Anti-spyware Software

The whole arena of spyware intrusion is extremely fluid with the spyware writers trying to outsmart everyone, and the software protection writers diligently working to keep up with the hundreds of new worms and viruses appearing nearly every day.

Fortunately, there are generous individuals and organizations who have the facilities to review the work of the Anti-spyware developers and make the results available for all of us everyday users of the Internet.

The challenge for us is to know where to go for these results and recommendations, and to know which of the anti-spyware and anti-virus programs to use on our computers.

There are many web masters, newsletter, and Blog publishers who constantly monitor the results published by the anti-spyware reviewers. Most of them pass these information alerts on to their readers and subscribers, often offering suggestions and advice based on their own personal experiences and expertise.

A real benefit for us is that most of the top rated anti-spyware and anti-virus programs are free, or available in Trial or Demo versions.

All we need do is find out where to get them. But first, we need to find the reviewers who post the alerts.

If subscribing to newsletters and Blogs isn't your usual surfing activity, you can do a search for security alert newsletters or security alert blogs. For example, do a Yahoo search for "security alert newsletter" (use the quotation marks to get the most appropriate search results). Do the same for a Yahoo or Google search on "security alert blog". (Blogs are web logs).

Investigate the first and second pages of the search results and select three or four of the listings as a starting point. Many newsletters are published on a monthly schedule and may not contain the most current information. Some are published weekly. They may be better choices.

Blogs are usually much more current since Blog authors often post their information every couple of days - some even on a daily basis.

Blogs are riding a major wave of popularity. For the serious searchers of current information, this is a great benefit. There aren't as many Blog sites as web sites yet, so it's often much easier to find the information you're looking for.

Many Blog authors make their publications available for RSS (Real Simple Syndication) readers. If you have added a RSS reader to your browser, you can get up-to-the-minute alerts presented to you automatically. You don't need to go looking for them.

Many updated browsers, like Netscape 8 and Firefox include this feature as part of their package. Expect the newest Internet Explorer to have a RSS Reader, too.

Don't be overwhelmed by all of the information you get. After doing these searches and reviews once or twice, it will be a simple task to select what you need to keep yourself current.

For starters, it is generally accepted practice to select and use at least two anti-spyware programs. Choose from among the two or three that receive the highest recommendations and ratings from the newsletter and Blog authors. Be especially watchful for and select one of those programs that provides 'Real Time' monitoring. (Which means that they monitor and catch any incoming bugs that may try to infect your machine while you are online).

Downloading instructions are nearly always present with the reviews. If not, you'll find sites like c|net.com to be a good source for download links.

Just don't forget to check for and update your security software. The spyware writers won't give you a break if you do.

Mp3 Player

Portable mp3 players have caught on in a big way despite the rants and disgruntled mumblings of certain millionaire recording acts. Not only are mp3 players becoming more and more affordable, but personal mp3 players are also being enhanced with greater features and functionality. With so many mp3 players to choose from, finding the perfect one for your lifestyle can be an overwhelming task—that is until now.

The first tip in finding the perfect portable mp3 player is to decide why you want the device. Do you want just a basic cheap mp3 player to upgrade from your old walkman? Are you a music groupie who needs unlimited space to download every domestic and import mp3 released by your favorite bands? Or are you simply looking for an affordable mp3 player to listen to music while you are exercising? Whatever the answer may be, there is a portable mp3 player out there that was made specifically with you in mind.

The second tip you need to know in finding the perfect portable mp3 player is to acclimate yourself with the types of portable mp3 players available. Although this list is constantly changing, the three main types of portable personal mp3 players are hard drive based, flash based, and cd based.

Basically what this means is that portable mp3 players use different types of hardware to store and read mp3s. Hard drive based mp3 players store mp3s on an internal hard drive. Flash based mp3 players store mp3s on some variation of a flash media card. CD based mp3 players read mp3 players off of a cd containing mp3s.

If you are looking for cheap mp3 players, your best bet will be to get a cd based mp3 player. Not only is it cheaper in price than the other portable mp3 players, it is also much more affordable to purchase a twenty pack of blank cds than a flash media card.

If unlimited space is your fetish, you will need to go with a hard drive based mp3 player. Many of the hard drive based mp3 players are not only affordable, but rival home computers in terms of their hard drive storage capacity.

If you are looking for added features such as recording capabilities and advanced tools in your mp3 player, then a flash media mp3 player will best suit your needs. However, you will be trading in storage capacity for those added features.

For everyone else, your best bet will be to get a lower model hard drive based portable mp3 player such as the immensely popular and sleekly designed iPod. You really can’t go wrong with an iPod.

Broadband Feature

Broadband Features Available

The variety of Internet service providers available is growing as the Internet makes its way into more homes in America. This proliferation of ISP providers makes it difficult to decide which ISP you should subscribe to. To make matters more confusing, most offer a huge list of benefits to entice customers away from their current ISP. What follows is some information on the kind of features that should be available with any good ISP.

Security is of uppermost concern. With new viruses invading the Internet everyday, virus protection is a must. A virus blocker is a critical feature for any ISP. Many offer a pop up blocker, too, and this is also a good thing. The ads from pop up blockers can be harmful to your computer in addition to being extremely annoying. This is why ISPs are beginning to have features that not only speed up customer's computer but also make their Internet experience more enjoyable. A good ISP will also have tools to protect your children while they are on the Internet by providing parent-controlled blocks for blocking unwanted adult material.

You will also want to have multiple e-mail accounts. This is so common that most ISPs now offer between 5 and 10 e-mail accounts to each subscriber. Now everyone in the family can have their own email account. This way, parents don't have to scroll through a long list of messages and forwards from their children's friends, and the children don't have to skip over their parent's business emails. This is definitely the best solution for families. Finding an ISP with plenty of accounts gives you the option of having family accounts, business accounts and personal accounts.

If you have always dreamed of having your own web page, you may be able to get one without any unwanted ads. This is due to the fact that many ISPs now offer a free web space as part of their standard package. This space may be more limited in size than other free web spaces. A good ISP will often have templates and special tools such as counters to help you create the perfect web site. Since some ISPs will not allow you to use a free web site for your business, it is important to check with them about the parameters of free web site use.

Another important feature of your ISP should be the opportunity to use it with multiple computers in your home. This service could be free, but may cost you some kind of fee. However, the freedom it provides is worth it. Parents can access things for work online, while at the same time, your son is doing research for a school assignment. The point is that whatever features are important; you should be able to find an ISP that has them. The key is doing your homework on the various ISPs. This is the best way to find the features that you need at a price you can afford.