Just Too Good To Pass Up

Hi All -

Working on a computer the other day, I came across: 

http://autos.aol.com/article/gps-thief-home-invasion?gsl=afc_b 

. . . for which, here's a suggestion:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7Y60thUZyU

December 17 Tech Tip - Social Network Hacking

Good Morning All!

I'm Bud Freund, your BNI Tech Guy.

Today's tip is about Monday's New York Times article about hacking twits. . . I mean Twitter hacking.

Yes, it's true, if you don't create strong passwords for your Twitter or Facebook accounts, you could find yourself spamming the planet Earth with the golden opportunity of winning a $500.00 gift card from Victoria's Secret.

It's the newest way that cyber crime preys on low hanging fruit.

So if you'd like help securing your digital assets, please call Victoria's Secret. . . I mean Bud Freund, your BNI Tech Guy. Number 9, number 9, number 9.

December 10 Tech Tip - Firefox

As many of you know, in order to look at stuff on the internet, you need a computer, DUH!, and a piece of software called a browser. A browser is basically a motor. It takes information from "out there", churns it around and spits it onto your monitor in (hopefully) some coherent and attractively organized fashion. 

There are many browsers:

• Safari for the Macintosh
• Opera for people with really big propellers on their beanies
• Chrome from Google
• Internet Explorer, Microsoft's offering
  

. . . and then there's Firefox.

Ah jes loves Firefox! 

Here's why:

It works on multiple platforms: Macintosh, Linux, and Windows.

Unlike Internet Explorer, it's a stand-alone application. IE (pronounced just like the old horror movie shrieks, with good reason) is married to the Windows operating system through the registry - a database of everything on your PC. Hack IE and you can compromise the registry, blow-up your operating system and depending on the size and type of your computer, either make a nifty paper weight or a substantial door stop.

Using Firefox as your browser, chances of that happening are greatly reduced.

Firefox is free. That's right, no cost, zero, zip, nada. . . an unbeatable price.

The most important reason I love Firefox is because of all the great bells and whistles - known in Firefox-land as "add-ons" - you can incorporate. They "enhance the internet browsing experience". . . and they work on multiple platforms too.

Here's a list of "fav's" in no particular order: 

• Flag Fox - https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/5791?src=api - This puts a small flag of the the country from which you're receiving your web page. As internet crime becomes more prevalent from other countries, this can tip you off to fraud. In other words, if you were expecting a banking page from America, and you see a flag from Kazakhstan, close out. 
• Colorful Tabs - https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1368 - Although IE now has tabs, this add-on makes finding pages even faster because rather than trying to read truncated text, you can look for the blue tab or the green tab.
•  IE Tab - https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1419 - As previously mentioned, browsers are motors. That said, some web pages need to run through the Internet Explorer motor in order to look correct. IE Tab fools Firefox (on Windows machines only) into running the IE "engine".
• Download Statusbar - https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/26 - This add-on allows you to see how quickly, or how long your download will take without going to another window. It also allows you to launch the file once it's on your computer.
•  Xmarks - https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2410 - If you use multiple computers, this add-on will allow you to have one set of bookmarks everywhere.
• Forecast Fox - https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/398 - This add-on will give you a weather report along the bottom of your browser window, and it will allow for multiple locations.
• Faster Fox - https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/12878 - While this add-on doesn't make Firefox load any faster, it does help make pages appear faster once it's up and running.
• Ad Blocker - https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/6826?src=api - As the name implies, the information you want from a web page will show up, not the solicitations.
• Quick Note - https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/46 - A recent discovery that allows you to make one of your tabs a place to put notes. If you already use Google Notebook. . . and the Google family of freebies is a topic for another day, this is a great place to put little bits of information.
• FEBE - https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2109 - allows you to create a backup of all your Firefox add-ons, which can then be loaded as a single chunk onto another computer, Mac, Win or Linux.
• Fox Clocks - https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1117 - This one shows the time and date. . . and for whirled travelers, you can see multiple locations.

And if you're looking for a place that "defines" Firefox add-ons, try:

http://www.econsultant.com/i-want-firefox-extension/

So there it is, a great piece of free software with free add-ons that make it even better.

December 3 Tech Tip

Good Morning All!

I'm Bud Freund, your BNI Tech Guy.

Today's tip is about identity theft.

With the holidays just around the corner, consider giving the gift of music.

About 3/4 of the music purchased in the U.S. is downloaded from the internet.

To date, there have been over 6 billion songs downloaded from iTunes into hundreds of  millions of iTunes accounts. . . 

that all have credit card numbers. . . 

It's a hacker's dream.

So rather than giving Apple your credit card, you can give that special someone an iTunes card.

It will work just as well, and it will keep your identity just a little bit safer.

. . . and if you need help redeeming that iTunes card, just ask for Bud Freund, your BNI Tech Guy, number 9, number 9, number 9.

November 19 Tech Tip

Good Morning All! 

I'm Bud Freund, your BNI Tech Guy. 

Last week's tip was about hard drive spinning. This week's tech tip is about the recommended life of your computer - which is 3 to 5 years. 

If you use your machine for business - a lot - start planning for a new one at 3 years. 

If you use your computer for recreation, 5 years. 

That way, you'll be ahead of the crisis management curve. . . and a refurbished desktop computer  with a 1 year warranty and Windows XP Pro already installed starts around $200.00 from tigerdirect (Ernesto Ow, 888-388-4437). 

. . . and if you need set-up help, I'm Bud Freund, your BNI Tech Guy. Number 9, number 9, number 9.

November 12 Tech Tip

Good Morning!

I'm Bud Freund, your BNI Tech Guy.

Today's tip addresses last week's click of death.

3,784,320,000 - is not the number of dollar bills found in Bernie Madoff's mattress. It is the number if spins your hard drive can do in 1 year.

7200 (rpm) X 60 (min p/hr) = 432,000 (rph)

432,000 (rph) X 24 hr p/day) = 10,368,000 (rpd)

10,368,000 (rpd) x 365 (day p/yr) = 3,784,320,000 

How many years have you had your computer?

Could you twirl that much on a bar stool without crashing?

Does any small business spiraling out of control come to mind?

I'm Bud Freund, your BNI Tech Guy. Number 9, number 9, number 9

November 5 Tech Tip

Good Morning All!

I'm Bud Freund, your BNI Tech Guy.

Today's tip is with the cards I've left on your table.

It has the web address where you will find the transcript and hot links from my weekly tech tips. . . as well as other (hopefully useful) stuff.

So please check it out and leave a note.

And if all of this is meaningless to you, let's have a dance card.

I'm Bud Freund, your BNI Tech Guy.

Surfing For Mr. Goodbar

Life rarely goes exactly as planned. Start a day with the intention of finally finishing that overdue project . . . FINALLY, and then, ba-da-bing, the computer starts to hemorrhage and melt down.

This is followed by, “But I didn’t do anything except log on to the internet!”, which is followed by a lost day . . . or two . . . or five.

More than 218 million Americans go on the internet now, and who knows how many of them are tech-savvy. In fact, some probably consider themselves lucky to be able to type and chew gum at the same time. So for those who know little more than logging on and hoping for the best, here is an internet safety primer. . .

. . . because getting on the internet without safeguards is like picking up a stranger at a bar without protection. . . Could be fun, but you really don't know what you could catch.

You need three major items for internet security:

• Firewalls
• Anti-virus software 
• Spyware protection

Each serves a specific purpose, and combined, provide defense against all kinds of mean, nasty, rotten, ugly, horrible things that could result in heads banging on desks, floors or walls, as well as identity theft, data vaporization and having to junk your old PC and buy a new machine. 

FIREWALLS 

Firewalls are like the Klingon cloaking device, or to be more up-to-date, Harry Potter's invisibility cloak. You can see the world, but the world can't see you.

There are two types of firewalls: hardware and software. The hardware firewall keeps the Lord of the Rings Orcs on the far side of a moat. The software firewall is like having the Orcs on the other side of a door. In other words, if you use a software firewall, the problem is already inside the computer.

Given a choice – and knowing how big and mean and ornery and ugly those Orcs are – they are much better kept on the far side of a really big moat. So splurge and get a hardware firewall. Linksys makes both wired and wireless boxes that are easy to set-up, work well and are available from online retailers like TigerDirect.com, or brick and mortar shops like Best Buy – neither of whom paid for these endorsements.

For the firewall, it is important to change the factory-set (a/k/a default) password. If you don’t, it is like having your front door lock using the same key as your neighbor's front door lock – free eats, help yourself.

Remember:

Default of de computer is not always with de computer. Sometimes default of de computer lies with de user. In short, change the firewall's password. 

ANTI-VIRUS 

The next essential component for safe internetting is virus protection software. This is the program that keeps the cooties out of your operating system and prevents hours and hours of resurrection, restoration, retrieval, reconstruction, rehabilitation and revival of your computer and your sanity. In short, getting a virus is no fun for you or your computer.

There are many choices for anti-virus software. Some arrive on your new PC and run for free for a short period of time. Then they prey on the unknowing computer user's fears: 

YOUR VIRUS PROTECTION SOFTWARE IS ABOUT TO EXPIRE!!! AAAAHHHHH!!!!!

IF YOU DO NOT RENEW YOUR SUBSCRIPTION WITHIN 24 HOURS, TERRIBLE THINGS SUCH AS DYSENTARY, LEPROSY AND BROMADROSIS WILL BEFALL YOUR COMPUTER.

AND WE WILL ALSO SEND A VERY LARGE, SINGLE-EYEBROWED NEANDERTHAL TO YOUR HOME TO BEAT YOU UP.

Yes, the software business can get pretty nasty. 

My choice for anti-virus protection is AVG. Grisoft – now AVG Technologies – offers both pay and free versions of its product; which is now up to Version 8. Unfortunately, with the upgrade came a new and unimproved look, also known to computer geeks as the Graphical User Interface, or GUI (pronounced gooey). 

The GUI is what the computer user sees on screen. If it is designed with cleanliness and elegance, it is a joy to use. If the screen is illogical and confusing, it compels the savvy user to call the company, ask for the software development team leader and say, "What in tarnation were you thinking? The previous version looked and worked just fine. So why'd you go and muck it up?"

Changing the GUI on familiar, popular, award-winning software is as dumb as a company that changes the packaging of its well-branded product on the supermarket shelf. Some silly "suit" snookered a stoopid amount of money for both graphic re-design and focus groups to change an old, venerable, and familiar blue box into an unfamiliar green can which nobody can find.

With software, familiarity breeds productivity. Finesse is “updating the look” while retaining familiarity. Otherwise countless hours are spent muttering, “I used to do my data export by going to this menu . . . now where’d they put it?”

Unfortunately, Grisoft – now AVG Technologies – does not post a contact phone number for the general public. Only resellers – those middlemen between the manufacturers and buyers – are provided this deep, dark secret. Great software . . . wacky communications . . . but it’s free and still worth using. 

SPYWARE 

Spyware protection is another essential tool for the internetter's kit bag, and in some respects is even more important than anti-virus software. While a virus can ruin your computer, spyware can ruin your life.

When you go to a web site like Amazon and log on, your screen may show something like:

"Welcome back Persephone. The last time you were here,
you bought a book on sock puppets. Surprisingly, other
people actually bought books about sock puppets, too.
In fact, those who bought sock puppet books also bought
books on mud wrestling – although we have absolutely no
clue as to why. Would you like to see our vast selection of
books on mud wrestling?"

That "recognition" is called a cookie. It's a file that sits on your computer keeping track, and interacting with, web sites you visit.

If Persephone eventually clicks,

              "Oh yes, this is the mud wrestling book for me!"

to make the purchase and starts to type her charge card number into the computer, while some degenerate youth in front of a black screen somewhere in Asia is writing that number down on a slip of paper and planning a shopping spree, that's spyware! It "spies" on what you type and where you visit.

Spyware allows buff_bodies.com to know that you arrived at their web site from tea_and_crumpets.org. This information is the basis for click-through payments (how web sites make money via “referrals”) and for demographics which decide future advertising buys, or worse -- someone accumulating more shoes than Imelda Marcos with your credit card information.

To avoid this nasty, Spybot Search & Destroy 1.6 performs three tasks. First, it finds spyware on your computer and removes it. Second, it can "immunize" your computer from downloading spyware from a long list of potentially "bad" web sites. And third, it can install a second program called "Teatimer" (Who comes up with these names!) to prevent spyware from ever getting to your registry.

What’s the registry, you ask? Well . . .

The registry is THE database on your computer. It keeps track of EVERYTHING in a "secret code" style that is understood exclusively by people with really, really large propellers on their beanies, mandatory plastic pocket protectors, obligatory tape on their spectacles and loud snorts in their laughter.

For the rest of us, the registry is a place spoken of only in the most hushed of tones and is tinkered with using only the GREATEST of care because one false move in that house of cards and your computer can turn into a really, really large paperweight.

Spybot's Teatimer program works via a pop-up window:

If you are on the internet and a web site tries to put something into your registry, the Teatimer window pops up with two buttons: 

Allow – if you want whatever is happening to continue.

Deny – if you're totally clueless as to what's going on.

How do you know if you should allow or deny? Here are two examples:

If you're installing an update to Adobe's Acrobat Reader and the Teatimer window pops up and you want to continue using the Acrobat Reader, press Allow.

If you're taking a break at work with a "diversionary" visit to www.well_filled_bikinis.com or hunks_in_swimtrunks.com and the Teatimer window pops up, there is an especially high probability that you should consider pressing the Deny button.

Pretty logical. Pretty simple. . .

. . . but only if you use the spyware and anti-virus programs regularly and check for updates. Neither one is "set and forget.” Hey, what do you want for free?

AVG, the anti-virus program, has several settings you'll need to tinker with. They are all in the Tools >> Advanced Settings menu. The settings are for what and when you download your updates to the virus definitions (the software “good guys” that look for the software “bad guys”) and when you run scans on your computer’s hard drive to actually look for and remove the “bad guys”.

Now think this one out . . . download your virus definition updates BEFORE you schedule your virus scan. AND run your virus scan while you're asleep. That way, you won't be sitting in front of your computer trying to get work done and saying, "Why is this stoopid thing running soooo sloooow?" By the way, this means your computer needs to be on while you are sleeping.

The same advice holds true for the spyware – get the updates first (duuhhh!!!!), then run the program. Spybot can run nicely in the background while you work, and at the end, it's rewarding to see how many cooties have been caught, or how clean your computer use has been.

With regular use, each of these components provides an important piece in keeping your computer healthy.

The other way to avoid problems is to stay off the internet – but hey, what fun would that be?

The Ugly Fork

So you've owned your computer just shy of a bazillion years. It has all your music and photos and email and the stuff that the kids should not see.

... and the old box is starting to run really, really, really, really ssssslow...

... or it got a virus from one of THOSE web sites. . .

... or you got a BSOD (blue screen of death) system error...

... and so you have hit that ugly fork in the road.

Do you invest time and money in resurrecting the old machine? Or do you invest time and money in setting up a new one?

The unfortunate answer that everyone dreads from their computer technician is, "Well, it’s difficult to say."

Here are a few guidelines:

Ssslllooowww

Just like with a car, people who spend time on their computer can get a feeling that something is not running right. With a car, it is usually a clanking noise or seeing smoke. With a computer it is usually how far the sweep second hand of your watch has traveled before something happens. If you see smoke come out of your computer, pull the electrical plug out of the wall and run away.

There are several ways to fix a slow computer. 

Add RAM - Random Access Memory (RAM) is like the countertop in your kitchen. The more you have, the easier it is to work. The less you have, the longer it takes to get work done. At the website memoryx.com, there is a free download that will tell you all about your computer's RAM - how much you have, if there is room to add or options for replacing what you've got.

Adding RAM to you computer isn't much harder than adding windshield washer fluid to your car. You don't want to break the cap that covers the tank or pour the liquid all over the engine.

With RAM, watch for the locks that hold the bars in place and the pins the RAM bars seat into. Most importantly, since there are many types of RAM, if the square peg does not fit in the round hole - and your bar of RAM does not align correctly, DO NOT bang harder.

Scanning - This is an overnight activity. Otherwise you will spend a lot of time watching a slider bar. Scanning is the result of a software problem - a downloaded virus or spyware. Programs like AVG, Symantec or McAfee address potential virus problems. Spybot and Ad-Aware find and remove spyware.

Scanning is the largest time investment you can put into your old computer. . . and depending on the age of the machine, the results may not be worth the investment. Sometimes scanning finds and fixes your computer's problem. Other times, finding the problem then requires finding a specific software "tool" to remove the problem - more time invested - and then no guaranty of a positive (repaired computer) outcome.

Defragmenting - If you kept your kitchen cutlery in your attic, and your pots and pans in your living room and your spatulas in your basement, it would be very inconvenient and take a very long time to make dinner in your kitchen. In the same vein, defragmenting your computer's
hard drive gathers all of your programs and data into contiguous order making the "seek" time shorter and your PC run faster. You can find the "official" Windows XP defragmenter at:

Start » Programs » Accessories » System Tools

Or you can try Smart Defrag at www.iobit.com/iobitsmartdefrag.html

Registry cleaning - The registry is the database of everything on your computer, and therefore an accumulator of lots of software "junk" - old entries, updated entries, corrupt entries, you name it. If it has been on your computer, it's been in your registry. So just like you need to vacuum your house and take out the garbage or it gets to be a pretty smegly place to live, you computer's registry should be cleaned. This work is not for the faint of heart because if something goes awry, your could be looking at your new door stop. For the adventurous, Glary Utilities - a free download from glarysoft.com - works well. Another winner from iobit - and also free - is Advanced WindowsCare Personal. However, also be familiar with Start » All
Programs » Accessories » System Restore. Tinkering with the registry is strong juju, so be brave, but be careful.

Deleting programs - If you have owned your sick computer for a long time, you've probably installed many programs. . . and then forgotten about using them. This bloats your operating system - the software that wakes up and "runs" the computer. Just like taking a few pounds
off your waist makes you feel spryer, removing unused software applications from your computer makes it work better.

Replacing - Although this may be the most tedious and (possibly) costly solution, replacing the old war horse with a new machine is also the most rewarding and long-term way to resolve the finicky computer issue. Naturally there is work to installing all of the programs - like Microsoft
Office, Firefox and Adobe Acrobat - you were using, however the nail-biting revolves around all the letters, emails, pictures and STUFF you accumulated. Moving (finding) all of that and getting it to the new machine can be challenging.

And taking a detour on new machines, Tigerdirect.com sells refurbished PC's with a 1 year warranty with Windows XP Pro already installed for around $250.00. plus shipping.

Fortunately, Windows has a neat feature built into it called the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard, and believe it or not, if you put your STUFF where Microsoft recommended, the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard really does work.

Undoubtedly there is someone out there in reader-land indignantly saying, "And just where does Microsoft recommend I put my STUFF?

Well. . .

The My Documents folder is there for a reason - YOUR (My) Documents (duh!). Use it!

That is unless, of course, you thought you were going to be smarter than all of Microsoft and Bill Gates, and put it elsewhere.

In which case, good luck, and you're on your own.

October 29 Tech Tip

Remove Fake AntiVirus


Good Morning!

I'm Bud Freund, your BNI Tech Guy and today's tip solves last week's fake software problem.

It's called, “RemoveFakeAntivirus v1.36” - a clear indication that the developer was far busier writing code than coming up with a catchy name - and it’s available from softpedia.com.

For the write-up about the program, go to makeuseof.com. 

For help installing or running the software, call me, Bud Freund, your BNI Tech Guy.

October 22 Tech Tip

250 Bogus AntiVirus


Good Morning!

I'm Bud Freund, your BNI Tech Guy and today's tip comes from Monday's Washington Post.

According to Symantec, the makers of Norton AntiVirus, there are over 250 bogus security programs that can download from the internet and either:

• do nothing but take your money
• infect your computer
• or steal your identity

With over 43 million downloads in a year, it is believed that 10's of millions of PC's are infected.

And according to UPI, a Mac virus started making the rounds in April of this year, so they're not immune any more.

If you'd like a check-up or a full protection program, please let me know.

That's it from Bud Freund, your BNI Tech Guy