Friday, December 21, 2007

Pain Reduction Through Technology

This is a short input about what I've learned over the years about how technology helps to reduce pain. I have what is called a T.E.N.S. (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulator) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcutaneous_Electrical_Nerve_Stimulator unit that is designed to help reduce pain in a specific part of your body. It sure helps. Another technological device that I use is a heating pad which without the use of electricity this would not be possible.

We live in a very advanced technological society and take a lot for granted. If we as a nation of people were shut down from our technology we might not be able to function for a while. There is parts of the world where simple technology has not even been introduced.

Be very thankful that the U.S.A. is still running as strong as it has been.

Friday, November 23, 2007

If you have not heard... there is a new Search Engine on the internet.  It is called Search Big Daddy and it offers a lot of services that you won’t find anywhere else.  Here are a few of the links


Search Big Daddy Main Search Engine Site Click Here


Are you looking for something then Search Big Daddy is just the place to start your search.


Search Big Daddy Friends Click Here


Are you into social networking?  Search Big Daddy Friends opens a whole world of new friends to you.


Search Big Daddy Video   Click Here


Do you like to look at videos made by every day people like yourself?  Then Search Big Daddy Video is a great place to visit.


Search Big Daddy News   Click Here


Get all the latest news releases and much more through the News Release Site



Search Big Daddy Blog Landing   Click Here


Many interesting topics are published here at the Star Computer Blog Landing



Search Big Daddy Pays You to Advertise   Click Here


Would you like to earn some money while doing searches?  Well here is the perfect way to do so.  Search Big Daddy pays off big time.



Search Big Daddy Games Galore   Click Here


Are you an avid gamer?  Well here is a major site to visit and play games galore.


Search Big Daddy Free Conference Center   Click Here


I saved the best for last.  Search Big Daddy Conference Center is one of the best places to go for those multi conference online meetings and the best thing about this is that it is Free and secure.


Powered by Qumana


I spend a great deal of time surfing the web and have found a number of incredible sites that I would like to share with you.


Everyone knows about Google Mailbut few really experience the full potential of Google Mail.  You get unlimited amount of storage space so swapping large text files or photo is a snap.


A very well known site called Log Me Inprovides a variety of services to allow businesses and individuals to connect their computers very securely.  It is one of the best IT tools that is being offered on the Internet today.  The cost for an account is astronomically low for the high powered secure services offered.


If you are like me you have hundreds of accounts all over the internet and many more on the way.  Even if you are a part time surfer of the internet you will find that you will gain a lot of accounts.  The easiest way to fall prey to intruders is to use the same user name and password for all your accounts.  One of the safest and easiest ways to secure your surfing is to use a secure database program.  There is one that is built into MS but it is not secure enough and easily hacked into.  That is where Roboformin.  Roboformonly secures your user name passwords but will create a secure password on the fly that will pass those security requirements on some sites.  Click on the links and download a free trial (limited to 7 accounts) version to see if it is something that you can use.  The cost is not very much for the security of your accounts.


A very interesting site that doesn't cost anything is the Global Incident Mapwhere it shows you the ongoing terrorist type of attacks throughout the world.  It is updated on a regular basis to show the changes that occur.


On the same line of very interesting free sites you might like to visit is the World Clock.  I find it very interesting in that it gives a lot of information.  It is not meant to be accepted as perfect but it is very close to the actual figures and it is staggering to say the least.


Do you support the Troops?  Would you like to do so?  It is Free to do so Click Hereand send a postcard to the troops thanking them for their sacrifices.


How about getting your own Hollywood Walk of the Stars plaque that you can place on your web site?


Would you like to know your life expectancy?  Just for gags this site is great.  No need to take it seriously.  Click Here


This is just the beginning.  I sure hope that you will visit these sites and get the bargains that are available on the internet.  Will leave you with this one last link for today.  Roboform is running what they call a Black Friday till 11/26/07 for 33% off your first license.  This is a great savings. Rush on over there today before it is too late. Roboform Download your free copy by clicking on the link then once you've installed and updated buy a 33% off license and you may not regret it


Powered by Qumana


Monday, August 27, 2007

Free Download

Click Here to download your free copy today to try this great software.
Roboform is a free download that is free of any spyware or other malware. This program can help you keep track of your surfing. Many people have more than one site that they must log into and if you are using the same user name and password for each then you are putting your whole system at a security risk. Don't let hackers ruin your day...Get Roboform today to prevent hackers from getting into your system.
This is trial software good for the first 5 sites that you have username / password that you want to test it on and after that you will have to uninstall the software or buy it to continue using it.

To download your trial copy of Rollback Rx Click Here
To help recover from a virus or hackers be sure to check out Rollback Rx. This software is a blessing in disguise. An example you take snapshot at 8 am in the morning and by 3 pm the whole system seems to have gone haywire but you remember that the system was working just fine at 8 am. Rollback Rx brings you back to before any changes were made and helps to restore order where there was kaos.

Monday, August 20, 2007


  • Do you like to add software to your system to try new things?

  • Are you afraid of shareware, freeware and other free types of software but you would really like to give them a try?

  • Are you plagued by crashes or viruses?

  • Do you ever wish you could use a data recovery system to return to before the problem occurred?

    Well I've got just the answer for you.

    Everyone has a time when they would like to be able to have data recovery available on their system.

    RollBack Rx™ is a robust system data recovery utility that enables home users and IT professionals to easily restore a PC to a time before certain events occurred. RollBack Rx makes it simple for users of all skill levels
    to quickly and easily repair PC issues - saving time, money and PC trouble. With RollBack Rx you can...



    Reverse any system crash (even if Windows can't startup)
    Backout of any failed software installations, botched update etc.
    Reverse user errors manually, or set Restore-on-Reboot or Log-off
    Roll back minutes, hours, or even months.
    Roll backwards and forwards to any system snapshot
    Allows users to safely test any software. Fast, 100% clean uninstaller
    Roll-back, yet recover files from your "future" snapshot(s)
    Retrieve files from a crashed PC, even if it can not boot into Windows.
    Access control - prevent unauthorized users from accessing any RollBack Rx functions
    Automatically schedule snapshots or hard drive restores at set intervals
    Day Zero Disaster Recovery with no data loss
    Group Management and Enterprise Network Administration Control

    Star Computer is currently offering over 20% off the download cost of $69 for a limited time. Order through Star Computer and get this great software for $47. To order your license and join my newsletter for updates and online insights Visit Star Computer today and see why this material is badly needed by everyone that owns a computer.

    This software can save you hundreds of dollars $$$ in repairs. Once you try this software you will be really glad you have it installed. This data recovery system is sure to be a big hit once it is installed. Never worry about data recovery again.

    At the data recovery order page there is a link for a trial copy. Once you try this software Star Computer is sure that you will want to purchase a license. Save money today and reduce headaches in the future.


    - Actual incidents
    - My computer developed a virus but because of RollBack Rx I was able to go back to the day before and recover quickly and easily without the help of an IT - June M.

    - I like to test new software and update my system on a regular basis but sometimes glitches happens and I've had to completely restore my system and loss all sorts of valuable data. Thanks to RollBack Rx I saved myself
    hundreds of hours being able to have a data restore system in place to recover from disasters like software glitches. - Levi W.

    Rollback Rx delivers while other data recovery systems just make empty promises. Download a trial copy then rush to the order page and get your license before Star Computer raises the price. This offer is only good for the first 500 orders then the price is going up.


           Download your trial copy to verify that it will work for you on your system
           Then come back to order a license at http://rollbackrx.cyberpowersoftware.com



Powered by Qumana


Monday, August 06, 2007

This may not be new to some people but since I've only had a Blackberry for a short amount of time I think this is something great.  I learned how to place all my contacts on my Blackberry 7290.  While it is not the most expensive Blackberry on the market it is what I can currently afford as well as many other people from what I could see when I went looking for an answer.  No one seemed to have an answer other than buying more software and online subscriptions to transfer the files.  Well it is not needed.  This is the process that I took to place all my contacts from Outlook Express 6 onto my Blackberry 7290


1. Make sure the Blackberry 7290 is plugged up to the computer

2. Make sure that the Blackberry Desktop Manager is installed and running

3. Click on Intellisync

4. Configure PIM

5. On the right hand side of the box choose the email program you wish to import the contacts from or you can choose to synchronize the contacts

6. Close the window

7. Choose Synchronize now


I hope it helps a lot of people.  Thank you for visiting my blog


Powered by Qumana


Wednesday, July 25, 2007

It is possible to have a portfolio which profitably (that's the key word, is it not?) invests in alternative energy funds. “Green” energy production is expected to be a multi-billion (in today's dollars) industry by 2013.

The most recently developed wind-turbine technologies have brought us wind-produced energy which is more cost efficient as well as more widespread. More state-of-the-art wind energy technologies are typically more market competitive with conventional energy technologies. The newer wind-power technologies don't even kill birds like in days of old! Wind energy production is a growing technology, and companies engaged in it would make up an excellent part of a growth or aggressive growth portfolio.

Next to consider are solar cell, or photovoltaic cell, technologies. These are to be found implemented in pocket calculators, private property lights, US Coast Guard buoys, and other areas. More and more they find their way onto the roofs of housing and commercial buildings and building complexes. Cost is falling. Their energy efficiency (the ratio of the amount of work needed to cause their energy production versus the actual energy production) is steadily on the rise. As an example, the conversion efficiency of silicon cells has increased from a mere four percent in 1982 to over 20% for the latest technologies. Photovoltaic cells create absolute zero pollution as they are generating electrical power. However, photovoltaic cellls are not presently as cost effective as “utility produced” electricity. “PV” cells are not [capable at present for producing industrial-production amounts of electricity due to their present constraints on space. However, areas where photovoltaic cell arrays could be implemented are increasingly available. In sum, costs are going down while efficiency is rising for this alternative fuel technology.

Many alternative energy investment portfolio advisors are confident that alternative energies derived from currents, tidal movement, and temperature differentials are poised to become a new and predominant form of clean energy. The French are actually fairly advanced at hydro power generation, and numerous studies are being made in Scotland and the US along these sames lines. Some concerns center around the problems with the deterioration of metals in salt water, marine growth such as barnacles, and violent storms which have all been disruptions to energy production in the past. However, these problems for the most part seem to be cured through the use of different, better materials. Ocean-produced energy has a huge advantage because the timing of ocean currents and waves are well understood and reliable.

Investments in hydro-electric technology have grown in the last two decades. Hydro-electric power is clean; however, it's also limited by geography. While already prominent as power generation, the large, older dams have had problems with disturbing marine life. Improvements have been made on those dams in order to protect marine life, but these improvements have been expensive. Consequently, more attention is now being paid to low-impact "run-of-the-river" hydro-power plants, which do not have these ecological problems.

The reality is, the energy future is green, and investors would do well to put their money out wisely, with that advice in their minds.


Powered by Qumana


The Germans have really taken off when it comes to renewable fuel sources, and have become one of the major players in the alternative energy game. Under the aegis of the nation's electricity feed laws, the German people set a world record in 2006 by investing over $10 billion (US) in research, development, and implementation of wind turbines, biogas power plants, and solar collection cells. Germany's “feed laws” permit the German homeowners to connect to an electrical grid through some source of renewable energy and then sell back to the power company any excess energy produced at retail prices. This economic incentive has catapulted Germany into the number-one position among all nations with regards to the number of operational solar arrays, biogas plants, and wind turbines. The 50-terawatt hours of electricity produced by these renewable energy sources account for 10% of all of Germany's energy production per year. In 2006 alone, Germany installed 100,000 solar energy collection systems.

Over in the US, the BP corporation has established an Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI) to spearhead extensive new research and development efforts into clean burning renewable energy sources, most prominently biofuels for ground vehicles. BP's investment comes to $50 million (US) per year over the course of the next decade. This EBI will be physically located at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The University is in partnership with BP, and it will be responsible for research and development of new biofuel crops, biofuel-delivering agricultural systems, and machines to produce renewable fuels in liquid form for automobile consumption. The University will especially spearhead efforts in the field of genetic engineering with regard to creating the more advanced biofuel crops. The EBI will additionally have as a major focal point technological innovations for converting heavy hydrocarbons into pollution-free and highly efficient fuels.

Also in the US, the battle rages on between Congress and the Geothermal Energy Association (GEA). The GEA's Executive Director Karl Gawell has recently written to the Congress and the Department of Energy, the only way to ensure that DOE and OMB do not simply revert to their irrational insistence on terminating the geothermal research program is to schedule a congressional hearing specifically on geothermal energy, its potential, and the role of federal research. Furthermore, Gawell goes on to say that recent studies by the National Research Council, the Western Governors' Association Clean Energy Task Force and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology all support expanding geothermal research funding to develop the technology necessary to utilize this vast, untapped domestic renewable energy resource. Supporters of geothermal energy, such as this writer, are amazed at the minuscule amount of awareness that the public has about the huge benefits that research and development of the renewable alternative energy source would provide the US, both practically and economically. Geothermal energy is already less expensive to produce in terms of kilowatt-hours than the coal that the US keeps mining. Geothermal energy is readily available, sitting just a few miles below our feet and easily accessible through drilling. One company, Ormat, which is the third largest geothermal energy producer in the US and has plants in several different nations, is already a billion-dollar-per-year business—geothermal energy is certainly economically viable.


Powered by Qumana


Amelot Holdings is a company which presently specializes in the development of biodiesel and ethanol plants throughout the US. Amelot's objective is to establish relationships between various suppliers of alternative energy who are biodiesel and ethanol researchers or producers to further their ends with long-term profitability and growth in mind. Amelot furthers the cause of these alternative energy suppliers through the formulation of joint ventures, mergers, and construction contracts.

Environmental Power is an alternative energy supplier that has two subsidiary companies. One of these is Microgy, which is Environmental Power's research and development arm. Microgy is a developer of biogas facilities for the cost-effective and environmentally clean production of renewable energy derived from food and agricultural waste products. These biogas fuels can be used in a number of different applications. They can be used in combustion chamber engines, used directly to make fossil fuel reliance less of a need, or cleaned up to meet natural gas standards and then piped to offices or homes for heating. Environmental Power's other subsidiary is Buzzard Power. Buzzard has an 83 megawatt power facility which generates green energy from mined coal waste. Environmental Power says of itself, we have a long and successful history of developing clean energy facilities. Since 1982 we have developed, owned and operated hydroelectric plants, municipal waste projects, coal-fired generating facilities and clean gas generation and energy recovery facilities. We are proud to have a management team and board of directors comprised of leaders from both the public and private sectors, including the energy, agriculture and finance industries.

Intrepid Technology and Resources, Inc, is a company that processes waste into natural gas as an alternative source of energy. The company's vision centers on the fact that the US produces two billion tons of animal waste every year, while at once the US' supply of natural gas is dwindling. ITR builds “organic waste digesters” local to sites of organic waste. These facilities produce, clean, and distribute the methane gas from the organic waste; methane gas is a viable alternative to natural gas. ITR is presently operating in Idaho with plans for national expansion.

Nathaniel Energy is a company with the objective of protecting the environment and minimizing total cost of business ownership. The Nathaniel Energy Total Value Preservation System (TVPS) gives companies unique benefits through Nathaniel's recognition of the alternative energy potential of materials that are usually seen as nothing more than waste or pollutants. Nathaniel Energy's technology allows it to extract and transform into alternative energy virtually all of the potential energy locked in waste materials. All of this is produced at almost no additional cost beyond what a company would have had to spend in order to install pollution control and prevention systems. Nathaniel Energy's innovative TVPS recovers valuable resources which other processes fail to. Throughout the entire process, the maximum amount of valuable material is recovered for reuse, which results in lowered costs and environmental protection. Usual pollution cleanup and control processes treat these materials as mere contaminants that are either destroyed or discarded. The TVPS therefore decreases the total cost of business ownership through the provision of an additional stream of income.


Powered by Qumana



There is a lot of energy that we can harness if we only seek to research and develop the technologies needed to do so. We can get away from the fossil fuels and the old electrical grids by turning to alternatives to these energy sources.

One of these alternative energy resources is wind power. Wind turbines continue to be developed that are progressively more energy efficient and less costly. “Wind farms” have been springing up in many nations, and they have even become more strategically placed over time so that they are not jeopardizing birds as former wind turbines did.

Another alternative energy resource is the one that is most well known: solar energy. This involves the manufacturing of solar cells which gather and focus the energy given off directly by the sun, and translate it into electricity or, in some cases, hot water. As with wind energy, solar energy creates absolutely zero pollution.

Ocean wave energy is seen by governments and investors as having enormous energy generating potential. A generator in France has been in operation for many years now and is considered to be a great success, and the Irish and Scots are running experimental facilities.

Hydroelectric power has been with us for a while and where it is set up, it is a powerful generator of electricity and cleaner than a grid. However, there are certain limitations to the availability of the right places to set up a large dam. Many run-of-the-river, or small and localized, hydroelectric generators have been set up in recent times due to this limitation.

Geothermal energy is extremely abundant, since it lies directly beneath our feet, just a few miles below the earth's surface. This energy is produced by the heating of water through the actions of earth's fantastically hot molten core. The water turns to steam, which can be harnessed and used to drive turbine engines which in turn generate electricity. Great amounts of research and development should be put into geothermal energy tapping.

Waste gas energies, which are essentially methane, reverse the usual energy-pollution relationship by creating energy from waste that lies in the dumps and from some air pollutants. This gas is used in fuel cells and can be used in standard gasoline generators.

Ethanol is a gasoline substitute and is created from such things as wheat, sugarcane, grapes, strawberries, corn, and even wood chips and wood cellulose. There is controversy over this fuel with regards to its ever becoming truly economical or practical except in very localized areas, but technologies for its extraction and admixturing are continuously being refined.

Biodiesel energy is created out of the oils contained in plants. So far, the commercial stores of biodiesel have been created using soybean, rapeseed, and sunflower oils. At the time of this writing, biodiesel is typically produced by entrepreneurial minded individuals or those who want to experiment with alternative energy, but commercial interest from companies is on the rise. It burns much cleaner than oil-based diesel.

Atomic energy is created in atomic energy plants using the process of nuclear fission. This energy is extremely efficient and can generate huge amounts of power. There is concern from some people about what to do with the relatively small amount of waste product atomic energy gives off, since it is radioactive and takes hundreds of years to decay into harmlessness.


Powered by Qumana


Sunday, June 03, 2007

Anything Into Oil | Environment | DISCOVER Magazine

Anything Into Oil | Environment | DISCOVER Magazine

Can you believe this? Trash into Gasoline. What will come next?

Monday, May 28, 2007

I have found a way to blog on multiple blogs listed under one user name. Note that this blog entry is powered by Qumana.  What a great piece of software.  This sure beats having to pop in & out of different accounts.  Another great feature about Qumana is that you can set it to post more in the future so you can keep your content fresh even when you want to take a few days off.


Now there are more services out there on the Internet just waiting to be found.  Visit The Star Computer today and join our newsletter where we will be sharing these great services. Some of them are free and some cost a little bit of money each month for the premium value.


Ads by AdGenta.com


Powered by Qumana


Thursday, May 10, 2007

Computer Security: Are you Phishing?

Author: Barion Willis

Article:
You can say that the Internet is a short cut for international
networking. By just logging on, you can connect to people all
over the world. They may be people you personally know or people
you just know online. Whatever the case, there is always
somebody on the other end of your Internet connection.

As accessible and easy daily life is now thanks to the Internet,
there are disadvantages from this convenience. Criminal
activities such as eliciting sexual activities on the web are an
example of online problems society has to deal with.

Another online criminal activity is phishing. Phishing is
acquiring personal information like passwords and credit card
details by pretending to be a representative of a company.
Phishing is done through email or instant messaging.

It is called ®phishing because it is similar to the
recreational activity fishing. It for users
personal information such as passwords and financial data.

Phishers create accounts on AOL by using fake algorithmically
generated credit card numbers. These accounts are maintained for
a number of months. Due to the reports of phishing incidences,
AOL has brought in measures preventing this from happening by
securing the data of their users and confirming the information
of those signing up for AOL accounts. Scan your registry for
free at http://www.registry-cleaners-reviewed.info
On AOL, a phisher pretends that he is an AOL employee and sends
out instant messages to a random customer that asks for
passwords of their account. Luring the victim further, the
phisher includes in the message verify your account or
confirm billing information.

Thus, a number of clients get lured in and give off their
password. Once the phisher gains access of this sensitive
information, he can use the victims account for spamming.
Check your inbox and take a look at the spam messages you've
received. Yes, those are real names of people. These people's
accounts have been hacked and are now being used to relay spam
messages.

About the author:
Free Scan! See how many errors your computer has, at
http://www.registry-cleaners-reviewed.info

Computer Security: Scams via Phisher

Author: Hazel Mia

Article:
How this e-mail scam works is through this: usually, you will
receive an e- mail from a service online provider or through a
bank that ill ask you to go click a specific link or visit a
particular website and from there you will be elicited to
provide your personal info.

This type of scam is called phishing.

Basically, this scam is where victims are asked and tricked to
entering all their personal info like passwords, account numbers
to an organization or company that presents itself as
legitimate.

Ingenious scammers who create a site that looks a lot like the
authentic web site do this trick. E-mails are usually used to
invite and bait potential online victims to go to the fake
website.

As much as possible, always be cautious and wary of e-mails that
ask you to click a link and give out personal sensitive info
like bank details.

You should know that any info provided on these fake sites are
farmed and harvested by scammers which they in turn use to steal
the funds from the userЎЇs bank account or steal the identity of
the victim.

Be aware that companies that are legitimate would never ask for
any sensitive info through e-mail.

Never, ever click on these e-mail links. Never give out any info
about you. If there are doubts on the veracity of the e-mail, it
is always best to directly contact the legitimate company.

How to know a scam if you see one? Generally, a scam has the
following characteristics. It makes the promise to give you lots
of money, lots of prizes or a job. Free Scan! See how many
errors your computer has, at
http://www.registry-cleaners-reviewed.info

It also asks you for donations. It also proposes business deals
that are lucrative. It also asks that you provide personal and
very sensitive info. It also asks that you follow a specific
link to a particular website and log in to a particular account.

Educating yourself is an essential contribution against being
vulnerable to fraud as well as any virus or security threat.

About the author:
Scan your registry for free at
http://www.registry-cleaners-reviewed.info

Tips for selling on eBay

Author: John Case

Article:
Tips for Selling on eBay(R)

* The first thing you should do is sign up an account with
Paypal.com. Once your account is set up, follow Paypal's
instructions to verify your address and account. This will help
build buyers' trust in you as a seller. Paypal will help you
easily accept payment from buyers as well as pay wholesale
suppliers securely.

* NEVER respond to an e-mail from Paypal that asks you for your
login information, or asks you to follow a link to a login page.
This is a scam known as "phishing." A typical message might
include scare tactics such as "We have noted an illegal login
attempt to your account" or "You have added a new e-mail address
to your account." If you follow the link, you will be directed
to what LOOKS like a Paypal login page, but your login
information will actually be sent to crooks, who will promptly
use your info to clear out your account. Paypal will NEVER send
you an e-mail asking for your login info. If you receive a
suspicious e-mail, you should forward it to: spoof@paypal.com
and they will reply to let you know if it is authentic or not.

* Never respond to an e-mail from eBay that asks for your login
information. Some bogus messages appear to be from interested
buyers. For example: "Is your product still for sale? Let me
know!" or "I sent payment 2 weeks ago! Where is my product?"
Another common message is: "Update your eBay information within
48 hours, or your account will be suspended!" Again, your login
info will be forwarded to scammers who will use your eBay ID to
artificially drive up prices on their own auctions, or use your
eBay ID to run a fraudulant auction in which they collect
payment for an item that doesn't exist. If you receive a
suspicious e-mail, forward it to spoof@ebay.com and they will
let you know if it is authentic. If you want to respond to a
question from a buyer, it is safer to login to your eBay
account, and go to the "My Messages" section, and reply directly
through eBay.

* When buying from a wholesale supplier, ALWAYS pay through a
credit card, or Paypal. NEVER pay for products through Western
Union. Many Western Union clerks do not require ID for the
seller to pick up the money. It is too easy for a wholesaler to
collect the money and not send your order. If a wholesaler
insists on Western Union, simply look for another supplier.

* If you pay a wholesaler through an escrow service, use only
escrow.com. If a wholesaler insists on another escrow service,
simply look for another supplier.

* Before buying from a wholesale supplier, be sure to check
eBay for similar items and calculate if you can sell for a
competitive price and also get a profit. Each and every day, an
average of $86 million changes hands through eBay(R) auctions.
Every day, an estimated 2 million people use eBay(R) to buy
things they can not find in stores, or to get rid of things they
do not use any more in order to make room in their house. But
did you know that 430,000 eBay(R) run a full or part-time
business from their homes? Of course, there are the big product
sellers, who auction off things like new cars, real estate, or
computers. However, there are also normal people running eBay(R)
business from their homes, not only selling things that are no
longer needed around the house, but selling everyday consumer
goods, and making a full-time income from it.

The secret of eBay(R) success is finding products to sell that
match your interests and lifestyle, locating a reliable
wholesale supplier, and mastering the system of putting up
auction pages on eBay(R) in order to keep your seller fees to a
minimum while maximizing your profits.

Here are some tips for selling on eBay:

* Remember that eBay users will buy based on cost as well as
reliability of the seller. If you have a relatively low feedback
score, and you are selling the exact same item at the exact same
cost as a seller with feedback of 3000 or more, you are not
going to make many sales.

* Create e-mail template message to communicate with buyers.
You should make at least three messages: one for when you
receive payment, one for when you send the order, and one to
send approximately two weeks later, to check if everything is
OK. Good communications are essential in building good feedback
ratings.

* Feedback is very important. Always leave positive feedback
for buyers as soon as payment clears. If a buyer has not left
positive feedback by two weeks after the close of the auction,
send a follow up e-mail. Be very careful about leaving neutral
or negative feedback. Even if you have a valid reason for
leaving negative feedback,once you leave negative feedback, the
buyer is likely to retaliate with negative feedback, harming
your reputation. Instead, use eBay's "Send an invoice to buyer"
or "Report an unpaid item" functions.

About the author:
John Case operates http://www.easy-learn-to-earn.com, which
provides free information on making money online.

Psychological Internet Security: Drawing a Spider to the Web

Author: Josh George

Article:

Even if everyone knew exactly what they wanted and where to get
it on the internet, they would not be safe from this.
While antivirus solutions and computer protection software are evolving to identify these scams, many are still evading internet security solutions. These scams can affect everyone and can be summed up in one word: Pharming.

While you have probably heard about pharming as well as the dangers that come from surfing to sites containing pornography, warez (illegal downloads) and other underground-related sites, pharming can virtually affect any topic of any industry. As long as sensitive information
can be extracted from you, pharming scams will be developed. After all, people can act like lemmings on the internet; one by one, they will stumble into the pharming scam
and do exactly what the scam artists want them to do.

So you’re probably wondering what pharming is and how it can compromise your computer
protection
and internet security. Simply put, it is like an evolved form of phishing.&nb
sp; Instead of the scam artists trying to convince you to visit a fraudulent site, they just build tons of fraudulent sites and let you visit them through redirection tactics. While the
details of these redirection tactics are beyond the scope of this article, it is important to know that financially-related websites are the primary targets of pharming scams.

As you can understand, it is extremely difficult to identify pharming scams because you have no idea when you visit one. But is this really the case? For many, the warnings literally pop
up in front of their eyes, but they have simply trained themselves to ignore the computer
protection
and internet security signs. The question is, are you one of these people?

Answer this: have you ever browsed to a place where you are greeted with an internet security warning stating you just entered a site with an unsigned certificate? If you have, did you simply agree to view the site and not even bother to wonder why there was an unsigned
certificate internet security warning? Well, that warning box could mean the loss of your identity if you are not careful enough. For scammers to set up these pharming websites, they try to duplicate every aspect of the real site as possible, including the certificates. If you ignore these unsigned certificate warnings and enter your personal information, you literally send it all to the scammers.

To help
identify these scams, click File > Properties in your browser and make sure the website is
an actual domain name instead of an IP address. Simply looking at the address bar of a pharming site is not enough, for scammers have ways to cloak it. Also, make sure that
yellow lock is in the bottom right-hand corner of your browser window. That lock signifies SSL, which means your information is being transferred over a securely encrypted channel.

When it comes to additional computer protection and internet security, grab a free legitimate anti-phishing toolbar. Also make sure to install the most current updates for your
antivirus software.

In the end, remember internet security and computer protection means using common sense and judgment when surfing the web. For any sites that require you to enter personal
information, make sure you analyze the website like discussed above. In spending the additional time it takes to do this, you will dramatically increase your computer protection
and online security, all without spending a penny.


About the author:
Josh George has been an active member in the computer and
internet security community since 1998. Writing on the topic and
making presentations to FBI, DoD, and NSA members, his site
provides time-tested best practices and recommended tools for
everyone: http://www.essentialcomputersecurity.com

Enhancing security on your online banking account

Author: Centris Federal Credit Union -

Article:
Crimes like identity theft, credit card fraud and other
Internet-based fraud attempts are on the rise. New terms like
'Phishing' , 'Pharming' and 'Spyware' affects everyone using the
Internet. At Centris, we believe the more you understand about
these new threats, the better equipped you will be to take
precautions to protect yourself. We have provided valuable tips
on everything from Internet threats to how to identify fraud and
to how to report it.

Preventing Account Fraud Protect your accounts. Never
loan your credit or ATM debit card or share your passwords with
anyone who is not authorized on your account. Do not share your
account numbers with anyone unless you initiated the contact.

Report lost or stolen checks or credit cards immediately.
Review new checks to make sure none were stolen in transit. Be
aware of the expiration date on your credit card; if you do not
receive a reissued card before the expiration date, notify
customer service.

Store new and cancelled checks securely and always use
tamper-resistant checks. You can have new checks delivered to a
branch office to be picked rather than your mailbox. Question
suspicious emails or phone inquiries. Unless you initiated the
contact, Centris will not request your personal information
(account number, Social Security number, or mother's maiden
name) through an email, U.S. mail, or by phone.

Guard your ATM and online banking information. Be creative in
selecting PINs, passwords and security codes. Do not use birth
dates, social security numbers, street address or children's
names. Do not store your Pins with your cards

Curtail the use of paper documents. Centris has several options
such as OnLine account access, Free Bill Pay & Presentment and
FREE OnLine eStatements.

Avoid using easily available information like your mother's
maiden name, your birth date, the last four digits of your SSN
or your phone number, or a series of consecutive numbers or
keyboard strokes.

Preventing Identity Theft Don't give out financial
information online or on the phone unless you initiated the
contact, and know the party you're dealing with.

Shred unnecessary financial documents, including old bank
statements, invoices, and unwanted pre-approved credit offers.

Retrieve incoming mail from your mailbox and don't put outgoing
mail in your residential mailbox.

If regular bills or statements stop reaching you, call the
company's customer service. Someone may have filed a false
change-of-address notice to divert your mail.

Receiving suspicious charges on statements? If doubtful call
immediately to resolve the discrepancy.

Keep personal numbers off your checks. Never preprint your
driver's license or Social Security number on your checks.

Never leave your computer unattended while in an OnLine banking
session. When ending an OnLine banking session be sure to select
the "Sign Off" icon to securely log out of your account.

Check your Credit Report

Centris recommends that you check your credit report on a
regular basis.

About the author:
Tim Mogler is the Internet Marketing Specialist at Centris with
over 6 years experience in OnLine Banking products.

New exploits out for DNS Vulnerability in Windows Server

Author: btv raj

Article:
The AntiVirus, AntiSpam and Content Security firm MicroWorld
Technologies urges organizations to be on their guard, as the
number of exploits out for the critical DNS vulnerability in
Windows Server rose to five. The possibility of 'Vanbot' worm
exploiting the flaw is also looked into, says the Security firm.

The flaw in question was made public by Microsoft on last
Thursday, as first reports of it came a day after the Redmond
firm's patch Tuesday. It can be found at
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/935964.mspx.
The flaw is related to the way DNS (Domain Name System) Server
Service uses RPC (Remote Procedure Call) interface.

RPC is a protocol used in requesting a service from a program
located in another computer in a network. An attacker can send a
malformed RPC packet to create buffer overflow in DNS service,
which will allow him to execute arbitrary code on the victim's
computer.

The affected versions are Windows 2000 Server Service Pack 4,
Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 and Windows Server 2003
Service Pack 2. Security researchers indicate that the new
Windows Server in the making, code named as 'Longhorn', is also
not insulated from the danger.

Rohini Sonawane, Chief Operating Officer of MicroWorld, says "If
the DNS service is compromised, the intruder can plant Pharming
attacks in the computer, where a legitimate web request can be
re-directed to a malicious spoof website. It means, when you key
in the web address of your bank in a compromised computer, the
request will go to the Phishing site, which will capture all
your confidential banking information and hand them over to the
malware author!"

According to Rohini, a variant of the 'Vanbot' worm known to
exploit many earlier Windows vulnerabilities, is reportedly
exploiting this new found loophole as well. She said MicroWorld
is analyzing these possibilities, even as the firm's products
eScan and MailScan safeguard users against all Vanbot varieties.

Vikas Vishwasrao, a Senior Security Analyst at MicroWorld
suggests that users of MicroWorld's eConceal firewall can block
Port 445 as well as Port 1025 and all Ports above, till
Microsoft releases a patch for the flaw, as these Ports are used
by the RPC protocol. He said an infection can be sensed using
TCP Connection feature of MicroWorld products, as affected
computers will show frantic network activity in IRC traffic as
well as a huge increase in HTTP traffic on non standard ports.



MicroWorld

MicroWorld Technologies (www.mwti.net) is the developer of
highly advanced AntiVirus, Content Security and Firewall
software solutions eScan, MailScan, and eConceal. MicroWorld
Winsock Layer (MWL) is the revolutionary technology that powers
most of MicroWorld products enabling them to achieve several
certifications and awards by some of the most prestigious
testing bodies, notable among them being Virus Bulletin,
Checkmark, TUCOWS, Red Hat Ready and Novell Ready.

For more information, please visit www.mwti.net


About the author:
Btv Raj is the Content Writer and Creative Visualizer of
MicroWorld Technologies.

How to Beat Trojan Virus and Worm Attack

Author: John Noble

Article:
Trojans can erase your disk, send your credit card numbers and
passwords to a stranger or let others use your computer for
illegal purposes like denial of service attacks, crippling
networks for months. Just like the original Trojan Horse that
was built by the Greeks, the Trojan Horse Virus for your
computer is actually something unwanted concealed within
something that seems good and positive. Like sharks in a feeding
frenzy, these hacker mercenaries view Instant Messaging clients
as their personal bank because of the ease by which they can
access your computer via the publicly open and interpretable
standards. They unleash a Trojan horse, virus, or worm, as well
as gather your personal and confidential information, and sell
it to other criminals.

Many major operating system vendors have automatic update
services. Many hardware vendors and other software packages have
followed this trend, incorporating automated update services
into their products. In some cases, the services for automatic
updates run as the local "system" account. This account has the
ability to access and modify most of the operating system and
application environment. If this update service can be infected
than millions of computers can be infected quickly. Hackers
riding piggyback on viruses have only a short window of
opportunity to maximize their gain before the viruses are
detected, neutralized and logged into Virus Definition
databases, 'vaccinating' the system against those strains.
Without continuing system vulnerability caused by virus
infection there is little they can do to further their malicious
ends like stealing personal information, credit card details and
other sensitive and vital data.

Many fine examples of Spyware, Trojan and Worm removal software
are available, but you must be careful you only download a
reputable programme from a reputable site. This is even more
important when using free or evaluation software. This is one
way that your system can be given a Trojan, through software
downloads and installation and obviously the software will not
protect you from its own malicious imbedded Trojan.

Because Instant Messaging operates on peer-to-peer (P2P)
networks, it spawns an irresistible temptation for malicious
computer hackers. P2P networks share files and operate on
industry standard codec (encryption codes) and industry standard
protocols, which are publicly open and interpretable. Most anti
virus software does not incorporate protection for Instant
Messaging services.

There is anti-Trojan software that specifically serves to get
rid of Trojan Horse virus types, and in most cases it is this
type of software you will want to use. You need to be protected
against the most common way that users are infected with a
Trojan program being through the spreading of it through emails.
The sender will send it to the recipient within an email
attachment that might say something like
"complementarytickets.jpg" or something along those lines that
will make you curious and open the file. Another increasingly
popular way that Trojan Horses have been spread to users is
through the ever-increasing instant messenger programs such as
Yahoo Messenger, AIM, ICQ, MSN messenger, and IRC. The one key
to remember about Trojans is that they have to be triggered by
some mechanism and will not spread themselves. For example, you
can have one in your email but you do not open the link then it
will not infect your system.

In today's online environment it's important to know what risks
lie ahead at each click. Every day millions of people go online
to find information, to do business, to have a good time. We've
been warned lots of times about stealing data -- identity theft,
phishing scams and pharming; we have at least heard of
denial-of-service attacks and "zombie" computers, and now one
more type of online attack has emerged: holding data for ransom.

So in summary what do we need to do? Well we need at least one
constantly updated anti-virus programme from a reputable source.
It must be specified and configured to detect and remove virus,
spyware, Trojans, and worms. We all need to be more careful when
opening emails from unknown senders and most of all, only
download from trusted sites.

About the author:
Independent expert advice by John Noble on PC software &
hardware security and computer maintenance for the home and
small business user. For additional information visit
http://www.pc-tools.us

Theft - Nine Threats & Nine Steps To Protection

Author: Warren Franklin

Article:
Theft - Nine Threats & Nine Steps To Protection

The Bad News: Identity theft is escalating at a torrid pace. It
has become one of the country's top problems. The bad guys are
finding more ways to steal YOUR identity.

The Good News: You can take control of the situation, become
both reactive and proactive guarding yourself against identity
theft.

Identity Theft Is Spreading Faster Than The Worst Case Of The
Flu!

First, let's understand just how bad identity theft has become
in this country:

· The Federal Trade Commission says that there is an underground
market for credit card numbers, social security numbers and ID
documents - organized gangs or web mobs use and sell these
documents for as little as $10 each. Some of these groups
contain thousands of members. The amount of goods and services
purchased with fraudulently obtained personal identity exceeded
52-billion dollars in 2004.

· US Department of Justice states identity theft is affecting
millions of households in the U.S. each year. The cost is
estimated to be six-point-four billion per year. According to
the FTC, an estimated 10 million adults become victims of
identity theft each year.

· The Department of Justice goes on to say that the most common
misuse of identity was through credit cards, accounting for 50
percent of all identity theft. Next in line were banking and
other types of accounts at 25 percent, personal information was
15 percent, and a combination of several types of identity theft
was at 12 percent. The average loss for each identity theft was
$1,290.00. Two-thirds of those surveyed said the theft cost them
money despite credit card coverage.

· A recent State of the Net survey by Consumer Reports which
covered more than 2000 households with Internet Access projects
that American consumers lost more than eight-billion dollars
over the last two years to viruses, spyware and various scams.
The report also shows consumers face a one-in-three chance of
becoming a "cyber victim" about the same as last year. It goes
on to say that consumers lost $630 million over the past two
years to e-mail scams.

· The average person today suffers through two or more
"incidents" with their computer each year - the computer slows
to a crawl, crashes altogether, viruses or spyware take over
systems and more. It's getting worse as computers become more
complex and as we do more with them.

So, Who Is At Risk For Identity Theft?

According to the Department of Justice there are three groups
that are most at risk for identity theft: young adults 18 to 24,
adults who earn $75,000 per year or more and households in urban
and suburban area. Interesting to note that about five percent
of adults who earn $75,000 or more a year are hit with identity
theft.

The continued growth of online fraud and identity theft are
putting an enormous strain on the existing infrastructure for
the Internet as well as our social structure. For example, the
banking community has been complacent about security upgrades
required by the Federal Financial Institutions Examination
Council. They report that every bank in the country has not
complied with their guidelines set for now. In an article
titled, "U.S. Banks Complacent Toward Identity Theft Solution,"
by PR Web, the single largest national security threat is a
terrorist attack on our banking system. An attack aimed
simultaneously at millions of user names and passwords within
banks would shut down our banking system. This would instantly
shut down banks worldwide. Credit/debit cards, checks, calls to
the bank, would not work for at least a matter of days causing
tremendous hardship and a ripple effect from no gas to "I simply
have to take this baby food."

Consider for a moment some of the potential social effects from
this identity theft problem. What if citizens developed a lack
of confidence in our credit card and monetary system causing
economic upheaval similar to what we saw in the "Great
Depression?" I know this sounds radical, but what if you
couldn't trust your identity to anyone anymore? What if you
feared that your money, your identity was going to be stolen?
It's not unthinkable that you would store your money under your
mattress at home or in a safe in the closet rather than possibly
losing it to identity theft. If millions of people lost faith in
our monetary system and the ability to keep their identity safe
and then took all of their money home where they believe it
would be safe, what would happen then?

We generally can't control what happens outside of our personal
environment, what happens at a bank, corporation or the
government seems so far out of reach. There are, however, steps
that we can take that will give us a better chance of protecting
our personal information. The first step is identifying the
threats and then taking steps to protect ourselves.

Below, I have identified nine identity theft threats and nine
steps to protect our identity in today's society.

Nine Threats To Your Identity

Here are nine of the most popular ways for thieves to steal your
identity. Some of these are personally preventable and others
are out of our control:

1. Stolen Company Data. Your personal information is stored on
computers at stores where you shop, at your insurance company,
your accountant, and more. It almost seems like a common
occurrence where a company is hacked into and their customer's
information is stolen. This happens so often now that the crimes
are rarely reported and don't make the front page anymore.

2. Social Engineering. Identity Thieves are very clever. They
will invent any way possible to fool you into giving your
identity out. It's called social engineering because the thief
uses common social situations to get the information they want.
Like a seemingly innocent phone call supposedly from your credit
card company asking for your personal information.

3. Dumpster Diving. Identity thieves get a lot of their victims'
information out of garbage cans and recycle bins from old credit
card statements and other personal documents thrown out
carelessly.

4. Mail Theft. Your mail can contain valuable information:
bills, banking information, credit cards, investments and more.
Personal mail can often be stolen right from a mailbox.

5. Financial Account Hijacking. Once a thief has your personal
information they can take over your personal accounts. You might
not know about their activity for months.

6. Credit Card Magnetic Strip Theft. These clever crooks have
tools to steal information off the magnetic strips on your
credit card.

7. Discarded Computers. Your old computer really can tell
stories. Even though you erased your hard drive crooks have
tools to reclaim your personal information and use it against
you.

8. Spyware and Viruses on Computers. You may not be familiar
with the term 'malware.' It's a term that covers all of the
hacker tools that can cause harm on your computer. These tools
include spyware, keylogger tools, Trojan horses and more.

9. E-mail and Internet Scams. Cyber thieves are getting more and
more creative using scams like Phishing, Pharming and fancy
come-ons to entice you to give them your personal information.

There Are Four Ways You Can Approach Protecting Your Identity...

One way is to do nothing and hope that identity thieves don't
harm you.

Second, you can be reactive. Reactive simply means that you are
responding to all the material that comes your way. You are
checking your credit card and bank statements to make sure
nothing peculiar is on them. And if you do find something
strange you contact your bank or credit card company
immediately. Reactive also means that you are checking your
credit report when you apply for credit or a loan.

Third, you can be proactive. A proactive approach is a more
aggressive way of protecting yourself against the bad guys. You
are constantly looking ahead and evaluating before giving out
valuable information.

And fourth, combine reactive and proactive approaches. This is
the best way to ensure you identity protection.

Nine Critical Steps To Proactively Protecting Your Identity...

Here are your 'Nine Proactive Steps To Identity Protection:"

1. Begin to operate on an "I have to know everything" approach
when you give out your personal information. Only give out your
personal information to people you know and trust.

2. Protect your Social Security Number, credit card and other
financial information. Do not give this information out over the
phone unless you initiated the call or as we stated above are
talking to a trusted individual from a trusted company.

3. Cancel all of your unused accounts including banking, credit
card, licenses and permits.

4. At least once a year, if not more often, update and check
your credit report and Social Security Earnings and Benefits
Statement to make sure everything appears as it should.

5. Protect your mail. Make sure you have a secure locked mailbox
to receive all of your mail. Always mail your payments and
checks from a secure Post Office Box or from the Post Office.
And, if you have a Post Office Box at the Post Office never
discard your mail in a garbage can. Always bring your entire
mail home.

6. Always crosscut shred all bank statements, credit card
applications or information and important documents before
discarding to recycle or the garbage. It is best to stir up the
shredded documents to make it even harder for identity thieves
to steal your information.

7. Purchase identity theft insurance. This will cover any losses
incurred while recovering your lost identity once a crook has
stolen it.

8. Invest in professional grade protection for your computer.
The best protection available today comes from Managed Internet
Security Service providers. The best security services include
best-of-breed corporate grade security software for your
computer, as well as unlimited service and support from trained
security pros. Make sure it is the same kind of service that is
used by major corporations around the world. Frankly, the
over-the-counter and free security software programs available
don't keep up with today's professional cyber thief. If those
popular programs worked, why do we see the cyber-crime problem
growing at a progressively faster pace?

A managed professional Internet security program should have the
following technologies installed: A bi-directional or dual
Firewall that prevents information from coming in or going out
of your computer without your permission, anti-virus protection
that is updated daily, and malware protection that is updated
daily. Malware consists of spyware, adware, Trojan horses,
keyloggers and more. It constantly changes so you will need a
technology that keeps up with the professional hackers who want
your identity. Your best bet is to find a professional security
service that affordably manages all this for you.

9. Beware of e-mail scams like Phishing and Pharming. Phishing
is an e-mail that looks like it came from a bank or business
claiming you need to take care of a problem or your account will
be closed down. It takes you to a page to fill out your personal
information. Meanwhile, Pharming is redirecting your computer
from a legitimate to a fake web site. For example, you may think
that you are going to your banking site, but instead are
redirected to a site that looks like your banks web site, but is
hosted by an identity thief.

Identity theft continues to grow at a torrid pace. Millions of
people in the United States will lose their identity to thieves
in the coming year. Many of them will suffer for years trying to
clean up the mess that was left behind.

The bad news is we can't control all of the identity threats we
face each day. The good news is there are reactive and proactive
steps we can take to protect ourselves against personal tragedy.



About the author:
Warren is engaged in the cause of educating and protecting
people who use the Internet about the threats they face and the
inadequacy of the solutions they trust, and over a two-year
period has become an expert on PC Security and a passionate
advocate of Internet safety. Find out more his campaign for
personal and Internet security go to his web site at
http://www.completeinternetprotection.com

"Phishing" On The "Pharm": How Thieves Combine Two Techniques To

Author: John Young

Article:
Bob squinted at the email and began to read:

"Dear eBay User, as part of our security measures, eBay Inc. has
developed a security program against fraudulent attempts and
account thefts. Therefore, our system requires further account
verification..."

Security Measures. A threat to suspend his account to prevent
"fraudulent activity". The email went on to say that there were
"procedural safeguards with federal regulations to protect the
information you provide for us."

Bob clicked the link and was confronted with an authentic
looking logon page, just waiting for him to input his user name
and password and confirm what ebay supposedly didn't know.

He almost did it. The page looked absolutely authentic, and he
had already been "set up" by the email message. His fingers were
poised over the keyboard when he happened to glance at the URL.

There was something very, very wrong with it.

"PHARMING" TO FLEECE SHEEP

The art of "pharming" involves setting up an illegitimate
website that is identical with its legitimate prototype, for
example the ebay page Bob was almost suckered into using, and
redirecting traffic to it.

"Pharmers" can do it in two ways:

1.By altering the "Hosts" file on your computer. The Hosts file
stores the IP address of websites you have been accessing. By
inserting a new IP address into the database field corresponding
to a website, your own computer can be redirected to the
pharmer's website. Any information you give the bogus site is
immediately hijacked by the pharmer.

2.Hijacking the DNS (Dynamic Name Server) itself. A DNS matches
the names of address with their IP addresses. If this server can
be coerced into assigning new IP addresses to traditional names,
all computers using the name resolution provided by the DNS
server will be redirected to the hijacker's web site.

Once that happens, it's time to be fleeced.

DOWN ON THE PHARM

"Pharmers" hijack your "hosts" file or DNS servers using
Spyware, Adware, Viruses or Trojans. One of the most dangerous
things you can do is to run your computer without some form of
Internet Security installed on it.

Your security software should be continually updating its virus
definitions, and be capable of warning you if something has been
downloaded from a web site or through email. It should be able
to remove it, "quarantine it", or tell you where it is so that
you can remove it by hand.

You should also have Spyware and Adware programs installed, and
be aware of any change in Internet browsing patterns. If your
home page suddenly changes, or you experience advertising pop
ups (which may pop up even when you are not hooked up to the
Internet), you should run a Virus, Spyware or Adware scan.

Thanks to the efficacy of these protection programs, pharming is
a lot more difficult than it used to be. It isn't as easy to
hijack a computer as it once was.

So, the "pharmers" have teamed up with the "phishermen" to get
you to visit the bogus web page yourself, and enter all the
information they need.

PHISHING TO CATCH YOU ON THE PHARM

As Bob discovered, the page he had been taken to by the bogus
email message was identical to the ebay logon page. Identical in
every way except for the URL.

Out of curiosity, he checked the URL for the ebay logon by
accessing ebay directly and clicking on the logon link. The two
URL's were nothing alike, except the bogus one did have the word
"ebay" in it twice - just enough to make it look authentic.

By combining the two techniques, the phishermen/pharmers had
avoided the high tech problems associated with downloading a
Virus that could get past his protection software. They had gone
straight for the throat.

Bob's throat.

YOUR ONLY REAL IDENTITY THEFT PREVENTION AND PROTECTION

The only real protection against the pharmers and phishermen is
YOU. There are three things you must consider when you read any
email demanding information:

* Why do they want it? Be extremely skeptical when they say they
have to "update their records", "comply with federal
regulations", or prevent fraud. They are the ones initiating the
fraud.

* Why can't this be done at the website? Why not invite you to
access the website directly and provide this information? The
answer is because the bonafide company doesn't need an update.

* What does the URL look like? Is it a series of subdomains some
of which have the name of the bonafide company? Most likely the
subdomain is set up with a free hosting company.

* Have they provided partial information about you as a
guarantee that the email authentically comes from the legitimate
source? Be very careful of this one. This technique is effective
for "pretexting", impersonating a person or company, and was
used in the Hewlett Packard scandal to collect information. Just
because they know your first and last name (and any other
information - known only to the legitimate source) doesn't mean
the email is legitimate. They probably hijacked the information
off the server.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The bottom line is: don't provide any information at the behest
of an email, no matter how authentic it looks, or how authentic
the page it directs you to looks. If you must log in, do so at
the parent site itself.

Your Identity Theft prevention and protection is, in the final
analysis, up to you.

Don't be the next sheep fleeced by the pharmers who caught you
with the phisherman's hook. Being dropped naked into their
frying pan is NOT a fate you want.

About the author:
John Young is a writer with a scientific and technical
background living in California. At the age of 62, he is the
father of four, grandfather of 13, and lives with his wife and
cat "Bear". Please check out his latest book on Identity Theft
http://www.youridentitystolen.com For some suggestions on Fire
Walls, Virus, Spyware and Adware protection software visit his
"California Software Shop" at http://www.pcreveal.com

Pharming

Author: Josh George

Article:
Even if everyone knew exactly what they wanted and where to get
it on the Internet, they would not be safe from this. While anti
virus solutions and computer protection software are evolving to
identify these scams, many are still evading Internet security
solutions. These scams can affect everyone and can be summed up
in one word: Pharming.

While you have probably heard about pharming as well as the
dangers that come from surfing to sites containing pornography,
warez (illegal downloads) and other underground-related sites,
pharming can virtually affect any topic of any industry. As long
as sensitive information can be extracted from you, pharming
scams will be developed. After all, people can act like lemmings
on the Internet; one by one, they will stumble into the pharming
scam and do exactly what the scam artists want them to do. So
you're probably wondering what pharming is and how it can
compromise your computer protection and Internet security.
Simply put, it is like an evolved form of phishing. Instead of
the scam artists trying to convince you to visit a fraudulent
site, they just build tons of fraudulent sites and let you visit
them through redirection tactics. While the details of these
redirection tactics are beyond the scope of this article, it is
important to know that financially-related websites are the
primary targets of pharming scams.

As you can understand, it is extremely difficult to identify
pharming scams because you have no idea when you visit one. But
is this really the case? For many, the warnings literally pop up
in front of their eyes, but they have simply trained themselves
to ignore the computer protection and Internet security signs.
The question is, are you one of these people? Answer this: have
you ever browsed to a place where you are greeted with an
Internet security warning stating you just entered a site with
an unsigned certificate? If you have, did you simply agree to
view the site and not even bother to wonder why there was an
unsigned certificate Internet security warning? Well, that
warning box could mean the loss of your identity if you are not
careful enough. For scammers to set up these pharming websites,
they try to duplicate every aspect of the real site as possible,
including the certificates. If you ignore these unsigned
certificate warnings and enter your personal information, you
literally send it all to the scammers. To help identify these
scams, click File > Properties in your browser and make sure the
website is an actual domain name instead of an IP address.
Simply looking at the address bar of a pharming site is not
enough, for scammers have ways to cloak it. Also, make sure that
yellow lock is in the bottom right-hand corner of your browser
window. That lock signifies SSL, which means your information is
being transferred over a securely encrypted channel.

When it comes to additional computer protection and Internet
security, grab a free legitimate anti-phishing tool bar. Also
make sure to install the most current updates for your anti
virus software. In the end, remember Internet security and
computer protection means using common sense and judgment when
surfing the web. For any sites that require you to enter
personal information, make sure you analyze the website like
discussed above. In spending the additional time it takes to do
this, you will dramatically increase your computer protection
and online security, all without spending a penny.

Article provided by: http://www.particlearticles.com

About the author:
Josh George has been an active member in the computer security
and Internet security community since 1998. He has made many
presentations to groups that involved members from the FBI, DoD,
and NSA and hopes to now help personal and small business users.

This is so cool

I'm mobear410!

mobear410

This is the 3D me.
Make your own,
and we both get Coinz!

Make a Meez

I just had to share this. Isn't technology kool?

Sunday, April 29, 2007

Camping Technology

While doing a bit of scouting for Oak Knoll Campground I found this wonderful device that can be brought along on most camping trips to make things a bit more comfortable.

Are you planning a Memorial Day Weekend Getaway? Oak Knoll Campground will be the perfect place to run away from the hub bub of every day life.

Spaces are filling up really fast so Call Today and insure your reservation :

1 * 760 * 742 * 3437

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

I detest writing articles, there must be a simple way

I detest writing articles, there must be an simple way
By Thom Dickey

Owning, running and maintaining an internet based business or a site needs articles. Plain and simple, every who has a site knows this. Even those who don’t have sites but are normal internet users knows this as well. Articles slake the thirst for information and knowledge of the people. Plus, the articles provides many other assistance for the site.

The profit that articles provide are putting a site high in the ranking in search results of keywords and keyword phrases that pertains or are significant to his or her site. They also provide attraction to website visitors when they are appreciated and is linked to your site from another site or newsletter. Articles provide for the increase of the assurance and trust levels of customers to your site and company.

Many articles are also beneficial to both company and its traffic. When the readers like the articles, they would tell more of their friends, family and peers and recommend your site to them, providing for a larger volume of traffic. You get bigger sales if your traffic trusts and believes in you. Your product or services would be much easier to sell when they know you know what you are doing and talking about.

So ok, we have established that articles are very important to a site and to business. Articles are decisive and to keep ahead in the game, a site must have an article, it is imperative. There is one tight spot though, not many people like writing articles.

Many website owners would rather spend their time on something else, and unless you’re a big time company, you don’t have the necessary resources to use on a pool of article writers. Plagiarism or copying of other articles is frowned upon and could easily get you into trouble, worst case scenario; a hefty fine and jail time.

So what are the other choice?

Well, for starters if you hate writing articles and you can’t afford to hire people to write for you then don’t. Get free articles. The first place to look at for free articles is the public domain. Here you won’t have problems with copyright infringement and the following penalties and fines if you get caught for plagiarism.

Public domain articles are articles freely given to the public for public use. You can do whatever you want with it. You can place it on your site, name it as yours, put it in a newsletter its you decision. Always remember though that you will have to choose articles that is very important to your site.

The downside to public domain articles is that since it is free for everybody, many of your competitors may have access to them as well. Since every site needs to be imaginative and exceptional even though you have the same niche, this could be a predicament. You may also have to edit them a bit to place more keywords and keyword phrases to make them better.

Another way to get free articles is to allow other sites which has the same question or subject as yours to submit articles to your site. This would be only to augment your existing content or else all your articles would be leading to other sites since these articles would have resource boxes with them that could link or direct the readers to their site. That’s why it is important to have your own articles; you cold use them to link your site to other sites as well.

But, to truly feel the impact of what a good article to you, go for novel ones. There are many article writers who do part time and freelance article writing jobs that charges only minimal fees. You can get good articles that have all the keywords and keyword phrases you need and people are looking for.

The investment you made for these articles would be worthwhile because you could use them for all the benefits you could offer. You hold copyrights to them and you will be able to use them anyway you want. As your articles help you in building your business and your site, you will have more articles to write and maybe then you wont be having second thoughts about articles.

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Free Advertising

Techonology marches on. Search Big Daddy is taking the internet by storm. Free Top Search Engine Placement & $50 advertising points to start.

Join Today ! http://www.thomdickey.com/recommends/searchbigdaddy.html

Friday, March 16, 2007

MWorkshop: BlogSync - A tool for bloggers

Here is an interesting tool for bloggers. I'm sure going to give it a try.

The tool can actually be found at Blog Marks The following article explains what BlogSync is all about.


MWorkshop: BlogSync - A tool for bloggers

Sunday, March 11, 2007

RoboForm

Posted by Picasa


Are you tired of attempting to remember all those user names & passwords that your geek friend said you needed for security? Well here is the answer. Try it before you buy it. It is good for the first 10 accounts just so that you can see how valuable this program can be and updates...Wow you wouldn't believe the amount of updates and new programs that RoboForm will intergrate with easily.
http://www.roboform.com

Friday, February 23, 2007

Content Seed (CMS)

Content Seed

Are you a web developer? Do you often wind up waiting for the content of your client's web site? Have you looked at CMS (Content Management Systems) before and found that they are either too expensive or just too complicated to be of
use to you? Well now there is a CMS that is easy on the pocketbook and has a low learning curve. It is called Content Seed. You can test drive the system by clicking here
( http://www.thestarcomputer.com/seed.htm )

Content seed is as simple to use as a word processor but very powerful. It has many of the functions of some of the more

expensive CMS scripts but without the hassles.

Content seed comes with its own video tutorials built into the system so you can get a visual aid in how to use content

seed to your advantage.

The support for content seed is supreme. You can't get better support than from content seed developer Chris Leeds.

For more information and a free test drive go to http://www.contentseed.com/demo.asp today.