Chip asks about a common problem: Windows Smart Phones for Mac users.
It’s doable, with software (unfortunately, not provided by either the phone maker or Apple).
The best choice I’ve found is from Mark Space. Their Missing Sync program will let you easily sync your Smart Phone with your Mac’s address book and iCal or Entourage software.
Prior to doing anything, though, be sure you back up all your data. Sync programs can wreak havoc on your calendar and address book if you’re not careful, and there’s nothing worse than discovering that, say, every entry in your address book is missing phone numbers. The program is reliable, and sells for around $40.
Check it out at MarkSpace.com
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Celebrating the Hubble Space Telescope’s 17th birthday, NASA has unveiled some great new photos, one, a downloadable panorama of the Carina Nebula for either your computer or to print.
There’s dozens more of everything from planets in our solar system to shots of Gamma-ray bursts– and not those from sci-fi movies. While you there, also check out the new 3-D images of the Sun, which do require 3d glasses.
Check them all out at Nasa.gov.
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The ongoing battle for your buck has the cell phone companies pulling out all the stops.
Verizon is the latest to throw in a good idea: pulling out the early termination fee, at least for 30 days. Their new “Test Drive” is what it sounds like: you can use the service for 30 days, don’t like it? Port your number to someone else, no charges incurred– less any data used and downloaded applications.
Yep, basically the service is free to try for 30 days. Now, you do have to port your number to another service provider, you can’t just sign up and cancel after 30 days.
An added bonus, they’ve begun prorating their early termination fee. Let’s hope other wireless providers begin to follow Verizon.
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The Pharos GPS Phone 600 is everything rolled up into one.
The Windows Mobile based smart phone can handle e-mail, your calendar, address book and such, but it also has a GPS and Smart Navigator software. The handy program can, from your hand, tell you where to turn and how to get there and also give you real-time traffic information– which requires a subscription.
The Pharos is quite compact, in fact, it’s smaller the a full-sized BlackBerry. The bright, high resolution color screen is easy on the eyes and the included stylus makes getting around the various settings and programs easy (of course, you can also navigate with your finger).
Pricey, the dash-mountable GSM phone sells for around 700-bucks.
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Ed asks by e-mail, about how best to secure his WiFi network.
It’s a good question, and an often overlooked aspect of Wireless Internet. Most users simply power up their base station and log on to the ‘Net. It’s a bad idea, because it leaves your network vulnerable to hackers– and that can include your computer and the contents of your hard drive.
A simple fix: assign a password to gain access to your network. You won’t have to enter it every time you want to log on, you can set your computer to save the password. But, passwords and WEP Keys can be hacked, so a more secure way, allow only computers on your network. Each computer on your network has a unique address, which can be entered into your base station.
You can also hide the name of your wireless network, it’s the “Don’t broadcast SSID” option. Now, I’ve done this before, and usually regret it because you have to have the exact name of your network to gain access (Spellling and CapitaliZation counts), so you may want to write it down.
Those two options that will require you read the instructions that came with your wireless router, but will better serve your security. Of course, a combination of them all is the best way to go.
Got a question? Get an answer. Mail Your Questions to me.
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From your bank to your cell phone provider to the cable company. It seems whomever you’re calling you spend most of your time wading through buttons and options before you can actually speak to a person. And good luck if you pick the wrong option and end up having to start over.
Enter web site GetHuman.com, a database built in the hopes of improving customer service. The site has published a list of hundreds of companies and the trick to get to a person right away.
There’s also tips on getting through to specific people inside companies to make sure your issues are heard… by a person. Unfortunately, it won’t tell you how to get an earlier appointment with the cable company.
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The latest Panasonic Lumix DMC captures 7-megapixel pictures and boats a healthy zoom lens for a consumer camera.
The Lumix is just another in a long line of digital cams from Panasonic. Like many of the previous models, the DMC offers up a 12x optical zoom lens, which admittedly, makes the camera a little larger than most in its class- but is a bonus for a more novice user looking for pro features. Where you won’t be able to slip the Lumix in your pocket, you will be able to snap some impressive shots from a good distance.
It has a rechargeable battery, and ability to simply point-and-shoot, select from “scenes” (like nighttime and portrait) or manually adjust settings. It sells for around $350/bucks.
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It’s another attack on Skype Users. It’s a worm that spreads itself using a chat feature in Skype, but it’s actually just an old worm making a comeback.
Called Pykse.A (say that 10 times fast), it will arrive in a chat window with a link to a web site that looks legit. Following the link will actually redirect you to an infected file and the problems will begin.
If you’re a skype user, you just have to be on the lookout for unrequested instant messages containing links to avoid most problems and as always, update your anti-virus software. Also, be on the look out for an update to Skype software that will hopefully patch the potential problem.
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Tax time is over, and for most of us, done. If you filed your taxes online this year, as more than 50% were expected to do, you’ll be getting a refund or have already made a payment.
But you can also be the victim of a phishing attack if you’re not careful. Be on the lookout for e-mails from what looks to be an online tax preparer asking for more information. It will likely require you log into a web site, conveniently linked to in the note, to give up your Social, name and maybe a username. It’s phony, and don’t fall for it.
If you’re concerned there is a problem with your tax return, log onto the site or contact the service you used and check for yourself.
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Gary wants to know, if and how he can better spot a scam in e-mail. Of course, all of us are familiar with urgent messages from the bank, or being informed we won the lottery in Kenya, and most of them– if not all of them–are phony.
First and foremost: you didn’t win the lottery in Kenya, a foreign official didn’t randomly select YOU to be his sole financial benefactor and you don’t have long lost relatives in the outer stretches of the world that left explicit instructions in the event of their passing to contact you via e-mail to obtain your financial information so they may send you your just inheritance.
Second, your bank won’t contact you via e-mail to tell you your account is going to be suspended while they do anything to it. That’s just bull. However, your bank may (if you’ve elected) contact you to tell you your statement is available for download, a payment has gone through, or your auto-bill pay requires your attention. That said, though, just to be safe, don’t follow links IN THE E-MAIL. Log on to your banking web site as you normally do.
Messages that are fraudulent, known as “phishing” e-mail, contain links and look just like a message from your bank (images and all). But clicking links in the e-mail will likely take you to a web site that, although it looks like your banking site, is not. Check the URL (the address) and it probably has some numbers as an address or something like kozzlestan.cz/php/citibank.htm. Don’t do it! It’s fraud.
If you’re still concerned that you may have won the lottery or your bank is going to ‘freeze’ your checking account because of a server change for security reasons… have I told you about this bridge I have for sale? Just send me your bank account number and the money will be transferred automatically and it will be yours!
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