Do you recall the first time you ever used the Internet? You might have wondered where in the world you could find information about computers without having websites to go to. And this might still be an on-going dilemma for many people.
How do you really search information on the Internet? The answer is fairly simple - use a search engine. An example of a search engine is Google and Yahoo. When you go to their website, you will notice that there's a long bar where you can type something. It also has a search button at the end. That's what a search engine looks like.
If you have been using search engines but still can't get the right website, here are good tips on how to search for information using the Internet:
1. Don't Type Too Many Words In The Search Bar.
Search engines rely on keywords. So if you want to know where to find information about auto accident insurance coverage, you can simply type "auto insurance" and go from there. The fewer keywords you type, the more results you'll get. Also, words like "the", "to", and "or" are omitted from the search. It's best not to type them unless you really have to.
2. Be Specific.
Be specific but not too restricting in your search. If you want to know more about litigation experts, don't merely look for attorneys and lawyers. The Internet is full of niches and subdirectories. You'll get faster to the exact thing you are looking for if you are a little more precise in your search.
3. Use The Search Engine Tools As Necessary.
If you are searching for pictures, videos, or groups, specifically select the right tab on the search engine's page. This way, you will be able to get the results of your preference. Understand how the search engine you are using works. They are very simple to use.
4. Consult Web Directories As Well.
Sometimes, you are looking for a certain website more than the information it contains. If you can't find what you are looking for in the search engine results, you can always check out web directories. Web directories are websites that contains the URL's of different sites that were submitted for listing. You'll most likely find what you are looking for there.
These are good tips on how you can find certain information on the web. The web is large and expansive. And it certainly contains anything and everything you are looking for. It is just a matter of using the right method when searching.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Home Network Security, Simplified
Many home users have unknowingly become computer geeks. Not too long ago using the terms 'router' or 'wireless' signaled the presence of the enthusiast or professional. No longer. Now, routers, hubs, switches, Ethernet cards, firewalls and a bewildering array of other network related buzzwords have entered the home.
By making the installation of these devices easy and inexpensive, vendors opened new sources of revenue for themselves and offered a significant value to home users. Now multiple home computers could share resources without 'sneaker net' - physically transporting files or moving printer connections. Now the whole family could use a single network connection to the Internet, and often without having to string wires all over the house.
What users didn't get is what every networking and computer professional has early on - training in how to secure that gear from hackers.
But, don't panic. The settings from the vendor are often quite good. Now, for some guidance...
RFM is a common acronym known to computer professionals. For the sake of propriety I'll ignore the middle letter, but the first and last stand for Read the Manual. It'll give you common useful settings and configuration information. Now read it again.
ROUTER PORTS
First, change the password and if possible rename the administrator account. The person who bought the same model you did has that information, and he may not be as trustworthy as you.
Port 80 is the standard for HTTP, needed for any web browsing. 'Ports' are network numbers used by software to distinguish traffic. Open that, but only for specific IP addresses or ranges going out. That way, only known computers can generate traffic out of your home network.
That tip is imperfect if you acquire an IP address automatically. I.e. use DHCP, as most do. But many providers allow you to purchase one static address for your router. That's the one that should have access out.
Why do you care about traffic going out? Because you can infect others. Practice safe networking. Don't spread viruses. Also, if you have wireless - see below - you may not know who's on your network. Even if you don't and you're not home, no one can sneak in with a laptop and get out of your network. Yes, it's happened.
You'll have to open Port 80 for all incoming traffic, unless you want to try to track which sites have which IP address - nearly impossible.
If you use a desktop e-mail client, rather than being entirely browser based, you need to open Port 25 for outgoing mail (SMTP) and 110 for incoming (POP3, ignore the acronym meanings).
And that's ALL... usually.
Manual or desktop FTP clients, which you should avoid because of their weak security, will need another, and specialized programs will require a few others. In most cases you'll find their numbers easily discoverable. Keep them to the bare minimum. The rule of thumb with network security is: everything closed by default, allow only those truly needed and only to those who need it.
By the way, if these sound a lot like firewall settings it's because routers and firewalls have some overlapping functionality. Routers route traffic, firewalls prevent or allow it.
WIRELESS NETWORKS
If you have wireless gear, you have more to do. Some, by default, allow anyone nearby to use them to access that network and hence the Internet. That means not only the teenager in the upstairs bedroom, but the neighbor next door and the hacker parked at the curb can access resources inside your home. Yes, that does happen.
Lock down your wireless gear by, you guessed it, reading the manual to learn how to configure passwords and implement any other security features available.
It isn't necessary to dedicate your life to becoming a network or security expert in order to safeguard your resources. But having a home network connected to the Internet via a home router, puts you at extra risk compared to dial-up or single-connection users.
If you don't spend a modest amount of time to take simple steps today, someday you may spend much more after you've been hacked.
By making the installation of these devices easy and inexpensive, vendors opened new sources of revenue for themselves and offered a significant value to home users. Now multiple home computers could share resources without 'sneaker net' - physically transporting files or moving printer connections. Now the whole family could use a single network connection to the Internet, and often without having to string wires all over the house.
What users didn't get is what every networking and computer professional has early on - training in how to secure that gear from hackers.
But, don't panic. The settings from the vendor are often quite good. Now, for some guidance...
RFM is a common acronym known to computer professionals. For the sake of propriety I'll ignore the middle letter, but the first and last stand for Read the Manual. It'll give you common useful settings and configuration information. Now read it again.
ROUTER PORTS
First, change the password and if possible rename the administrator account. The person who bought the same model you did has that information, and he may not be as trustworthy as you.
Port 80 is the standard for HTTP, needed for any web browsing. 'Ports' are network numbers used by software to distinguish traffic. Open that, but only for specific IP addresses or ranges going out. That way, only known computers can generate traffic out of your home network.
That tip is imperfect if you acquire an IP address automatically. I.e. use DHCP, as most do. But many providers allow you to purchase one static address for your router. That's the one that should have access out.
Why do you care about traffic going out? Because you can infect others. Practice safe networking. Don't spread viruses. Also, if you have wireless - see below - you may not know who's on your network. Even if you don't and you're not home, no one can sneak in with a laptop and get out of your network. Yes, it's happened.
You'll have to open Port 80 for all incoming traffic, unless you want to try to track which sites have which IP address - nearly impossible.
If you use a desktop e-mail client, rather than being entirely browser based, you need to open Port 25 for outgoing mail (SMTP) and 110 for incoming (POP3, ignore the acronym meanings).
And that's ALL... usually.
Manual or desktop FTP clients, which you should avoid because of their weak security, will need another, and specialized programs will require a few others. In most cases you'll find their numbers easily discoverable. Keep them to the bare minimum. The rule of thumb with network security is: everything closed by default, allow only those truly needed and only to those who need it.
By the way, if these sound a lot like firewall settings it's because routers and firewalls have some overlapping functionality. Routers route traffic, firewalls prevent or allow it.
WIRELESS NETWORKS
If you have wireless gear, you have more to do. Some, by default, allow anyone nearby to use them to access that network and hence the Internet. That means not only the teenager in the upstairs bedroom, but the neighbor next door and the hacker parked at the curb can access resources inside your home. Yes, that does happen.
Lock down your wireless gear by, you guessed it, reading the manual to learn how to configure passwords and implement any other security features available.
It isn't necessary to dedicate your life to becoming a network or security expert in order to safeguard your resources. But having a home network connected to the Internet via a home router, puts you at extra risk compared to dial-up or single-connection users.
If you don't spend a modest amount of time to take simple steps today, someday you may spend much more after you've been hacked.
How To Stay Informed Of Future Security Threats
The internet and e-mail is an amazing resource and medium where everyone and everybody utilizes to communicate with each other.
Unfortunately, it is also being used for malicious activities such as scammers that use the e-mail to get money from computer users.
Fortunately, there is an easy way to recognize any attempts of scamming that arrive through e-mail.
Knowledge is power and the descriptions indicated below are three of the email scams currently being used by scrupulous individuals. Stay informed and read on.
Scams via phisher
How this e-mail scam works is through this: usually, you will receive an e-mail from a service online provider or through a bank that ill ask you to go click a specific link or visit a particular website and from there you will be elicited to provide your personal info.
This type of scam is called phishing.
Basically, this scam is where victims are asked and tricked to entering all their personal info like passwords, account numbers to an organization or company that presents itself as legitimate.
This trick is done by ingenious scammers who create a site that looks a lot like the original and authentic web site.
E-mails are usually used to invite and bait potential online victims to go to the fake website.
As much as possible, always be cautious and wary of e-mails that ask you to click a link and give out personal sensitive info like bank details.
You should know that any info provided on these fake sites are farmed and harvested by scammers which they in turn use to steal the funds from the user’s bank account or steal the identity of the victim.
Be aware that companies that are legitimate would never ask for any sensitive info through e-mail.
Never, ever click on these e-mail links. Never and do not give out any info about you. If there are doubts on the veracity of the e-mail, it is always best to directly contact the legitimate company.
How to know a scam if you see one
Generally, a scam has the following characteristics. It makes the promise to give you lots of money, lots of prizes or a job.
It also asks you for donations. It also proposes business deals that are lucrative. It also asks that you provide personal and very sensitive info. It also asks that you follow a specific link to a particular website and log in to a particular account.
Educating yourself is an essential contribution against being vulnerable to fraud as well as any virus or security threat.
The worm
Just this year, a worm that has the ability to e-mail itself in massive amounts target users of Yahoo Mail by arriving in inboxes with a subject that says: New site, along with it an attached forwarded message.
The worm was written using JavaScript and allows embedded scripts written in html to automatically run in the browsers of users.
Basically what this worm does is fool unknowing e-mail recipients to believe that they have received an online card and to click on a particular web link to access it.
However, once clicked, a Trojan is immediately downloaded to the user’s computer and is disguised as am html file thus innocently appearing as a web site page.
Receiving any e-mail that is similar to this should not let you be fooled. As much as possible, do not in any way follow these links in an e-mail message especially if you are not sure that it would lead you to a greeting card web site.
As much as possible, check the site’s true destination prior to clicking it. It would help if you course your mouse over the link and thru doing so immediately see the file extension.
All in all, staying informed is one way to harness power thru knowledge of current trends and updates on potential security and online threats.
This allows ample time for anyone to prepare their system and thereby prevent unnecessary crashes and problems brought about by malicious and threatening viruses, worms or scams.
Believe it or not, luck has little to do with this. The meeting of opportunity and preparation does much to make safe computing a reality that is possible and livable, now.
Unfortunately, it is also being used for malicious activities such as scammers that use the e-mail to get money from computer users.
Fortunately, there is an easy way to recognize any attempts of scamming that arrive through e-mail.
Knowledge is power and the descriptions indicated below are three of the email scams currently being used by scrupulous individuals. Stay informed and read on.
Scams via phisher
How this e-mail scam works is through this: usually, you will receive an e-mail from a service online provider or through a bank that ill ask you to go click a specific link or visit a particular website and from there you will be elicited to provide your personal info.
This type of scam is called phishing.
Basically, this scam is where victims are asked and tricked to entering all their personal info like passwords, account numbers to an organization or company that presents itself as legitimate.
This trick is done by ingenious scammers who create a site that looks a lot like the original and authentic web site.
E-mails are usually used to invite and bait potential online victims to go to the fake website.
As much as possible, always be cautious and wary of e-mails that ask you to click a link and give out personal sensitive info like bank details.
You should know that any info provided on these fake sites are farmed and harvested by scammers which they in turn use to steal the funds from the user’s bank account or steal the identity of the victim.
Be aware that companies that are legitimate would never ask for any sensitive info through e-mail.
Never, ever click on these e-mail links. Never and do not give out any info about you. If there are doubts on the veracity of the e-mail, it is always best to directly contact the legitimate company.
How to know a scam if you see one
Generally, a scam has the following characteristics. It makes the promise to give you lots of money, lots of prizes or a job.
It also asks you for donations. It also proposes business deals that are lucrative. It also asks that you provide personal and very sensitive info. It also asks that you follow a specific link to a particular website and log in to a particular account.
Educating yourself is an essential contribution against being vulnerable to fraud as well as any virus or security threat.
The worm
Just this year, a worm that has the ability to e-mail itself in massive amounts target users of Yahoo Mail by arriving in inboxes with a subject that says: New site, along with it an attached forwarded message.
The worm was written using JavaScript and allows embedded scripts written in html to automatically run in the browsers of users.
Basically what this worm does is fool unknowing e-mail recipients to believe that they have received an online card and to click on a particular web link to access it.
However, once clicked, a Trojan is immediately downloaded to the user’s computer and is disguised as am html file thus innocently appearing as a web site page.
Receiving any e-mail that is similar to this should not let you be fooled. As much as possible, do not in any way follow these links in an e-mail message especially if you are not sure that it would lead you to a greeting card web site.
As much as possible, check the site’s true destination prior to clicking it. It would help if you course your mouse over the link and thru doing so immediately see the file extension.
All in all, staying informed is one way to harness power thru knowledge of current trends and updates on potential security and online threats.
This allows ample time for anyone to prepare their system and thereby prevent unnecessary crashes and problems brought about by malicious and threatening viruses, worms or scams.
Believe it or not, luck has little to do with this. The meeting of opportunity and preparation does much to make safe computing a reality that is possible and livable, now.
What To Do If Your Computer Is Attacked
Prevention is always better than a pound of cure.
Believe it or not, it is now utterly impossible to survive without a computer. Almost anything and everything could be done on-line nowadays.
From purchasing to selling to paying bills, one really need not go out as any transaction could actually be made thru the computer thanks to the internet. Unless of course fresh air is also available online.
However, the computer’s flexibility has also allowed it to be vulnerable to attack from one of the most potentially harmful entities around: the computer virus.
The instance you detect that the computer you own is infected with a virus, the following are helpful tasks that you could do to protect it further and to also avoid other personal computers to be affected as well.
Use disks from trusted sources
You do not allow your shoes to tread on any mud puddle or any dirty floor, or your shirts to be easily vulnerable to stains or dirt. Therefore, it is always best to treat your computer the same way.
As much as possible, always be careful with what kind of disks as well as files enter your computer. Either the files were downloaded from the internet or the disks borrowed from friends, it is always best to make sure where they come from or to scan them in order to avoid any potentially harmful viruses.
It is also not a good idea to download any files from internet sites that are unsafe or insecure. Also, do not immediately open attachments received via e-mail.
Take a good look on the subject of the email as well as where the email came from. Be wary even if the email was from your contacts.
Fortunately, there are now facilities in email services that immediately scan attachments prior to opening them. Email subjects that are vague and from senders that have gibberish email addresses must arouse your suspicion.
Included in this group are those emails that aggressively claim that you should “Check out this message!” or that you should “See the following pics!”
Acquire a program that fights viruses
Fortunately, there are a lot of anti-virus software programs that scan and eliminate viruses once they are detected. This allows anyone to safely and confidently share data and disks, the freedom to download any files from the internet as well as open any attachments received via e-mail.
When the virus hits
Fear not. As much as possible, relax. There is a way out of this predicament. All you have to do is to visit the web site of the manufacturer of your anti-virus software. They may have the latest software which, if it will not delete the harmful virus, could identify and detect it.
Search for a vaccine
The world wide web is available at your beck and call so you could search for any information you may need with regards to the particular virus that you want deleted.
By entering the virus name on the search engine, all information as well as vaccine may present itself.
Download, download, download
Be free to install as well as download any patches of software or programs that could help in eliminating the computer virus.
You could also try to religiously follow any of the instructions that you will find in order to manually delete the virus.
Do not rest on your laurels
Do not be easily convinced that once the computer virus has been deleted, the virus is now totally eliminated.
The best way to determine if the virus is completely destroyed is via running a virus scan. If the scan reports that no virus components have been detected, you can now relax.
Un-attach yourself from attachments
Caution must always be practiced once attachments have been received. The file extensions that one should be careful in opening are those that end in *.exe, *.doc, *.ppt or *.xls.
However, those that end in the following extensions such as: *.js, *.vbs should – as much as possible – never be opened.
All in all, every computer is vulnerable to be attacked. What one needs to protect your own PC is caution and preparedness to look towards the future and anticipate any potential attack prior to it happening. This ensures your computer to run as smoothly as it possibly could.
Believe it or not, it is now utterly impossible to survive without a computer. Almost anything and everything could be done on-line nowadays.
From purchasing to selling to paying bills, one really need not go out as any transaction could actually be made thru the computer thanks to the internet. Unless of course fresh air is also available online.
However, the computer’s flexibility has also allowed it to be vulnerable to attack from one of the most potentially harmful entities around: the computer virus.
The instance you detect that the computer you own is infected with a virus, the following are helpful tasks that you could do to protect it further and to also avoid other personal computers to be affected as well.
Use disks from trusted sources
You do not allow your shoes to tread on any mud puddle or any dirty floor, or your shirts to be easily vulnerable to stains or dirt. Therefore, it is always best to treat your computer the same way.
As much as possible, always be careful with what kind of disks as well as files enter your computer. Either the files were downloaded from the internet or the disks borrowed from friends, it is always best to make sure where they come from or to scan them in order to avoid any potentially harmful viruses.
It is also not a good idea to download any files from internet sites that are unsafe or insecure. Also, do not immediately open attachments received via e-mail.
Take a good look on the subject of the email as well as where the email came from. Be wary even if the email was from your contacts.
Fortunately, there are now facilities in email services that immediately scan attachments prior to opening them. Email subjects that are vague and from senders that have gibberish email addresses must arouse your suspicion.
Included in this group are those emails that aggressively claim that you should “Check out this message!” or that you should “See the following pics!”
Acquire a program that fights viruses
Fortunately, there are a lot of anti-virus software programs that scan and eliminate viruses once they are detected. This allows anyone to safely and confidently share data and disks, the freedom to download any files from the internet as well as open any attachments received via e-mail.
When the virus hits
Fear not. As much as possible, relax. There is a way out of this predicament. All you have to do is to visit the web site of the manufacturer of your anti-virus software. They may have the latest software which, if it will not delete the harmful virus, could identify and detect it.
Search for a vaccine
The world wide web is available at your beck and call so you could search for any information you may need with regards to the particular virus that you want deleted.
By entering the virus name on the search engine, all information as well as vaccine may present itself.
Download, download, download
Be free to install as well as download any patches of software or programs that could help in eliminating the computer virus.
You could also try to religiously follow any of the instructions that you will find in order to manually delete the virus.
Do not rest on your laurels
Do not be easily convinced that once the computer virus has been deleted, the virus is now totally eliminated.
The best way to determine if the virus is completely destroyed is via running a virus scan. If the scan reports that no virus components have been detected, you can now relax.
Un-attach yourself from attachments
Caution must always be practiced once attachments have been received. The file extensions that one should be careful in opening are those that end in *.exe, *.doc, *.ppt or *.xls.
However, those that end in the following extensions such as: *.js, *.vbs should – as much as possible – never be opened.
All in all, every computer is vulnerable to be attacked. What one needs to protect your own PC is caution and preparedness to look towards the future and anticipate any potential attack prior to it happening. This ensures your computer to run as smoothly as it possibly could.
Setting Up A Safe Home Network
Securing the computer in your home is a task that requires your full and serious attention.
They take a lot of your time and there are steps that need to be done. The following are some of the tips and advice you could do to be able to secure your very own personal computer.
Anti-virus programs is a must
Imagine it this way, would you allow someone to knock at your door and enter your own living space in order to make you buy something or use your own telephone?
If they were neat and presentable enough you could probably let them inside your own home, but just like anyone else, you definitely would be watching their every move.
Observe just what it is you have done. You have already profiled that person and based on the profile you have come up with, have also decided what you will do.
This is because you are very much cautious and concerned on just who enters your own space.
Basically, this is how anti-virus programs work.
These programs scan all contents of every file, looking for patterns that are specific and one that would match a particular profile. This is basically termed as virus signature – or something that is notoriously harmful to your computer.
Every file that has a signature match, the program provides options on just how it is it should respond. One such response is by removing the patterns that are offensive or one that destroys the file.
A virus basically works this way. They are like salesmen who knock in your own living space and they would get you to buy or listen to their sales pitch. However, they could try to pilfer your money or valuables.
One way to know if a particular scammer is prowling in your neighborhood is probably by reading about them in the news or seeing them in a tv news report. These reports could give you an idea of what these scammers look like or what are the things to be wary and watch out for.
Anti-virus software programs basically work similarly. When the vendors know of a new potentially threatening virus, they have a set of updated signature viruses that could include the new virus threat.
Scan and check, check and scan
Other ways and means for viruses to enter your personal computer is via floppy disks, web sites, email, CD-ROM as well as downloaded files.
As much as possible, all these avenues must be checked if they contain viruses or not.
For instance, prior to using a particular floppy disk, it must first be checked for any viruses.
Also, when downloading a specific file from the net, these must be checked for any viruses. Your own anti-virus software program usually allows you to specify and check these places for any viruses. They may also do this scan automatically.
Patch it now, patch it good
The instance your computer’s system breaks down, do you have an idea on how you should restore its functions?
Many vendors have patches whose purpose is to fix any types of bugs. Usually, vendors offer patches that are free in their own web sites. When purchasing programs, it is a great idea if you ask the vendor how they supply patches.
Software vendor programs also have a service that allows you to a recall. Notices for patches could be received via e-mail through mailing list subscription. Through this service, one can easily learn computer problems even if you have yet to discover them and before any intruders could have the opportunity to exploit your computer’s system.
Be cautious when reading attachments via e-mail
Always be careful when opening received e-mails that carry attachments. Sometimes, the potentially threatening messages could come from unsolicited e-mails.
To be able to determine if an email is safe or not, it would be best to conduct the following test and ask these questions: Was the email sent by someone you know? Did you receive this e-mail before? Is the subject of the email described in a clear manner?
A suspicious e-mail usually read as BradPitt.jpg.vbs. Worms could travel this way and reading / opening it could bring damage to your computer system.
All in all, caution and care is needed to be able to protect your computer from unnecessary attacks by malicious viruses and worms.
They take a lot of your time and there are steps that need to be done. The following are some of the tips and advice you could do to be able to secure your very own personal computer.
Anti-virus programs is a must
Imagine it this way, would you allow someone to knock at your door and enter your own living space in order to make you buy something or use your own telephone?
If they were neat and presentable enough you could probably let them inside your own home, but just like anyone else, you definitely would be watching their every move.
Observe just what it is you have done. You have already profiled that person and based on the profile you have come up with, have also decided what you will do.
This is because you are very much cautious and concerned on just who enters your own space.
Basically, this is how anti-virus programs work.
These programs scan all contents of every file, looking for patterns that are specific and one that would match a particular profile. This is basically termed as virus signature – or something that is notoriously harmful to your computer.
Every file that has a signature match, the program provides options on just how it is it should respond. One such response is by removing the patterns that are offensive or one that destroys the file.
A virus basically works this way. They are like salesmen who knock in your own living space and they would get you to buy or listen to their sales pitch. However, they could try to pilfer your money or valuables.
One way to know if a particular scammer is prowling in your neighborhood is probably by reading about them in the news or seeing them in a tv news report. These reports could give you an idea of what these scammers look like or what are the things to be wary and watch out for.
Anti-virus software programs basically work similarly. When the vendors know of a new potentially threatening virus, they have a set of updated signature viruses that could include the new virus threat.
Scan and check, check and scan
Other ways and means for viruses to enter your personal computer is via floppy disks, web sites, email, CD-ROM as well as downloaded files.
As much as possible, all these avenues must be checked if they contain viruses or not.
For instance, prior to using a particular floppy disk, it must first be checked for any viruses.
Also, when downloading a specific file from the net, these must be checked for any viruses. Your own anti-virus software program usually allows you to specify and check these places for any viruses. They may also do this scan automatically.
Patch it now, patch it good
The instance your computer’s system breaks down, do you have an idea on how you should restore its functions?
Many vendors have patches whose purpose is to fix any types of bugs. Usually, vendors offer patches that are free in their own web sites. When purchasing programs, it is a great idea if you ask the vendor how they supply patches.
Software vendor programs also have a service that allows you to a recall. Notices for patches could be received via e-mail through mailing list subscription. Through this service, one can easily learn computer problems even if you have yet to discover them and before any intruders could have the opportunity to exploit your computer’s system.
Be cautious when reading attachments via e-mail
Always be careful when opening received e-mails that carry attachments. Sometimes, the potentially threatening messages could come from unsolicited e-mails.
To be able to determine if an email is safe or not, it would be best to conduct the following test and ask these questions: Was the email sent by someone you know? Did you receive this e-mail before? Is the subject of the email described in a clear manner?
A suspicious e-mail usually read as BradPitt.jpg.vbs. Worms could travel this way and reading / opening it could bring damage to your computer system.
All in all, caution and care is needed to be able to protect your computer from unnecessary attacks by malicious viruses and worms.
Computer Viruses And Guarding Against Them
In this modern Information Age, computers are necessities in life. Whether we use them for simple functions such as typing our homework and business reports, up to more important acts like online business meetings and transactions, one cannot deny that computers are a big part in our daily lives. Using a computer, particularly the Internet, is one task that even a ten year old can do at this particular period in time.
With the growing increase of popularity and reliance on computers, as well as the demand for it, security risks have also gone up, which is a reality that cannot be ignored. With the billions of information bits being spread across the World Wide Web, hackers and computer intruders (criminals) see the value in focusing their attention to computers and the Internet. The information they would retrieve here is (more often than not) more useful than when doing it the old-fashioned way.
As such, these intruders have devised some methods into getting information out of computer users, with or without these people knowing that they’ve been hacked into. As is the case in real life, there are some computer programs that are disguised to be innocent, but actually act as spies, providing information to the intruders. These malicious programs which are security threats are called computer viruses.
Computer viruses should not be taken lightly. They work in many different ways; one of them may be to provide data to the one who planted the virus. Other viruses can simply be annoying - slowing down your computer, building unwanted files, etc. – while some can be very disruptive, such as deleting your hard drive, compromising your operating system, etc.
As such, there are different types of viruses which normally differ in how they function and how they are spread. Examples of these include Trojan horses, worms, email viruses, and logic bombs. It would be important for you to know these kinds of viruses in order to better protect you from them, as well as to have the proper programs to get rid of them.
Trojan horses are simply computer program that cannot reproduce themselves, but can do damage anywhere from minimal to extremely dangerous. It usually disguises itself as a common file (maybe an .mp3 music file or a .jpeg picture file) but does the damage when the computer user opens it. This is why you should take extra care when opening a suspicious looking file – it could very well be a Trojan horse.
Worms are self reproducing programs that mainly use security holes in order to spread itself throughout the network. If your computer is infected with a worm and is able to replicate itself a number of times, this usually causes your computer to slow down noticeably since it uses your computer resources and memory to do so. They often use security flaws in operating systems (such as Windows) in order to self reproduce.
Email viruses are self explanatory – they spread via email. Once a user opens the infected email, what it usually does is send itself to other computer users via the email addresses found in the user’s address book. Because it uses email and a lot of people open emails without really checking or being careful, it spreads very quickly across the entire world and can cause chaos within just a few days.
Logic bombs are viruses that target specific computer applications, causing them to crash (for example, Windows). This can also be spread via email attachments or by innocently downloading it off the Internet. It can cause a great deal of harm (particularly if it infects Windows and the like), or just a small amount (small program).
Fortunately for computer users, there are anti-virus programs available anywhere, whether in the Internet or at the computer shop. These programs specifically target over thousands of viruses and wipe them clean from your system (if infected) or protect you from incoming attacks (if not yet infected).
Anti-virus programs are constantly updated (normally everyday) since there are always new virus definitions each day, and you can get infected by these new viruses. These software developers are always researching about the newest viruses to ensure you, the user, are protected from these viruses as much as possible. Your PC security and safety are always being considered.
With the growing increase of popularity and reliance on computers, as well as the demand for it, security risks have also gone up, which is a reality that cannot be ignored. With the billions of information bits being spread across the World Wide Web, hackers and computer intruders (criminals) see the value in focusing their attention to computers and the Internet. The information they would retrieve here is (more often than not) more useful than when doing it the old-fashioned way.
As such, these intruders have devised some methods into getting information out of computer users, with or without these people knowing that they’ve been hacked into. As is the case in real life, there are some computer programs that are disguised to be innocent, but actually act as spies, providing information to the intruders. These malicious programs which are security threats are called computer viruses.
Computer viruses should not be taken lightly. They work in many different ways; one of them may be to provide data to the one who planted the virus. Other viruses can simply be annoying - slowing down your computer, building unwanted files, etc. – while some can be very disruptive, such as deleting your hard drive, compromising your operating system, etc.
As such, there are different types of viruses which normally differ in how they function and how they are spread. Examples of these include Trojan horses, worms, email viruses, and logic bombs. It would be important for you to know these kinds of viruses in order to better protect you from them, as well as to have the proper programs to get rid of them.
Trojan horses are simply computer program that cannot reproduce themselves, but can do damage anywhere from minimal to extremely dangerous. It usually disguises itself as a common file (maybe an .mp3 music file or a .jpeg picture file) but does the damage when the computer user opens it. This is why you should take extra care when opening a suspicious looking file – it could very well be a Trojan horse.
Worms are self reproducing programs that mainly use security holes in order to spread itself throughout the network. If your computer is infected with a worm and is able to replicate itself a number of times, this usually causes your computer to slow down noticeably since it uses your computer resources and memory to do so. They often use security flaws in operating systems (such as Windows) in order to self reproduce.
Email viruses are self explanatory – they spread via email. Once a user opens the infected email, what it usually does is send itself to other computer users via the email addresses found in the user’s address book. Because it uses email and a lot of people open emails without really checking or being careful, it spreads very quickly across the entire world and can cause chaos within just a few days.
Logic bombs are viruses that target specific computer applications, causing them to crash (for example, Windows). This can also be spread via email attachments or by innocently downloading it off the Internet. It can cause a great deal of harm (particularly if it infects Windows and the like), or just a small amount (small program).
Fortunately for computer users, there are anti-virus programs available anywhere, whether in the Internet or at the computer shop. These programs specifically target over thousands of viruses and wipe them clean from your system (if infected) or protect you from incoming attacks (if not yet infected).
Anti-virus programs are constantly updated (normally everyday) since there are always new virus definitions each day, and you can get infected by these new viruses. These software developers are always researching about the newest viruses to ensure you, the user, are protected from these viruses as much as possible. Your PC security and safety are always being considered.
Pop-ups
Pop-ups are those annoying advertisements that - as the name says - pop up on your monitor as you surf the Internet. Their main purpose is to attract visitors to advertisers' web sites or to collect e-mail addresses.
The pop-ups that come on your screen as a web page loads are usually caused by something called JavaScript. This is a simple programming language that can be integrated into the HTML used to build web sites.
Some pop-ups are useful. Sometimes a user clicks a link on the Web page and a small window will open asking a user to fill in information or giving a user more information. Music sites often use pop-ups to play tunes in a specialized player window. This can be a completely legitimate use of pop-ups and is quite different from the pop-up advertisements that appear unbidden.
JavaScript can control the size of the window and the elements displayed. The status bar or the menus can be hidden, making it impossible to navigate away from the pop-up. Your only options are to close the window using the 'x' box in the top right corner or to click on the ad and be taken to the advertiser's web site. Annoying, huh?
Some pop-up windows are either poorly programmed or intentionally malicious. The JavaScript will create multiple windows, and when one of those windows is closed more windows will open. The only way out of this endless cycle is to close the browser.
A relatively new kind of pop-up is created using Flash and can be programmed to follow your mouse or to float on the screen as you scroll the window.
In addition to pop-ups created with JavaScript and Flash, 'adware' can create pop-up ads according to the content on a web page. Adware is usually just advertising-supported software which displays ads when you use that program. Sometimes, however, 'adware' refers to small hidden programs that deliver targeted advertising to your web browser. These programs may look for certain keywords on a web page and generate advertisements based on those words.
Another type of pop-up is the pop under. Rather than appearing on top of web pages they're hidden until you close the browser window. These are a little bit less intrusive than pop-ups but still an unwanted nuisance. There's no end to the cleverness of advertisers!
It's the nuisance factor of pop-ups that has encouraged almost every web browser designer to include some kind of pop-up killer in their program. The latest versions of all the major browsers have integrated pop-up killers.
There are also many specialized pop-up killer utilities that run in the background and require no user intervention, most available free of charge. So, download one today. Unless you just enjoy advertising.
The pop-ups that come on your screen as a web page loads are usually caused by something called JavaScript. This is a simple programming language that can be integrated into the HTML used to build web sites.
Some pop-ups are useful. Sometimes a user clicks a link on the Web page and a small window will open asking a user to fill in information or giving a user more information. Music sites often use pop-ups to play tunes in a specialized player window. This can be a completely legitimate use of pop-ups and is quite different from the pop-up advertisements that appear unbidden.
JavaScript can control the size of the window and the elements displayed. The status bar or the menus can be hidden, making it impossible to navigate away from the pop-up. Your only options are to close the window using the 'x' box in the top right corner or to click on the ad and be taken to the advertiser's web site. Annoying, huh?
Some pop-up windows are either poorly programmed or intentionally malicious. The JavaScript will create multiple windows, and when one of those windows is closed more windows will open. The only way out of this endless cycle is to close the browser.
A relatively new kind of pop-up is created using Flash and can be programmed to follow your mouse or to float on the screen as you scroll the window.
In addition to pop-ups created with JavaScript and Flash, 'adware' can create pop-up ads according to the content on a web page. Adware is usually just advertising-supported software which displays ads when you use that program. Sometimes, however, 'adware' refers to small hidden programs that deliver targeted advertising to your web browser. These programs may look for certain keywords on a web page and generate advertisements based on those words.
Another type of pop-up is the pop under. Rather than appearing on top of web pages they're hidden until you close the browser window. These are a little bit less intrusive than pop-ups but still an unwanted nuisance. There's no end to the cleverness of advertisers!
It's the nuisance factor of pop-ups that has encouraged almost every web browser designer to include some kind of pop-up killer in their program. The latest versions of all the major browsers have integrated pop-up killers.
There are also many specialized pop-up killer utilities that run in the background and require no user intervention, most available free of charge. So, download one today. Unless you just enjoy advertising.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Networking On Craigslist
A vital element of any serious business is networking. Craigslist is the ideal venue for such networking opportunities. It doesn't matter if you are a well-established business needing to advertise; if you are hoping to find out more information on a certain business; or you simply wish to connect with like-minded individuals - Craigslist is an ideal resource. They offer the above opportunities, and others, for those looking to start networking or increasing their current network.
Offline Networking With Craigslist
One of several ways for people to utilize Craigslist is to organize offline networking possibilities. A business person involved in direct selling is just one example where this feature can be beneficial. Many times direct selling involves the hosting of parties so others may get a chance to try the products or learn more about getting involved in the company. Needless to say, parties like this can be quite profitable for salespeople who do it right.
Businesses using the party method of direct sales include makeup, toys, pet items, romantic goods, food supplements, along with others. Regardless if the product practically sells itself or if it needs a salesperson skills to demonstrate their worth, networking is a necessary step to direct sales success. And Craigslist shines in this regard. Posting ads in the proper category on Craigslist allows salespeople holding parties the chance to make many people aware in an efficient manner.
A brief word about safety: When using Craigslist for offline networking take care to assure the safety of each of the people involved. The smart thing to do when first setting up such parties is to schedule them to happen in a public place that has lots of people. This is one way to reduce the chances of something harmful happening. It also has the benefit of putting potential participants at ease, thereby making it more likely that they will take part in the networking opportunity.
Online Networking With Craigslist
The fact that Craigslist is a thriving online community makes it well-suited for online networking as well. Here are some ways that you can use Craigslist to put together an online network:
* Sending traffic to your website
* Sending traffic to your message board
* Requesting participation in your newsletter
People with a website that offers products or service will likely find Craigslist a good place to advertise it. Posting an ad in the right category on Craigslist has the potential of reaching a large audience. To determine the best category for posting you need to first determine who your target audience is. Once you do that all you have to do is find the corresponding category that they are most likely to use.
People wanting to organize networking opportunities online for like-minded persons to share similar ideas should also find Craigslist useful to accomplish that goal. Posting an ad for a message board, in the right category, can help in creating a thriving online community. As mentioned, the key is to reach your target.
For those publishing a regular newsletter, Craigslist can be used to increase the overall number of people subscribing. It doesn't matter how often your newsletter is published Craigslist can still be used to request the email addresses of people who might have an interest in receiving your newsletter.
Finding Networking Opportunities With Craigslist
Of course, that only covers people who want to organize or build networking opportunities. There are also some who are hoping to join networks that already exist. With so many people posting to build their networks, it makes it easy for those seeking to find these opportunities on Craigslist.
Offline Networking With Craigslist
One of several ways for people to utilize Craigslist is to organize offline networking possibilities. A business person involved in direct selling is just one example where this feature can be beneficial. Many times direct selling involves the hosting of parties so others may get a chance to try the products or learn more about getting involved in the company. Needless to say, parties like this can be quite profitable for salespeople who do it right.
Businesses using the party method of direct sales include makeup, toys, pet items, romantic goods, food supplements, along with others. Regardless if the product practically sells itself or if it needs a salesperson skills to demonstrate their worth, networking is a necessary step to direct sales success. And Craigslist shines in this regard. Posting ads in the proper category on Craigslist allows salespeople holding parties the chance to make many people aware in an efficient manner.
A brief word about safety: When using Craigslist for offline networking take care to assure the safety of each of the people involved. The smart thing to do when first setting up such parties is to schedule them to happen in a public place that has lots of people. This is one way to reduce the chances of something harmful happening. It also has the benefit of putting potential participants at ease, thereby making it more likely that they will take part in the networking opportunity.
Online Networking With Craigslist
The fact that Craigslist is a thriving online community makes it well-suited for online networking as well. Here are some ways that you can use Craigslist to put together an online network:
* Sending traffic to your website
* Sending traffic to your message board
* Requesting participation in your newsletter
People with a website that offers products or service will likely find Craigslist a good place to advertise it. Posting an ad in the right category on Craigslist has the potential of reaching a large audience. To determine the best category for posting you need to first determine who your target audience is. Once you do that all you have to do is find the corresponding category that they are most likely to use.
People wanting to organize networking opportunities online for like-minded persons to share similar ideas should also find Craigslist useful to accomplish that goal. Posting an ad for a message board, in the right category, can help in creating a thriving online community. As mentioned, the key is to reach your target.
For those publishing a regular newsletter, Craigslist can be used to increase the overall number of people subscribing. It doesn't matter how often your newsletter is published Craigslist can still be used to request the email addresses of people who might have an interest in receiving your newsletter.
Finding Networking Opportunities With Craigslist
Of course, that only covers people who want to organize or build networking opportunities. There are also some who are hoping to join networks that already exist. With so many people posting to build their networks, it makes it easy for those seeking to find these opportunities on Craigslist.
Notebook Computers in the Age of the Internet
Everyone knows that our world cannot exist without computers. Ever tried to make a purchase at a convenience store when their computers are down, ever waited for someone to make change when their register computer is down, or have you ever tried to find a book in a library when the system is down? If you have ever experienced one of these inconveniences, you know that our world hinges on whether or not our computers are working.
Remember when you told your teacher that the dog ate your homework? Did she believe you? Probably not. Now the excuse is my computer crashed, my printer wouldn't print, or we were out of ink. Even kids rely on computers to do their schoolwork. The days of pen and pencils are almost over. In fact most students know more about computers than their teachers or parents. They don't even remember a time without computers.
As computers become more and more intuitive and powerful, we must proceed with them. If you are still among the population that resents the encroachment of the computer, think about this scenario. If Eve in the Garden of Eden had access to the Internet, she could have looked up information about snakes. She would have found out that they have forked tongues and an evil reputation. Instead of listening to the snake's lies, she would have thrashed him with a tree branch. Think how much better our world would be now.
The best present any graduate can get this June is a desktop computer or a laptop. In my day, girls were given matching luggage to take their clothes to school. Yes, I know I am dating myself, but I do have a point. Today buy your child a computer and let them take their clothes is a paper sack. They don't care; an old gym bag will do. I know; schools have computer labs, but they are always full. Wouldn't you rather your son or particularly your daughter not be out of the dorm or apartment working on projects or papers? Also, when your newly graduated senior has moved away to school, e-mail will become your best friend. Even if you hate computers, you will learn to love them because they will become your link to your child. The nest will never be empty as long as you have e-mail.
Computers are links to the outside world. The world has never been more accessible or smaller. You have to keep up or you will be left behind and who wants to be the last straggler on the planet? Not me!
Remember when you told your teacher that the dog ate your homework? Did she believe you? Probably not. Now the excuse is my computer crashed, my printer wouldn't print, or we were out of ink. Even kids rely on computers to do their schoolwork. The days of pen and pencils are almost over. In fact most students know more about computers than their teachers or parents. They don't even remember a time without computers.
As computers become more and more intuitive and powerful, we must proceed with them. If you are still among the population that resents the encroachment of the computer, think about this scenario. If Eve in the Garden of Eden had access to the Internet, she could have looked up information about snakes. She would have found out that they have forked tongues and an evil reputation. Instead of listening to the snake's lies, she would have thrashed him with a tree branch. Think how much better our world would be now.
The best present any graduate can get this June is a desktop computer or a laptop. In my day, girls were given matching luggage to take their clothes to school. Yes, I know I am dating myself, but I do have a point. Today buy your child a computer and let them take their clothes is a paper sack. They don't care; an old gym bag will do. I know; schools have computer labs, but they are always full. Wouldn't you rather your son or particularly your daughter not be out of the dorm or apartment working on projects or papers? Also, when your newly graduated senior has moved away to school, e-mail will become your best friend. Even if you hate computers, you will learn to love them because they will become your link to your child. The nest will never be empty as long as you have e-mail.
Computers are links to the outside world. The world has never been more accessible or smaller. You have to keep up or you will be left behind and who wants to be the last straggler on the planet? Not me!
10 Simple Ways To Increase Speed Of Your Computer
Most of us who use computers maximally get frustrated when our computers have slowed down. Naturally, we look for someone to help us so we can increase the speed of our computers. This can sometimes be a further waste of time as we try to look for someone when actually, we can do the jobs ourselves. Here's how:
1. Get rid of those unnecessary wallpapers. Simply go for the basic built-in designs to improve the speed a great deal. If you can't help it, don't stretch the wallpaper because dragging can slow down the functions. Also, remove animations that aren't needed by your programs.
2. If you have drivers installed on your computer, make sure you do frequent updates because updating can improve the speed of your programs.
3. Sometimes we can't help but open several programs at the same time because we need to do multi-tasking. If we have to do this, we need to minimize those programs we aren't currently using.
4. Remove the message that says you are starting Windows 95/98 because this can slow down booting. To remove this, just go to c:\ and look for the file Msdos.sys. Then remove the Read-only option. Open this in Notepad then go to options and change by adding BootDelay=0.
5. To restart Windows, simply hold down the Shift key to restart Windows instead of restarting the whole system which can take longer.
6. You may also try working on a lower resolution so that you can move faster with your PC.
7. Regularly defragment your computer so that files can be consolidated into single files. This will surely speed up the functions of your computer.
8. For faster ejection of CDs, simply right-click on the CD drive letter in My Computer and choose Eject. Icons will be removed as well which could somehow slow down the process.
9. Get rid of fonts that you don't usually use. Just go to fonts under c:\windows and remove those fonts that you no longer need.
10. Get rid of unnecessary files by constantly emptying your Recycle Bin and removing temporary Internet files. These take up space and of course, needs to be read by your CPU every time you boot. Even your email inbox should be regularly cleaned up to enhance the speed of your usage.
Now that you know it isn't hard to speed up your very own computer, simply follow the said steps and you are on your way to having a reliable and faster computer.
1. Get rid of those unnecessary wallpapers. Simply go for the basic built-in designs to improve the speed a great deal. If you can't help it, don't stretch the wallpaper because dragging can slow down the functions. Also, remove animations that aren't needed by your programs.
2. If you have drivers installed on your computer, make sure you do frequent updates because updating can improve the speed of your programs.
3. Sometimes we can't help but open several programs at the same time because we need to do multi-tasking. If we have to do this, we need to minimize those programs we aren't currently using.
4. Remove the message that says you are starting Windows 95/98 because this can slow down booting. To remove this, just go to c:\ and look for the file Msdos.sys. Then remove the Read-only option. Open this in Notepad then go to options and change by adding BootDelay=0.
5. To restart Windows, simply hold down the Shift key to restart Windows instead of restarting the whole system which can take longer.
6. You may also try working on a lower resolution so that you can move faster with your PC.
7. Regularly defragment your computer so that files can be consolidated into single files. This will surely speed up the functions of your computer.
8. For faster ejection of CDs, simply right-click on the CD drive letter in My Computer and choose Eject. Icons will be removed as well which could somehow slow down the process.
9. Get rid of fonts that you don't usually use. Just go to fonts under c:\windows and remove those fonts that you no longer need.
10. Get rid of unnecessary files by constantly emptying your Recycle Bin and removing temporary Internet files. These take up space and of course, needs to be read by your CPU every time you boot. Even your email inbox should be regularly cleaned up to enhance the speed of your usage.
Now that you know it isn't hard to speed up your very own computer, simply follow the said steps and you are on your way to having a reliable and faster computer.
Creating My Speedy Communication Device
Emails are now as indispensable as mobile phones, especially if you are communicating with people from a location where mobile phone communication is unfeasible. The convenience that it offers in terms of sending your message to people is highly commendable compared to the traditional snail mail, which could literally take you ages before you'd be able to receive it.
Though a many people have been using this system for quite some time now, there are still a few people who are yet to be familiar with the emailing system. All the more with the system of opening an email account.
My First Email Account
Yahoo is among the list of the Web's most dependable and established email providers. Usually, beginners can start with their system due to the fact that they are offering free email service along with its advanced and trouble free set up arrangement. To get started with your own email account you need to follow a couple of simple steps.
1. Drop by the yahoo mail home page to get started.
2. You must click the link which says 'sign up' which is usually located at the upper right portion of the yahoo home page.
3. After that you must type in some of your basic information like your name in the fields provided.
4. In the portion where you have to select your username and password, you have to come up with a username that you will be comfortable with for a long period of time. Moreover, it should also help the other users identify you when you send them emails.
Your password on the other hand must be six characters long and you must bear in mind to remember how you have exactly typed it because the system is case-sensitive.
5. After you completed the fields which are necessary, you may then proceed to the verification process. This step is where you select a question which you need to answer in case you forget either your password or your username.
When you have finished all the steps then you may proceed in opening your account on the yahoo mail home page by keying in your username and password. Now, you can start sending emails to anywhere and anyone on the globe by using your email account. Communicating with other people need not be hard, you just have to be resourceful.
Though a many people have been using this system for quite some time now, there are still a few people who are yet to be familiar with the emailing system. All the more with the system of opening an email account.
My First Email Account
Yahoo is among the list of the Web's most dependable and established email providers. Usually, beginners can start with their system due to the fact that they are offering free email service along with its advanced and trouble free set up arrangement. To get started with your own email account you need to follow a couple of simple steps.
1. Drop by the yahoo mail home page to get started.
2. You must click the link which says 'sign up' which is usually located at the upper right portion of the yahoo home page.
3. After that you must type in some of your basic information like your name in the fields provided.
4. In the portion where you have to select your username and password, you have to come up with a username that you will be comfortable with for a long period of time. Moreover, it should also help the other users identify you when you send them emails.
Your password on the other hand must be six characters long and you must bear in mind to remember how you have exactly typed it because the system is case-sensitive.
5. After you completed the fields which are necessary, you may then proceed to the verification process. This step is where you select a question which you need to answer in case you forget either your password or your username.
When you have finished all the steps then you may proceed in opening your account on the yahoo mail home page by keying in your username and password. Now, you can start sending emails to anywhere and anyone on the globe by using your email account. Communicating with other people need not be hard, you just have to be resourceful.
How To Use A Webcam To Capture Images And Videos
The Internet today allows almost everything - sending emails, publishing write-ups, and of course, photo and video sharing. The most fun thing to do among them would be photo and video sharing, indeed. And to effectively share your pictures and videos, you have to first learn how to use a webcam.
Webcam is the short term for web camera. It is the device that has the ability to capture images, both still and moving, and save it on your computer. Most webcams are connected to the computer's USB port.
Learning how to use a webcam is fairly easy. All you have to do is follow the steps below:
1. Make Sure That The Webcam Is Properly Installed On Your Computer.
When you buy a webcam from a computer or an electronics store, the package will come with a disc. Run the disc and make sure that the camera is properly detected by the operating system. Load the software according to the instructions so it will work.
2. Determine How You Are To Use The Webcam.
The camera will come with its own software. You can use that to capture images. But it can also work with online messaging services like Yahoo, Skype, and AOL. Using your webcam to share images and videos using these services is free. You might want to check them out.
3. Position The Webcam Properly And Launch The Software.
If you have decided to use the webcam's built-in software, just click on the icon that was created after the program was installed. The camera will work the moment you launch the software. If you want to use the webcam with an online messaging service, sign-in with your username and password. After that, look for the option that will activate and share your webcam.
4. Capture And Save The Images As Desired.
The webcam's built-in software is created with buttons that you can click to save and store the images produced on the screen. Strike a pose. Wear your biggest smile. Then click away! However, with a messenger service, click on the broadcast check box. The images captured by the webcam will then be shared immediately with the users you have approved.
These are the simple steps to use a webcam. You need not be an expert Internet user or computer programmer to learn how this simple device works. Enjoy!
Webcam is the short term for web camera. It is the device that has the ability to capture images, both still and moving, and save it on your computer. Most webcams are connected to the computer's USB port.
Learning how to use a webcam is fairly easy. All you have to do is follow the steps below:
1. Make Sure That The Webcam Is Properly Installed On Your Computer.
When you buy a webcam from a computer or an electronics store, the package will come with a disc. Run the disc and make sure that the camera is properly detected by the operating system. Load the software according to the instructions so it will work.
2. Determine How You Are To Use The Webcam.
The camera will come with its own software. You can use that to capture images. But it can also work with online messaging services like Yahoo, Skype, and AOL. Using your webcam to share images and videos using these services is free. You might want to check them out.
3. Position The Webcam Properly And Launch The Software.
If you have decided to use the webcam's built-in software, just click on the icon that was created after the program was installed. The camera will work the moment you launch the software. If you want to use the webcam with an online messaging service, sign-in with your username and password. After that, look for the option that will activate and share your webcam.
4. Capture And Save The Images As Desired.
The webcam's built-in software is created with buttons that you can click to save and store the images produced on the screen. Strike a pose. Wear your biggest smile. Then click away! However, with a messenger service, click on the broadcast check box. The images captured by the webcam will then be shared immediately with the users you have approved.
These are the simple steps to use a webcam. You need not be an expert Internet user or computer programmer to learn how this simple device works. Enjoy!
Data Backups
For many people, computers have become a daily necessity. We use them for work, for correspondence and for entertainment. Many of the files are important documents and losing them would cost us time and money. Backups are the best way to prevent their permanent loss.
Don't make the mistake of believing that backups are only for computer geeks or large corporations, or a task that can be performed 'when I get around to it'. On the contrary, backups are a necessity for everyone. Even if your computer has been running reliably for years, it will fail one day - either through virus attack, user error or just age.
On that day, one of two things will happen. You'll either suffer the grief that comes with losing financial information, passwords, music collections, personal photographs and all the software you've purchased. Or, you can repair or replace the computer and restore from the backups you've been making regularly. The latter is an annoyance, the first a disaster.
There are, unfortunately, an infinite variety of ways to lose data. Besides hardware failure, computers can be destroyed in fires or floods. Hard drives can be damaged by power surges caused by lightning strikes or data lost by a child randomly hitting the keyboard. Viruses can infect systems and erase hard drives.
But there's only one way to get it back - by having it available to be restored.
What to Backup?
For the average user, it's usually not necessary to backup every file on the computer, which would require large storage space. But at bare minimum home users should backup personal files and irreplaceable software. Spreadsheets with financial records not easily available from other sources, legal documents, work-in-progress... the list is large.
But backups needn't be.
The easiest way to do backups is to use the backup software that comes with the operating system. Windows has a free, usable backup program while similar ones are available for Mac, Linux and others. The software is easy to use and backing up is a simple matter of selecting which folders to backup. It even has a scheduler so backups can be automated to occur at convenient times.
For a modest sum backup software can be purchased that will only backup files changed since a certain date, or since the last backup. Alternatively, new files could be copied daily to a backup folder where they can be backed-up by your backup program. To ease the task of identifying which, use the Search option to list files 'newer than X'. Once the list is complete, copy them into the backup folder and run the program for just that folder.
Some data, such as e-mails are only slightly more difficult to protect. Some e-mail clients can be configured to keep copies of received and sent e-mails on the e-mail server. When that's not an option, most can export messages to a file, which can then be backed up.
Backups can be done to any kind of removable media - writeable CD's/DVD's, removable hard drives or even the newer 'keychain' devices that plug into a USB port. Even floppy disks can still be used in many cases. Documents often take a small amount of space. Just set aside 7 disks and rotate them from week to week.
Daily backups are one more thing to do in a busy schedule. But the day you lose that file you need and can't restore, you're going to be a whole lot busier.
Don't make the mistake of believing that backups are only for computer geeks or large corporations, or a task that can be performed 'when I get around to it'. On the contrary, backups are a necessity for everyone. Even if your computer has been running reliably for years, it will fail one day - either through virus attack, user error or just age.
On that day, one of two things will happen. You'll either suffer the grief that comes with losing financial information, passwords, music collections, personal photographs and all the software you've purchased. Or, you can repair or replace the computer and restore from the backups you've been making regularly. The latter is an annoyance, the first a disaster.
There are, unfortunately, an infinite variety of ways to lose data. Besides hardware failure, computers can be destroyed in fires or floods. Hard drives can be damaged by power surges caused by lightning strikes or data lost by a child randomly hitting the keyboard. Viruses can infect systems and erase hard drives.
But there's only one way to get it back - by having it available to be restored.
What to Backup?
For the average user, it's usually not necessary to backup every file on the computer, which would require large storage space. But at bare minimum home users should backup personal files and irreplaceable software. Spreadsheets with financial records not easily available from other sources, legal documents, work-in-progress... the list is large.
But backups needn't be.
The easiest way to do backups is to use the backup software that comes with the operating system. Windows has a free, usable backup program while similar ones are available for Mac, Linux and others. The software is easy to use and backing up is a simple matter of selecting which folders to backup. It even has a scheduler so backups can be automated to occur at convenient times.
For a modest sum backup software can be purchased that will only backup files changed since a certain date, or since the last backup. Alternatively, new files could be copied daily to a backup folder where they can be backed-up by your backup program. To ease the task of identifying which, use the Search option to list files 'newer than X'. Once the list is complete, copy them into the backup folder and run the program for just that folder.
Some data, such as e-mails are only slightly more difficult to protect. Some e-mail clients can be configured to keep copies of received and sent e-mails on the e-mail server. When that's not an option, most can export messages to a file, which can then be backed up.
Backups can be done to any kind of removable media - writeable CD's/DVD's, removable hard drives or even the newer 'keychain' devices that plug into a USB port. Even floppy disks can still be used in many cases. Documents often take a small amount of space. Just set aside 7 disks and rotate them from week to week.
Daily backups are one more thing to do in a busy schedule. But the day you lose that file you need and can't restore, you're going to be a whole lot busier.
The Importance Of Screensaver And How To Enable It
Screensavers are those animated pictures that you usually see on the computer screen after leaving it unattended for a certain period of time. Some people think screensavers are merely created to add to the computer's aesthetic properties. Other think they are unimportant. That conception believe it or not is wrong.
Every computer user needs a screensaver, especially those who are still using CRT monitors. CRT stands for cathode ray tube. These are the monitors that look a lot like a television set.
CRT monitors display images on the screen by emitting radiations of high energy. Now if you leave your computer for too long and it doesn't use a screensaver, the images showing on the monitor could burn onto the screen permanently. The task of screensavers is to take the images left on the screen away, store it on the computer, and substitute it with moving pictures. That way, your monitor won't have ghostly afterimages.
To activate screensaver on a Windows Xp or any Windows-based computer, follow these steps:
1. Right click on the desktop.
2. Click on Properties.
3. Click on the Screen saver tab.
4. Click on the drop down arrow under Screen saver.
5. Choose your desired screen saver. You can preview the screen saver you have chosen it by clicking on the "Preview" button.
6. You can also adjust the settings of the chosen Screen saver by clicking on the "Setting" button. This step is optional. The screensaver will run even if you don't make changes on its setting.
7. Set the wait time. The wait time is the period of time you are to leave the computer unattended before the screen saver is activated. The default time is 10 minutes. You can set it lower if you wish.
8. Set a password if so desired. If you don't want others to use your computer as you leave it with the screensaver running, you can set a password by putting a check mark on the "on resume, password protect" box. If you are not so good at remembering passwords, better leave the box empty.
9. Click Apply and OK. Your screen saver should be set.
These are the steps on how you can activate a screensaver on your computer. If you don't like the screensavers stored in your computer, you can download a variety of them from the Internet. Just make sure you are getting screen savers from reliable sources.
Every computer user needs a screensaver, especially those who are still using CRT monitors. CRT stands for cathode ray tube. These are the monitors that look a lot like a television set.
CRT monitors display images on the screen by emitting radiations of high energy. Now if you leave your computer for too long and it doesn't use a screensaver, the images showing on the monitor could burn onto the screen permanently. The task of screensavers is to take the images left on the screen away, store it on the computer, and substitute it with moving pictures. That way, your monitor won't have ghostly afterimages.
To activate screensaver on a Windows Xp or any Windows-based computer, follow these steps:
1. Right click on the desktop.
2. Click on Properties.
3. Click on the Screen saver tab.
4. Click on the drop down arrow under Screen saver.
5. Choose your desired screen saver. You can preview the screen saver you have chosen it by clicking on the "Preview" button.
6. You can also adjust the settings of the chosen Screen saver by clicking on the "Setting" button. This step is optional. The screensaver will run even if you don't make changes on its setting.
7. Set the wait time. The wait time is the period of time you are to leave the computer unattended before the screen saver is activated. The default time is 10 minutes. You can set it lower if you wish.
8. Set a password if so desired. If you don't want others to use your computer as you leave it with the screensaver running, you can set a password by putting a check mark on the "on resume, password protect" box. If you are not so good at remembering passwords, better leave the box empty.
9. Click Apply and OK. Your screen saver should be set.
These are the steps on how you can activate a screensaver on your computer. If you don't like the screensavers stored in your computer, you can download a variety of them from the Internet. Just make sure you are getting screen savers from reliable sources.
The Importance Of Defragmenting Your Hard Disk
Defragmenting your hard disk regularly is important in ensuring the efficiency of your computer. It's a way to allow your computer to clean up and re-organize itself for a system that runs better and faster.
How does defragmenting work and why is it important?
When your computer is working; using, opening, saving files, changing data in the files, it uses up areas on your hard disk. If you save a file for example, the hard disk will take that file and store it in sections on the computers hard drive that are adjacent to each other, depending on the size of the file. Smaller files are easier to store because they can be placed efficiently next to each other.
As you continue to use your computer, you will also be performing other tasks, such as editing, adding and deleting files. When you do, changes occur on the hard disk and some areas will become empty pockets. These areas are referred to as fragmentation.
Imagine your hard disk as a flat surface with small blocks where data is stored and there are fragmentations present. From above, you'll see that the files are scattered all over the surface, with some areas empty. Small files will usually fit a small area, but for bigger files, it's different.
On bigger files, it will be difficult to try to fit them in a limited space so your computer will instead break the file down into fragments and store these fragments in different locations on the hard disk. Although this helps keep the files in place, it tends to build up over time.
The randomness with which these files stored also clutters your hard drive and later, it will take a bit longer for your computer to locate things. This is when you'll notice that your system is getting slower. Because the hard disk becomes too fragmented, each time you try to open a file or use a program, it will take longer for the computer to locate and gather the necessary files.
This causes the operating system to run more slowly, making your computer less efficient. Defragmenting (sometimes referred to as 'defrag' or 'defragging') will help re-arrange the files and keep them in order and easy to find. Once you have defragmented your hard disk, you will notice that your computer runs faster.
How often should I defrag my hard disk?
Don't ignore the importance of defragmenting your computer. Defragging once a month is a good practice, especially if you use your computer often and if you manage a lot of files.
How does defragmenting work and why is it important?
When your computer is working; using, opening, saving files, changing data in the files, it uses up areas on your hard disk. If you save a file for example, the hard disk will take that file and store it in sections on the computers hard drive that are adjacent to each other, depending on the size of the file. Smaller files are easier to store because they can be placed efficiently next to each other.
As you continue to use your computer, you will also be performing other tasks, such as editing, adding and deleting files. When you do, changes occur on the hard disk and some areas will become empty pockets. These areas are referred to as fragmentation.
Imagine your hard disk as a flat surface with small blocks where data is stored and there are fragmentations present. From above, you'll see that the files are scattered all over the surface, with some areas empty. Small files will usually fit a small area, but for bigger files, it's different.
On bigger files, it will be difficult to try to fit them in a limited space so your computer will instead break the file down into fragments and store these fragments in different locations on the hard disk. Although this helps keep the files in place, it tends to build up over time.
The randomness with which these files stored also clutters your hard drive and later, it will take a bit longer for your computer to locate things. This is when you'll notice that your system is getting slower. Because the hard disk becomes too fragmented, each time you try to open a file or use a program, it will take longer for the computer to locate and gather the necessary files.
This causes the operating system to run more slowly, making your computer less efficient. Defragmenting (sometimes referred to as 'defrag' or 'defragging') will help re-arrange the files and keep them in order and easy to find. Once you have defragmented your hard disk, you will notice that your computer runs faster.
How often should I defrag my hard disk?
Don't ignore the importance of defragmenting your computer. Defragging once a month is a good practice, especially if you use your computer often and if you manage a lot of files.
Ways To Screen Your E-Mail Attachments Before Downloading Them
Sometimes, attaching a file with an e-mail message can't be helped, especially if the file is too big or if it contains images and graphical representations that would be difficult to view with the standard e-mail. While there are some attachments that are usually harmless, there are also some that contain damaging computer viruses and malicious software. To make sure you don't unwittingly become a victim of a virus attack or malware, you should screen all e-mail attachments you receive before downloading. Here's how:
Use E-Mail Security Software.
There are software that can be installed on your computer that are capable of screening any e-mail attachment you receive before downloading. Once it's on board, you can open an e-mail message and use the program to check if the attachment is safe or not.
You have a choice whether you want to open an attachment or scan it first. Choose 'scan' and let your computer do the routine check up. If it gives you an all clear message indicating the file is safe from threats, you can begin downloading the file. Set the security settings to 'high' to maximize your protection.
In some browsers, such as the Internet Explorer, and e-mails such as Microsoft Outlook, security is included as part of their e-mail features. Simply click on the link and your e-mail attachment will be screened automatically.
When using e-mail security software, remember to turn on the auto-protect feature before opening any e-mail attachment. Or you can allow the program to automatically screen e-mail attachments before you download. That way, the program won't forget to scan for any threats even if you do.
Using Common Sense To Screen E-Mail Attachments
Other than e-mail security programs, the best way to screen e-mail attachments is to do it yourself. When checking your e-mail, determine which messages come with attachments. Even if the e-mail came from your friend or someone you know, always be cautious about attachments. The sender may not realize they are sending you an infected file.
Next, find out what the e-mail attachments are about, especially if they contain .exe files. If you are unsure of the content or have no way of knowing what it is exactly, delete the e-mail and its attachment. It may also be prudent to delete e-mails and their attachments coming from people you don't know.
If you prefer, you can also preview an e-mail and its attachment and then decide whether or not you want to download it to your computer. It may seem like a lot of trouble to go through just to view e-mail attachments but this is a good way to protect your files
Use E-Mail Security Software.
There are software that can be installed on your computer that are capable of screening any e-mail attachment you receive before downloading. Once it's on board, you can open an e-mail message and use the program to check if the attachment is safe or not.
You have a choice whether you want to open an attachment or scan it first. Choose 'scan' and let your computer do the routine check up. If it gives you an all clear message indicating the file is safe from threats, you can begin downloading the file. Set the security settings to 'high' to maximize your protection.
In some browsers, such as the Internet Explorer, and e-mails such as Microsoft Outlook, security is included as part of their e-mail features. Simply click on the link and your e-mail attachment will be screened automatically.
When using e-mail security software, remember to turn on the auto-protect feature before opening any e-mail attachment. Or you can allow the program to automatically screen e-mail attachments before you download. That way, the program won't forget to scan for any threats even if you do.
Using Common Sense To Screen E-Mail Attachments
Other than e-mail security programs, the best way to screen e-mail attachments is to do it yourself. When checking your e-mail, determine which messages come with attachments. Even if the e-mail came from your friend or someone you know, always be cautious about attachments. The sender may not realize they are sending you an infected file.
Next, find out what the e-mail attachments are about, especially if they contain .exe files. If you are unsure of the content or have no way of knowing what it is exactly, delete the e-mail and its attachment. It may also be prudent to delete e-mails and their attachments coming from people you don't know.
If you prefer, you can also preview an e-mail and its attachment and then decide whether or not you want to download it to your computer. It may seem like a lot of trouble to go through just to view e-mail attachments but this is a good way to protect your files
What Browser Is Best For Your Use?
A browser is a computer program that allows you to use the internet to search, download, view and display files on the web that contain text, graphics, video, images and sound. A browser lets you view both internets and intranets, which are closed networks. If you want to know what browser to use, here are different kinds to choose from:
Internet Explorer
IE is the most commonly used browser because it comes bundled with the Windows OS, which many people use. IE has all the necessary components needed to allow users to browse the internet. Its e-mail program is the Outlook Express, which manages messages.
While IE is a browser that does the job well, it is also open to a lot of attacks from viruses, malware and computer hackers because it is the most common. This prompts some computer users to opt for other browsers, such as a
Firefox From Mozilla
Firefox is an open source program so you can download it for free. It is the most common alternative to IE and it has several features. It has a pop-up blocker and allows tabbed browsing so you can open several sites at once without using multiple windows. Firefox also has customizable buttons and tool bars, smart keyboards and excellent security features.
Firefox is quite easy to use and makes browsing the internet convenient. If you download files, for example, it can save these to the computer's desktop, making them easy to locate.
Use Firefox if you prefer a browser other than IE or if you like its extra features.
Opera
Opera is another free browser that allows you to load web pages quickly. It also has plenty of extra features that let you have fun while browsing. Like Firefox, it also uses tabs and a built-in pop-up filter and Google search. If you don't like the way your basic browser looks, you can even change 'skins'.
If you're currently an IE user and are switching to Opera, this browser even lets you import your IE settings and e-mail clients. The user interface is designed for ease of use and secured browsing. Once you start using it, it shouldn't be long until you find you're breezing through the World Wide Web with ease.
Other Browsers
There are other browsers that you can use such as Netscape, AOL and Crazy. How well they perform from your perception will depend on what you expect them to do and what you want out of your internet experience. Consider the type of internet usage you have when choosing your browser. But don't worry. If you change your mind, you can always use another browser.
Internet Explorer
IE is the most commonly used browser because it comes bundled with the Windows OS, which many people use. IE has all the necessary components needed to allow users to browse the internet. Its e-mail program is the Outlook Express, which manages messages.
While IE is a browser that does the job well, it is also open to a lot of attacks from viruses, malware and computer hackers because it is the most common. This prompts some computer users to opt for other browsers, such as a
Firefox From Mozilla
Firefox is an open source program so you can download it for free. It is the most common alternative to IE and it has several features. It has a pop-up blocker and allows tabbed browsing so you can open several sites at once without using multiple windows. Firefox also has customizable buttons and tool bars, smart keyboards and excellent security features.
Firefox is quite easy to use and makes browsing the internet convenient. If you download files, for example, it can save these to the computer's desktop, making them easy to locate.
Use Firefox if you prefer a browser other than IE or if you like its extra features.
Opera
Opera is another free browser that allows you to load web pages quickly. It also has plenty of extra features that let you have fun while browsing. Like Firefox, it also uses tabs and a built-in pop-up filter and Google search. If you don't like the way your basic browser looks, you can even change 'skins'.
If you're currently an IE user and are switching to Opera, this browser even lets you import your IE settings and e-mail clients. The user interface is designed for ease of use and secured browsing. Once you start using it, it shouldn't be long until you find you're breezing through the World Wide Web with ease.
Other Browsers
There are other browsers that you can use such as Netscape, AOL and Crazy. How well they perform from your perception will depend on what you expect them to do and what you want out of your internet experience. Consider the type of internet usage you have when choosing your browser. But don't worry. If you change your mind, you can always use another browser.
Why And When You Should Upgrade Your Operating System
Your operating system is the heart of your computer. It is the backbone from which all of your programs work. Without it, your computer is nothing but a gadget made of plastic and metal. Since manufacturers continue to make changes in their products, it's important that you know when your operating system needs to be upgraded.
Why You Should Upgrade
Of course, your computer will continue to work using your old operating system and you can keep using it. You probably won't have any problems if your computer use is limited within your room or house.
The problem is, technology changes quickly. Newer versions of programs, gadgets and software appear. Not only do they make using your computer faster, they also provide access to all sorts of information and functionalities that won't work with your old operating system.
Another reason why upgrading your operating system is important is that most of the applications included in it contain some bugs or certain imperfections in the program. These imperfections often render the operating system vulnerable to damage or threat. If you want access to new programs, want better security and features on your operating system, you should consider upgrading.
When To Upgrade Your Operating System
Generally, the manufacturer of your operating system will let you know about an upgrade and alert you about a new patch you'll need to install. The patch is a supplement or a correction to certain applications and vulnerabilities of your OS. Upgrading it will make it more secure so you are less prone to errors or threats.
If you are working with an older version of your operating system and most of the software and files you encounter are higher versions, it's time to upgrade. A lower version will be unable to 'read' or run files and programs made from or designed using higher versions.
If you've tried opening a file saved using Windows XP, Windows 95 or lower, you will find that it's difficult for your older operating system. If you want to use newer files or exchange information with other people using higher versions, you will have to upgrade your operating system.
You'll also know it's time to upgrade when you want to use gadgets and accessories that will only run using a higher version of your operating system. If that accessory is an integral part of your computing, you definitely should get in touch with your manufacturer or buy yourself a new operating system. Simply check your computer to ensure you meet the minimum requirements for a glitch-free upgrade.
Why You Should Upgrade
Of course, your computer will continue to work using your old operating system and you can keep using it. You probably won't have any problems if your computer use is limited within your room or house.
The problem is, technology changes quickly. Newer versions of programs, gadgets and software appear. Not only do they make using your computer faster, they also provide access to all sorts of information and functionalities that won't work with your old operating system.
Another reason why upgrading your operating system is important is that most of the applications included in it contain some bugs or certain imperfections in the program. These imperfections often render the operating system vulnerable to damage or threat. If you want access to new programs, want better security and features on your operating system, you should consider upgrading.
When To Upgrade Your Operating System
Generally, the manufacturer of your operating system will let you know about an upgrade and alert you about a new patch you'll need to install. The patch is a supplement or a correction to certain applications and vulnerabilities of your OS. Upgrading it will make it more secure so you are less prone to errors or threats.
If you are working with an older version of your operating system and most of the software and files you encounter are higher versions, it's time to upgrade. A lower version will be unable to 'read' or run files and programs made from or designed using higher versions.
If you've tried opening a file saved using Windows XP, Windows 95 or lower, you will find that it's difficult for your older operating system. If you want to use newer files or exchange information with other people using higher versions, you will have to upgrade your operating system.
You'll also know it's time to upgrade when you want to use gadgets and accessories that will only run using a higher version of your operating system. If that accessory is an integral part of your computing, you definitely should get in touch with your manufacturer or buy yourself a new operating system. Simply check your computer to ensure you meet the minimum requirements for a glitch-free upgrade.
The Ways On How To Share Documents In Your Computer
If you have a computer and want to share files with others, there are different ways on how you can do so. Depending upon your operating system, you can share several files with the other users of the computer, or even with other people on the network.
To share files in your computer, follow these steps:
1. Determine What Files You Want To Share.
If you have a single file to share in your computer, copy it by right clicking on the file itself and click on copy. This will put the file in the computer's memory for future use.
2. Look For The Shared Documents Folder.
If you are using Windows Xp, click on Start on the lower left corner of your screen. This will open a small window. Look for "My Documents" and click on it. Another window should appear.
3. Click On "Shared Documents" On The Left Panel.
On the new window that appeared, look at the left panel under "Other Places". Under that, you should be able to see "Shared Documents". Click the link. The window should change.
4. Select The Folder You Want To Put The File In.
On the "Shared Documents" window, there are at least three subfolders. These are Shared Music, Shared Video, and Shared Pictures. If your file belongs in any of the categories, you can simply double click on it. Otherwise, create a new folder by right clicking on the white screen. Select "New" on the small window and click on "Folder". A new folder should be visible on the same window. You can rename the folder if you wish.
5. Paste Your Document.
After selecting the folder that will contain the file, you can now paste it. Right click on a white spot again. Click "Paste". The window should now show your file. The file is now ready to be shared with other users of your computer. If the computer is part of a network that has file sharing enabled, the users of the other computers would be able to access the file as well.
To share files in your computer, follow these steps:
1. Determine What Files You Want To Share.
If you have a single file to share in your computer, copy it by right clicking on the file itself and click on copy. This will put the file in the computer's memory for future use.
2. Look For The Shared Documents Folder.
If you are using Windows Xp, click on Start on the lower left corner of your screen. This will open a small window. Look for "My Documents" and click on it. Another window should appear.
3. Click On "Shared Documents" On The Left Panel.
On the new window that appeared, look at the left panel under "Other Places". Under that, you should be able to see "Shared Documents". Click the link. The window should change.
4. Select The Folder You Want To Put The File In.
On the "Shared Documents" window, there are at least three subfolders. These are Shared Music, Shared Video, and Shared Pictures. If your file belongs in any of the categories, you can simply double click on it. Otherwise, create a new folder by right clicking on the white screen. Select "New" on the small window and click on "Folder". A new folder should be visible on the same window. You can rename the folder if you wish.
5. Paste Your Document.
After selecting the folder that will contain the file, you can now paste it. Right click on a white spot again. Click "Paste". The window should now show your file. The file is now ready to be shared with other users of your computer. If the computer is part of a network that has file sharing enabled, the users of the other computers would be able to access the file as well.
Here are the simple ways of sharing files in your computer. Of course, you can use simpler ways of doing it like using a diskette, a flash drive, or a CD-RW. But if you just follow these steps, there should be no need for additional hardware.
The Most Important Computer Tools Every Beginner User Should Know About
Your computer can do a lot of things to make your life a lot easier. It can help you communicate with people regardless of your geographical distance, access information, make computations, process and create images, listen to music, view videos, order and purchase things, etc. If you're a new computer user, here are some of the most important tools you should know about:
Word Processor
The word processor is a program that allows you to perform many tasks. Although it is commonly used to type texts to produce letters, memos, manuscripts and research papers, it can also handle simple text manipulation if you need to produce a basic brochure or newsletter.
The word processor can also be used for presentations. You can embed photographic images, photos and graphs and label them with the appropriate texts. If you like to keep a journal or a planning to come up with your own novel someday, the word processor is your tool.
Spreadsheet
The spreadsheet is another important tool for your computer. It accepts texts and figures and is also capable of performing basic and advanced computations. It is often used as a computing tool, although it can also handle text and graphics. Basically, it functions as a calculator so if you don't have one, use this tool.
The spreadsheet page looks like a blank page divided by rows (numerical) and columns (alphabetical), producing rectangular blocks called cells. Within each cell, which is expandable, you can perform certain tasks, such as inputting texts and/or numbers or create formulas. You can then use these formulas to allow the cells to interact and result to an effective mathematical or statistical computation.
Browser
The browser allows you to access the internet. It is a program that downloads data from the World Wide Web and translates them to produce a readable text or image. The browser is an important computer tool, providing you with the means with which to obtain information, view files online and communicate with other people through e-mails or instant messages, although the latter can be a separate tool.
Other Tools
Certain computer tools such as those designed for image editing and publishing and those that allow you to create presentations are also important. Desktop publishing just became easier thanks to these tools, which allow you to do design and layout.
Tools that help you maintain the health of your computer are also important, such as anti-virus software and anti-spyware. These ensure that your computer is safe and secure by protecting it from threats that damage your software and hardware and render your computer useless.
Word Processor
The word processor is a program that allows you to perform many tasks. Although it is commonly used to type texts to produce letters, memos, manuscripts and research papers, it can also handle simple text manipulation if you need to produce a basic brochure or newsletter.
The word processor can also be used for presentations. You can embed photographic images, photos and graphs and label them with the appropriate texts. If you like to keep a journal or a planning to come up with your own novel someday, the word processor is your tool.
Spreadsheet
The spreadsheet is another important tool for your computer. It accepts texts and figures and is also capable of performing basic and advanced computations. It is often used as a computing tool, although it can also handle text and graphics. Basically, it functions as a calculator so if you don't have one, use this tool.
The spreadsheet page looks like a blank page divided by rows (numerical) and columns (alphabetical), producing rectangular blocks called cells. Within each cell, which is expandable, you can perform certain tasks, such as inputting texts and/or numbers or create formulas. You can then use these formulas to allow the cells to interact and result to an effective mathematical or statistical computation.
Browser
The browser allows you to access the internet. It is a program that downloads data from the World Wide Web and translates them to produce a readable text or image. The browser is an important computer tool, providing you with the means with which to obtain information, view files online and communicate with other people through e-mails or instant messages, although the latter can be a separate tool.
Other Tools
Certain computer tools such as those designed for image editing and publishing and those that allow you to create presentations are also important. Desktop publishing just became easier thanks to these tools, which allow you to do design and layout.
Tools that help you maintain the health of your computer are also important, such as anti-virus software and anti-spyware. These ensure that your computer is safe and secure by protecting it from threats that damage your software and hardware and render your computer useless.
Keeping Your Children Safe Online
Children, like adults, are just as susceptible from computer and internet security risks. Thus, it is important to keep children safe and have your data protected.
The following are simple yet effective steps so that security threats could be reduced dramatically.
Implement parental pc control
It is always best to implement a kind of parental control when kids are using the computer. Fortunately, there are ISPs available that could be purchased as software that is separate.
However, keep in mind that a software program is really a poor substitute for authentic supervision provided by a parent.
Through using the Internet Explorer, it allows anyone to conveniently restrict or simply do not allow particular web sites to be seen. Settings for these could be set through passwords.
In order to see these options, click on Tools on the menu bar, then choose Internet Options, select the tab named Content, click the button named Enable under the Content Advisor.
It is also best if you purchase software that enables you to watch and monitor any and all sites your kids go to.
Partition it now, partition it good
It is advisable to partition your personal computer into accounts that are separate. Many operating systems (these include the Mac, Windows XP, Linux) provide users the option to create different and various user accounts.
This works well especially if you have that fear of your kid accessing, modifying or deleting your own files. Giving your child an account that is separate decreases the access amount and the privileges your child has.
Use anti-virus, anti-spyware, firewall
Software that provides anti-virus activities protects computers from any viruses that could destroy data, help prevent slow performance of your computer, helps prevent crashes and does not allow any spammers to infiltrate your e-mail.
Basically, this works through scanning the computer and any e-mails that are incoming. If there are any that contains viruses, these are automatically deleted.
An effective anti-virus program should have constant and routine updates as well as antidotes for any latest bugs that are currently in the internet.
Meanwhile, firewalls have the ability to keep any hackers away from your own computer thereby preventing them from accessing any of your personal info without your express permission.
Basically, a firewall is a guard that watches any attempts from the outside to access your personal computer system. It also blocks communications to and from sources that does not have your permission. As much as possible, always turn on your firewall and regularly update it.
Anti-spyware programs meanwhile protect your personal computers from any malicious forms of spyware. What spyware does is monitor all activities you do online. It also collects your personal info while you innocently do your surfing on the web.
Through anti-spyware, it scans in a periodic manner your computer to check if it has any spyware software and programs available. After which, it offers you the opportunity to immediately remove harmful software.
Password protect your pc
Using passwords that are strong or utilizing authentication technology that is strong helps you protect your personal info.
As much as possible, keep all your passwords in a secure and safe place. Do not share your passwords over the internet, phone or e-mail.
Remember that your ISP should not ask your password.
Hackers have the ability to acquire your password, unless of course you make it difficult for them to guess it through the following efforts: use passwords that contain eight characters including with it symbols and numerals; avoiding words that are common; avoiding using personal info; changing regularly your passwords (at least every three months).
A good way of creating a password is to come up with a phrase that is memorable and using first letters of every word as the password of your choice. Convert these letters into particular numbers that look like letters.
Do not forget to back up files that are important
The fact of the matter is that there is no such system that is one hundred percent secure. If there are any files that are important and is currently stored in your own computer, always copy them in discs that are removable.
After which, store them in a place that is secure.
You could also consider software encryption. It is also best if the start-up disks in the original software you bought is readily available just in case your computer system crashes.
All in all, helping your children safe from online security threats is an effort that is well worth it.
The following are simple yet effective steps so that security threats could be reduced dramatically.
Implement parental pc control
It is always best to implement a kind of parental control when kids are using the computer. Fortunately, there are ISPs available that could be purchased as software that is separate.
However, keep in mind that a software program is really a poor substitute for authentic supervision provided by a parent.
Through using the Internet Explorer, it allows anyone to conveniently restrict or simply do not allow particular web sites to be seen. Settings for these could be set through passwords.
In order to see these options, click on Tools on the menu bar, then choose Internet Options, select the tab named Content, click the button named Enable under the Content Advisor.
It is also best if you purchase software that enables you to watch and monitor any and all sites your kids go to.
Partition it now, partition it good
It is advisable to partition your personal computer into accounts that are separate. Many operating systems (these include the Mac, Windows XP, Linux) provide users the option to create different and various user accounts.
This works well especially if you have that fear of your kid accessing, modifying or deleting your own files. Giving your child an account that is separate decreases the access amount and the privileges your child has.
Use anti-virus, anti-spyware, firewall
Software that provides anti-virus activities protects computers from any viruses that could destroy data, help prevent slow performance of your computer, helps prevent crashes and does not allow any spammers to infiltrate your e-mail.
Basically, this works through scanning the computer and any e-mails that are incoming. If there are any that contains viruses, these are automatically deleted.
An effective anti-virus program should have constant and routine updates as well as antidotes for any latest bugs that are currently in the internet.
Meanwhile, firewalls have the ability to keep any hackers away from your own computer thereby preventing them from accessing any of your personal info without your express permission.
Basically, a firewall is a guard that watches any attempts from the outside to access your personal computer system. It also blocks communications to and from sources that does not have your permission. As much as possible, always turn on your firewall and regularly update it.
Anti-spyware programs meanwhile protect your personal computers from any malicious forms of spyware. What spyware does is monitor all activities you do online. It also collects your personal info while you innocently do your surfing on the web.
Through anti-spyware, it scans in a periodic manner your computer to check if it has any spyware software and programs available. After which, it offers you the opportunity to immediately remove harmful software.
Password protect your pc
Using passwords that are strong or utilizing authentication technology that is strong helps you protect your personal info.
As much as possible, keep all your passwords in a secure and safe place. Do not share your passwords over the internet, phone or e-mail.
Remember that your ISP should not ask your password.
Hackers have the ability to acquire your password, unless of course you make it difficult for them to guess it through the following efforts: use passwords that contain eight characters including with it symbols and numerals; avoiding words that are common; avoiding using personal info; changing regularly your passwords (at least every three months).
A good way of creating a password is to come up with a phrase that is memorable and using first letters of every word as the password of your choice. Convert these letters into particular numbers that look like letters.
Do not forget to back up files that are important
The fact of the matter is that there is no such system that is one hundred percent secure. If there are any files that are important and is currently stored in your own computer, always copy them in discs that are removable.
After which, store them in a place that is secure.
You could also consider software encryption. It is also best if the start-up disks in the original software you bought is readily available just in case your computer system crashes.
All in all, helping your children safe from online security threats is an effort that is well worth it.
Getting Organized With Your Computer
If you can see the importance of organizing your materials on your desk, then you might have also realized how significant it is to get the files on your computer arranged in order. That is the very function of the folder feature of our computers. Since there usually comes a point when we our hard disk gets full of files which results in difficulty finding our files in it.
Filing Protocol
You must learn to organize your documents so that they won't be scattered everywhere. Now that you are aware of the necessity, the next thing that you need to know is how you can create folders in your computer. To get started, all you need to do is to follow these simple steps.
1. Be acquainted on how the filing system in your computer works. Different computers have different directory trees and systems which you must first learn so that you won't lose your files in the future.
2. Determine which folder you want to keep your files. If you are using the Windows operating system, it has a My Documents folder where you can choose from various directories to store your files.
However, you should be reminded that this directory might encounter some complications from time to time, particularly, when a virus gets attached to any document in it and eventually the document gets sent to everyone in your address book. The reason why this one is advised by me is because most Windows systems save files in this directory by default.
3. Make sub folders within your document storage area. As soon as you have decided where to store your files you may start creating subfolders to further keep your document organized. Nevertheless, the Windows system has some sub folders already which you can also use but if you prefer to create your own folders then that would be fine.
4. Sub folders should be titled by the subject or by its content. Need I say more?
This kind of system allows your files to be accessed easily especially when they are categorized properly. With that goal in your head, you shouldn't dare save your files on your desktop for purposes of finding them more easily because it has the tendency to hamper your computer's memory.
Though you may see it immediately, it is still preferable to have it organized in a folder so that there won't be any hassle in case you want to transfer the files.
Filing Protocol
You must learn to organize your documents so that they won't be scattered everywhere. Now that you are aware of the necessity, the next thing that you need to know is how you can create folders in your computer. To get started, all you need to do is to follow these simple steps.
1. Be acquainted on how the filing system in your computer works. Different computers have different directory trees and systems which you must first learn so that you won't lose your files in the future.
2. Determine which folder you want to keep your files. If you are using the Windows operating system, it has a My Documents folder where you can choose from various directories to store your files.
However, you should be reminded that this directory might encounter some complications from time to time, particularly, when a virus gets attached to any document in it and eventually the document gets sent to everyone in your address book. The reason why this one is advised by me is because most Windows systems save files in this directory by default.
3. Make sub folders within your document storage area. As soon as you have decided where to store your files you may start creating subfolders to further keep your document organized. Nevertheless, the Windows system has some sub folders already which you can also use but if you prefer to create your own folders then that would be fine.
4. Sub folders should be titled by the subject or by its content. Need I say more?
This kind of system allows your files to be accessed easily especially when they are categorized properly. With that goal in your head, you shouldn't dare save your files on your desktop for purposes of finding them more easily because it has the tendency to hamper your computer's memory.
Though you may see it immediately, it is still preferable to have it organized in a folder so that there won't be any hassle in case you want to transfer the files.
XBox 360
You can burn and copy your XBox 360 games, but it takes a little doing. It's not as easy as plopping it in and hitting "start."
There are 2 ways to copy games: you can copy games to your XBox hard drive, or you can use a PC. If you want to burn a copy of your games, you have to use a PC, and the process is a little more complicated. I'll probably say it again later, but you have to have a modded XBox to play copied games. The system is designed so that it won't play copied games, so if you plan on doing this, make sure your XBox has a mod chip first. Otherwise it won't work!
Copying Games To Your XBox Hard Drive
Copying games this way is pretty easy. You'll need one bit of software which is called DVD2XBOX. This is a totally legal piece of software that allows you to back up games, and you can get it for free online. Do a web search and you can find it. You might also want to make sure your XBox has plenty of hard drive space for the backed up games. If you plan to do this, I recommend upgrading your XBox hard drive first, so you have plenty of memory.
Once you have DVD2XBOX on your XBox, it will show up on the dashboard under "applications." If you open this software, it will walk you through step by step on copying and saving the games. It's pretty user friendly, but if you are unsure, there are some easy-to-follow tutorials on the web.
Copying Games To Your PC
This is a lot more complex, but it's the only way to burn your games to disk. You'll need more gear for this. You have to at least have an Ethernet cable, software for converting games to .ISO file, software for burning DVDs or CD-ROMs, and a mod chip in your XBox to play the copied games.
Here's how you do it: First, connect your XBox to your computer with the Ethernet cable. With the Ethernet cable, you can FTP the files and back them up on your hard drive. You'll need to do this in order to copy them. Once you're hooked up, load the games onto your computer using FTP.
The next step is to turn those games into .ISO files. To do this, you'll need some software like Qwix or ISO. Users have reported that both work pretty well, and you can download either one free on the web. They'll need to be in .ISO format in order to be burned onto DVDs.
Next, you'll need some kind of software for burning the files to DVD. Probably the most used software for burning XBox games is Nero's Burning Rom. It's easy to use and makes discs that are compatible with the XBox. Alcohol 120 is also pretty popular. If you want to use another software, just make sure that the discs it burns are XBox compatible. The specs should tell you this.
The best discs to use are recordable DVDs like DVD-R, DVD-RW, or CD-RW's. Before you start burning a bunch of stuff, you should do a test run. Burn one and make sure it works on your XBox before you go totally crazy and burn a bunch.
Now, just burn those .ISO files with Nero or Alcohol 120, and you're good to go. I can't stress it enough: Mod chips are expensive and hard to install, but if you plan to play burned games, you need one. Also, keep in mind that a mod chip voids your warrantee, and you can't do XBox Live with a mod chip.
NEW! You can get all the information and tools you need to make backup copies of virtually every video game you own with nothing more than a CD burner or DVD burner and your home computer. PLUS access our massive Xbox 360 games database and never pay for your xbox 360 games again!
There are 2 ways to copy games: you can copy games to your XBox hard drive, or you can use a PC. If you want to burn a copy of your games, you have to use a PC, and the process is a little more complicated. I'll probably say it again later, but you have to have a modded XBox to play copied games. The system is designed so that it won't play copied games, so if you plan on doing this, make sure your XBox has a mod chip first. Otherwise it won't work!
Copying Games To Your XBox Hard Drive
Copying games this way is pretty easy. You'll need one bit of software which is called DVD2XBOX. This is a totally legal piece of software that allows you to back up games, and you can get it for free online. Do a web search and you can find it. You might also want to make sure your XBox has plenty of hard drive space for the backed up games. If you plan to do this, I recommend upgrading your XBox hard drive first, so you have plenty of memory.
Once you have DVD2XBOX on your XBox, it will show up on the dashboard under "applications." If you open this software, it will walk you through step by step on copying and saving the games. It's pretty user friendly, but if you are unsure, there are some easy-to-follow tutorials on the web.
Copying Games To Your PC
This is a lot more complex, but it's the only way to burn your games to disk. You'll need more gear for this. You have to at least have an Ethernet cable, software for converting games to .ISO file, software for burning DVDs or CD-ROMs, and a mod chip in your XBox to play the copied games.
Here's how you do it: First, connect your XBox to your computer with the Ethernet cable. With the Ethernet cable, you can FTP the files and back them up on your hard drive. You'll need to do this in order to copy them. Once you're hooked up, load the games onto your computer using FTP.
The next step is to turn those games into .ISO files. To do this, you'll need some software like Qwix or ISO. Users have reported that both work pretty well, and you can download either one free on the web. They'll need to be in .ISO format in order to be burned onto DVDs.
Next, you'll need some kind of software for burning the files to DVD. Probably the most used software for burning XBox games is Nero's Burning Rom. It's easy to use and makes discs that are compatible with the XBox. Alcohol 120 is also pretty popular. If you want to use another software, just make sure that the discs it burns are XBox compatible. The specs should tell you this.
The best discs to use are recordable DVDs like DVD-R, DVD-RW, or CD-RW's. Before you start burning a bunch of stuff, you should do a test run. Burn one and make sure it works on your XBox before you go totally crazy and burn a bunch.
Now, just burn those .ISO files with Nero or Alcohol 120, and you're good to go. I can't stress it enough: Mod chips are expensive and hard to install, but if you plan to play burned games, you need one. Also, keep in mind that a mod chip voids your warrantee, and you can't do XBox Live with a mod chip.
NEW! You can get all the information and tools you need to make backup copies of virtually every video game you own with nothing more than a CD burner or DVD burner and your home computer. PLUS access our massive Xbox 360 games database and never pay for your xbox 360 games again!
Monday, May 5, 2008
SSSSSSSSSpeed
| ActiveSpeed is incredibly easy to use. | |
| It installs in seconds and then automatically works in the background instantly adjusting your Windows Internet settings. ActiveSpeed actually learns while you surf, which means the more you use ActiveSpeed, the more efficient your connection becomes. That's right. ActiveSpeed intelligently keeps track | of your usage patterns and optimizes your connection to make your downloads transfer up to 375% more efficiently. You'll notice a phenomenal speed increase when you use any type of Internet application: reading email, Web browsing, downloading pictures and video, you name it. |
Spyware
What You MUST Know
Before You Sign Up For Any Spyware/Adware Removal Site...
With so many Spyware/Adware removal website's on the internet, many consumers are turning to review sites for vital information about which offers are "right for them" or the "best." Some review sites are scams designed and marketed by companies to sell their internet offers or by individuals known as "affiliates" who are selling products for other companies.
Cosumers-Reviews.net have teamed up to help put an end to scamming.
What is Spyware/Adware - Spyware is software that has been created to track and report what you do on the computer! Some of the "worst" spyware will actually search your hard drive for personal information, credit card numbers, bank accounts, passwords, and other confidential information. Adware or Adaware is software that turns your computer into a "billboard" constantly loading ads onto your screen.
Why Do I Need to Remove Spyware/Adware - Spyware and adware, malware has been specifically designed to be difficult to remove. Once you have spyware or adware on your computer, many virus removal programs and few firewalls will not be able to "touch" or "remove" it. Spyware has become the number one threat to all internet users world wide. It is possible that 9 out of every 10 computers are infected. Spyware/ Adware will destroy your pc and your internet experience and can also result in identity theft.
If your computer is not running the way it did when you first purchased it, you most likely have spyware, adware and errors in your system registry. Statistics show that over 98.3% of pc's have spyware and corrupted registries.
Our Goal:The goal of Consumers-Reports.net is to help you understand what spyware is and to help educate you on the kinds of threats posed by spyware and adware and the tools you can use to take back control of your computer from annoying popups, PC slow down and other problems caused by spyware.
Testing Results:
We randomly tested PC's that were infected with spyware starting with those of our friends and family members and then expanded our research further to publicly accessible computers found in libraries and internet cafes where spyware infections are much more severe and harder to eliminate. After running our tests with numerous spyware applications, they are now spyware free. But only a handful of applications were actually effective at removing the spyware.
Effective Tools For Eliminating Spyware and Adware:
All of our recommendations update their databases frequently to stay on top of the continuous changes in the spyware industry and offer responsive helpful support that will help you resolve any problems you may have.
PC Repairs
This comprehensive PC-care utility has a one-click approach to helping protect, repair and optimize your PC. Advanced WindowsCare Personal Edition helps protect, optimize, and repair your PC –– with daily use.
Features of this fantastic, award-winning, 100% free program include:
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