COMPUT3R, M0B!L3 H4CKIN 71P5 & 7R1CK5

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!

The energy consumption needs of technology
As late as 1993, high-tech paraphernalia like computers, printers and video games had a negligible effect on power usage. Today, it's estimated to account for more than 13 percent of a typical household energy budget. By 2020, it could be as much as 25 percent.

Where do computer viruses come from ?
70 percent of virus writers work under contract for organized crime syndicates.

Simple Steps:To protect your computer

So you've bought your computer and want to get online? It's not as simple as connect the wire and off you go these day's. The internet is a weird and wonderful place as long as you can control what you do.

That's why you need to protect yourself. These can be done in a number of very simple steps. This article will get you started but you should always try to be smart when your surfing the net!

Step 1: Anti-Virus Scanner

Whether you're connecting to the internet or not, you need an Anti-Virus scanner. Your computer can become infected with "viruses". These are little files or codes that have been written to ruin your computer! That's why they must be stopped!

Recommendations:

AVG Anti-Virus Free

http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1

Avast Anti-virus

http://www.avast.com/

Step 2: Firewall

Ok so your thinking what is a "firewall" sounds scary right? Well it's not really. It is again another line of defence against the number of ways your computer can be attacked. In simple terms it blocks other computers and programs from connecting to you and playing with your stuff. Think of it as an internet wall of fire, where you allow what can pass through.

Software - Again there are many programs available to protect you, Recent Microsoft Windows machines come with Windows Firewall, which can be described as basic at best. We do recommend you go for mainstream again.

Hardware - A firewall can also be included as part of your hardware, like an internet router "that's the box that sits between your pc and the internet line". This is the best and recommended way to have a firewall. As it blocks intruders before it gets to your pc.

Recommendations:

Zone Alarm

http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/company/products/znalm/freeDownload.jsp

Step 3: Be AWARE!!

Simply put watch what you download and accept to save to your PC, sometimes people can send you files in e-mails. They look ok but when you run them they will install something onto your PC and leave you upset and distraught. Always scan something that has been downloaded before opening it and never open/run programs that have been sent in an e-mail from unknown sources.

Hopefully this will get you going to start with, wait till you find out about spy ware and Trojan's!! Good Luck and Safe Surfing.