Microsoft Virtualization Training

I am a perpetual student. I have been in school forever. I love to take classes and study - most people think I'm sick, but it's just a thirst I have for knowledge that makes me want to learn more and keep up with technology as much as possible. In the IT environment, you need flexible, affordable training channels that allow you to keep up with the fast-paced industry, and allow you to learn the material and get the training you need without having to travel to and from classs, or attend expensive training seminars. Trainsignal.com offers Microsoft Virtualization Training




This post sponsored by trainsignal.com.

New Firefox and Thunderbird Patches

Mozilla released some patches for 5 critical holes, 8 total, for Firefox and Thunderbird software programs. If you are using either one, the updates should come over within the next few days or you can manually check for updates from the Help menu of the program.

Here's the scoop...
Mozilla fixes Firefox and Thunderbird bugs
Bundle of patches for browser and email client
Iain Thomson, vnunet.com 20 Dec 2006

The Mozilla Foundation has released a batch of patches for its Firefox and Thunderbird software. Patches have been released for Firefox 1.5.0.9, Firefox 2.0.0.1 and Thunderbird 1.5.0.9 and are being sent out over the next few days. Eight holes, five of them rated 'critical', have been patched in the new Firefox browser.

"If you already have Firefox 1.5.x, Firefox 2.0.x or Thunderbird 1.5.x, you will receive an automated update notification within 24 to 48 hours," said the organisation. "This update can also be applied manually by selecting 'Check for Updates' from the Help menu at any time."
The Firefox flaws covered a variety of problems, including the browser's RSS feed, processing remote code and the JavaScript handling software. Mozilla also said that it will continue to support Firefox 1.5.x until 24 April next year, but it strongly advised users to upgrade to version 2.0. Seven flaws, six of them rated 'critical', have been fixed in the group's Thunderbird software. They include mail header processing problems and crashes with evidence of memory corruption.

ClearCube Blade PC

A blade PC, also called a PC blade, is a computer that is entirely contained in a circuit card which is placed in a secure location like a server rack. A cable connects the card to the user's monitor, keyboard and mouse. A blade PC is a complete computer including the components you'd find in a desktop PC like the processor, memory, hard drive, video card and network card. A Blade Server is more expensive to implement, but less expensive to maintain, than typical networks where each station has its own box, since the cards and cabling must be installed prior to implementation. If the company has good planning and money to invest, the blade PC model offers many advantages like lower admin, operational, and maintenance demands. One of the largest manufacturers of the Blade Server is ClearCube.

Email Your Blog Post...

Did you know that you can post to your Blogger Blogs via email? You can setup an email address (that you should keep secret) under the settings tab of your blog's dashboard, then you just write up your post in an email and send it to the address you created. How easy is that? I sent a test post to my photo blogj and it worked. It wasn't instant - probably because of the 49 firewalls and proxy servers it had to go through to get there - but it posted nonetheless...

Cool - now they need to figure out how to include attachments. I'll keep you posted if I figure out anything - perhaps the html can be included in the email?

Office Security System

About 2 years ago, my boss bought a Sony Handycam DVD which cost the company nearly $1000. We used it twice to record some instructional videos, then about three weeks later, we needed to record a video detailing the installation process for one of our new products. We couldn't find the Handycam anywhere and we let our HR department know about it. It was then we discovered a rash of reports of various missing items including cash stolen right out of ladies purses. After it all came to light, the stealing quieted. But now, I'm hearing that a couple of people have reported things missing in their offices - it seems to happen around this time of the year. I think it's time someone install a Security System and use some bait to catch whoever is doing this. There's a portable Security System by LaserShield that is easy to install, expandable, with 24/7 monitoring available at Comp USA, Home Depot, Costco, Kmart, Montgomery Ward, Sears and more; I'm going to let the plant manager know about this before anything else goes missing...

Google Launches Patent Search Tool

Although the US Patent Office has had it's own Patent Search capability for years now, Google launched a US patent search tool which added the ability to search US patent registrations to Google's services. Google is becoming a one-stop-shop for anything and everything. The tool, Google Patent Search, launched in a beta version this week and is currently capable of searching through more than 7 million US patents dating from 1790. Google Patent Search is to add additional patents over time and uses the existing technology of Google's book search.

Data Security

Data Security is extremely important in today's ever changing world of technological advances. I work for a manufacturer that has been delving into outsourcing components and assemblies to overseas markets for a couple of years, now. We have the vendors sign confidentiality agreements and our intellectual property is labeled as such, but who's to say what happens to our data once it arrives on the other side of the world. We've already seen some knock-offs of our products (for which we have US patents) being manufactured and marketed by overseas companies. It's a catch 22 of sorts - manufacturer's almost have to utilize the growing overseas markets, but we're taking a chance in losing some of our market share doing it. What's a company to do? There may just be an answer out there to this burning question...

From the Pinionsoftware.com Data Security website:

Every day business and technical professionals find themselves in a quandary:

How to share high-value, sensitive information and intellectual property while ensuring that it's kept safe and used legitimately. Pinion Software shatters the myth that these goals are mutually exclusive.

We bring digital rights management (DRM) to the world of CAD by way of our Technical Rights Management (TRM) solutions. Simply put, our software lets you secure your information so you can share it with confidence.

Using AutoShred-DWF from Pinion Software which utilizes the DWF platform, manufacturers have the ability to shred or erase files from viewers’ computers
automatically based on set command options, protecting their intellectual property. It's sort of like a spy movie where "this message will self-destruct in 3 seconds" becomes "this document will erase hard drive ." I'm going to pass this along to our IT, Engineering, and Purchasing Departments to get their input...

3rd Zero-Day MS Word Bug in 9 Days

Just a couple of days ago, a hole was found in WMP (see post), and there have been 3 "zero-day" MS Word Bugs reported within the last 9 days. Microsoft "spokespersons" have had a busy week, to say the least, explaining all this to the media. The new unpatched bug was reported Wednesday, and exploit proof-of-concept code has been posted on a Web site.

Here's an excerpt from www.informationweek.com (to read the full story, please click the Post Title above.

By Gregg Keizer
InformationWeek
Dec 14, 2006 01:55 PM

Microsoft Thursday said it was investigating yet another Word vulnerability, the third in the last nine days, while security researchers warned that exploit code to take advantage of it was already spotted in the wild.

The new unpatched bug, or "zero-day" vulnerability, was reported Wednesday by eEye Digital Security, which warned users that exploit proof-of-concept code had been publicly posted on the milw0rm.com Web site.

"Because details are at a minimum for the other two active zero-day vulnerabilities originally reported by Microsoft, it is presumed that this disclosed vulnerability is actually a third and separate vulnerability," the eEye alert read.

A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed that the company's security team was looking into the new problem.

"Microsoft is investigating new public reports of a possible vulnerability in Microsoft Word [and] will continue to investigate the public reports to help provide additional guidance for customers as necessary," the spokesperson said in an e-mail. "Upon completion of this investigation, Microsoft will take appropriate action, [which] may include providing a security update through our monthly release process or providing an out-of-cycle security update, depending on customer needs."

According to eEye, Word 2000, 2002, and 2003 are affected, as is Word Viewer 2003. A successful exploit of the bug could let an attacker seize control of the PC.

Dell Coupons

Are you planning on getting a Dell Computer for Christmas, or giving one as a gift? Maybe you have a college student that needs an upgrade? I bought my Dell year before last and I love it. If you're planning to purchase a system, check out the Dell Coupons at www.cheapstingybargains.com - they're updated hourly, and the site offers detailed buying instructions as well.

Security Hole in Windows Media Player

A critical security hole has been discovered in Windows Media Player versions 9 and 10. It seems that all a hacker must do is post and .asx file on a webpage and lure visitors to the page since .asx files run automatically. One way to avoid this happening to you is to disable Windows Media Player from auto-opening .asx files. The safest way to do this is Open Windows Explorer and go to Tools, Folder Options, File Types, then set "ASX" to something other than Windows Media Player which is the default player. Click the title link of this post for more from research.eeye.com.

CEO of Apple

I was helping my son do his research for a Business Class Presentation for two Computer Companies - Apple and Dell, and was surprised at how interesting I found the CEO (and co-founder) of Apple Computer, Steve Jobs. Here are some quick bio facts we discovered...

- 51-year old Steve Jobs has been CEO of Apple since 1997. Jobs graduated from high school and enrolled in Reed College in Portland, Oregon, but he dropped out after only one semester. When speaking at the Stanford University graduation ceremony in 2005, Jobs told the graduates that, after dropping out, he remained at Reed auditing classes, including one in calligraphy. "If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts", he said.
- After leaving Apple in 1985, Jobs founded another computer company, NeXT Computer, considered to have played a large role in catalyzing a little event called the World Wide Web since the developer who wrote the code for the WWW did so on a NeXT workstation.
- In 1986 Jobs bought a little company called The Graphics Group (later renamed Pixar) for 5 million dollars. In January of this year, Jobs sold Pixar to Disney in an all-stock transaction for 7.4 BILLION dollars making him the largest single shareholder of Disney stock.
- Jobs has worked at Apple for several years with an annual salary of $1 (NO JOKE), and this has earned him a listing in Guinness World Records as the "Lowest Paid CEO.” His current salary at Apple officially remains $1 per year.

Now, that's interesting - and you can click the title link to read more about him at wikipedia.org.

PPP Blog

You should know by now that I'm a postie for payperpost.com. Yes, I get paid to blog about the things that I feel relate to this blog. If you have a blog and need to earn some extra cash, you should consider PPP. They don't require you to take specific opportunities or tell you what you have to write about on your own blog, instead, with PPP the choice is yours.

Whether you're a postie or not, you might enjoy checking out the PPP blog while you're cruising through the blogs you read. I've seen things there like the PPP CEO, Ted Murphy, puking after trying to win a pizza-eating contest and once he even transformed himself into a catfish. There's also been a PPP Smackdown Video Challenge initiated by Ted on the blog. Check it out, payperpostie or not, you'll find the videos entertaining.

If you are a postie, you need to be aware of the ppp blog since it contains the latest news, updates and outtages.

Text Messaging: Teens vs. Adults

If my teenage daughter is any indication of the results of this poll,
I already know the answer to this one without even reading the story or viewing the results of the poll. It didn't take me long to figure out that the best way to go with a teen who has a cell phone is to go ahead and add the unlimited text messaging to their phone even if it's $10 or $15 per month - believe me, you'll come out ahead in the long run. Or, you could have text messaging capability removed all together from the phone; I have a friend who had to do this since his son had the unlimited in-network plus an additional 1000 out-of-network text messaging plan, and still went over, way over...

Anyway, here's the poll...
Associated Press
Poll: Nearly half of teens use instant messaging, fyi
WASHINGTON -- Almost half of teens, 48 percent of those ages 13-18, use instant messaging, according to an AP-AOL poll. That's more than twice the percentage of adults who use it.

According to the poll:
Almost three-fourths of adults who do use instant messages still communicate with e-mail more often. Almost three-fourths of teens send instant messages more than e-mail. More than half of the teens who use instant messages send more than 25 a day, and 1 in 5 send more than 100. Three-fourths of adult users send fewer than 25 IMs a day. Teen users (30 percent) are almost twice as likely as adults (17 percent) to say they can't imagine life without instant messaging. When keeping up with a friend who is far away, teens are most likely to use instant messaging, while adults turn first to e-mail. About a fifth of teen IM users have used IM to ask for or accept a date. Almost as many, 16 percent, have used it to break up with someone.

A bow to the traditional: When sharing serious or confidential news, both teens and adults prefer to use the telephone, the poll said. The survey of 1,013 adults and 500 teens was conducted online by Knowledge Networks from Nov. 30-Dec. 4. The margin of sampling error for the adults was plus or minus 4 percentage points, 5.5 points for teens.

Want to Make Text Messaging Easier?

Do you get aggravated trying to type words for text messages using numbers on your cellphone keypad? A lot of people do, especially people who aren't teenagers - they don't seem to mind at all. As a matter of fact, I think my daughter can type text messages using the numeric keypad almost as fast and accurate as I can type on the keyboard. But, if you have trouble like I do with typing multiple numbers to get to the letter you need, then look no further than www.t9.com. T9 stands for text on 9 keys and it's predictive text makes texting faster and easier since it predicts what you're typing by the combination of letters. T9 is pre-loaded with thousands of words, emoticons and punctuation, too. Check out this new program to make your text messaging easier...

While you're waiting for my next informative post you can play this trivia game that demonstrates how T9 works - you can even register to win a Sony Phone, iPod, or BestBuy Giftcard ...

Cleaning Up MySpace

Yesterday, MySpace announced that it will purge anyone listed in the national database of sex offenders from the social network.

From the press release:

"We are committed to keeping sex offenders off MySpace," said MySpace's Chief Security Officer, Hemanshu Nigam. "Sentinel Safe will allow us to aggregate all publicly available sex offender databases into a real-time searchable form, making it easy to cross-reference and remove known registered sex offenders from the MySpace community. The creation of this first-of-its-kind real-time searchable database technology is a significant step to keep our members as safe as possible."

The whole first-of-its-kind, never-been-done-before, thank-God-the-technology-finally-exists thread runs throughout the press release. The language seems calculated to let MySpace escape responsibility for failing to police the sex offenders on its site prior to October, despite the availability of a free online registry demonstrably useful for exactly that purpose.

That said, Sentinel's database promises to be far more powerful than the DOJ registry I used. As described, it'll contain detailed information, including height, weight, eye and hair color, and the complete offense history of each offender -- all completely searchable. It'll be like a Google for sex offenders.

That leaves just one real disappointment in this announcement: How MySpace plans to use the data. With all that information at its disposal, and a "24-hour-a-day dedicated staff" using it, MySpace could seriously enhance its policing. Instead, the company is taking a sophisticated database and wielding it as a blunt instrument, simply banning everyone on the list from registering or keeping a MySpace account, regardless of who they are or what they did.

This is bad because, obviously, banning sex offenders won't keep them off MySpace: it'll just give them a reason to lie about their name or location, even if they aren't up to no good. (My survey found hundreds of past offenders, many with old or minor convictions, whose profiles reflected a seemingly normal life.) Now sex offenders who want to stay on MySpace will all be using false information from the start.

MySpace is essentially refusing an opportunity to detect and imprison active repeat offenders, by moving the entire superset of ex-offenders into the shadows. Does the convicted pedophile have lots of teenagers on his friendslist? MySpace won't know, because he'll be under same veil of anonymity as the flashers and peeping toms.

We know there are some ex-sex offenders who attempt to recidivate from accounts opened under their real names. If you believe they will now stay off MySpace, then the company's policy is good for safety. But if you think they'll simply start spelling their name a little different or lying about their ZIP code, then MySpace has lost the chance to take them off the streets.

MySpace is taking the easy way out. It may be good PR to be able to say that you don't allow past sex offenders of any stripe on your website, but the company should keep its eye on the ball: the goal isn't to keep a former flasher from blogging about his cat, it's to keep current pedophiles from pursuing children. MySpace could tell the difference, if it wanted to. A smart policing effort would use the sex offender database as one of many data points in keeping the site safe. Sometimes zero-tolerance is really tolerance.

Eclipse Business Broadband in the UK

Eclipse Business Broadband offers professional Internet solutions to give peace of mind to businesses throughout the UK. The Internet has become the heartbeat of a company and it's viability is of utmost critical importance. Eclipse offers quality services, and comes highly recommended by experienced Internet users.

If your company is in the UK and you're shopping for quality business broadband, visit the Eclipse website for information regarding products and services from an experienced, national provider of professional Internet solutions.

Other Blogs

I have some other blogs that I'm working on for some of my other interests, and to hopefully spark my husbands interest in computers and the Internet, we are going to collaborate on one as well.

Here are the links...
My Blog at Livejournal is a place for me to rant, rave and remember...

My Photo Blog is where I post some shots that I've taken...

Our blog which will be Jimmy's, I'd rather be fishing...

Braincast Beta is Unforgettable...

I'm always forgetting things. I mean, I can leave one place with the stout determination that there's something I need or something I must do, but by the time I get there, I have no freakin' clue what I was doing. I don't do this a lot, just every once in awhile - probably because I have a ton of things weighing on me at any given time; I have lists here and there for this and that. I'm always calling my voicemail at work to leave myself messages of random thoughts/ideas/tasks I'll need for the next workday. I'm organized, but I still forget things.

There may be hope...

BrainCast Beta powered by viatalk is a free and easy, Internet & phone based message type memo recording and organization system that's compatible with any US-based cellular or landline telephone network system. Users are provided with a toll free number that they can call and instantly leave a voice message that will be delivered to their PC via email within seconds. You can register online and be recording in seconds - that is, if after you've finished registering, you're able to remember what it is that you need to remind yourself. Just kidding, but really, I need to go signup because I almost forgot - here's the link...

BrainCast Beta

A Blog to Check Out...

My friend, sprezz, has a couple of blogs that you might want to check out. He keeps up with the latest news and has a great sense of humor. Check out his Adapt, Adopt, and Improve blog and his Warning Life Under Construction blog, too!

OfficialHomepage.org

Officialhomepage.org is a simple, fast-loading, ad-free homepage that wants to become the preferred start page for Internet users. The officialhomepage.org page is clean and categorzied so that you can navigate to many of the top-rated sites quickly. From the lightning-fast loading homepage, you can jump quickly to top news, sports and social sites as well as check your webmail. There's also no registration to complete to use the site. Make sure you read the About Us and Privacy Policy pages...

Playstation 3

Thank goodness my son doesn't want one. I mean jeez, people were camping out in frigid temps literally risking their lives to be the first to hand over $500 bucks for the latest Sony Playstation 3. One guy was shot by thugs who tried to steal his money while waiting in line to buy the system, and another kid actually bought a system in the store, only to have it stolen once he was outside.

Anyway - I'm certainly glad that none of my offspring asked for the PS3 this year. If you're a PS3 owner, check out IGN's Official PS3 FAQ.

XBOX TV? In time for Thanksgiving...

Microsoft announced that XBOX 360 system owners will soon have access to Hi-def movies and tv programs via the points system currently in use by XBOX Live.

NOTE TO SELF...
remove my credit card from my son's XBOX 360 before November 22nd.

Patrick Klepek - PC Magazine
Nov. 7 In a move that will continue to let Microsoft compare themselves to the iTunes music store, Microsoft announced that hi-def movies and television programs would be available on the (U.S.-based) Xbox Live Marketplace on November 22.

In addition to adding the Video Marketplace to the Xbox Live experience (yes, it will use the same point system that Xbox Live Arcade, Marketplace and the Zune all use), Microsoft announced partnerships with six media companies to provide content for the Video Marketplace.

CBS, Warner Bros., Viacom, Paramount, UFC and Turner will all provide content (in their own release windows) for the Video Marketplace. Microsoft's corporate vice president of Microsoft Game Studios, Shane Kim, said that users can expect 1,000 hours of unique content by the end of the year, with over 200 hours of it available in HD.

Google Has Some Competition and so does Microsoft

Looks like Microsoft will compete with Google to control the Earth - at least the maps and imagery of the Earth. So far, the cities available include San Jose, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Seattle. Although both systems maps seem a bit outdated, I've used Google Earth, and it helps me in my inspection business to identify landmarks when I'm plotting my route. It's a handy tool and Microsoft is going to have to do some overtime to play catch-up.

iPod Shuffle Shrinking in Size and Price...

I think that my son would love one of these to take to the gym since it's extremely small, light and wearable and it really doesn't matter if you can see the song title playing while you're working out. And, at only $79 - Santa could consider bringing Mom one, too!


Smallest iPod yet going on sale

November 2, 2006 - Mike Wendland - Free Press technology columnist

The new iPod Shuffle, $79. (Apple)
Five years after it changed the music world with the iPod, Apple Computer has released its new Shuffle, the smallest digital music player yet in its line up of iPod models.

Priced at an affordable stocking-stuffer price of $79, the shuffle officially goes on sale today in Apple Stores and major electronics retailers and is predicted to be a hot seller for the holidays, perhaps at the expense of the more costly iPod nano (starting at $149) and the larger video iPod (starting at $249).

The new Shuffle model is super small, measuring about an inch high by a little more than an inch-and-a-half wide and a quarter-inch thick. It weighs a half an ounce, but it holds up to 240 songs.

As such, the Shuffle is about half the size of the original model and comes in a new brushed aluminum case with a built-in clip for fastening to a shirt collar, a pocket or waistband.

Battery life is about 12 hours.

You charge the Shuffle and get its tunes by fitting the headphone jack into a special dock that in turn is connected by a USB cable to the computer, be it a Mac or a Windows PC.

As with the earlier shuffle model, the downside to this entry level iPod is that there is no screen that lists the music so you can select a specific song. Instead, the music is played at random, shuffled, if you will, thereby explaining the name.

But, hey, come on, for $79 and 240 songs and iPod cool, I wouldn't shuffle off to a store to get it. I'd run.

Games Galore for XBOX this Christmas

My son will probably be making his Christmas list right away after he hears this...I read today that XBOX is releasing multiple titles for the Holiday Season. He's a big XBOX 360 gamer who plays in tournaments and even hosts his own local tournaments.

From Ubisoft:

• Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent
• Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas
• Open Season

From Electronic Arts: Need for Speed Carbon

• FIFA 07

And, there's more announcements to come from Atari, THQ and its subsidiaries, and Activision.

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Windows Live Writer

Windows Live Writer
I just heard about Microsoft Live Writer beta and will be downloading it to try it on for size. Microsoft Live Writer is a free, downloadable desktop application that's supposed to make editing most any type of blog easier. The software lets you apply different formatting, upload pictures, and more. I will let you know the low-down on this piece of software as soon as I can download, install and play with it a little. I have blogs on LiveJournal and Blogger, so it's going to be interesting to see how this software interfaces with those apps.

Bounce the Flash for better photos

I take a lot of photos of parts at work and many times, I have to be able to illuminate a hole or I may need flash to show a slight defect or imperfection. The following came form wikiHow.com, but an even easier way to bounce the flash off your subject for nearly any photo you take is to fold business card over the flash bulb (make sure it is not obstructing the lens) then take the picture. The card allows the flash to bounce off it while filling in the areas around the subject instead of washing out the photo. It works great when trying to capture imperfections in plated (shiny) metal parts, and it also helps to reduce red-eye when taking people pictures...

Professional studio photographers rarely use direct flash to illuminate a subject, because the results are harsh, unnatural and unattractive. Most cameras designed for amateurs have a built-in flash which blasts light directly at the subject, creating the same kind of "deer in the headlights" effect. Fortunately, the addition of an inexpensive "bounce flash" unit can reduce this harshness and give your pictures a professional look.

Steps
Make sure your camera has either a hot-shoe for an external flash, or a socket for plugging one in. Most cameras have at least one of the two.
Invest in an external flash unit with a 90 degree swivel (bounce) head. All major camera makers sell reasonably-priced units with this feature. Some models also rotate, adding even more functionality.
When taking a flash picture indoors, turn off the camera's built-in flash. Point the bounce flash head at the ceiling (rather than at the subject) and take the picture. This will provide a soft, diffused light and it will even cut down on red-eye.
For even better results, buy a cable which connects your camera to the flash unit. You can then remove the flash from the camera and bounce the light off walls, a reflector, or whatever you want.

Google Reader - Read Your Favorite Blogs All In One Place...

Latest version of Google Reader

Google has released a new version of it's reader which allows the user to read blogs of interest all on one page. The reader allows you add blogs from all over the Internet and organize those blogs how you choose. You can add blogs from friends blogger, livejournal, etc. accounts and news blogs like CNET and CNN. Then, you can easily open the reader viewing page and read all the entries at once - easily seeing which journals have been updated since your last view. I am just starting to use this powerful tool, and am really impressed.

Here's what mine looks like right now...

Google's Gmail

Google's Gmail Service

I just signed up for Google's Gmail Service and I have to say - I'm very interested in this new web-based email idea. If you don't know what it is, Gmail is a free, search-based webmail service that includes 2,000+ megabytes (2 gigabytes) of storage. The interesting thing about Gmail is that it's a powerful Google search engine that quickly recalls any message an account owner has ever sent or received. That means there's no need to file messages in order to find them again. You can register for an account using your mobile phone - this is for verification purposes - and is supposed to cut down on spam.

Google's Open SourceCode Search

The new Google Tool which is supposed to allow developers to search for open source code posted to the Internet may (and probably will) benefit hackers as well...It's a great tool for programmers and developers, but so is the Internet itself and some people work all day to exploit the Internet in ways such as uploading and downloading pornography, cheating on their spouse, and stalking children; the open source code search tool will probably be exploited as well - time will tell...

Netflix Contest

Netflix $1 Million Offer

WOW! I actually use Netflix and my husband read this to me Friday morning while I was cleaning up the kitchen. It seems that they are looking for ways to increase the accuracy of their recommendations system. I have some ideas - do you?

Google Page Rank

Google has a page rank scale that actually resides in the Google toolbar and when pages on the Internet are visited, the page rank is displayed. I'm not exactly sure how the page rank is calculated, but it does determine how visible your page may become (or not) when people use search engines to search the web.

Here's how Google explains ...
PageRank relies on the uniquely democratic nature of the web by using its vast link structure as an indicator of an individual page's value. In essence, Google interprets a link from page A to page B as a vote, by page A, for page B. But, Google looks at more than the sheer volume of votes, or links a page receives; it also analyzes the page that casts the vote. Votes cast by pages that are themselves "important" weigh more heavily and help to make other pages "important."
Important, high-quality sites receive a higher PageRank, which Google remembers each time it conducts a search. Of course, important pages mean nothing to you if they don't match your query. So, Google combines PageRank with sophisticated text-matching techniques to find pages that are both important and relevant to your search. Google goes far beyond the number of times a term appears on a page and examines all aspects of the page's content (and the content of the pages linking to it) to determine if it's a good match for your query.

Increase Your Webpage's Visibility, maybe?

Increasing your page's visibility on the web

There are literally billions of webpages out there in cyberspace - who knows if anyone ever even sees your page? I have found places where, although there's no guarantee, you can add your url to the index of a couple of Major Search Engines.

Google: submit your URL to Yahoo!

Like I said, there's no guarantee that these search engines will add the submitted URL's to their index, but it only takes a few seconds so its definitely worth a try!

HTML Beginner Basics...

Make your text stand out using HTML!

I have a friend who recently started blogging and she asked me how to make her words bold. Here are a couple of quick HTML text formatting basics:

Bold text...
Example: <b>my bold text</b>
Preview: my bold text

Italics...
Example: <i>my italicized text</i>
Preview: my italicized text

Bold and Italicized
Example: <i><b>my bold, italicized text</i></b>
Preview: my bold, italicized text

Happy Birthday to hard drives!

Happy Birthday to hard drives!

The hard drive which was invented by IBM debuted 50 years ago today! Today, there have been nearly 2 billion units manufactured and this year, around 450 million units will be made. The cost of 1GB of space today is about fifty cents - amazing, huh? Especially considering that leasing hard drive space 50 years ago cost thousands and you only got a few MB of space.

Technology marches on...

9-11 News

I found a website that has news from 9/11 and the years after called http://www.september11news.com

The site of News Archives of the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks on the World Trade Center in NYC and the Pentagon in Washington says it is the Internet's #1 Resource for September 11th, 2001 News and there's a ton of information on the website including archived news, photos, graphics, images, webs, and newspapers. This is probably a good place to start if researching 9/11, terrorism, etc since the information is already in one place.

Never forget...

Switchboard.com

Do you ever get calls on you home or cell phone and wonder who the heck is calling this late? What did they want? Who are they? Or, maybe you have a questionable charge on you phone bill and don't know why or who the call was made to or who might have made the call? You can lookup phone numbers at Switchboard using the reverse lookup "Search by phone number," feature, which allows you to enter only the phone number then will display the results of your inquiry along with any other available info like name, address, etc.

Drive-by Downloads

Drive-by Dowloads can occur without the user even knowing they've occurred. A drive-by download is a program that is automatically downloaded to your computer without even needing your permission. A drive-by download is installed invisibly to the user and it can occur from simply visiting a website. Sometimes drive-by downloads are installed during another application's install. You need to review your computer's security settings to be sure that they are robust enough to ward off drive-by downloads, otherwise, it may be possible for drive-by downloads to infest your pc without you knowing they even exist...

Webshots.com

I discovered Webshots.com several years ago and it's a great place to store photos and download photos for use as desktop wallpaper and in screen savers. The webshots program also allows the user to load photos from your own personal collection to the program so that your screensaver is a slideshow of your own photo collections. You can group your photos into categories you choose and select which groups will display on your customizable screensaver. I have photos appear on my screensaver sometimes that I haven't seen in years because I've had the program that long. I haven't found a screensaver that I like better than webshots - if I do, I'll let you know...

Dell's on fire, literally!

Dell's burning down the house?
OMG, ther's a report now, that a faulty Dell laptop battery is blamed for starting a house fire. The batteries were first reported to be overheating, then reports started to surface that they were blowing up, now it seems to be getting worse.

From CNET's Dell Blog
Louis Minnear, a South Venice, Fla., homeowner, claims that his wife's Dell laptop battery was responsible for a fire early Thursday morning that left his family of five (plus two dogs) homeless. The fire, according to Minnear, began on the family's couch, where the laptop had been sitting. The computer apparently was a 2-year-old Latitude D500, one of the models affected by Dell's recent battery recall.

The local fire marshal, according to the Herald-Tribune, has not yet arrived at a conclusion on the cause of the fire.

P.S. If you're a Dell owner who's had your Sony battery recalled, backup company Carbonite is offering three free months of online system backup to PC users affected by the exploding-battery fiasco.

wi-fi networks

Wi-Fi Hotspots Search
There are many more sites than those listed here. Some networks charge for access while others are free:

Boingo Wi-Fi Network
CNET HotSpot Zone
Ezgoal.com hotspots
Hotspotlist
Hotspot-locations.com
Intel Centrino Mobile Technology Hotspot Finder
iPass
McDonald's Wireless
NodeDB
PaneraBread
T-Mobile Hotspots
Wayport
Wi-Fi Alliance
WiFiFreeSpot
WiFinder
ZDNet UK WiFi HotSpot page

test you connection speed

How fast is your Internet connection?

Do you ever wonder exactly how fast your connection is or what your upload or download speed is over your connection. These and many other tests can be run from the tools section of the dsl reports website.

Google Toolbar

more on popups

If you saw my previous post, and are still in popup Hell, try downloading and installing the Google toolbar which has a handy-dandy popup blocker built-in. I love the Google toolbar and use it all the time. Try it for free at www.Google.com

There are many more add-ons to the toolbar as well, and Google is always updating the toolbar to make Internet browsing more customizeable and safe!

popups, spam, & spyware - BEWARE!

popups everywhere!

If you have a lot of popups, chances are that you have spyware and/or adware living on your computer that needs to be remedied. There are 2 programs that I use religiously to remove spyware and adware from my system, Ad-aware and Spybot. If you don't yet use these programs, you need to download them ASAP, make sure you have the latest versions, update the definitions, and run them right away! These 2 programs are available for download free of charge and are very powerful and effective when it comes to getting rid of annoying or malicious content that's found a home on your pc.

what the heck is wikipedia?

What the heck is Wikipedia?

Wikipedia is a free encyclopedia that anyone can contribute to writing. It produces results for almost any topic you can imagine. I reference Wikipedia often in my blogs and it's a very useful tool for users to find information on a wide array of stuff! If you're looking for information, check out Wikipedia and find what you've been searching for today!

jumpin' jack flash...drive?

Just what is a JumpDrive?

A jumpdrive or flash storage unit is a media device that plugs in to your computer's USB connection. It's kind-of like a portable floppy drive or portable external hard drive. When you connect the drive to you pc's USB connection, it appears as a drive on 'My Computer' and once it does, you can drag and drop files onto the drive just as you would normally copy files to another drive. The thing is, they are very small and powerful drives that are about the size of a lipstick you can easily carry in your briefcase or purse. You can buy them in many different storage capacity sizes and take your files from your work pc to your home pc and vice versa. It's a very handy little device for users who need to transfer data from one pc to another, then back.

resizing groups of photos all in one shot

Photo Tip
Do you ever have a ton of photos that you need to resize so you can upload them and not take up all your bandwidth? Most digital cameras that are available now have the capability of taking poster size photographs if you wanted to print them that large. With the increase in Megapixel rating on the digital cameras out there now, also comes a large increase in the file size and storage space required to save or email the files. I have a tip that I use when my camera is loaded with images that I've taken at a very high resolution, but need to upload them onto a server and decrease the size. When you download the pictures from you camera to your pc, save them, then select them all, right click on 1 of the pics, then choose 'Send to,' then 'Mail Recipient.' If you're running XP, a box will come up that allows you to make all the pictures smaller, choose this or choose 'show me more options' and from there, either choose small, medium, or large (I usually choose large or medium). Once you've done this, all the pics you selected will attach themselves to the email. Then, you simply email the photos to yourself and when you get the email, you have all the same photos in smaller file size that's easier and quicker to upload to the web and certain other applications!

keyboard malfunctioning - what to do?

Why should I clean my keyboard?
Because dirt, dust, hair, cookie crumbs, etc, can build up causing the keyboard to malfunction.

How to clean the keybord: Some people clean their keyboard by turning it upside down and shaking it to let whatever debris has lodged itself under the keys fall out onto the desktop. A better way to do this is to blow the keyboard out using compressed air. Compressed air is pressurized air inside a can that has an optional tube attached to the side (usually with tape) kind of like WD-40 (don't use that on your keyboard, though)... All you need to do is turn the keyboard upside down then aim the air between the keys and blow away all of the dust and debris that has gathered there. You can use a vacuum cleaner, but be careful that you don't suck up any of your keys!

Another reason to clean your keyboard is to ward off germs especially if you have more than 1 user on a particular PC. You need to turn the system off first, then spray a disinfectant on a cloth and wipe the keyboard and allow to dry. Don't spray anything directly on your keyboard (or any other part of your system, either)...

nasty computer viruses...

Why do people create computer viruses? You tell me and we'll both know...

from Wikipedia.com
A computer virus is a self-replicating computer program written to alter the way a computer operates, without the permission or knowledge of the user. Though the term is commonly used to refer to a range of malware, a true virus must replicate itself, and must execute itself. The later criteria is often met by a virus which replaces existing executable files with a virus-infected copy. While viruses can be intentionally destructive—destroying data, for example—some viruses are benign or merely annoying.

I've had a few computer viruses over the years and they are definitely annoying and sometimes can wreak havoc on your system, but the best way to combat the problem is to have an antivirus program running with up-to-date definitions!

Some free versions of antivirus programs are available at:
AVG Antivirus
Avast Antivirus
Avira AntiVir Antivirus

urban legends, email hoaxes, and Internet lore - oh my!

Urban Legends & Internet Lore
Is Penny Brown still missing? Is Bill Gates giving away his fortune? Did those 2 guys really catch that catfish? What about President Bush fishing in flooded New Orleans after Katrina. We get these emails all too often that clog our inbox and spark fear or wonder in us...It's time to stop the madness!

Before you forward that email about the Giant Cat or the Shark attacking the helicopter, check the email's validity at urban legends on the about.com website. They have a Top 25 list of the most popular topics for the past week, a search you can perform to find an urban legend, myth or hoax, and while you're there, take the quiz to test your knowledge - is it real or is it fake? You'll be surprised how many of these things you've received in your inbox and about.com will give you the information you need to find out if it's true or not.

xm radio and xm online

Do you have an XM Radio in your car?

I'm currently leasing a 2005 Honda Accord which came with an XM satellite radio. I love the variety of the channels and the commercial free music channels. I'm also a NASCAR fan, so the NASCAR channel is great to listen to when I'm on my way home on any Sunday afternoon - I don't have to keep looking for a station broadcasting the race on the FM dial since XM doesn't lose signal.

If you have an XM radio subscription, you can also login to the website and listen to the channels through your PC. The channel lineup displays what songs/programs are currently playing and you can also create a preset lineup of your favorite stations! I have a pretty good speaker setup with subwoofer, so it sounds pretty good!

basic pc health and preventive maintenance

I really need to get started posting regularly to this blog, but am finding it difficult to manage my time between 2 jobs, 2 kids, 1 husband, 2 stepchildren, 1 grandson, a dog, a cat, etc...

the list just goes on and on and on...

one thing that has caused me to lose a great deal of time is trying to clean off all the junk that has a way of infiltrating my kids computers. Once about every 2-4 months, one of them has a crisis and can't get on the Internet; we have 4 pc's running on a wireless network in our home. When this happens, I have to reverse engineer what they've done then spend hours upon hours attempting to repair the problem or restore the system.

Here are some basic things you need to keep your computer healthy and running smoothly:

1. Install antivirus software and keep it updated!

2. Make sure that system restore is turned on if you are running Windows XP

3. Use a firewall like ZoneAlarm, or if you're not sure how to do that, at least turn the XP built-in firewall on.

4. Install an ad removal program like AdAware and/or Spybot Search and Destroy and update and run them regularly to make sure you're pc is not being bomarded with spyware and adware. These can cause your system to run slowly because some malicious spyware/adware actually runs processes in the background.

5. Keep your Windows Operating System up to date - turn on the automatic notifications and install the updates as soon as they are available.

More to come...

I do have a purpose, here...really!

this blog was created as a place to store interesting computer, Internet, pc security, pc repair, web design, and any other computer realated tidbits, info or stories that I run across or think about. Please feel free to comment and/or send me information you feel may be relative to this blog.