COMPUT3R, M0B!L3 H4CKIN 71P5 & 7R1CK5

Whereas Google Earth continues to grow rich by new contents, Microsoft recently opened its service Virtual Earth with the 3D. Nevertheless, the selected form is different from that of the couple Google Maps/Google Earth since Microsoft directly integrates visualization 3D into the service Web, rather than to propose an independent application to download.

The plugin Virtual Earth 3D, currently in version beta, requires the use of Internet Explorer 6 or 7. Tested under Firefox, the site invites the user to download a recent version of the navigator of Microsoft to profit from the new functionality. Once installed, it launches Live Search in Internet Explorer and makes it possible to rock between the traditional sight 2D and a new sight 3D proposing an ergonomics close to Google Earth: zoom, rotation and slope are carried out naturally with the mouse and a bar of tool gives access to various angles of vision or the adjustment of the zoom. If the charts are not always as precise as those proposed by Google Earth, in particular with regard to Europe, Virtual Earth 3D manages the buildings in a way more realistic than the software of Google since it integrates already textures of the buildings. Those Ci are optional if your configuration does not allow it to you.


The effect is less impressive on Paris but some monuments like Crowned the Heart or the Triumphal arch are present. Version 4 of Google Earth deals with the posting of textures but the buildings integrated into the application do not profit from it yet and no European city is decorated buildings or monuments.
One will note in the passing that the American cities whose Microsoft proposes the visit are also strewn with billboards. A new vector for the advertisers? Google Earth remains as for him available here for Windows and Linux and by there for Mac OS X. You can also consult our Google Earth - Guide of the Traveller.

Quite real publicities in the virtual cities

Services are programs that run when the computer starts, they then continue to run because they are part of system functionality.

Many start-ups and are not necessary, they take the memory and CPU time. Disable these services frees up system resources and gives more power to your computer.

I advise you to look at the list of them and to disable those you do not use. You can always reactivate a service if you need it.

Here's how you find an icon Services in the Administrative Tools.

Click the Start button.

Select Run.

Enter services.msc in the dialog box and click ok.

When the service window is loaded, you can disable services that are not necessary.

To disable the serial number portable media for example.
Select service in the list.
Select Properties using the right click.

When the Properties window is open, select Startup Type to using the menu Automatic, Manual or Disabled. A manual start if it is necessary to operate the system if it is disabled, it will not start.

Click OK, the next system startup, it will not be started.
Services available by default
Remote Registry

Allows users to remotely edit the registry settings on your computer.If this service is stopped, the registry can be modified by the users of that computer.

For security reasons, it is best to disable this service.
Acquisition d'image Windows (WIA) Windows Image Acquisition (WIA)

Provides image acquisition for scanners and cameras. If you have this type of device, leave this service to Manual or Automatic.

Messenger
Sends and receives messages alerting services between clients and servers. This service is not related to Windows Messenger.If this service is stopped, messages alerts will not be sent. If this service is disabled, any services that depend on will not start. Put it in manual mode if you're not connected to a network. If you are connected to a network must be put in automatic mode.

Help and Support
Allows the Help and Support application to run on this computer. If this service is stopped, Help and Support feature will not be available. If it is off, all services explicitly depend on this service will not start. Put it in manual mode.

Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
Mapper provides the exit point FER and various services. Leave it in automatic mode.

COM + System Application
Manages the configuration and monitoring of the basic COM + (Component Object Model). If the service is stopped, most basic components COM + will not work properly. If this service is disabled, any services that explicitly depend on will not start. Put it in automatic mode.

TCP / IP NetBIOS
Enables support for NetBIOS over a TCP / IP (NetBT) and NetBIOS name resolution. Leave it in automatic mode.

Windows Audio
Manage audio devices for Windows-based programs. If this service is stopped, peripherals and audio effects will not work properly. If this service is disabled, any services that explicitly depend not start. Leave it in automatic mode if your computer is multimedia.

Warning
Inform users and computers of administrative alerts selected. If this service is stopped, programs that use administrative alerts will not do. If this service is disabled, any services that depend on will not start.Put it in manual mode.

Smart card
Manages access to smart cards read by this computer. If this service is stopped, this computer can read more of smartcards. If this service is disabled, any services that explicitly depend not start. Put it in Off mode.

Map performance WMI
Provides information on the performance library from suppliers HiPerf WMI. Put it in manual mode.

Volume Shadow
Manages and implements the shadow volumes for backups and other uses. If this service is stopped, the shadow will not be available for backup and backup fail. If this service is disabled, any services that explicitly depend not start. Put it in manual mode.

Link Tracking
Maintains links between NTFS files within a computer or multiple computers in a network domain. Leave this service mode.

DHCP Client
Manages network configuration by registering and updating IP addresses and DNS names. Leave it in automatic mode if you use the Internet.

DNS Client
Fixes and caches DNS names for this computer. If this service is stopped, the computer can not resolve DNS names and find domain controllers Active Directory. If this service is disabled, any services that depend on will not start. Leave it in automatic mode.

Compatibility with Fast User Switching
Provides a management system for applications that require assistance in an environment of multiple users. You can put it in manual mode and set this feature in Control Panel: User Accounts / Change the way users log on or off. Mettre ce service en mode Manuel. Put it in manual mode.

Wireless Zero Configuration
Provides automatic configuration of 802.11 cards.Put it in manual mode if you do not use a wireless connection.

Secondary connection
Lets start processes under other identifying information.If this service is stopped, this opening session will be unavailable. If this service is disabled, any services that explicitly depend not start. The Run option as the menu that appears after right-clicking on an executable will not have available. Leave this service mode.

Network Connections
Supports objects in the Network Connections folder and remote access, where you can view both the local area network connections and remote connections. Put it in manual mode.

Network DDE
Provides network transport and security for Dynamic Data Exchange for programs running on the same computer or different computers. If this service is stopped, transport and security for Dynamic Data Exchange will be unavailable.If this service is disabled, any services that explicitly depend not start. Mettre ce service en mode Manuel. Put it in manual mode.

Detection equipment kernel
Leave it in automatic mode.

Distributed Transaction Coordinator
Coordinates transactions that involve multiple resource managers, such as databases, message queues net file systems. If this service is stopped, these transactions will not occur. If it is off, the start of any service that depends explicitly fail. Put it in manual mode.

Network DDE DSDM
Manages Dynamic Data Exchange shared network. If this service is stopped, the dynamic exchange of shared data network will no longer be available. If this service is disabled, any services that explicitly depend not start. If you do not Manager Album which can cut or copy information you can share with other users on a network, you can put it on manual. A set as DDE network. Leave this service mode.

Protected
Protection for sensitive data, such as private keys, to prevent access by services, processes or unauthorized users. Laisser ce service en mode Automatique. Leave it in automatic mode.

Explorer computer
Maintains a list of computers on the network and supplies this list to computers designated as browsers. If this service is stopped, the list will not be placed or maintained. If this service is disabled, any services that depend on will not start.Leave it in automatic mode, put it in manual if you're not connected to a network.

Extensions driver WMI
Provides information management system to and from pilots. Put it in manual mode.

Provider support NT LM Security
Secure programs RPC (remote procedure calls) that use transport other than named pipes. Put it in manual mode.

Application Management
Provides software installation such as Assign, Publish, and Remove. Put it in manual mode.

Security Accounts Manager
Stores security information for local user accounts. Leave it in automatic mode.
Distant Connection Manager automatically Remote Access
Creates a connection to a remote network whenever a program references a name or a DNS or NetBIOS remote. Put it in manual mode.

Connection Manager Remote Access
Create a network connection. Put it in manual mode.

LDM
Detects and analyzes new hard disk drives and sends the information to disk volume for administrative manager for the logical drive configuration. If this service is stopped, the status of dynamic disks and configuration information may become obsolete. If this service is disabled, any services that explicitly depend not start. Leave this service mode.

Manager Album
Active Manager Album to store and share information with computers remotely. If the service is stopped, Manager Album will not share information with computers remotely. If this service is disabled, any services that explicitly depend not start. Put it in manual mode.

Session manager for help with Remote Desktop
Manages and controls Remote Assistance. If this service is stopped, Remote Assistance is not available. Check the Dependencies tab before stopping this service. Put it in manual mode.

Download Manager
Manages the file transfers synchronous and asynchronous between clients and servers on the network. If this service is stopped, file transfers synchronous and asynchronous between clients and servers will not be possible. Use to send information to Microsoft on your drivers. If it is off, all services explicitly depend on this service will not start. Put it in manual mode.

HID Input Service
If the advanced features buttons on your keyboard or your scanner no longer work, turn this service. Leave this service mode.

Windows clock
Conserve synchronize the date and time on all clients and servers on the network. If this service is stopped, synchronizing the date and time will be unavailable.If this service is disabled, any services that explicitly depend not start, I see Time tab I nternet in the Date and Time properties. Leave it in automatic mode.

Host Device Universal Plug and Play
Offer support for universal peripheral host Plug and Play. Leave this service mode.

Windows Management Infrastructure
Provides a common interface and object model to access information management operating system, devices, applications and services. If this service is stopped, most Windows-based software will not work properly. If this service is disabled, any services that explicitly depend not start. Leave it in automatic mode.

Event Log
Enables the event messages issued by programs running under Windows and components to be displayed in Event Viewer. This service can not be stopped. Leave it in automatic mode.

Performance Logs and Alerts
Collects performance data of local or remote computers based on parameters planned pre configured, then writes the data in a log or triggers an alert. If this service is stopped, performance information will not be collected. If this service is disabled, any services that explicitly depend not start. Leave this service mode.

Locator Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
Manages the database name service PRC. Leave this service mode.

Automatic Updates
Active downloading and installing Windows updates criticism. If the service is disabled, the operating system can not be updated. Leave Automatic mode service in order to meet the Windows updates

MS Shadow Copy Software Provider
Manages software copies shadow volumes created by the shadow volumes. If this service is stopped, copies of software shadow copies can not be managed. If the service is disabled, any services that depend on will not start. This service is useful if you are connected to a Windows server. NET. Leave this service mode.

NLA (Network Location Awareness)
Collects and stores configuration information and network location, and notify applications when this information changes. Necessary service on the computer that acts as a gateway if you use the Internet connection sharing. Leave this service mode if you do not share your Internet connection.

Event notification system
Scans the system event such as Windows logons and events on the network and food. Warns subscribers COM + Event System of these events.Leave it in automatic mode.

Serial number of portable media
Get the serial number of digital connected to your computer. If you have a digital camera, leave it in automatic mode or turn it into Manual.

NVIDIA Driver Helper Service
Leave it in automatic mode.

UPS
Manages an inverter connected to the computer. Leave it in automatic mode if you use a UPS or put it into Manual or Disabled.

Network Logon
Supports direct authentication events logon account for computers in a domain.Leave this service mode on a particular network.

Connection Firewall Internet (ICF) / Internet Connection Sharing (ICS)
Provides translation of network addresses, addresses, the name resolution and / or services intrusion prevention network for a small business or home network. This service is required to use the firewall and Internet Connection Sharing built into Windows XP. Leave this service mode if you do not use Connection Sharing, or put it in Automatic.

Remote Desktop Sharing NetMeeting
Allows people authorized to access your Windows desktop using NetMeeting. Leave this service mode or better Off.

Task Scheduler
Allow the user to configure and schedule automated tasks on this computer. If this service is stopped, these tasks will not be implemented on time. If this service is disabled, any services that explicitly depend not start. Leave this service mode or Off if you do not use Task Scheduler.

Plug and Play
Allows the computer to recognize and adapt the hardware changes with little if any user interaction. Stopping or disabling this service causes system instability. Leave it in automatic mode.

Support for smart cards
Provides support for smart card readers non-Plug and Play inherited used by this computer. If this service is stopped, this computer will not drive inherited. If this service is disabled, any services that explicitly depend not start. Leave this service mode.

QoS RSVP
Provides signaling network functionality and installation traffic control, Local programs recognizing applets and QoS control. Leave this service mode.

Routing and Remote Access
Provides businesses with services routing in LAN environments or extended. Disable this service.

Server
Supports file sharing, printing and named pipes over the network for that computer. If this service is stopped, these functions are not available. If this service is disabled, any services that depend on will not start. Leave it in automatic mode.

Burning COM service IMAPI CD
Manages to burn CDs via the serial interface IMAPI (Image Mastering Applications Programming Interface). If this service is stopped, this computer will no longer record CDs. If this service is disabled, any services that depend on will not be able to start. Disable the service will avoid problems with other programs engravings not built into Windows XP.
Service administration of LDM
Configure the hard disk drives and volumes. The service does that for the process configurations and then stops. Let this service mode.

SSDP Discovery Service
Enables the discovery of devices Universal Plug and Play on your home network. Leave this service mode.

Service Gateway Application Layer
Provides support for third party plugins protocols for Internet Connection Sharing and Internet firewall. Leave this service mode unless you use Connection Sharing.

Service serial number of portable media players
Service used to identify mobile devices through their serial numbers. Put it in Off mode.

Service Error Reporting
Enable error reporting for services and applications running on non-standard environments.
Disable this service unless you want to send an error report to Microsoft. See also properties of the system.


Service System Restore
Perform System Restore.To stop this service, disable System Restore tab in the System Restore properties of My Computer. You can put it in manual mode also see in the System Properties.
Transfer Service background
Uses idle network bandwidth for data transfer. The Windows Update site where Microsoft publishes updates to Windows and some functions of MSN Explorer and MSN Messenger use this service to resume downloads after a disconnection. It is not necessary to leave the service started at all times. Leave this service mode.

Indexing Service
Constructed an index of content and properties of files on local and remote computers, providing faster access to files through a flexible query language. Leave this service mode unless you spend your time searching for information on your PC. Attention resource consuming if it is activated!

Cryptographic Services
Provides three management services: the database catalog, which confirms the signatures of Windows files; the root protected, which adds and removes certificates of certification authority root approved and key service, which provides assistance in the inclusion of this computer for certificates. If this service is stopped, these management services will not work properly. If this service is disabled, any services that explicitly depend not start. Is used to confirm the signing of Windows, this service is required to install the updates to Windows. For added security, leave it in automatic mode.

IPSEC Services
Manages IP security policy and starts the management pilot IP Security and ISAKMP / Oakley (IKE). Leave it in automatic mode on a LAN, put it in manual if you're not on a LAN.

Server Terminal Services
Allows multiple users to simultaneously connect to a computer while displaying offices and applications on remote computers.Contains the underlying Remote Desktop (including Remote Desktop for administrators), Fast User Switching, Remote Assistance and Terminal Services. Disable the service or put it in manual.

Print spooler
Load files into memory for printing later. If you do not have a local printer or network or if you use a little, you can put it in manual mode.

Work Station
Creates and maintains client network connections to remote servers. If this service is stopped, these connections will not be available.If this service is disabled, any services that depend on will not start. Leave it in automatic mode.

Removable Storage
Manages removable media, readers and libraries. If you have an Iomega, for example, always leave it in automatic mode or Manual.

System COM + Event
Supports the notification service system event (MEANING, System Event Notification Service), which provides automatic distribution of events to components COM (Component Object Model) subscribers. If the service is stopped, SENS will close and can provide information opening and closing session. If this service is disabled, the start of any service that depends explicitly fail, you can put it in manual mode.

Phones
Provides support for Telephony API (TAPI) for the programs that control devices for telephony, voice connections based on IP, on the local computer via the local network, on the server where the service works. Leave it in automatic mode.

Telnet
Allows a remote user to connect to the system and implement programs and supports various Telnet clients TCP / IP including UNIX and Windows. If this service is stopped, the user may not have remote access to programs.If this service is disabled, any services that explicitly depend on will not start. Désactivez ce service. Disable this service.

Topics
Provides a management system theme of the user experience ... Put this service Manual or Disabled if you do not like fluorescent colors and if you use the classical style.

WebClient
Allows a program running under Windows to create, edit and access to Internet files. If this service is stopped, these functions are not available. If this service is disabled, any services that explicitly depend not start. Leave it in automatic mode or Manual setting.

Windows Installer
Installs, repairs and removes software according to the instructions contained in the files. MSI. Put it in manual mode.

A few weeks ago, Google announced the final 1.0 version of its Google Chrome browser and its intention to sign several contracts for OEM distribution. Today, the Mountain View giant unveiled the alpha version 2.0 of Chrome reserved for developers.

Chrome 2.0 builds a new version of Webkit, the open source engine originally developed by Apple. The version used, 528.8, is now in Safari 3.1. In addition to correcting some bugs, the engine supports new CSS Properties as the gradient or canvas.

This new opus introduced several features to catch up on browsers as long as Mozilla Firefox or Internet Explorer. For example, technology is just autocompletion couple of forms on the Internet. While it was only possible to enlarge or reduce the text of a page, zoom now applies to all elements of the page. The spell checker has received several improvements with the option to disable it by right-clicking on the field of writing. Also, the user can choose the language of the correction through the browser options.

Among other functions that are missing the call in version 1.0 of Chrome and are introduced in this version include the automatic, usually operated by clicking the middle button of the mouse. Chrome 2.0 can also create multiple profiles for use with other favorites or choose different options for managing cookies and browser history.

However, the feature most requested concerns truly support extensions to Firefox. In this respect Google introduced support GreaseMonkey script. This option is experimental.

Note that it is possible to import their favorite Google Bookmarks, that the private browsing mode has been improved or that the V8 JavaScript engine also received an update.

However, no information has been revealed about the Mac and Linux versions of the browser.
Download Google Chrome 2.0

1)128 bit SSL encryption is so strong that it would take much , much longer than the age of universe to crack a message encrypted using it.Even 20 years from now, if computers are a million times faster. it would still take longer than the age of the universe to crack it.

2)Bill Gates math SAT score was a perfect 800.

3)Bill Gates home was designed using a Mac!

4)Disk drive recording head fly height (gap between the head and disc when the drive is spinning ) is less than 1 microinch while:-

A red blood cell is 300 microinches is diameter.
A particle of tobacco smoke is 250 microinches.
A particle of smog is 100 microinches.
A human hair is 4000 microinches.

5)When Windows 3.1 was launched, 3 million copies were sold in the first two
months.

6)Windows 95 can run on 386DX at 20 Megahertz, with just 4 M.B of RAM.

7)David Bradley wrote the code for [Ctr]+[Alt]+[Delete] key sequence.

1. The 4004 was the first microprocessor of intel.

2. The nVidia GeForce 6800 ultra has 222 million transistors which is the
record for the max. no. transistors on a chip.

3. James Gosling created java at sun microsystems.He came up with the
name Java while debating over it at a coffee shop.

4. The first ISP was Compuserve, established in 1969 which is now under
AOL.

5. The Palm O.S fits in less than 100 K,which is less than one percent the size
of Windows 98 or Mac O.S.

6. What does 50 G.B of storage really mean?It means we can stack 3 piles of
single spaced type written pages taller than the Eiffel tower and data to
support this information is about 50 gigabytes.

7. The code name for the 12 engineers who designed the IBM pc was :-
'The dirty dozen'.

8. When the cd was invented, it was decided that a cd should be long
enough to hold beethoven's Ninth Symphony at any tempo which was
precisely 72 minutes.

1).The servers r in denmark.The software is from Estonia.The domain is registered in Australia & the corporation is in south pacific island.Ths Kazaa the p2p software.

2).Bill gates & Paul Allen started a company called Traf-O-Data to monitor traffic flow.

3).The four largest software makers in the world are:-

(a) Microsoft
(b) Adobe
(c) Sap
(d) Computer Associates.

(4)Top Ten Supercomputers of Today:-

Arranged according to the speed:-

1. Bluegene/L DD2 Beta-system(IBM).

2. Columbia (NASA).

3. Earth Simulator (NEC).

4. MareNostrum(Barcelona Supercomputer Center).

5. Thunder (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory).

6. ASCI Q(Los Alamos National Laboratory).

7. System X(Virgina Tech).

8. Blugene/L DD1 Prototype(IBM).

9. eServer pSeries 655 cluster(Naval Oceanographic Office).

10. Tungsten(National Center For Supercomputing Applications).

5). According to university of california 1,693,000 terabytes of information are
produced & stored magnetically per year.

6).Hard drives in the near future are expected to have a track density of
about 100,000 tracks/inch.This means that tracks are spaced 10 millionths
of an inch apart.

7).One terabyte(1000 gigabytes) is equivalent to storing a stack of
documents that is more than 16 times the height of New York's empire
state building.

1).Tetris has sold over 40 million copies worldwide, since it began in 1982.That provided the creator 800 million in revenues.

2).The superflop (LOL!) sega dreamcast, released in 1999, was the first console game machine to sport a 128 Bit architecture.

3).The most expensive game ever developed was "ShenMue" for sega dreamcast.It costs $20 million.

4).The QWERTY keyboard layout is 129 years old.

5).South korea's SK telecom offers an inaudible ring tone to its customers which, it claims, can repel mosquitoes.

6).In 1971, the first speech recognition software named, "Hearsay" was developed in India.

7).Macquariums are aquariams made from old macintosh computers.

(1). An Amd 1400 chip running without a heatsink gets as hot as 370 degrees.

(2). Seagate introduced the first hdd for pcs in 1979.It held 5 M.B of data.

(3). If u opened up the case of the original Macintosh, u will find 47 signatures
one for each member of Apple's Macintosh divison as of 1982.

(4). The first computer company to register for a domain name was digital
equipment corporation.

(5). Did u know Apple & Sun came very close to a merger in 1996.

(6). The technology contained in a single game boy unit in 2000 exceeds all
the computing power that was used to put the first man on moon in 1969.

(7). Hewlett Packard was started at a garage in Palo Alto in 1939.

I know we featured a password tip in the newsletter just the other day, but in the meantime, one of our loyal readers (thank you Mr. Kenneth J. Roberts!) sent me another great password idea. It's the method he uses for all of his passwords and I thought it was so great, I just had to pass it along to all of you as well. So, if you ever have trouble coming up with secure passwords, you might want to give this a try. It's a sure fire way to remember every single one you create. Here we go!

Now, I'm sure you're wondering why the title to today's Quick Tip is "Sing Your Password," right? Well, that's because a great way to create a new password is to use parts of your favorite songs! An easy way is to pick one of your favorite songs and take the first letter of each word in a phrase in the song. For example, one of my favorite songs is "The Dance" by Garth Brooks and one of the best lines in that song (in my opinion) is, "Our lives are better left to chance." So, my new password would be "olabltc."

To make it even more secure, you could add a few numbers or symbols to the end of it as well. I like the number 25, so I would use the password of "olabltc25." It's as easy as that! And the best thing is, you'll never forget your password, because it's simply some of the letters from your favorite songs. All you have to do is sing the song in your head and you'll have your password. It's just another way to make passwords that will keep you as safe as possible. Give it a shot today and see what you can come up with!

Just a few weeks ago, Erin wrote about a fake antivirus program called XP Antivirus 2008. That program forces itself onto your computer and starts causing all kinds of trouble.

Now, it looks like there's another program out there doing the exact same thing. I have received several phone calls and e-mails about a program called Antivirus 2009. That program does the same thing XP Antivirus 2008 did. If you go to an infected Web site, you'll be bombarded with pop ups asking you to install the program. It will seem like there's no way to get rid of the pop ups besides installing the program.

First of all, do not install Antivirus 2009. If you go to a site that's trying to make you install it, you should close your Web browser immediately. If you need to, press Ctrl + Alt + Del on your keyboard and click on the End Task button. If that doesn't work, shut your computer down. Do whatever it takes to get rid of the pop ups, but do not install the program.

Antivirus 2009 is not only infecting computers, but it's also infecting Web sites. It will gain access to a site and then spread to users who visit that site. It will also change the site so that it gets better search results and appears under searches for antivirus software and virus removal. Keep an eye out for sites that offer it and stay away from them! It will take time before those sites are repaired and back to normal.

If you're already infected with Antivirus 2009, there is some good news! It looks like there's a pretty simple way to remove the bug. All you need is a program called Malware Bytes Anti-Malware. The basic version is free and you can download it right here.

Install the program and then run the Quick Scan. (Note: The Quick Scan isn't necessarily quick. It took nearly 30 minutes on my computer). After the scan is complete, a message will pop up and tell you it's done. Click OK.

Next, you will see a list of all the malware it found. They should all have checkmarks next to them. Just click on the Remove Selected button and it will remove all of them for you.

After that, a page will pop up telling you exactly what it did. You can save it if you want, but you don't have to.

That should be it. Just close the Malware Bytes program and the Antivirus 2009 bug should be gone. Until next time, stay safe out there, my friends!

Everyone knows there are a ton of Web sites out there that can be harmful to your computer, unsafe for your children and just simply unwanted by everyone. I'm sure all of you have come across a site you wish you would have never seen. People are always asking me how they can filter their Internet access so that those sites are blocked from their computer. While there are many ways to do that, from installing programs to using filters provided by your ISP, there's one way I came across a couple of days ago that makes more sense and it's so simple to set up. It doesn't require you to install any software and it can be put in place by simply following the steps on the Web site. You'll be up and running in just a few short minutes. Let's check it out!

The filtering option I'm talking about is called OpenDNS. It's a company that provides free filtered DNS services to residential and educational users. So that you'll have a better understanding of how it all works, I'll need to explain what DNS is.

DNS stands for Domain Name Resolution. When you visit a Web site, you type the name of the site into your Web browser. That name is called the domain name. For WorldStart, our domain name is worldstart.com. Now, the part most people don't know is that without DNS, you would never even get to worldstart.com. Computers and the Internet don't understand names. Instead, they understand IP addresses. When you tell your Web browser to go to www.worldstart.com, it has to figure out what the IP address of worldstart.com is. And that's when DNS comes into play. When you tell your Web browser to go to www.worldstart.com, it asks a DNS server to tell it what the IP address of worldstart.com is. The DNS then tells the computer the IP address of WorldStart is 207.126.59.171 (for example). After your computer gets that information, it then connects to 207.126.59.171 and the WorldStart homepage appears.

I know that may seem a bit confusing, but here's the point I'm trying to make: if the DNS your computer connects to knows a list of bad Web sites, it can restrict your computer from going to them. That's exactly what OpenDNS does. If you configure your computer to use OpenDNS for its DNS services, the OpenDNS servers will know which Web sites your computer is trying to reach. It can then block the bad ones.

All in all, if you want to filter your Web use and block unwanted and potentially bad Web sites, try OpenDNS. It's very easy to use, even if the explanation is complicated. I promise! You can check it all out right here. Until next time, stay safe out there, my friends!

A reader asks: My antivirus software says it has "real time" protection. Since it's always monitoring for virus activity, do I ever need to run a full virus scan on my whole system?

Well, the quick answer is yes. You still need to run a full virus scan about once a week.

Now, I'll give you the long answer with full explanations!

Most antivirus software provides two different functions. One of them is real time virus protection. That type of protection means the system listens for virus type activity at all times. If it detects something, it will identify the issue and remove the virus.

The second type of protection is the full system scan. Those types of scans will actually inspect every file on your system for an infection. If it finds an infected file, it will handle the virus appropriately.

Many people think that since the system has real time protection, there's no need for the full system scan. Since the system will detect virus activity, there's no point in scanning every file, right? Wrong!

Real time virus checking and full scanning work very differently and use different types of virus definitions. The real time scanner will find many types of attacks happening at the time, but they will not find everything. Real time protection looks for certain actions. If the action is not defined by the real time scanner, the antivirus software will not find the attack.

On the other hand, the real time virus scanner does not look for actions. It scans the files looking for certain codes that identify infected files. Many times, running the full system scan will detect viruses that have not triggered the real time scanning. That's why it's important to run a full system scan quite often.

For all of the computers here in the WorldStart office, we run a full system scan once a week. That ensures that any threats will be found within a reasonable amount of time.

On top of that, there are some antivirus programs that do full system scans whenever the system is not in use. That type of scanning is by far the best. What that means is, the antivirus software does the real time scanning and it also checks files for viruses when the system is idle. When you start using your computer, the full scan stops and it then continues when you're done. That type of scanning ensures that a full system scan is being done constantly and on a regular basis. Until next time, stay safe out there, my friends!

I have written several different articles about securing your wireless connections. Having an insecure wireless network is like getting a megaphone and announcing your social security number to your whole neighborhood. When your wireless network is not encrypted, anyone within range can gain access to your data fairly easily.

A few days ago, some bad news came through the line. It seems like one method of wireless encryption has been broken. A hacker has been able to break the encryption and gain access to data, even when the security is turned on. The encryption type that has been broken is called WPA-TKIP. It's one of the most common types of wireless network encryption, which means many wireless networks could be at risk.

Luckily, I'm sharing this information with you well before anyone can get to your data. It seems as if the hacker who has broken the wireless security is the only one so far. In a week or so, he will tell the rest of the world how he did it. After that, others will be able to use his technique and hack wireless connections around the world.

So, how can you protect yourself? Allow me to explain!

Many wireless routers come with different types of security. The three main types are called WEP, WPA and WPA2. WEP and WPA are now vulnerable to attack. WEP has been known as a weak system for some time and WPA was just hacked a few days ago. On the other hand, WPA2 has not been affected. That means if you change your wireless security to WPA2, you'll be safe.

If you want to check and see what security you have on your wireless connection, you'll need the manual for your wireless router. Look in the manual for directions on how to set up the wireless security. Once you find that information, look to see which method you're currently using. If you're using WEP or WPA, you should change to WPA2. If you're not using any at all, please activate WPA2!

While most routers support WPA2, some do not. If your router doesn't support WPA2, you should continue to use WPA. Yes, it has been hacked, but it's far better than using nothing at all. Until next time, stay safe out there, my friends!

Please listen up! You don't want to miss this important announcement!

Last Thursday (October 23, 2008), Microsoft released a critical Windows security patch, which is something they haven’t done since April 2007. And of course, it quickly started raising eyebrows in the technology community. The security patch fixes a vulnerability that allows a remote program to be run in Windows without any authentication. A worm that uses the hole in the Windows security to take over a computer has already been released on the Internet.

According to security experts, the worm, named “Gimmiv,” locates the security hole on a computer and executes a program that steals passwords. The code for the worm was released on a popular hacking Web site, which leads many to believe that the exploit will be modified and different versions of Gimmiv will be released on the Web.

On Friday (October 24, 2008), Symantec and McAfee, Inc. stated that they had only seen a small amount of attacks based on the exploit. However, Symantec said they discovered a 25 percent increase in network scans for computers that contain the vulnerability, which suggests the amount of attacks on this security hole may increase.

Windows 2000, XP, Vista and Server 2003 are all affected by this new vulnerability and it's recommended that users of those operating systems turn on their Automatic Updates so that they can receive the security patch. (To do that, go to Start, Control Panel, Security Center, Automatic Updates). Stay safe out there!

You may not know it, but just yesterday, we celebrated a very sad milestone in the world of computing. On November 2, 1988, the first Internet based worm was released to the public. The worm wasn't really intended to do any damage, as it was just there to try and find out how many computers were using the Internet. If only they were all that harmless!

As you all know, worms have become a daily threat for many computer technicians and home users. For 20 years, they have been bothering us and they probably will for many more to come. Everyone should use this holiday to stop and check for worms and other viruses that may be looming around on your computer. I know I'm going to. Until next time, stay safe out there, my friends!

Did you know that when you send an e-mail, it's not secure? I'm sure you've heard people say you should never send personal information, such as credit card numbers, social security numbers and sensitive files through e-mail, but do you know why? Well, today, I'm going to explain all of that and give you options for sending e-mails that are safe for sensitive data. Here we go!

Let's first talk about why it's not safe to send a regular e-mail with sensitive data. When you send an e-mail, the information inside is sent just as you see it. The actual text you type is sent across the Internet. When something goes across the Internet, it doesn't just go from point A to point B. It actually goes through an average of six to 10 computers before it reaches its destination. Most of the time, the e-mail will be delivered without anyone seeing it, but there's always the chance a bad person could intercept the e-mail and read the contents. Since the e-mail isn't scrambled or encrypted, it's very easy to read and your information could be stolen.

Now that you understand the troubles of unencrypted e-mails, let's discuss e-mail encryption. When an e-mail is encrypted, it's scrambled using a special "secret key." The key can be used to descramble the e-mail and it's only known by the computer receiving the message. E-mail encryption is great! It secures e-mail so that no one can read it. It's nearly impossible to steal and it makes it so that very sensitive data can be sent in an e-mail with no worries. There is one problem though: if encrypting e-mail was simple, everyone would be doing it. Unfortunately, there are a couple requirements when it comes to e-mail encryption.

1.) You must be using an e-mail client, such as Outlook Express, MS Outlook, Thunderbird, etc. No Web based e-mail programs support e-mail encryption.

2.) In order to send an encrypted e-mail to someone, the person you're sending it to needs to have already shared their key with you. (Don't worry, I'll explain that more if you keep reading!)

Now, I understand that number 2 may have thrown you off a bit, so here's how it works. Like I said earlier, e-mail is encrypted with a special key that only the recipient can unscramble. That means, in order to send an encrypted e-mail, the person you're sending the e-mail to needs to have an encryption key installed. That's why hardly anyone encrypts their e-mail. To have truly safe e-mail communication, both people sending and receiving the e-mail need to have an encryption key.

So, how can you get a key and how do you use it?

Well, here's the good news: getting an e-mail encryption key is free and easy! If you get a key, people can then send you encrypted e-mails if they're sending the e-mail using Outlook Express, Outlook or Thunderbird. Here's how to do it:

1.) First, head on over to this Web site.

2.) Once you're there, choose the option to get your free certificate.

3.) Fill out the form to get your certificate. Also, make sure you use the correct e-mail address and choose the high-grade size.

4.) An e-mail will then be sent to you. That e-mail will have directions on how to use the certificate. Click on the button to install the certificate.

5.) After the certificate is installed, you'll have the ability to digitally sign e-mails. That means you can send e-mails to people and they'll know for sure it's coming from you. After you send someone a signed e-mail, they can then send encrypted e-mails to you as well.

Okay, I'm almost done! The last part of this is how to actually sign and encrypt the e-mail. In Outlook Express, when you write a new e-mail, you should see a button that says Sign. Just click on that button and then send your e-mail like normal. If you have a signature from the person you're sending to, just press Encrypt and the e-mail will be protected.

Now, I know some of you are saying, "What do I do? I want to encrypt an e-mail to someone who doesn't have a certificate." Well, there's a way to do that too, but you'll have to wait until tomorrow. In tomorrow's newsletter, I'll show you a free download to use with Outlook Express or Outlook that will allow you to send encrypted e-mails to anyone. So, until tomorrow, stay safe out there, my friends!

I often find myself saying, "Please keep your computer up to date!" Well, today is another one of those days, but it may be too late for some of you.

As you may or may not recall, back in October 2008, Microsoft released an emergency security patch to protect computers from a worm that could exploit the Windows Server service. That service, while it sounds like it would only be on servers, actually runs on every computer that has Windows 2000, XP, Vista, 2003 Server and 2008 Server.

At the time, many newspapers made a big deal out of the patch, because it was released at a time when Microsoft doesn't usually release patches. Those "out of cycle" updates are generally more important, because Microsoft feels the need to release them immediately, instead of at the beginning of the month.

Well, even though the patch was released to fix a major issue with Windows, many people did not install it. Now, the worm, called "Downadup," has infected over 2.5 million computers worldwide. The worm works by infecting Web sites, making them hosts for the virus. After a Web site is infected, the site can give the worm to any computer that visits.

At this time, the worm continues to spread, so please, please, please update your computer! There are several ways to make sure your computer is up to date. The best way is to open Internet Explorer (not Firefox) and go to http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com. That Web site will scan your system and tell you which updates you need. You should install all of the critical updates.

After you've done your updates, you should also download the Malicious Software Removal Tool. That's a quick tool Microsoft releases monthly to remove known viruses, worms and spyware from Windows computers. To get this month's version of the Malicious Software Removal Tool, go here. Until next time, stay safe out there, my friends!

PayPal Security Key

PayPal has recently introduced the new PayPal Security Key service and that's what I'd like to talk to you about today! The PayPal Security Key service is essentially designed to add an additional layer of security to the existing PayPal authentication, which uses a username and password. If a user signs up with the PayPal Security Key service, they'll be authenticated by using not only their username and password, but also by the additional security key generated by the service. The service is being offered in association with VeriSign ID Protection. VeriSign is an industry leader in online security and protection services. They're bringing their expertise and experience into play. The PayPal Security Key will be usable on the PayPal Web site, on the eBay Web site and on any other site that displays the VIP (VeriSign ID Protection) logo.

Why a PayPal Security Key?

As you know, authentication on most Web sites is done through a unique username and password combination, but since that information is stored on the site’s server, it becomes susceptible to online security threats. For example, somebody may hack into the Web site’s server, access the username and password information and then use it to authenticate themselves onto the site. However, such breaches are rare and Web sites of large companies usually have very strong security measures to defend against such attacks. A much more common scenario is the log in information for a user can actually be stolen or overheard by a malicious user. That malicious user can then use it to log in to the Web site. The additional layer of security that the PayPal Security Key provides is a way to combat that problem.

With the PayPal Security Key, even if a malicious user does gain access to your unique log in information, they still can't get ahold of the security key this service provides you. Therefore, it's quite impossible for them to be able to log in to your account.

How Does the PayPal Security Key Work?

The best feature of the security key is it's literally unique every time you use it. Each time you need to log in, a new key is used. Even if a malicious user was lucky enough to get one such key, it doesn’t matter, because the next time you log in, the key will no longer be valid. Cool, huh?!

The way a user gets the unique key each time works in two different ways:

1.) Security Key Token: PayPal sends you an electronic device called the Security Key Token, which generates a unique six digit number every 30 seconds. When you need to log in, you simply turn on the Security Key Token and use the number it generates for you.

2.) Mobile Phone Security Key: When you need to log in, you request a key on the PayPal (or eBay) Web site. A security code or key is then sent to your mobile phone via a text message.

How Much Does the Service Cost?

The Security Key Token has a one time cost to receive the electronic device, which is $5 at present. Of course, if you were to lose the key, a request for a replacement is required and that would cost $5 as well. The Mobile Phone Security Key has no cost whatsoever. Bear in mind, however, that your cellular provider will charge you for the SMS text message. You'll simply be charged whatever your provider normally charges for a text message.

Are There Any Potential Issues with the Service?

Of course, there are potential issues with any new service. The problem in this case is, for some reason, you may not have access to the Security Key Token device or to your cell phone at all times. But if that ever happens, you'll still be able to log in using a set of security questions.

Fortunately, it's hard to have your username and password, as well as, your security key compromised. For one thing, as I mentioned before, the key changes every time you have to log in, so getting a single key or security code is useless to a malicious user. Alternatively, even if a malicious user was to find a Security Key Token device, they'll still be unable to use it, because they don't know what account it's linked to.

Note that you'll need to have either the Security Key Token or a mobile phone (with a plan that allows you to receive text messages) in order to use the PayPal Security Key service. Additional information is available here if you'd like to know more. I hope you find this tip to be most useful!

Would you like to have one of your pictures as a desktop background? It's easier than you think!

1. Figure out your screen resolution. Before you begin, you'll need to figure out what size the final image needs to be. Fortunately, this is really easy. Just right-click a blank area on your desktop and select Properties from the resulting menu. Then, click the Settings tab on the resulting screen. Look at the Screen resolution area and write down the current setting.

2. OK, now you know the size you need, the next step is to pick a photo. So, head to your archives and open the photo you want to use in your favorite imaging program. I'll wait here.

3. Have the photo opened? Cool. Now, adjust anything that needs adjusted (color, saturation, etc). Now, you'll need to resize the image to match your monitor resolution. This setting varies by program, but it's usually found under the Edit or Image menu in most programs.

Most programs will have an option to "constrain proportions". This keeps the image proportional as you change sizes. Make sure this option is checked or the image may look distorted. For more on how this works, check out:
http://www.worldstart.com/tips/tips.php/1587

Now, here's the trick. You may find that when you resize the image with the proportions constrained, the numbers don't work out to match your screen resolution. If the numbers are close (say within 10 pixels), don't worry about it. Any distortion will be minimal. However, if you find the numbers are off by quite a bit, you'll need to either crop the image or put it onto a black background that is proportional to your screen resolution.

For the details on how to do this, check out our Constrain Proportions article (linked above). It will explain in detail how you can turn an image that's not proportional into one that is.

4. Once your have your image resized, cropped, and generally ready to go, save it as a JPEG. I'd put it in the "My Pictures" folder for easy reference, but the choice is yours.

5. Last step! Right-click your desktop, select Properties from the resulting menu, then go the Desktop tab. Click the Browse button and navigate to the image you just saved. Select it, hit OK and you should now have your photo set as your desktop wallpaper!

Happy wallpapering.

I love it when I find a cool picture or graphic to use as a wallpaper image. The only problem I run into is that I usually find too many pictures to use as wallpaper and can never make up my mind. So what I end up doing is changing my wallpaper constantly— I'd say I change my wallpaper on the average of once every day or two. There's still one issue I had to deal with and that was that I could really never decide on what wallpaper is my favorite and I end up flipping back and forth a lot.

Then I found a solution to my dilemma—the Windows XP Desktop Wallpaper Changer. This neat little "power toy" is a free download from Microsoft. It allows you to point to a folder full of your pictures for use as wallpaper. This means that instead of having a stagnate picture as your background Windows displays all the pictures in whatever folder you designated in a kind of really slow slide show. Sounds cool huh. Well, you haven't heard it all yet.

In addition to dynamically changing your wallpaper you can also put pictures in designated folders. The program will display these pictures as wallpaper on those days instead of your normal selection of pictures and return to your normal rotation the next calendar day. For example, I have 10 pictures chosen for my background and this is what I see everyday on my desktop wallpaper. Now let's say that I loaded a bunch of easter images in the program's designated folder for the date April 11. On April 11 when I boot my pc up the Windows wallpaper is going to see that I stored pictures within its April 11 folder and run that set of pictures (My easter images) instead of the normal set of images. When I boot up on the morning of April 12 the Wallpaper Changer will see that I have no images stored in the folder for this date and run the default set of images again.

You can set the wallpaper display length from 15 minutes to 1 week between pictures. You can manually skip a picture, or choose one image to display as long as you want . With the Windows Wallpaper changer your desktop will never be dull and lifeless again.

If you would like to download all of the wallpapers that we offer (see bottom of the newsletter) and rotate them using this program here's the simplest way to do it. First, create a folder and name it something descriptive and unique (i.e. "Worldstart Wallpaper"). From there go to our monthly wallpaper page.

Now, when the page of the graphic comes up right click the picture but don't select "Save as background", instead select "Save As" and when the window comes up asking where you want to save the picture to, select that folder we created earlier in the exercise and select save (make sure you save as a .jpg).

Once you have done that with all of the wallpaper images you want, then exit the internet and open up the Wallpaper Changer and in the "Change Wallpaper at Intervals" window navigate to the folder you dumped the wallpaper images into from Worldstart and you should almost immediately see them in the preview window. Select OK and you should see the program take affect.

Here's where to go to download:
http://www.worldstart.com/weekly-download/programs/powertoys_wpchanger.exe

Do you ever get tired of the repetitive process of shutting down your computer? You know, you have to go to your Start menu and then select Turn Off or Shut Down, whichever your computer has. Then you have to wait for it to actually shut down just to make sure it did it properly. Well, how would you like to bypass all of that and make the process a little easier?

You can do so by creating a shutdown shortcut for your computer. This shortcut will just be like another icon either on your desktop or in your quick launch area. To create one, right click anywhere on your desktop and go to New, Shortcut. A wizard will then pop up and walk you through the steps. In the "Type the location of the item:" box, enter this code: %windir%\System32\shutdown.exe -s

Now, the s stands for shutdown. If you use this option, your computer will give you a brief waiting time before it actually shuts down. You can also choose to force running applications to stop (f) or choose to have no wait time before your PC turns completely off (t xx). So, if you would like to have both of those along with your command, enter this code instead: %windir%\System32\shutdown.exe -s -f -t 00. Your computer will then shut down instantly.

Once you have the one you want, click Next. You can then pick a name for your shortcut. I just named mine "Shut Down," but you can use whatever you want. When done, click Finish and the new icon will appear on your desktop. You can add it to your quick launch area now as well if you want. When you're ready to shut down your computer, double click this new icon and your computer will turn off. Cool, huh?! And the best part is, it's all done with one quick step!

The time may come that you'll need to reinstall your Windows XP. It could happen. Maybe you'll add a new motherboard or hard drive. Maybe you'll get constant errors and problems that just won't go away. Or perhaps you're a neat freak who wants to rid yourself of clutter and start fresh with a clean operating system. If you do reinstall Windows XP, then you'll need to re-activate it too—that is, unless you keep this tip handy ;-)

See, the first time you activated XP it created a file called "wpa.dbl" that lives in the WINDOWS\system32 folder. By creating a backup of this file on disk, you can simply put it back into the folder after reinstalling XP and avoid the whole re-activation hassle. Here's how...

Go to My Computer then select your Hard Drive (usually drive C). Go to the WINDOWS\system32 folder and scroll way down until you find the wpa.dbl file.

Right-click and choose "Send To" then either Floppy Drive (make sure you have a disk in) or CD-R/RW.

Now, when you reinstall Windows XP you'll come to the activation screen—decline to activate and let the install finish.

Restart your computer in Safe Mode (keep hitting F8 at start-up then when the Advanced Boot Options menu appears arrow down to Safe Mode).

Find your way back to the WINDOWS\system32 folder. It's a good idea to rename the wpa.dbl file you're replacing just in case you run into problems, so call it something like "wpa.nothing".

Get the backup disk and copy the old wpa.dbl file back to the WINDOWS\system32 folder and reboot.

There you go—XP is up and running again.

P.S. Your wpa.dbl file might NOT work on another computer.

Do you share a computer with other users and want some extra security on your folders? There are two ways to password protect a folder built into Windows XP (for other Windows flavors, there are some freeware/shareware programs out there).

#1: If you have a log in password for your account, this can be used to protect folders from other users. Your hard drive must be formatted using NTFS (which it probably is unless you're dual booting with another operating system). Here's what to do...

Right-click the folder that you want to make private and choose "Properties" (or Alt+Double-click). Go to the "Sharing" tab and check the "Make this folder private" box.

Click Apply . If you do not have a password on your account, a box will pop up asking if you want to assign a password. This must be done if you want to make the folder private, so click Yes . You will need to use your password to log on to your computer from then on.

Type in a password then confirm it. Click the "Create Password" button then close the Password window.

Click OK in the Properties dialog box.

Now anyone else logged on to your computer can't access that file without knowing your password.

#2: If the Folder is Zipped you can give it a unique password.

Just double-click the zipped folder. In the top menu select File then click "Add a Password".

Type a password into the Password box. Then again in the "Confirm Password" box.

Now, you are the only person who can access files in this folder. The folder can be opened allowing the files to be seen, but you are the only one who can access them.

Don't you feel more secure now?

We all know that cell phones are one of today's big crazes. An even bigger one is camera cell phones. Before we know it, all cell phones will probably have camera abilities, because the world today likes to see real images rather than just words. So, it may be a good idea to know what you can do with the pictures you take on your phone after the shooting is done.

Picture Messaging

A common way that people transfer photos from their cell phones to their computers (that doesn't really have any additional cost from your regular monthly bill) is picture messaging. It works pretty much the same as text messaging; you just have to have text messaging enabled on your cell phone. If you don't, this method will not work.

Note: Expect this method to be a little different for various phone models, but the following directions are pretty basic and similar for all phones.

If you would like to send a picture to another person's cell phone or if you want to e-mail a picture to a friend or even to yourself, you just need to open your phone and go to the Menu. Find your phone's Media Gallery and then choose Pictures. At this point, you can pick the photo you'd like to send. Once you have it chosen, go to Options and choose Send in Message (like you're sending a text message). This is where you choose to send it to one of the Contacts listed in your phone or if you want to e-mail it to someone or yourself. Pick the person you're sending it to and push the OK button and then Send.

You can also send text with the picture if you want to do that. If you end up e-mailing the picture to someone, you will just have to type in their e-mail address and they will get it in their Inbox. You just need to make sure the person you're sending the picture to has picture capabilities too.

Data Cable

Another way you can transfer photos to other people is to put them directly onto your computer, so you can e-mail them to your friends or save them to a disk or a CD. So, to do that, you have to have some sort of a USB data connection kit, which comes with the cable cord that plugs your phone into your computer's USB port and the software that will help you in transferring the pictures from your phone. You usually have to purchase these kits separate from your phone. The store where you buy your phone should have them available and they will be able to tell you which one will work with your type of phone.

Once you have your phone and computer connected, you can start transferring the pictures. Again, keep in mind that these kits are phone specific, so you need to make sure that you get one that will be compatible with your phone model.

Bluetooth

Another way to handle the pictures on your cell phone that is becoming more popular every day is a wireless technology called Bluetooth. Bluetooth works with short-range wireless technologies that allow you to easily send photos from your phone to a laptop or desktop computer. The computer you are sending them to just has to be equipped to accept the pictures.

The most difficult (but it can sometimes be fairly easy) part about Bluetooth is matching the phone to the computer, so they are both compatible with each other. But, once that it is done, sending the images couldn't be easier.

As long as your phone has the Bluetooth software on it, you can send the images without any extra charges billed to you. You can also send photos to other Bluetooth users' phones without any wires or additional charges. This seems to be the most versatile way to go if you're looking to maybe spend a little more money up front for the Bluetooth works, but it will save you money in the long run when you don't have to pay any extra charges when sending your pictures back and forth.

E-mail

Another way for you to send pictures between your friends and family is to e-mail them. Your cell phone has to have e-mail capabilities for this to work, but a lot of the phones these days come with that ability. You can e-mail them to other people or, as mentioned above, to yourself. You just have to type the e-mail address in the To: field just like you would if you were using Outlook Express and it will be sent.

If you see something while you're out and about that you just have to take a picture of, you can snap the photo on your phone, send yourself a quick e-mail and when you get home, the picture will be on your computer waiting for you. You can then send it off to other people or do something like set it as your desktop wallpaper.

Removable Memory Cards

Another new technology that is presenting itself with camera phones is an external memory card for your phone. The phone just comes with a slot for the card and you can transfer the shots to your computer in a snap. You will need to purchase an external memory card reader so it will all work, but it's one of the easiest ways to go if you takes several pictures with your cell phone.

When you have the card reader installed, you just remove the memory card from your phone, insert it into the reader and your computer will recognize it as another drive. You can then drag and drop the photos wherever you want them to go, e-mail them to others, etc. The options are pretty endless with this choice. You can then get rid of the existing pictures on your phone (since they're on your computer and not lost) and go out and take more. It's that easy!

Just one more reminder: all of these applications work differently with different phones, so make sure you refer to your phone's manual before doing anything you're not sure of. But, all in all, this is all really cool when you think about it. Who would have thought we could do so much with a little phone? Technology is just out of this world!