Block sales calls to your cell phone

Posted on November 19, 2008 by wjimenez275

The following article is reprinted from PCWorld.com

Telemarketing is especially annoying when it reaches your mobile phone, costing you money to hear a sales pitch. Be cautious in giving your mobile number to companies, and especially be aware of opting in or out of a company sharing or selling that information.

If you do give out a mobile number, be sure to tell companies that it’s mobile. If someone calls with a pitch, ask them to take you off their list, and also mention that they have called a mobile number. It’s illegal for telemarketers to use autodialers to reach mobile numbers, so they’ll likely respond quickly if you let them know.

The National Do Not Call Registry can add another layer of protection, with caveats. The list is a database of numbers that telemarketers can’t call, but loopholes allow calls from political groups, surveys, and companies with which you’ve established a business relationship. Nearly the same restrictions on sales calls apply to mobile phones already; however, if you’ve begun to receive sales calls on your cell phone, adding your number to the Do Not Call Registry (www.donotcall.gov)can be the easiest way to stop them.

If, after registering your number with the Do Not Call Registry, you continue to receive sales calls on your cell phone, don’t just hang up in exasperation. Instead, gather as much info about the caller as you can, and file a complaint using the online form at donotcall.gov

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iPhone Charger Recall

Posted on November 17, 2008 by wjimenez275

Apple has recalled the ultracompact USB adapters sold with its 3G iPhones, warning that the metal prongs could break off and put owners at risk of electric shock. Apple has urged owners to recharge the phone by connecting it to a computer until they can trade in the faulty charger for a new one. They can initiate such a trade either in person at an Apple Store or through Apple’s Web site, http://www.apple.com/support/usbadapter/exchangeprogram/.  (From PCWorld Magazine)

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RadioShack Offers Gift Cards for Old Electronic Devices

Posted on November 10, 2008 by wjimenez275

From the OCRegister Gadgetress

If you’re about to dump your old iPod, cell phone or other electronic device anyway, you might as well get some money for it, right?

RadioShack now offers an electronics trade-in program, which swaps store gift cards for your old e-junk. A lot of this stuff we shouldn’t be dumping into the trash anyway because they are considered hazardous e-waste.

The program accepts GPS devices, MP3 Players, wireless phones, digital camcorders, car audio head units, digital cameras, notebook computers, game consoles and video games. Not on the list: desktop computers. For those, I suggest using Toshiba’s trade-in program where you get actual CASH (read “Toshiba’s PC recycling program now accepts all e-junk“).

Just plug in your details at RadioShack’s site: RadioShack.com/tradein. If you accept the price, you print out the pre-paid shipping label, package up the gadget and send it in. The gift card is mailed to you. RadioShack says it issues the gift card 10 to 14 days after the product is received.

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A Little On Software Firewalls

Posted on November 6, 2008 by wjimenez275

As part of your online security you need to have a software firewall. I recommended a couple in an earlier post about Internet Security. First, what exactly is a firewall? Firewalls provide protection against outside attackers by shielding your computer or network from malicious or unnecessary Internet traffic.  In a nutshell, a firewall examines the traffic/data coming into and going out of a computer, and then makes a decision to permit or deny this traffic, based on pre-set rules or rules that users have set.

If you’ve been using a software firewall, even one that’s built into your antivirus program, you’ve probably noticed that at times it pops up and asks to allow or deny a program that wants to do something at that time. If you see an access request from the firewall when you first run a program that you know is okay, it’s probably safe to grant access. However, if you get an unexpected access request — one that pops up when you didn’t just start a program — then it’s safer to deny access.

To see if your computer is an open door to the bad guys, or to see if your firewall is doing what it’s supposed to do, check your ports at GRC (https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2). Make sure to check the Windows File Sharing and the Common Ports to see if you’re vulnerable to attack.

Filed under: Internet Items, PC Security, PC Tips and Tools, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

Windows Updates – How can I choose what to install?

Posted on November 4, 2008 by wjimenez275

Microsoft introduced the concept of Patch Tuesday a few years ago. The idea is that security patches are accumulated over a period of one month, and then dispatched all at once on the second Tuesday of the month. Windows Update is a service that provides updates for the operating system and its installed components. Microsoft Update is an optional feature that can be enabled to provide updates for other Microsoft software installed on a Windows computer, such as Office. These updates can come anytime throughout the month.

If your computer is setup to automatically download and install updates, you will get any and all updates and patches, both good and bad. By default, the automatic settings will check for updates at 3:00 in the morning, every morning. If you turn your computer off at night, it never has a chance to check for updates so if you want to keep the automatic settings, you should change the settings to a time when you know the computer will be on. To change the settings, open the Control Panel and double click on Security Center. At the bottom, you can choose to manage settings for Automatic Updates.

My recommendation is to change the setting to the second option, which is to download the updates but let me choose when to install them. What happens then is that the updates will download and there will be a yellow shield down on the right by the clock. When I double click on it, I will have the option for an “Express Install” or a “Custom Install”. I always choose the custom install. That choice lets me pick which updates and patches to install.

I will always install security patches and program patches, but I never install new service packs when they’re first available. I’ll uncheck those and install the rest. I’ll continue to uncheck them until I know they are safe to install.

Just to be clear, when I see that shield, I will always check what’s downloaded and install what’s appropriate. The bad guys out there wait for the patches to come out also so they can create programs that hit all computers that aren’t patched. Lately, that attack will come the day after the patches are released so it is very important to install them.

Every so often, you will get a notice from another program, such as Adobe, that it has an update available. Should you install those as well? I’d say yes, since virus writers look for holes in most of the popular programs that people will have on their computers and will attack those programs as well.

I know it’s a hassle to do these updates, but do them since it’s more of a hassle cleaning an infected computer.

NOTE: One other important matter; create a system restore point before doing any updates. That way, if an update messes up the computer, you’ll be able to restore it to the point just before you did the updates. For instructions on creating a restore point in Vista, click here, For XP, click here. You can download a great document from Microsoft for securing your Vista computer here.

Filed under: Instructional, PC Maintenance, PC Security, PC Tips and Tools, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Cool Tools to Save on Shipping – From PC World

Posted on November 3, 2008 by wjimenez275

Whether you’re shipping a holiday gift or an item you’ve sold on eBay, these tips and sites can help keep costs down. – JR Raphael

Oct 16, 2008 5:50 pm

We’ve all been there: You find the perfect present, wrap it up, and take it to the post office–only to discover that the shipping costs as much as the gift itself. As the price of gas has climbed, package carriers have more than doubled their fuel surcharges since last year, and we’re left to foot the bill.

Sending your holiday cheer doesn’t have to break the bank, though. Surfing to the right sites can save you time and money, and spare you needless frustration, so don’t buy a single stamp before reading on.

Read the entire article here (http://www.pcworld.com/article/151223/article.html?tk=nl_coxhow)

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Great Tool for Sending Notes to Yourself

Posted on October 31, 2008 by wjimenez275

Here’s a tool I use when I’m out-and-about and need to remind myself of something or if I want to send a reminder to someone else. For example, someone tells me something and I have nothing to write on but I don’t want to forget what I was told. I’ll call an 866 number and call a service called Jott (http://jott.com).

Jott makes sure you stay on top of everything. With a simple phone call to 866-JOTT-123, you can capture notes, set reminders and calendar appointments, depending on which plan you choose. There is a free version that works fine for most needs but the other options are pretty reasonable as well. You can read the differences here: http://jott.com/jott/get-started.html.

Simply call Jott and tell it where or to whom you want your message to go. Jott captures your voice, turns it into text, and sends it to the destination you chose. You’ll get a notice in your e-mail and can read the transcribed message or click on the attached sound file to hear the message that was left. You can log onto the Jott site and view all of the messages you’ve left for yourself.

I’ve setup a speed dial on my cell phone so it’s easy to call Jott whenever I hear or think of something I need to remember when I’m driving or nowhere near a pen or paper. Give it a try.

Filed under: Internet Items, PC Tips and Tools, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

AVG Antivirus Update Issue & Notebook Battery Recall

Posted on October 30, 2008 by wjimenez275

An FYI if you use the free AVG antivirus software: a recent update of AVG’s antivirus software caused some user’s Internet connections to be blocked. AVG’s support page indicates that after upgrading to AVG version 8.0.196, your network link may fail.

If rebooting your PC doesn’t fix the problem, follow the instructions on AVG’s support page to download the fixfiles.zip file to your computer. Double-click the .zip file to open it, and then double-click fixfiles.exe in the resulting folder to run the utility.

If the problem remains, the company recommends that you run a repair installation of your AVG app. If reinstalling your antivirus software doesn’t get you back online, AVG advises that you contact the company’s support desk for further instructions.

PC Notebook Computer Batteries Recalled Due to Fire and Burn Hazard – Lithium-Ion Batteries used in Hewlett-Packard, Toshiba and Dell Notebook Computers. To find out if your laptop battery is one that is being recalled, see the list here: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09035.html

From the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

WASHINGTON, D. C. – Change your clocks. Replace your smoke alarm batteries. Both are important this weekend as Daylight Saving Time ends on Sunday, November 2.

While changing your clock can keep you on time for work on Monday, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) advises consumers that putting fresh batteries in your smoke alarms can save your life. In recent years, an estimated annual average of 378,700 fires, 2,740 deaths, 13,090 injuries and $5.6 billion in property losses associated with residential fires have been reported by fire departments.

“Smoke alarms save lives. That’s a fact,” said CPSC Acting Chairman Nancy Nord. “Working smoke alarms buy you valuable time to get out of your home when there’s a fire.”

To read the entire article, click here

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The Holidays are Coming

Posted on October 27, 2008 by wjimenez275

With the holidays right around the corner, it’s time to start looking at what’s out there for specials. The following are a few websites I frequent this time of year, and those that offer email subscriptions, I sign up for so I get updates on deals as they come up. These sites are pretty safe to sign up on but when I do subscribe to a site I’m not sure of, I may use a temporary or disposable email addresses. That way, if I start getting a lot of spam from one of them, I just delete that email address. I use the service by GishPuppy (http://www.gishpuppy.com).

With Black Friday coming, here are a few deal sites: http://blackfriday.gottadeal.com/, http://bfads.net/, and http://dealnews.com/ – Where Every Day is Black Friday

http://slickdeals.net/ is a site where you’ll find every day discounts as is http://www.techbargains.com/

http://www.woot.com/ is a site I watch daily because they only sell one item per day until it is sold out or until 11:59pm central time when it is replaced. Sometimes you get some great deals here.

If you have any deal sites that you like, please let me know and I’ll add them to the list.

With finances the way they are, you’ll find some wonderful deals at these sites. As always, when ordering online, be careful that you are on a secure site before entering any credit card information. Take a look at the address bar at the top of the screen and look for an “https://” instead of the normal “http://” Also, look for the “lock” icon. It’s at a different place for different browsers but it should always be there. Click (or double-click) on it to see details of the site’s security.  This is important to know because some fraudulent web sites are built with a bar at the bottom of the web page to imitate the lock icon of your browser!  Therefore it is necessary to test the functionality built into this lock icon.

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Microsoft posts emergency defense for new attack

Posted on October 24, 2008 by wjimenez275
By Susan Bradley in Windows Secrets Newsletter

A remote-code exploit that could spread rapidly like the 2003 MSBlaster worm is putting all versions of Windows at risk.

I recommend that you immediately install a patch that Microsoft has just issued to protect your system from a vulnerability in the Server service.


MS08-067 (958644)
 Rare out-of-cycle patch emphasizes the risk

With little warning, Microsoft released yesterday an unscheduled or “out-of-cycle” patch for a highly critical vulnerability that affects all versions of Windows. Security bulletin MS08-067 (patch 958644) was posted to warn of a remote-code attack that could spread wildly across the Internet.

Microsoft says it found evidence two weeks ago of an RPC (remote procedure call) attack that can potentially infect Windows machines across the Net with no user action required.

Windows Server 2003, 2000, and XP (even with Service Pack 2 or 3 installed) are particularly vulnerable. Vista and Server 2008 gain some protection via User Account Control, data-execution protection, and other safeguards, as explained in an article by Dan Goodin in the Register.

While firewalls are a first line of defense against this attack, don’t think you’re secure just because you have a firewall. Malware and viruses use many different techniques to wiggle their way into our systems.

For example, my office’s networks are protected by firewalls on the outside, but inside the network, PCs have file and printer sharing enabled. If a worm got loose inside the office network (and the patch hadn’t been installed), the attack would spread like wildfire.

Many antivirus vendors have already issued definition updates that protect against this attack. Your antivirus program, however, may not protect you completely even if your AV definitions are up-to-date. Early reports indicate that there are already nine different strains of viruses trying to take advantage of this vulnerability. We can expect more to come, so even the best AV application may not be able to update fast enough.

I’ve tested this patch and have had no problems applying it. I strongly urge you to download and install this patch manually. Restart your PC before installing any patch to verify that your machine is bootable. Then be sure to reboot again after installing the patch, so the patched binaries completely replace the vulnerable components.

Microsoft has posted several versions of the patch that apply to different operating systems:

• Windows 2000 with Service Pack 4 patch download
• Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or 3 patch download
• Windows XP 64-bit Edition patch download
• Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1 or 2 patch download
• Windows Server 2003 64-bit Edition patch download
• Windows Vista with or without Service Pack 1 patch download
• Windows Vista 64-bit Edition with or without Service Pack 1 patch download
• Windows Server 2008 32-bit Edition patch download
• Windows Server 2008 64-bit Edition patch download

More information: Please read security bulletin MS08-067. For an excellent technical explanation of the vulnerability and possible mitigations, read TechNet’s Oct. 23 description. (TechNet incorrectly refers to MS08-067 as “out-of-band,” but the patch is simply out-of-cycle, because it wasn’t released on Microsoft’s usual Patch Tuesday monthly cycle.)

The Patch Watch column reveals problems with patches for Windows and major Windows applications. Susan Bradley recently received an MVP (Most Valuable Professional) award from Microsoft for her knowledge in the areas of Small Business Server and network security. She’s also a partner in a California CPA firm.

Filed under: PC Security, PC Tips and Tools, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

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