As I move more and more of my computing away from my desktop computer to the Internet and Ubuntu, my computing life becomes less complicated and quite mobile. I can access documents, calendar information, contact information, and more from my phone (Treo 755p at the moment) and any Internet connected computer any where I happen to be.
Our local cable Internet provider, Bresnan, starting sending out notices about their new security suite from Computer Associates. Computer Associates is one of the older technology companies and produces great software, and I haven’t seen the product yet, but based on the description in the email, I wouldn’t jump on board.
As with most suites, they are usually too big, too slow, and don’t protect you well enough. As of today, I recommend the Castellini on Computers Hybrid Security Suite:
1. AVG Anti-virus
2. Windows Defender
3. A router for your high speed connection
4. Windows Firewall
5. Monthly updates and scans with SypBot Search and Destroy and/or Super AntiSpyware
6. Cloudmark Desktop anti-spam
7. MOST IMPORTANT: ONLY browse the Internet with Mozilla Firefox
Has our site ever helped you solve a problem? Did you search all over the web before you found the answer here? If so, you can help us out by visiting some of the other sites that failed to solve your problem and post a link to where you found the answer at HelpMeRick.com.
Only do this if you can post a direct link to the page where we solved the problem. We do not want to be accused of spamming so only post solutions and links from HelpMeRick where they will truly help someone.
How this helps us:
Google ranks sites based on popularity and relevance. Popularity is easy, but you can’t fake relevance. When other sites link back to us, it makes our site more relevant. But it only works if people follow the link and they find our site helpful.
Last week, I initiated a new service here at HelpMeRick.com that allows you to get email updates (including the newsletter) about the site. Once per day, you will receive an email with any new content we have posted to the site. No spam, no fuss, just nicely formatted updates from the site.
The service is called FeedBlitz. Click the little FeedBlitz icon found in the upper left hand corner of all our web pages and then fill out the short form to subscribe to the updates. You can also click right here to subscribe.
We would love to see that little subscription number get into the 10’s of thousands or more!
As you know, we have been working hard to get our newsletter problems cleared up since they started earlier this summer. Unfortunately, some services are still marking the newsletter as spam.
Using our new FeedBlitz service will allow you to not only get the newsletter, but also help you keep on top of all the happenings here at HelpMeRick.com. Give it a try! And tell all your tech friends about it as well!
After several months, we think we have all of our newsletter issues corrected. If you haven’t been receiving our free weekly email newsletter, you can now subscribe simply by tying your email address into the box at the top left of any page on HelpMeRick.com.
If you are using any kind of spam filter, you will need to add response26262629 @ zinester.com (delete the spaces before and after the @ symbol) to your accepted email addresses.
If you are a Bresnan broadband user, you may need to email this-is-not-spam@bresnan.net and tell them to take the above email address off of their blocked spam list.
That is a direct quote from a Freshman in college that I helped with her computer today. She purchased it just three days ago and already has Lime Wire installed. For those not familiar with Lime Wire, it is a service that many people use (especially college aged kids) to download free music, movies and more. In addition to be legally questionable (or downright illegal by some accounts), downloading free music is the single best way to completely screw-up a normally functioning computer.
Over the years, when we got calls from listeners with “slow computers”, our first question was “do you have any teenagers in the house?”. The reason we asked was that most unrestrained teenagers with Internet access will eventually install programs like Lime Wire and start downloading the free stuff.
Adam and I first mentioned this nasty little virus earlier this spring on our radio show. The email that spreads it poses as an electronic greeting card from your friend or relative. Because the email is so poorly constructed, is never from a known address, and the link it displays in the body of the message is a number (NEVER, EVER Click a link that is constructed of a number, ex: http://91.188.176.15/) we didn’t put much credence in how much damage it could do.
Haven’t used my computer at all today except to write this blog entry. I will answer some email later, but again, Ubuntu does that without any problems at all (except that I miss my Cloudmark spam filter). I have one more day before I return to my Windows machine and use it as my primary again. I did hook a regular mouse to this laptop and it makes it easier to run the machine than relying full time on the touch pad. Thankfully, this laptop has a button that can turn the touchpad off when I’m typing since my palms tend to rub on the touchpad and then throw me out of the box where I was typing.
Tomorrow night, I will give a longer summary of my 14 day Ubuntu report and how I feel it would work for other computer users.
Week two with Ubuntu starts today, and still no shakes, dry heaves, or headaches after leaving Windows last weekend. I’m enjoying the Ubuntu and even have the spam a little more under control with Thunderbird email. Normally, I don’t play games on my computer, but I do like puzzle games that challenge my mind and help me wind down after a long day troubleshooting Windows’ problems. Ubuntu comes with a literal plethora of small, fun games. I like one called “Same Gnome” that challenges you to clear a game board of small orbs by lining them up as the same color. Sounds simple, but it is fun and like all good puzzle games is addicting.
Today marks the one week mark that I quit using my Windows Vista machine and started using Ubuntu exclusively. I pledged to use Ubuntu only for two straight weeks to really put the operating system through the paces of daily use. After a rough start with email and fighting spam, I am almost in a groove of using this free and robust operating system. I think that Microsoft has the work cut out for themselves over the next few years to maintain their huge share of the operating system pie.