This is a reminder to those of you who use the MVPS HOSTS file as a part of your baseline security package. This should include anyone who has a Windows machine.
The monthly installation process includes:
1) Running a full Spybot scan. Remember to first Update, then Immunize, and lastly run the Search & Destroy. I recommend deleting everything/anything that Spybot identifies as being potentially dangerous.
2) Download the October MVPS HOSTS file here: http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/hosts.htm. Once at the site, click on hosts.zip about a third of the way down the page. Download it to your system, unzip it, and doubleclick on MVPS.BAT. That will install the new HOSTS file and provide you with much needed protection. Think of the HOSTS file as a list of web sites known to cause trouble. All of these will be blocked on your system.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Collection of 11 hot PCs
When I saw the e-mail from Microsoft come in, I thought maybe this will be interesting. What, I thought, does Microsoft think makes a hot PC? Since they don't make any of the hardware involved, I figured it had to be PCs that would make Windows 7 run well, and so I guess that is exactly what it is. If you are interested in acquiring a new PC, this might be a good place to start looking. These are all moderately priced, certainly a lot less that that MacBook Pro I spoke of in yesterday's post.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
iPhone 4S Review: It's a Sure Thing
I am still old-fashioned, or maybe just old, and I still use a dumb cell phone. A cell phone to me is a necessity these days, and I am amazed whenever I think back to pre-cell phone days and how we ever got along without them!
The most troubling thing to me about Apple products is their price. Nothing from Apple is affordable, it seems to me. I am typing this on my MacBook Pro 17" laptop. It is a beautiful, powerful machine, but it cost me $2700. That is outrageous for a laptop, but I thought it would help me to learn about Macs and therefore position me in a place where I could help others with Macs who could use a little assistance. I find my Mac to be so foreign to me, compared to any Windows machine, but I am learning. There are very few similarities between Windows and OS/X. My Mac seems to have been built for left-handed people, and I am not left-handed. However, my Mac is right now my go-to laptop and I really am impressed with it. It is very fast, stable, and very easy to use (although the left-handedness of it still drives me nuts!). The 8 hour battery life is nothing short of amazing to me, a guy who was used to having 2 and maybe 3 hour battery life on my Windows machines.
So along comes another new iPhone. Ho-hum. It's apparently not even different enough from the iPhone 4 to warrant having its own unique name. People were expecting the iPhone 5 but instead got the iPhone 4S. I shall not be writing any product reviews of it very soon. Once one bites the bullet and comes up with the money for the phone, he or she is faced with the minimum charge of $70 a month to use the darn thing. As with the iPad, I would love to have one, but I'd rather not have to spend the money to get there, not in this economy. This review comes from pcworld.com.
The most troubling thing to me about Apple products is their price. Nothing from Apple is affordable, it seems to me. I am typing this on my MacBook Pro 17" laptop. It is a beautiful, powerful machine, but it cost me $2700. That is outrageous for a laptop, but I thought it would help me to learn about Macs and therefore position me in a place where I could help others with Macs who could use a little assistance. I find my Mac to be so foreign to me, compared to any Windows machine, but I am learning. There are very few similarities between Windows and OS/X. My Mac seems to have been built for left-handed people, and I am not left-handed. However, my Mac is right now my go-to laptop and I really am impressed with it. It is very fast, stable, and very easy to use (although the left-handedness of it still drives me nuts!). The 8 hour battery life is nothing short of amazing to me, a guy who was used to having 2 and maybe 3 hour battery life on my Windows machines.
So along comes another new iPhone. Ho-hum. It's apparently not even different enough from the iPhone 4 to warrant having its own unique name. People were expecting the iPhone 5 but instead got the iPhone 4S. I shall not be writing any product reviews of it very soon. Once one bites the bullet and comes up with the money for the phone, he or she is faced with the minimum charge of $70 a month to use the darn thing. As with the iPad, I would love to have one, but I'd rather not have to spend the money to get there, not in this economy. This review comes from pcworld.com.
iPhone 4S Review: It's a Sure Thing
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Computer Virus Hits U.S. Drone Fleet
Just in case you think you have really good protection from viruses on your computer, check this out. This comes from wired.com.
"A computer virus has infected the cockpits of America’s Predator and Reaper drones, logging pilots’ every keystroke as they remotely fly missions over Afghanistan and other warzones.
The virus, first detected nearly two weeks ago by the military’s Host-Based Security System, has not prevented pilots at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada from flying their missions overseas. Nor have there been any confirmed incidents of classified information being lost or sent to an outside source. But the virus has resisted multiple efforts to remove it from Creech’s computers, network security specialists say. And the infection underscores the ongoing security risks in what has become the U.S. military’s most important weapons system."
"A computer virus has infected the cockpits of America’s Predator and Reaper drones, logging pilots’ every keystroke as they remotely fly missions over Afghanistan and other warzones.
The virus, first detected nearly two weeks ago by the military’s Host-Based Security System, has not prevented pilots at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada from flying their missions overseas. Nor have there been any confirmed incidents of classified information being lost or sent to an outside source. But the virus has resisted multiple efforts to remove it from Creech’s computers, network security specialists say. And the infection underscores the ongoing security risks in what has become the U.S. military’s most important weapons system."
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