Wi-Fi Hotspot Safety and Mac Viruses | Walt Mossberg | Mossberg's Mailbox | AllThingsD

Wi-Fi Hotspot Safety and Mac Viruses | Walt Mossberg | Mossberg's Mailbox | AllThingsD.

Q:

I have had a little disagreement with my IT guy. He says that when taking my laptop out in public, I should never type anything with passwords or confidential information. He says that someone can pick up my information. I say that I can’t believe that everyone in public is totally exposed. There must be some way to protect yourself while on a public network. Who is right?

A:

There’s no single correct answer. It’s true that thieves in public places can and do steal passwords and other sensitive information transferred over public Wi-Fi hotspots. But it’s also true that methods like Virtual Private Networks can mitigate this problem, and that most public hotspots are, just by the odds, unlikely to harbor these thieves at any one time. However, my advice is to avoid doing any sensitive tasks, like banking or stock trading, while using public hotspots. And, if you’re doing anything confidential on your company or home network remotely, use a VPN, which is like a secure tunnel through the internet.

Word Digit URL Password How-To | PCMech

Word + Digit+ URL = Password How-To | PCMech: "This tutorial is even simpler. It requires no password manager and all you have to remember is one word and one number, passwords are only 8 characters long and at the same time stay unique per each web site you use that requires user credentials."

Windows Tip-Change the look of your folders

1. In Windows Explorer, simply right click on any folder and choose properties (You can only change folders that you have created. For example you cannot change My Pictures,)
2. A dialog box will appear
3. Choose the Customize Tab
4. Then press on Choose Icon and browse for the icon you want to use
5. Then press apply and then OK

That’s it. Your icon will be on the folder.

Windows Tip-MASSIVE FILE RENAMING

You can now rename multiple files at once in Windows. Its real simple:

Select several files in Explorer, press F2 and rename one of those files to something else. All the selected files get renamed to the new file name (plus a number added to the end).

Windows Tip-Change Web Page Font Size on the Fly

If your mouse contains a wheel for scrolling, you can change font size on the fly when viewing a Web page. To do so:
 
Press and hold Ctrl. Scroll down (or towards yourself) to enlarge the font size. Scroll up (or away from yourself) to reduce the font size.

Edit AutoComplete Settings in Internet Explorer

Open up Internet Explorer and click on Tools>Internet Options.

On the Internet Options window, click on the Content tab and then on the Settings button in the AutoComplete section.

Remove all stored information by clicking on the Delete AutoComplete History.

Free PDF to Word Converter description, Word Processing Downloads List By 30 Day Change | PCWorld - PCWorld

Free PDF to Word Converter description, | PCWorld - PCWorld: "If you are working on a file in PDF format and you want to edit the file in Word, you can convert it to a Word document. Our Free PDF to Word Converter enable export the text, images and other contents from PDF document into word document, so you can reuse your PDF content. Free PDF to Word Converter will preserving text, layout and bitmap images in the generated word document. Free PDF to Word Converter is a standalone program and does not require Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat, or even Acrobat Reader. Free pdf to word, pdf to doc, pdf to rtf Converter!"

Outlook Duplicate Items Remover (ODIR) description, Spreadsheet Downloads List By 30 Day Change | PCWorld - PCWorld

Outlook Duplicate Items Remover (ODIR) : "Many people have found that duplicate information often shows up in Outlook--multiple copies of e-mails, contacts, and other information. It may happen because you've imported data from an earlier version of Outlook, or it may happen for no apparent reason. But no matter the reason, it happens, and it junks up Outlook.

The free Outlook Duplicate Items Remover solves the problem handily. It adds a new Outlook menu option called ODIR that will remove duplicates for you. Click the ODIR menu option, then choose Remove Duplicate Items, and select a folder where you want to remove duplicate items. Then click Remove Duplicate Items, and it looks for all duplicates in the folder. It thens kills the duplicates, but it also keeps a backup, in case you want to restore any."

Newegg.com - A-DATA 8GB Secure Digital High-Capacity (SDHC) Flash Card Model ASDH8GCL4-R

Newegg.com - A-DATA 8GB Secure Digital High-Capacity (SDHC) Flash Card Model ASDH8GCL4-R for $10: "As the demand for digital device storages continuously grows, the widely used SD memory card has evolved into the SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity), including a new interface that enables faster transfer rates and a higher memory capacity. The ADATA SDHC Class 4 supports all consumer digital devices that are".

Windows XP: Install Windows XP Home Edition Backup software

Windows XP: Install Windows XP Home Edition Backup software: "Computers, like any appliance, can break down or fail. To protect your important files from computer failure, you should make backup copies of your files. Each edition of Microsoft Windows XP—except Windows XP Home Edition—includes Windows Backup, a program that helps you save your files to an external disk. If you use Windows XP Home Edition, you can manually install Windows Backup."

The top 50 passwords you should never use | Naked Security

The top 50 passwords you should never use | Naked Security: "Are you one of the many people who is using a dangerously easy-to-guess password?

Maybe now's the time to fix that before it's too late.

Twitter, LinkedIn, World of Warcraft and Yahoo are amongst the popular websites which are advising users to change their passwords in light of the recent security breach at the Gawker Media family of sites.

The issue is that many people (33% in our research) use the same password on every single website. That means that if your password gets stolen in one place (like Gawker's Gizmodo or Lifehacker websites), it can be used to unlock access to other sites too."

How to open multiple Google user accounts on one computer

How to open multiple Google user accounts on one computer: "Wish you could log into multiple Google or Gmail accounts at the same time? Lately, I’ve been sharing my computer with my wife at home and one problem I’ve consistently run into is the fact that both of us have Gmail accounts and we’re constantly logging each other out in order to check mail! This is very annoying!

So how can you setup your computer so you can log into multiple Google profiles at once? There are actually a couple of ways you can go about this, each having it’s own advantages and disadvantages. Note that I am not talking about logging into multiple email accounts at one time, like Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo mail, etc."

If you want to see all of your separate email accounts at once, you can go to your Gmail settings and tell it to check all of the other accounts so you get your email in one place. I’m only talking about situations where one computer is being used by multiple people and each person needs to log into their own email.

Download free eBooks or create and publish an eBook

Download free eBooks or create and publish an eBook: "FeedBooks is a new site that is geared towards providing eBooks that can easily be viewed on eBook viewing devices, such as the Sony PRS-500, iLiad, PDF A4 format, or even a custom sized format for any eBook reader. Not only that, but you can also publish your own eBooks and share them with others or create eBook newspapers of multiple RSS feeds and widgets."

Turn Your Laptop, Netbook, or Desktop into an eBook Reader

Turn Your Laptop, Netbook, or Desktop into an eBook Reader: "So maybe Amazon Kindles and iPads are not your thing. However, you do take your laptop with you to school, work, when traveling, etc. If you’re looking to get some reading time in, you can easily turn your laptop, netbook, or desktop into a great eBook reader. The process is very easy and can add a sweet interface to your reading collection, rather than a bunch of PDF files and Adobe Reader."

There are four main eBook reading apps that should do the job nicely: Barnes and Nobles eBook Reader, Amazon Kindle for PC, Calibre, and Mobipocket Reader Desktop. They are all great, free applications that offer their own level of uniqueness and user interface.

One problem with using the Kindle for PC software is that it requires MOBI eBooks. It won’t read PDFs. Even if you try dragging a PDF eBook into the My Kindle Content folder, it still will not show up in the Home library screen. However, you can download the application Auto Kindle which will convert any PDF to MOBI. From there, you can read them using Kindle for PC, or transfer them to an actual Kindle if you own one.

IPhone and Android Apps Breach Privacy - WSJ.com

IPhone and Android Apps Breach Privacy - WSJ.com: "Few devices know more personal details about people than the smartphones in their pockets: phone numbers, current location, often the owner's real name—even a unique ID number that can never be changed or turned off."

These phones don't keep secrets. They are sharing this personal data widely and regularly, a Wall Street Journal investigation has found.

An examination of 101 popular smartphone "apps"—games and other software applications for iPhone and Android phones—showed that 56 transmitted the phone's unique device ID to other companies without users' awareness or consent. Forty-seven apps transmitted the phone's location in some way. Five sent age, gender and other personal details to outsiders.

Newegg.com - Acer G235HAbd 23'' 5ms 1920x1080 WideScreen LCD monitor 300 cd/m2 1000:1

Newegg.com - Acer G235HAbd 23'' 5ms 1920x1080 WideScreen LCD monitor 300 cd/m2 1000:1: for $140 and free shipping.

5 Egg Rating

Windows XP: Change the default opened folder in Windows Explorer

Windows XP: Change the default opened folder in Windows Explorer: Microsoft Windows Explorer, which is accessible through the Start menu, is the tool you use to look through the files and drives on your computer. When you start Windows Explorer from the Start menu, it opens your My Documents folder by default. However, a My Documents shortcut already exists on your Start menu. You can put the Windows Explorer shortcut to better use by changing it to display all top-level drives and folders on your system. This change will give you a broad, overall view of all your folders and files.

Windows XP: Set your windows so they all have the same view

Windows XP: Set your windows so they all have the same view: "Microsoft Windows XP lets you show the contents of folders in a variety of ways, such as a simple or detailed list of the files, or as thumbnail images. Each folder in My Computer or My Documents can have its own view. That’s useful for folders like My Music or My Pictures, because you can look at your digital photos in Thumbnails or Filmstrip view, and see your song titles in Tiles view. But changing the view for every folder can be time-consuming.

If you prefer to have all your folder contents displayed in a particular way, you can save yourself some time by changing the view for all the folders on your computer at once."

Teach Parents Tech

Teach Parents Tech Here is a site developed by a group of Google employees which is, as they put it “ designed to help “kids” teach their parents about computer basics.” The group has developed a series of 50 plus instructional videos, dealing with computer basics – the type of basic issues that often confuse new users.

Acer P205H 20 Widescreen LCD Monitor $69.98 AC (Starts Sunday 12/19) - dealspl.us

Acer P205H 20 Widescreen LCD Monitor $69.98 AC (Starts Sunday 12/19) - dealspl.us. Deal expires 12/20/10

Five last-minute gifts you can print at home | The Cheapskate - CNET News

Five last-minute gifts you can print at home | The Cheapskate - CNET News: "Well, here we are, just one week to go until the ho-ho-holiday. If you're a procrastinator like me, you might be scrambling to find a last-minute gift for, say, your trusty mail carrier, the kids' schoolteacher, or the office Secret Santa party.

No problem: all you need is a printer. The following stores let you print your own gift certificates for fast, easy, and downright special in-person giving:"

1. Amazon.com On any Amazon page, click the Gift Cards link, then choose Print a gift card. There's no longer a minimum, and you're not limited to increments: your certificate can be in the amount of, say, $27.09 if you want.

2. iCARD Formerly, Gifts.com, iCARD lets you buy certificates that can be redeemed for merchant gift cards. The extensive merchant list covers everything from AMC Theaters to L.L. Bean to Zappos. Alas, you're limited to a handful of amounts: $10, $25, $50, $75, and so on.

3. iTunes Obviously you can grab an iTunes gift card in just about any store on the planet, but did you know you can print your own? Just fire up iTunes, click Buy iTunes Gifts, and then choose Printable Gift Certificates. Amounts range from $10 to $50.

4. Netflix Netflix gift subscriptions start at $7.99 per month (down a buck from last year), and you can choose just about any duration you want: one month, three months, a year, etc. The $7.99 plan is for streaming only; if you want a DVD by mail as part of the gift mix, you'll need the $9.99/month plan.

5. Restaurant.com Once again, Restaurant.com is offering 80 percent off all its already discounted gift certificates (with coupon code PRESENT). That means you can get a $50 certificate for just $4, a $25 for certificate for $2, and so on. (I know the math seems weird, but trust me, it's right.) Even better, you can send a free $10 gift certificate to anyone and everyone on your list!

By the way, most of these gift certificates can also be e-mailed--perfect for last-minute gifts that can't be delivered in person. You know, for faraway relatives or, oh, beloved bloggers.

Disable delete confirmation dialog box in Windows XP or 7

Disable delete confirmation dialog box in Windows: The feature of Windows asking you if you really want to put the files in the Recycle Bin whenever you attempt to delete a file is to stop you from deleting a file by mistake or accident. The delete confirmation dialog box appears every time you give the command of deleting a file. However, there are times you are deleting many unnecessary files in order to clean up your hard drive. This delete confirmation dialog box will really bother you at such times and you would want to get rid of it as it takes up a lot of your time while you are deleting numerous files.

Follow these easy steps to disable delete confirmation dialog box :

1. Right-click on the Recycle Bin icon on the desktop.

2. Select Properties from the resulting menu. 

3. The Recycle Bin Properties dialog box will appear. Uncheck the Display delete confirmation dialog box at the bottom.

4. Click on the Apply and then the Ok button. 
 
The method to turn it on again is very simple too. Just follow the above steps and check the Display delete confirmation dialog box.

Tips & Tricks-Shortcuts

Put the Shut Down Icon on Your Desktop

Go to your desktop and right click somewhere clear then choose SHORTCUT from the NEW menu.
then enter:

1. shutdown -s -t 0
2. then click Next
3. then click Finish

For other things here are the codes:
Restart:  shutdown -r -t 0
Log-off: shutdown -l -t 0


To change the icon:

1. right click the new shortcut and open PROPERTIES
2. click the CHANGE ICON button
3. click OK from the next box (ignore any other comments, just click OK)
4. choose an icon
5. click OK
6. click OK again

It's done.

Tips & Tricks-Shortcuts

Do you find yourself hunting all over your hard drive to get from folder to folder, you can place a shortcut to the folders you use all the time on the desktop. Then, when you get to an Open dialog box, click the desktop icon (most dialog boxes have one - usually located next to the "location" drop box or along the side), then double-click the shortcut you created. Just like that you're in the folder you wanted.

If you want to set this up, all you need to do is create a folder shortcut on your desktop. To do that, open Windows Explorer (right-click My Computer, Explore) and find the folder you want to use. Then, right-click the shortcut, select Send To, Desktop. It will create a shortcut for that folder on your desktop.

How To Opt Out Of Google’s Advertising Tracking | PCMech

How To Opt Out Of Google’s Advertising Tracking | PCMech: "It is no secret that Google makes their money by tracking your activity online and targeting ads to you based on your browsing habits. This is accomplished through a comprehensive data mining algorithm, but it is ultimately driven by the data Google has on you. That said, if you want to opt out of Google’s tracking of your browsing habits for the purposes of advertising, Google does provide instructions.

The tracking is accomplished via a cookie which 'phones home' to Google. By following the instructions for your specific browser (a plugin for IE, Firefox and Chrome and a security setting for Safari), you can stop Google’s tracking of you. Alternately, if you use a browser plugin such as Ghostery for Firefox, you are most likely already opted out due to the protection it provides.

It is important to note that opting out of the advertising tracking does not mean you are opted out of all of Google’s tracking of you, such as your search history."

Do A Total Background Check On Yourself - The Consumerist

Do A Total Background Check On Yourself - The Consumerist: "Now you can know what Big Brother knows about you and get access to the same dirt everyone from your boss, landlord, insurance agent, to your favorite casino has on you. Here is a comprehenisve list of websites and phone numbers for most of the 'specialty' consumer reports, like your employment, rental, and check writing history. Be sure to check them out and correct any errors, before a crisis hits."

Home software inventory. All My Software™ by Bolide Software.

Home software inventory. All My Software™ by Bolide Software.: "Do you ever lose any registration information for purchased software?

Are your serial numbers, passwords etc. scattered about in notebooks or scribbled on bits of paper?

Do you want an organized system for keeping all of your registration records securely in one place?

Well, here is the answer to your prayers!

You will never lose your license details again if you use our home software inventory product, All My Software."

10 pieces of hardware you should replace rather than repair | 10 Things | TechRepublic.com

10 pieces of hardware you should replace rather than repair | 10 Things | TechRepublic.com: "Any time a computer component stops working, or just becomes unstable — as we all know will happen from time to time — we have to decide whether to replace it, have it repaired, or just get by as is with perhaps a temporary fix. Repair or just getting by will nearly always be the cheapest solution, at least in the short run. Replacement, however, will usually provide a good opportunity to upgrade. In fact, given the rate at which the various technologies behind computer hardware are advancing, unless you replace something a week after you buy it, you may almost be forced to upgrade.Following are a few items which, if replaced (and generally upgraded), can provide excellent benefits, from an enhanced user experience to additional compatibility, greater longevity, and stability for the whole system."

Smart Defrag - Free software downloads and software reviews - CNET Download.com

Smart Defrag - Free software downloads and software reviews - CNET Download.com: "It's hard to stand out in the crowded field of defraggers, but SmartDefrag is able to do so with an unexpected twist.

Along with quick analysis and scans, SmartDefrag boasts an automated defragger that continually defrags the files that you use the most, and does it without becoming a persistent drag on your system resources. When running in the background, the program only eats up 14MB of RAM, so it's possible to run it smoothly on older machines."

Free License Giveaway for BufferZone Pro Virtualization Application

Trustware - BufferZone-Threat Free Internet BufferZone, a virtualization application which creates an isolated environment called the Virtual Zone, while you surf the Internet. The Virtual Zone “buffers” your PC from all forms of known or unknown attacks, that originate from the Internet and external devices. Virtualization provides a strong layer of protection against malware infection while surfing the Net, and this license giveaway will give you an opportunity to run with the Pro version of BufferZone, and save $40.00 in the process.

How to Fax From Your Computer - PCWorld

How to Fax From Your Computer - PCWorld: "Step by Step: Using an Online Service

If connecting your phone line to your PC is troublesome, you can instead use any of several online fax services. All you need to do is upload the document you want to fax, and specify its destination. Many services even let you send a certain amount of data for free. We'll demonstrate how this works using the popular FaxZero service. Sites such as eFax and GotFreeFax.com operate similarly."

Use Your Car’s Security Alarm As A Home Burglary System | Bill Mullins' Weblog – Tech Thoughts

Use Your Car’s Security Alarm As A Home Burglary System | Bill Mullins' Weblog – Tech Thoughts: "This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator. Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this: It’s a security alarm system that you probably already have, and requires no installation."