Tuesday, June 30, 2009

ASUS N10Jc-A1

ASUS N10Jc-A1
ASUS N10Jc-A1 : Angle ASUS N10Jc-A1 : Front ASUS N10Jc-A1 : Right

Since their inception, netbooks have followed a simple common blueprint with definable characteristics. They generally weigh under 3 pounds, cost less than $500, and cram in basic parts—small battery, integrated graphics, and a conservative feature set. With the ASUS N10Jc-A1 ($650 street), you can throw this blueprint out the window. It's essentially a netbook on steroids, with uncharacteristic features like switching graphics, a standard six-cell battery, and an HDMI port. Though ASUS, departing from its netbook naming convention, left off the "EeePC" (a brand synonymous with netbooks), the N10Jc still has strong ties to the netbook family. Its feature set and long battery life will appeal to small-business users and anyone looking for a little more in a netbook.

AsusTek Computer Inc.

http://www.asus.com

Spec Data
  • Price as Tested: $650.00 Street
  • Type: General Purpose, Ultraportable, Value, Small Business, Netbook
  • Operating System: MS Windows XP Home
  • Processor Name: Intel Atom N270
  • Processor Speed: 1.6 GHz
  • RAM: 1 GB
  • Weight: 3.5 lb
  • Screen Size: 10.2 inches
  • Screen Size Type: widescreen
  • Graphics Card: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
  • Storage Capacity: 160 GB
  • Networking Options: 802.11g
  • Primary Optical Drive: External

HP Mini 1000

HP Mini 1000
HP Mini 1000 : Angle HP Mini 1000 : Front HP Mini 1000 : Left

Hewlett-Packard was one of the first companies to join the netbook revolution. In response to ASUS' Eee PC 4G, it quickly launched the HP 2133 Mini-Note PC, which I reviewed this past April. HP's latest netbook, the Mini 1000 ($550 direct), is modeled after the polished look of HP's Pavilion line and includes the Intel Atom platform. More so than HP's first effort, the new Mini 1000 better fits in with current netbook offerings such as the Lenovo IdeaPad S10, the MSI Wind, and Acer Aspire One. Whereas the Mini-note was primarily geared towards grade-schoolers and was pricey ($749 direct), the Mini 1000 will appeal to anyone looking for a solid, totable laptop for light-duty office and Internet tasks.

Hewlett-Packard Company

http://www.hp.com

Spec Data
  • Price as Tested: $550.00 Direct
  • Type: General Purpose, Ultraportable, Value, Netbook
  • Operating System: MS Windows XP Home
  • Processor Name: Intel Atom N270
  • Processor Speed: 1.6 GHz
  • RAM: 1 GB
  • Weight: 2.5 lb
  • Screen Size: 10.2 inches
  • Screen Size Type: widescreen
  • Graphics Card: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
  • Storage Capacity: 60 GB
  • Networking Options: 802.11g
  • Primary Optical Drive: External

Monday, June 29, 2009

Planning Hardware Logistics and Power Infrastructure

I agree that hardware logistics is one important things. That is not simple. There are many factor that we must considering to distribute hardware logistics. We must have good plans and perfect scenario before we distribute hardware logistic. First, we must determine whether our infrastructure is equipped to handle the new or additional computers we intend to deploy. It's very important for us to plan it. And the second things, how about power infrastructure? The electrical systems of many older buildings were not designed for modern computing environments. Even if we’re using infrastructure that supported our previous computing resources, we should double-check the power requirements for our new hardware and make sure that our infrastructure can handle the load. And we know we need good management for hardware logistic. To ensure the continued health of our deployed computers, we should develop usage policies and a plan to enforce those policies.
And the number three is about usage policies. The larger the number of deployed systems, the more rules need to be in place to keep problems under control. Thus, smaller organizations tend to have more liberal usage policies, and larger organizations tend to require more control. Also, different types of users often require different usage policies.

Web Directories

If you have a new site or blogs, the next your needed is make your site or blogs SEO friendly. Why? Because if your site or blogs does'nt SEO friendly, your site or blogs will have no traffic. If it happens, it's very poor for you. And the next questions is how to make your site or blogs SEO friendly? Is it difficult? Offcourse not. It's easy, very easy. I'll tell you about that.

There are many ways to make your blogs SEO friendly. You can registering your blog to famous search engine such as Google, Yahoo, MSN, Altavista and many others. You can make link exchange with another famous blog, too. Offcourse with another blogs that have similar topic with your blogs. And another way that you can do is registering your blog to web directories. There are many web directories online that you can choose.

DMOZ is one of the famous web directories. You can put your blog here for free, but don't forget to choose the related topic with your blog. Another famous web directories is Yahoo Directories. You can put your blogs here. Needs more web directories? Don't worry. Here they are. Jasmine Directory is one of the another SEO friendly web directory that you can choose to put your site or blogs. You can choose the right category that similar with your site or blogs. And you will get more traffic to your site or blog. And the next web directory that you can choose is Max Directory, one of the right choise for you. Just believe me. Try to registering your site or blogs there and get more and more traffic to your site or blogs.

MSI Wind U120

MSI Wind U120



The newest version of the MSI Wind is just over 10-inches in length, 7-inches in width and is 1.3-inches thick at its thickest point. Weighing in at around 3 pounds, the U120 is designed for portability without sacrificing performance. The Wind U120 will feature Intel WiMAX Technology or 3.5G Solution (optional), offering users the ability to connect in more places and work online at faster speeds. MSI also included a spacious 160 GB SATA 2.5 inch hard drive, 3 USB ports, a 4-1 card reader and ships the Wind U120 with either standard or retractable mouse for users who prefer not to use the touch pad.

Micro-Star International Co Ltd (MSI)

http://www.msicomputer.com

Spec Data
  • Price as Tested:
  • Type: Ultraportable, Value
  • Operating System: MS Windows XP Home
  • Processor Speed: 1.6 GHz
  • RAM: 1 GB
  • Weight: 2.6 lb
  • Screen Size: 10 inches
  • Screen Size Type: standard
  • Graphics Card: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
  • Storage Capacity: 160 GB
  • Networking Options: 802.11b, 802.11g, Bluetooth

Sunday, June 28, 2009

ASUS EeePC 1002HA

Asus EeePC 1002HA
ASUS EeePC 1002HA : Front ASUS EeePC 1002HA : Top ASUS EeePC 1002HA : Back

The name EeePC doesn't exactly roll off your tongue, but it's the brand most synonymous with oh-so-popular netbooks. The craze for these diminutive laptops all started with the EeePC 4G, which launched about a year ago, and today ASUS has the most netbook variants—at least nine. The ASUS EeePC 1002HA ($500 street) is yet another twist on the pioneer netbook model. At a time when everyone else is going with either white or a colored frame, the 1002HA now sports a more elegant, gunmetal-hued look. And the meager parts that were used for the EeePC 4G—the 4GB SSD drive and Celeron M processor—have now flowered into a 160GB hard drive and an Intel Atom processor. It's easily one of the top choices for a netbook, although the MSI Wind still has the upper hand.

AsusTek Computer Inc.

http://www.asus.com

Spec Data
  • Price as Tested: $499.00 List
  • Type: General Purpose, Ultraportable, Value, Netbook
  • Operating System: MS Windows XP Home
  • Processor Name: Intel Atom N270
  • Processor Speed: 1.6 GHz
  • RAM: 1 GB
  • Weight: 2.7 lb
  • Screen Size: 10.2 inches
  • Screen Size Type: widescreen
  • Graphics Card: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
  • Storage Capacity: 160 GB
  • Networking Options: 802.11g
  • Primary Optical Drive: External

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Mengumpulkan Dollar dengan Berbagi File

Hampir sama dengan Ziddu, kita akan dibayar untuk setiap download oleh netter. Bedanya kalo di Ziddu kita dibayar $0,001 per download, di ShareCash kita akan dibayar $0,06 per download. Jadi jauh lebih besar. Caranya pun sama seperti Ziddu. Kita upload file sebanyak-banyaknya, baik itu file office, gambar, file, lagu dan lain-lain. Tampilkan linknya di blog/website kita dan berdoalah agar banyak yang download, karena semakin banyak yang download pendapatan kita akan semakin besar.Di sini juga tersedia program affiliasi. Kita akan dibayar untuk setiap anggota baru yang bergabung atas rekomendasi kita. Nah, makanya buruan. Upload file kamu dan kumpulkan dollar gratisnya.

DAFTAR GRATIS DI SINI.

Dollar Gratis dari TrafficNowFire

Satu lagi peluang bisnis online saya temukan. Situs ini seperti Vinefire. Cara kerjanya juga mirip. Tugas kita hanya mengklik link iklan yang ada, atau juga memberikan vote up down, mengerjakan offers, membuat offers, dan menambahkan link. Cuma bedanya, kalo di TrafficNowFire kita dapatnya point. Kemudian poin ini bisa kita tukarkan dengan dollar. Nilai pointnya adalah $0,25 per 25.000 point. Cara yang paling cepat adalah dengan mengerjakan offers members karena nilainya bisa mencapai 100.000 point untuk 1 offers.Tertarik? Gabung di sini. Gratis !!!

Gateway MD7801u

Gateway MD7801u
Gateway MD7801U : Anlge Gateway MD7801U : Right Gateway MD7801U : Top

It's slightly misleading to call the Gateway MD7801u ($800 street) the budget version of the MC7803u, as they're both priced under $1,000—inexpensive for media center laptops. Their frames are beautifully designed, their features are ample, and their performance is more than satisfactory. The differences are subtle: The MC7803u has more bells and whistles, like a bigger glass screen, an illuminated keyboard, and a 3D graphics card. The MD7801u justified leaving those things out with a $200 lower price, so either one is a good choice.

Gateway Inc

http://www.gateway.com

Spec Data
  • Price as Tested: $800.00 Street
  • Type: General Purpose, Media, Value
  • Operating System: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
  • Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo T6400
  • Processor Speed: 2 GHz
  • RAM: 4 GB
  • Weight: 6.7 lb
  • Screen Size: 15.6 inches
  • Screen Size Type: widescreen
  • Graphics Card: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD
  • Storage Capacity: 500 GB
  • Networking Options: 802.11n
  • Primary Optical Drive: Dual-Layer DVD+/-RW

Friday, June 26, 2009

HP Mini 1000 Mi

HP Mini 1000 Mi
HP Mini 1000 Mi : Angle HP Mini 1000 Mi : Left HP Mini 1000 Mi : Angle

If Ubuntu is as foreign to you as Klingon, you probably found last year's initial crop of Linux-based netbooks far less appealing than their XP counterparts, which were released later by the likes of Acer, HP, and MSI. The open-source operating system may seem intimidating for the uninitiated, but a well-designed Linux build doesn't have to be. Linux offers plenty of advantages as a netbook platform: It requires less memory, taxes your processor less, and brings the cost down, to boot. (The base price for an XP system with the same specs is $20 more.) On a blind test, even the most code-phobic user might mistake HP's custom Ubuntu build for any old Media Center interface. Providing a seamless, user-friendly Linux experience is exactly where the new Mi (Mobile Internet) edition of the HP Mini 1000 ($424.99 direct) excels. Basically, it's the same gorgeous netbook we praised back in October, delivering an environment that's comfortable and familiar to longtime Windows users.

Hewlett-Packard Company

http://www.hp.com

Spec Data
  • Price as Tested: $425.00 Direct
  • Type: Gaming, Ultraportable, Value, Netbook
  • Operating System: HP Mobile Internet (Linux)
  • Processor Name: Intel Atom N270
  • Processor Speed: 1.6 GHz
  • RAM: 1 GB
  • Weight: 2.5 lb
  • Screen Size: 10.1 inches
  • Screen Size Type: widescreen
  • Graphics Card: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
  • Storage Capacity: 60 GB
  • Networking Options: 802.11g

Thursday, June 25, 2009

AntiVirus Warning

Written By:
Dawn Gray

It is a sad day when the antivirus software
messes up your computer more than the @#$& virus
you got in yesterday's email. The more complex
antivirus software gets, the more it becomes
like a virus itself. In honor of my recent
discovery of a new problem with my antivirus
program, here are a few pitfalls of popular (and
not so popular) programs:

1. "Norton Crash Guard crashes my computer."

This is the first problem I noticed with
Symantec's popular suite of computer protective
software. Norton Crash Guard immediately forced
my brother's new Compaq computer even with
errors that would normally just shut down the
program involved. (That was just the worse case.)

On other computers, loading Crash Guard slowed
down the computer so much I felt compelled to
take it off.

2. "Norton AntiVirus is keeping me from
accessing the internet."

When I first installed Norton AntiVirus, I had
to call our internet service provider AND Eudora
in order to access email again. It turns out the
program tries to route all email through their
server to check for viruses. You have to go into
your preferences and reset them in a way that
will work with your internet service provider.

I'm not the only one, either! I recently
received a message from a direct mail guru who
said he was offline for almost 12 hours because
he loaded Norton AntiVirus to delete a virus he
inadvertently picked up from an email message.

3. "Norton Systemworks is slowing down my
computer."

My Dad recently took a computer in because it
was having some problems. The technician told
him they recommended everyone uninstall the
Norton Systemworks computer monitor (the little
window that tells you how much your drive is
fragmented, how much of your CPU you're using,
etc.).

They claim the little box does nothing Windows
doesn't already and slows your computer down
10%! (I believe them. I remember how much faster
the computers were before we loaded it, and my
computer at home has been fine without it.)

4. "Internet Explorer (IE) won't work!"

This was my big problem for over a year. It
started (coincidentally) about the same time I
loaded Netscape 4.7. I've heard of other people
having problems with Netscape and IE on the same
computer, so I assumed Netscape was the problem.

I tried installing Netscape and re-installing
it. I tried uninstalling IE and re-installing
it. Nothing worked.

Sunday night, my antivirus program (Aladdin's E-
Safe Desktop) gave me an error when IE
accidentally popped up. I unloaded the program,
and IE started to work! I don't know why I
didn't think of it before. I uninstalled the
program and now IE works fine.

IE has ActiveX, a language that has been found
capable of delivering viruses, and Microsoft is
constantly using it to send update information
to users. My virus protection software shut down
the program for my computer's own good!

5. "What about McAfee?"

Well, maybe McAfee is better. It's been working
okay on my computer for about a week now.
However, I've heard horror stories about them
from some of my subscribers as well! In the
past, I've had problems with updates.

"There's always hope!"

I polled my subscribers about the best antivirus solutions, and Trend
Software's PC-Cillan won. You can download their software (priced competitively
with Norton's AntiVirus and
McAfee's Virus Shield at http://www.trend.com/

One subscriber also recommended a free solution: AVG anti-virus from
http://www.grisoft.com

Good luck!


About the Author

Dawn Gray writes Busy Marketing Tips! Subscribe
today by emailing

subscribe@busymarketing.com
and get free
Search Engine Tips.

An Easy way to Deal with Email Viruses and Worms

Written By:
Heather Dickson

If you feel intimidated when someone tries to teach you something new on the computer, this article is for you!

In the course of my career, I’ve worked with many people who I knew were smart but were convinced that they couldn’t learn how to do new things on a computer. At some point, they’d convinced themselves that they weren’t one of those “computer people”. I would try to teach them how to do something that would make their work a lot easier or faster, and I could see them shut down immediately. “I can’t do stuff like that. I’m just not good at it.”

In a few cases, my colleagues were simply amazed that I knew how to do things like upload photos to the Internet or how to start a new folder in Windows. Some would tell me that I must have some special gift for technology. I would just laugh and tell them that nothing could be further from the truth! I have a degree in psychology. I’m not a math and science type of person, and if it weren’t for the patience of my tech-minded husband and friends, I never would have learned how to do these things.

The fact is, computers are such a part of our lives, that you can’t afford to think of yourself as not a “computer person”. The reason I think that a lot of people are intimidated when learning about computers is that so much of the instructions and directions are full of jargon and assume that people have as much technological knowledge as people who work with computers for a living.

I’m convinced that if I can do it, anyone else can do it too. All it takes is an open mind, confidence, and someone to explain things to you step by step in plain English.

---------------------

Aside from using anti-virus software, there is another way to keep some email viruses or worms from driving you crazy and clogging up your inbox. While the "Sobig" virus seems to have died down, there are sure to be some like it in the future. If you would like to prevent these bogus Emails from reaching your inbox, you can set up rules in Outlook or Outlook Express to send them directly to the delete folder.

Although the Sobig virus seems to be under control, it might be good practice to do this now. That way when the next big virus comes around, you'll be able to filter it out right away. It might seem like its difficult, but I know that anyone can do this. If you're smart enough to do your taxes and balance your checkbook, you can do this, trust me.

If you're using Outlook Express, go to Tools, then select "message rules" and then "mail". A box will pop up with buttons on the right side of the window. Hit the "new" button. Another box pops up with three windows. In the first box, click the box next to "Where the subject line contains specific words".

In the second box, click "delete it". Now in the third box it should say, "Apply this rule after the message arrives/Where the Subject line contains specific words/Delete it." Click on the words "contains specific words".

This is where you tell the program what words to look for in the subject line. It’s very important to remember that this is case sensitive, meaning that if you put "abc" in, it will only delete emails with "abc" in the subject, and not "ABC" or "Abc". For the Sobig virus, there were seven subject lines that were commonly used. If you would like to read more about this, go tohttp://www.webpro.com/iq/SobigF.asp The subject lines are:


  • That movie

  • Wicked screensaver

  • Your application

  • Approved

  • My details

  • Details

  • Your details

  • Thank you


It’s a good idea to copy and paste the phrases above to make sure the capitalization is exactly the same. (copy=control C, Paste=Control V)

Enter the first phrase into the box and then click on the "add" button to the right. That phrase will appear in the box below. You can add as many phrases as you'd like, clicking "add" after each one. When you're done, hit "ok" Then hit "ok" again.

At this point, we are back to one box open with buttons on the right. Be sure to click the "apply now" button if you want the rule to apply to the email that is already in your inbox as well as any future emails.

When you are done with that, click the "ok" button and you're finished.

If you use Outlook, the process is a little different.

First go to Tools, and then choose "Rules Wizard". Click on the "new" button on the right. It should say at the top of a new box "What type of rule would you like to create?" There will be a list of types of rules: you want to choose "Check messages when they arrive", which is at the top so it should already be highlighted. Simply click on "next".

The next box asks you "which conditions do you want to check?" with a list of choices, each with an empty box next to it. Scroll down until you get to "with specific words in the subject", and click the box in front of it.

Once you click it, you'll notice that "with specific words in the subject" appears in the box below. Click on the "specific words" in the lower box here to specify which words the program should look for.

This is where you tell the program what words to look for in the subject line. It’s very important to remember that this is case sensitive, meaning that if you put "abc" in, it will only delete emails with "abc" in the subject, and not "ABC" or "Abc".

For the Sobig virus, there were seven subject lines that were commonly used. If you would like to read more about this, go tohttp://www.webpro.com/iq/SobigF.asp The subject lines are:


  • That movie

  • Wicked screensaver

  • Your application

  • Approved

  • My details

  • Details

  • Your details

  • Thank you


A new box will pop up that says, "search text" at the top. Enter one of the phrases you want to filter out and click "add". You may enter as many phrases as you'd like, clicking "add" after each one. When you're finished, click "Ok". You'll be taken back to the previous box. Click "next" at the bottom.

At this point, you have two choices. You can either specify that these emails go into your delete file to be reviewed later, or you can specify that they be permanently deleted from Outlook so that you never see them. At this point, either click in the box next to "delete it", which simply moves it automatically to the delete folder, or click "permanently delete", which means that you will never see the email at all and won't be able to get it back.

Click "next" again and you're now at the exceptions box. I can see no reason to use the exceptions when dealing with the Sobig viruses and others like it. There might be a temptation to make an exception for people who are in your address book or close friends. But remember, a virus will take over someone else's address book and send you emails without the person ever knowing. Anyone in your address book could send you an infected email without knowing it. I recommend that you hit “next” without selecting any exceptions at this point.

In the next box, the program would like to know the name of the rule you've just created. You might want to call it "viruses #1" or something similar. Click finish after naming your rule. At this point you have another choice: you can apply the rule you just created to the mail already in your inbox, or you can choose to have it apply only to the incoming mail from now on. Choose either "run now" or "ok".

You're finished. That wasn't SO hard, was it? You might even want to set up some more rules to help you organize your inbox or to filter out spam or unwanted email.

-------------------

Some more information about attachments and viruses/worms:

Email viruses and worms almost always are transmitted through attachments. Remember after the Anthrax scare in the US a couple of years ago when everyone was very picky about what mail they accepted and opened? Anything that looked suspicious or didn't have a return address wasn't opened.

Think about attachments in the same way. If you get email from someone you don't know, don't open the attachment! If the email doesn't say anything personal to you or use your real name, don't open the attachment. You can always send an email back to that person asking them about who they are or what the attachment is for if you're in doubt.

What you need to know about the difference between spam and viruses:

Recently online I've seen a couple of people referring to the emails they get from viruses as spam. If you want to impress your friends and coworkers with your technological savvy, you need to know that spam is unwanted and unsolicited email you get for a commercial purpose. The intention of the email is commercial. Someone wants you to buy something, be a part of their program or visit their website.

Email you get because of viruses is technically not spam. Although it is unwanted, its intention is not to advertise or market anything, it’s simply a nuisance created by someone with too much time on his or her hands!

Also keep in mind that viruses commonly get into people's address books and send out automatic emails to everyone on the list. Your friends and relatives are not sending you infected email on purpose.

Heather Dickson is the owner of Virtuassist.net, a virtual assistant practice. She is a member of the International Virtual Assistants Association and a Certified Real Estate Support Specialist. Heather lives in Missouri with her husband and four cats.


heather@virtuassist.net

All About Computer Viruses

Written By:
Kara Glover

Your computer is as slow as molasses. Your mouse freezes every 15 minutes, and that Microsoft Word program just won’t seem to open.

You might have a virus.

Just what exactly is a virus? What kind is in your computer? How did it get there? How is it spreading and wreaking such havoc? And why is it bothering with your computer anyway?

Viruses are pieces of programming code that make copies of themselves, or replicate, inside your computer without asking your explicit written permission to do so. Forget getting your permission down on paper. Viruses don’t bother to seek your permission at all! Very invasive.

In comparison, there are pieces of code that might replicate inside your computer, say something your IT guy thinks you need. But the code spreads, perhaps throughout your office network, with your consent (or at least your IT guy’s consent). These types of replicating code are called agents, said Jimmy Kuo, a research fellow with McAfee AVERT, a research arm of anti-virus software-maker McAfee Inc.

In this article, though, we’re not talking about the good guys, or the agents. We’ll be talking about the bad guys, the viruses.

A long, long time ago in computer years, like five, most viruses were comprised of a similar breed. They entered your computer perhaps through an email attachment or a floppy disk (remember those?). Then they attached themselves to one of your files, say your Microsoft Word program.

When you opened your Microsoft Word program, the virus replicated and attached itself to other files. These could be other random files on your hard drive, the files furthest away from your Microsoft Word program, or other files, depending on how the virus writer wanted the virus to behave.

This virus code could contain hundreds or thousands of instructions. When it replicates it inserts those instructions, into the files it infects, said Carey Nachenberg, Chief Architect at Symantec Research Labs, an arm of anti-virus software-maker Symantec. Corp.

Because so many other types of viruses exist now, the kind just described is called a classic virus. Classic viruses still exist but they’re not quite as prevalent as they used to be. (Perhaps we could put classic viruses on the shelf with Hemingway and Dickens.)

These days, in the modern era, viruses are known to spread through vulnerabilities in web browsers, files shared over the internet, emails themselves, and computer networks.

As far as web browsers are concerned, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer takes most of the heat for spreading viruses because it’s used by more people for web surfing than any other browser.

Nevertheless, “Any web browser potentially has vulnerabilities,” Nachenberg said.

For instance, let’s say you go to a website in IE you have every reason to think is safe, Nachenberg said.

But unfortunately it isn’t. It has virus code hidden in its background that IE isn’t protecting you from. While you’re looking at the site, the virus is downloaded onto your computer, he said. That’s one way of catching a nasty virus.

During the past two years, another prevalent way to catch a virus has been through downloads computer users share with one another, mostly on music sharing sites, Kuo said. On Limewire or Kazaa, for instance, teenagers or other music enthusiasts might think they’re downloading that latest Justin Timberlake song, when in reality they’re downloading a virus straight into their computer. It’s easy for a virus writer to put a download with a virus on one of these sites because everyone’s sharing with everyone else anyway.

Here’s one you might not have thought of. If you use Outlook or Outlook Express to send and receive email, do you have a preview pane below your list of emails that shows the contents of the email you have highlighted? If so, you may be putting yourself at risk.

Some viruses, though a small percentage according to Nachenberg, are inserted straight into emails themselves.

Forget opening the attachment. All you have to do is view the email to potentially get a virus, Kuo added. For instance, have you ever opened or viewed an email that states it’s “loading”? Well, once everything is “loaded,” a virus in the email might just load onto your computer.

So if I were you, I’d click on View on the toolbar in your Outlook or Outlook Express and close the preview pane. (You have to click on View and then Layout in Outlook Express.)

On a network at work? You could get a virus that way. Worms are viruses that come into your computer via networks, Kuo said. They travel from machine to machine and, unlike, the classic viruses, they attack the machine itself rather than individual files.

Worms sit in your working memory, or RAM, Nachenberg said.

OK, so we’ve talked about how the viruses get into a computer. How do they cause so much damage once they’re there?

Let’s say you’ve caught a classic virus, one that replicates and attacks various files on your computer. Let’s go back to the example of the virus that initially infects your Microsoft Word program.

Well, it might eventually cause that program to crash, Nachenberg said. It also might cause damage to your computer as it looks for new targets to infect.

This process of infecting targets and looking for new ones could eventually use up your computer’s ability to function, he said.

Often the destruction a virus causes is pegged to a certain event or date and time, called a trigger. For instance, a virus could be programmed to lay dormant until January 28. When that date rolls around, though, it may be programmed to do something as innocuous but annoying as splash popups on your screen, or something as severe as reformat your computer’s hard drive, Nachenberg said.

There are other potential reasons, though, for a virus to cause your computer to be acting slow or in weird ways. And that leads us to a new segment – the reason virus writers would want to waste their time creating viruses in the first place.

The majority of viruses are still written by teenagers looking for some notoriety, Nachenberg said. But a growing segment of the virus-writing population has other intentions in mind.

For these other intentions, we first need to explain the “backdoor” concept.

The sole purpose of some viruses is to create a vulnerability in your computer. Once it creates this hole of sorts, or backdoor, it signals home to mama or dada virus writer (kind of like in E.T.). Once the virus writer receives the signal, they can use and abuse your computer to their own likings.

Trojans are sometimes used to open backdoors. In fact that is usually their sole purpose, Kuo said.

Trojans are pieces of code you might download onto your computer, say, from a newsgroup. As in the Trojan War they are named after, they are usually disguised as innocuous pieces of code. But Trojans aren’t considered viruses because they don’t replicate.

Now back to the real viruses. Let’s say we have Joe Shmo virus writer. He sends out a virus that ends up infecting a thousand machines. But he doesn’t want the feds on his case. So he instructs the viruses on the various machines to send their signals, not of course to his computer, but to a place that can’t be traced. Hotmail email happens to be an example of one such place, Kuo said.

OK, so the virus writers now control these computers. What will they use them for?

One use is to send spam. Once that backdoor is open, they bounce spam off of those computers and send it to other machines, Nachenberg said.

That’s right. Some spam you have in your email right now may have been originally sent to other innocent computers before it came to yours so that it could remain in disguise. If the authorities could track down the original senders of spam, they could crack down on spam itself. Spam senders don’t want that.

Ever heard of phishing emails? Those are the ones that purport to be from your internet service provider or bank. They typically request some information from you, like your credit card number. The problem is, they’re NOT from your internet service provider or your bank. They’re from evil people after your credit card number! Well, these emails are often sent the same way spam is sent, by sending them via innocent computers.

Of course makers of anti-virus software use a variety of methods to combat the onslaught of viruses. Norton, for instance, uses signature scanning, Nachenberg said.

Signature scanning is similar to the process of looking for DNA fingerprints, he said. Norton examines programming code to find what viruses are made of. It adds those bad instructions it finds to its large database of other bad code. Then it uses this vast database to seek out and match the code in it with similar code in your computer. When it finds such virus code, it lets you know!

©2004 by Kara Glover

Feel Free to reprint this article in newsletters and on websites, with resource box included. If you use this article, please send a brief message to let me know where it appeared: kara333@earthlink.net

Kara Glover is a Computer Tutor and Troubleshooter. You can find her articles and tutorials on topics such as Microsoft Word®, Excel®, and PowerPoint® on her website: http://www.karathecomputertutor.com

kara333@earthlink.net

A Beginner's Guide to Avoiding Viruses

Written By:
Jesse S. Somer

“Aaaaaahhhhhh! I’ve been invaded by a virus!” Getting a virus means getting sick and no one in their right mind wants to be ill. Well, now that computers have become our close friends, it’s a shock to learn that foreign bodies too can invade them with malicious intent. No, your computer doesn’t get a runny nose or diarrhea. This is a sickness that stops your friend from functioning properly, sick in bed, incapacitated.

Well in Nature viruses occur from a power outside of our control. But, with computers it’s different, humans, mean or ignorant humans are creating these viruses. Why? Usually these are disgruntled people who want to wreak some havoc on others or companies that they feel have done wrong to them. In any case we have to be in the know and prepared to deal with these debilitating scourges.

There are many ways to approach the protection of your computer. First of all there’s the step of awareness. Be aware of how viruses are transmitted. You can catch them from a disc but in most cases it is through your email system. Check your email carefully. Be very wary of anything that has an attachment. Check whom it’s from and look at the title of the mail, is it something you were expecting? Even if it’s from someone you know, be careful as their computer could be infected and the virus being transmitted without their knowledge.

Next, read the cover message, you can’t catch the disease without actually opening the message. Look at the name of the attachment; remember viruses are written to entice you. Beware of free offers and generally anything from people you don’t know, as well as messages that sound irrelevant to your contact’s usual style. Delete them straight away. Delete, delete, delete. This will ensure you of a lower risk of infection. You can even send the message back to the sender without opening it to make sure it is valid.

Now for the heavy protection: Virus scanning and virus protection software, and rescue discs are all readily available and easily utilized. Some are free, and others are obtained for a very small charge. Most software manufacturers offer subscriptions for updating services, which automatically download protection to the latest viruses.

There are two main types of virus scanning software: one searches through your entire computer files looking for recognizable viral signatures, the other scans your incoming and outgoing emails. Alerts will show you when a file needs to be erased or repaired. If you do receive a virus that none of the software can repair you can send a copy of it to a company like Symantec who will be happy to develop a cure for it.

The main message here is not to get too worried about your good friend Mrs. PC getting ill or sick. The humans are on top of the case and they seem much better adapted at fixing their technology than they are at beating the viruses that attack our physical bodies. If only we could cure human virus and illness as easily as we solve the problem of computer sickness.

Jesse S. Somer


M6.Net


http://www.m6.net

Jesse S. Somer is an analyst hoping to show fellow humans how far the computer age has come in terms of its strengths and weaknesses.


9 Steps to Protect your MS Windows System from Viruses

Written By:Evgeny Kovalenko

Nowadays as the Internet and other networks are greatly developed computer viruses are distributed rapidly and intensively. Everyday several new viruses capable to damage considerably your computer system arise. Anti-virus specialists work hardly to make updates their software against new viruses as soon as possible. The viruses can get inside computer in different ways. That is why there is no simple method to protect system. Only series of measures can give you reliable protection from the infection. Below are 9 steps to protect MS Windows based PC system from viruses.
1. Make regular backups. It should be said that there is no absolutely safe way of protection. Virus creators regularly find holes in new computer products to use them for infection of computer systems. Some dangerous viruses can considerably damage data files or even erase entire file system. Make regular backups of your data files to separate file storage device. It can be separate hard drive, flash card, compact disc or another file storage device which you choose. To ease the procedure you can use some automatic backup software. And be ready if the system will die because of virus infection.
2. Be ready to reinstall your system if it dies because of viruses. Get distributives of your operation system and distributives of software which you use and keep them together, for instance, on a set of CDs not far away from you. In this case if virus infection will cause unrecoverable system failure you can rapidly reinstall your working medium.
3. Protect your network connection with Firewall. Firewall is a software which blocks suspicious potentially dangerous connections to preventing viruses from network to penetrate into your system. Windows XP system has quit simple but reliable built-in firewall. You can enable it as follows. 1) in Control Panel, double-click Networking and Internet Connections, and then click Network Connections. 2) Right-click the connection on which you would like to enable firewall, and then click Properties. 3) On the Advanced tab, check the option to Protect my computer and network.
If you need more flexible control of connections with network you can get and install more advanced firewall software like Norton Personal Firewall or Outpost Firewall. If you use this software you have ability to permit or to block particular connections and to monitor network activity.
4. Use antivirus software. Install antivirus software which will scan your system searching and erasing viruses on a regular basis. Leaders in antivirus software products for Windows systems are Norton Antivirus, McAfee, Kaspersky Anti-Virus and PC-cilin.
5. Regularly update operating system. Windows XP has built-in automatic update service. It regularly contacts Microsoft server to find updates and notifies you if updates are ready to be installed. Updates are important because hackers regularly find holes in operating system which are often used by virus creators.
6. Don't install and don't run suspicious software. Check new programs which you are going to install with anti-virus software. Don't download software from suspicious websites. To download software always seek website of software creator or official distributor. Do not open applications received by email from unknown persons.
7. Limit access to your computer. Protect enter to system with password.
8. If you use Internet Explorer, consider moving to another browser. As IE is the most distributed browser today virus creators actively use defects in its security system to infect computers. Infection may arise if you will visit webpage which contains invisible harmful code. You are more safe if you use less known browser only because virus creators do not pay much attention to it. Major IE competitors Firefox and Opera browsers provide now the same comfortable interface and range of services for working on the Web.
9. Use spam protection. Viruses are often distributed via email. Switch on spam filters in your email box to block spam receiving. If you need assistance with using of the filters you can ask your email service provider. About the Author
Evgeny Kovalenko is the Editor of FSSD computer software directorywith free submission service for software developers and distributors.

Stanford Wong

Stanford Wong - Blackjack Hall of Fame

Stanford Wong self-published his first book, Professional Blackjack, in 1975. It was later published by the Gambler's Book Club in Las Vegas, then revised and expanded numerous times and published by Wong's own company, Pi Yee Press.

Wong is widely regarded as one of the sharpest analysts of systems and methods for beating the casinos. In Professional Blackjack, he described a never-before-revealed table-hopping style of playing shoe games, a method of play now known as wonging. Professional Blackjack had a profound impact on serious players because it provided card counters with an easy yet powerful method for attacking the abundant four-deck shoe games that had taken over Las Vegas. Many pros still think of card-counting opportunities as "pre-Wong" and "post-Wong."

In his second book, Blackjack in Asia-a book priced at $2,000 and one of the rarest gambling books sought by collectors today - Wong discusses the unique blackjack games he had discovered in Asian casinos as a professional player, along with the optimum strategies he had devised for beating them. The book also included underground advice for exchanging currencies in these countries on the black market, as well as an account of his own hassles with customs officials when he attempted to leave the Philippines with his winnings. Of all of Wong's books, this is my personal favorite, as it reveals more of his anti-establishment personality than any of his later books.

In 1980, Wong published Winning Without Counting, priced at $200, and again, on a personal note, this is my second favorite book by Wong (and another collector's item if you can find one). He not only discusses many hole card techniques that had never before been mentioned in print-s-front-loading, spooking, and warp play-but he also delved into many clearly illegal methods of getting an edge over the house, including various techniques of bet-capping, card switching, card mucking, etc. He was widely criticized by those in the casino industry for the amusing way in which he discussed and analyzed such techniques, but anyone with half a brain could see that he was merely informing players with a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor.

Wong subsequently published Tournament Blackjack (1987), Basic Blackjack (1992), Casino Tournament Strategy (1992), Blackjack Secrets (1993), and since 1979 has published various newsletters including Current Blackjack News, aimed at serious and professional players.

Mr. Stanford Wong is a life legend of blackjack and we highly recommend his website http://www.bj21.com/ to anyone seriously interested in blackjack game.

Ken Uston - Blackjack Hall of Fame

Ken Uston - Blackjack Hall of Fame

Uston appears on the scene in 1977 with the publication of The Big Player, co-authored with Roger Rapaport. In this book, Uston exposed the secrets of Al Francesco's big player teams. The book caused a quarrel between Al and Ken that lasted for years, as Al felt Ken had betrayed his trust as well as his teammates.

But there is no denying that the book caused an upheaval in the world of card counting, changing the ways that professionals looked at the game and attacked it. Three of the most successful international blackjack teams-the Tommy Hyland team, the MIT team, and the Czech team - all were founded in 1978, the year after Uston's book was published.

Al and Ken later patched up their relationship and Uston went on to start many international blackjack teams of his own. He was a personality on a grand scale, who legally challenged the casino industry in the courts of both New Jersey and Nevada. His playing career spanned two decades of play at the highest levels, and included card counting, BP teams, hole card techniques, and concealed computer play.

Ken is also the author of Two Books on Blackjack (1979), Million Dollar Blackjack (1981), and Ken Uston on Blackjack (1986).
Uston died in 1987 at the age of fifty-two.

HP Compaq 6530b

HP Compaq 6530b



The HP Compaq 6530b is a business travelers companion. This 14.1-inch form-factor is the smaller version of the new HP Compaq 6730b Notebook PC. Weighing in 0.5 lb lighter, it still packs the same great balance of Intel Core 2 Duo processor technology, HP Mobile Broadband and HP BIOS security features to be your next indispensible and trusted travelling companion.


Company

Hewlett-Packard Company

http://www.hp.com

Spec Data
  • Price as Tested: $649.00 List
  • Type: Ultraportable, Business
  • Operating System: Microsoft Windows Vista Business
  • Processor Speed: 1.66 GHz
  • Weight: 5.3 lb
  • Screen Size: 14.1 inches
  • Screen Size Type: widescreen
  • Graphics Card: Integrated Intel GMA X4500HD
  • Storage Capacity: 160 GB

HP Compaq 6530b

HP Compaq 6530b



The HP Compaq 6530b is a business travelers companion. This 14.1-inch form-factor is the smaller version of the new HP Compaq 6730b Notebook PC. Weighing in 0.5 lb lighter, it still packs the same great balance of Intel Core 2 Duo processor technology, HP Mobile Broadband and HP BIOS security features to be your next indispensible and trusted travelling companion.


Company

Hewlett-Packard Company

http://www.hp.com

Spec Data
  • Price as Tested: $649.00 List
  • Type: Ultraportable, Business
  • Operating System: Microsoft Windows Vista Business
  • Processor Speed: 1.66 GHz
  • Weight: 5.3 lb
  • Screen Size: 14.1 inches
  • Screen Size Type: widescreen
  • Graphics Card: Integrated Intel GMA X4500HD
  • Storage Capacity: 160 GB

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

ASUS EeePC 1000HE

ASUS EeePC 1000HE
ASUS EeePC 1000HE : Angle ASUS EeePC 1000HE : Camera ASUS EeePC 1000HE : Left

ASUS is well into double digits in the number of netbook variants it has launched, and this seasoning has finally paid off with its best one yet. What's more, the ASUS EeePC 1000HE ($400 street) dethrones the MSI Wind as the leader of the pack of pint-sized laptop wannabes. What puts it on top is not its use of the first-ever Intel Atom N280 processor or its elegantly tucked-away six-cell battery, or even its revamped keyboard. In a category where price sensitivity is paramount, the 1000HE is the new Editors' Choice because it delivers all of these things at a low price. For a limited time, you can even knock an additional $25 off by subscribing to ASUS's Facebook group, or by preordering the 1000HE through an e-tailer.

AsusTek Computer Inc.

http://www.asus.com

Spec Data
  • Price as Tested: $400.00 Street
  • Type: General Purpose, Ultraportable, Value, Netbook
  • Operating System: MS Windows XP Home
  • Processor Name: Intel Atom N280
  • Processor Speed: 1.66 GHz
  • RAM: 1 GB
  • Weight: 3.2 lb
  • Screen Size: 10.1 inches
  • Screen Size Type: widescreen
  • Graphics Card: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
  • Storage Capacity: 160 GB
  • Networking Options: 802.11n
  • Primary Optical Drive: External

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Acer Aspire One (10-inch)

Acer Aspire One (10-inch)
Acer Aspire One (10-inch) : Angle Acer Aspire One (10-inch) : Right Acer Aspire One (10-inch) : Top

By late last year, the Acer Aspire One had beat out ASUS's combined offerings to become the top-selling netbook—or so market research firm DisplaySearch concluded. The One's primacy has been confirmed by Amazon.com—which ranked it as its best seller over the Christmas holiday—as well as other sites that monitor laptop sales. The One reached this pinnacle despite a smaller-than-average (8.9-inch) screen and a pair of awkwardly placed mouse buttons, because it was (and still is) the most aggressively priced netbook around. The Acer Aspire One (10-inch) ($350 street) is the long-overdue update, and as its name implies, the screen size has finally caught up with its 10-inch peers. The mouse buttons, furthermore, have been relocated to their correct positions—beneath the touchpad. It's not the best-equipped netbook, now that the ASUS EeePC 1000HE has landed. But that shouldn't affect the One's blistering sales pace, because Acer addresses the most crucial part of a netbook: price.

Acer Inc.

http://www.acer.com

Spec Data
  • Price as Tested: $350.00 Street
  • Type: General Purpose, Ultraportable, Value, Netbook
  • Operating System: MS Windows XP Home
  • Processor Name: Intel Atom N270
  • Processor Speed: 1.6 GHz
  • RAM: 1 GB
  • Weight: 2.9 lb
  • Screen Size: 10.1 inches
  • Screen Size Type: widescreen
  • Graphics Card: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
  • Storage Capacity: 160 GB
  • Networking Options: 802.11g
  • Primary Optical Drive: External

Monday, June 22, 2009

MacBook Air- Apple Introduces The World’s Thinnest Notebook

Macbook_air_notenook

Apple CEO Steve Jobs proudly introduced the new, incredibly thin Macbook Air notebook during his Macworld keynote today. It takes the title of "world’s thinnest notebook" measuring just 0.16-inches at its thinnest point, and a maximum height of 0.76-inches.

Apple_macbook_air_laptop

In fact, Jobs brought the new MacBook Air on to the stage packed in a manila envelope to prove how thin it is.

Mac_book_air

Macbook Air (starting price: $1,799) is slim, but it's not slim on features. It has 13.3-inch LED-backlit widescreen display, a full-size and backlit keyboard, a built-in iSight video camera for video conferencing, plus a spacious trackpad with multi-touch gesture support, as seen on the iPhone, that lets users pinch, rotate and swipe, and five hours of battery life! Powered by a miniaturized 1.6 GHz or 1.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 4MB L2 cache, Mac Book Air includes 2GB of memory, an 80GB 1.8-inch hard drive, or optional 64GB solid state drive, speedy 802.11n Wi-Fi technology and Bluetooth 2.1.

Apple_macbook_air

Macbook_air

MacBook Air does not include an opticle drive, but you can buy the USB-powered companion MacBook Air SuperDrive for $99.Ports on the MacBook Air include a micro-DVI port for connecting displays and projectors via DVI, VGA, Composite and S-video adapters, and USB 2.0, and a headphone jack. Apple’s MagSafe 45 Watt Power Adapter is also included.

MacBook Air $1,799 configuration features:

* 13.3-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display with 1280x800 resolution;

* 1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 4MB L2 cache;

* 800 MHz front-side bus;

* 2GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM;

* 80GB hard disk drive with Sudden Motion Sensor;

* Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100;

* Micro-DVI port (includes Micro-DVI to VGA and Micro-DVI to DVI Adapters);

* built-in iSight video camera;

* built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;

* one USB 2.0 port;

* one headphone port;

* multi-touch TrackPad with support for advanced multi-touch gestures including tap, scroll, pinch, rotate and swipe; and

* 45 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter

Apple