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One of the hazards of using a computer online today is the danger of infestation with a variety of malware, viruses, trojan horses, spyware, zombieware, worms, loggers, dialers – no matter what you”re infected with, it carries the dangers of:

- Reduced performance
- Unwanted emailing
- Damage to your data, or even to your bios (which means your computer is toast)
- Theft of your data, up to and including all your personal information

When malware is released in a large network, the results can be even worse, with mass infections causing shutdowns of entire systems, theft of corporate data, and revenue loss that can rise into the millions.

Fortunately, a few free programs and sensible use of your computer can prevent these nasty things from happening to your computer.

Virus Protection

Install a decent virus protection software. You can download AVG Anti-Virus Free edition which is free for personal use, and ensure it’’s constantly updated.

AVG is easy to use, takes very few system resources, provides rapid virus database updates, and other great features like Automatic updates, E-mail Scanner etc.

And has excellent technical help available which other free antivirus software’’s lack.

Firewall Protection

If your OS is Windows XP, a default firewall comes with it, but you may be better off downloading another free firewall and using it since the Windows firewall has been shown to have some of the same security holes as IE and Windows. That doesn”t mean the Windows firewall is bad, it just means that using software developed by different teams of developers will protect you better.

ZoneAlarm is a great free software for home users. It has got all the features a home user needs. Has simple interface, is easy to use and customize, works with little or no configuration.

Spyware Protection

You should also keep good anti-spyware software on your computer. Spybot – Search and Destroy is one of many good examples of these, and it’’s free. Be wary of anti-spyware programs that advertise via pop-ups; these \”anti-spyware\” programs sometimes contain some of the same problems they supposedly protect you from!

Spybot S&D is one of the best free Anti-Spyware software, I have been using it for last couple of years. Spybot is great at keeping spyware out of the systems. The program has an easy to use interface, very user friendly system. The program takes out cookies, spyware, ads, and many other things you do not want it.

Apart from Spyware removal Spybot has other Advanced tools like:

- Secure Shredder
- Securely remove files you no longer want from your hard disk.
- BHOs
- Show and manage the Browser Helper Objects from your Internet Explorer
- IE tweaks
- Modify some hidden Internet Explorer settings.
- Hosts File
- Take a look at your hosts list.
- System Internals
- Search for registry inconsistencies
- System Startup
- Show and manage the applications that your machine will run on System Startup.
- Uninstall info
- Show all registered software uninstall entries

Sensible Personal Precautions

Most viruses come from your email. This cannot be overemphasized. Never open an email attachment that you weren”t expecting; always check with the person who emailed it to you, through a phone call or just via email or chat, to make certain it is a real attachment that’’s safe to open.

Other viruses come from illegal and legal downloads. If you”re downloading illegal software or data, you can expect to find viruses in a pretty high percentage of it. What’’s tragic is that a lot of illegal viruses creep into legal download sites. This is why you need to maintain your virus protection program in an up-to-date manner, even when you”re careful about downloads. A few viruses are attached to web pages. Though their servers generally shut them down as soon as they”re found, or your server blocks the sites to protect you, you”ll find a few viruses that download to your computer simply by visiting a site. You can protect yourself by maintaining the Internet Explorer security settings at a medium level or higher, or by using alternate browsers like Firefox with good security.

Spyware often comes from \”free\” programs. You”ve seen those cool screen-savers for free? Spyware. Try to download free programs from places that vet their software carefully.

With these three software’’s (available for download at syschat.com) installed and some personal precautions your computer should be spyware and virus free.

I started blogging in May of 2006. I wanted to create a place on the internet where I could accomplish two goals:

Goal #1.

I wanted to give my opinions on Current Events and, hopefully, encourage others to join me in a lively exchange of ideas. You see, I am a retired Radio/TV News broadcaster. Giving my opinions was something I did not have the luxury of doing during my career because I had to remain neutral. Now, I can give my opinions and I am having great fun doing it!

Goal #2.

I wanted to make a little extra money in my retirement while learning something new. Many male retirees head for the golf course, the bowling alley, even the Club to down a few beers and talk sports. None of that appeals to me so I chose to learn something new – the internet and blogging.

Well, what began as simple goals grew into nearly a full time project! I now have 15 blogs covering various topics! I chose Blogger.com because it’’s totally Free! It’’s a Google company so I automatically get great exposure. As of this writing, my pages have been viewed over 8,000 times! Not bad for someone who knew absolutely nothing about the internet.

Trying to make a little extra money was a bit tougher. I quickly got lost in the jungle of internet marketing, dodging the darts from various tribes (marketers). I began exploring any path that seemed promising, that would lead me out of the jungle. I signed up for countless newsletters, forums, and special packages of Free stuff. My computer files were quickly loaded with tons and tons of directions to do this and that. I was quickly lost and overwhelmed by the choices. It took over an hour each day just to get through all the emails from marketers!

It quickly became clear that I needed a guide, someone or something, a guide that could really show me the way out of the jungle. One thing I knew, right off the bat was: Hold onto my money!

I have read of folks, like me, who have spent thousands of dollars on the various get-rich-overnight schemes only to be disappointed. Are in that category? Have you already spent hundreds or thousands of dollars only to be disappointed? Are you still lost in the internet jungle, trying to buy your way out?

As of this article I have only spent \$127.00 on internet marketing programs. I got a refund of \$17.00 of that from a marketer who misrepresented his product. But, I did not get the refund from him. I got the refund from my credit card company. They are going after him for the \$17.00. You see, he lives in another country. I”ll explain why this was a problem in a minute.

Here is how to avoid being scammed by internet marketing hucksters:

#1 – Use Google, Yahoo, and MSN to search by the name of the program that interests you.

Not only will you find positive comments but, if the program is a scam, you will find negative comments as well. If it’’s a relatively new program you might not find anything either way. If you find nothing – DO NOTHING! Don”t be the first victim and always remain cautious as you move through the steps outlined here.

If you are looking for articles to include on your Web site, in your newsletter or any other online venture, your best bet is to use an article directory. Of course, if you have the skill and the time you could write the articles yourself, but most of us are lacking one or the other or both. The great thing about turning to an article directory is that not only do you have readily available content for your site or newsletter or e-zine but also you can – and should – tweak it to make it your own. You can add just a pinch of branding about your business, just a smidgen of info about your own site, and voila you have an article from the directory but with your byline promoting you and your business.

If you”re not sure where to find an article directory try an online directory of article directories. We looked at one and here is what we found.

There were five major categories of article directories – latest additions, niche directories, e-commerce directories, directories with multiple categories, and other article submission sites. Latest additions – those article directories that are new – could be very important in finding fresh new content. That is one very important point that must be made about using an article directory, and anyone else” article. If you use an article directory, if you subscribe to an article membership site, you must rewrite the articles.

If you do not not only do you give up the opportunity for your own branding and your own Internet marketing, you also run the risk of sounding like everyone else. What you want is to sound like you, to give your business its own voice, to indicate to consumers why you are different and better. You can”t accomplish that by saying what everyone else is saying.

The latest article directory additions on this directory of directories are spiritual niche directories, business etiquette articles, a directory of crafts and ceramic articles, multiple articles about Web sites, and four others with multiple topics.

In the niche article directory category we found article directories on holiday and vacation rentals, real estate and other property, finance and business for the novice, one article directory that dealt exclusively with articles about dogs, article directories about hair care, a directory that had nothing but articles about Clickbank, two directories on health and fitness, and one spiritual directory listing whose topics were on enlightenment, philosophy and life in general.

Self-help tips were the subjects of each article in one directory, another had a genealogy and family history focus, and another was about weddings, while yet another article directory dealt solely with swimwear.

E-commerce article directory subjects included one article directory on home business, another on women in business, a third on equipment needed for business, and one as specific as women in business in Iowa.

What was really helpful about this directory of the various article directory possibilities was that it indicated the ones to which you could submit your own free articles – a very helpful way to get your name out there as an expert in your industry and bring consumers back to your own site and its products and services.

Are you into blogging for profit? If yes, then you obviously know you can”t successfully make a killing from just one or a few blogs.

When it comes to making good money from blogs, you need to have a lot of blogs. Either you are paying for the content or you are buying PLR content to use you need to get a lot of blogs to be able to make a lot of money.

If you belong to that special brand of Internet marketers that are blogging for profit, then you are either using software to help you create and manager dozens or hundreds of blogs.

If you are not using software and yet have dozens or hundreds of blogs, then you could be like Jason Calacanis who pays huge sums of money to his staff of bloggers to manage his 85+ conglomerate of blogs.

It is obviously wiser to get started using special software to create and manage multiple blogs instead of paying staff to do this for you, especially when you are starting off with very little money.

This is because it can be very expensive to pay staff to create, handle and manage blogs for you. At least until you start making a lot of money like Jason Calacanis who was reported to make as much as \$1,000,000 yearly from these 85+ conglomerate of blogs.

So, like I said, you can still create and manage dozens and even hundreds of blogs using software.

If you are already using software to help your blogging venture, the next question is – Are you using the right software for your blogging? This is a critical question that you should answer. Don”t ignore this and continue using just any software even if it promises you big money with blogging.

Specifically, don”t buy or use any blogging software that:

- Spams the search engines – There are many black hat software out there that bloggers use to, one way or the other, spam the search engines. Such software can get you into trouble with the search engines and eventually lead to your blogs to lose rankings or even get banned.

- Spams other blogs – Just as there are black hat blogging software that spams the search engines, there are also others that specifically spams other blogs by posting rubbish just to get backlinks. Such software not only irritate readers with their junk spam, but also cause a lot of problem for the owners of the blogs who have to go in there and manually delete the junk spam.

- Works with only one blogging platform – I am particularly opposed to any blogging software that can work only Wordpress and not both WordPress and Blogger blogs. It makes no sense to invest a lot of money on such software. Instead use the blogging software that can work with one or more blogging platforms.

- Costs an arm and a foot – No matter how good the blogging software is, it shouldn”t be too expensive. The fact that it is a software is one of the reason why it should be affordable. The programmer should be aware that he can sell it to thousands of people without any extra cost in shipping or packaging. So this consideration should go into making the software affordable.

Playing casino slot machines is purely a game of luck. There is not much you can do to increase your chances of winning, however, you may be able to increase the amount that you do win if you hit the right combination. There are three tips to keep in mind when gambling in the game of Slots.

The first is to try and gamble with as much as you can on each round. If you consistently play with a low amount of money, then the only thing you will likely accomplish is recycling your own money. It would be a lot less likely for you to actually come out ahead than if you were playing a decent amount of money each round. This is mainly due to pot size. When you抮e playing a penny per round the pots are only a few cents each time you hit a winning combination.

If you are not winning anything, you may want to try a different machine (or room if you are playing online). Many people stay because they fear that someone else will win on the machine shortly after and profit off of their hard work. This simply is not true and you will just lose more money on a 揷old?machine.

Lastly in the game of Slots, determine how much you want to lose before you begin playing. When you do win, cash out your earnings so that you can stick to your original amount. Otherwise, you may end up losing everything you won trying to hit another large pot.

Have you ever been to a web site that asks you to download Macromedia Flash? Have you ever seen a Flash button on a web site that had a lot of animation and seemed very hi-tech? If so, you may have wondered what exactly Flash is. Flash is not a new technology, but it is still used in many different ways on the Internet today.

Flash can refer to Macromedia Flash player, and to refer to the program used to create Flash content. Some may wonder what exactly Flash does. Flash is a program that is used to create games and movies that can be put on the Internet. Interactive web sites are also made with Flash. Most web browsers support Macromedia Flash. Flash supports vectors, raster graphics, and ActionScript, which is a scripting language. Finally, Flash can stream audio and video at the same time.

Flash was first introduced in 1996. At that time, most browsers did not have Flash capabilities. However, the amount of browsers with Flash compatibility rose dramatically in a very short amount of time. Businesses started to pay web designers to design sites utilizing Flash. Flash is frequently used with web pages to make them more interactive and even more professional in some cases. Some web pages have animated flash introductions. Advertisements have also been created using Flash. Flash files are generally given a .swf file extension and can appear either within a web page or can be played in Flash Player.

Many people prefer using Flash to other technologies when creating web sites. Some people use animated GIFs. GIF images are really just looped and so they do not take that much memory. However, many people prefer Flash because the user can control the animations. GIFs are limited to 256 colors, while Flash can have millions. Java Applets are other another medium for Flash-like animations. However, some find the programming language too difficult. Flash programming is very easy in comparison to other types of programming, so more inexperienced persons can make interesting animations with Flash.

Macromedia Flash has to be purchased. Once commonly heard complaint is that the software is very expensive. However, there are other programs besides Macromedia抯 that can create flash banners and animations. These are often less expensive and can be a good alternative for the budget-minded webmaster looking for a cheap and easy way to create a Flash banner or animation.

The network administrator an a company ran a normal web activity report of all the enterprise抯 users and found that the employees were logging thousands of hits per day on a single site that had nothing to do with the business. What was found was not that the employees were slacking while at work, rather the network was infected with spyware that was tracking the surfers?activity then sending the information back to the web site for a third part to review and use, all without the employees?knowledge.

Spyware can and will slow a computer抯 bandwidth as well as cause the network to gradual decrease its speed. Many companies are beginning to worry about spyware because it has become so easy to get and install into unknowing users?computers. Most employees do not know that by clicking on a pop up or web site or by downloading free files such as a screen saver they are letting spyware into the system.

There are numerous programs available to find and delete these malicious spyware applications. Taking preventative measures against spyware will save networks much more time and money than if they wait to remove the spyware after it is already installed and doing its work. Users cannot think they are safe surfing the internet without spyware protection. It is necessary for personal and business network computers to find and use an anti-spyware program that will not only scan for current infection but also protect your computer while you are online.

The above mentioned business used Wavecrest抯 Cyfin monitoring program to solve their problems and detect any unusual activity occurring. Wavecrest includes a Cyblock filter so while employees are online the software is protecting against future spyware invasions. For more information on how Wavecrest抯 security works visit their site at wavecrest.net.

The field of graphic design is one area that is not likely to lose jobs in the next few years.On the contrary, there are more graphic design courses than ever.Graphic design schools are filling up, and what was once an easy field to get into has now become one of the most challenging areas.If you are thinking of taking graphic design courses, you should seriously consider if this is the right area for you.I do not want to discourage you from taking graphic design courses, but you have to keep in mind that this is such a difficult field to really succeed in that you must be completely driven if you wish to pursue it.

Oh sure, you can take graphic design courses and get an entry-level job at some small graphic design company, and have a modicum of success in your pursuits, but if you are really driven to succeed, you can really shine.You should really look for so much more than this and your graphic design career.I am not just some nobody telling you about graphic design courses because I think my opinion is all that.I am actually a very successful graphic designer and have been working in the field for many years.

When I first began to take graphic design courses, I thought that it would be an easy way to make money.You see my first love has always been art, but I realized early on that it is difficult to make money in this field.I thought that the best solution to this problem was to take some graphic design courses and see where they could get me.

Boy was I ever in for a rude awakening.The fact is that the graphic design courses that I took were some of the hardest ones of my entire life.Each graphic design course was a struggle at the beginning.I had thought that art school would be difficult but graphic design school was impossible.Unlike in art school, in the school of graphic design, you are expected to really get some results.Art is open to interpretation, but in graphic design courses there is only one question: does the boss like the results?So yes, it is possible to take graphic design courses and find your way to an easy career.But if you expect more from yourself than just taking the easy way, out do some serious soul-searching before you sign up for your graphic design courses.

Tip One

You have a lot of considerations for choosing a microphone for recording audio. First, decide whether you need a dynamic or condenser microphone. A dynamic microphone is rugged and good for handling noise. It is great for webcasts (live audio and video). A condenser microphone is more sensitive with better frequency response and is better suited for a studio type situation.

Tip Two

You have to decide if you want a omnidirectional or unidirectional (cardioid) mic. Omni directional mics are good for recording seminars, lectures or meetings, where cardioid mics are more sensitive to sound thus better for recording one voice and interviews.

Tip Three

Determine your usage for the mic. Do you need a handheld mic for the speaker(s), or is a lavaliere (clip-on) mic better for the presenter(s). Wireless mic’’s are great in that you avoid cables and are easier to use. Desk-top mics are great for panel discussions and for one person usage also. Good headsets with microphones also have high quality for computer usage.

Tip Four

Be careful of cordless headsets for computer usage as you can get interference and ground hum from a lot of equipment in one location. This can cause poor audio. If purchasing a headset determine if you need sound blocking, as that will determine how light or heavy the set is on your head. Be sure a headset microphone is adjustable on your head, and try moving the mic above and below your mouth for quality of your voice pitch. Plantronics is a leader in microphone headsets.

Tip Five

Determine what features and supplemental supplies you need along with the purchase of your microphone. A popshield (foam shield) can help deter those annoying ”p” and ‘’s” sounds. Stands are great for speakers and panel sessions. Determine if a magnetic shield needs to be purchased to reduce interference with computer or other equipment in the room you are recording in. Use balanced cables for higher quality audio.

Tip Six

Listen carefully to your audio, and determine the quality. Have others critique it also. If the audio sounds hollow or like you are in a tunnel, try moving the mic closer to the speaker. If the audio sounds distorted, then move the mic away from the speaker.?BR/>
Tip Seven

Purchasing locations for microphones are numerous. Local stores around the country include locations like Best Buy, Office Max, Office Depot, Circuit City, and Radio Shacks. Online stores are numerous and be sure to do a search on Google or Yahoo for reviews of microphones. You”ll get some great comparisons of purchasing sites for online purchase.?BR/>
Conclusion

Do your homework when purchasing a microphone for recording audio on your website. There is nothing like quality audio. Experts have even said you can have a lower quality video file, but if the audio is bad, you have lost that customer totally! They expect nothing less than quality audio recordings.

So take the time to do your due diligence before purchasing a microphone for recording audio for your site. Of course, your budget may dictate爏ome of that purchase to begin with, but in the long run don”t sacrifice quality for a few dollars savings now. It will pay down the road!?,’7 Tips for Purchasing and Using a Microphone for Recording Audio on Your Website

Blogs have increased popularity over this past months. Many people have started to create their personal blogs to express their thoughts and feelings. Internet companies have also started their blogs to inform consumers on the latest product news and reviews.

Because of this, blogs are also being used as internet marketing media. Before, internet marketing is done by placing banners and links on popular websites, such as news and information sites. Links were also included on newsletters and marketing letters sent to the members of their mailing lists.

Many people spend time reading blogs. People read their friend’’s blogs, their favorite author’’s blogs, blogs on topics that they are interested in, and blogs on product reviews. With the increasing popularity of blogging, it is even feared that people rely on blogs to get the latest news.

While getting news reports from blogs isn”t reliable, some people look for product reviews through blogs. In some cases, this is more dependable. While it is true that some media persons are being paid to write good reviews about a certain product, blog writers write about their actual experiences on products and services from a company.

Since there are many people who read and start their own blogs, blogs are a good medium to market a product. With the increasing blog traffic means increase in product sales.

Blog traffic can be increased by joining affiliate programs and sites, which will list your blog under a certain search category or name. You can also have your blog advertised in popular websites. This, however, will cost some money and is not advisable if you have just started blogging.

A writer who has just launched his/her blog will want as much traffic as possible to increase advertisements on the site. Also, some advertisers pay every time their link is clicked or the page that has their link is viewed.

When you have increased traffic on your blog, you should try to keep you visitors coming back and recommending your blog to friends and colleagues.

This can be done by having informative or amusing content and good blog layout and design. You may develop your blog’’s content or you can also acquire the services of a web content writer to provide you with the blog articles.

The blog’’s layout and design also plays a big role. While most of the companies offering free blog hosting offer pre-selected templates, there are also some that allows customization that if you utilize this feature correctly can increase your blog’’s traffic.

Here are a few tips to make your blog stand out from the millions of blogs out there that have standard designs.

* Customize the banner

The banner usually has the most generic designs that are common to the blogs from a blogging company or service.

You can personalize this banner by having a graphic with the dimensions of the banner. You can also edit the graphic so that it will also include the title of your blog.