Showing posts with label Laptop. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Laptop. Show all posts

11 Most Common Computer Viruses

No matter how careful you might be, chances are, at one time or another, you will find your computer infected with a virus. If you are a frequent Internet user and you often download videos, music and other files from online, the chances of you picking up a trojan, worm, or other virus are almost assured. Thankfully, there are many great virus protection programs on the market today that can instantly vanquish even the toughest viruses, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have an idea of some of the common computer viruses that are currently going around.

1. Encrypted Viruses – The encrypted virus is probably the most difficult kind of bug to detect and the most difficult to stop. You may accidentally have downloaded one of these bugs and before you know it, your entire computer can be infected. Many top virus protection programs miss encrypted viruses because these bugs use a different form of encryption every time. When the bug wants to run wild, it decrypts itself. In most cases, your virus protection can then identify it and stop it.

2. Secret Viruses – These types of viruses will make changes to files on your computer, or completely replace files, but then try to trick your computer and your anti virus program into thinking that the originals are being used. Most advanced virus protection programs can stop these common computer viruses dead in their tracks.

3. Time Delay Viruses – These types of viruses take a much slower, more disciplined path towards ruining your computer. Instead of instantly trying to take over your computer the moment you download them, they will wait and slowly infect files bit by bit. You may not have been online for days but then suddenly find yourself with an infection. These common computer viruses are the reason why you should run your virus protection every few days, just in case.

4. The Anti-Virus Virus – Believe it or not, there are viruses out there that do nothing more than attack your pre-installed anti virus program in hopes of disabling it so other viruses can then be downloaded. This is why many people have a virus protection program as well as a separate anti-spyware or anti-malware program on their computer.

5. The Multi-Headed Virus – This is one of the most nefarious bugs on the whole Internet. Not only are there parts of this virus that will attach themselves to .exe files on your computer, but it will also affect your computer’s start up so that you begin running the virus every time you turn your computer on automatically.

6. The Misdirection Virus – This type of virus is downright scary. It has a built in subprogram that is made to give false readings to your virus protection software. You think you have a bug in one directory, when, in fact, the virus is busy harming your computer in a whole other area.

7. A Cloning Virus – The cloning virus is an old fashioned type of bug. When you download it, it will quickly create duplicates for .exe files you have on your computer, hoping that you’ll click on it when you really mean to click on a healthy program you already have.

8. The Author Virus – When you download a virus, it usually attaches itself to a program and then runs when you run that program. The Author Virus, on the other hand, finds an .exe file and actually deletes and rewrites code so that the program is changed. Few common computer viruses run this way since the level of virus needs to be so sophisticated.

9. The Bad Penny Virus – The very first computer virus to ever hit the Internet was a Bad Penny virus. This is a bug that automatically passes itself on to everyone on a network or on the Internet unless something stops it. This was the whole reason why firewalls were invented.

10. When most of us think of viruses, we think of PC’s running Windows software. However, there are a handful of bugs out there for the Mac.

11. Rewriting Virus – This bug made a habit out of rewriting some of your most needed files, as well as filling up your hard drive with all sorts of invisible files you couldn’t normally see.

12. The Melissa Virus – This was a bug that hit everyone, both PC users and Mac users. It would automatically email itself to other people without permission. It can be extra harmful if you use a private mail server at your place of employment. The Melissa virus has gone down in history as one of the most common computer viruses of all time.

Android Market update to allow movie, book purchases by phone

Google plans on rolling out an update to its Android Market that will allow users to rent movies or buy books from their smartphones.
The update will be available to devices running the Android 2.2 operating system or higher, says a post on the official Google Mobile Blog.
Both movie rentals and book purchases are connected to the user's Google account, allowing them to download items across several devices such as phones, tablets or a PC.
The move is part of a broader redesign of the Market on mobile devices, including collections such as Top Charts and Editor's Picks.
Google says the update will appear in the coming weeks. Currently, users can add movie rentals or book purchases to their phones through the Android Market website.

Pick a topic...i choose laptops!!! see...

Laptops in general have much better hardware security than PCs. Some of them even come with fingerprint reader build in.
Most laptops come with a very strong BIOS password capability that locks up the hardware and makes the laptop completely unusable. This is the password that has to be entered before the operating system loads, usually on a black screen a few seconds after the laptop is started.
Of course BIOS password can be set on a PC too, but there it is stored together with the other BIOS settings – date, time, hard disk size, etc. It is very easy to reset the BIOS settings (and the password) on a PC – usually there is a jumper near the BIOS battery on the motherboard that needs to be moved from connecting pins 1+2 to pins 2+3 for a few seconds and than moved back to pins 1+2. Next time the PC is started it will alert you “… BIOS settings invalid… Defaults loaded… Press F1 to continue…” or something similar, and…. the password is gone!
However most laptops store the BIOS password in a special chip, sometimes even hidden under the CPU, that is not affected when the rest of the BIOS settings are reset. This makes the removal of a BIOS password on a laptop almost impossible. The only option in most cases is to replace the chip which is quite expensive and risky procedure and, of course, not supported by the manufacturers.
Some manufacturers (like Dell) can generate a “master password” for a particular laptop (from their service tag) if sufficient proof of ownership is provided. Others (like IBM) would advise replacing the laptop’s motherboard (very expensive). On some old laptops (4 – 5 years or older) the BIOS password can still be reset relatively easy, usually by shorting two solder points on the motherboard or by plugging a special plug in the printer port, etc.
In almost all cases on newer laptops it is either a big hassle, expensive or even impossible to reset the BIOS password, making it a very good way of protecting your laptop from unauthorized use.
However what makes your computer exactly yours are your own files, documents, emails, pictures, etc. They are all stored on the hard drive. So, even if your laptop has a BIOS password that locks it up and makes it completely unusable to anyone that doesn’t know it, your hard drive can still be removed from the laptop and connected to another computer, and your files retrieved quite easily.

Jennifer Lopez ft Lil Wayne– I’m Into You Lyrics

[Lil Wayne]
Hi, I’m Tune, the man on the moon
I live on the beach, get the sand out ya shoes
And all of that changed since I met you
So we can leave that old shit in the restroom
Ok, I’m into you, like you never knew
I’m falling for you baby, I need a parachute
So wet, I need a wetsuit
You’re way too fly, I could be ya jet fuel
Now tell me what you like
I like what you tell me
And if you understand me, you can overwhelm me
It’s too late, it’s too late
Every finish line is the beginning of a new race
Young Money!

[J Lo]
You got me and I could not defend it
I tried but I had to surrender
Your style got me under the spell
Let me no other choice but to get down
It’s too late, it’s too late
It’s too late, it’s too late
You got it, you got it
You got it, you got it
When I look into your eyes, it’s over
You got me hooked with your love controller
I’m trippin’ and I could not get over
I feel lucky like a four leaf clover
I’m into you, I’m into you
I’m into you, yeaaah
I’m into you, I’m into you
I’m into you, yeaaah

Nana nananana nana-na-eh
Nana nananana nana-na-eh

Listen, now I’m strong baby I bring the fire on
Sharp shooter you can call me the zion
I’m not the one easy to get to
But all that changed, baby when I met you
It’s too late, it’s too late
It’s too late, it’s too late
You got it, you got it
You got it, you got it
When I look into your eyes, it’s over
You got me hooked with your love controller
I’m trippin’ and I could not get over
I feel lucky like a four leaf clover
I’m into you, I’m into you
I’m into you, yeaaah
I’m into you, I’m into you
I’m into you, yeaaah
Nana nananana nana-na-eh
Nana nananana nana-na-eh
I’m not burning and I’m feeling you boy
Get it on if you feeling my world now
I love the way that you moving
And I’m listening to how you grooving
So if you need me, just call on the cruise
We can be whatever that you want in the news
Boy, cause I’m on it and you on it
So we just tell me now
When I look into your eyes, it’s over
You got me hooked with your love controller
I’m trippin’ and I could not get over
I feel lucky like a four leaf clover
I’m into you, I’m into you
I’m into you, yeaaah
I’m into you, I’m into you
I’m into you, yeaaah
Nana nananana nana-na-eh
Nana nananana nana-na-eh
I’m into you, I’m into you
I’m into you, yeaaah baby
I’m into you, I’m into you
I’m into you, yeaaah
I tried to count the correct amount of “na-na-na-na’s” but feel free to drop any corrections in the comments.

what is a computer? (wikipedia)

A computer is a machine that changes information according to well defined rules. Computers have existed for much of human history. Examples of early computers are the astrolabe and the abacus. Modern computers have changed very much. They are able to control traffic lights, cars or locks. Most modern computers can be used to play music or video. The basic principle is still the same though: the computer has a set of rules, usually called an algorithm. The computer changes information based on these rules.
A person uses a computer by telling it to do things, like playing movies or going to Wikipedia. Computers do not know English, so people must tell their computers to do things by speaking the computer's language. The computer's language is called a programming language. Programmers know this computer's language, and use it to write programs that tell the computer what to do. Normal people use the programs that a programmer wrote to tell the computer what to do.
Computers can do anything that someone can tell them to do. Computers are able to solve mathematical problems because a programmer has told them how to solve math problems. Because computers are very fast, modern computers can solve billions of math problems per second. Computers are used to control factories, which in the past were controlled by humans. They are also in homes, where they are used for things such as listening to music, reading the news, and writing.

CCK moves to control Internet content for schools



The Information ministry will block public schools’ access to websites with pornographic and narcotic-related content to curb online child abuse in the wake of increasing Internet access in the country.


Currently, there is no government policy on Internet use in schools offering computer courses and the onus has been left to individual institutions to formulate internal rules.


On Wednesday, the ministry and the telecommunications industry regulator, the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK), convened a two-day workshop that brought together public and private sector players to draft rules that will be adopted into government policy.


Information Permanent Secretary Bitange Ndemo said the government had decided to focus on schools since it is unconstitutional to impose a blanket block on pornographic and drug related websites.


“We are blocking all adult-related sites in schools equipped with computers and connectivity offered by the government,” said Dr Ndemo.
CCK director general Charles Njoroge said the programme should have started long time ago.


“There is no timeline yet, however this filtering should have started like yesterday,” Mr Njoroge said.


The Internet is increasingly playing a significant role in delivering services such as education, and has also become a powerful tool in social networking.


Dr Ndemo, however, says there is an urgent need to filter access of abusive content for minors who do not have the capacity to make sound judgement.


Michael Muringu, a legal expert and an Editor of Kenya Law Reports, said while there are enough laws against exposing children to sexual or obscene content such as the Children Act, Sexual Offences and the Penal Code, crimes committed through the Internet have remained loosely defined.


“One of the biggest challenges and which should be addressed is Internet policing,” said Mr Murungi, adding: “As a country we do not lack the legislations on the child abuse but when it comes to the Internet , monitoring, pursuing and arresting such predators actually becomes a big issue.”




Policing the Internet has been made difficult by the matter of jurisdiction as a crime can be committed by someone outside the jurisdiction of Kenyan courts. While the government is looking for better ways to enhance enforcement mechanisms and technical solutions to block such sites from the minors, experts are of the view that the responsibility should first begin with parents and guardians.


“Just because there are traffic police officers on the road, a parent cannot assume that his or her children will arrive to school safely without taking basic care and the same applies to the Internet, parents should take advantage of the advanced technology to block such sites” said Mr Murungi.


The two-day forum is seen as a step towards appending the current legislation, The Kenya Information Communication Amendment Act 2009, section 84D that deals with obscene Internet content but which some legal professionals have previously flouted, saying it does not measure up to international practices.


Liability


The Act holds Internet Service Providers (ISP) liable for websites visited by customers, which is out of keeping with the international norm which favours a “take down” approach where ISPs’ are notified of the illegal content and given some time to block the offending information from being accessed through its systems.


This exposes them to a fine Sh200, 000 or a jail term of two years upon losing a case filed against them.


Latest statistics from CCK indicate that the country has 8.6 million internet users, however the data does not give a breakdown in terms of the age groups accessing the internet.


mokuttah@ke.nationmedia.com

The bible and the cellphone..






                 VS
 
Ever wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone? 

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets? 


 What if we flipped through it several time a day? 

 What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it? 

 What if we used it to receive messages from the text? 

 What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it? 

 What if we gave it to Kids as gifts? 

 What if we used it when we traveled? 

 What if we used it in case of emergency? 

 This is something to make you go....hmm...where is my Bible? 

Oh, and one more thing.

Unlike our cell  phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being
Disconnected because Jesus already paid the  bill.

Makes you stop and think 'where are my priorities? And no dropped calls! 

When Jesus died for us, he was thinking of you!
If you are one of the 7% who will stand up for  
Him, forward this.

93% of the people won't forward it.

BIOS Password (laptops)

Laptops in general have much better hardware security than PCs. Some of them even come with fingerprint reader build in.
Most laptops come with a very strong BIOS password capability that locks up the hardware and makes the laptop completely unusable. This is the password that has to be entered before the operating system loads, usually on a black screen a few seconds after the laptop is started.
Of course BIOS password can be set on a PC too, but there it is stored together with the other BIOS settings – date, time, hard disk size, etc. It is very easy to reset the BIOS settings (and the password) on a PC – usually there is a jumper near the BIOS battery on the motherboard that needs to be moved from connecting pins 1+2 to pins 2+3 for a few seconds and than moved back to pins 1+2. Next time the PC is started it will alert you “… BIOS settings invalid… Defaults loaded… Press F1 to continue…” or something similar, and…. the password is gone!
However most laptops store the BIOS password in a special chip, sometimes even hidden under the CPU, that is not affected when the rest of the BIOS settings are reset. This makes the removal of a BIOS password on a laptop almost impossible. The only option in most cases is to replace the chip which is quite expensive and risky procedure and, of course, not supported by the manufacturers.
Some manufacturers (like Dell) can generate a “master password” for a particular laptop (from their service tag) if sufficient proof of ownership is provided. Others (like IBM) would advise replacing the laptop’s motherboard (very expensive). On some old laptops (4 – 5 years or older) the BIOS password can still be reset relatively easy, usually by shorting two solder points on the motherboard or by plugging a special plug in the printer port, etc.
In almost all cases on newer laptops it is either a big hassle, expensive or even impossible to reset the BIOS password, making it a very good way of protecting your laptop from unauthorized use.
However what makes your computer exactly yours are your own files, documents, emails, pictures, etc. They are all stored on the hard drive. So, even if your laptop has a BIOS password that locks it up and makes it completely unusable to anyone that doesn’t know it, your hard drive can still be removed from the laptop and connected to another computer, and your files retrieved quite easily.

The USB BOX (laptop users edition)

USB Box

The best way to access your data when your laptop has a serious problem and wouldn’t start is to take the hard disk out and install it in an external USB box. These boxes are ridiculously cheap – starting at around $10-$15 and the whole transfer of the HD takes about 5 min. Then you will be able to access all of your files on another computer (even at an Internet cafe) and print whatever you need or copy the data to a CD.
This procedure is easily accomplished on most laptops, as the hard disk is usually held by 1-2 screws and is very easy to remove. However that will usually affect your warranty, so check the laptop’s documentation before starting.
However there are a few exceptions: on most Apple laptops and some light weight Sony and Toshiba models the hard disk is hard to remove as the laptop has to be disassembled completely to reach it. Removing the hard disk on these models would also invalidate the warranty.
Also some sub-laptops have a smaller hard disks, not the standard 2.5″ but 1.8″ HDs. Hitachi’s 1.8″ drives have the same pin configuration as the 2.5″, however Toshiba’s 1.8″ drives use their own special pin connectors (they are widely used in the hard disk based iPods). Finding an external USB enclosure for them is not that easy. It usually has to be preordered and would take a few days to arrive.
As an alternative to using USB enclosures, there are cable adaptors for standard 2.5″ HDs (including Hitachi’s 1.8″) and Toshiba 1.8″ HDs that would let you connect them to a standard IDE cable on a desktop PC.
* If you have password protected your laptop’s hard disk, transferring it to an external USB box won’t work. The only way to access it would be to connect it directly to another computer by using an IDE adaptor and then remove the password.

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