Computer "Tip of the Day" 05-27

- - Bogus Security Software a Growing Threat. Hackers are increasingly hiding viruses in bogus computer security software to trick people into installing treacherous programs on machines, Microsoft has warned. The software giant said in a security intelligence report that "rogue security software" is a growing threat as hackers take advantage of people's fears of worms such as Conficker.
Rogue security software, referred to as "scareware," pretends to check computers for viruses, and then claims to find dangerous infections that the program will fix for a fee. "The rogue software lures them into paying for protection that, unknown to them, is actually malware offering little or no real protection, and is often designed to steal personal information," Microsoft said. Two "rogue families" of scareware were detected in 1.5 million computers. Another form of scareware was found on 4.4 million computers, a rise of 66% from the previous six-month period. "That means when users downloaded the software, they probably gave away credit card numbers and got infected," Microsoft said. "That's a double hit."
More information:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g1CtLy3RMmuOONaTD2Utb4QZSQxg

Computer "Tip of the Day" 05-26

- - Check the Size of Your Webmail Inbox Phishing Scam This email purports to be an automatic webmail admin message that warns account holders that their webmail account inboxes are nearing the maximum allowed size and need to be reset in order to allow the continued delivery of email. The message claims that account holders need to reply to the message with their webmail username and password so that the account's email database can be reset. Surprise: the message is not from any webmail system's administrator. Instead, it is a phishing scam designed to steal webmail account details. Those who reply as instructed will be handing over the email account username and password to Internet scammers.
More information: http://www.hoax-slayer.com/check-inbox-size-scam.shtml

An Evening of New Works Festival

An Evening of New Works: June 5, 2009; Friday @ 8 p.m.Theater 4301, Galleria Corporate Centre, Scottsdale (SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.) – Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, in association with The Dramatists Guild of America, will present "An Evening of New Works" on June 5 at 8 p.m. at Theater 4301 in downtown Scottsdale. Single tickets are available for $5 from the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Web site at http://www.scottsdaleperformingarts.org/ or the box office at (480) 994-ARTS (2787).

An Evening of New Works" will feature a selection of short plays, each no more than 10 minutes in length, by eight playwrights from Arizona and New Mexico: "Plots" by Robert Benjamin / "The Guy from 1992" by Mare Biddle / "Alex and Anna" by J. Boyer / "responsible" by Dennis Bush / "Culebra" by David Dudley /
"BFF" by Debra Rich Gettleman / "Gray Lady's Angel Baby" by Jackie Marx / "Together Alone" by Richard Warren.

Some plays will be performed as staged readings while others will be more rehearsed presentations with minimal production elements. The purpose of the evening is to help the playwrights develop these new works. Audience members will be given the opportunity to provide feedback through a talk-back session with the playwrights.

Hope to see you there,

Jackie Marx

Business "Tip of the Day" 05-13

Food for Thought!
What clear advantage does your company offer?
Why do your customers say they enjoy doing business with you?
What stands out - is it your product or service, price, expertise, customer service?
What do you offer that is not offered by any competitor - now or in the future?
Think about it and try to find ways to do B E T T E R!

Security Tip 05-13

- - Beware of "Friendly" Email Scams
A friend in need? Maybe not. Scammers are assuming the name and email address of one of the victim's real friends to make a message appear legitimate. The email, which appears to be sent by the friend, asks for a favor: a wire transfer of almost $2,000 to help her out of jam. In the message, the "friend" says she is traveling overseas for a seminar. She says she was robbed and needs money to pay her hotel bills and come back home. She promises to pay back any money she borrows. Surprise: the message is not from the friend at all and any money sent will go to the scammer.
More information:
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=news/consumer&id=6749380

Security Tip 05-11

- - Wal-Mart Scam Sweeps the Web
A new email scam involves a Wal-Mart survey emailed to your personal account. If you fill it out, the email claims you will receive $150.
Don't open it, warns the Better Business Bureau. You will only be giving away your money and your identity. Attached to the email is the survey, which looks harmless until you get to the bottom of the page where it wants your credit and debit card information. In addition, scammers want your card verification code from the back of the card and your pin number. This isn't the first time the Wal-Mart name has been used in a phishing scam. Last April, emails went out claiming customer accounts had been compromised. It was also a hoax and an attempt to trick people into giving out personal information.
More information:
http://www.14wfie.com/Global/story.asp?S=10217026&nav=menu54_2

Sunrise Business Builders

March 2009 meeting attendees

Twitter Client Pooped on me!!!!

Recently, I talked about social media sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. This month I would like to offer a cautionary tale and warning that can allow you to participate in this exciting new social media without your computer contracting a “social disease”.
One fine day I was enjoying myself, surfing the net, sending tweets (twitter messages) and building my friends and followers lists. As a result, I began to receive e-mails from some of the other twitter users. The emails had interesting and provocative topics about increasing search engine optimization (SEO) and building your business on the web. Because, I own a website and do most of my research from my computer, I started reading some of the advertisements that were sent to me. The problem was the emails were outside of the safe confines of Twitter, and they were from sources I was not familiar with. ( I should have heeded the warning I give to my grandchildren, “Stranger / Danger!”) I went to read more about a product and it attached keyword launch advertisements to my computer. Suddenly, PLOP right on my computer, I had contracted not the swine flu but a spyware/adware virus.As I was working on my website, www.discovertheregion.com I would see key words in GREEN with an underline. As I would scroll over the word, a pop up advertising box with GAMEVANCE Advertising would entice me to click and go to another page of advertising. I was confused. This was not a feature I wanted on my computer.
I contacted my webmaster Rick and asked, “What is going on?” He said, “you have spyware that has made it through your firewall. ( I hate it when that happens, especially when I was the one who opened the door for the dirty bird.) I thought, okay I got myself into this, I can get myself out. I tried to delete the Gamevance from my programs list, but found out that is only a temporary fix. The spyware is designed to reconnect when the computer restoration begins. This is worse than gum on your shoe! Researching on line, I found what appeared to be a specific program to remove the problem. But further investigation revealed I would be purchasing the fix from Gamevance. Tell me this is NOT a SCAM!!!!
My next call was to my computer dude, Skip. Within an hour Skip had my problem fixed. Skip also found out this contains Trojans which you do not want on your computer. I highly recommend him if you need assistance with computer problems. Valley’s Best Computers 623.547.7711. He can dial in and no one has to leave their chairs.Now don’t get me wrong, after the residue was gone I got right back on twitter and gave my best warning in 140 characters. Twitter is a great tool, just be careful about opening emails sent from tweets (twitter messages) that you do not know. There is no issue if you are reading just from the twitter page.
Gamevance Categorized as: Adware Online explaination“Software that is designed to launch advertisements, frequently pop-up ads, on a user’s computer and/or to redirect search results to promotional Web sites. Adware programs are often built into freeware or shareware programs, where the adware creates an indirect ‘charge’ for using the free program. Sometimes a trojan can silently download an adware program from a Web site and install it onto a user’s machine. Hacker tools, or Browser Hijackers, can also download an adware program by exploiting a web browser’s vulnerability. Browser Hijackers may tamper with the browser settings, redirect incorrect or incomplete URLs to unwanted Web sites, or change the default home page. They can also re-direct a user’s searches to “pay-to-view” (often pornographic) Web sites.Typically, many adware programs do not leave any marks of their presence in the system: they are not listed on Start Programs; they add no icons to the system tray; and they don’t show up on the task list. In addition, adware programs seldom provide an un-installation procedure, and attempts at manually removing them frequently result in failure of the original carrier program.”

Jodie

Maybe You Should Write a Book!

by Jackie Marx
Writing Workshops 2009


If you know your subject area and can communicate your ideas in a clear, compelling and organized manner, becoming a published author is within your reach. The talents and expertise you bring to your clients can form the basis of a successful book.

• When you become an author you become known as an expert in your field, and the world will beat the proverbial path to your door.


• A book generates visibility and attracts clients.
  
• Never before has it been so easy to market your book; the Internet provides a global marketplace.
  
• Your book becomes a launching pad for new business opportunities, the seed from which you can grow a multi-faceted offering of related products and services: seminars, teleclasses, consulting packages, reports, audiotapes and other profitable information products.


• Clients will seek you out, ready to pay good money for your services, because you are seen as a leader in your field. You become their first choice.

So, when you're ready to write that book, I can help you visualize your writing project and create a roadmap to a finished product. Once you have the structure of your book in place, you will have the momentum to continue (at whatever pace you choose) to completion.

Business "Tip of the Day" 05-06

Fine-Tune Your Business/ Focus On Fundamentals
What is especially important here is customer service. In downtimes most companies get grouchy and it clearly shows. Be the company or retailer that looks on the bright side and provides their customers with honest and sincere customer service. When times get better the business will come back threefold.Even in down times there are hot products. Quite often they are accessories that drive a higher margin. Educate and motivate retail staff to focus on sell through and closely manage the turn for quick replenishment. Work with the brands to ensure there is back up inventory and quick replenishment.

Computer "Tip of the Day" 05-06

12 Tips for Keeping Your Laptop Secure
Laptops or notebooks are often the "other" computer-the one you do not use on a daily basis or only use when you travel. When your laptop is not powered up and online on a regular basis, its security software will get out-of-date or may expire and become ineffective. Your laptop may also be missing security updates and patches for the operating system and software applications, leaving it vulnerable to attack. Whether you use your laptop a lot or just occasionally, keep it secure at all times by following these 12 tips.

1. Make sure your security software has not expired. If it has expired, renew or replace it immediately.
2. Update the anti-virus, anti-spyware and software firewall before you use your laptop.
3. Check to make sure that patches and updates are current.
Windows: http://update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate/v6/default.aspx?ln=en-us.
Mac: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1338
Not sure how to keep your software up-to-date? Contact a computer consultant or your Internet Service Provider (ISP), or ask the computer support staff at the office.
4. On the road, pick your hotspot connection carefully. Don't log on to any public hotspot that presents you with an invalid security certificate.
5. Turn off the wireless adapter (Wi-Fi) when you are not using it.
This will help prevent hackers from breaking into your laptop wirelessly.
6. Avoid using computer bags. They make it obvious that you're carrying a laptop. Tote your laptop in something more common like a padded briefcase or suitcase.
7. Never leave access numbers or passwords attached to your laptop or in your carrying case.
8. Carry your laptop with you. Always take your laptop on the plane rather than checking it with your luggage.
9. Keep your eye on your laptop. When you go through airport security, don't lose sight of it.
10. Avoid setting your laptop on the floor. Putting your laptop on the floor is an easy way to forget, lose track of it, or step on it.
11. Buy a laptop security device. If you need to leave your laptop in a room or at your desk, use a laptop security cable to securely attach it to a heavy chair, table, or desk.
12. Use a screen guard. These guards help prevent people from peeking over your shoulder as you work with sensitive information in a public place.

Flower Care Tips

Two of the top questions Americans ask when purchasing flowers are "How do I take care of them?" and "How long will they last?" Whether it's a single bud, a small bunch or an abundant arrangement, a little extra care can make a big difference.

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Most floral arrangements last between 4-7 days, depending on the types of flowers used and the type of care they receive. The Society of American Florists suggests these tips for longer-lasting, more vibrant flowers: <>

For floral arrangements:

Keep the vase filled or floral foam soaked with water containing a flower food provided by your florist.

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If the flower food solution becomes cloudy, replace it entirely. If possible, recut stems by removing one to two inches with a sharp knife. <>

Keep flowers in a cool spot (65 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit), away from direct sunlight, heating or cooling vents, directly under ceiling fans, or on top of televisions or radiators. (Appliances like televisions give off heat, causing flowers to dehydrate.) <>

For loose bunches or boxed flowers:

If you can't get your flowers in a flower food solution right away, keep them in a cool place.

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Fill a clean, deep vase with water and add the flower food obtained from your florist. Be sure to follow the directions on the package. <>

Remove leaves that will be below the waterline. Leaves in water will promote bacterial growth. <>

Re-cut stems with a sharp knife. Do this underwater -- this allows the stems to draw in water instead of air -- and place the flowers in the vase solution you've prepared. <>

If you purchase loose flowers for your own arrangements you should also consider these tips: <>

· When selecting flowers, look for flowers with upright, firm petals and buds beginning to open. Yellow, spotted or drooping leaves are signs of age.

· When using woody stems and branches (such as quince, forsythia or lilac), cut the stem with sharp pruning shears. Place in warm water containing fresh flower food to promote flower opening.

Computer "Tip of the Day" 05-01

To change the desktop background to your own picture
1. Save the picture you want to use to your Pictures folder.
2. Go to Control Panel, under Appearances and Personalization, click the Change desktop background task. In the Picture Location list, click Pictures.
3. Click the thumbnail of the picture you want. Then click OK.