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on One Computer Consultants (www.1on1cc.com)
New Computer Technologies and General InformationComcast Interferes with Peer to Peer Data Transfers In an attempt to increase performance for some customers, Comcast has targeted another group of customers. People that were involved in Peer to Peer (P2P) data transfers (file sharing, music, photos, and etc.). At first, Comcast denied that it was interfering with the data transfers, but more and more customers were complaining about abruptly terminated data transfers. Mitch Bowling, senior vice president of Comcast, admitted the company was interfering with P2P transfers. But he sees nothing wrong with it: “During periods of heavy peer-to-peer congestion, which can degrade the experience for all customers, we use several network management technologies that, when necessary, enable us to delay — not block — some peer-to-peer traffic. However, the peer-to-peer transaction will eventually be completed as requested.” Microsoft addresses reports of Forced Windows Updates Microsoft has posted a long and complex explanation to its Windows Software Update Services (WSUS) blog, explaining the latest case of why software updates are being pushed to users who believe they’ve turned automatic updating off. Meanwhile, there’s a new theory circulating as to why a number of Windows XP and Vista users are reporting that their machines are patching and forcibly rebooting themselves. It might be Windows Live OneCare’s (Security Suite) fault. On the consumer side of the house, the OneCare team is acknowledging that OneCare can and will override users’ Microsoft Update settings — opting for Automatic Updates to be installed by default — in the name of simplicity. For more information, go to: http://blogs.technet.com/wsus/ Virus/Spyware/Spam Warning & UpdatesMicrosoft confirms PDF attacks A flaw in Microsoft operating systems is making computers susceptible to malware (spyware) attacks from downloaded PDF (Adobe Acrobat) files. Microsoft advises users to be very careful of any email attachments in PDF format and any downloads from unknown web sites. Symantec has tagged the threat as Trojan.Pidief.A, a malware file that’s being used to lower security settings and download more malicious executables on to the compromised computer. For more information and do download the latest Adobe patches, go to: http://www.adobe.com/support/security/bulletins/apsb07-18.html SPAM can be manage, but not eliminated Most of the email client software, like Outlook and Outlook Express, already has tools that can limit the amount of spam, but not eliminate it completely. You can create “rules” that will search for “keywords” included in most spam email messages. If you’re getting a lot of spam messages, then you should try to create your own set of “rules” to minimize them. Make a note of keywords in subject lines and message and create rules to block messages including that text.
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 DownloadsGIMP 2.4.1 (Image Editor) GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a freely distributed piece of software for photo retouching, image composition, and image authoring. Some of the great features include the ability to fix perspective distortion, perspective transformation, colorize, “red eye” removal, and many more. It works with a wide variety of operating systems and graphic file formats. The documentation is very well done and there are many tutorials available on the web site. http://www.gimp.org/ DriverMax 3 This program allows you to backup the device driver software (video, sound, network card, and etc.) for your computer. If needed, you can restore any or all of the device drivers with a click of your mouse. This can be very handy if you’ve misplaced the original CD that came with your computer. The software also allows you to check for any device driver software updates. Registration is required. http://www.innovative-sol.com/drivermax/index.htm Tips & TricksTake your Backup A lot of people are smart enough to backup their data on a regular basis. A few are even smarter and rotate their backup media every day whether it’s a tape, CD, or DVD. However, backing up your data doesn’t do you any good if you leave it in your computer. Due to the recent California fires, many people have realized the importance of taking your backup data to an off-site location. I even have a client that backed up their data every day, only to leave it in the computer so that the thief that broke into their office and stole the computer also stole the backup copy of the data. My suggestion is to backup your data, take the media out of your computer, put it in your brief case, and put the brief case in your car. Beware of Fake Memory Cards Recently there have been reports on eBay of counterfeit flash memory cards (those used for your camera, cell phone, and MP3 player). Flash chips are programmable devices, so small flash chips can be programmed to report that they are large capacity flash chips. Or slow flash chips substituted for the high-speed chip you thought you were buying. You’re best bet is to only purchase from reputable companies. There’s even an article about how to identify some fake chips on the eBay web site. FAKE SanDisk Ultra Compact Flash Cards Exposed.
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