In the news, Benjamin gave us some great news about spam. Spammers annoy us all, and they’re cutting down now due to a great development in the world. People have been fighting against spammers, and one group of researchers has discovered a list of companies that assist spammers. When confronted these companies gave up a lot of names, including McColo, who does out-of-house server storage. Some of the storage was knowingly for spammers, and McColo has been shut down, cutting the numbers of spammers out there.

Also in the news, Benjamin gave us some new info on the upcoming Windows 7. Its still a ways off, (maybe in time for Christmas 2009) but Benjamin has got a lot of the features that will be included. Some of its features are a BITLOCKER which will give better encryption to your drive, APPLOCKER which will prevent unwanted programs from running on your computer, DYNAMIC UPDATE which will check your program immediately when you open it, increased remote access, and possible enhanced speech and writing recognition tools.

Another News article Benjamin talked about was Keylogging companies. Keyloggers can be spread through something as simple as an image and log what you type once they have infected your computer. They are sometimes used by law enforcement and private investigators, and are also used by criminals. The Federal Trade Commission has filed a complaint against one company, CyberSpy, that was selling them for $90. The company  is dying off now and has been offline for sometime, meaning that people who have planted Keyloggers can no longer check them, and the company may soon be gone. Unfortunately there are still many similar companies out there doing the same thing. If you have information about a similar event or an opinion on this please contact Benjamin at www.ComputerTalkRadio.com.

Additionally, Benjamin had an interview with Michael from Hometown Favorites. This is a company that uses the internet to sell nostalgic candies, regional groceries, and custom themed gift baskets. They are hoping to become part of a larger online commercial experience – a sort of online “mall” which will essentially be a large set of online stores. Visit Hometown Favorites at www.hometownfavorites.com.

Benjamin also interviewed Anna from I-Global Mall, the makers of a mouse hand warmer. This product should help fight Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, and other diseases. For more details go to www.IGMproducs.com.

With Christmas approaching, Microsoft has declared that they are not worried about their gaming sales. They released many great games this year and hope that the games will be huge successes, citing that people usually keep their entertainment spending in tight economic situations, as they did in the Great Depression. During the Depression, theaters and dancing thrived and now gaming sales are up 18% since October 2007. They believe that people need a “gift that keeps on giving.”  Video games do this perfectly, while clothes are outgrown and food is used up. In a recent press release Microsoft had the following subsections: “Almost Everyone Will Stay Home for the Holidays,” “Being Entertained at Home is Crucial to Family Happiness,” “The Family That Plays together,” and “Xbox 360: Something for Everyone.” Please share your opinions on this with Benjamin.

Every month, on the second Tuesday, Microsoft releases a new security patch. However, Benjamin warned us, hackers are now looking into these patches as soon as they can, which means waiting is not good. Turn on Automatic Updates today to protect yourself.

Benjamin also got an e-mail from Andrew, who wanted to know the differences between SATA, PATA, and other hard drive formats. Patricia also sent in an e-mail, saying that she had been told to buy a full warranty from Fry’s and wanted to check with Benjamin.

Remember to listen to the show audio below!