This week Benjamin got an e-mail from Nancy about wireless networks. Her network was not the only one she could access from her computer and she wanted to know the safety implications of this. Benjamin advised her to only use hers to remain safe.

                Benjamin also gave us tips on staying away from viruses. Turns out people are starting to get very tricky in order to keep their software onto your machine. Viruses are frequently uninstalled via message boxes with two options: “OK” and “Cancel.” In these situations you would expect the “OK” button to remove it. However, throwing in a double negative means that “OK” will keep the software on your computer, so when you instinctively click “OK,” you give the virus permission to stay on your computer. Keep an eye out for these kinds of things and make sure you read everything before clicking on a decision, no matter where you are on the web,

                In the news, Benjamin covered global notebook sales surpassing Desktop sales for the first time ever. Of course, “ever” only covers a couple decades, but that’s still a huge feat. This is because as processing power fits more  and more into less and less space, people don’t really NEED to have both a notebook AND a desktop. And when they need to buy a new computer, it makes more sense to just buy a notebook to fulfill both purposes. The youth pastor at Benjamin’s church even uses his Macbook as his computer in the office as well.

                Benjamin also spoke with Becky from Iolo Technologies, which produces all sorts of computer tools. They have tax software and tips, antivirus programs and more. Check them out at www.iolo.com.

                More in the news, Benjamin touched on the increased digital publication of people’s private lives. Sites like MySpace, Facebook, and Youtube allow people to post and publish their lives for all to see. Many, such as the “Star Wars Kid,” became famous practically overnight. Of course, some of these videos are faked for the publicity they will produce. More important than this limited publicity, though, is the fact that if you are not careful, people can find out just about anything about you online. Many people find that they are denied jobs for something they posted online that, though not related to the job, shows bad character. Be careful what you post online. We need to be sure that we do not enter the world of George Orwell’s 1984, where everything is monitored. Please  contact Benjamin with questions  or  concerns  regarding this.

                On a user-friendly help note, Benjamin came up with a list of “Nerd Years’ Resolutions.” Things on this list included removing old programs that you don’t use, deleting old e-mails, setting a restore point, and many more. For the entire list, listen to the show audio below.

                Lastly, Benjamin talked with a representative from www.McAfee.com, who told us that cybercriminals are profiting greatly from the lower economy. People are looking for money, so the common “get rich quick” e-mail scams that have been around forever are turning more of a profit. People are more desperate for cash, so they’re less careful with these things, frequently costing them the money they were hoping to earn. Be especially careful and load on an anti-virus now if you do not have one already.

Also, make sure you listen to the show audio below!!