A List of Active Scams (to be wary of)

Yesterday’s article prompted a reader to ask,

Seen on Litigation Digest

Q: “Do u know of any good sites that list all latest known scams?”

A: I don’t think there is any one particular “master list” of the latest fraud, rip off, scam, bogus websites, etc., fly-by-night companies, etc., but there are resources the smart consumer should be aware of. Here are just a few: (not necc. in order of import.)

1) Snopes

The definitive Internet reference source for urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors, and misinformation.

2) Current Top 10 List of Scams and Frauds

Find out what the latest scams are on the internet, in your mail or on your phone.
There is loads of free fact sheets, guides and links to reporting authorities.

3) Consumer Frauds and Scams | USA.gov

Tips to help you avoid scams and fraud. … How to Protect Yourself Against
Consumer Frauds and Scams. Banking and ATM Frauds Protect your money
from

And to give you some idea of just how GIANT a task compiling such a list would be … (as well as being perhaps the main ‘bookmark this’ page offered here today..)

4) Internet Scams List: A – Z

There are many internet scams including career, employment, unemployment,
education, business, visa, and other scams. Here’s an A – Z of the most common …

I’m going to have to look into this more.. and I welcome any reader suggestions for answering the reader’s question.

Oh. Yes. Almost forgot. The Better Business Bureau maintains a list of scams.

Don’t get hooked by a scam. Check our list of scams from across North America.

I have to go sulk now. Microsoft just switched my “classic” Hotmail to the new “Outlook.com” mail, and I absolutely hate it. Trouble is.. I’m not aware of any good webmail to switch to.. they all have issues. The day where I go off the grid may be coming sooner than planned.

Hey, Microsoft? *Thank* you!

[ In case you didn’t know the lingo.. when you see an * asterisk before and after a word, it signals that the author cannot print the word they really want to use.. so use substitution. Example: “*Rats*. I just stepped in some dog *stuff*!” ]

Copyright 2007-2013 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.

Topics Of Interest

Busy day here, but I found some good articles whose topics I hope you will find interesting, and the info provided, valuable. Some “recommended reading”, if you will.

• How The New ‘Protecting Children’ Bill Puts You At Risk

“A bill now makes the online activity of every American available to authorities upon request under the guise of protecting children from pornography..

“Protecting Children” forces ISPs to retain customer names, addresses, phone numbers, credit card numbers, bank account numbers, and dynamic IP addresses..

It’s like having your wallet plus the web sites you visit tracked and handed over on request. These logs are now going to be retained for the scope of one and a half years. ” Read more..

(Those of you with a brain might wanna make a point of reading this one.. This is just plain wrong [IMHO]. The article contains a link for voicing your opposition.)

• 10 ways to safeguard your college-bound student’s computer

“You protect your corporate systems, but what about that back-to-school laptop you just bought your kid? Here are some things you can do to keep your student safe from cyber dangers.” Read more..

• Five reasons Android is superior to the iPhone

“While on vacation, I was reminded (yet again) how superior the Android platform is to the iPhone.” Read more..

• Creating Shortcuts to Google’s Gmail, Docs, Tasks, Calendar and Contacts

“I am a big Gmail user and have come to depend on Google’s Gmail and many of the other Google apps as an online personal information manager.” Read more..

• Three things Chromebooks need to fix to win buyers

“While Chromebooks have the potential to win corporate customers, I still think three things need to happen before Chromebooks will attract consumers and businesses in large numbers.” Read more..

• The 10 Best Apps Of July From The Daily App

“From Google+ for iPhone to Firefox for Android, here’s a glimpse at the best mobile apps we’ve featured in July on The Daily App blog.” Read more..

• 10 things you should still do to every Windows PC

“There are at least 10 things you should take a few minutes to do to every new Windows PC to get it ready for daily use. Don’t let your back-to-school PC drag your first semester down. “ Read more..

• 10 Cool Security Features In Mac OS X Lion

“No doubt, when it comes to security, Apple’s new Mac OS X Lion is shedding its spots and is ready to roar. As the dust has settled on the release of Apple’s Mac OS X Lion, unveiled July 20, experts have started asking, “Yes, but is it secure?” ” Read more..

And for the super-Geeky.. (Here at T4E Headquarters, “geek” is a compliment.)

• i-NVMM: Securing non-volatile memory on the fly

“Computer memory is a treasure of unencrypted information. Fortunately, power off and it disappears. That’s not the case with next-generation memory.” Read more..

• 10 Biggest Cyber Attacks Of July

“The lazy days of summer were anything but for hackers this month. If anything, hackers were ramping up their efforts under increased pressure from international and domestic law enforcement agencies.” Read more..

(Hmmm.. maybe you all should look at this one also..)

Today’s quote: “I never had a policy; I have just tried to do my very best each and every day.”  ~ Abraham Lincoln

Have a great day, everybody. And what do you say, let’s do the right thing.

Copyright 2007-2011 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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Top 10 Printers (review)

I am often asked by clients for my shopping recommendations. In the last couple of months, both for personal reasons, as well as professional, printers have been a subject of these requests. (For one thing, color lasers have come down enough in price to be a reasonable option for us consumers.) As I have mentioned here before, I start my research by looking to the lab results of product testing done at PC World magazine.

Latest PC World magazine reviews:

* Top 10 Inkjet Multifunction Printers

We test and review the latest multifunction inkjets. Models start at around $100 and combine a printer, scanner, copier and (sometimes) a fax machine.

(My current pick, the Canon MX870, ranks number 5 here.. To me, it’s the best ‘bang for my buck’. And it has fax and auto-duplexing.)

* Top 10 Color Laser Multifunction Printers

These efficient workhorses combine color laser printing, scanning, copying, and, frequently, faxing. Ratings and rankings can change due to pricing and technology changes, so check back frequently for the latest info.

Brands Technicians Love & Hate: Folks, Bryce over at Technibble conducted an informal survey of repair technicians of which brand names they prefer (and which they shun) – broken down by category. I was not terribly surprised to see the results turn out to be nearly identical with my own ‘drothers’. To see the winners and losers, click here. (Printers are down the page a bit.)

Related (sorta): Highlights of upcoming 2011 tablets (photos).

Unrelated: For those of you who would like help with relief efforts after the earthquake and waves in Japan, and want to donate to either the American Red Cross or the Salvation Army (which are two of the larger BBB accredited charities assisting in the relief efforts):

You can text “Japan” to 80888 from your cell phone to donate $10 to Salvation Army efforts.  (Visit mobilecause.com for terms and conditions) Respond “Yes” to a “Thank you” message you receive.

And/or you can text “Redcross” from your cell phones to 90999 to donate the same amount to that organization.

Larger donations can always be made online via the Red Cross website or Salvation Army website. (Source: Japan quake and tsunami puts Apple iPad in perspective.)

Attention: I need to ask my readers a favor.. I seem to have misplaced an hour. Does any one know where it went? I would like to get it back, please.

Copyright 2007-2011 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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Top 10 Antivirus Programs for 2011 (review)

If you connect it to the Internet, it needs an antivirus, period.

PC World magazine recently published their roundup product review, which lists their top 10 antivirus products: see, Antivirus 2011: Digital Defenders

Today’s new threats demand a new breed of antivirus software. Our lab tests show you which paid antivirus products you can trust, and which ones you should skip.

If you haven’t bought a new version of your antivirus software in a couple of years, now may be a good time to do so. Malware is evolving faster than ever, and the latest generation of antivirus software is better equipped to handle this rapid pace of change. If your antivirus software is a few years old, it may not be able to defend against this on­­slaught effectively, even if you faithfully download new virus definitions. In recent years, the technology that powers antivirus software has changed dramatically: An antivirus package you purchased a few years ago may be able to stop known viruses and other known malware, but brand-new, as-yet unknown viruses can be more dangerous, and newer products do a much better job of stopping them.

I have put a link to this article in my Blogroll. Also in my Blogroll  is PC Magazine’s review: see, Best Antivirus – 2011 (review) (which is written by my ‘go to guy’, Neil Rubenking).

I suggest you look at these two product comparison charts, and assess your current antivirus defense.

But also know, an antivirus is not protection enough. Every computer user should know that there are computing “Good Practices”.. and certain “Do’s & Don’ts”.
For the “do’s“, I have provided readers the basic “common good practices” in what I call my “Top 10 Things You Should Do” list.

Let’s be safe out there people. Don’t become a victim of cybercrime. Use some healthy “paranoid common sense” when online.

Addenda: For those who have trouble with installing Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (or.. Updates in general), see Microsoft notes Windows Update “inconsistencies,” provides fix

Copyright 2007-2011 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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Goodbye 2010. I’ll Miss Ye Not.

Not one person I have spoken too has seemed sad to see 2010 go, and I have not (yet) had anyone say to me, “it was my best year ever!” I think, for myself anyway, I’m just glad I made it through. Simply put, 2010 was not my best year.

But neither was it my worst. Just one example, this website, and my scribblings here, did okay in 2010. We are still here. Tech – for Everyone seemed to defy the general trend, and actually grew last year — attendance was up.

I do not know what 2011, and the future, holds. But I do know I am hoping for significant improvement — not just for me, but for you too, Dear Reader. Whatever it was that made 2010 a challenge for you, I sincerely, ardently, hope 2011 is the year your fortitude and efforts are rewarded and that those things get successfully resolved.

For lack of a specific “tech topic” today. I decided I would join the crowd, and post a Top 10 of 2010 list. (I know. I heard you shout “yippee!”) Below you will find the top T4E articles – by number of reads – of last year. I have to say, they are good ones.. and you may have missed one or two.

• Just Say “No” To mylife.com
• Manage Startup programs in Vista
• How to boot from a CD
• Adding programs to your Startup Folder
• How to fix a “lost” Internet connection
• Windows 7 – Old Games Won’t Play.. Help!
• Quick Tip: overcome “access denied” in Vista’s Command Prompt
• “My Taskbar disappeared” and other simple tweaks (updated)
• Adding Firewire to your machine
• Make Outlook open when Windows starts
• How To Remove Your Name From Search Engines and Social Networking Sites

Where Do We Go From Here?

Did you make any “resolutions” this year? (I get the vague impression doing so is not the “vogue” any more.) I only made one. And I hope it will have a marked impact on my “life’s situation”. I (also) hope I am not boring you, but, I will go ahead and share it with you — I have challenged myself to keep one thought at the forefront of my mind and my behavior. (Think of it as a “mantra”, if you like.) It goes:

I Must Do The Most Productive Thing Possible With This Moment

(And to be honest.. I am fairly sure writing this article does not fit in with that…)
I have made little signs, and posted them around, to help me remember.

2011 is here. Let’s make the most of it. Shall we? I would like to say to each and everyone reading this — I wish you a safe, successful, and happy new year!

Copyright 2007-2010 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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Elementary, My Dear Watson

Got A Computer? Top 10 Things You Should Do

The plague of Internet rogue antivirus has me super busy (again) and so today I am re-posting an article which aggregates what I believe are the most important computer tips into a single checklist…a “Top 10″ list. Click on the blue links to get more instructions on the topic.

There are several things a PC owner should do to have a healthy, smooth-running computer, and be safer from cyber criminals when they browse the Internet. Not surprisingly, I have covered these topics over the course of writing this six-days-a-week series of articles. So I thought I would put the more important ones into a single list — a “Top 10 List” — and provide direct links (blue text) to the articles which cover the How To steps of making these things happen… and provide you with a simple way to find out what you need to do, compared to what you’ve done already. In case you missed one, or two.

Tip of the day: Run down this list, and ask yourself, “have I done that?” to each one.

1) Install an antivirus, and keep it up-to-date (with the latest “definitions”).
To read my articles on malware, click here. To see a list of links to free antivirus programs, click here. To read my article on how to configure your antivirus for maximum protection, click here.

2) Install two anti-spyware apps, with one having “active” shielding.
To read all my articles which discuss spyware, click here. To see a list of links to free anti-spyware programs, click here.

3) Install a 3rd Party firewall OR turn on the Widows Firewall.
* If you have a home router or Wireless AP, make sure its firewall is enabled (NAT).

4) Enable Automatic Updates from Microsoft (and either set it to automatically install [for the non-geeky] or to prompt for install [for the hands-on type]) and set your programs to “automatically check for updates”.
And then actually click on the “Install” button when told there are updates available.. and please, do not tell them to “go away, you’re busy.”
[note: you should keep all the programs on your computer updated, and gladly accept the install prompts. Also, visit Secunia’s free online scanner to check your system for missing patches, and out-of-date (read “vulnerable”) applications.]

5) Password protect your User Accounts. (see #8)

6) Make a (monthly) system backup.. or at least a “files and settings” backup.. and store a copy — on two different types of media — someplace other than your hard drive.
To read all my articles on backups, click here.

7) Upgrade to IE 8 and/or an “alternative” Web browser (like Firefox, Opera, or Avant). Click here to read my articles on browsers and browsing.

8: Use strong (and complex) passwords. Everywhere. And change them every so often.

9) “Optimize” your hard drive. Sometimes you’ll hear this referred to as “file system maintenance”; basically it means to clean old files and ‘build up’ and “defrag” your machine for faster performance.

10) Tell Windows to show file extensions.

* (Windows XP/older):
– Use the NTFS file system, and disable Simple File Sharing.
– Rename the Administrator account.

* (Laptops) Encrypt your hard drive.

There is more you can do to optimize your PC (of course) and the odds are good that I have told you the steps in a prior article, as I’ve written over 900 of them– so far, and I invite you type the word “optimize” into my Search box and see what comes up.

I hope this find-it-in-one-spot review of basic PC advice has been helpful to you.

Today’s free download(s): By clicking the links above, you will see all the previously posted downloads, of which there are many. And, also, there are links to more free links in no’s 1 and 2 above.

* And for those of you lucky folks who have a brand new PC… Whenever you buy a new computer, it will come preloaded with all sorts of trialware (as it’s called) that most of us don’t want. If you have just purchased a new PC, download and run the wonderful PC Decrapifier and clean off that *stuff*.

Copyright 2007-2010 © Tech Paul. All Rights Reserved. post to jaanix.

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Got A Computer? Top 10 Things You Should Do*

Top 10 things you should do to your computer

It is a holiday weekend, and so today I am re-posting an article which aggregates what I believe are the most important computer tips into a single checklist…a “Top 10″ list. Click on the blue links to get more instructions on the topic.

There are several things a PC owner should do to have a healthy computer and be safer from cyber criminals when they browse the Internet. Not surprisingly, I have covered these topics over the course of writing this six-days-a-week series of articles. So I thought I would put the more important ones into a single list — a “Top 10 List” — and provide direct links (blue text) to the articles which cover the How To steps of making these things happen… and provide you with a simple way to find out what you need to do, compared to what you’ve done already. In case you missed one, or two.

Tip of the day: Run down this list, and ask yourself, “have I done that?” to each one.

1) Install an antivirus, and keep it up-to-date (with the latest “definitions”).
To read my articles on malware, click here. To see a list of links to free antivirus programs, click here. To read my article on how to configure your antivirus for maximum protection, click here.

2) Install two anti-spyware apps, with one having “active” shielding.
To read all my articles which discuss spyware, click here. To see a list of links to free anti-spyware programs, click here.

3) Install a 3rd Party firewall OR turn on the Widows Firewall.
* If you have a home router or Wireless AP, make sure its firewall is enabled (NAT).

4) Enable Automatic Updates from Microsoft (and either set it to automatically install [for the non-geeky] or to prompt for install [for the hands-on type]) and set your programs to “automatically check for updates”.
And then actually click on the “Install” button when told there are updates available.. and please, do not tell them to “go away, you’re busy.”

5) Password protect your User Accounts.

6) Make a (monthly) system backup.. or at least a “files and settings” backup.. and store a copy — on two different types of media — someplace other than your hard drive.
To read all my articles on backups, click here.

7) Upgrade to IE 8 and/or an “alternative” Web browser (like Firefox, Opera, or Avant). Click here to read my articles on browsers and browsing.

8: Use strong (and complex) passwords. Everywhere. And change them every so often.

9) “Optimize” your hard drive. Sometimes you’ll hear this referred to as “file system maintenance”; basically it means to clean old files and ‘build up’ and “defrag” your machine for faster performance.

10) Tell Windows to show file extensions.

* (Windows XP/older):
– Use the NTFS file system, and disable Simple File Sharing.
– Rename the Administrator account.

* (Laptops) Encrypt your hard drive.

There is more you can do to optimize your PC (of course) and the odds are good that I have told you the steps in a prior article, as I’ve written over 900 of them– so far, and I invite you type the word “optimize” into my Search box and see what comes up.

I hope this find-it-in-one-spot review has been helpful to you, and I hope you all have a “super” holiday.

Today’s free downloads: By clicking the links above, you will see all the previously posted downloads, of which there are many. And, also, there are links to more free links in no’s 1 and 2 above.

* And for those of you lucky folks who have a brand new PC… Whenever you buy a new computer, it will come preloaded with all sorts of trialware (as it’s called) that most of us don’t want. If you have just purchased a new PC, download and run the wonderful PC Decrapifier and clean off that *stuff*.

Copyright 2007-9 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

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