Your PC Might Be Infected - Advices

Author : Hamid Reza Soroush Zand

The world of online privacy and threats has changed direction.
In the past all that caused worries and concerns in online cyber
world came from viruses created by some causing formatting your
hard drive or hanging of your computer but this has changed
dramatically.

Now you are confronted with threats of tiny files and codes
called spyware and malware and ad ware that are very small in
size but with crushing effects such as learning about your
identity, stealing your credit card numbers, residing in your
systems for long times and others things.

Have you ever thought how those sending you spam emails have
learned about your email address? If you know some signs of
infection you will be able to find a remedy for your system
before it's too late.

Examples: You are using dial up internet connection and you are
not online, and suddenly the connection box appears and
automatically without your command goes online. This behavior
might has been caused by a spyware on your system that has
logged your keystrokes and has made a file and now wants to
communicate with the creator or the source infecting you.

I already suppose you all have firewalls installed specially the
world famous zone alarm. Now another example, if you are online
and are not downloading anything nor are you browsing any sites
but you can see the traffic sings on your zone alarm icon on the
taskbar, this means a program or software on your PC is
downloading or uploading something, so check your programs
section of the firewall to see what program is doing so, of
course not all programs communicating online are to cause
worries, for example windows system from time to time contacts
Microsoft website to learn if there is a new update but it's
recommended that you check to see if only trustworthy programs
are allowd to be online.

Another case we can mention is when your windows automatically
wants to restart or log off, especially if you have not recently
installed a new software on your computer.

Always keep your firewall and windows system and your internet
explorer or your other browsers up to date.

Please don't visit fishy websites such as hackers websites and
forums as much as you can. Also take care about what you are
downloading from unknown sources such as p2p softwares. Don't
forget to have your firewall running while downloading files
from such sources.

Try using as many anti spyware and virus programs as you can,
and check for the latest security softwares at www.download.com

Never leave your computer online if you are active in any chat
rooms, some might learn about your position and IP and later on
will attack your computer through some methods that you would
have never thought.

Online shopping is now an indispensable part of our lives and
you enter your credit card numbers on various sites everyday,
exercise this practice of scanning your whole system before and
after each online transaction to minimize the risk of infection
and revealing your financial secrets to strangers.

Always check the URL the site you want to enter your personal
info on to be the real one you indented to use, pay attention to
the letters of the domain name and the URL be he real one.

Check your favorites list everyday, if you see some websites
that are listed but sound unfamiliar to you, delete them and
scan your computer.

Try not using your web based email addresses for critical
correspondences, instead use a safer email address from a
company that you can use with your mail client like outlook, the
reason is when you lose your web based email address due to your
password getting stolen by someone, from that moment onward that
email address is his and you cannot take it back, but even if
you lose your password of client based email address, you can
easily contact the email provider and change your password.

If you visit a website and during your visiting a blank pop up
window appears with nothing on it, it strongly is a malware
loaded onto your computer, so in such case, immediately
disconnect from the internet and make a full system scan.

And never ever write your passwords or financial information in
a text file on your computer, for these reasons, use the good
old pen and paper.

Category : Babies

Reading in a Tree

Author : Michele R. Acosta

Today is like many of the summer days I spent at my grandparents' house in Indiana?except I am writing, instead of reading and I am sitting in a chair on my deck, instead of on a branch in a tree growing in front of my grandparents' house. But the wind is blowing gently under the umbrella, just like it blew through the leaves so many years ago.I don't remember how many hours I spent in that tree.It has been a long time since I felt the wind blow through its leaves. My grandparents sold the house and moved off of the farm the year that I started college. I probably did not climb the tree for the last few years that my grandparents lived there.I was not a tomboy. In fact, that tree is the only one that I have ever climbed (unless you count the one I tried to climb and got stuck in). It was the perfect tree for a girlie girl to climb. There was one branch that grew straight out from the tree. If I reached up high above my head, I could grasp the branch with both hands and hoist myself up to a much thicker extension of the trunk that grew at about shoulder height. Holding the branch, I "walked" up the trunk until I could swing around and sit in the saddle created by the trunk and the branch. I reached for another branch above my head to pull myself to my feet. An even higher branch allowed me to pull myself to a sitting position on the branch that I had first used to pull myself into the tree. The tree had so many perfectly positioned branches that I could climb a little bit higher in the same fashion, but I usually didn?t.I was not actually interested in climbing the tree. I did not climb for the sake of climbing, but because I wanted to sit on the one branch that was thick enough to be comfortable, lean against the smooth bark of the trunk, and feel the gentle breeze blow through the leaves and through my hair. I usually had a book in hand, too, so climbing higher than my branch was impractical.I am not sure why, but I never seemed to go to my grandparents' house prepared. I always seemed to be searching for something to read. My grandmother loved decorating. She filled scrapbooks with magazine clippings archiving the year?s worth of current home fashions. Had she belonged to my generation, she would probably be a marketing expert. The tools of her passion, women's magazines, fueled my passion. She saved years of back issues of magazines and many of them published one or two fictional pieces per issue.I remember one about a girl who climbed trees and another about a girl names Lissa (spelled with 2 Ss). Actually, that may have been the same short story. They were all cheesy romances, but the summer breeze blowing through my tree seemed to set the mood and allowed me to slip into fiction-induced trances that the words alone could not have done.It was a time when things seemed to stand still. By the time I reached high school, I had other things to do than spend weeks at a time with my grandparents reading in a tree. By the time I started college, my grandparents sold the house, but when I was an all-too-shy-pre-adolescent, that tree filled a real need. Ironically, my memory of that tree and the time I spent sitting amongst its leaves is clearer than any single memory from high school or college.I felt like I belonged. I felt free to be myself?even though I didn?t know who that was. At home, I was reminded ? especially during the long days of summer?that I did not have many friends. I was painfully shy and somehow, I always felt inferior to other kids my age.That time before high school was also the only time in my life that I was free to read voraciously. The summer before I started 8th grade, I read titles including Wuthering Heights, The Black Rose, and Gone with the Wind, among others. Everything changed after I started high school. First, higher education took over and dictated my reading (probably for the better), then marriage and family decimated the time I could spend reading.I've never lost the ability to slide into a trance-like state. This is perhaps the biggest reason that I cannot be the sort who leaves a book on the bedside table and reads for an hour before bed. If a book captivates my attention, I read cover to cover, stopping only to eat (sometimes) and sleep (if I can no longer keep my eyes open). For a long time, it meant that I only read when we went on vacation.We left on one family vacation the day after the fifth Harry Potter book was released. I?ve read each and every book in the series to my sons more than once. Since we were on vacation, we could only read in short bursts. We finally reached the point in the book where I couldn?t disengage myself. I kept reading after I tucked my boys into bed. At 1:00 a.m., my husband finally insisted that I turn the light off. The only place I could turn on a light without disturbing anyone was in the bathroom, so I sat on the cold bathroom floor until 3:00 in the morning so that I could finish the book.* * *I drove past my grandparents? old house recently. The tree is still there, but my branch has been cut off. At first I was sad. That branch was there for me when I needed it. But nothing stays the same. The branch was only an extension of the trunk.I have been able to recapture the essence of those moments spent in my tree in very different places and times. Most recently, our trips to Florida beaches have rekindled memories. I sit under a beach umbrella ? often with a book ? with the Gulf breeze blowing a bit of nostalgia in off of the water. I watch my sons play with an abandon that only belongs to childhood, and I think about the girl who used to read in a tree. Michele R. Acosta is a freelance writer, a former English teacher, and the mother of three boys. She spends her time writing and teaching others to write. Visit articles.TheWritingTutor.biz for more articles, writingeditingservice.TheWritingTutor.biz for professional writing/editing services, or TheWritingTutor.biz for other writing and educational resources for young authors, teachers, and parents. Copyright (c) 2004-2005 The Writing Tutor & Michele R. Acosta. All rights reserved.

Category : General Writing

Travel : Choosing the Right Destination

Author : mas@marketingstrategiescenter.com

If you are planning to take a vacation, be sure to know what youreally like to do. This will make your trip more meaningful. Mostly, travelers go on a trip recommended by friends, but isthis what they really want? It's never too early to plan for yourtrip and to do what your heart really desires. Here are several questions to ask yourself before starting toplan your vacation. Do I want to relax? Do I want adventure or alearning experience? Do I want to get away from my job? Once youknow the answers to these questions, then you are ready to planyour trip. Vacations are needed for our emotional, physical and mentalbalance. Vacations give a person a chance to relax, renew hisenergy, and free him from his daily routine. Vacations can be faraway or close to home. Wherever the vacation may be, it does thesame thing. It provides satisfaction, which is far more importantthan the destination itself. Generally, there are some different types of travel according tothe activities involved. Here are some of them: 1. Responsible Travel. Traveling doesn't always have to beself-serving. With responsible travel, one could have enjoymentas much as respecting the local environment and the people. 2. Rediscovering nature. Rediscovering travel is all about natureand everything in it. It revitalizes the soul while experiencingeverything there is to know about nature. 3. Tribal cultures. In today's world of high technology, it iswise to experience the simpler life of the tribal people who havelived close to nature in the same way for thousands of years. 4. Responsible Diving. Diving not only lets travelers appreciatewhat is in the sea but also helps make the traveler more aware ofefforts concerning conservation of our natural resources. Plan your travel to a country that will leave a great mark inyour traveling diary. Here are some of the most populardestinations today: 1. Thailand. Thailand is also known as Siam. It is an Asiancountry bounded by Burma, Laos, Cambodia, and Malaysia. Behindthe back draft of Thailand's jungles of bamboo, rubber trees andvines are the Five-star hotels of modern conveniences. In someparts of the country, elephants are still being use to lifttimbers and buffalos are still being used in farming. 2. China. China is now the second largest country and fastestgrowing economy in the world. Most parts of China are stillunexplored by tourists; however, the eastern portion is nowpopular to western tourists. First class hotels now offer thehighest class of amenities and dozens more are still beingbuilt. 3. Italy. Italy is a boot-like shape country bounded bySwitzerland, Austria, France, and Slovenia. The main attractionof Italy is St. Peter's Square where the Pope resides. 4. Caribbean. Caribbean is an archipelago of islands, 2000 squaremiles across. Most of the islands are plateaus and eruptions ofunderlying mountain systems. It has nice beaches of crushed coraland white or pink sand and the water at the shore is a deep blue.The success of any vacation will not depend on how much money thetraveler spent or the destination. The final outcome will dependon the degree of enjoyment experienced by the traveler. Enjoy Info Tips and Help.com

Category : General Lifestyle: Travel & Tourism

Phishing – Its Signs and Your Options

Author : Vickie Scanlon
Phishing is the act of some individual sending an email to a user in an attempt to scam the user to release personal information. Is it easy to determine if it’s a scam? Sometimes â€" but not always. I hope to give you enough examples and information to help you to safeguard yourself from these unsavory individuals.In addition, sometimes the email is sent to malicious software so as to render your computer helpless. Thus, it is important that you do not click on the link they provide, because that is the trigger that will load the software to your system.EXAMPLES OF PHISHINGYou receive hundreds of emails in your mailbox, but one email catches your eye â€" it directs you to a website, requesting that you need to update your personal information. It requests such personal information as:passwords
credit card numbers
social security number
bank account numbers“It appears to be legitimate”, you say to yourself. And you also notice that the emails are from companies that you have been doing business with for a while. Warning: The website could be bogus.Here are several examples of phishing in action.1. E-mails stating they are from E-bay and they feel that your account may have been compromised and would like you to verify your information with they so conveniently supply. DO NOT click on it.2. E-mails from Paypal or your bank asking that you verify your information because they feel that your account has been compromised, or heaven forbid, suspended. Same scenario, different company. DO NOT click on the link.3. E-mail that states that an unauthorized transaction has occurred on your account. Please click the link below and confirm your identity. DO NOT.4. Here’s a work at home scam â€" We have seen your resume on Monster and feel you would fit our position. If you are interested, please go to our website, look over the experience required and submit your resume if you have this background. Website is professional looking, offer looks good â€" but it could be a scam.WHAT ARE THEY AFTERIn the above examples they are after information about you, be it passwords, credit cards, social security numbers, anything that can identify you â€" and that which they can use to profit from you.The job email is used to verify that the email address is a true blue, active email address. What do they do with this info â€" they sell these accounts to spammers for good money. They need to verify your email addressâ€"because if the spammers come up empty â€" this person’s business is dead.HOW TO VERIFY SAFELY1. If they want you to verify your account, do not cut and paste, or use the link they provide in the email. Close your Internet session, open a new session and enter the site that you have on record to verify.2. Emails requesting resumes â€" Verify their account before you send your resume. When verifying â€" these red flags should be considered:1) If they are hesitant to provide a phone number â€" might be a scam. 2) If their business address is not verifiable â€"might be a scam. 3) If the website is new â€" might be a scam. 4) If they use a large company’s nameâ€"and that company never heard of them â€" might be a scam.
5) Again, verify this information before you send your resume.WAYS TO PROTECT YOURSELFHere are some quick tips to protect you and your computer system.1. Use anti-virus software and a firewall â€" keep them up to date.2. If you have a broadband connection make sure you have a firewall in place.3. Don’t email personal or financial information.4. Before providing personal information â€" search to see if the site is secure â€" look for a lock icon. However, remember not all phishers are stupid â€" in fact, they could be computer savvy enough to forge security icons. Thus, look for a site whose link looks like this:

https://www.somename.com -- this shows that it is a secure site.5. Coupons from respected companies â€" Verify that it is a true-blue coupon from the company â€" I had one coupon sent to my email address from what I thought was Staples. Verified it with Staples â€" not a coupon honored by Staples. When on the Internet â€" if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it still may not be a duck!6. When making transactions on the Internet â€" be it online banking, Paypal, Internet Gold, etc. â€" complete your transaction, log out of the website, and close out of your Internet Explorerâ€"and then continue with a new session of Internet Explorer.WHERE TO FORWARD SPAM THAT IS PHISHNGIf you encounter spam that is phishing, or are a victim of a phishing scam, you can forward the information to spam@uce.gov and to the company, bank or organization that the email may have stated they are from. In many cases, the other organizations have information on their website where you can report the attempted scam.In addition, if you have been scammed, and you wish to file a complaint â€" go to ftc.gov.To conclude, no one is immune to spam or a scam. But try to be ever vigilant and do your due diligence with anything you do on the Internet. But being human is a scammer’s hope â€" they know that most will ignore the bait, but some will be tempted. So, if you so humanly slip, and succumb to a phishing scam, you can report them to ftc.gov.Vickie J Scanlon has a BBA degree in Administrative Management and Marketing. Visit her site at: http://www.myaffiliateplace.biz for free tools, articles, ebooks, how to info, affiliate opportunities, products and services â€" to meet your budget and needs.
Category : Loans

More Than Just Luxury Sedans The Other Vehicles In Checker Sedans Garage

Author : Jordan Knapp

Some folks in the business call them limousines or limos. At Checker Sedan, we call them luxury sedans or black cars. And while our name may say Checker Sedan, the official curbside luxury sedan provider for Detroit Metro Airport, we also transport our clients in other vehicle types as well. Starting with our sedans, all of which seat up to four passengers, we have the following models:Cadillac DESChecker Sedan offers the nation's only commercially operating fleet of Cadillac DESs. Each vehicle has Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) navigation, an Automated Vehicle Locator System (AVLS) and six inches of additional legroom.Lincoln Town Car Executive LEach of our 45 Executive L has GPS navigation, an AVLS and six inches of additional legroom.Chrysler 300Every one of our eight Chrysler 300s also has GPS navigation and AVLS.ADA-compliant minivans.Checker Sedan provides handicapped-accessible vans and child/infant car seats upon request. Full-Size Passenger VansChecker Sedan's fleet of full-size passenger vans comfortably accommodates 5-10 passengers per vehicle.Mini-BusesThrough its affiliate Commuter Express, Checker Sedan offers a fleet of mini-buses that can accommodate up to 23 passengers per vehicle.Motor CoachesAgain, through its affiliate Commuter Express, we offer a fleet of luxury motor coaches that accommodate up to 56 passengers per vehicle.Every Checker Sedan fleet vehicle is also equipped with wireless credit card processing, which means the customers swipe their own cards, eliminating the driver's need to handle payment; and the added security of an Automated Vehicle Locator System. Checker Sedan equips its cars with built-in Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) navigation. "Right from the start, our commitment has been to offer our clients the finest and most customer-friendly service available," said Timothy J. McCarthy, President of Checker Sedan. "The Cadillac DES and our handicap-accessible vehicles are perfect affirmation of this goal."Current Checker Sedan Vehicle Policies: Checker Sedan prefers three hours notification for reservations. But last minute reservations are welcome, subject to driver and vehicle availability. Please let us know if you anticipate a large amount of luggage. For the comfort of all passengers, no smoking is allowed in our vehicles. Open containers of alcoholic beverages are prohibited. Car seats for children are available upon request. ADA-compliant lift vans are available.Checker Sedan, www.checkersedan.com, was established in March 2000 and has become the fastest growing chauffeur-driven licensed luxury sedan company in Metropolitan Detroit. Checker Sedan is an affiliate of Soave Enterprises, a privately held management and investment company founded by Detroit businessman Anthony L. Soave. Checker Sedan is the official curbside luxury sedan provider for Detroit Metro Airport. Wherever you're going, Checker Sedan is a better way to get there. Our vehicles and drivers will spoil you with luxury. And our little extras make us the obvious choice for people who are going places.

Category : General Transportation

Want To Know The Secret Of A Successful Fundraiser? Start With A Fundraising Plan

Author : Peter Crump

Fundraising is a particularly difficult thing to do in todays world of budget cuts and restrictions, and there is a rising need for finding funds for so many organisations around us. The small organisation which relies on fundraising for much of its funding is fighting a losing battle for the sympathy, and the money, of the general public.That is why fundraising needs to be approached professionally, even if you arent a fundraising professional. Whether you are a full time fundraiser for a non profit organisation or someone who has been enlisted to run a small fundraiser for the local scout group, you need to be aware of the importance of a proper fundraising plan.Youve heard the old saying Im sure, failing to plan is planning to fail. This is true of fundraising as well. Failing to draw up and execute a proper fundraising plan is one of the main things you can do to increase the likelihood of your fundraiser being a failure.What is a fundraising plan and what does it do? Basically it is a plan of the entire operation of the fundraiser from beginning to end. What your fundraising goal is. What you want to achieve. How? With what help? With what product or service or appeal? Who will be your target group, ie the people who are the target of your fundraiser?What plans do you have in case of a change of plans? What happens if it rains on your big day? What happens if an essential person (maybe you) is sick on the day? What happens if you run out of product? Have any other problems?Who will be helping? What are their skills and time availability? What will they do before the day and on the day? Who is taking care of the money? How and what security do you have for it? Do you need change? Who will supply the change? Where will it come from and who will get it?All these things go together to make a successful fundraiser, and should be in your fundraising plan. It is difficult to be specific because each item in the plan depends on the particular fundraiser that you are holding, but it is always important to draw up a proper fundraising plan well before the fundraising day, to ensure that all goes according to plan.If you have it all thought out, everything set out clearly, everyone knowing exactly what they are doing and when, then you are well on your way to a successful fundraiser day.But if you dont then a small hiccup can spell disaster for your day.Remember, failing to plan is planning to fail, and that applies to fundraising. Always draw up a proper fundraising plan. Have a good day. To find out more about Fundraising visit Peter's Website Good Fundraising Solutions at http://www.goodfundraisingsolutions.com/ and find out about Fundraising Plans and more about Fundraising

Category : General Business: Public Relations

Asthma Symptoms - Are You Prepared?

Author : Rebecca Prescott

Asthma is an illness characterized by inflammation of the airways, and a sensitivity of those airways to allergens and irritants. The intensity of symptoms does vary, both from person to person, and at different stages within an individual's life. They can range from early warning, mild, to severe. By developing an understanding of their own asthma symptoms, sufferers become better equipped to prevent severe episodes, as well as providing valuable information to their family in cases of emergencies.The so-called 'early warning' indicators of an asthma attack are not symptoms of the attack per se. What they do instead is signify that symptoms are going to start, so they allow asthmatics to be more prepared. This is especially valuable for parents of asthmatic children. The symptoms can include any of the following, though not all have to be present:* a change in breathing* tiredness* being moody, easily upset, or feeling sad* coughing or sneezing* itchy throat and watery eyes* dark circles under the eyes* having trouble sleeping and feeling restless or excitable* headachesBy the time asthma symptoms start to happen, the airways are physically affected. They become red and swollen, due to the inflammation of the tissue in the bronchial tubes. Consequently, the airways become constricted, making it difficult to breathe out, and causing wheezing. A person has to forcefully exhale and push the air out, hence the noise - and shortness of breath. The coughing of asthmatics relates to the fact that all that inflammation causes a build-up of mucous, which needs to be expelled to keep the airways open. Asthmatics may also feel tight in the chest when they are experiencing symptoms.When symptoms become severe, asthmatics need to be taken to the emergency department of their local hospital. People will feel a significant worsening of the above, as well as:* their shoulders may become hunched over in the effort to breathe* the size of their nostrils will increase with breathing* their skin may be tinged gray or blue* they may find it difficult to concentrate or talk* breathing could be shallow, or either faster or slower than it usually is.One of the less obvious dangers of severe asthma attacks is that carbon dioxide can accumulate in the blood. Carbon dioxide is a waste product that is usually expelled when we breathe out. If we can't properly breathe out, this cannot happen. Asthma treatment is multi-pronged, because the nature of the symptoms can lead to long term thickening of the airways that makes them unresponsive to the usual medications. Thus, treatment tries to prevent this damage, as well as reducing the hyper-reactivity of the airways themselves. Asthma symptoms can be severe, and that is something every asthmatic and their family has to be aware of. However, with a good treatment plan, and a good awareness of your own body, asthma symptoms can be managed well.References:1. Medicine Net2. National Jewish Center, Disease Information Prevent serious attacks from threatening your quality of life - find out what your limits are now. If you'd like to read more on asthma and cough, click here.

Category : General Medical: Asthma