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One
on One Computer Consultants (www.1on1cc.com)
New Computer Technologies and General InformationUnlock the Cell Phone It may be possible in the near future to buy the newest, full-featured cell phone and use it on any wireless carrier’s network. Right now, it isn’t possible in the U.S., but with the upcoming FCC auction of the 700 MHz spectrum (being vacated by Analog TV), it may be a reality. With a positive FCC ruling (due January 2008), the “wireless” market could evolve into an “open” network with innovations comparable to the Internet. Of course, you can expect some resistance from cell phone service providers that have deliberately blocked some of the available functions. For example, some phone manufacturers have disabled Wi-Fi radios at the request of cell phone service providers to ensure that people don't circumvent the carrier's network and use their home Wi-Fi connection or public hot spots for access to the Internet. VISTA Driving Companies to look at Different Software Due to the costs to upgrade to the new Windows VISTA operating system, many organizations, including government and educational facilities, are looking at alternative operating systems like LINUX. Most of the expense comes from the minimum hardware requirements. There are a lot of PC’s out there that just can’t be upgraded to the “suggested” 1 Gig of memory, so that means a new computer would be required to run VISTA. Microsoft has stated that it will support Windows XP until 2014, so there’s no rush to upgrade to VISTA. For a list of the “recommended” system requirements, go to: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/editions/systemrequirements.mspx Virus/Spyware/Spam Warning & UpdatesYou have a Greeting Card Waiting – Spyware The latest attempt to install Spyware on your computer is coming as email message from a greeting card web site notifying you that an anonymous friend or classmate has sent you a card. There is a link to a web site, usually starting with an IP address. This is no more than an attempt to have you download and install a Spyware program. The legitimate electronic greeting card web sites will show the card sender’s name in the email message. The best practice, as always, is to delete any “anonymous” email messages, immediately. Don’t let your curiosity get the better of you. How Viruses Work The following link has a video and detailed description of how viruses and worms work. It might be worth your time to read the entire article, especially if you have high school or college age people using your computer. Go to: http://computer.howstuffworks.com/virus.htm
For “free” on-line security
scanning of your computer go to the bottom of the 1on1cc.com home page and
select from a variety of providers. "Free" Software DownloadsAd-Aware 2007 Lavasoft has recently released the latest free version of their spyware removal software. Unfortunately, this version still doesn’t include a scheduler or automatic updates. You’ll have to purchase the upgrade for these and other features. The program does a through job of scanning and repairing known spyware infections and potentially dangerous tracking cookies. This software, like previous versions, is for private use only and shouldn’t be installed for commercial purposes. Go to: http://www.lavasoftusa.com/products/ad_aware_free.php Business & Productivity Software
One of my favorite
web sites for “free” software is Download.com. There are some programs that you
have to pay for, but most of those allow a trial period to see if it’s the right
software for you. I recently came across a listing for “Business & Productivity
Software” that I think you should check out. Two applications, “OpenOffice.org”
and “Microsoft’s Office Accounting Express 2007” are worth trying. Tips & TricksWindows XP services that can be disabled
TechRepublic has
put together a list of Windows XP services that can be disabled. The 13 page
document des each service, if it’s safe to disable, the ramifications if you
disable the service, the suggested setting, and any special considerations you
should know about. Free registration and Adobe Acrobat Reader are required, but
the site has a lot of very useful information. 10 things you can do when Windows XP won't boot This is another PDF document from TechRepublic that could save you some aggravation. But, it could do more harm than good, if you don’t follow the instructions very carefully. It includes topics like “Creating and Using a Windows Startup Disk”, “Using the Last Known Good Configuration”, “Using System Restore”, “Using the Recovery Console”, and etc. All, except for the first 3 topics, require very special handling. Don’t try to repair a corrupted “Boot.ini”, “Boot Sector”, or “Master Boot Record (MBR)” on newer Dell, HP, or Gateway computers. You can further damage these files and force yourself to re-install the Windows XP operating system, service pack updates, and any installed software applications like Microsoft Office, QuickBooks, and etc.
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