The Tassel is Worth the Hassle

Your info guide to beefing up your personal computer’s safety from malicious threats!

http://www.ziddu.com/download/2764559/339Secure_Your_Personal_Computer.pdf.html 

The ultimate guide to removing and protecting against adware and spyware on your PC.

http://www.ziddu.com/download/2764658/890adwareandspyware.pdf.html 

When CDs were introduced they were touted as indestructible. Recordable CDs (CD-Rs) give the impression of similar permanence, and manufacturers claim lifespans of ten or even 200 years. But Dutch magazine PC-Active recently tested some CD-Rs stored for just 20 months and found a number had become unreadable.

Of course, many people have kept CD-Rs for much longer and had no trouble, but if you save precious documents or photos on CD:

• Use decent, branded CDs. The quality of the dye layer that records the data affects longevity.
• Avoid seladhesive labels: there’s evidence the glue may harm the dye or reflective layers. Use felt-tipped pens and restrict writing to the central hub.
• Store CDs  in protective "jewel" cases in a dark, cool, dry location.
• Make multiple copies of important CDs.
• Copy data to fresh CDs (or new formats as they come along) every three to five years.

Who knew e-mail passwords were so revealing? Most people choose words that come readily, so Australian psychologist Helen Petrie, a professor of human computer interaction at City University in London, analyzed the passwords of 1200 anonymous computer users and found most fell into the following four genres:

Family Oriented - 47.5%

Occasional computer users with strong family ties pick family oriented words like their pet’s name or child’s birth date. While emotional value dictates the choices of this personality, it should be noted that over half chose some variation of their own name.

Fans - 32%

People who pick  theri favourite athletes, musicians, movie stars and cartoon characters want to ally themselves with the lifestyle the celebrity symbolises. That Homer Simpson topped the charts raises more questions about human nature than it answers.

Fantasists - 11%

Self- obsessed and sexually preoccupied, slightly more men than women chose passwords like sexy and stud.

Cryptics - 9.5%

Security-conscious types chose seemingly random series of numbers and letters. Not so interesting, but safe.

Be it the Beatles CD you play in the car, the precious Monty Python DVD you got for your birthday or the CD-ROM with the snaps from your last holiday, chances are you have no idea what to do if the toddler in your life leaves her mark on any of them, let alone how to care for a disc at the best of times. Some tips from the Optical Storage Technology Association:

1. Always hold CDs and DVDs by the outside edge or the centre hole.

2. Store discs in plastic cases in a box , drawer or cabinet away from light, heat, dust and humidity.

3. Blow off any dust that settles on discs to keep it out of your player.

4. Clean discs using a soft, dry, lint-free cloth or camera lens tissue. Gently wipe from the centre to the outer edge in a straight line; do not rub in circles or  around the disc. CD cleaning fluids may help to remove sticky fingerprints.

It’s easy to unclog your inbox - follow these six steps

If you think you have a problem with spam cluttering up your e-mail inbox now, just wait a few years. Charles Cousins, managing director of Sophos Anti-Virus Asia, an anti-spam software provider, estimates that three quarters of the 55 billion e-mails sent every day will be spam.

Excedent Technologies, an e-mail hosting company, offers these yips to prevent spam from ever reaching your computer.

1. Use a dedicated e-mail alias address, such as a Hotmail or Yahoo! account, when posting to discussion lists, news groups and message boards. If you start to recieve a lot of spam at the address, replace it with another one.

2. Be careful who you give your e-mail address to. On Internet forms, leave the e-mail address space blank unless you’re sure the recipient can be trusted. If it is required, use your e-mail alias accont.