Michigan has become
one of the first states to offer travelers Internet access while
visiting our beautiful state. The program started late last year with 7
WiFi “hot spots” with 3 more being added this year. The “hot Spots” are
located at various Welcome Centers and State Parks. Users can access the
SBC Freedom Link service when they get within 150 feet of a “hot spot”.
When connected, the state’s Internet Home Page will be displayed. Users
will have free access to the Michigan.gov web site. The system allows
travelers to find out what camp sites are available, what features are
included at the camp site, and aerial maps of the top state parks. If
you want to visit other sites, there are tow plans currently available;
$7.95 for 24-hour access and $19.95 for monthly access. For more
information, go to:
(
http://www.michigan.gov/wifi/0,1607,7-211--95153--,00.html )
One day after releasing their version 8 browser and bragging about its security features, Netscape released a patch to fix several security flaws. The new version of Netscape is based on version 1.0.3 of the open-source FireFox browser. Netscape thought the new browser was immune to security vulnerabilities in the FireFox software that were fixed in FireFox 1.0.4. The software maker posted Netscape version 8.0.1, which includes fixes for the problems. It plans to push an update out to people who installed the original Netscape 8. However, the company is still working on its update mechanism, so in the meantime people have to go to the Netscape.com Web site to get the patched browser.
Bagle virus
New variants of the Bagle virus are spreading, but there isn’t too much danger if your anti-virus software is up to date and you use a little common sense. About 70 variants of the mass-mailing computer virus have been reported since it first appeared in January 2004. The e-mail has no subject line or body text. The attachment is a ZIP archive that will attempt to download a Trojan horse from a list of Web sites, if unzipped and run. The Trojan harvests e-mail addresses from the PC to further spread the virus.
Just Another Chain Letter
Although they aren’t considered a virus or worm, chain email letters can be almost as frustrating and intrusive. The latest in the series is one claiming that Microsoft is selling information about their customers to spam mailers. Of course the mailer wants you to send the letter to all of your friends. I don’t know about you, but I hate to see my name and/or email address in the “to:” section of an email message along with 50 other unsuspecting recipients. It’s just the thing a real spammer needs to get more email addresses. If you insist on passing this trash around, please use the “bcc:” to forward it to others. That way, all of the email addresses aren’t available to other people.
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.
There are many “free” programs that legitimate companies are offering in an attempt to get you to purchase or upgrade to their more robust version. However, most music download, casino, poker, coupon, and porn site software includes spyware that can track your Internet usage, install additional software, generate pop-up ads, and even “hi-jack” your web browser to make it go to where “they” want it to go. Please read the license agreement very carefully. Many of the “free’ downloads are intended for personal use, not corporate or business. When you download any software, perform a virus scan before installing it, install the program, restart your computer, and do a complete spyware scan.
All-in-One SECRETMAKER
All-in-One
SECRETMAKER combines 8 powerful tools in 1 freeware software package
● Spam Fighter Pro - outstanding multilevel anti spam filter
● Worm Hunter - protects you from spreading email viruses
● Pop-Up Killer - blocks advertising windows
● Banner Blocker - avoids banners and speeds up browsing
● Cookie Eraser - prevents profiling through cookies
● Privacy Protector - exchanges tracking information
● History Cleaners - deletes history logs
● Garbage Cleaner - removes programs from the hard drive
Most of the program names are obvious, but a few require explanation. Worm Hunter isn't a virus detector, but a program that slows down mass mailings to prevent the spread of e-mail viruses. Privacy Protector sends out dummy data for your PC so hackers can't get a lock on your system. For more information and to download the program,
Go to: ( http://www.secretmaker.com/ )
For links to other free software downloads, go to: ( http://www.1on1cc.com/downloads.htm ).
6 Tips for Better On-Line Searches
Every one seems to have their favorite Internet search engine. Mine is “Google”. But, no matter what search engine you are using, there are a few things your can do to improve the “quality”, not to mention the quantity or your results.
1) Be as Precise as Possible. The more precise your search terms, the better your search results will be. It sound s simple, but consider that searching for “word processor” might yield too many results when all you’re interested in is “Microsoft Word”.
2) Use Boolean search terms. Boolean search terms allow you to get even more precise. The three main search terms — "AND," "NOT" and "OR" — enable you to include or exclude certain terms in your results.
3) Do it quicker with implied Boolean. If you want to ensure that a particular word is in the results, use a plus sign (+), such as "Henry Ford" + benefactor. If you want your results to exclude a certain term, use a minus sign (-), such as "Henry Ford" -car.
4) Build a "nest." Professional librarians use brackets in their search terms. Sometimes words are misspelled or variants are used in the possible results. For example take the author Chris Elliott. His articles are listed as "Chris," other times it's "Christopher." And "Elliott" is often incorrectly spelled "Elliot." If I want to pull up all of his technology articles, type "Technology" AND (Christopher OR Chris AND Elliott OR Elliot).
5) Use “wild cards” and other terms. For example. A "#" or "*" symbol can sometimes be used within a word to search for all possible variants — "wom#n" would search for both "woman" and "women." And a search for "exhaust*" would pull up results for "exhausted" and "exhaustion" and even "exhaust pipe." (Some search engines also use "?" instead of "*," but the result is the same.) Try using "NEAR" or "ADJ" to find results in which one word is near or adjacent to another.
6) For complicated searches, get more options. Look for advanced parametric searching. For example, on Google, check "Advanced Search" for more options. It lets you specify which sites to search, language, file format, date, domains, and filter your results.
For more computer
Tips & Tricks go to the One on One Computer Consultants Tips Page at:
(
http://www.1on1cc.com/tips.htm )