Computer

3 Tips to Spot a Phony Phishing Website on the Internet

Phishing is a criminal activity where scammers use the Internet to fraudulently lure people to reveal personal identity data and financial information. Scammers often send emails with links to fraudulent websites in an attempt to steal financial data. Here are three tips to spot a phony phishing website on the Internet.

Check URL

A URL is the address for a website. Phishing scammers often misspell common words in a URL that appears legitimate to navigate users to a fraudulent webpage. For example, the url https://www.bankofamerica.com is a legitimate website. A scammer may eliminate the “i” in America and unsuspecting users may click on a link received in an email without noticing the missing letter.

2. Check if “https://” is in the Address Bar

Banking and financial transaction websites use the secure encrypted “https://” instead of the unsecure “http://”. Phishing scams that direct people to phony websites on the Internet are often not encrypted and use “http” instead of “https.”

3. Check for Valid SSL Certificate

To verify if a website has a valid secure socket layer (SSL) certificate, in most web browsers you can right click on the webpage, click on properties or view page info, click on security if needed, then click on view certificates. Some banking websites may contain a lock icon at the bottom right of the page. You can verify that the icon is valid by clicking on it which will direct you to the security page. Phony websites often have fake lock icons that shows no information when you point your mouse on the icon or click on it.

Filed Under: Computer, Internet, World Wide Web Tagged With: Internet, Phony Phishing, Website

How Tablet Computers are Replacing the PC

Image via Wikipedia

In the 1980s computers were bulky and rather unstylish. The 90s is considered the dawn of the information age and laptop computers became the next big thing. Now in the new millennium, computers are smaller than ever before and tablet computers like the iPad are becoming increasingly popular. Here are some ways tablet computers are replacing the traditional PC.

Gaming

Gaming is currently the number one activity performed on tablet computers. In a March 2011 tablet survey conducted by Google Admob, 84 percent of consumers use their tablet computer for gaming. With the explosion of apps, developers are constantly unleashing new games, such as the popular Angry Birds. With so many tablet gamers, playing games on a traditional PC is becoming outdated.

Email Usage & Web Browsing

Emailing and web browsing currently holds the second and third spot respectively for tablet activity. The 2011 Google Admob survey revealed that 78 percent of consumers use their tablet for emailing and 74 percent use for surfing the Internet. The survey also revealed that personal PC usage declined 77 percent after purchasing a tablet computer.

Home Usage

More and more people are moving away from use of a desktop computer at home and are using their tablet instead. The Google Admob survey reported that 82 percent of consumers are using their tablets primarily at home. Another tablet study conducted by Nielsen reported that 51 percent of tablet owners use their device in bed. The top three reasons why people like using their tablet computers at home as reported by Nielsen includes, ease of carrying, ease of interface and fast start-up.

Filed Under: Computer, History of Computer, Internet, Software Tagged With: Computers, PC, tablet survey

Playing Online vs. Playing on Your Computer

With the Internet and today’s technology, there are many options when it comes to playing games. You can play games online or you can download games and play them on your computer.

Advantages to Playing Games Online

There are a few advantages to playing a game online. For one, when you play games online, including bingo games, you don’t have to worry about installing the game on your hard drive. When you install a game, you have to worry about things such as whether you have a compatible operating system and whether you have room on your hard drive for the game’s file and information. Additionally, when there are updates, you have to go back to the game’s website and download these updates and install them.

Sometimes, when you install new programs, there are conflicts between the program files and other files on the computer which can lead to your computer not running efficiently. Also, you might have issues with certain programs slowing your computer down.

Advantages to Playing Games on Your Computer

The number one advantage to playing games on your computer is being able to play the game no matter what. There are many times, especially while traveling, when you may not have access to the Internet. When this happens you will still be able to play the game on your computer.

Another advantage with playing on your computer is you can save things such as high scores and game preferences, which you are not able to do online.

Overall, whether you play online or on your computer depends on which advantages are more beneficial to you and your circumstances.

Filed Under: Computer, Internet Tagged With: Computer, Playing Online

Spending Time On The Computer

In the early 1990s, only twenty years ago, the average household didn’t have a personal computer in it. Today, it seems the average household has a personal computer for every member of the family. America has gone from a society that uses computers lightly to a society that uses computers regularly. Many studies have been conducted and according to an article in the New York times kids spend 7.5 hours a day using some form of media. In that 7.5 hours they consume 11 hours of media because they take in media from different sources simultaneously. So, the question arises, whether you are a child or an adult, how much time on the computer is too much.

For many adults, their job takes place primarily on a computer. This means that the computer time for them starts off on a week day at 7 hours. In the study listed above we are talking about television, MP3 players, telephones, and computers. These activities can include anything from playing bingo games or researching information for work. All of these things are not completely different in that you are spending your time relating to or through an electronic device rather than person to person, person to book, person to dog, and the list goes on and on. Some are of the opinion that this is too much, that this is having a negative effect on humanity. Others don’t want to hear it and are happy with there opportunity to spend his or her time as that individual sees fit.

The debate can rage and there are opinions that make sense on both sides, but for parents wondering how to make a decision to limit their child’s media use, a choice must be made. The important part of making this decision is first of all knowing your kids. If that is the problem and you think, all of the devices are to blame here is a suggestion. Rather than limiting the use of devices, find a way to get to know your kids, even by requiring family time spent engaged in an activity. The device is maybe not the enemy, spending time with your kids is the goal.

Filed Under: Computer Tagged With: Computer

The Benefits Of Learning Online

There are many benefits of learning online, and many busy people find that this type of education works best for them. Sites like earnmydegree.com can show you all of the online options that are available, and many of them surprise people. In fact, online learning offers some of the highest quality education that is offered today, with some online school receiving higher accreditation than many brick and mortar schools.

Why Online Works For People

Online education offers people the luxury setting their own schedules, having the flexibility with completing classes, in some case as long as six months, and the option to work completely independently, or with a team environment. The other major benefits that online education offers are the saving of a regular tuition. Because online schooling is low cost on the facilities, and professors are hired as adjuncts, there is little to no overhead for many of the high quality schools. This is also true of schools that are outsourcing as a satellite institution.

Online degrees are becoming high demand options because businesses are utilizing the convenience for the purpose of continuing education for their employees. The affordability and flexibility makes this a winning choice. Showing that you already have an online degree is a great way to make yourself appealing and valuable to a company that is striving to get their employees ready for the technological age that business is so geared for. Online degrees also show a savvy for technology that is already present, showing companies that you are ready to jump in.

Filed Under: Computer, Internet Tagged With: Computer, Online, Online degrees

Cameras for Computers

If you buy a laptop these days chances are it comes with a webcam attached to your computer just above your monitor. If you purchase a PC you may or may not have this feature come with your purchase. So what kind of device do you need?

If you intend to use the camera as nothing more than a webcam than the resolution of the camera doesn’t have to be extensive. There is a limit to the resolution that will be seen most computer screens so a the top of the line high mega-pixel camera may be more than your system can use. So, be reasonable with your purchase.

If you intend to use your camera for online calls through something like Skype, you will also need a microphone. Some cameras come with a microphone in the same unit. A word of caution, if you have difficulty hearing and need to turn your speakers up loud to hear the other caller the microphone may pick up the sound of the speaker causing some audio issues in the call. In this case it is better to purchase headphones with a microphone as apposed to getting the microphone on board with the camera.

Some digital cameras can also double as a webcam. It is probably best to divide these two uses of cameras to different devices as you will need very different qualities in each camera. It’s important to know exactly what you want to use the camera for before you purchase it. This will help you make the best decision when you are in the store or searching online.

Filed Under: Advacements, Computer Tagged With: Cameras, Computers

Casinos: Online or In Person?

Have you ever visited a casino? Casino’s feature all around the world, allowing people to enter and enjoy a luxurious life which is designed to be as far away from normal life as possible. The decor is lavish, the statues are detailed and the lights are dimmed and there’s an atmosphere of complete glamour.

There are no windows or clocks, so time is lost, and swapping cash for casino chips feels oh-so-exciting and that’s before you see the wide range of games you can join in or watch. From poker to blackjack, there are online casino games everyone will love. And once you’ve had your fill of gaming, casinos often offer food and drinks, and even entertainment such as performances and shows.

There is a way to experience the excitement if you don’t have the time or money to jet off to a Casino, though. Online casinos have been growing in popularity, and it’s not hard to see why. They often offer free money for new accounts, and you can log in and play whenever you want. There are always several games on the go, so you don’t have to wait to start playing, and you can play for as long as you want.

You can also clearly see how much you’ve spent. While casino chips might be part of the experience, they do help you to forget how much you are actually spending, and might make you place larger bets then you would with actual cash. Online casinos ask you to deposit money from your bank account, and your balance is clearly displayed. Once you’ve run out, you can go through the deposit process to add more funds, but you can’t spend more then you’ve deposited.

The two types of casino are really incomparable. The real casino gives you an experience unlike any other, where everyone is treated like royalty, whereas online is easily accessible, fun, and affordable. Which is your favorite?

Filed Under: Computer, Internet Tagged With: Casino, Online

A Second Computer for the House and Travel

Are you looking for a second portable computer for use around the house and while traveling? There are number of options out there that may fit exactly what you need. Consider trying out a net-book for your next computer.

Today, there is less need for all the extras when all you want out of your PC is the ability to go online or type a document. Even the small netbooks have all the ports to connect to the internet and some external devices. Anything you will need. Most programs you would want can be downloaded from the internet so the lack of CD or DVD-ROM drive is not a problem.

The screen size on most netbooks is much smaller than those on an average sized laptop. This can be difficult to get used to for some people because most websites are sized for a different size screen. More scrolling may be required than you are used to when you use an 11 inch or larger monitor. What this means is that a net-book may not be the best choice for someone that has difficulty seeing and requires larger icons and text when viewing.

The size of the keyboard is also often reduced in size for a net-book. Often the size is 95% or 90% of a regular keyboard. This could be nice for a child or someone with small hands, but may be a problem for someone with larger hands.

All of this is of little importance if you intend to use the device for limited use or while traveling. the compromise might be worth it for the highly portable device and the low cost. And the run Windows operating systems.

Filed Under: Computer, General Tagged With: Computer, net-book, Travel

Having Trouble Playing a Media File?

How many times have you tried to play a media file only to find that you lack the software to play it. You try it in Windows Media Player and all you see is a file name in red that won’t play. No other players seem to make the file play. It is important that if you choose to use a computer that it can actually communicate to you the information that you are interested in seeing. So what options do you have and how can you gain access to the file you want to see?

The first important task is to copy the file you wish to play onto your computer. Sometimes the file you want to see is possible to play on existing software but your disc player may not be fast enough along with your processor to play the file. So, copy the file to your desktop and see if that allows you to play the file on an existing media player.

If you are still in a bind there is an option of downloading a new player to play your media. One suggestion is to download a player that is meant to play a variety of files. The VideoLan VLC media player is easily downloaded and plays many of the files you may have trouble playing. The VLC player is also open source software meaning it is free and maintained by a group of computer users. The player will play most media files whether it is a DVD or a Quicktime file. The player is meant to play as many variety of files as possible.

If these suggestinos don’t help consider doing a search. Look at the file extension of the file you would like to play and see what information is available. Hopefully the file you are trying to play are not corrupt. Good Luck.

Filed Under: Advacements, Computer Tagged With: Floppy disk, Internet, Media File