"What's in your _____?

I really enjoy those commercials for Capitol One, Master Card, featuring those comical Viking warriors and their hilarious antics. After the mayhem subsides, each performance is capped with the popular slogan, "What's in your wallet?"

Now I can't duplicate that level of comedy here but I would like to ask, "What's in your phone?"

Could it contain your calendar and 'to do' list (who you are, what you are doing, and where you are going to be), your credit card information, friends and contact lists, documents, social media portals, pictures of you, your family and friends, and possibly your boarding pass for your next flight. Are you familiar with that sinking feeling experienced when a purse or wallet is misplaced? It's nothing compared to the devastating crash that follows once you realize that, yes, it is gone. My phone! Where is it? Who has it? What do I do now?

Your phone is a computer and all computers should have some form of security. Is it password protected? Does it have security software installed?

First, you should password protect (screen lock) your phone. That will at least provide you with some minimum protection. You can usually find this feature under your phone's 'settings' area. Next, you should install security software (apps). Several security apps are free so cost is not an issue. So, what will a security app give you? Each of them differ in their own ways but the basic features you should expect to find are spyware/malware protection, phone finder (misplaced/stolen phone and GPS locator) and the ability to remotely lock and delete all your data from the lost or stolen device.
Listed below are a few of the free security apps available out there. Most of them offer a paid premium version so read the features and decide if the premium upgrade is for you. Which security app do I recommend? Any one of them! Just get one installed and activated as soon as possible.

Any (security app) is better than none.

Free security apps:

• Lookout Mobile Security
• Avast Free Mobile Security
• NQ Mobile Security
• AVG Mobilation

A Wakeup Call

Someone just called my cell to give me a quick reminder that telephone fraud is alive and well. Around 8 o'clock on a Tuesday evening, a scratchy sounding robot (automated call) informed me that due to a large purchase, my MasterCard is locked. "To unlock your card please press one." As I grinned I thought, why, why can't they call me in person so I can have some fun! Holding that thought, I hung up. This phone scam is pretty old and maybe your bank warned you about it in the past. Well, it is still around. It comes in several flavors as automated calls and text messages. They all lead with "your account has been locked." Then it follows with instructions to "unlock." If you proceed, you are asked to divulge your card account numbers and pins. Financial institutions are always reminding us that they never request account information during an unsolicited call or email. Please make sure that all of your family members and friends, juniors and seniors are aware of these scams. If you become a target, don't press 1, just hang up. Don't click it, delete it.

So, to whomever it was that called-- thanks for the reminder!

Hacker's & Cracker's Delight

Since the birth of the Internet in 1969, some users still insist on using 'bad' passwords. It is becoming common for  websites to require passwords that contain a combination of letters, numbers and a minimum of 8 characters. Sadly, all websites have not followed suite and still allow inadequate passwords.

So, are your passwords in the,

Hacker's & Cracker's Delight Top Ten List Of Very Bad Passwords?

In order by popularity.

1. 12345
2. 123456
3. password
4. abc123
5. qwerty
6. 12345678
7. 123456789
8. monkey
9. princess
10. 654321

And, the runners-up deserving an honorable mention are: 1, 1234567, 111111, 123, 123123, 1234, angel, asdfg, ashley, babygirl, bailey, baseball, consumer, daniel, dragon, football, god, ilove, iloveyou, jessica, job, letmein, lifehacker, link, lovely, master, michael, nicole, ninja, passwd, passw0rd, qazwsx, sex, shadow, sunshine, superman, test, the, trustno1, welcome, work.

Unfortunately, these passwords are still used today. Don't be a hacker's victim!
Use the following recipe to create a memorable password that is definitely better and more secure than those above.

• Pick a 4, 5 or 6 word sentence or phrase that you can remember; something like, "Golf is a difficult sport."
• Take the first letter of each word. (G,i,a,d,s) and capitalize every other letter (G, i, A, d, S).
• Next, count the letters in each word Golf=4, is=2, a=1, difficult=9, sport=5      (4, 2, 1, 9, 5).
• Now, alternate the letters and numbers giving you a 10 character password. (G 4 i 2 A 1 d 9 S 5)

If you remember your base sentence you can easily reconstruct your master password. After a few logins it will become familiar and easy to use. But, to protect all your logins equally, you should create separate passwords for each site.

Let's make a password for a Facebook account.

• Just take the first 3 numbers from above (4, 2, 1) and use them to create a website code.
• Use the 4th, 2nd and 1st letters of Facebook, (e, a, and f) and place them at the front or back of your master password and separated by a '$' or '&.'

Here's your 14 character Facebook password that you never have to write down: eaf&G4i2A1d9S5

No, I'm not crazy and yes, I do this, but my passwords are longer and more complex. You can make yours shorter to speed things up but whatever you use for your passwords, try to make them as secure as the locks on your home and as reliable as the brakes on your car.

Getting hacked in today's cyber world is more than an inconvenience. Always use strong passwords at home and at your workplace. Never let anyone 'borrow' your password. If you absolutely must share it, remember to absolutely change it!
My last word of advice; pick a different sentence than the one I used!

A Pain In The Neck

Have you heard about 'Blackberry neck?' An aesthetician in Manhattan developed a two hundred dollar, forty-five minute treatment to help eradicate neck wrinkles caused by excessive time spent looking down at a Blackberry or other hand-held device. While there is not any conclusive evidence that this will cause any more wrinkles than shaking your head while saying 'yes or no,' there is new information indicating it may lead to stress and pain in neck muscles. In November 2011, a study published by the Harvard School of Public Health about the use of tablet devices concluded that placing the device at higher viewing angles is healthier for head and neck posture. Their study looked at tablet usage at various angles while positioned down in the users lap or up higher on a table. The study did not include walking with a device with your chin buried in your chest while 'eyeballing' up every ten seconds to see where you are going. It was probably too dangerous to test in that study.
Seriously, give yourself a break every 15 minutes or so whether it is using a desktop, laptop (bad name), tablet or phone. Move around. Look around and be aware.

Some of the baby-boomers will remember this one.

Da, da, da, dada
Da, da, da, dada
Hold your head up, hold your head up
Hold your head up, hold your head high.

Clip of Hold Your Head Up by Argent-1972 by krazeecom

Software In A Box?

What is software in a box? Do you remember when you actually purchased software in a box? Unless you shopped at a brick and mortar store, it's likely that you downloaded your recent software purchases over the Internet.

Got disks?

Some online vendors still offer their software on disks in addition to the download but that option is rapidly disappearing. Now, due to unforeseen conditions beyond your control, you have to replace your hard drive and need to reinstall your software. To avoid possible future migraines, make sure that you always have a copy of your software available. "No problem" you say, "I always back up my hard drive so there is no need to worry." Be careful; it is possible that your backup scheme is not copying the software files needed for a fresh install. Maybe your backup is only set to copy your data files. Maybe, maybe, maybe.
Check your backup set and the backup file itself to ensure you have captured all the necessary installation files. At the very least, make certain that you have the needed software license key code, purchase receipts, sign ins and passwords so that a phone call to the vendor requesting a replacement download doesn't become a nightmare. Best practice suggests that whenever you download software always make your own CD or DVD copy and store them together with the license key, receipts and credentials. You can even put them all in a box if you like.

P.S. If you purchased a new PC that came with some expensive software, call the vendor and tell them you want the disks. Generally, with on-board software, their licenses validate to the computer's original motherboard (main circuit board) and not to the hard drive. If you lose the hard drive, you retain a valid license to use the software as long as the motherboard is the original one that shipped inside the computer.

Computer virus captured on camera! or 'Return to Sender,' Address Unknown!

The title for this post is almost as catchy as this actual screenshot of a virus infected e-mail I provided below. The U.S. Postal Service does not send this type of notification and they do not charge a fee to hold a package. If a package is held beyond a certain period of time then it goes the way of that great Elvis Presley song of 1962, 'Return to Sender.'

Examine this actual e-mail and spot the clues. It is riddled with suspect text.

e-mail screenshot

Here are a few of the items that should make you nervous:

• They (the supposed USPS) do not know your physical address but they do have your e-mail address?
• "LOCATION: Huntsville." - Do you live anywhere near Huntsville? Which Huntsville, Alabama or Texas?
• "Print your label..." - the onethey sent to you. In other words, open the attachment.
• "An additional information," - Unnecessary and bad grammar too.
• "If the parcel isn't received within..." - Did they mean to say "isn't picked up?"
• "our company," whose company? - The U.S.Postal Service?
• "for it's keeping" - Improper use. Should be its(possessive) and not it's(it is).

This e-mail is just so bogus, I won't waste any more of our time right now but please do take the time to carefully read an e-mail before you click. If you're concerned that an e-mail may be spam or a virus attack, always proceed with extreme caution as you could very well be correct.

Real Life Horror Story.

It is a dangerous cyber-world out there and you must be prepared for the unexpected. Here is what happened to a high technology writer who knew all the pitfalls of the Internet and took almost all of the necessary precautions. This article link may not last long so read it A.S.A.P.  It is truly a real life horror story told by Mat Honan a writer for Wired.com. Click for Horror!

I'm in a protection program so no photographs, please!

Are you storing your priceless photos on your computer? If your answer is no, that's good, otherwise, continue reading. Unless you run a photography studio, the only photos you should store on your device are a few of the kids, g-kids, a friend or spouse and maybe some from a recent travel adventure. The remainder of your precious photo library should be stored elsewhere and not on your computer. Back up your photos to CDs, DVDs or a detachable hard drive and store them in a lock box off site or somewhere safe.

A great way to store your photos is on the Internet by using a picture service. Photo services are starting to disappear, but there are still a few to choose. Listed below are a few of the majors services. It is safer to store your photos on at least two sites. Some sites will allow you free storage for an unlimited number of photos. Are these sites safe? Yes, for the most part. Recently the premier photo site operated by Kodak announced that they would cease their on-line photo services and transfer their clients' photos to Shutterfly. If whatever major photo service you choose happens to change its course and shut down, they should give you advanced notice. If they do not, you will already have your photos on another site or copied to your own storage media and kept somewhere safe. Right?

The other storage opportunities on the Internet are 'cloud' services that we'll explore in a later post. For now, use CDs or DVDs and store them safely and use an on-line photo service. The bottom line here is how important are your photos today and how important will they be 10, 20 or 30 years from now. OK, you can really save me some time here and re-read the whole article substituting the word 'video' for 'photo.'

Now smile and say, "CHEESE."

Shutterfly
Walmart Photo (must make one purchase per year)
Picassa by Google (1GB Free)
Flikr by Yahoo (limitations)
Snapfish by HP (slow uploads)

All of these services are subject to change so keep a watchful eye on the ones you choose.

Cloudy today with a chance of no clouds tomorrow!

You may be hearing a lot about this 'cloud' thing; cloud services this and cloud services that. So, what is this 'cloud?' The 'cloud' is the Internet. Using cloud services is another way of saying, "I lease software or space from some company (service provider) on the Internet."
With software cloud services, you do not possess the program (software); you rent or lease it from the service provider. Each time you need the program it is delivered or run from a provider's location on the Internet. The program is not resident on your computer.
Cloud services for backup means that you are leasing space for your data on the service provider's hard drives. Your data is backed-up and safe— somewhere. You do not have it but somebody does and they are supposedly keeping it safe for you. It's just like those big storage facilities you see along the road from time to time. When your attic and basement is full, "Use Lock & Pay Storage Centers." We'll keep it safe and secure; we promise.
Whether or not to use cloud services can be a complex decision. There are just as many good reasons as bad. It all depends on your specific needs. Weigh your decision carefully and always seek independent advice.

Don't sing off key!

Client: Do you repair notebook keyboards?
Tech: Yes, what seems to be the problem?
Client: Take a look. I have 27 keys missing.
Tech: What happened to them? Do you have them?
Client: Yes, they are in this vacuum cleaner bag. I used an upholstery brush attachment to clean the keyboard and...
Tech: I recommend that we replace the keyboard.

Motto: Do not vacuum a keyboard with an upholstery attachment. Don't try a leaf blower either.