In recent news, Benjamin talked about www.Change.gov, Obama’s new  site, which he acquired illegally as part of his campaign organization. Lobbyist groups are not supposed to have .gov sites, but the Obama-Biden Transition Team was given this site after Obama was elected. And the              lobbyists aren’t the only thing that makes this illegal: “change” is an Obama slogan and has nothing to do with the government. If you have an opinion on this that you would like to share, please contact Benjamin at www.ComputerTalkRadio.com.

                Benjamin also interviewed the people at Musicshake, a music-making company that lets the average person write elaborate songs with ease, similar to Acid and eJay. This is a great product so check it out at www.musicshake.com!

                Another interview Benjamin had was with Laurie from NetSmartz, which works to get knowledge out about safety on the web. This is a great resource for parents and they have multiple sites, including www.NSTeens.org and www.NetSmartzKids.org. The organization is run by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children which works to teach kids how to be safe online and in the real world. If you are worrvied about internet safety, check this out, especially if you have children!

                For more on safety, Benjamin talked about firewalls following an e-mail he received from Chip. A firewall controls what can get in and out of your computer, much like a cell membrane does. These come in two “flavors” – hardware and software. For the software side, get something like Trend Micro, which will protect your individual PC and alert you to security hazards. Hardware routers like the ones from Linksys and NetGear will protect your entire network and are ideal for broadband usage. Make sure you get both for maximum coverage.

                Of course this is a computer show, but Benjamin wants to keep you apprised of all technological changes, so he also talked about the coming change from analog to digital TV signals coming on February 17^th. If you are using an old “bunny-ears” antenna set, you won’t be able to receive television anymore, so make sure you get a digital cable box so you don’t lose signal on that day. These boxes run around $40-60, but the government has been giving out coupons, though there are a limited number and they take a while to arrive. Time is running out, so get ready now!

This week Benjamin got an e-mail from Jessica about dead pixels and Ning asked about how to send folders of photos using Outlook Express.

Lastly, Benjamin used this opportunity in the New Year to do a re-introduction to the show. This is a family-friendly show, and Benjamin wants to keep it that way. His son, church members, and mother all listen to the show, as well as many others, and he believes the world will be a better place if he only talks about things he feels comfortable discussing in front of his pastor. Additionally, Benjamin works hard to remain human and friendly. He isn’t a superhuman or all-knowing, and he doesn’t pretend to be. But feel free to come to him with any question. He’ll do his best to help, and if he can’t give you an answer off the top of his head, he will find you one. He’s a nerd, and this is what he does. It’s fun, so try to stump him. He’ll enjoy the research and you can enjoy the fun. Remember the number is 888-NERD-888 and you can also contact Benjamin here at www.digitalcomutertalk.com.

Make sure you listen to the Show audio below!!