This week Benjamin was here to answer many questions and shed light on the latest news in computers. In the e-mails department, Terry asked about internal and external wireless cards and Carol asked how she should dispose of an old cell phone.

Following along that same recycle note, Benjamin talked about what to do with old computers, printers, game consoles, etc. They can all be donated to places like Good Will, or they can be placed on freecycle.com. Nokia accepts all phones for recycling, regardless of the manufacturer.  Apple and Dell both accept computers for recycle if you are buying a new one, and HP has a recycling service with a small attached fee. Additionally, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, so you can always try selling it on ebay.com, the website founded on that age-old axiom. Secondrotation.com and craigslist are also great places to sell old computers and electronics.

Benjamin also touched on celebrities and which ones are the most dangerous online with McAfee. It turns out that Brad Pitt, Beyonce, and Justin Timberlake top the list of dangerous cyber celebrities. Googling these celebrities will often lead you to sites that download malware to your computer, false sales ads to gather personal information, and various spyware programs. Also on the list were David Beckham, Jessica Alba, and George Clooney. This brings up the dangers of the internet. Remember to never download or even enter a site that you do not trust.

Additionally, continuing on the subject of celebrities, Benjamin talked about this year’s political candidates. Obama recently made fun of McCain because he could not use a computer, claiming that a non-computer-user should not be running the country. However, in order to fully understand the story, people need to know the whole story. Senator McCain has no problem with the computer itself. However, the real problem is that McCain’s torture as a Prisoner of War has left him with mobility problems, making the use of a keyboard very difficult. He also cannot comb his hair or tie his shoes. Along the same lines, Benjamin brought up Governor David Patterson who is blind and therefore cannot drive, but is not persecuted for his inability to experience an important part of American life.

Touching again on American life, Benjamin outlined an essay on Blackberry users done by Sheraton Hotels. It showed that 87% of people of users take their Blackberry into their bedroom, and 84% check their e-mail before going to sleep. Furthermore, 80% checked their e-mail first thing when they woke up. Some even said that they “love” their Blackberry and would choose it over their spouse. This has led Benjamin to come up with a list of signs and solutions for blackberry addiction. For instance, turn it off when you go to bed, leave it in another room, and realize that you’re using your Blackberry too much if your spouse threatens to kill it.

Benjamin also talked about YouTube videos and how you can get them in higher quality very easily just by changing the URL. Add “&fmt=6” at the end of the URL gives you higher quality, while “&fmt=18” will give you the highest quality.

Moving on to the news, Benjamin talked about whispers of Microsoft putting Windows onto a subscription basis. As with any big change, there would be upsides and downsides to this change. For instance, updates would be automatic and just require a simple credit card transaction, while major updates (like going from Office XP to Office 07) would likely be free.  Unfortunately, you might have to stay connected to the internet, a problem if you have dial-up. Additionally, you would be stuck making endless payments, like a car lease.

Another online threat that Benjamin talked about was Rootkit. This is a form of malware that can take many forms, usually a keystroke logger, keeping track of what you type, logging it and sending it to whoever planted it. This program actually breaks your operating system in order to hide as a part of your OS, and has even been used by other malwares to prevent detection. Microsoft has a rootkit finder called Rootkit Revealer. Go to http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/Utilities/RootkitRevealer.mspx for the download.

Additionally, Benjamin talked about reducing the heat on your computer. Computers, like most electronics, put off a lot of heat while running. To keep it cool, dust it out every once in a while, keep it in an open space, and shut it down at night. For laptops, you can get stands to keep them cool, and some even come with additional USB ports. Additionally, you can monitor for strange noises or lacks of noises to tell you if anything is wrong

Remember to tune in next week and to listen to this week’s show right now by using the links below!