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Computer Care Chronicles 2009 - End of Year Edition (83kb)
The Krainson Family 2009 Summer Adventure (3.28mb)
Making the Most of Google Maps - July, 2009 (523 kb .pdf)
Computer Care Chronicles 2008 - End of Year Edition (108 kb .pdf)
Summer 2008 Vacation (1.270 mb .pdf)
Directions to install the new FREE AVG Antivirus (3 kb .pdf)
End of year 2007 (120 kb .pdf)
Summer 2007 Vacation (1.292 mb .pdf)
Spring 2007 (154 kb .pdf)
Summer 2006 Vacation (1817 kb .pdf)
Computer Terms (24 kb .pdf)
Computer Care Chronicles - Winter, 2006 (134 kb .pdf)
Summer 2005 Camping and Vacation Adventure (227 kb - .pdf)
Computer Care Chronicles - Winter, 2005 (119 kb .pdf)
Useful toys for you & your computer
Useful Toys for You & Your Computer
1. Flash Drive: A portable usb device from 64 Megs to 1 gig. Acts like a
portable hard drive to store your data. Great for backups and moving data
between laptop and desktop. USB hookup, just plug and play with Windows XP,
ME, 98se (a driver is needed)
2. MP3 Player: A portable, customizable music player. 32 Megs to 40 gigs.
A. Pocket-sized or smaller portable music
B. Hard drive based are not to be used while exercising,
just casual listening. Otherwise the hard drives will crash
C. Smaller MP3 devices have internal memory not a hard drive. Smaller
memory and song storage, but jarring or exercising with device doesn’t
harm it.
D. Some MP3’s can be used for voice recording, Flash Drives and radios
as well as MP3.
E. Some have internal rechargeable batteries, some need alkaline batteries
F. USB hookup for fast song and data transfer
3. PDA: Personal Digital Assistant (definition per Websters.com)
A. Pocket-sized date book (daybook)
B. To Do list
C. Address Book
D. Notes and Memo’s
E. Find names or other info anywhere in memory w/o looking thru multiple
sources
F. Does not need to be replaced or re-written every year (I have 5 years
of appointments & data in mine)
G. Synchronizes with your desktop or notebook PC
H. Some have low res cameras, MP3 players, internet access and more
I. Customizable with games and handy utilities
J. USB hookup for fast data transfer.
4. GPS: Global Positioning System (or Satellites)
A. A system of satellites, computers, and receivers that is able to determine
the latitude and longitude of a receiver on Earth by calculating the time
difference for signals from different satellites to reach the receiver
B. Moving map that knows where you are (if the sky is visible)
C. Detailed street level maps
D. Download select maps from your PC into your GPS
E. Mark waypoints (customer locations, vacation spots, addresses, etc)
at the location or on the computer program and download to the GPS. Return
to the marked spot with driving directions
F. Find addresses by typing them into the program and downloading or entering
into the GPS.
G. Find restaurants, activities, recreation, entertainment, hotels and
other services also.
H. Directions to locations with distance to next turn, direction, etc.
I. Missed an exit or street, detour? The GPS knows where you are and recalculates
the way to the location or waypoint.
J. Plan routes on your pc and save them to the GPS.
K. Leave a cookie trail to return to a certain point. This feature can
be turned on at any time.
L. Find fishing hot spots, topo maps for hiking. Off road routing and
other maps available
M. Always know your latitude and longitude for emergency assistance.
N. DC and battery-powered for car and portable
operation.
O. Backlit operation for night viewing
P. Hooks up via Serial port or USB
Q. Some have a memory slot for more map storage
R. Most accurate clock available syncs via satellite
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Virus Information & Protection
- Computer Virus: Similar to a biological virus in the way they work.
Usually in the form of a program that piggybacks on top of another
program or document in order to get executed or activated. Once it
is running, it is able to infect more files on the computer.
- Computer Worm: Is like a virus, but is able to copy itself from
computer to computer. Worms normally travel thru computer networks
and the Internet and email. A worm exploits a security issue or hole
in a piece of software. Sometimes worms are activated on certain
dates for a certain amount of time. Worms are normally very destructive.
- Trojan Horses: A program that claims to do one thing; like be a
game. But will damage the files and data on a computer when run.
- E-Mail Virus: Usually replicates itself by sending everyone on
your email address book a message.
- How to Protect Your Computer? – You must be running virus
protection software in memory at all times. It must update itself
daily or as often as you access the internet (daily, weekly, etc).
A good program will be running in memory at all times checking new
data or programs that are installed into your computer. Also, checking
all email attachments (AOL is an exception). And running a full scan
of all the files on the computer at least once a week.
- Recommended Anti-Virus Programs:
Firewall Information & Protection
- What is a firewall? – Basically it’s a barrier or wall
to keep outside destructive forces off your computer or networked
computers. Its job is similar to a physical firewall that keeps a
fire from spreading. A firewall is simply a program or hardware device
that filters the information coming through the Internet connection
into your private network or computer system. If the filters flag
an incoming packet of information, it is not allowed through.
- Hardware Firewalls: Available as a stand-alone device or as a built-in
device in most routers (distributes the internet to more than one
computer).
- Software Firewall: Does the same thing as a hardware firewall but
can be updated more often to block the ever-changing world of destructive
data out on the Internet. It is a great compliment to a hardware
firewall.
- Customizable: Both hardware and software firewalls are customizable
to allow or block certain addresses. An example would be to allow
a certain address in to remotely control a computer.
- Recommended Firewall Programs:
- More Information: see the following: (http://www.interhack.net/pubs/fwfaq/#SECTION00030000000000000000)
Spyware
- What is Spyware? – Programs that get downloaded and installed
onto your computer without you knowing about them. They usually watch
your browsing habits, invade your privacy and annoy you with popups
while browsing the Internet. Spyware can intercept anything you type
into a online form, install programs to your computer and run them
w/o your knowledge, web sites can be added to your favorites and
desktop, change your home or startup web page, take up hard drive
space, take up resources (operating ram) on your computer.
- Removing Spyware From Your Computer – first step is to install
and run a Spyware scanner. The scanner will identify the location
of the program and files on the hard drive and in the system registry.
- Remove the threats found – or select from the list what you
want removed.
- Add a browser helper to block all future threats and bad downloads.
Also lock the start page to prevent against hijackers.
- Spyware is a form of adware.
- Recommended Spyware Removal Software: See (http://wemakehousecalls.biz/newsletters.html#spybot)
for details on downloading, installing and running Spybot Search & Destroy.
Pop Up Blocking Software
- Blocks and stops those insanely annoying pop ups. May also block
paid ads (like to the right of google searches), removes cookies
automatically or prevents them from being created. Also allows the
blocker to be temporarily turned off. For banking and other sites.
- Stays in memory at all times and is always on.
- Counts the number of ads blocked – can be a huge number and
is resetable.
- Recommended Pop Up Blocking Software
Summary
As long as you are running an anti virus program, ad blocker, firewall
and Spyware blocker, your computer should remain healthy and working well
without problems. But if you are missing one of these components, then your
computer may be infected and/or working more slowly than it should making
you less productive.
Larry Krainson – Computer Care – July 1, 2004
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