AOL Might Drop Member Fees
In a move to curb decreasing membership, AOL is considering dropping its membership fees and allowing subscribers to keep their AOL email address even if they switch to another Internet Service Provider. AOL has lost over 30% of their membership since September 2002. Last summer AOL re-launched their aol.com web site allowing all visitors to view content previously reserved for “members only”.
Engineered Process Controls, Univex and several other parties filed a class action lawsuit in U.S. District Court, alleging Microsoft installed "spyware" on their computers as a "critical security update." The suit comes days after another complaint containing similar allegations was filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. Although the WGA feature is designed to validate the authenticity of Windows software installed on a user's PC, it recently raised the ire of some users when Microsoft began delivering the WGA prerelease as a "high priority" item automatically built into Windows updates. WGA is not “spyware” and Microsoft contends that this latest law suit is without merit.
Spyware Guide
Instant Messaging Spam (spim) on the Rise
Spammers are increasingly turning to mobile text-messaging, Web-based instant messaging, blogs and social-networking communities such as MySpace.com to “harvest” email addresses. Spammers are increasingly targeting new means of communication to bypass e-mail-based anti-spam measures and more effectively target recipients based on their age, location and other characteristics. One means of preventing this intrusion is to carefully read the licensing agreement and privacy policy for your mobile phone, instant messaging program, or Internet web sites.You can perform a variety of on-line security checks by going to the One on One Computer Consultants Home page at: (http://www.1on1cc.com) and clicking on the link to Symantec Security Check. You can perform a Virus Check, Security Check, and/or Trace a Potential Attack on your computer system.
OpenOffice 2.0.3
The latest version of the open source alternative to Microsoft Office has critical updates to closes three major security holes. OpenOffice 2.0.3 is a free office “suite” of programs that can be used in place of Microsoft Office. One of the best features is that any document created in OpenOffice can be saved in a variety of formats, including Microsoft Word and Excel. Go to: ( http://www.openoffice.org/ ).
SmartFTP 2.0.997.4
SmartFTP allows you to transfer files over the Internet. It uses a customizable graphical user interface and even allows multiple FTP connections to be opened at the same time. Other features include secure connections (TLS / SSL), Drag & Drop, Backup Tool, and etc. This is a great program for uploading files to your web server to update your web site. Go to: ( http://www.smartftp.com/ ).Repairing or Reinstalling Windows XP
I have found that some programs and software drivers can become corrupted with just normal use of the Windows XP operating system. Many people think that reformatting the hard drive and reinstalling Windows XP is the only method to resolve this issue. In fact, many of the Microsoft Knowledgebase articles refer to reinstalling Windows XP as a last resort to resolving some issues. As a precaution, you should backup your data files before reinstalling Windows XP. There’s no need to reformat the hard drive, but you will have to download and install all of the Windows security updates and you might have to reinstall some of your application software.
You’ll need your Windows XP installation CD and product key code. Usually the key code is located on a sticker somewhere on your laptop or desktop computer. Insert the CD and restart your computer. When prompted, select the option to “boot from CD”. About the fourth screen, you’ll see a “repair” option. Ignore it. Select "To set up Windows XP now, press ENTER." You'll be given the option of repairing Windows or continuing setup. Highlight your installation of Windows and press R. Windows XP will start replacing any damaged files, but keep the system registry intact. When the reinstallation is completed, you’ll have to reboot your computer. Remove the CD before it restarts. Now, you’ll have to enter the product key code and re-activate your copy of Windows XP.
For more computer
Tips & Tricks go to the One on One Computer Consultants Tips Page at:
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http://www.1on1cc.com/tips.htm )