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New Phishing Scam On The Lose

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 05:57:51 +0100

I just had to post this because I received one of these phishing scams as well. Lately there’s been a new kind of phishing scam going on that doesn’t target your bank account but your World of Warcraft account. Although most people would scoff at it and say that it’s just a game, they fail to realize the amount of time and money players invest in the game. That’s right, players actually invest in their characters. Accounts can go for hundreds of Dollars while in game gold can be worth several Dollars in the real world. So even if it is just a game, scammers will be making money off it if they find someone to victimize. The actual content of the message looks like this:

An investigation of your World of Warcraft account has found strong evidence that someone may be trying to gain control of your World of Warcraft Account, by the means of a fake/invalid ID.

(Blahblahblah)

You can confirm that you are the original owner of the account by replying to this email with:

* First and Last name

* Address

* Zip code

* Phone number Daytime

* Country

* Account e-mail

* CD-key

* Account name

* Account password

* Secret Question and Answer

It looks pretty believable but most players should know that a Blizzard employee will never ask for your account name and password. Scammers are phishing for new Wow players or trying to get really lucky with seasoned WoW gamers. The scam itself is pretty believable because it links you to the Blizzard website and the return e-mail actually looks like a WoW url. �

If you know someone who plays the game, please let them now about this phishing scam to help prevent victims.

About the author. Jego Goldstein is a successful Computer Analyst who has been testing and developing software for many years. Jego now decided to share his knowledge and experience through this site, CompBuzz.com. You can sign up for his free weekly newsletter and understand more about computers and software.

Apple Conquers The Gadget Arena

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 21:32:25 +0100

At the end of the day, we ought to give credit to where credit is due, and I believe that a lot of credit should be given to Apple for conquering the decade in many ways. In the past ten years the company has done great contributions to the technological world, not only enriching the world of entertainment but revolutionizing it.

To think that over a decade ago Apple was at an all-time low that even Microsoft had to buy their stock. No one expected that in after a few short years, the under dog would release one of the most influential gadgets of the decade.

The from the original iPod to the iPod mini that gave us the click wheel, to the cheap Shuffle to the iPod Video; Apple presented a new benchmark for all portable media players to put themselves up against. It was simply great to have and everyone wanted to have it.

In the wake of Nokia’s inability to innovate their cell phones and Smart phones, other companies started to strut their stuff in the limelight. It wasn’t until the iPhone that smart phones were truly changed. In the beginning, companies criticized the extremely expensive and keyboardless smart phone saying that it simply wouldn’t sell. They later ate their words and played catch up to the most dominant cell phone of the decade.

Apple simply did not rest at providing great hardware but also the software to back it up. With the creation of the iPod and iPhone, iTunes became one of the most downloaded free applications to manage music, videos, podcasts and actually buying music online. Smart phones would no longer be limited to in house applications because the App store provided hundreds and thousands of applications that would define one’s phone and would provide new ventures for thousands of software developers.

So this is cheers to you Apple, for a great decade and a job well done.

About the author. Jego Goldstein is a successful Computer Analyst who has been testing and developing software for many years. Jego now decided to share his knowledge and experience through this site, CompBuzz.com. You can sign up for his free weekly newsletter and understand more about computers and software.

New Gadgets For 2010

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 07:58:22 +0100

With the new year around the corner, there are a lot of gadgets to be anticipated. The amount of gadgets that leading companies have pushed out in the past decade, �newer gadgets and breakthroughs in technology should increase exponentialy in the coming years. As for next year, there’s a fair share of gadgets that should keep our hunger satiated for newer more exciting things.

In Microsoft’s corner we have Project Natal for Xbox and their two faced tablet: Courier. Xbox Project Natal has been building up it’s hype since mid-2009. Altought no news has been heard of it lately, it’s bound to revolutunize not only the gaming industry, but interaction with technology as a whole. Microsoft is also improving on the tablet scene with the new Courier. Unlike the usual tablet that looks like a slab with a monitor, and currently resembles e-book readers, the Courier looks like a netbook with two monitors. What’s more exciting is that unlike the other operating systems that Microsoft develops for it’s computers, Courier’s OS looks like Zune’s current interface.�

Apple isn’t one to slack behind Microsoft. With 4G coming up next year, the next iPhone could have another year of success lest it fall prey to Adroid or worse yet, more service provider problems. But Apple has several venture; heading in to the e-book reader arena with the iSlate and putting it’s dukes up with their tablet that’s rumored to still be in the works and up for release next year.

If this was Google’s year then next year will be an even bigger year for the internet giant. With Chrome OS finally released to the public next year along with Chrome OS hardware and the full implementation of Google Wave, who knows what else is going to come out of it’s gigantic sleeves?

Let's Talk About Sext

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 08:54:10 +0100

If the internet has proven one thing; it’s that its taken living vicariously to a whole new level. A long time ago, �when a man and woman wanted to get it on but had a lot of distance between them, they’d try something called phone sex. It’s worked for couples and it’s worked for companies that thrive on that industry. Now, the digital age has taken it to a whole new level. Yes, it does include explicit messaging in chat rooms and conversations through webcams, but no those aren’t the levels I’m talking about. You see, the digital age makes it convenient to do "it" anywhere and anytime you like, that’s how "sexts" was born.

Sext, from the root of the word, is a combination of sex and texts. Sexting is the act in which people exchange messages or pictures containing sexual content. And you don’t have to guess that teens are into this as well. Teenagers as young as thirteen have received sexts and because they’re kids, they’re bound to do something childish with those sexts; like spread them on the internet.

You might recall the incident inolving High School Musical Star vanessa Hudgens. That can happen to any one of the kids involved in sexts. It’s probably even worse now because of Facebook. Yes, I’m making this another issue on Facebook. Although it’s still a great place to be, it also comes with negative factors (as I’ve pointed out several times in the past). When a relationship between teens gets awry or when someone wants to act like a jerk, one of the parties involved can post sext content or an actual photo on Facebook for all their friends to see. That includes every friend, relative, acquiantance or stalker that’s in their network of freinds. That’s where all the real trouble starts. You can also add the fact that these are teens under the age of 18 sending sexts. So if one of them saves a sext image, then it might as well be considered as illegal material. In addition to "the talk" parents are going to give your kid his first cell phone you’re going to have to teach him about having safe sexts.

There’s really no avoiding the issue and you really shouldn’t deprive teens of their cell phones. Even the iPhone is getting in on safe sexting, recoginzing the threat to families and students alike.

What To Do With Your New Windows 7 Pc

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 04:53:58 +0100

If Santa Claus took it upon himself to put a Windows 7 PC under your Christmas tree then you must have been very good boy this year. You can hardly contain your excitement but you just don’t know where to begin. So calm yourself.

Getting a new PC will seem like a good clean start, but that’s not entirely true. If you got a pre-built PC from a shop, then it’s likely that there are pre-installed programs that may be utterly useless. It’s not that stores want to annoy buyers with the pre-installed programs but they don’t know what you’re doing with the computer, so they take it upon themselves to toss in stuff that might be useful. Just uninstall the ones that don’t meet your preferences. For the other programs that already come with Windows 7, you can choose to turn off those Windows features and turn them on again when you feel that you need them.

The next thing on your to-do list should be moving the stuff from your old computer into the new computer. If you’ve got some technical skills or you have a friend who knows his way around hardware, you can hook up your old hard drive into the new computer so that you’ll have extra room for memory or you can do copy paste, but Windows 7 makes it even easier for people who aren’t used to the technicalities of hardware, This is where Windows Easy Transfer comes in.

The next thing to do is have it play nice with all your other stuff, namely the other computers that you might have at home and the other gadgets that you got for Christmas. You don’t really need to try that hard to sync your other stuff with other gadget, whether it’s a new camera or an old printer. Whatever worked with your XP can still work on 7.

Connecting with other computers in a network is also easier, so much so that you can connect your PC and your Mac. Try making a homegroup and see how you can connect your computers.

The next thing you’ll definitely want to do is pimp out your desktop.� Sure, you can put wallpapers or change themes, but if you really want to make things look amazing, try some of the themes and desktop software available at customize.org. Everything is free there and it has a great community of users so you’ll know when something isn’t working.

About the author. Jego Goldstein is a successful Computer Analyst who has been testing and developing software for many years. Jego now decided to share his knowledge and experience through this site, CompBuzz.com. You can sign up for his free weekly newsletter and understand more about computers and software.

Ford Gets Wi-fi For A Better In-car Experience

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 08:54:18 +0100

Wi-Fi access can be found in a lot of places these days, now it can be found in Ford cars.

A select line of Ford cars can now turn into a Wi-Fi hotspot with nothing more than just a USB modem. You don’t need to pay for extra costs; you don’t need to subscribe to anything. All you need to pay for is the internet that you get from your USB modem. This sounds like a really good idea, so it makes sense that they’re not the only ones doing this. General Motors announced last week that they were already bringing internet to some of their trucks and SUVs. What’s unique about what Ford offers is that you can use the subscription that you already have rather than subscribe to internet that would have provided by the car company itself.

Using your own USM modem works best because you’re already subscribed. Now put this idea against what General Motors is planning. Their plan is to install their own Wi-Fi service to their vehicle (Chevrolet Wi-Fi) but the service only goes up to about 1.5 mbps but you get Wi-Fi for up to 300 feet. The service itself costs $29 but the hardware should cost you $199. Since Autonet Mobile is going to be working with General Motors for it, the $29 is only going to get you about 1G of data. This isn’t too bad if all you’re using the net for is casual browsing, but a lot of streaming on Youtube is going to hurt your bill.

Ford will be including WPA2 security in its Wi-Fi system so only the people in the car will be able to use the internet. This is practical since you don’t want anyone within 300 feet of your vehicle to try and hack into your system.

If you plan on going on a long trip to grandma’s, a camping trip or you just plan to hang around your car more than usual, then the new line of Ford cars should be just right.About the author. Jego Goldstein is a successful Computer Analyst who has been testing and developing software for many years. Jego now decided to share his knowledge and experience through this site, CompBuzz.com. You can sign up for his free weekly newsletter and understand more about computers and software.

Take A Break From Facebook And Twitter

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 01:46:50 +0100

Social networking is one the best ways to connect and reconnect with people. People you haven’t seen since high school are on Facebook, you connect with your friends through Twitter and so on. I’ve written about how the internet can be dangerous and how your social networking account can put either you or your identity in danger, but I also want to stress that being on your social network site all the time can put you in danger. Case in point: the Iranian hacker attack on Twitter.�

Luckily for me, the hacker attack was the one day of the week that I wasn’t online or using computers at all. It’s what I call my "Day Out of Tech" and it’s something that I want to share with everyone.�

Spending a day without technology has several benefits: you get to spend a day out in the sun, you get to reconnect with the rest of the world in real life rather than online and when you’ve finally had enough of spending a day out, you’ll all be too happy to use your trusty computer again.

The reason why I want people to spend a day out of the computer is because I constantly find that people are too caught up on places on Facebook or Twitter. It’s important to read news and updates and such but getting some fresh air and having a good stretch is just as important.�

You don’t want to end up like the guy who was arrested by the police for using Facebook. I mean sure, he was robbing the house at the time, but still. If you reach a certain level of habituation you begin to become addicted and your trends start to circle around Tweeting more and updating your status more. So take a step away from technology and give it a day a week or two weeks. A day away is the difference between being devastated because you were online when someone hacked into Twitter and began infecting everyone who was logged in and not caring about it because you weren’t affected. The more you remember that places like Facebook and Twitter cater to us rather than us catering to it, the more you’ll find yourself detached. We might have robot overlords in the future, but not today.

3 Windows 7 Features That Make Problems Go Away

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 09:37:28 +0100

Windows 7 has been out for three months now and it’s common knowledge that it’s better than Windows Vista. There are reports coming in about bugs and the like finally being uncovered, but it’s still the better OS. The past few days I’ve heard about some people who still haven’t transferred over to Vista. This just begs the question: Why? Why are they still on Vista? There are good reasons for not upgrading, one of them might be financial, one of them might be time constraints, but please don’t let it be laziness.

I enjoy specifics. I don’t like it when things are generalized because you miss some of the important facts. So, I’m going to site a few more things that make Windows 7 that much better than Vista. This isn’t only for the people that haven’t upgraded or the people who haven’t bought it yet, but these Windows 7 features are also for the people that haven’t gone out of their way to explore one of the many useful features.

1. XP virtualization. This is by far one of my favorite features. I’ve already written about using XP on Windows 7, but I just want to carry the point across. This is a very useful application to have, especially since there are programs that don’t run on both operating systems and you need to run it on XP.

2. Problem Steps Recorder. This saves you a ton of explaining time when you try to tell a technician what happened to your computer. Not everyone’s a computer expert and we get that. When someone asks you what went wrong with your computer what do they expect you to tell them? What’s worse is that if the technician is a jerk, you’ll get grief for not being tech savvy. The Problem Steps Recorder on Windows 7 allows you to record what went wrong. All you have to do is click start, type in "PSR" and press Enter. It will record everything you’re doing and turn it into a zipped file so you can e-mail it or send it to a technician.

3. Self- Repair. We’ve all wanted a computer that can fix itself and now we finally have it. No new software no technician and no monkey wrench; all you have to do is go to Troubleshoot. I know it’s an age old thing, but bare with me.
Go to Control Panel and then go to "Find and Fix Problems" and access the troubleshooting packs. They’re simple wizards that can fix common problems, clean the junk in your system and then some.
You can also create a system repair disc to help you out.
Go to Start and then Maintenance and then click on Create a System Repair Disc. It will automatically create a disc so you can hand it over to a technician when everything screws up.

About the author. Jego Goldstein is a successful Computer Analyst who has been testing and developing software for many years. Jego now decided to share his knowledge and experience through this site, CompBuzz.com. You can sign up for his free weekly newsletter and understand more about computers and software.

Be Techy On A Budget

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 04:08:52 +0100

There are times that a lot of us are just driven by peer pressure and the instinct of trying not to look lame. When we see the latest gadget or the latest software, we often want to jump the gun and buy it immediately without thinking of the cost or the longevity of the object in question. As a tech enthusiast, I think it’s great to get something new and technologically advanced, but the best gadget or hardware to get should be the one that’s the most functional and suited for your own lifestyle and income. So here are a list of things that we shouldn’t be ashamed of when it comes to a getting a gadget, a new piece of hardware or even software. So go on a budget.

1. Buying Cheap Hardware. Hardware is easily the most expensive part of any computer. Buying what’s affordable isn’t necessarily buying something that’s ancient or dysfunctional but buying one that fits your current needs

Buying a computer by part and assembling it yourself can also save up on extra costs. You can also do this by ordering from a distributor who sells the parts cheaper than retail shops that usually put additional costs on it. Slightly used parts are also advisable but to know that you’re getting your money’s worth, compare the price of the part in question with other sellers.

2. Buying Older Gadgets. They may not be the latest thing out there, but they still work and they can still be serviceable. Not everyone can afford an iPhone and many developers know this. It isn’t necessary that you have a million apps available to you like the iPhone or Android. What you want to consider is what you want to do with your phone and if it already does those things, how effective is it?

3. Using free or older software. The old stuff is nothing to be ashamed of. You’d be surprised at the number of people who use 2 or 3-year-old software just because they: a.) Can’t buy new software or b.)They’re hardware can’t handle the minimum system requirements. As long as what you currently run can fit your needs, there is really no reason to replace it. This thinking also applies to using free software. Things like Firefox, AVG anti-virus, winamp and VLC probably offer the best service in their field. A lot of people prefer these programs because they’re readily available and they have a community that is easily accessible. Although admittedly free antivirus don’t have as many features as paid suites, but they’re effective none the less.

You might think that getting old and cheap stuff isn’t something to be proud of, but if you’re operating on a tight budget then you don’t really have a lot to consider. You just need to know that settling for things doesn’t mean you get something that doesn’t work or you get something inferior.

About the author. Jego Goldstein is a successful Computer Analyst who has been testing and developing software for many years. Jego now decided to share his knowledge and experience through this site, CompBuzz.com. You can sign up for his free weekly newsletter and understand more about computers and software.

Keep Your Facebook Private

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 08:29:48 +0100

A lot of changes are going on and as I’ve said several times before, Facebook is changing a lot. Online privacy is something that should be taken seriously. It should be taken seriously now more than ever because of the influx of social networking websites and the huge amount of people participating in those websites, acquiring the most number of friends seems to have become a trend. It’s like having the most friends is equivalent to being the most popular. It’s nice if you only invite people you know or people you’re at least familiar with, but if you start inviting or approving friend requests from people you don’t know that’s when the real trouble starts.

For all you know the one following you on Twitter might be a stalker or a sex offender. You’ll be able to block the user but you won’t find out until someone tips you off or until you feel that things are getting weird. So once again, your internet privacy should be an issue. You might feel that the stuff that you post online is okay for public viewing but wouldn’t it be weird if someone you didn’t know sent you a message concerning one of the activities you posted?

Since privacy is a growing concern, Facebook has put in some changes to keep your network secure. It might be minor but it’s a needed change nonetheless. You can now adjust your settings to make sure that what you’re showing to the public is what you want them to see. Twitter might not have the same security but then it doesn’t put pictures or anything more private than Tweets.

Now that Google is indexing our Tweets and shout outs, we should consider what we’re posting online. Gone are the days when you could be a jerk on the web. You might be cautious when your mom is on Facebook or when your would-be employer searches for your Facebook account, but because Google has indexed social networking accounts you should ready yourself to new kinds of precautions. Adjust your privacy settings on Facebook and stay safe on the internet. We have enough trouble with bugs and malware out there, let’s not aggravate the situation.

About the author. Jego Goldstein is a successful Computer Analyst who has been testing and developing software for many years. Jego now decided to share his knowledge and experience through this site, CompBuzz.com. You can sign up for his free weekly newsletter and understand more about computers and software.

Things You Can Do In Google Wave

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 05:25:41 +0100

Google Wave is the newest form of online communication that takes chatting, forum posting, e-mailing, social networking and other forms of communication mediums that I can’t remember right now, and combined it into a simple browser based application. Yes, I mean it. It’s very simple. You can chat with several people in real time or just use it as you would a forum. The possibilities are endless. Mashable even has a very good manual of what Google Wave can do and it’s actually helped me understand the application more. There are a lot of ways that you can use it, but let’s stop talking of things in general. How about some specifics?

1. Use it as a gaming platform. As an RPG player who has players in distant places on the globe or in the state, I constantly have a hard time looking for ways and setting up game dates. Role-playing on a messenger is bad in comparison to playing the game on a forum and playing a game like Dungeons and Dragons on a forum is bad because it’s just way too slow.� With Google Wave, you’ve combined real time chat with forum posting. You can even have honest dice rolls so you don’t need an honesty system.

2. Talk to robots. Is there ever a time when you need to talk to someone or ask someone something but their’s no one around to fill your need? You can forget those days because Google Wave can fill those needs. The bots available will be able to converse with you and provide some minor entertainment and possibly from useful information.

3. Dump your other social networks. Forget Facebook, Twitter and all the other Social Networking accounts you have. Google Wave has most of the features of those websites and then some. If there’s something about it you don’t like, you can look for someone who’s improved on the code or learn computer skills and do it yourself.

That’s probably all I can think of right now. You can probably think of a lot more ways to use Google Wave, so get your invite and start Waving.

About the author. Jego Goldstein is a successful Computer Analyst who has been testing and developing software for many years. Jego now decided to share his knowledge and experience through this site, CompBuzz.com. You can sign up for his free weekly newsletter and understand more about computers and software.

Pc Maintenance: How To Partition Your Hard Drive

Mon, 7 Dec 2009 06:52:46 +0100

We all like a little order in our things. We don’t leave our homes in a mess and we don’t leave our closets disorderly. Naturally we don’t want to leave our files and other data on our PC in a messy state. With this in mind, we should also learn how to keep our hard drive in order to keep it efficient. That’s why it’s useful to learn how to partition your hard drive. Making a partition on your hard drive isn’t necessarily a pc tweak to make your computer faster, but this way you can keep your files organized and you’ll be able to install a secondary operating system to the one that you already have. So if you have Windows XP you’ll be able to run Mac or one of the other Linux distributions like Ubuntu. This is highly useful if you want to give other operating systems a try and you don’t want to give up the one that you currently have. It works best if you want to try free operating systems like the Google Chrome OS (when it finally becomes available as a full OS) or the one of the Linux distributions. So as you can see, partitioning a hard drive is quite useful.�

Before we partition your current hard drive, it’s best to make sure that you have data backup because you have to erase the data that you already have on that partition. If you don’t want to have to trouble yourself with data backup, you should do this with a new hard drive.�

We begin by going to the start menu. Right click on the computer icon and select manage. A new Window will pop up. From the set of options available on the left side, select "Storage" and then select "Disk Management".

You’ll now see all the partitions that you currently have. You should see the C and D for now. Generally, D has more space than C has so I suggest you use that. C normally holds the operating system you currently have so I suggest that you leave it alone. Set the amount of space that you want to allot it and then format that partition.�

To install the new OS you’ll need to use a third party application. Wired magazine suggests that you use free software like Gparted LiveCD. I you don’t plan on installing a new OS then you’re pretty much done. You can now use the new partitions and label them in any way that you like. You can keep any kind of file you like and you can even format the different drives.

The Perfect Techy Christmas Present

Fri, 4 Dec 2009 07:56:02 +0100

Christmas is coming soon and it’s high time that you bought your Christmas presents. If you’ve had the good foresight to plan ahead and buy all your stuff on Black Friday then you did something smart With the number of parties coming up ahead and gift exchanges to be had it would be good to plan ahead and buy the right kind of gifts. It’s the time of the year when it won’t be weird or suspicious to impress someone by getting them something nice. Here’s what you’ve got to ask yourself, is getting your boss or significant other an expensive present as good as getting them a well thought out present?� It’s time to go shopping for the tech Christmas gift that won’t backfire on you. So find out whom you’re buying the Christmas gift for and if the person can use the gift at all.

Step 1: Do some research on your recipient. This is what makes the gift thoughtful. Your girlfriend will love you for paying attention to what she’s been lacking or your boss will appreciate how thoughtful and observant you’ve been. If you’re buying them software, find out what hardware they have so it can work and they won’t be troubled to find something new just so they can use your present. If you’re buying them a cell phone accessory find out what kind of phone they’re sporting and if they really need one.

Step 2: Work within your budget. Tech stuff can be pretty expensive. Of course it’s natural for it to be pricey, but that doesn’t mean that all tech gifts are expensive. Go Christmas shopping for things that are within your budget by going on Ebay or Craigslist. Look for a deal with a goal in mind. List down what you want to see in a gadget. It can be as simple as something that can take pictures or something that can play music or you can go specific by looking for a high amount of memory in an MP3 player or looking for one that’s waterproof.

Step 3: Make sure that the gift is worthwhile. It’s one thing to buy the recipient something they need, it’s another thing to buy them something that needs several updates or maintenance. Do not buy them something that they need to subscribe to, update or need to take time to learn unless they really want to be knee deep into it, like your sister’s son who wants a World of Warcraft account. Do not buy them anything of the sort. You want to give something that lasts a long time by itself. The only exception to the worthwhile rule is getting someone a copy of Windows 7 or something like that. Although you update Windows 7, you only need to pay for it once.

Tech Christmas present don’t really last forever, but it can last long enough. You don’t need to give someone a piece of hardware that’ll last forever because after a year it’ll be obsolete, after four years, it’ll be a pain to use and after five or six years, it’ll just be plain embarrassing to have around. So take it from me, follow these steps and you’ll have the perfect tech Christmas present.

About the author. Jego Goldstein is a successful Computer Analyst who has been testing and developing software for many years. Jego now decided to share his knowledge and experience through this site, CompBuzz.com. You can sign up for his free weekly newsletter and understand more about computers and software.

The Best Of Free Software

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:40:31 +0100

When it comes to really good software, you don’t have to look beyond anything that’s not for free. In a world where software is expensive, we shouldn’t overlook that the free stuff that we find online. It’s true that there are things that are better when you pay for them, but you simply cannot scoff at the achievements of free software. They’re well beyond competent and some of them offer better services than some of the software that you have to pay for. If we’ve learned anything from Google is that free and affordable services can and will out pace anything a lot of the other competitors. Why pay for something when the alternative can be so much better? Through the efforts of people who give offer up these things, we build a better and more enriched community. How many people have wikipedia educated? How many more are connecting because of �social networks like Facebook and Twitter. There are endless possibilities on the internet for leaning and enrichment. We simply need to give these things a chance and we need to give support to the most trusted brands so that they may flourish and touch other lives.

So check out some of these free software and enrich your computer. If you think they’re great and they work for you pass it on to other people so that they can stop living in a shell of prejudice and give these things a chance. They’re probably the best in their fields and free to boot.

Browsers:

- Google Chrome

- Opera 10

- Firefox

Security Suites:

- Avast!�

- AVG

Media Players (Best for Videos):

- Media Player Classic�

- VLC�

Media Players (Best for Music):

- Winamp�

- iTunes

Very Useful Tweakers:

- CCleaner. It easily clears up your cache, cookies and other files that gum up your computer speed.

-Rainmeter. Simply looks good when you want to customize your desktop.

What's The Best Carrier For Your Smartphone?

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 20:30:43 +0100

You might have seen these on TV or on youtube, but there’s no denying that cell phone service providers are on an all out war with each other for your subscription. Each one of them deals their own low blows all the while stating that they provide the best service there is. The people that suffer the most are the subscribers that want to know which one actually is the best. The problem with trying to marketing something is that you over exaggerate the facts so much so that you don’t get the right facts and you don’t get to see the downside of subscribing to a single carrier. What’s the real difference between �and Verizon? Which one offers the best features for your smartphone?�

I’m personally tired of the Luke Wilson ads because they seem kind of sad on AT&T’s behalf. They’re a decent carrier (from what I hear from user feedback) but they get a lot of bad rep because of what happened with the iPhone. If you care to take a look at the numbers, the iPhone is still the leading smartphone brand and AT&T is the leading carrier in this sense. Other than bad signals in certain areas and a few anomalies, you can still be happy with your coverage.

Verizon and the Android are close up and comers. Android sales don’t pull numbers like the iPhone does, but it’s trying to steal away some of the thunder that iPhone’s been swaggering. Verizon’s "There’s a map" for that ads really are spot on; so much so that AT&T wants to pull them off the air. It’s the choice carrier for smartphones that don’t venture out of the U.S. but it comes at a heftier price tag.

These two are the choice carriers because they have exclusivity to the best smartphones. A lot of iPhones have been jailbroken because users want to keep the phone but they don’t want to stick with AT&T, but as a precaution it’s simply a lot better to not have a jailbroken iPhone because you make it vulnerable to hacking. There are bound to be places that have no signal, get used to it. You can expect run into that problem from both carriers.