How to keep your Web browsing secret

Windows and other software programs store history about the different activities that you have performed on your computer and on the Internet. This information is stored in the system areas of your hard disk and the built-in Windows functions like ‘Clear History’ offer little protection as they can only partially delete this data.
Anyone can take a look at your history and find out what you have been doing on your computer, and this raises serious privacy concerns.
Winclear is an Internet history eraser that protects your Internet privacy by cleaning up all tracks of your Internet and computer activity. Cost is $37.00 but it is a one time fee and all future upgrades come to you completely free
Check it out here.

Top 10 tips for taking pictures with your cell phone camera

Camera phones are increasingly becoming the picture-taking device of choice. According to a recently published study, about 1 in 5 consumers already use a camera phone as their primary camera. This trend is likely to grow along with improvements in camera phone picture quality.
Some may find this hard to believe since pictures taken with a camera phone are often dark, grainy, oddly colored, or otherwise poor quality. Part of the reason for this is the lower resolution on many phones, but the other part – the technique –can be controlled.
Just in time for the fast-approaching holiday season, Mark Asnes, vice president and COO of Wireless Zone, shares some wireless wisdom that can help you take camera phone pictures like a pro.
Good lighting is key. The ideal place to take pictures is outside in natural light, but you can still get good results inside by turning on a few lights.
Adjust the white balance. Select your setting based on the type of lighting. If the lighting is mixed, such as incandescent lighting combined with some natural light from a window, stick with the auto setting.
Just say no to digital zoom. The picture quality will be reduced drastically. Optical zoom is ok if your phone has it. If not, just follow #4 or crop the picture on your computer later.
Get ready for your close up. In place of digital zoom, you’ll want to get the camera phone closer to whatever you’re taking a picture of than you would with a regular camera.
Stay very, very still. Easier said than done, but it helps to hold the camera phone with both hands and brace your arms against your sides or lean your elbows on a stable object like a table for support. This will help to prevent blurring.
Get accustomed to the shutter lag. This is the wait time between the moment you press the button to take a picture and the moment the picture is actually captured. Once you get a feel for how long yours is, you’ll be able to better time your shots.
Don’t get too trigger-happy with the delete button. The display on your phone has a low resolution, so an image that looks grainy on your phone could look just fine on your computer screen.
A clean lens takes clean pictures. Phones spend a lot of time in pockets, bags and the worst culprit…hands. A fingerprint on your lens is sure to distort your pictures. Use a glasses cleaning cloth to avoid scratching the lens.
Turn up the resolution, especially if you want to make prints. However, if the sole purpose is for picture messaging, you may want to leave it as is or even turn it down to avoid sending a large file.
If at first you don’t succeed…Just keep experimenting with different angles, lighting and settings. Every phone will be a little different, so it might take some time to get the hang of it. Check your phone’s manual to see which settings are available to you.
“Camera phones have improved significantly in quality over the years. Increased megapixels, better lenses and higher capacity storage are now available to consumers,” said Asnes

How To Copy VHS Tapes To CD or DVD

In the eighties and nineties VHS tapes and VCRs were found in nearly every home across America. There was no Netflix and video tape rental stores were new and booming. If you wanted to watch a movie from home, VHS tapes were the only viable option.

Many of us have collected large movie libraries in VHS format. You may have also taped your favorite TV shows that are no longer on the air. Others have family videos or high school football games on VHS tape. The problem today is, no one uses VHS players and they are becoming a thing of the past as DVD is now the preferred video format, with CDs as a close second.

Now if you have a large VHS collection, you are facing a dilemma. What are you going to do with this technology that is growing obsolete? There are commercial places around that will do this for you. But you can also do it yourself.

I warn you upfront, this can be pretty involved. But if you can follow instructions and have some patience, you indeed can copy your video tapes to CD or DVD format. The best instructions I’ve found are in a $39 e-book package and the software tools called, DVDXRipper. It took us about three minutes to set this very easy-to-use software up. After that, it was just point and click.

The guide offers all the information you need on how to copy VHS tapes. But note this, to do so you will need to get a video card with a Video In port for a camcorder or VCR . Also called a TV tuner card, you’ll find many of them online at very reasonable prices.

Here’s one - the Sabrent SBT-TVFM PCI Capture Card - Video Capture, TV Tuner, DVR, FM Radio, Personal DVD/VCD, Remote Control.

Here’s another: the Sabrent SBT-TVFM TV Tuner/Video Capture/FM Radio PCI Card with Remote Control.

Once you have the card, all you need is the step-by-step instructions and software installers and transfer programs are referenced by DVDXRipper.

There’s no way around this: It can be a time consuming process. The time required for decoding will vary depending upon the speed of your computer and the level of detail in the tape you’re copying. Your computer will be processing many gigabytes of data and when you consider the amount of data involved, the time required for the process is actually quite minimal. Faster computers can typically decode a 2 hour movie in less than four hours. Slower computers will take longer. However, the process does not require your constant attention as you can begin the process before you go to bed or while you’re at work. For the average computer, running a Pentium III 850 MHZ with 128MB of Ram, you can expect the entire process to take between 4-6 hours for an average two hour movie.

Once you sign up for this package, the tutorial guides make it easy for you install and learn the ripping tools provided with a collection of software that includes video players that allow you to play the latest video files, CD/DVD burning applications and much much more.

All that you will need to do is download the software and you will need two things, the video card we talked about earlier for your computer, and a camcorder or VCR to play the tape you’re transferring.

Once you download the software and plug your VCR into your computer DVDXRipper makes it easy to do the rest. Their instructions walk you through the process in step by step instructions and before you know it you will have your VHS tape collection transferred to CD… or, if you so want… to DVD.

How to keep snoops from checking your Internet surfing

Want to protect your online privacy and keep snoops from backchecking your Internet searching? See, the problem is Windows and other software programs store history about the different activities that you have performed on your computer and on the Internet.
This information is stored in the system areas of your hard disk and the built-in Windows functions like ‘Clear History’ offer little protection as they can only partially delete this data.
Anyone can take a look at your history and find out what you have been doing on your computer, and this raises serious privacy concerns.
Winclear is an Internet history eraser that protects your Internet privacy by cleaning up all tracks of your Internet and computer activity. Cost is $37 but it’s a one-time fee and all updates are then provided free.

How to get control of spam

More than 10.8 TRILLION spam messages will be sent out this year, according to a report from th IDC Market Intelligence firm. If you’ve had it with the share of junk e-mail you’ve been getting, there’s only one method for dealing with it: You need an anti-spam filter that uses Bayesian filters.

Bayesian filtering is like a robot for your Outlook e-mail box. It intelligently knows which e-mails you’ve received that are good and which are spam by using artificial intelligence and server blacklists. It makes sure good emails make it to your Inbox.

The anti-spam program I like the most for Windows machines is called SpamBully. It analyzes email so effectively that in many cases it is more accurate than filtering by hand.

The very first time you start SpamBully, its Bayesian spam filter will intelligently learn from your own personal e-mail habits, identifying good and spam messages.

Everytime you download your email, SpamBully will make sure good e-mails make it to your Inbox. Spam emails are sent to the “Spam” folder. E-mails SpamBully may have difficulty classifying, go to a special “Unsure” folder. You can always adjust emails in these folders by using the “Spam” and “Not Spam” buttons in the SpamBully toolbar.

You decide who and what makes it into your Inbox. Choose which e-mail addresses,words/phrases, countries, and IP’s are allowed or blocked from your Inbox. You do not need to add e-mails in your address book to your Allow/Block list. SpamBully already makes sure these addresses always make it to your Inbox.

Optionally you can just delete spam messages instead of sorting them to a spam folder. You never have to see a spam message again.

One of the reasons I like this program so much is because you can try it out for two weeks absolutely free. If you want to purchase it, it’s just $29.95 a year. That’s very reasonable for the amount of protection it delivers.

To try it out, Click Here

How to save big money on printer ink

One of the most frustrating things computer users can go through is to suddenly be faced with an “out of ink” message when printing an important document. Even more frustrating is going to the store and paying those outrageous prices for new ink cartridges.

If you’ve ever gone to the store to buy ink cartridges and discovered that buying an entirely new printer might actually be cheaper, you already know just how much brand name ink cartridges can cost. You’ve probably also tried buying so-called replacement inks at a bargain price, only to find that they didn’t offer the same quality or represented very little actual value.

Is it possible to find high-quality ink that rivals the cartridges offered by the manufacturer without paying a premium price?

The answer is yes. Just do a search on remanufactured or crcycled ink cartridges and you’ll find several companies online that provide these services. I use a company called 411inkjets.com. They provide free shipping on most of my orders, a one year money back guarantee and terrific prices.

I have saved as much as 75% by buying remanufactured ink cartridges. The ones I got from411inkjets.com have worked flawlessly with every printer I’ve ever used - HP, Canon, Epson, Lexmark, you name it.

They’re not the only company out there, of course. And I’ve noticed a lot of ink recycling shops opening in storefronts. I just prefer the convenience of ordering online and not having to run out. Because of the savings, I can order in advance and always have a supply onhand when the printer runs dry.

How to hack into an airport wi-fi network

If this works as the author says, it’s a great tip. He tells you how yo get free access to charge-per-hour airport wlans. Follow the instructions at Read more

How to enter text on a mobile phone

It amazes me how many people have expensive and elaborate mobile phones and just use them to, well, make hone calls.

Last weekend, I traveled to Kalamazoo to visit friends and the woman I was traveling with had just received a new phone and I suggested she use the navigation application built into it to vector us in to the address.

Okay, I have to stop for a minute. This isn’t working. I was going to obscure the identity of the woman to avoid embarrassment. But I just realized that unless I reveal that woman as my wife, there’s another kind of embarrassment that could result.

So the woman was my wife, Jennifer. And the friends we were visiting were my son, Jeff, and his wife, Aimee.

There. All is disclosed. Now back to the story.

“How do you do that?” Jennifer asked, whereupon I realized that even though we were paying $9.95 extra or Verizon’s awesome vzw Navigator turn-by-turn direction service on her phone, she had no idea how to use it.

Oh, getting to the program was easy. It was entering data that had stumped her.

And then it dawned on me. No wonder she never texted. She didn’t know how to type on the phone. And I am convinced she is not alone.

Kids seem to get texting instinctively. For older folks, not so much.

So here’s a quick tutorial:

Now every carrier and every mobile phone handset is different. But in general, unless you have an iPhone or a BlackBerry or Treo with a miniaturized version of a real keyboard, entering text on a phone means you have to use a phonepad that has numbers and letters for each key.

I walked Jennifer through the process over a 40 minute period last Sunday as I drove and she tried to enter in our son’s address from the passenger’s seat.

Here are the issues we found.

Getting to the program – Most phones have a dedicated navigation menu key with arrows that move right and left, up and down. Pushing the center button means the same as enter, or okay. Push that center button and one screen pops up, usually messaging.

Push left or right and you get different screens. We pushed left until we got Verizon’s Get it Now screen where, scrolling down, we found Tools on the Go. We pushed okay and opened up the vzw program. “Those are a lot of steps,” she noted.

Using the program – Jennifer clicked through just fine, finding the “enter a location” area. Then we had trouble. To enter numbers, as in an address, just punch the numbers. But when it came to text, we had to use what’s called a soft key. There are two on most phones. One on the left, under the screen. The other on the right. Above those soft keys are meun choices. On the left was one labeled abc. She tapped that and we entered the change entry mode. This toggles off numbers and text. One option was called word. She clicked it. Bad choice. It guesses at the word you are trying to enter. It usually guesses wrong. So we backed out of there and chose abc, which enters numbers and letters. “This is ridiculous,” I heard her mutter.

Entering data – Back on the program, we had to enter street and city names. But each of those keys has a number and three or four letters under it. To enter “B,” for example, you tap the 2 key twice. To make a space, tap the # key. “How are we supposed to know that?” asked Jennifer, sounding still more frustrated. It’s a good question. Maybe it’s in the manual that came with the phone. But I have it in front of me and if it’s there, I can’t find it.

Deleting Characters – This is a problem, too. For there’s two ways to back out. A clear key is like a backspace, or delete key. End also stops what you are doing, but exits the entire program. Three times Jennifer hit end, only to loose what she had already entered and have to start over. “why doesn’t it just say delete?” she asked. Another good question.

Eventually, we got everything entered and the program flawlessly directed us right to Jeff’s doorstep.
On the way home that evening, we talked about texting. Again, I suspect lot of people aren’t using this because, well, all this mobile connectivity has happened so fast that it just bypassed a big chunk of the over 45 crowd. Not all, I know. But a lot of us.

I offered another lesson, showing her how to use that center nav button to get back to the Messaging screen. Enter a mobile number or highlight one from your contact book, selectable as a soft key option, and type in up to 160 characters and send them.

“For those taught to touch type, there’s something just plain weird abut having to hit a key four times to get an ‘S,’” groused my wife. I told her 14-year-old grandson can touch type texting. It’s an old brain, young brain thing, I’m sure. She didn’t like that answer.

The bottom line is, I suggested, breaking the chilly silense after a few miles, our phones can do more than make phone calls. For me, it’s awesome. Truly, I delight in each new feature.

My wife, though, isn’t as enamored.

“You know,” she said, “I appreciate learning how this all works. But anything this complicated seems to me to be a waste of time. I could have just called Jeff and gotten directions in about 30 seconds. I’m sticking to using my phone as a phone.”

Texting shorthand

4COL — For crying out loud

4EAE — Forever and ever

B4N — Bye for now

BOOMS — Bored out of my skull

CYAL8R — See you later

d00d — Dude

GNSD — Good night, sweet dreams

H2CUS — Hope to see you soon

H8 — Hate

ICBW — I could be wrong

LFTI — Looking forward to it

MEGO - My eyes glaze over

MGB - May God bless

MIRL — Meet in real life

n00b — Newbie

PU — That stinks

ROTFL — Rolling on the floor laughing

ROTFLUTS — Rolling on the floor laughing unable to speak

RU — Are you

T+ — Think positive

W/E — Whatever

ZZZ — Bored

Source: www.webopedia.com

And I hadn’t even got to teaching her texting shorthand before she told me MEGO.

How to get ready for TV’s D-Day

D-Day is getting closer. We’re talking about Feb. 17, 2009 when all full-power television stations in the U.S. make the switch to Digital Television and millions of consumers who rely exclusively on over-the-air television signals will lose their reception unless they take the necessary steps to receive a digital signal.

Those steps are simple. Over-the-air TV viewers - meaning those who get their recption via rabbit ears or an outside antenna - either have to purchase a DTV converter box or a brand new digital TV set, or they have to subscribe to cable, satellite or other telephone company video service to begin viewing digital television now.

How many people watch TV over-the-air? Exact statistics are unknown. The best estimate comes from a 2005 General Accounting Office survey that estimated that up to 19 percent, or roughly 21 million American households, relied exclusively on free over-the-air television.

So far, it looks like the public is getting the message. The National Association of Broadcasters says a recent survey it commissioned showed that 90 percent—of the American public is aware of the upcoming transition. The survey also reported that 64 percent of over-the-air households have already taken action to prepare by learning about or applying for up to two $40 TV converter box coupons, as well as shopping for a DTV converter box.

You can get those coupons through the www.dtv2009.gov website or by calling 1-888-DTV-2009. It will let you save $40 on the price of a converter box, which simply hooks up between your antenna and the TV. I’m seeing lots of those boxes in stores, ranging in price from $40 to $75 or so.

Again, TVs connected to cable, satellite, or other pay services do not require a TV converter box to receive programs after February 17, 2009. They already get a digital signal from the cable or satellite box.

Why is all this happening? While it is true that the transition is giving a big boost to the electronics industry because a lot of people are buying new TVs, there are two big reasons.

First, explains the DTV Transition coalition on its website, digital technology allows the transmission of pictures with higher resolution for dramatically better picture and sound quality than currently available. DTV also allows the transmission of several TV programs at once - called “multicasting.” DTV technology can also be used to provide interactive video and data services that are not possible with “analog” technology.

For advertisers, broadcasters that means more revenue streams in the future. For consumers, more choices.

But probably the biggest reason for the DTV switch is is that the switch will free up scarce and valuable spectrum for public safety and new wireless services, notes the coalition. “This is possible because the improved technology of DTV is more efficient than analog TV technology, allowing for many new and critical uses of this very limited resource,” it says.

Got more questions? Here’s some material directly from the coalition website at www.dtvtransition.org:

What is the difference between integrated DTVs and DTV monitors?
An Integrated DTV set is a digital television with a built-in DTV receiver. If you have an Integrated DTV and live in an area served by a DTV broadcast station, you won’t need any additional equipment, with the exception of an antenna to receive over-the-air DTV broadcast programming. Integrated TVs can usually receive and display current analog signals.

In contrast, a DTV-Ready monitor isn’t capable of receiving over-the-air DTV broadcast programming without additional equipment. A DTV set-top decoder must be connected between the antenna and the monitor to receive and display over-the-air DTV programming.

Confirm with your retailer that the DTV receiver or set-top decoder is compatible with the DTV monitor that you’re purchasing. Most monitors have a built in analog receiver and can display regular analog TV programming. They can also display standard resolution video from DVD players and VCRs.

What do DTV sets look like and what will they cost?
Most DTV sets have wider, more rectangular screens than current analog TVs. This widescreen format allows for images that are more like those shown in a movie theater. Like current TV sets, a range of sizes is available.

As with most new consumer electronics technologies, DTV sets have become less expensive since their introduction. Prices are expected to continue to decrease over time and will vary depending on screen size, display technology, and other features.

Will I need a special antenna to receive DTV over-the-air?
In general, dependable reception of DTV will require the same type of signal reception equipment that currently works to provide good quality reception of analog TV signals. If you now need a roof-top antenna to receive television, the same antenna generally will be needed to receive DTV. For specific information on using an antenna to receive local television broadcast channels visit www.antennaweb.org.

Do I already have DTV via digital cable or satellite?
You may have DTV if you subscribe to the digital package and get digital programming. But, digital cable and satellite service aren’t necessarily “DTV.” Your cable or satellite system may be using digital technology as a more efficient way of delivering programming to your analog TV set. If you have an analog television set, then you aren’t viewing true DTV, even though the signal you’re watching may be somewhat improved. In order to view true DTV and enjoy all the attributes of digital television service, you must view television signals on a new DTV set.

Similarly, in order to view programs in high-definition (HDTV), you must be equipped with a TV set capable of displaying pictures in high-definition. Your cable or satellite set-top box or the CableCARD from your cable company must provide HDTV channels. Otherwise, you must have an antenna that can receive digital HDTV signals over the air. Check with your cable or satellite provider if you have questions about your service.

What about my VCR, DVD player and camcorder? Will I be able to use them with an HDTV or DTV set?
HDTV and DTV sets are “backward compatible,” meaning existing analog equipment (VCRs, DVD players, camcorders, video games, etc.) will work on digital TV sets, but not in high definition. Their video will be displayed in the maximum resolution that is available with each product.

Are DTV and HDTV the same thing?
No. HDTV, or high-definition television, is the highest quality digital television (DTV) available, offering more than five times the sharpness of today’s analog television, along with digital surround sound capability. DTV is also available as EDTV (enhanced definition TV) or SDTV (standard definition TV), each with improved pictures and sound over today’s analog televisions.

How to download YouTube videos

I’ve found a cool and easy-to-use program that lets you download YouTube videos.

The videos are easily viewed online but because they are in the Flash format, can’t be downloaded and saved to your hard drive and then used in, say, a PowerPoint presentation.

There’s a $25 program called Video Piggy that does it for you. It’s really simple. It allows you to convert those Flash videos to AVI, WMV, MPEG, MP4, MOV and 3GP video formats, for easy playback on your computer and DVD player. You can even extract the audio to an MP3 if you want.

To check it out Click Here.

How to find your Tat design online

Here’s something I didn’t know was available on the Internet: Tattoos. Finding tattoo designs online has become a huge online niche. A site Read more

WikiLook is handy tool

Here’s a very cool Firefox add-on. Instead of Googling a word to get its definition, use WikiLook. After installing the add-on, when you come to a word you want to define, put your cursor on it, move the cursor slightly to the right and a definition box will pop up from Wiktionary giving you the full and complete definition. Works with Firefox PC and Mac versions.

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