My Virus Protection

1.Norton Anti-virus 2010: $39.99
www.store.norton.com
The highlights are uninterrupted scanning for harmful viruses or other threats and the firewall adjusts to threat levels. Norton is probably the most popular and for good reason too, it has the top of the line features that safeguard computers from many threats. My father purchased a $40 version of Norton anti-virus years ago and I remember Norton scanning the computer for threats practically every hour. Norton can be expensive so it's important to find a discount.
System requirements- MS Windows Internet 6 or above, Windows XP, Windows 7, and Windows Vista. 300 Mhz or faster processor, 512 MB (RAM), and 200 MB of available space.

2.Kaspersky 2010: $59.95
www.usa.kaspersky.com
I have this protection on my Gateway laptop. When I purchased my laptop at Bestbuy I was given a discount on the Kaspersky anti-virus so that's the main reason I use Kaspersky. I wasn't familiar with the name so I took a chance that it would provide good protection. I'm pleased with it's real time protection, (I receive important updates to keep my information safe), identity theft, two way firewall (protects from spam and hackers), and blocks spyware & adware. Kaspersky has an anti-virus for mac users. Kaspersky is expensive so it is important to find a deal.
General system requirements- MS Internet explorer 6.0 or above & 375 MB of free space on hard drive. Other System requirements- Windows XP:Intel Pentium processor 300 MHz or faster, Vista:Intel Pentium processor 800 MHz, and Windows 7: (1 GHz or higher), Pro: 1 GB (RAM)


3.McAfee 2010: $26.99
www.mcafeeprotection.com
This firewall provides anti-hacker security. Guards against viruses, blocks spyware identity theft, adds safety ratings to websites, delivers the latest software features. I had this on a desktop computer before and it worked fine. I downloaded on the internet alot back then and McAfee blocked alot of adware and Trojan worms.
System requirements- Windows XP, Vista, and 7. Must have MS Internet Explorer 6 or above. 1 Ghz processor or higher, 256 MB (RAM)or more available.

4.AVG:*
www.avgfree.com.au
Blocks hacker attacks, malware, spyware, and detects & blocks fraudulent websites. It lacks parental controls. I use the internet frequently for school, business, fun stuff, and I would like an easy-to-use anti-virus protector. I love that AVG is free because I'm always budgeting. AVG has all the protection that I would need and I will try this software once my Kaspersky becomes outdated.
System requirements- MS Windows 2000 to MS Windows 7 x64 edition. Intel Pentium 1.8 Ghz processor or faster, 550 free hard drive for installation and 512 MB (RAM)

5.Paretologic Anti-virus Plus:*
www.antiviruspros.com
Customizable scanning, locates threats in compressed files, complete removal of viruses, and blocks malware. This protection device is especially great for gamers because of creative game mode protection and it doesn't compromise the video game speed. This would be a great choice for my brother because he loves gaming.
System requirements- Windows 2000 Oper: 512 MB (RAM), Windows Vista: 512 MB (RAM) & Vista Oper: 1 GB (RAM), and Windows XP: 512 MB (RAM) Operating systems.

*AVG and Paretologic are two anti-virus programs that are freely available.

(www.pctools.com and www.nextadviser.com were helpful and informative websites.)

My Operating System

Windows 7, Windows XP, and Windows Vista are all possible to work on my computer. I currently use Windows 7 Home Premium edition on a laptop I just purchased. I like the features with this edition. It has all the features that would easily help me in my day to day routine. I am usually on internet 8 or I'm writing a paper so I only need something basic. I need a system that is simple enough to meet my basic needs and also will allow me to stretch myself to incorporate various new features in my routine. Therefore, Windows 7 Home edition is the best fit for me right now. The other editions were recommended for business users and cost more than the Home Premium. I may upgrade to Ultimate one day because I like the idea of upgrading and trying something new. The Ultimate cost alot though. However, I am satisfied with the Home edition. I purchased the new Compaq laptop I have with Windows 7 Home Premium already installed on it. Windows 7 Home Premium was also installed on the other laptop I own already too.

The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly

My topic was Tinnitus.



The Good

link http:www.dizziness-and-balance.com/disorders/hearing/tinnitus.htm
The article's author is Timothy C. Hain, MD. I searched his name and his credentials are credible. (www.tchain.com) In the article, he is very informative about the condition Tinnitus, symptoms, treatment, etc. The information on Tinnitus was thorough, accurate, and current. The last time the page was modified was February 11th, 2010. Many references were acknowledged towards the end of the website. Medical journals were used as sources. There are an abundance of links to other material on Tinnitus. The site is represented at www.alexa.com This web page on Tinnitus is one of the best based on the information I measured it with from Berkeley. There was another website that was very informative too.




The Bad
http://www.medicinenet.com/tinnitus/article/htm
The webpage purpose is to inform the public about Tinnitus. I believe the information was very informative, however there are ways the website can improve. This article doesn't present details on the subject compared to the web page above, which is partly why I think it is bad. The author of the article is John P. Cunha, DO and William C. Shiel Jr., MD is the editor. William C. Shiel is the Chief Editor for Medicinenet.com. I searched both doctors names and information came up about them as medical doctors. It is hon-code certified. There are not any references to support the information in the article. There are links to other information on Tinnitus. The information is displayed like it is common knowledge. The site is represented at www.alexa.com. The last editorial review was November 30th, 2007.

Wikipedia:Fact or Fiction (part 2)

The study that Nature did was very enlighting. I've always felt information was more accurate coming from traditional sources. The results from the study does influence my opinion about Wikipedia. I am pleased that Wikipedia is an accurate source since I read articles from the site occasionally. In the future, I will use it as a reference for a report if it is okay with the professor. Ultimately, I think it is the teachers preference that is most important, but I now give Wikipedia the respect it deserves.

All the news...

How many internet users are there in the world? There are 1,733,993,741 internet users in the world. I searched on 20 Feb. 2010. The stat is from September 30 2009. The internet usage data was from Nielson Online, the International Telecommunications Union, Gfk Group, The Computer Industry Almanac, CIA Factbook, local regulators, and other reliable sources. Information and by http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm
http://www.internetworldstats.com/www.internetworldstats.com/a/stats.htm
http://www.internetworldstats.com/
Who is allowed to publish information via the internet?
Someone who has a computer or server.
http://www.windowsnetworking.com/articles_tutorials/WebDAV-IIS.html
http://www.windowsnetworking.com/articles_tutorials/WebDAV-IIS.html

http://www2.csusm.edu/ilast/webevalart.htm
http://www2.csusm.edu/ilast/webevalart.htm

Wikipedia: Fact or Fiction? (part 1)

Wikipedia is a website that I use to find basic information on a topic. I'll read what is presented on a particular topic and then I'll explore it further as part of a brain storm. I have never used any information from Wikipedia in a report unless it was general knowledge material. Mainly, because I don't think Wikipedia is considered an important informative source for a report or project. I have been assigned research papers for professorswho have preferred that I cite from various sources, for instance, medical journals, books, or encyclypedias, a person, magazines, video/audio, and websites. However, professors wanted the majority of my information to come from journals and books and less material from websites. I am not certain if all the information on Wikipedia is true or updated properly. In addition, I'm not sure who to credit for specific information in the articles, because it is constructed like common knowledge material.

Searching the Internet Effectively

I searched for information about the World Cup 2010.

First Search - Simple Search
watch world cup
67,000,000 results in (0.21 seconds)

Second Search - Use Additional Keywords
watch the world cup 2010
59,300,000 results in (0.17 seconds)

Third Search - Use Phrases
watch the fifa world cup 2010
31,200,000 results in (0.16 seconds)

Fourth Search -Boolean Operators
watch the fifa world cup 2010 AND Boolean
2,570 results in (0.14 seconds)

Personal Computer Use Profile

I have a new Gateway Laptop that is wireless connected through At&t. I primarily use it for school and its internet service is very convenient, because I am able to make alot of business transactions from home. I use Microsoft Word everyday. My basic knowledge of Microsoft Word has helped me meet the demands of school. Educational software has helped me study and I have games that I play on my computer. Seven years ago I installed the games Centipede, Chess, and Scrabble on my desktop computer but I don't get to play them as much as I used to. I haven't set up my desktop computer yet, because I need to purchase a new processor. The processor I have now is outdated and the cooling fan works off and on. The computer technician I consulted said it would be cheaper to buy a new processor than to have to keep paying for parts for such outdated machinery. He's right but I've grown so attached to that desktop I think I'll keep it and buy a new one later. My computer makes my life comfortable, I have more ways to communicate with family and friends, I make transactions without ever leaving the house, I have tons of music from the computer, I get directions and information for many things in my life. However, the social network sites are not interesting. Overall, I would like to be more knowledgable about the programs that will be beneficial for me in school. I also think the computer can aid me in organizing my day to day activities better, too. Stubbornly, I have resisted the modern technological movement but now I'm ready to learn.

Virus Protection. Yes, Kaspersky Anti-Virus and Norton Security Scan.
Password Strength. My password was weak.
Firewall. Yes an active firewall. Windows firewall protection.
Ad/Mal-ware. Yes, my computer has Kaspersky ad/mal-ware blocker.
Spam. No, I don't send pics and stories. I'm wary a virus is lurking.
Phishing. Yes, it's a criminal way of redirecting web users to a fake website in order to retrieve passwords, banking info, and important identification information. I'm not sure what social engineering is.
Image. I don't have my image on the internet, it would creep me out.
Data Backup. I have some data on cd's and dvd's. I'm trying to figure out how I can backup the programs on my laptop.

computer literacy revisited

Anyone who has a basic understanding of how to use a computer is computer literate. My idea was similiar to other ideas about what computer literacy is, of course the book went in to far more details. There is so much to learn about the different functions of a computer, in some ways I am very computer literate and other ways I'm gradually learning.