?tag=nl.e539&s_cid=e539&ttag=e539&ftag=TRE17cfd61</a><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7604771072037840986.post-61910414270353416982014-08-13T18:58:00.005-07:002014-08-13T18:58:43.737-07:00Have you backed up your computer yet?<a href="http://computertamer.carboniteshowcase.com/" target="_blank">See what Carbonite has to offer!</a><br />
<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7604771072037840986.post-32147816680347831652013-12-04T11:32:00.000-08:002013-12-04T11:32:09.247-08:00Tis the Season for Phishing Emails<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Phishing emails
insinuate themselves into inboxes year-round, but the holidays bring
out a rash of new scams. </span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Every day countless
phishing emails are sent to unsuspecting victims all over the world.
While some of these messages are so outlandish that they are obvious
frauds, others can be a bit more convincing. So how do you tell the
difference between a phishing message and a legitimate message?
Unfortunately, there is no one single technique that works in every
situation, but there are a number of different things that you can
look for. </span></span>
<br />
<h2 class="western">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">1.
The message contains poor spelling and grammar</span></span></h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Whenever a large
company sends out a message on behalf of the company as a whole, the
message is usually reviewed for spelling, grammar, legality, and a
number of other things. As such, if a message is filled with poor
grammar or spelling mistakes it probably didn’t come from a major
corporation’s legal department.</span></span><br />
<h2 class="western">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">2.
The message asks for personal information</span></span></h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">No matter how official
an email message might look, it is always a bad sign if the message
asks for personal information. Your bank doesn’t need you to send
them your account number. They already know what it is. Similarly, a
reputable company should never send an email asking for your
password, credit card number, or the answer to a security question.</span></span><br />
<h2 class="western">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">3.
The offer seems too good to be true</span></span></h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There is an old saying
that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. That
saying holds especially true for email messages. If you receive a
message from someone unknown to you who is making big promises, then
the message is probably a scam. After all, why would a Nigerian
prince that you have never heard of contact you to help him smuggle
money out of his country?</span></span><br />
<h2 class="western">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">4.
You didn’t initiate the action</span></span></h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Just yesterday I
received an email message informing me that I had won a contest!!!!
The only problem is that I never entered the contest. If you get a
message informing you that you have won a contest that you did not
enter then you can bet that the message is a scam.</span></span><br />
<h2 class="western">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">5.
You are asked to send money to cover expenses</span></span></h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">One sign of a phishing
E-mail is that you will eventually be asked for money. You might not
get hit up for cash in the initial message, but sooner or later a
phishing artist will likely ask for money to cover expenses, taxes,
fees, or something like that. If that happens, then you can bet that
it’s a scam.</span></span><br />
<h2 class="western">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">6.
The message makes unrealistic threats</span></span></h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Although most of the
phishing scams seem to try to trick people into giving up cash or
sensitive information by promising the victim instant riches, other
phishing artists try to use intimidation to scare the victim into
giving up information. If a message makes unrealistic threats then
the message is probably a scam. Let me give you an example.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Several years ago, I
received a very official looking letter that was allegedly from Bank
of America. Everything in the letter seemed completely legit except
for one thing. The letter said that my account had been compromised
and that if I did not submit a form (which asked for my account
number) my account would be canceled and my assets seized. Only
thing was, I did not have a Bank of America account.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">But what if I were a
Bank of America customer? That might've made me think twice. The
best thing to do with an email from a bank, or the IRS, that seems to
be making demands – is to go directly to their website (by typing
in the address, NOT clicking any links in the email!) or call the
bank and ask what is going on. They'll know!</span></span><br />
<br /><br />
<br />
<h2 class="western">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">7.
The message appears to be from a government agency</span></span></h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Phishing artists who
want to use intimidation don’t always pose as a bank. Sometimes
phishing artists will send messages claiming to have come from a law
enforcement agency, the IRS, the FBI, or just about anything else
that could scare the average law abiding citizen.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Follow the same
cautions as #6 above, either ignore the email or contact the agency
directly.</span></span><br />
<h2 class="western">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">8.
Something just doesn’t look right</span></span></h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">If something just
doesn’t look right, then there is probably a good reason why. If
you receive a message that seems suspicious then it is usually in
your best interest to avoid acting on the message.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7604771072037840986.post-55447480945615646452013-01-06T13:30:00.008-08:002013-01-06T13:30:59.172-08:00What's in YOUR Wallet?
<br />
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you misplaced your wallet
today, would you remember what was in it? I don't mean the cash,
that's probably gone, but which credit cards and identifying
information were you carrying? And could you remember all of them
quickly enough to get them cancelled before someone used them? Or,
worse yet, before someone used them to commit identity theft?</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<br />
I know I'd have no clue.</span><br />
<br />
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But there's a quick and easy
way to keep track of the contents in your wallet – your photocopier
or scanner! Just take out all the credit cards, driver's license,
anything important enough to be in your wallet – and lay them all
out on your photocopier or scanner. Copy or scan your cards – then
flip them all over and do the back. Now you have a record of every
card in your wallet AND the customer service numbers on the reverse
side!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now you'll always know
what's in YOUR wallet!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">~J~</span></div>
<br />
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7604771072037840986.post-54877882097268630052012-07-30T13:55:00.000-07:002012-07-30T13:55:02.424-07:00Carbonite Online Backup<span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>What
is Online Backup?</b></span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Online
backup solutions provide protection for your computer files so you
can get those files back in the event of a data disaster – saving
you time, money and stress. Unlike other antiquated methods of data
backup – such as external drives & CDs - there’s no hardware
to buy, no cables to connect, no training or maintenance required.</span></span><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>
</b></span></span><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
</span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Why
Carbonite?</b></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Carbonite
gives you secure, automatic offsite backup that protects your files
from accidental deletion, spills, theft and just about anything else
that could harm your data. Once installed, Carbonite backs up your
files to the cloud – so you can get them back when you need them
most. Because Carbonite works continually, backing up new and changed
files whenever you’re connected to the Internet, you can rest easy
knowing your backed up files are always protected. </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Since
2006, Carbonite has backed up over 200 billion files and today, backs
up more than 300 million files each day! Most importantly, Carbonite
has restored over 7 billion files that otherwise would have been lost
forever. </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Safe,
secure and completely automatic. Carbonite is The Better Backup Plan
™</b></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Product
Highlights:</b></span></span></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li><div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Set
it & forget it.</b></span></span><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
Carbonite backs up your files automatically to the cloud - so you
never have to remember to back up. No hardware required. </span></span>
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Continual
Backup.</b></span></span><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
Whenever you’re connected to the Internet, Carbonite backs up your
files – eliminating potentially costly backup gaps created by
daily or weekly backups. </span></span>
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Secure
transmission.</b></span></span><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
Carbonite uses the same encryption technology used in online backing
and e-commerce transactions.</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Safe
offsite storage.</b></span></span><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
Your backed up files are stored in one of Carbonite’s highly
secure state-of-the-art data centers which are guarded 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week.</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Easy
file recovery.</b></span></span><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
If anything happens to any file, Carbonite finds it in your backup
and puts it back in its original location on your computer – in
just a few, simple steps.</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Anytime,
Anywhere access.</b></span></span><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
You can access your backed up files from any computer connected to
the Internet — or even from your iPhone</span></span><sup><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">®</span></span></sup><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">,
Android</span></span><sup><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">™</span></span></sup><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
or BlackBerry</span></span><sup><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">®</span></span></sup><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
smartphone.</span></span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>The
Plans</b></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">With
5 plans to choose from, you can find the Carbonite subscription
that’s right for you. From individuals, families and students to
home office users and small business professionals, Carbonite has a
plan to fit every backup need.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Home</b></span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">With
the </span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Home</b></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
plan, you'll enjoy all the essentials of unlimited online backup.
Subscribe today and your irreplaceable files on your computer - like
photos, documents and music - will be backed up automatically, and
accessible at anytime, from any computer or smartphone.</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>HomePlus</b></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />Using
the </span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>HomePlus</b></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
plan you’ll receive all the benefits of the </span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Home</b></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
plan, PLUS additional features that make your backup more complete.
With </span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>HomePlus</b></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">,
you can include your </span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>external
hard drive</b></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
in your online backup, so you can rest easy knowing that all of your
important files are backed up safely, offsite. In addition, you also
get </span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Mirror
Image backup</b></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">,
which creates a local backup of your entire hard drive - including
your operating system and software programs. </span></span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>HomePremier</b></span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>HomePremier</b></span></span><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
is the most comprehensive backup solution of the Carbonite Home
plans. In addition to all the features of </span></span><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Home</b></span></span><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
and </span></span><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>HomePlus</b></span></span><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">,
you'll also get automatic backup of your video files (instead of
having to add them to your backup manually). In addition, you'll have
the option to use </span></span><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Courier
Recovery</b></span></span><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
- a Carbonite service reserved exclusively for </span></span><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>HomePremier</b></span></span><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
customers. Courier recovery allows you to have a copy of your entire
backup shipped directly to you – which may be the fastest way to
get your files back, when you need them most.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Business</b></span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The
Business plan is geared toward those looking to backup an unlimited
number of computers, external hard drives and NAS devices. Using this
plan, you receive 250 GB* of backup space.</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b> BusinessPremier</b></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Using
</span></span><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>BusinessPremier</b></span></span><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">,
you’ll experience all of the same benefits you receive from the
</span></span><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Business</b></span></span><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
plans. Now, in addition to backing up all of the computers, external
hard drives and NAS devices in your business, you can also backup
your </span></span><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Windows
Server</b></span></span><span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">.
Using this plan, you receive 500GB* of backup space.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">*
Additional storage packs are available for both Carbonite Business
plans</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Meiryo;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Interested
in learning more? Contact us for more details. </b></span></span>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7604771072037840986.post-83339918266184404422012-07-07T13:49:00.003-07:002012-07-07T13:49:52.405-07:00Check your computer before Monday!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">DNS Changer Virus</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In November, 2011, the FBI discovered a
virus that would send your computer to fake sites or places that
would promote fake products. The FBI arrested the authors of the
virus, and put in a bunch of servers to redirect infected computers
to safe sites. But they didn't tell us about it.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now they are shutting down their
servers, on Monday. The good news is, out of the approximately 4
million users around the world who were infected 8 months ago, there
are only a couple hundred thousand still infected. But that's also
the bad news. If you're one of the very few still infected, come
Monday morning you will not be able to access the internet.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's easy to find out if you're
infected – type the address </span><a href="http://www.dns-ok.us/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.dns-ok.us/</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
into your web browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome). The site
will immediately tell you if you're infected.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you are part of the teeny tiny group
that is still infected, that site also gives good advice about how to
clean the infection. Or, of course, you could call the Computer
Tamer at 805-701-0061.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I urge you to check your computer
today!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">~J~</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7604771072037840986.post-89831769213972513272012-03-24T18:43:00.002-07:002012-03-24T18:50:36.362-07:00A New/Old Scam<span style="font-family:arial;">We're all familiar with the Nigerian scam (“I am a deposed Nigerian prince and need your help getting my fortune out of Nigeria”) and probably won't be falling for that one (again) anytime soon. But what about the new edition of the old scam – let's avoid that one too.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />It all starts when you place an online ad.<br /><br />It doesn't really matter what you're selling, as long as it's large and valuable. It doesn't matter where you advertise — I've received this email scam when advertising furniture on Craigslist, but I hear it can come from almost any online advertisement.<br /><br />The first email you receive will be: "I will like to know if this item is still available for sale?" <br />When you say it is, and invite the emailer to come and view your item, you get this answer:<br /><br />"Thanks for the response, how long have you owned this item? let me know the price in USD? I am OK with the item it looks like new in the photos I am from Liverpool UK, i am sorry i will not be able to come for the viewing, i will arrange for the pickup after payment has been made, all documentation will be done by the shipper, so you don't have to worry about that. Thanks"<br /><br />Of course, the price was listed in the ad but, wanting to actually SELL the item, you respond with the price and the condition.<br /><br />"My shipper will be coming from UK for the pickup, and pls prepare all the export documentations for the pickup. I'm quite satisfied with the condition and price. I will be<br />paying the PayPal charges from my account and i will be paying directly into your PayPal account without any delay, and i hope you have a PayPal account."<br /><br />If you let it go this far, and actually give the “buyer” a Paypal account, you'll receive this:<br />"I have just completed the Payment and i am sure you have received the confirmation from PayPal regarding the Payment. You can check your paypal e-mail for confirmation of payment.a total of 25,982usd was sent, 24,728usd for the item and the extra 1,200usd for my shipper's charges,which you will be sending to the address below via western union."<br /><br />So here it is. You are being asked to send $1200 via Western Union to the “shipper”. Of course, no payment was ever sent by the “buyer”, so any money you send is out of your own pocket. Expressing concern about the missing payment brings this email:<br /><br />"You should send the money soon so that the Pick Up would be scheduled and you would know when the Pick Up would commence, make sure you're home. I advice you to check both your inbox or junk/spam folder for the payment confirmation message."<br /><br />And then you are told, oops – the payment can't show up in your PayPal account UNTIL you send the $1200 via Western Union. The following email sounds so professional and<br />convincing (not!!!):<br /><br />"The Transaction will appear as soon as the western union information is received from you,we have to follow this procedure due to some security reason … the Money was sent through the Service Option Secure Payment so that the transaction can be protected with adequate security measures for you to be able to receive your money. The Shipping Company only accept<br />payment through Western Union You have nothing to doubt about, You are safe and secured doing this transaction and your account will be credited immediately the western union receipt of *1,200USD* is received from you."<br /><br />Seriously, this is a business email?<br /><br />But wait...your NEXT email is from the FBI!! It threatens to take action against you for reneging on your payment:<br /><br />"We use proprietary technology and constantly innovate to help ensure your transactions are safe. In addition, PayPal has over 20,000 staffs worldwide dedicated to keeping PayPal accounts safe, and stopping online criminals. And we work with Internet Service Providers (ISPs) worldwide to shut off fraudulent websites as soon as possible."<br /><br />That email might make you think you are a criminal, and they are coming after you. You are not – and they are not! Anyone can fake an FBI logo (just copy it from their website). But it sure looks good when someone's trying to rob you, doesn't it?<br /><br />I've told you the whole story of the scam, so you can just delete and ignore it if you ever receive it.<br /><br />Please pass the warning on to friends who might fall for it!<br /><br />~J~<br /><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7604771072037840986.post-13837965675941652582012-02-06T16:46:00.000-08:002012-02-06T16:51:22.937-08:00Too Many Devices to Charge!!<span style="font-family:arial;">Did you ever notice motel rooms don't have nearly enough outlets to charge your mobile devices when you're traveling? We usually travel with 2 iPhones, an iPad and a laptop or netbook. So many times, I've left my iPhone charging in the bathroom because I have a laptop or the other iPhone plugged into the only available outlet in the room. It sure makes me nervous to have<br />iPhone next to the sink, plus it makes it hard to use the alarm clock!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Last summer I discovered the answer to “too many devices, too few outlets.” A mobile charging station! I simply took a power strip, plugged in all the chargers for all the devices, and traveled with that. Didn't have to worry about leaving one of the chargers in the car, or forgetting to charge a device, or the iPhone falling into the sink in the middle of the night. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />When I open my suitcase and see the power strip, I am automatically reminded to plug in each device by the number of chargers attached. If one does not have a device on it, I hunt it down and plug it in.<br /><br />~J~<br /><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7604771072037840986.post-39745145527776530062011-09-29T11:45:00.000-07:002011-09-29T11:50:57.900-07:00Why on earth would I want an e-reader??<p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span class="Apple-style-span" >I asked myself that for quite awhile before I bought my e-reader, pursuaded only by a sudden drop in price and a curiosity as to what all the noise was about. I've had it for a year now, and I can say truthfully that I have not touched or opened a real book since the day it arrived! I even went so far as to buy Kindle editions of the paperbacks I had already purchased but not yet read.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span class="Apple-style-span" >What happened? Well, I love books. But I don't like clutter. I will generally only read a book once – and then I donate it to the library, or the nearest charity. With my e-reader, I no longer had stacks of finished books in my garage looking for a home. Sure, ebooks on Amazon (Kindle) and Barnes and Noble (Nook) cost just as much as the paper version, and I love the ease of ordering up and jumping right into the next book in a series at 2 in the morning when I've just finished my current book.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span class="Apple-style-span" >But there's more! There are free books available for every e-reader. Amazon has them, so does Barnes and Noble. But we're not limited by those stores – we can also download ebooks from various websites like Smashwords, where ebook writers can self publish their books either to be sold, or for free. Some books are only released in an e-reader edition. And library books! Most e-readers now have the capability to interact with your local library to download a book for a particular period, just like borrowing a book from within the library itself. Not only are they free, you can give them back!</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span class="Apple-style-span" >If you're over 40, you'll appreciate the ability to enlarge the font on all of these devices. I regularly keep mine enlarged a bit, but the day I had my glasses repaired, I enlarged the font to HUGE while I was waiting and was able to read comfortably.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span class="Apple-style-span" >You can get newspaper and magazine subscriptions on an e-reader – I don't know about newspapers, I think they'd be a bit small. But I've been subscribing to PC Magazine on my Kindle since they stopped publishing their print edition. Yes, I do miss leafing through the pages of the magazine – but I do like the fact that I can archive them without having to fill an entire closet with old magazines. And I like the fact that my books sync with my iPhone, iPad and computer – so if I don't happen to have my Kindle with me and I'm stuck in a waiting room at the doctor or a line at the post office, I can pull out my phone and read through the wait.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Now if I could only find a way to stop dropping it on the tile floor when I fall asleep reading!</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span class="Apple-style-span" >~J~</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7604771072037840986.post-44630446523762866212011-08-26T11:42:00.000-07:002011-09-29T11:44:17.589-07:00“You have a virus! Click here to fix it…”<p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span ><span >Noooooo!</span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span ><span ><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span ><span >There is a particularly nasty bug that tries to trick you into installing it by flashing a notice that "YOU ARE INFECTED" and telling you you must download the recommended software immediately to fix the problem. And when you innocently do that, you have now given the virus permission to install itself on the machine. This virus or Trojan is very difficult to remove and has occasionally been impossible to remove, rendering the machine useless.</span></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span ><span >There are also a number of pop-ups that warn you that you have spyware and telling you to click on their button to have it cleaned. And when you click, it actually INSTALLS more spyware on your system. The more benign versions try to trick you into buying the “paid” version of their software.</span></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span ><span >No antivirus program can defend against a virus we have given permission to invade our system.</span></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span ><span >If you make sure you know what security programs you have installed on your computer (or on company computers), you will not fall prey to these traps. If you know you have, for instance, Norton Antivirus and Ad-Aware antispyware, and another program offers to help you – you know it’s a fake! You also need to be aware of the wording – “Ad-Aware” is an antispyware program, “Adware” is NOT. Microsoft will NOT warn you that your IP address is compromised, and Windows will NOT discover spyware on your system. Oh, and they will NEVER call you and tell you that you are infected, either. Never.</span></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span ><span >Best practice is to stick with what we know – </span></span> </p> <p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin-bottom: 0in"><span ><span >For antivirus software, install Microsoft Security Essentials (it's free at </span></span><span ><u><a href="http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security_essentials/"><span ><span >www.microsoft.com/en-us/security_essentials/</span></span></a></u></span><span ><span > ) or NOD32 (www.eset.com). </span></span> </p> <p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin-bottom: 0in"> </p> <p style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin-bottom: 0in"> <span ><span >For a another free decent antivirus product, try AVG Free (at free.grisoft.com).</span></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span ><span >Install only ONE antivirus product – they don’t work better in multiples, they just conflict with each other. </span></span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span ><span >And just don’t click on those warnings…they are meant to scare you (and they do it well!) into infecting your own system.</span></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span ><span ><span >~J~</span></span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7604771072037840986.post-4256296533128472332011-07-07T14:46:00.000-07:002011-07-07T14:47:06.384-07:00How Does Malware Get on Your Computer?<p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span >Malware is the word that now covers all the evil bugs that can get into your computer – viruses, Trojans, worms, spyware, adware, etc. “Mal” means bad, so “badware” is essentially anything that can harm your computer.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span >There once was a time you could avoid malware by simply not opening attachments in email. Then you had to avoid clicking links in emails, so you wouldn't be a victim of a phishing scheme. Drive-by infections on benign websites then became the preferred method of delivering malware. Also infected media has always been a method of malware distribution, starting in the days of floppy disks and graduating to USB flash drives.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span >All those methods of delivery still exist, but the most common way a computer gets infected today is by invitation of the user! Seems strange, doesn't it, since who would invite an infection into their system?</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span >When a pop-up shows up on your system saying “You are infected – click here to fix” and you click it, you have invited in an infection. This screen is just an image, a video set up to 1) scare you, and 2) make you think it's your own antivirus asking you to “click here”. The damage starts when you click.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span ><i><b>This is not your fault</b></i></span><span > – these images are very carefully engineered to look like your own antivirus is sending you a warning. They play on your fear, your responsibility and your familiarity. But it IS your responsibility to protect & educate yourself.</span></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span ><b>Know your system – </b></span><span ><span style="font-weight: normal">if a pop-up says “Windows Security has found infections” and you know you have McAfee antivirus, that is NOT your product warning you. Know the name of your product – McAfee, Microsoft Security Essentials, Norton, AVG, etc. That name MUST be in the warning for it to be legit. </span></span> </span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span ><b>Stop and think before you click –</b></span><span ><span style="font-weight: normal"> the warning is trying to get you to panic, and if you panic you won't think things through before you “click to fix.” Heck, those warnings make ME panic, they are pretty scary! </span></span> </span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal"><span >If you see one of these warnings, don't click anything – just shut down your machine without even trying to click out of the warning window. Then turn it back on – chances are good you got away. But if you didn't get away, call for help before the infection gets too big or starts to infect your friends.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal"><span ><br /></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal"><span >~J~</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7604771072037840986.post-26175419379875728912011-06-26T12:30:00.001-07:002011-06-26T12:30:59.893-07:00Which Antivirus Should I Use??<p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span >Used to be, one antivirus product was much like another. Whether you chose McAfee, Norton or TrendMicro was just a matter of personal taste – they all did a decent job.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span >But then they started growing – adding internet security, phishing filters, parental controls, etc – each time one product added a feature, the others did the same, till these antivirus programs were HUGE. They were extremely safe, but you were lucky if you could actually access the internet through all the safety features. And they slowed down everything on your computer.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span >Apparently these antivirus vendors are trying to pare down their programs now, streamlining so you don't feel like you are running through mud when you use your computer. Even if they do succeed in speeding up their products, there is still a problem – subscription to the products expire every year.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span >You've seen it - “Your antivirus product will expire in 364 days” - as it starts to count down almost as soon as you've bought it. We ignore the warning since it starts so early, and as a result many users actually miss the expiration date and the product expires. Or we forget. Or we just don't have that $50 right at the time the product needs to be renewed. That means no more updates, and THAT means your antivirus product is essentially worthless within a week. It can no longer keep up with the newer threats because it is not updating, and the newer threats are the ones most likely to bite you because you ARE protected against the older bugs.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span >When Microsoft Security Essentials was first offered for free by Microsoft, I thought it was a brilliant idea – who better to protect Windows from threats than the makers of Windows themselves? So far, it is turning out to be a great product. Sure, something will get through it at some point, but that hasn't happened in my house yet. Yet! But the consequence I hadn't considered with this free product is that I never have to renew my subscription. Sure, I keep an eye on it to make sure it's always updating to the newest virus definitions (it always has so far), but I don't have to worry about renewing and paying each year. And I like that.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span >~J~</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7604771072037840986.post-81419083921926844012011-06-08T16:21:00.001-07:002011-06-10T08:41:09.086-07:00Log In For Speed Scam<h6 style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;" class="uiStreamMessage" ft="{"type":1}"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span class="messageBody" ft="{"type":3}">If you receive a call from Log In For Speed, or the PC Doctor, it is a SCAM! No one from India will ever call you and tell you your computer is infected and running slowly. They will have you look at your Event Viewer (which is ALWAYS full of meaningless errors) and claim all the errors are viruses. Then they will ask you to allow them to remote into your computer. DO NOT BELIEVE THEM!!!</span></span></h6><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >They will not only plant bugs, they will take your money, your credit card numbers and passwords, and they'll charge you a yearly fee to do it.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7604771072037840986.post-9407457585621102392011-06-05T11:22:00.000-07:002011-06-05T11:22:01.948-07:00Travel Insider: Don't take a vacation from Internet security<a href="http://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-money-20110605,0,2132498.story">Travel Insider: Don't take a vacation from Internet security</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7604771072037840986.post-64808071912494119552011-06-04T19:15:00.000-07:002011-06-04T19:19:00.846-07:00It MUST be true, I read it on the Internet!<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; font-family: arial;" align="LEFT"> <span style="font-size:100%;">Twenty-five years ago, I was eating some shelled peanuts and I wondered, “How do they get the shells off all those peanuts?”. So I wrote a letter to the famous nut company, asking them my burning question. A month later, I received a response: “We have a machine for that.”</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; font-family: arial;" align="LEFT"> <span style="font-size:100%;">Today I asked the same question on Google. The following answer was the first item on the Google search page, and it came from Yahoo answers:</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-family: arial;" align="LEFT"><a name="lw_1305667284_0"></a><a name="lw_1305667284_1"></a><a name="lw_1305667284_2"></a><a name="lw_1305667284_3"></a> <span style="font-family: times new roman;">“</span><span style="font-family: times new roman;font-size:100%;" ><i><span style="font-weight: normal">Peanuts to be shelled are placed in slotted drums containing screens of different sizes. Rotating peanuts rub against each other until the shells are opened and the kernels fall out. The kernels are sized on screens that permit the smaller kernels to fall through. The shelled peanuts are cleaned again to remove foreign materials. This is done with density separators, electronic color sorters and by visual inspection to ensure that only the best peanuts reach the market. The peanut kernels are then sized, graded and bagged for market. “</span></i></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; font-family: arial;" align="LEFT"> <span style="font-size:100%;">This information was handed to me in less time than it took to blink my eyes. We are truly living in an amazing time, when all the information you would want is right at your fingertips!</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; font-family: arial;" align="LEFT"> <span style="font-size:100%;">How easy was that??</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; font-family: arial;" align="LEFT"> <span style="font-size:100%;">But...I could go on my blog right now and write an article that says peanut shells fall off in bulk on the second Thursday after the quarter moon, when placed at the top of a hill where the grass has been trimmed by six sheep who were born in the month of April.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; font-family: arial;" align="LEFT"> <span style="font-size:100%;">And that could show up in your search results when you look for answers. The truth is, with all the information that is out there on the web, not all of it is true. In addition, just because it is repeated by the same person on five different sites doesn't mean you've heard it five times. It is amazingly easy to put wrong, or just mistaken, information on the web – and to repeat it numerous times. </span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-family: arial;" align="LEFT"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">When you are searching for an answer, don't take the first answer you see. Read several search results and, in addition to seeing several answers that agree, pick an answer given by a site or authority you trust. When dealing with rumors or virus scares, the website </span></span></span><span style="color:#000080;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.snopes.com/"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">www.snopes.com</span></span></span></a></u></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> is a reliable authority (but look it up yourself, don't accept “scare” rumors that say they've already looked it up).<br /></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; font-family: arial;" align="LEFT"> <span style="font-size:100%;">The same goes for rumors. It is incredibly easy to spread rumors – good or bad – by way of the internet. This can do unending damage to a politician or private person, as the Internet allows critics to perpetuate even discredited charges. Some critics will say something just because they can, to stir the pot. And many readers will not go past an attention-getting headline (which may have nothing to do with the article, or seems to give the opposite conclusion from the actual content).</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; font-family: arial;" align="LEFT"> <span style="font-size:100%;">The moral of the story? Be careful of what information you accept as gospel on the web. Yes, a miraculous world of information is accessible to us. But it's not all true.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; font-family: arial;" align="LEFT"><br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; font-family: arial;" align="LEFT"> <span style="font-size:100%;">~J~</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7604771072037840986.post-50916738551658378022011-03-29T11:10:00.000-07:002011-03-29T11:12:19.440-07:00What if your email disappears?<p face="arial" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Most users of web-based email services (gmail, hotmail, yahoo, aol online, for example) assume that as long as they're connected to the internet, they'll have 24/7 access to their accounts. And that their providers are faithfully backing up and keeping their accounts safe.</p><br />The recent gmail failure proved otherwise. About 30,000 gmail customers lost their email at the end of February. Not only could they not send and receive messages, but all their archived and saved messages were gone.<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-family: arial;">Google has backups, but days after the failure many customers still had not had their email restored.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-family: arial;">I've seen a lot of options for backing up web-based email – backing it up to Outlook, or Windows Mail; fiddling with IMAP settings in gmail; sync Hotmail to a local mail client, and on and on. Seriously, I barely understand what these directions are trying to say.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-family: arial;">However, hidden deeply in one of the articles I was reading was the name of a free program to back up web-based email to your own computer. It's called Mail Store, and it's available at <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128);"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.mailstore.com/">www.mailstore.com</a></u></span></span>. Easy to download and install, simple to follow the directions to back up. I had to let it back up my email to my own computer overnight, there is quite a lot, but it did it and was finished in the morning. Did I mention it's free?</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-family: arial;">I'm sure that if Google ever loses my gmail, they will get it back for me. But I feel a lot more secure knowing that my email is also backed up by me.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7604771072037840986.post-84900138282138236982011-03-25T11:45:00.000-07:002011-03-25T11:46:19.033-07:00Tips for Faster Web Browsing<p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><b>Use a fast browser</b></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Some browsers are faster than others. The top speed in current browsers currently belongs to Google Chrome. The new version of Internet Explorer, IE9, is just about as fast but only available to users of Windows 7 (good thing since we couldn't use IE7 with Windows 7, and using version 8 was like trying to run through mud). Firefox is still dependable – slower than Chrome, faster than Internet Explorer except for version 9.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><b>Get rid of those toolbars</b></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">One of the first things I do when tuning up someone's computer is to uninstall all those toolbars in the browser. Everyone seems to add a toolbar to their service – and you have to look very carefully to stop it from installing when you update a program. Seriously, sometimes there are so many toolbars you can barely see the browser window. Go to your Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs (or just Programs in Vista & 7), and uninstall all those toolbars. Have you ever used them?</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><b>Use tabs, not windows</b></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Too many tabs will still slow you down, but they are much more efficient than separate windows for every web page you are using. They are more organized, save time searching for the correct page, and in some browsers are actually physically faster.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in">~J~<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7604771072037840986.post-26960496693620978462011-02-15T14:40:00.000-08:002011-02-15T14:42:37.460-08:00Brand-jacking – another new email threat!<p style="font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color:#800000;">A new e-mail spam campaign is circulating, “brand-jacking” Best Buy, Chase, Macy’s, Target.com and Evite. Isn't “brand-jacking” a great, self-explanatory word?</span></p> <p style="font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color:#800000;">Sample subjects include:</span></p> <ul><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color:#800000;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">“<span style="font-weight: normal;">Thank you for scheduling your online payment” </span></span></span> </p> </li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color:#800000;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">“<span style="font-weight: normal;">Thank you for your payment” </span></span></span> </p> </li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color:#800000;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">“<span style="font-weight: normal;">Thanks for planning your event with Evite” </span></span></span> </p> </li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color:#800000;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">“<span style="font-weight: normal;">Your Target.com order has been shipped” </span></span></span> </p> </li><li><p><span style="color:#800000;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">“<span style="font-weight: normal;">Thank You, Your Anti-Virus Protection Plan has been renewed” </span></span></span> </p> </li></ul> <p style="font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color:#800000;">This campaign is directly related to last month’s malicious Amazon emails, and attempts to steal your credit card info, or log-on info for various websites, where you might be storing credit card details.</span></p> <p style="font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color:#800000;">If you receive an email like this, don't click on the links in the email! If you think there might be any truth to the order or payment, or whatever it is telling you, independently log on to the actual website in question – through your browser, NOT through your email. There you can verify if there's anything going on that might concern your account.</span></p> <p style="font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color:#800000;">AND...keep all your programs (Microsoft Office, Adobe programs, etc), browsers (Firefox, Internet Explorer, Chrome) and Windows up to date all the time! Many of those updates are released to specifically close the vulnerabilities targeted by those emails.</span></p><p style="font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"><br /></p><p style="font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color:#800000;">~J~<br /></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7604771072037840986.post-16579646779406400462010-12-13T13:22:00.000-08:002010-12-13T13:31:12.645-08:00Beware of "Free Public WiFi"<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a name="_GoBack"></a><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Frequent wireless Internet (WiFi) users are being warned to never click on the network "Free Public WiFi". It's not actually free wireless, but a rogue network that can lead to the infiltration of a system by hackers. I’ve seen it in airports and various places around town.</span></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:130%;">"Free Public WiFi" is not the kind of network that will provide access to the web, but is instead a network that will link you up to another person’s PC. By signing on to this connection, you are inviting a hacker into your system.</span></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:130%;">This problem was allowed to spread by taking advantage of a Windows XP flaw that wasn't fixed until Service Pack 3. </span></span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:130%;">So – if you have Windows XP, make sure to do your updates and especially make sure you are updated to Service Pack 3. Or upgrade to Windows 7. But for sure, don't click on “Free Public WiFi” when you find it in your network options in a public place.</span></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7604771072037840986.post-60727241742918104112010-11-28T13:28:00.000-08:002010-11-28T13:30:54.422-08:00"Oh no, the file I need is on my other computer!"<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-family: arial;">Did you ever find yourself at the office and the file you need is on your computer at home? Or vice versa? Always a frustrating situation. You’ve tried emailing files to yourself and carrying around a flash drive, but you always have to remember to save or email your file every time you update it. Not an easy thing to remember!!</p><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Dropbox is a file synching and sharing program that solves that problem. You can save your file to your computer at home – and the updated version shows up on your computer at the office. Or on your iPhone! You can also save photos or, believe it or not, an Outlook .pst file. You can actually use Microsoft Outlook on more than one computer and have all your mail and contacts will be exactly the same!</span><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-family: arial;"><a name="_GoBack"></a>And you KNOW how I love free!! You can store up to 2GB of data on Dropbox for free. This is a BUNCH of data! The only time I ever threatened to go over that limit was when I had the bright idea to store movies on it so I wouldn’t have to carry any DVDs when I was traveling. Who was I kidding - I don’t watch movies on vacation! But in case you DO want to store more, they offer 50GB of storage for $10 a month ($99/yr), and 100GB for $20 a month ($199/yr).</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-family: arial;">I’ve been using Dropbox for about 5 months now and still get a kick out of it. I use it mainly for photos and for my check register, so I can access them from my iPhone. You can share files among all your different devices or share with collaborators easily, all over the web. Take a look at <a href="http://www.dropbox.com/">www.dropbox.com</a>.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-family: arial;"><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7604771072037840986.post-51223939052877395862010-09-30T11:37:00.000-07:002010-09-30T11:38:15.735-07:00Beware of Fake LinkedIn and Microsoft Messages<p><span style="font-size:130%;color:#003333;"><span style="color:#000099;">One of your most expensive - and easily destroyed - assets in business is your computer equipment. You want to keep it safe, but sometimes you just don't know where to start!<br /><br />The following two malware incidents are aimed at businesspeople like yourself - please take a look so you are able to recognize them if you receive these emails:<br /></span><br /></span><br />*****************************************************************************************************************************************************<br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;">Subject: LinkedIn Alert</span></p> <p><span style="color:#cc0000;">LinkedIn<br />REMINDERS<br />Invitation reminders:<br />• From [Name Removed] (Friend) </span></p> <p><span style="color:#cc0000;">PENDING MESSAGES</span></p> <p><span style="color:#cc0000;">• There are a total of 2 messages awaiting your response. Visit your InBox now. </span></p> <div><span style="color:#cc0000;">Don't want to receive email notifications? Adjust your message settings.</span></div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <p><img title="linkedin-malware-email.jpg" alt="linkedin-malware-email.jpg" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=713edfc075&view=att&th=12b59de8efe13681&attid=0.1&disp=emb&realattid=ii_12b59dbf2c33cfde&zw" /><br /><br />******************************************************************************************************************************************************************<br /><br />And here's the other one:<br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;">Subject: Critical Microsoft Windows Upgrade Notification</span></p> <p><span style="color:#cc0000;">Dear Microsoft Windows User,</span></p> <p><span style="color:#cc0000;">You are recieving this notification because the version of Microsoft Windows you are running is affected by a critical security issue.</span></p> <p><span style="color:#cc0000;">In order to protect yourself and other users of the Microsoft Windows operating system, it is highly recommended that all customers upgrade Windows as soon as possible.</span></p> <p><span style="color:#cc0000;">To do so, please download the KB396658 upgrade from Windows upgrade by clicking here.</span></p> <p><span style="color:#cc0000;">We appreciate your cooperation.</span></p> <p><span style="color:#cc0000;">Regards,<br />Microsoft Windows Client Support Team</span></p> <p><span style="color:#cc0000;">© 2010 Microsoft Corporation </span></p><br />****************************************************************************************************************************************************************<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#000099;">If you receive either of these emails, the safest thing to do is to <span style="color:#cc0000;">DELETE THEM</span>! But always remember - don't click links in email. If you feel you really need to go to the site, type the actual site address in your browser (such as <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/" target="_blank">http://www.linkedin.com</a>) and see if there are any messages waiting for you.<br /><br />~J~<br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7604771072037840986.post-73223504213915896672010-07-05T13:43:00.000-07:002010-07-05T13:45:49.118-07:00There IS a quick fix!<span style="font-family: arial;">There’s a fix for your sluggish or misbehaving computer that works a great deal of the time, takes only about five minutes, and you can do it yourself. No, I’m not talking about throwing your computer out on the boulevard as a semi full of bricks bears down. And I’m not talking about buying a new computer which, while it’s always fun to have a new one, tends to be a bit expensive. I’m talking about the Magical Reboot.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">A “reboot” is simply the act of restarting your computer. You’ll click Start, Shut Down, Restart (or some variation based on your particular computer) and wait for the computer to come back up again and reload all its background programs. You will find this cures a variety of ills, and will save you a lot of frustration if you try it before things get too bad, or before you call for help.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I met a fellow the other day who does not “believe” in reboots, believes it is a tech support time waster and refuses to do it. When asked to reboot his machine, he sits back and waits for the amount of time it should have taken and says “Okay, it’s done and it’s still broken.” Hmm…I wonder why? Seems to me no one has ever explained to him why this works!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Here’s why it works – imagine your brain about midmorning: you are overwhelmed with your to-do list, everything is first priority, and you are also distracted by a recent phone call with an angry client. What are you going to accomplish now? Much less, much more slowly than you had anticipated when you started your day.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Then imagine you shut down for a few minutes, take a walk, clear your brain, and write down everything you need to do. Now you are much more likely to be able to tackle your to-do list one item at a time, with a much higher probability of success.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">That’s what happens when you reboot your computer – it shakes all the confusion out of its brain and starts over with renewed energy and a clean slate. Often, this is all that is needed to “fix” your computer. Not always, but often. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Also - if you work with graphics,photos, video or music – or if you always leave your computer “on” (as I do), reboots can save the day for you. Reboot early and reboot often!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7604771072037840986.post-25555787850457061932010-05-10T13:55:00.000-07:002010-05-10T14:21:41.505-07:00And your program is freeeeeeeee!!!** revisited<span style="font-family:arial;">The cost of PCs has come way down lately, including the cost of a decent laptop computer. But the price of Microsoft Office is still a bit steep, and the format of the new versions – 2007 or 2010 beta – are very different from the Microsoft Word & Excel we are used to. They don’t even look like the same programs anymore!!<br /><br />But remember, there is a free program – OpenOffice!!<br /><br />OpenOffice is a free version of Microsoft Office Suite. Try it at </span><a href="http://www.openoffice.org/"><span style="font-family:arial;">www.openoffice.org</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">. It includes word processing, spreadsheet, database & graphics. Saves documents to your local computer.<br /><br />An online alternative is Google Docs, rapidly gaining popularity in both personal and business environments. Find it at docs.google.com.<br /><br />I’ve just found a free new photo editing program, called Light Box. I think it’s terrific! Try it at </span><a href="http://www.sagelighteditor.com/downloadfree.html"><span style="font-family:arial;">www.sagelighteditor.com/lightboxfreeinst.exe</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">. I like it even more than the following two programs, which are still good alternatives.<br /><br />Photoshop Express (at </span><a href="http://www.photoshop.com/express"><span style="font-family:arial;">www.photoshop.com/express</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">) is a free photo editing program from Adobe that you use online. It’s a teeny tiny version of Photoshop - but you upload your photo to their site and do your editing online. It has some great editing tools but does not have an actual “resize” tool – however you can choose to download your photo back to your own computer in a smaller size.<br /><br />For free photo resizing, Image Resizer from Microsoft is an easy little addition to your right-click menu. The version for Vista is at </span><a href="http://www.vso-software.fr/products/image_resizer/"><span style="font-family:arial;">http://www.vso-software.fr/products/image_resizer/</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> and the one for Windows XP can be found at </span><a href="http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx"><span style="font-family:arial;">http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">.<br /><br />PrimoPDF (at </span><a href="http://www.primopdf.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;">www.primopdf.com</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">) is a free online program that will convert many file formats to pdf files.<br /><br />And for antivirus, I’m currently recommending Windows Security Essentials. It is a free program from Microsoft – light, yet strong. Find it at www.microsoft.com/Security_Essentials/.<br /><br />**A word of caution – if you’re going to use free software not mentioned above, research it before you install it. A simple web search should tell you whether other people have had trouble with bugs in the program or if it is infested with spyware. If someone you trust has had a good experience with the program that’s generally a good recommendation.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7604771072037840986.post-32440795974959476692010-02-01T15:07:00.000-08:002010-02-01T15:36:58.295-08:00Microsoft's Making Their Own Antivirus Software! Finally!<span style="font-family:arial;">It makes sense. Almost every target of every virus, worm, trojan - is Microsoft software. And Microsoft is pretty good at knowing what part of their software is being attacked. Other antivirus companies have to wait for MS to tell them when there's a problem - not so if MS is doing the protecting themselves.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">And did I mention it's free? Of course there would be a HUGE uproar if Microsoft charged $$$ for protection from problems that they should have foreseen. It would also look like a terrible temptation for abuse - break it so you can be paid to fix it - and I'm sure Microsoft is not interested in developing that kind of reputation.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">I've been using Windows Security Essentials since the middle of December, and I'm very happy with it. It gets good reviews, and it's not bogging down my system. What more could anyone want?</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">~J~</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7604771072037840986.post-8280797833788704872009-10-29T14:09:00.000-07:002009-10-29T14:13:03.484-07:00Windows 7 - Vista Without the Pain<span style="font-family:arial;">No one will blame you for being gun shy. After the Windows Vista fiasco, starting with its release two years ago and continuing until fairly recently, why on earth would you want to buy a computer with a new operating system? Why would you want to upgrade, now that you have finally gotten Vista working right? If XP isn’t broken, why fix it, right?<br /><br />I have been using the Beta (testing) version of Windows 7 since January, and the release candidate since it came out in May, and I must tell you –<br /><br /><em>DO NOT BE AFRAID!!!<br /></em><br />Windows 7 is Vista done right, Vista light. Since I’ve been experimenting with it, I’ve had no trouble with printers, networks, software, and I’ve been thrilled at the stability of the system. I never upgraded my own home systems to Vista even though I had the software, but I’ve ordered and received the retail version of Windows 7 to install on my home computers.<br /><br />One of the major problems with Vista was compatibility with other devices, such as printers and scanners. These have been resolved, and drivers for these items are already available for Windows 7. There will be <em>some</em> items that may not work with Windows 7, or will need an update, but it’s easy enough to find out what you need by using the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor. Simply Google the words Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor, download and run the program, and you’ll know what, if anything, you need to do to get your existing hardware and programs to work with Windows 7.<br /><br />As always, if you are happy with what you have – whether it be Windows XP, Vista or Mac – don’t worry about upgrading until you have to. But if you want to, or you buy a new computer, Windows 7 will be a pleasant surprise.<br /><br />~J~</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1