*HOT* Tech News And Downloads, I Would Read This Thread And Post Any Good Info

BBC versus P2P

p2pnet.net news view:- More 'evidence' that free P2P is evil and illegal, according to the BBC's Click.

Studies conducted independently and for movie studios and TV networks unanimously show free P2P has no negative effect on ticket and DVD sales, yet producers inside and outside Hollywood still claim it's illegal and killing their business.

They continue their false, misleading rhetoric that filesharing of legally purchased or recorded TV shows and movies is illegal. No court or government on earth has ever declared that to be so, but the major studios and mainscream media would like the public to believe they've "successfully prosecuted" thousands of "illegal filesharers" of music and video.

Children, single moms, senior citizens and corpses blackmailed by the studios and record producers have been forced to settle out of court, causing untold financial hardships and in some cases even bankruptcy and dissolution of the family.

A recent ruling in an Italian court quashed the convictions of two former students who in 1994 set up a P2P network, saying downloading computer files containing films, music or software isn't a crime if not done for profit.

In the recent edition of the Beeb's Click, a TV magazine concerned with all things electronic and internet, presenter Spencer Kelly and journalist Marc Cieslak report on the popularity of downloading US tv shows for free hours, weeks, months or years before they air in certain time zones or countries - if ever.

"With the advent of broadband, viewers are increasingly turning to the web and peer-to-peer downloading software to get their fix of the latest TV shows," says the BBC. "There is just one small problem with this P2P trend - a large proportion of this downloading is illegal."

While spouting the same tired Hollywood lies and falsehoods, the reporters fail to back up their claims with any type of proof that it is indeed illegal, instead concentrating their efforts on demonizing file sharers, who don't sell anything and who therefore don't make money of file sharing.

Intimidating and threatening internet service providers for customer details is one strong-arm tactic employed. The Federation Against Copyright Theft (Fact) says it tracks down pirates and brings them before the courts. "We look to sites that we hear about, that we've got intelligence on, and we examine what's happening on those sites, and we continue to investigate and eventually we will be taking enforcement action," said Fact's director general Kieron Sharp.

p2pnet has suggested FACT is short for Farcical Approaches to Copyright Transgressions.

An anonymous filesharer interviewed by Click told of the ease of finding and downloading any program he wanted. "It's very, very easy to find the shows you're after. There are several websites that my friends have told me about. I do a Google search within that website and can find anything I want."

The most popular and easiest-to-use P2P software is BitTorrent, a free, open source protocol. Invented by Bram Cohen several years ago, Cohen claims he'd only been interested in finding a way to transfer large files over the internet using a minimum amount of personal bandwidth, and had never intended it to be used for 'illegal purposes'. Indeed, he claims he himself has never used BitTorrent to download or share copyrighted materials.

'Click' makes a point of highlighting the availability of such US shows as 24 and Lost by doing a quick search on Torrentspy, a popular torrent listing website which Hollywood has unsuccessfully tried to close down time and again. "If I perform a quick search for Kiefer Sutherland's action show '24', pages and pages of files appear. Some entries are individual episodes, but lots of them are entire seasons of the show."

The program completely ignores the fact that most of the BBC's new shows are just as desired and available as any US offering, with new episodes of the hugely popular Dr Who and Torchwood appearing online within hours of broadcast, allowing people in the US and elsewhere to download and watch them at their leisure instead of having to wait months or years for them to air.

Click also fails to acknowledge that it, too, is widely available over free P2P.

A 16-minute audio discussion on the Click website reveals the presenters and reporters haven't a clue as to how influential free P2P is to the consumers' purchasing choices, as well as their ignorance of the quality of digital videos available.

They believe that the majority of Hollywood movies on P2P are poor-quality cams at odd angles and resolutions, with audience members walking past the screen.

That might have been true in the last century when broadband filesharing was in its infancy, but the days are long gone when cams and telecines dominated. A cursory glance through any BitTorrent tracker or website shows that the majority of new films are DVD screeners (given to promoters and Academy members), or legally purchased retail DVD rips.

As the sharing of legally purchased or recorded TV shows, movies and music is not illegal and P2P is gaining more and more users every day, besides trying to sue their customers into buying 'product', networks are countering with reduced quality online streaming of some popular series.

"You can go to the ABC website and watch Lost, you can go to the NBC website and watch Heroes, says David Price, Head of Piracy Intelligence at Envisional. "In the US networks are selling episodes of Lost and episodes of other shows on iTunes for about $1.99 a go."

Another expected avenue of mainstream, 'legal' distribution is Hollywood's desire to enter the world of P2P. It's widely known and not disputed that several major Hollywood studios and broadcasters are planning to launch their own filesharing services using BitTorrent within the next year or two.

Last year, BT's Cohen contracted with several Hollywood studios and music producers to distribute 'legal' DRM-infested files using the BitTorrent protocol and listing them on his own BitTorrent web site. Recently BitTorrent acquired µTorrent, possibly the most popular and user-friendly P2P program available because of its simplicity and low use of memory resources.

A quick glance of BitTorrent.com reveals their official releases are comprised mostly of home-made or independent films and music videos, as well as trailers for Hollywood movies, although it's been reported that their search engine will find and list torrents for 'illegal' shows such as 24 and Lost.

A year or two ago the BBC decided to make its entire archive of audio and video available on the internet for free, and developed a proprietary Beta software for UK tv license holders to access and download anything they wanted. As this endeavor would undoubtedly require an unlimited amount of storage space and bandwidth, Auntie is now in talks with Google to put some content on YouTube, mostly in the form of clips and trailers "to raise the profile of its content".

The BBC's efforts to make its library available for free are honorable and should be used as a template for US networks. Although it's fair enough that tv license holders in the UK should have unlimited and unrestricted access for the content they paid for, this shuts out the many people in foreign countries who receive BBC broadcasts legally through their cable or satellite subscriptions. Indeed, many streamed clips and episodes now online on the BBC are only accessible to IP addresses in the UK. Likewise, some online episodes of US TV shows (and in some cases the entire website) can only be viewed by IP addresses in the US.

"TV battles peer-to-peer pirates" is the headline of the Click report, but they're fighting a losing battle.

Dissatisfied consumers drew the line in the sand years ago and Hollywood has never been able to cross it, though they've repeatedly tried and failed. The more they threaten and blackmail people into buying 'product,' the more they use illegal and immoral strong-arm tactics to get their way; the more they use Washington for their own needs; the more they try to intimidate foreign countries into kowtowing to their demands, the longer and wider that line in the sand will become.

As studies have repeatedly shown, free filesharing promotes artists and films for free, jump-starts careers, and increases sales of CDs, DVDs and cinema tickets. The market dictates what works, not the marketers.

catflap - p2pnet
http://p2pnet.net/story/11187?PHPSESSID=df2e27913438c004111da7cdfb082e26

 

This is only the final conclusion from a 11 page article comparing Vista to XP...Here is link to complete article:

http://www.tomshardware.com/2007/01/29/xp-vs-vista/index.html

Conclusion: K.O. For Windows Vista?

Windows Vista clearly is not a great new performer when it comes to executing single applications at maximum speed. Although we only looked at the 32-bit version of Windows Vista Enterprise, we do not expect the 64-bit edition to be faster (at least not with 32-bit applications).

Overall, applications performed as expected, or executed slightly slower than under Windows XP. The synthetic benchmarks such as Everest, PCMark05 or Sandra 2007 show that differences are non-existent on a component level. We also found some programs that refused to work, and others that seem to cause problems at first but eventually ran properly. In any case, we recommend watching for Vista-related software upgrades from your software vendors.

There are some programs that showed deeply disappointing performance. Unreal Tournament 2004 and the professional graphics benchmarking suite SPECviewperf 9.03 suffered heavily from the lack of support for the OpenGL graphics library under Windows Vista. This is something we expected, and we clearly advise against replacing Windows XP with Windows Vista if you need to run professional graphics applications.

We are disappointed that CPU-intensive applications such as video transcoding with XviD (DVD to XviD MPEG4) or the MainConcept H.264 Encoder performed 18% to nearly 24% slower in our standard benchmark scenarios. Both benchmarks finished much quicker under Windows XP. There aren't newer versions available, and we don't see immediate solutions to this issue.

There is good news as well: we did not find evidence that Windows Vista's new and fancy AeroGlass interface consumes more energy than Windows XP's 2D desktop. Although our measurements indicate a 1 W increase in power draw at the plug, this is too little of a difference to draw any conclusions. Obviously, the requirements for displaying all elements in 3D, rotating and moving them aren't enough to heat up graphics processors. This might also be a result of Windows Vista's more advanced implementation of ACPI 2.0 (and parts of 3.0), which allows the control of power of system components separately.

Our hopes that Vista might be able to speed up applications are gone. First tests with 64-bit editions result in numbers similar to our 32-bit results, and we believe it's safe to say that users looking for more raw performance will be disappointed with Vista. Vista is the better Windows, because it behaves better, because it looks better and because it feels better. But it cannot perform better than Windows XP. Is this a K.O. for Windows Vista in the enthusiast space?

If you really need your PC to finish huge encoding, transcoding or rendering workloads within a defined time frame, yes, it is. Don't do it; stay with XP. But as long as you don't need to finish workloads in record time, we believe it makes sense to consider these three bullet points:

* Vista runs considerably more services and thus has to spend somewhat more resources on itself. Indexing, connectivity and usability don't come for free.
* There is a lot of CPU performance available today! We've got really fast dual core processors, and even faster quad cores will hit the market by the middle of the year. Even though you will lose application performance by upgrading to Vista, today's hardware is much faster than yesterday's, and tomorrow's processors will clearly leap even further ahead.
* No new Windows release has been able to offer more application performance than its predecessor.

Although application performance has had this drawback, the new Windows Vista performance features SuperFetch and ReadyDrive help to make Vista feel faster and smoother than Windows XP. Our next article will tell you how they work.

 

IE7 - Phishing and malicious scripting attacks remain a problem
Jan 31, 2007 - 7:43 AM - by Digital Dave
Oh yea... more coffee...

Microsoft's Internet Explorer 7 offers significant security improvements over its deservedly criticized predecessor. But the new IE still does not do enough to protect users.

pcworld.com

Internet Explorer 7 Is Still Not Safe Enough
IE 7 is definitely more secure, but phishing and malicious scripting attacks remain a problem.
Andrew Brandt
Wednesday, January 24, 2007 01:00 AM PST
Illustration: Mark Matcho

Microsoft's Internet Explorer 7 offers significant security improvements over its deservedly criticized predecessor. But the new IE still does not do enough to protect users.

Microsoft has, in IE 7, locked down some of the problem areas in IE 6. The browser will permit a Web site to nag you only once about installing an ActiveX control, for instance. (Some users will approve an installation simply to get rid of the pop-up windows.)

But malicious scripting attacks remain a big problem. Some miscreant Web sites use scripting code (such as JavaScript) to exploit security holes. This can allow them to perform drive-by installations of spyware or Trojan horse programs. IE 7 has a host of features designed to thwart exploits, including showing a pop-up warning that lets the user know when a site is trying to use scripting. But the new features don't go far enough.

Firefox's NoScript plug-in (a free download at NoScript.net) provides an elegant solution to the problem of malicious scripting. Once installed, NoScript prevents scripting from working at any Web site you visit until you approve it for that particular site. Being able to control scripting on a site-by-site basis with a single mouse click gives you a powerful security advantage.

But instead of the surgical script controls of NoScript, IE 7 still uses the same mud-covered sledgehammer that IE 6 did. Like NoScript, IE lets you block scripting for all sites in the Internet Zone, after which you can enable scripting for a particular site, but getting to the necessary dialog box takes at least six mouse clicks, and you must then enter the site's URL into the Trusted Sites list. It's a hassle most users won't deal with.

Microsoft touts IE 7's Phishing Filter as a significant new security feature, but a recent test of IE 7's filters by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University found that the Phishing Filter caught, at best, 68 percent of the phishing URLs that the researchers threw at the browser. (You can read more about the study's findings "Phinding Phish: An Evaluation of Anti-Phishing Toolbars.") Your best bet: Install an antiphishing toolbar as a safety net. In the CMU tests, SpoofGuard identified 91 percent of phishing sites. EarthLink's free toolbar placed second, with 83 percent accuracy.

None of this means that you shouldn't upgrade to IE 7. The new browser is more secure than IE 6--and given how tightly it's integrated into Windows, that extra protection is critical.
Andrew Brandt is a contributing editor for PC World. E-mail him at privacywatch@pcworld.com.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,128536-page,1/article.html

 

Canada music download record

p2pnet.net News:- The CRIA says its owners, the members of the Big 4 Organized Music cartel, are being "devastated" by customers who share music with each other. These men, women and children are "criminals" and "thieves," say Warner Music (US), EMI (Britain), Vivendi Universal (France) and Sony BMG (Japan and Germany).

With file sharing, no money changes hands and no one has been deprived, permanently or temporarily, of something he or she used to own.

But files shared equal sales lost, says the CRIA (Canadian Recording Industry Association of America).

That notwithstanding, however, somehow, Canada's digital download market grew more than any major market in 2006, state new Nielsen BDS statistics.

Why, then, are the Big 4 still trying to find ways to sue Canadian music fans?

The Canadian Music Creators Coalition wants to know. And so do Canadians.

"Propping up old business models that favour multinational record companies’ interests ahead of those of Canadian artists just doesn’t make sense," says the Bare Naked Ladies' Steven Page.

According to Nielsen, Canadian music download sales grew by 120% in 2006, well ahead of the 80% growth in Europe and 65% growth in the US, and overall sales grew 10%, says a CMCC statement, going on:

"Despite this growth, recent Canadian Press reports indicate that the major foreign music labels continue to pressure the federal government to move forward with radical changes to Canada’s Copyright Act. Major label representatives have consistently said that the only way the industry can survive is by making it easier to sue music downloaders and by providing legal protection to so-called 'digital locks'."

CMCC members, some of the, "very artists copyright laws are designed to protect," aren’t convinced, says the group, which includes performers such as Avril Lavigne, Sarah McLachlan, BNL, Broken Social Scene, Matthew Good, Metric, Randy Bachman, Billy Talent, Sloan, Chantal Kreviazuk and Sum 41.

Major record label lobbyists are, "looking out for their shareholders, and seldom speak for Canadian artists," says the group. "Legislative proposals that would facilitate lawsuits against our fans or increase the labels' control over the enjoyment of music are made not in our names, but on behalf of the labels’ foreign parent companies."

"Fans who share music are not thieves or pirates," stated the CMCC when it started up last year. "Sharing music has been happening for decades."

The CMCC says it stands on three key foundations:

Suing Our Fans is Destructive and Hypocritical

Artists do not want to sue music fans. The labels have been suing our fans against artists’ will, and laws enabling these suits cannot be justified in artists’ names

Digital Locks are Risky and Counterproductive

Artists do not support using digital locks to increase the labels’ control over the distribution, use and enjoyment of music or laws that prohibit circumvention of such technological measures. Consumers should be able to transfer the music they buy to other formats under a right of fair use, without having to pay twice.

Cultural Policy Should Support Actual Canadian Artists

The vast majority of new Canadian music is not promoted by major labels, which focus mostly on foreign artists. The government should use other policy tools to support actual Canadian artists and a thriving musical and cultural scene.

"The industry seems to say that if you don’t support suing downloaders you support giving music away for free," says Page.

"That’s simply not true. In fact, there are numerous third-way alternatives out there. Changes to Canada’s copyright laws should reflect where our music business is going rather than looking back to where it has come from."

Said New Democratic Party heritage critic Charlie Angus last year, "When a consumer legally purchases a CD they should not have to worry whether the disc is infected with spy ware that worms its way into their computer. Neither should the consumer worry that a company like Sony has the power to decide whether or not your favourite song can be played on an iPod, a hard drive or a non-Sony CD player. It is our job as Parliamentarians to protect consumers from the unchecked use of digital locks.

"And when it comes to assessing the 'threats' or 'benefits' from P2P, politicians need to be very wary about proscribing emerging technologies simply because it is upsetting existing business models."

Stay tuned.
http://p2pnet.net/story/11190?PHPSESSID=08a759ca25858de59a4e72bd47639fbf

 

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http://www.arovaxshield.com/




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Arovax Shield™ is a brand new type of personal security solution that is unlike to any firewall, anti-virus or spyware remover.
Rather than looking for spyware traces or tracking applications that secretly send or receive data over the Internet, Arovax Shield blocks any attempt by malicious software to add entries to the auto-start menu, change the registry, hijack or install itself into a browser or find any other way to stealthy get itself onto a PC.



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Arovax Shield protects your IE and Firefox from unwanted extensions like odd toolbars or malicious browser helper objects and keeps your default home page settings secure. It pays particular attention to hosts file, system registry and other crucial areas of your PC which are most frequent targets of malware.

Arovax Shield discovers and blocks suspicious activities. After this it acts depending on your preferences: notifies you letting you make the final decision or automatically defines if the activity is actually harmful to your computer.

And while other security systems of similar complexity and security level are beyond the pocket of most small companies and individual users, Arovax Shield is absolutely free and available to anyone.
How does Arovax Shield work?

Arovax Shield's main function is to monitor all important branches of the Windows registry. If any attempts to write/delete/change are made, it notifies the user immediately and shows what program aroused suspicions and what actions it wanted to do. Arovax Shield gives the user an ability either to allow or block this attempt explaining what exactly is trying to infiltrate the system.

With the help of a special Arovax Shield parameter it can simply be hidden in the tray doing all the actions itself, letting you do your work while it silently sits in the background guarding your PC.
What is Spyware?
Spyware is a software that exploits the end-user to serve the purposes of the spyware developers. Spyware usually sneaks onto the user/'s computer, which is why it/'s called spyware. The spyware appropriates your Internet connection to introduce advertising messages, or, far more insidiously, to act as a server in your PC, sending demographic and usage information about you to unauthorized third-parties. While the creators of the spyware are more likely to be corporations interested in your activities as a consumer than they are to be thieves looking for your credit card information (a lot of spyware does do this, however), the spyware can drain system resources, create problems in applications, subject you to reams and reams of spam, and threaten your privacy and security.
What is Adware?
Adware is a software application that can display advertising banners while the program is running or via some other triggering mechanism. Ad delivery systems are most often integrated into free applications as a way for developers to recover costs or generate revenue. A critical eye has been placed on adware systems since in many cases, in addition to downloading ads, they may also upload user information collected without explicit permission. This type of adware is often referred to as "trackware" or "spyware".
What is Malware?
Malware (for "malicious software") is any program or file that is harmful to a computer user. Thus, malware includes computer viruses, worms, trojan horses, and also spyware, programs that gather information about a computer user without permission.

 

Couch Potato' Lifestyle Helps Drive Diabetes

January 26, 2007 12:55:39 PM PST
By Kathleen Doheny
HealthDay Reporter
Yahoo! Health: Diabetes News

FRIDAY, Jan. 26 (HealthDay News) -- A new study offers another compelling reason to get up off the sofa and exercise.

The research shows that people with type 2 diabetes, or those at risk for the obesity-linked disease, are less likely to be physically active than those who are not at risk.

The benefits of physical activity in preventing diabetes are well-documented, but the message does not seem to be getting through, said study lead author Elaine Morrato.

"People don't think of inactivity as abnormal," said Morrato, an assistant professor of pediatrics and preventive medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver.

Her team published its findings in the February issue of Diabetes Care.

An estimated 20 million U.S. children and adults have diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association, although some are not yet aware they have it. Most -- about 95 percent -- have the obesity-linked type 2 form of the illness, but a minority have type 1 diabetes, an inherited condition in which the body fails to produce enough insulin.

In their study, Morrato and her colleagues evaluated data from a nationally representative survey of the U.S. population called the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, which included more than 23,000 adults. Respondents answered questions about whether they engaged in moderate or vigorous activity 30 minutes or more at least three times a week.

Morrato's team found that just 39 percent of adults with diabetes were physically active, compared to 58 percent of those without diabetes.

Among those who did not have the disease but had risk factors for it, the researchers found that the more the risk factors, the less likely the people were to be active. "As the number of risk factors [for diabetes] increased, the proportion of people saying they are active decreases," Morrato said.

Risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes -- in which the body does not properly use insulin, the hormone which allows glucose to enter cells -- include being 45 years of age or older and having a body mass index of BMI of 25 or higher, the threshold for being considered overweight.

"If people had four risk factors, for instance, only 42 percent were active," Morrato said.

Another expert, Cathy Nonas, director of the obesity and diabetes program at North General Hospital in New York and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, said she isn't surprised by the findings.

"We are a society that doesn't move very much," she said. "We're not seeing it get any better."

While consumers, especially those with diabetes or at risk for developing it, need to take charge and become active, Nonas said that health care providers should be more pro-active about encouraging exercise, too.

"We, as clinicians, have to be much more assertive," she said. She suggested that health care providers need to question patients more, asking them such things as, "Are you dancing?" "Are you walking?" "Are you parking in the back of the parking lot?"

 

Sputum Test Could Spot Early Lung Cancer

January 23, 2007 03:55:54 PM PST
Yahoo! Health: Cancer News

TUESDAY, Jan. 23 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. researchers say a simple test that analyzes DNA in a person's sputum could be used to diagnose lung cancer.

As outlined in an article in the Jan. 15 issue of the journal Clinical Cancer Research, a team at the University of Maryland School of Medicine is developing an inexpensive and non-invasive genetic test to help detect early stage lung cancer in current and former smokers.

The test looks at whether two genes (HYAL2 and FHIT) -- believed to be tumor-suppressors -- are missing from cells found in sputum. The test, called "fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH)," uses fluorescently labeled single-strand DNA probes to bind to the complementary band of a specific gene. A special microscope is then used to check for the presence or absence of a fluorescent signal produced when the strands bind.

An initial test of FISH identified 76 percent of stage 1 lung cancer patients whose tumors also showed the same loss of the two genes. In contrast, standard sputum cytology tests -- which look for changes in cell structure -- identified 46 percent of the patients.

"There is an urgent need to develop reliable early diagnostic biomarkers for lung cancer that can be detected non-invasively, and these two genes look to be great candidate markers for such a test," Dr. Feng Jiang, assistant professor of pathology, said in a prepared statement.

"We need to validate our finding, of course, but we have shown that the genetic aberrations seen in sputum reflect the same genetic aberrations found in lung tumors, and that these molecular changes occur before any morphological changes can be seen in a cytology test," Jiang said.

"As a diagnostic tool to identify early stage lung cancer patients who would then benefit most from curative therapies, FISH is very cheap and convenient," he said. "The technique may be also useful in monitoring lung cancer patients for response to treatment, disease progression and early evidence of relapse in the future."

 

Heavy Metal Toxins a Danger in Homes

January 20, 2007 01:55:14 PM PST
Yahoo! Health: Bioterrorism News

SATURDAY, Jan. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Exposure to heavy metals -- arsenic, lead and mercury -- can occur in the home through common items such as glazed pottery, herbal supplements, food, and garden pesticides/herbicides, notes an article in the January issue of the Mayo Clinic Health Letter.

Potential household sources of lead include: old painted surfaces; tableware such as leaded crystal, pewter and some glazed pottery; fumes when soldering stained glass projects; and pottery glazes with white or yellow finishes. Dietary supplements, especially those from China, can also be a source of lead exposure. And some jewelry from China may be made from lead.

Certain kinds of fish or shellfish may contain high levels of mercury, including shark, swordfish, tuna, pike, walleye, bass, and Atlantic salmon. While concerns have been raised about mercury in dental fillings, no firm link has been established between metal dental fillings and changes in the central nervous system, the article said.

Some garden herbicides and pesticides contain arsenic. People who use these products should always read and follow instructions on the labels. Until recently, arsenic was used in pressure-treated lumber. If you're working with older, treated lumber, wear gloves and a dust mask and do your work outdoors.

There is no government oversight on what's in homeopathic, herbal or complementary health products, and it's possible that they could contain heavy metals.

Limited exposure to heavy metals isn't likely to cause any harm to your health, the article said. Some general symptoms of heavy metal toxicity include hearing loss, impaired concentration, personality changes, and loss of feeling, especially in the fingertips. People who are concerned about exposure to heavy metals should talk to their doctor. Blood tests and other methods can be used to determine if a person has toxic levels of heavy metals.

 

Why Video Games May Be Hard to Give Up

January 15, 2007 01:55:41 PM PST
Yahoo! Health: Addiction News

MONDAY, Jan. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers say they've found another reason why video games are so hard to give up: They may help fulfill basic psychological needs.

In a study published in the January issue of Motivation and Emotion, investigators from the University of Rochester and Immersyve Inc. looked at what motivated 1,000 gamers to keep playing video games.

"We think there's a deeper theory than the fun of playing," lead investigator Richard Ryan, a motivational psychologist at Rochester, said in a prepared statement.

The gamers were divided into four groups, each asked to play different games. They answered questionnaires both before and after playing the games. The researchers used the questionnaires to look at the underlying motives and satisfactions that can spark players' interests and sustain them during play.

The researchers found that the games can provide opportunities for achievement, freedom and even a connection to other players. Those benefits trumped a shallow sense of fun, which doesn't keep gamers as interested. Players reported feeling the best when the games produced positive experiences and challenges that connected to what they knew in the real world.

"It's our contention that the psychological 'pull' of games is largely due to their capacity to engender feelings of autonomy, competence and relatedness," said Ryan. He believes that video games not only motivate further play but "also can be experienced as enhancing psychological wellness, at least short-term."

For the participants who played massively multiplayer online, or MMO, games -- which are capable of supporting hundreds of thousands of players simultaneously -- the need for relatedness emerged "as an important satisfaction that promotes a sense of presence, game enjoyment and an intention for future play," the researchers found.

Ryan pointed out that while not all video games are able to satisfy basic psychological needs, "those that do may be the best at keeping players coming back."

 

Garlic shows no effect on heart risk factors

January 7, 2007 02:40:21 AM PST

Though garlic is touted for heart health, new research suggests that garlic supplements have no effect on several heart disease risk factors.

In a study of 90 overweight smokers, European researchers found that those who took a garlic powder supplement for three months showed no changes in their cholesterol levels or several other markers of heart disease risk.

The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, adds to the conflicting evidence on garlic and heart health. A number of studies have found that garlic supplements may help lower blood cholesterol, and possibly blood pressure, but other studies have failed to find such benefits.

In the new study, researchers looked at whether a garlic supplement could affect heart risk factors other than the usual suspects of high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

Along with blood cholesterol, they measured participants' levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and other blood proteins that indicate the degree of inflammation in the arteries. They also measured several blood substances that reflect how well the blood vessel walls are working.

Both of these factors -- inflammation and blood vessel function -- are believed to be key in heart disease risk. However, the study found that garlic may have no effect on them.

After three months, men and women who were assigned to take the garlic supplement showed no changes in either these measures or their cholesterol levels. In contrast, those given the cholesterol drug atorvastatin (Lipitor) showed a drop not only in cholesterol, but also in levels of CRP and another inflammation marker called TNF-alpha.

This makes it "unlikely" that garlic can protect the heart by combating high cholesterol or inflammation, write the researchers, led by Dr. Martijn B.A. van Doorn of the Center for Human Drug Research in Leiden, the Netherlands.

Of the 90 adults they followed, a third were randomly assigned to take 2 grams of the garlic supplement each day. Another third took 40 milligrams of Lipitor per day, and the rest were given inactive placebo pills.

Compared with the placebo group, the Lipitor group had, on average, a 53 percent drop in "bad" LDL cholesterol, a 20 percent dip in CRP levels and a 42 percent decline in TNF-alpha. In contrast, the garlic group showed no clear differences from the placebo group, the study found.

The findings, van Doorn's team concludes, suggest that garlic powder -- and probably garlic in general -- "has no relevant place" in preventing or treating high cholesterol or the inflammation that marks artery damage.

SOURCE: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, December 2006.

 

Organic ketchup protects against cancer


* Exclusive from New Scientist Print Edition
* Anna Gosline

Organic varieties of tomato ketchup contain three times as much of a cancer-fighting chemical called lycopene as non-organic brands.

In the US, tomato ketchup comes in purple and green varieties as well as the traditional red. Betty Ishida and Mary Chapman at the Agricultural Research Service in Albany, California, US, wondered if the colouring might be indicative of low levels of lycopene, the pigment that makes tomatoes red.

The chemical has been shown to help protect against breast, pancreatic, prostate and intestinal cancer, especially when eaten with fatty foods. There is also evidence that lycopene can reduce the risk of heart attacks (New Scientist print edition, 23 December 2000).

The researchers tested lycopene levels and antioxidant activity in 13 ketchup brands: six popular ones, three organic, two store brands and two from fast-food chains. Purple and green ketchups had a similar lycopene content to their plain red counterparts.

But organic ketchups excelled, with one brand containing 183 micrograms of lycopene per gram of ketchup, about five times as much per weight as a tomato. Non-organic brands averaged 100 micrograms per gram, with one fast-food sample containing just 60 micrograms per gram.

If you want high lycopene levels, says Ishida, the rule of thumb is to pick the darkest red ketchup.

Journal reference: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (DOI: 10.1021/jf0401540)

 

I have heard the whole "Garlic is good for your heart" stuff for a long time. It tastes ok most the time but destroys your breath, which is why I usually try to avoid it so at least now I know its been proven that it is 'neutral' (Neither good nor bad) for your heart, now it really is more bad breath for nothing.

Its also cool to hear the organic ketchup is better for you (with more of the anti-cancer stuff, lycopene) then 'regular' non-organic ketchup.

Arovax Shield looks interesting, kind of like "WinPatrol" maybe? I will probably give it a try and report back with my findings.

 

a few comments about your posts ireland.
Robert Santangelo: Very good reply by his attorney. I hope they keep up the pressure & cause the case to backfire on the RIAA. Legal precedent is good; we definitely need a major case to go against the M.A.F.I.A.A.
Windows Vistorz: A piece of crapware thats filled to the brim with Digital Rights Management. PASS. That's one Vista that needs revoking.
IE7 & security: Today's oxymoronic comment, tomorrow's worm of the year.
CRIA: Proof that greed knows no bounds; if they can't get every penny from every download, it's highway robbery to them. Why bother paying for a d/l when all they want is war? I say GIVE it to THEM.
Arovax shield: Works great with Kerio or another application level sw blocker. A good firewall & Arovax is prob all you need + antivirus.
Video games are pathological indeed! I still have the need to play Leisure Suit Larry every so often. Fulfills some gratification that i can't put to words...LOL yeah right

 

Current - DVD neXt COPY V2.3.5.1 - 01/31/07 -
Download
http://www.dvdnextcopy.com/setup/DVDneXtCOPY_V2_3_5_1.exe

Release Notes

* Some Minor Fixes in Software Usage
* Added Help Agent to Better Explain Copy Errors
* Changed Numeric Codes in Logfile for Better Reading
* Improved Stability
* Optimized Engines
* Optimized Playback Structures
* Updated Splash Screen Image V2.3.5.1
* Updated Resources to V2.3.5.1

 

Parent controlled technology

p2pnet.net news view:- In response to a discussion in Hansard about Bill C-327, I wrote the following letter. (Please go to V-Chip Canada for information on that technology.)

Dear Ms. Tina Keeper, Member for Churchill, and Liberal Heritage Critic,

I noticed that on Tuesday, January 30, 2007 you participated in the debate on Bill C-327, An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act (reduction of violence in television broadcasts). In this discussion you discussed technologies that allowed for parental control such as the "V-chip". I would agree with what I believe you were suggesting, that the right way to solve the problem is to have the government mandate labelling on programming and then put technology in the hands of individual Canadians to allow them to make their own viewing choices, and to give parents the tools to restrict the viewing choices of their own children.

Unfortunately, the law and technology are headed in a different direction. Increasingly we are seeing device manufacturers taking control away from the owners of these technologies, often under the false pretence that revoking this control will somehow reduce copyright infringement. We are then seeing laws, such as the proposals that came out of the USA's National Information Infrastructure Task Force in 1995 that lead to the 1996 WIPO treaties, which legally prohibit the owners of these technologies from gaining control over what they own. These technologies cannot have two masters, and in order for Citizens to digitally secure (lock down) their own technology to obey their own instructions they must first remove any third party locks which are already on the technology.

Stewart Baker, Department of Homeland Security's assistant secretary for policy, said to a group of copyright holders about this critical policy conflict, "It's very important to remember that it's your intellectual property -- it's not your computer. And in the pursuit of protection of intellectual property, it's important not to defeat or undermine the security measures that people need to adopt in these days."

I would like to meet to discuss this issue. The ratification of the 1996 WIPO treaties will not only harm the interests of a majority of creators and other copyright holders, and all digital device owners, but will also have serious implications on other public policy as well. It is hard to give parents the tools to make their own choices about their children's viewing habits when the technology involved will be under the exclusive control of the device manufacturers. Only when the interests of the parent and the manufacturer are aligned will these devices obey the instructions of parents.

Russell McOrmond - p2pnet contributing editor
[McOrmond is an independent author (software and non-software) who uses modern business models and licensing (Free/Libre and Open Source Software, Creative Commons). He's also the CLUE policy coordinator.]
http://p2pnet.net/story/11199?PHPSESSID=b290515ed98cca1f03ad3ae81d720d8d

 

Dutch hackers jailed

p2pnet.net News:- A Dutch court jailed two unidentified hackers for commandeering millions of computers.

"They used the hijacked systems in a network, popularly called a botnet, to steal credit card numbers and other personal data, and to blackmail online businesses by threatening to take down their Web sites," says CNET News.

One was sentenced to two years in prison, and his accomplice to 18 months, but in both cases, "the sentences equal the time the two young men have already served, meaning they don't have to spend any more time in prison," says the story.

"In addition to the prison sentences, the court ordered the main hacker to pay a 9,000 euro ($11,700) fine, while the second hacker was ordered to pay 4,000 euros ($5,200)."

The leader, 20, created Toxbot as well Wayphisher, the court heard, and, "The 28-year-old accomplice helped to spread the Trojan horses and maintain the network of compromised PCs," says CNET, going on:

"The pair used the identity information they collected, which also included eBay and PayPal account details, to purchase PlayStation game consoles, iPods, audio speakers, a graphics card and a camera, according to the prosecution."

Other suspects in the Dutch case still have to appear before a judge, adds the story.

. Slashdot Slashdot it!

Also See:
CNET News - Dutch botnet hackers sentenced to time served, January 31, 2007
http://p2pnet.net/story/11200?PHPSESSID=ef98455c1b55a3077bc63b37a6e13251

 

Microsoft Canadian copyright win

p2pnet.net News:- After running its own investigations, Microsoft has won a major copyright victory in Canada where it's been awarded $500,000, the maximum permissible damages, against Inter-Plus, a Quebec software reseller operated by Carmelo Cerrelli.

"The RCMP executed a search warrant at Inter-Plus in November, 1998, and Montreal police did the same in 2000," says The Financial Post. "Both times, CD-ROMs and other products were seized and both times the Crown prosecutor declined to press criminal charges.

"In August, 2000, Microsoft took matters into its own hands and filed a civil suit. It gained custody of the items seized by the RCMP. Microsoft had them analyzed and found 394 of the 397 CD-ROMS seized by the RCMP were counterfeit. It has been before the courts ever since."

The $500,000 is a mere drop in the bucket for Microsoft, "But in the Canadian copyright and counterfeiting universe, the award in Microsoft v. 9038-3746 Quebec Inc., 9014-5731 Quebec Inc., et al. is no drop, it's the whole bucket," says the story.

Justice Sean Harrington also awarded Bill and the Boyz another $100,000 in punitive damages from the numbered companies that own Inter-Plus, and $100,000 from Cerrelli personally, "making it the highest punitive damage award in a Canadian counterfeiting case to date".

But, "Despite investigations and seizures of counterfeit goods from Inter-Plus by the RCMP and Montreal police, no criminal charges were laid against the company or its principal, and Microsoft had to do its own investigation and defend its IP rights under civil law," says the story, pointing out the case dates back to 1997.

However, "In effect [Microsoft] is seeking an order that Inter-Plus be kept out of the grey market," The Financial Post says Harrington wrote in his decision. But, "I decline to do so."

. Slashdot Slashdot it!

Also See:
The Financial Post - Black eye for black market, January 31, 2007
http://p2pnet.net/story/11204?PHPSESSID=d1703e82b6c8d36cf42cc6c4533a24bb

 

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Newsgroups Pictures Downloader is a specialized news reader that focuses on picture newsgroups.

 

BRAIN CRASH..........Did you know that your brain is not perfect? Test it now using this game that points up some cognitive foibles.....(free).....GO THERE!
http://www.tapazapa.com/Games/BrainCrash/index.htm

 

Setup and Secure your PC and Network once and for all.
Feb 01, 2007 - 7:44 AM - by Digital Dave
A "Digital Dave" original.

I've been in this business for a very (very) long time and have been one of the co-owners of WinXPcentral.com for a number of years. I've read numerous posts on this site by users who are increasingly frustrated by problems related to Pop-Up's, Spyware, slow system response, and of course, viruses galore. I have decided to do something about it once and for all. What I am about to tell you is what I personally use when setting up systems for not only for myself, but also my kids, my wife and for those who pay me to do it (not bad money either).

Winxpcentral.com Article.

(Please Note: This article pertains to 2000/XP installs. I will update this one with Vista information as soon as I can)

I've been in this business for a very (very) long time and have been one of the co-owners of WinXPcentral.com for a number of years. I've read numerous posts on this site by users who are increasingly frustrated by problems related to Pop-Up's, Spyware, slow system response, and of course, viruses galore. I have decided to do something about it once and for all. What I am about to tell you is what I personally use when setting up systems for not only for myself, but also my kids, my wife and for those who pay me to do it (not bad money either).

Unfortunately, not all of this is free. I know some of you are sitting there saying "ah man..." but if you're tired of pop-up, spyware, and all the other crap you have to deal with, then spending a little cash is well worth it.

This article assumes you already have your PC setup and running. I don't care what version of Windows you are using, as long as it's newer than Windows ME (Windows 2000 is good also).

Firewall

This is the most important piece of hardware or software you can buy PERIOD! If you have a high speed internet connection and you don't have a firewall installed, you are just inviting hackers to come in and steal anything and everything on your PC. Get a firewall and get it now!

Hardware Firewall (DSL Users) - my personal favorite is made by a company called 2Wire. It has a very simple and easy to use interface allowing quick and easy access for just about any service you would need to enable or disable. Opening and closing game ports is a snap, and the wireless coverage and range is excellent! The user interface is very easy to use. For instance, let's say you want to host a Quake III server and only want to allow those particular ports open to your PC. With the 2wire solution, you simply choose Quake III in the Services Manager and move it over to the allowed list. The ports are now open. When you're done, you can simply open the user interface and close the ports. For those who need SMTP opened (you run a mail server and need SMTP opened to the server), the same setup applies. Need remote desktop opened to the box? Same steps apply. This is truly one of the best firewall/Wireless routers I have used (and I've used quite a few). - 2wire Home Portal - Cost - about $150.00 - $200.00 bucks.

Hardware Firewall (Cable Modem Users) - Yes, I have both a DSL and a Cable Modem in my house (redundant networks kick ass). I get a lot of questions about what I use to secure my cable modem side and after trying a few different products I settled on a Netgear WPN824. The SPI firewall, web interface, blistering wireless speed with seven (yes, seven) built in antennas made this an easy and very affordable choice. My wife works from home 50% - 70% of the time and works exclusively off the wireless so getting a unit that was not only fast but stable was imperative (another reason why we have two networks in the house, if one goes down she can jump on the other one). This is a terrific unit and one I highly recommend - Netgear WPN824 - under $100.00 bucks.

Software Firewall - If you can't afford $200.00 bucks for a good solid hardware firewall, then how about one of the best software ones for free? Personally, I use the free version from Zone Labs as a second line of defense on all my PC's (more "just in case" than anything else). Note that all personal firewalls need to be trained, so be aware of that. What I mean by training, is that once the firewall is installed and running, for the first few day's the firewall software will pop-up telling you some application is trying to access port ### and you have to respond yes or no. What I like about the Zone Labs firewall is the fact that it doesn't interfere with my VPN software for work (works like a charm). It also tries to tell you what the port is that is trying to access the Internet, so at least you have a better understanding of what application is actually trying to access the Internet via a very cool "More Info" button that's right on the pop-up. This helps people tremendously who are new to PC's. - Zonelabs.com

Now, if you want more options than the free version gives you, of course Zone Labs will be more than willing to sell you the full Professional Suite for about $70.00 bucks, which is a very good deal since a good stand alone anti-virus program will run you a cool $50-$70 bucks. This full suite protects everything including the up and coming virus problems with chat clients - Zone Labs Full Suite

Windows Update - this has to be the most over looked aspect of any Windows user. If you run Windows, of any flavor, you need to visit Windows Update at least once a week (or as soon as you hear about a critical update from Microsoft or us). Open Internet Explorer and go to Tools - Windows Update - and install ALL critical updates. Then, on the same Windows Update page, look at the Recommended Updates and install the ones you need (I normally install them all).

Anti Virus - AVG Anti-Virus - If you don't have an anti-virus program installed, please log off the Internet now, re-box your PC and send it back to your manufacturer. You MUST have one installed and it's virus signatures MUST be kept up to date. Personally, this is something I buy. I do not use a "freebee" version. Now, what to buy, what to buy indeed. Anti-Virus packages are a dime dozen now. Almost all the anti-virus manufacturers have now starting offering package deals that include AV, anti-spyware, firewall, etc... I'm not a big fan of those since I find one of the modules really good and the rest is... eh...

I personally like individual packages. Everyone wants a good anti-virus package (don't slack on this) and since my NOD32 was about to expire I decided to shop around. I nailed it down to three: Trend Micro, AVG, and of course NOD32. I opted for the new AVG 7.1 not only because in every review I had read AVG was always in the top three, the real kicker for me was the two for one deal where I get two years of defs for the price of one. Sweet...

Updated - Anti-Virus #2 - Honorable Mention - Nod32 is the only (and I mean ONLY) anti-virus that has not missed a single “In the Wild” worm or virus in the rigorous testing conducted by Virus Bulletin since May 1998. Used in conjunction with a good anti-spyware program (I will cover that below) your PC will be protected against just about anything. Now some of you might be wondering why I didn't re-new my subscription to NOD32 since I think so highly of it. Well... good question. It all came down to speed. NOD32 can slow your system down where as AVG really doesn't plus AVG really is a terrific AV - ESET Lab

Services - Certain services on your system need to be secured. Now please take what I am about to say next with a grain of salt. I realize some of you run servers in your homes, and if you do some of what I'm about to tell you to do, will break certain things. So, if I tell you to disable a service, and you know you need that service (like telnet), then don't disable it! Or, disable it when it's not needed to help secure your system. For most of you, these services are simply not needed.

- Hit Start then Run and type Services.msc
- Look for Telnet - double click it and then change it from Manual to Disabled.
- Look for Messenger - double click it and then change it from Manual or Automatic to Disabled. This does not affect your Messaging Client!!! - See this page for a full explanation on why you need to disable this service.
- FTP = BAD - Having an open FTP port on your system is like putting a "hack here" sign on your PC. I realize people need to move files back and forth between PC's but this not the way to do it. If you MUST use FTP please don't use the built in one that comes with XP, use (free) FileZilla Client and Server and only open the ports when needed.

That's about it for Services... now let's get to the good stuff

Updated - Browsers - If you're still using Internet Explorer you seriously need to reconsider using that browser. Lot' and lots of problems have been attributed to Internet Explorer and until MS basically redoes I.E. from the ground up the problems will continue to mount. However, don't be dismayed. Others in the browser arena are stepping up and putting out terrific I.E. replacements. Personally, a lot of us around here use either Opera (it's RSS feeds are the best of any browser) or Firefox (huge fan of Firefox). These browsers are proven to be MUCH more secure, faster, and way better at handling bugs that affect I.E. but not them. If you decide to use FireFox, after you install it (it will open after the install) visit the Macromedia web site and download the Flash Player and Shockwave Player to your local disk and install them both. You also need to install and configure SUN's JAVA (for JAVA pages of course). I cannot say enough about these two browsers. They are fast and quite secure.

NEW - Internet Explore Users - eCondom (free) - No matter how hard I try to convince people to use Firefox or (Opera for that matter) inevitability someone comes up to me and says "Hey Dave, I was using Internet Explorer and all of the sudden (fill in the blank) happened."

You've all heard this a thousand times: If you insist on using IE, download and install IE7. It's WAY more secure than IE 6.x plus, it has tabs now!

Once you have IE installed, head on over to AMUSTSOFTWARE.com. They have developed a little program called Econdom for Internet Explorer. What Econdom does is simple; it basically runs Internet Explorer with USER permissions and not Admin permissions. It doesn't remove Internet Explorer, it simply makes a new "e" icon with a red lock in it which now allows you to chose which Internet Explorer you want to use.

NEW - Anti-Spyware Software - Spyware Detector - As everyone knows, Spyware is quickly becoming the "virus" of the web. Phishing attacks, Worms, Trojans, hell if you can think of it someone is working on a way to get it from you. I guess what scares the hell out of me is someone actually getting this info off my hard drive. Like a lot of people my finances and banking info is on my computer and I have taken all the steps I can to protect both my identity and my data however, as we all know the folks that want my data are always one step ahead of the rest of us. So, time to bring out the big guns.

I ran across (quite by accident) what I consider the BEST anti-spyware package sold today. Spyware Detector is not your normal everyday anti-spyware program. Spyware Detector is far and away the best anti-spyware package sold today. With a data base of over 97,000 (and growing) Spyware Detector has almost twice the database of anyone else on the market. I ran three different anti-spyware packages on my system at home, all of them showed "hey, you're fine" but something was still not right. I found this program, downloaded it, ran it, and it found a nasty little "side-by-side" surfing malware package on my system that NONE of the leading packages found (I'm talking three of the most prominent on the market today). Don't believe me? Download it and run it... then get out your credit card and pay the people, they earned it.

Updated - Anti-Spyware Software #2 - Honorable mention - Spyware Doctor ($29.95) - what I consider to be the 2nd best anti-spyware program on the market. Good Keylogger protection and a nice immunize database.

Updated - **Note on Microsoft's Anti-Spyware (a.k.a. - Windows Defender) - Since this article has been out I have had a lot of people asking me about the "free" or beta version of Microsoft anti-spyware package and why I don't use and/or recommend it (ever). Simple, it doesn't work very well from what we can tell.

Pop-Up Blocker - I have only one thing to say about this - Pop-Up Cop.com . This is hands down the best pop-up blocker you can get. It's not free, about $20.00 for 2 PCs, but it works and I mean it really, really works well. This version only works on Internet Explorer, and it also works very well with the new Windows XP SP2 (I have SP2 installed on all my XP machines so I know it works!). Don't worry about FireFox or Opera, they very good pop-up blockers built right into the browser. **Note - if you too my recommendation and got Spyware Doctor, you might not nee this as Spyware Doctor has a pop-up blocker built in, it's not as good as Pop-Up Cop but it does work.

Now I know a lot of you may not have a cool $20.00 sitting around and, as you all know by now, almost all the major web sites offer a pop-up blocker for Internet Explorer, but none of them can touch Pop-Up Cop. However, that being said, Google.com does offer a pretty decent one, as does Yahoo. Having one that kinda works is better than having none at all.

NEW - Secure Your Passwords – How many passwords do you have? Hey me too! I have so many I can’t remember them all. So, what do I use to remember them all? Well, actually that’s split between two different, very easy to use programs:

RoboForm – Free for storing up to 10 logins. $29.95 if you decide to buy the Pro Version. This is one of those programs I actually shelled out the cash for. I use it on all my systems and just love the fact that I no longer have to remember all my passwords for 24 different sites I now have added to my profile. Form filling, auto redirect and auto-login to the web page I'm trying to get to… well, just a great piece of software. Easy to backup and maintain, oh and the best thing about it is it’s secure and is available right off the browser bar. One note here: RoboForm only works in IE.x and Firefox.– RoboForm.com

Password Corral – This is a local application you install onto your system. It’s very easy to use and quite secure when it comes to storing information. I use this program mostly for passwords and information I don’t use all that often but still need to keep track of. I know there are several of these programs out there that do this type of thing but this one’s free and had just worked for me for a number of years. – Password Corral.

Protect that Network Connection - A lot of people think once they have all the stuff above installed, they're all protected and set to cruise the Internet... well my friends I'm here to tell you -- you're not. The last tool I recommend you install is called SmartFix. SmartFix is an all-in-one system and security repair tool that allows you to fix and eliminate the pesky bugs and problems that may slow down your computer through easy one-click menu options. Furthermore, SmartFix adds an extra layer of protection against the security attacks and hazards of the Internet by repairing the security flaws on your system. Once you install it just run with the defaults and you'll be good to go - Smart Fix Security Center

Administrator Password - This is one of the scariest things I show people, and here's why: I had a friend who brought in a PC that was down hard. He thought he had been hacked. After taking a look at the system, sure enough the box looked like it had been hacked big time. I told him that they probably got in via the Administrator account and I asked if they had set a password for that account when they got the box. He said no, and thought that was already done for them at the factory. Wrong!!! Believe it or not the Administrator password is not set at the factory for you. YOU need to set that password yourself! If you have never set the Administrator password on your system YOU NEED TO DO IT RIGHT NOW!!!

- Hit Start and put your mouse right over "My Computer" and right click on it
- On the Menu that pops up choose Manage
- Hit the + sign next to Users and Groups
- Click Users and in the right hand pane RIGHT click on Administrator and choose Set Password. I highly recommend you make this a different password than the one you currently use but then again one you can remember if necessary.

Now you're ready to move on...

Backups - Good Lord I can't begin to tell you how times we have asked people about backups! The response we get most of the time is stone silence. Backups are like drinking beer. It simply has to be done!! Now most people just don't know how, or don't have the time to do it. Well folks, sorry to tell you this, but you better find the time. You better learn how, and you better find a place to put the data. DO NOT use your primary C: drive to store your backup data IT WILL DIE when you need it the most (it's a known rule with the computing gods).

If you're a novice and have no idea what to use for back-ups, I suggest a very nice USB external drive made by Maxtor. The Maxtor One Touch is what I use for the remote employees I support, and they just love it. I also send them a 1GB USB stick so "super critical" data can get backed up in two places (another good tool for novices). The cost of the drive was nominal (ranging from $100.00 to 250.00 depending on the drive size) and what I got with the kit was great. All the backup software was included, and it works like a charm. Another cool thing about this solution, is that it's portable. My engineers can move the drive between machines, transferring large ISO images without taking my network to its knees. I also use it on my servers as a secondary backup to my tape backups, placing images on the drive as I need to. As I said, I do have all my core critical data going to tape, so if the drive dies, I can still get what I need. To be able to slap an image back on a new disk is such a time saver! This solution also saved us a large amount of cash (we're a start-up so my budget is like nil) since I didn't have to put a very large and expensive file server in place.

Now for those who are "savvy" with the Windows OS's you can use the Windows Backup utility included with the OS. Hey, a Windows backup is better than no backup at all. Personally, I use a disk imaging program from Acronis Software called Acronis True Image. You can get it over on New Egg.com for about 30.00 bucks. I use it to image my laptops and desktop computer to an external USB drive, plus I place all my "critical" data on a RW/CDROM I keep in a nice safe place. God help me if I lose my MS Money file.

Email - oh my God... is this the worst or what! Email DEMANDS you have a good AV installed, fully up to date and working. Personally I use Yahoo mail since I have the service via SBC (my local carrier). If you have the "old school" email (I'm speaking of POP mail here) and you use a mail program like Outlook or Eudora you need a an antivirus that can speak SMTP. An anti-virus that can speak SMTP is critical here! ALL of your mail needs to "washed" by the anti-virus first!!! Now this doesn't mean your mail will be virus free... oh no folks. Rule of thumb (again) if it looks weird delete it!! Do not open it. Anti-Virus companies play catch-up. They do not foresee viruses coming. They react to viruses after people have been infected! Remember, attachments can be very BAD! Opening an attachment with .exe, .bat, .reg, .cpl, .scr, or any other extension that's executable (meaning it can run as soon as you click on it) is not something coming from mom... well it might be, but mom might be infected with a new virus too. Now for me, unless I really know you I'm not opening any attachment. Hell, even if I do know you, I'm going scrutinize that attachment big time. I trust no one!

SPAM - UGH!!! - Believe it or not, the most common way viruses get spread. To top all that off it's just flat out annoying. I swear if I had Bill Gates money I would dedicate legions of my Microsoft minions to make every spammers life a living hell. I hate spammers! But, that doesn't solve your problem now, does it. So, what do you do about it?

Well, for those with a credit card you can purchase a damn good Spam Filter. Personally I've recommended to my clients a product once called Qurb and is now called CA Anti-Spam which, I guess PC Magazine also likes. Plus, it works with Outlook Express AND Outlook!

Now the "Cheap Ass - Free Way" (I fall into this category) to get decent spam and virus filtering is to use one of the free on-line email systems like Yahoo, Hotmail, or GMAIL. With the amount of storage they now offer, Yahoo gives you 1GB (and growing) and a 25MB file send limit, while Hotmail is now offering 250 MB of storage, and them their is GMAIL who offers 2.6GB (yea, you read right) and growing of storage space PLUS, GMAIL probably has the best SPAM filter I have seen.

Remember, a good SPAM filter is for SPAM only. You need to have a damn good AV running to actually get rid of the "bugs" that want onto your system so bad.

Common Sense/Parent Corner - The last thing you need to do when cruising the Internet, chatting, or even reading email is to use some basic common sense. I can't tell you how many people write to us and say "Hey, my son (and/or) daughter download this-that-or-this thing and now my system is hosed!" Common sense when using computers is a must. A rule of thumb I have with email, files, or anything someone sends to me whether I know them or not: if it looks funny its deleted... period! I truly, honest to God do NOT trust anyone. I have yet to see a PC that's totally safe and free of everything bad. Make no mistake, the Internet can be a very bad place IF YOU LET IT BE. If you use common sense and are smart about how you surf, pay attention to what your kids are doing on the Internet (and on YOUR computer) and you clean your PC (yes, clean as in removing Adware and making sure your anti-virus is up to date and TURNED ON) and don't open up files from people you don't know (and scrutinize the files from people you do know) you'll be just fine. Remember, this all starts with a solid first line of defense. Again, if you do not have a firewall GET ONE!

Another thing I tell parents is NOT allow accounts for the kids to have Administrative rights on the system. This is easy to do and saves a ton of headaches down the road. Yes, it will limit their accounts as to what they can and can't do, but better safe than sorry.

To do it:

- Hit Start and put your mouse right over "My Computer" and right click on it
- On the Menu that pops up choose Manage
- Hit the + sign next to Users and Groups
- Click Users and in the right hand pane double click on the account your kids use
- Click the Member Of Tab and REMOVE the Administrator account. This will limit the kids to User rights and not Administrative rights to the system. If you trust your kids (uhhh... yea, right) you can up their permissions to Power User:

- Hit the Member Of Tab
- Choose Add - Advanced - Find Now - Highlight Power Users - click Okay - then Okay again to add them . This will up there rights to the system but still not give them Admin rights to the entire OS.

HOWEVER - If you need to (or want to) let your kids have Admin Accounts (I am firmly against this) then grab a copy of what I use, Cyber Patrol. I have this installed on my kids systems and just love what this program can do. Not being able to watch what my kids do online 7x24 this software package lets me configure what my kids can and cannot see/do. It also lets me specify what time they can access the internet and what time the Internet "closes" for them. I'm also able to control their chat programs, plus being able to "black list" and "white list" web sites is a terrific addition to this suite. My wife and I love just how well this program works. Check it out - Cyber Patrol ($US $39.95)

That's it folks, you're all set to cruise the Internet!

I'm thirsty... I need beer...

Later - Digital

Digital Dave
digital@winxpcentral.com
2004/2005/2006 Microsoft MVP
http://forums.winxpcentral.com/showthread.php?p=42577#post42577