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  June 28, 2008—Vol. 12, No. 26 Support this free newsletter—please visit our advertisers
A HEARTY HELPING OF DIGITAL TIPS AND ADVICE CONTENTS — WHAT’S IN YOUR INBOX THIS WEEK:
HOW TO CALL THE SHOW
A HANDY REMINDER ABOUT THE LINKS
GET REAL-TIME STOCK QUOTES FOR FREE This week, Google added real-time stock quotes. You won’t find them from all of the exchanges. However, you can get them from NASDAQ and the New York Stock Exchange. For real-time sale prices, visit Google Finance. Or, simply enter the ticker symbol on Google’s search page. Keep the page open to have the quotes updated automatically. MSN offers free real-time stock prices. Some of the online stock traders do, too. For these, you need an account to access the quotes. With Google, you don’t. FORWARD ALERT: Know someone who has a lot riding on the market? Forward this newsletter to them now! ALL GOOD THINGS MUST COME TO AN END I’d like to thank all the companies who made my this sweepstakes possible. Thanks Duracell, Garmin, Griffin, Harman Kardon, iRobot, Kodak, Pure Digital, Sony, Wi-Fi Alliance and Xantrex. I couldn’t have done it without you! All told, we gave away of $10,000 in valuable prizes! And let’s congratulate these final sweepstakes winners: • Terry Casey, listening on KRMG 740 AM in Tulsa, OK, PURE Flip Ultra To see our complete list of winners, visit http://summer.komando.com/winners.asp. NOTE: If you didn’t win this time, there’s always next time! We’re just taking a little breather from giving away some great prizes. In a few weeks, the next sweepstakes will start with another daily great giveaway at Komando.com!TIME FOR A QUICK VIDEO BREAK! Here are a few of the most popular videos from the past week:
•This guy gets paid to travel around the world and dance. Matt’s back with another worldwide tour. • I love photo booths. These poor people didn’t know they were part of a prank in a photo booth. And if you haven’t been voting for your favorites, what are you waiting for? Simply click the stars underneath the videos.
NOTE: Are you having trouble seeing my video picks? Do you get a message that the video is not available? Sorry to say, it’s probably not the video. Get help on my troubleshooting page. These problems are pretty easy to fix. GET A NEW FREE DOWNLOAD EVERY DAY Here are some of the ones we featured on the site last week:
• Translation made easy • Free anti-virus software • 4 programs to create PDFs • Create your own creature This coming week, look forward to freebies that let you design your dream LEGO structures, recover lost photos and keep your machine up to date. Plus, I have a great freebie to recover passwords! Visit www.komando.com/downloads for our Download of the Day. Remember to bookmark the page (press CTL+D on the page) and visit daily for new useful freebies. PRIVACY AND SECURITY TIP: Does your phone need antivirus software? STILL TO COME: Useful tips, important news and a few laughs!
• What are certificates? • Important security tips; and some awesome freebies! 
The prices of digital cameras have fallen dramatically over the last several years. However, you’ll probably have difficulty finding a new one for less than $100 at local stores. Local stores are much more likely to stick to the list price. You’ll find a variety of budget models in the $100-$150 range, though. But, if you go online, you’ll find better deals. Online retailers are often more competitive because they don’t have much overhead. I found several cameras for $100 or less on a price-comparison site. For example, there’s the Kodak Easyshare M753, General Electric A730 and Samsung S730. In this price range, you’ll find point-and-shoot models. You won’t have much control over the camera’s settings. Also, you won’t find bells and whistles like image stabilization or face detection. But these cameras will be about 7 megapixels. That’s good enough for nice 8×10 enlargements, provided you don’t crop the photos. Look for a camera with as many modes as possible. These will help you take better photos in certain lighting conditions and settings. Ease of use is also important, as is shutter lag. Shutter lag is more of a problem with less expensive cameras. I have a tip that explains shutter lag. Make sure you understand it; it is one of the biggest complaints about digital cameras. Now, if you’re looking for a more powerful camera that’s within your budget, you may find something on eBay. But before you buy, read my guide to protecting yourself on eBay. Of course, no matter where you buy, you want to shop smartly. My tip will help you with that. It is also essential that you know about gray market products. Start by reading my general buying guide on digital cameras. It will tell you what to consider when shopping for a camera in any price range. Then, read my tips on online scams: Speaking of digital cameras, use the coupon code BOOKS in my secure online store and you can buy my book about digital photography for 50% off the original price. Click here to check it out. Or pick the topic that interests you below and you’ll be magically transported to a page all about that title.
• Become a digital video pro • Become a digital photography pro • Put 650 tips at your fingertips • And more! FILES DOWNLOADED SECRETLY? NOT LIKELY Stephen wants to know if files could have been downloaded to the computer surreptitiously. He also asked if this is how his friend came to the attention of the police. I find this story highly suspect, Stephen. The police wouldn’t have confiscated the computer without good reason. I’m aware of a couple cases where people were arrested for stealing Wi-Fi access. However, that is unlikely to be lead to a big police raid. So, I’d guess this is much more sinister. There are a number of possibilities. My guess: They’re looking for child porn. Here’s a possible scenario: Authorities were monitoring an illegal Web site. They traced the activity back to the neighbor’s Internet connection. The police approached the neighbor about the activity. They searched the neighbor’s computers. When nothing turned up, they looked at the unsecured router. Routers often create a log of computers that connect to them. That could have led the police to your friend. It’s possible that files could have been downloaded without your friend knowing. A Massachusetts man was recently charged in a child porn case. It turned out that his computer was infected with malware. The malware let criminals use his computer to distribute child porn. Something like this could have befallen your friend. But it is more likely that your friend knowingly engaged in the illegal activity. The police have heard every excuse in the book. If your friend wants to blame malware, he needs cold, hard proof. To everyone reading this newsletter: You MUST secure your network. If you don’t, someone could pierce it. Your computer could be used as a child-porn server. If your network isn’t secured, check these tips now: BE CHARITABLE WITHOUT GETTING SCAMMED Well, Lisa, I would go with your instinct. I think it’s a scam. Unfortunately, the Internet is a breeding ground for scam artists. Many—but by no means all—of these scams originate in African countries like Nigeria and Ghana. You certainly could do an online background check on this woman. That is, provided you have enough information on her. But people can pretend to be anyone online. The 18-year-old woman could really be a 35-year-old man. We all want to help people who are truly in need. But this is an unsolicited message from out of the blue. The risk of being scammed is too great. You want your money to help someone in need, not enrich a crook. I’d ignore the message. Then, visit my site. I have tips that will help you avoid online scams while still being charitable:
• Surfing for charity • Fight hunger while building your vocabulary SPREAD THE KOMANDO WORD DON’T STOP YET – THERE’S MORE YOU NEED TO KNOW:
• Understanding Universal Plug and Play
Surveillance gadgets are the latest worry for executives and celebrities. Paparazzi have placed them in celebrities’ hotel rooms and private planes. The gadgets are also used for corporate espionage. So, many are employing security services to safeguard their privacy. To learn about the latest in spy tech—and how to protect your privacy, read my entire column. It’s free on my site.A LITTLE ABOUT ME: HOW TO CALL ME WAIT! THERE’S MORE! STILL TO COME IN THIS ISSUE: Understanding certificates
• What you should know about UPnP
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) are used to transmit sensitive data through the Web. They use certificates as part of the encryption process. When you visit an encrypted site, your computer and the site go through a handshaking procedure. When requesting access to an encrypted page, your browser presents a list of the encryption types it supports. The Web site will pick the strongest encryption type. The site then notifies your browser of the choice. Next, the Web site sends your browser a digital certificate. The certificate contains a variety of information, including the site’s public encryption key. This key is used to create a private encryption key. Certificates are issued by a certificate authority such as VeriSign. The certificate authority basically verifies that the public encryption key belongs to the site. Otherwise, a criminal could have a fake certificate issued using the site’s address and a different encryption key. The criminal could then use this encryption key to steal your data. Now, criminals could also easily buy a security certificate for a particular site. For example, the certificate could be for www.randomwebsite.com. The certificate authority would check the encryption key and verify that it belongs to this site. No red flags would be raised. Then, the criminal could create a second site, say www.ebayphishingscamsite.com. He could use the security certificate with this site. You would visit the phishing site believing it to be eBay. You would think that your data is safe because it is encrypted. However, all you’d have would be a secure connection with the malicious site. So, your browser adds another layer of protection. It verifies that the site and the certificate match up. This is intended to protect you from attacks like the one I mentioned. If your browser detects a mismatch, it warns you. Unfortunately, you may see this warning when there is no real security threat. This can be caused by any number of factors. But the warning could alert you to a real danger. Your browser gives you the option of accepting the certificate and continuing on to the site. Or, you could reject the certificate. Can’t get enough on encryption? Visit my site: ONE MORE THING
• Free computer or digital tip Mon-Fri As always, I guarantee your privacy. Your e-mail address will not be sold, leased or given to anyone, ever!
• Criminals take aim at Mac OS X with new Trojan
Green Tip is brought to you by The Solar Charger. Use the sun to charge your phone and MP3 player. Buy yours today at the Store at Komando.com You may have heard of search sites that feature black backgrounds. This is a stark contrast to Google’s white background. The black background serves two purposes. First, it reminds you to conserve electricity. Second, a black background supposedly requires less electricity to display than a white one. So, do these sites really cut down on energy usage? That depends. If you’re using an old CRT monitor, a black background certainly will cut down on energy consumption. That’s because CRTs use electron guns to create a picture. But, when the screen is black, the monitor does not need to fire the guns. And the energy savings can be considerable. Things are different if you’re using a newer LCD monitor. LCDs use a continuous source of light to display a picture. The light shines regardless of the background color. But, to show black, most LCDs use a diffuser to block some light. A black background actually uses slightly more energy. So, if you’re using an LCD, stick with Google. And, if you’re creating a blog or other site, think about your visitors. Most people in the developed world use LCD monitors, and this continues to grow. Do your part to save electricity by using a white or light background.Back to the top
WELCOME NEW AFFILIATES SIZZLING STATIONS ATLANTIC CITY, NJ
THANKS TO YOU! FIND ME USING THE MAP LISTEN WHEN YOU WANT! STILL TO COME IN THIS WEEKEND’S EDITION:
• UPnP makes networking easy—at a cost
KIM’S TIPS FOR KOMANDO KIDS: Are “digital drugs” a real thing? CONTEST SITE: Ultimate adventure package FREEBIE FROM KOMANDO.COM: Alarm for MacBooks FREEBIE FROM KOMANDO.COM: Save battery power FREEBIE OF THE WEEK: The People vs. Stride GET A COOL SITE EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK
THIS WEEK’S FOCUS: Back up and search your e-mail
NEW MAC TROJAN DISCOVERED The Trojan is currently available on a hacker Web site. The site contains suggestions that it should be distributed via iChat and Limewire. A user must download and run the Trojan in order to become infected. The Trojan file is called ASthtv05 or AStht_v06. Be careful what you download, Mac users. And remember that, like Windows users, you must protect your machine from criminals. My tip covers everything you need to know about protecting a Mac from malware.GET YOUR FREE SECURITY SOFTWARE HERE SHARE IT: Spread the word. Share the link to my security center with your family, friends, baseball team—everyone! They will thank you for it! THE END IS IN SIGHT, BUT I WILL BE BACK NEXT WEEK
UPnP stands for Universal Plug and Play. UPnP is much like Plug and Play. However, it helps you connect gadgets over a network. UPnP supports zero-configuration networking. You can add a gadget like a network hard drive or security camera to your network effortlessly. Once a gadget is added, it obtains an IP address. The IP address identifies the gadget on the network. After the gadget gets an IP address, the discovery process begins. The gadget sends out a discovery message to computers and other gadgets on the network. The discovery message contains basic information about a gadget. It also contains a URL. Other networked gadgets can use the URL to learn about the gadget’s abilities. The URL also helps other gadgets to interact with the gadget. Likewise, a UPnP gadget can learn about other gadgets on the network. Once your computer learns about a UPnP gadget, it can take control of it. Many UPnP gadgets have a URL that lets you control a gadget or view its status. You simply enter the URL in a Web browser to load a page containing options for the gadget. All of this probably sounds pretty great. After all, adding gadgets to a network trips up a lot of people. However, there is a problem with UPnP. It is an open standard used by many different manufacturers. The standard lacks authentication mechanisms. So, authentication must be implemented by each manufacturer. Many manufacturers fail to implement authentication. Therefore, the gadgets assume that computers on the network are trustworthy. UPnP has been targeted by hackers in the past. For example, in January, US-CERT advised people to disable UPnP on gadgets. The warning came after a vulnerability involving Flash files was discovered. A malicious Flash file could be used to hijack home routers. As you note, some manufacturers tout UPnP. Actually, many network gadgets use it. Most routers do. So, you may not be able to avoid UPnP. I recommend turning UPnP off on your network gadgets. Consult your manuals for information on disabling it and configuring the gadgets. Speaking of networking, read these tips to learn more:
• Connect your PC to your TV wirelessly • Servers, hubs, switches and routers explained • Building a connected home • Tracking down a network problem IF I HELPED YOU, CAN YOU PLEASE HELP ME? 1. Tell your co-workers, employees, team members, poker buddies, family members and friends to check us out. I have a form that makes it easy. 2. Link your blog or site to my site. Instructions and cool artwork await you. Have a great weekend. Thank you for your support of my show and newsletters! I appreciate it!
Just a reminder. You can use the coupon code BOOKS in my secure online store and you can buy any of my books 50% off the original price. All books are only $9.95 but only through Monday. Click here to check them all out. Or pick the topic that interests you below and you’ll be magically transported to a page all about that title.
• Become a Digital Video Pro • Become a Digital Photography Pro • Put 650 Tips at your Fingertips • And more! Thanks for joining us via e-mail. And I’ll see you on the show! P.S. Why not call me this weekend during the show? If you never have, give it a try. It takes just three easy steps: 1.) Call the LIVE broadcast. That’s this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the East Coast, or, if you live on the West Coast, 7 to 10 a.m. 2.) Know the phone number. It is, of course, toll-free 1-888-825-5254. 3.) Talk to Andrew and then, me. That’s all there is to it! GET MORE TIPS FROM ME TO YOU
• Free cool site daily • Free news links Mon-Fri As always, I guarantee your privacy. Your e-mail address will not be sold, leased or given to anyone, ever!
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I have a home network with several computers on it. So, I’m in the market for a network hard drive for backing up data. I know what to look for because I read your buying guide. However, some of the hard drives I’ve seen tout UPnP. What is it?
You’ve probably heard of Plug and Play. It’s been around since Windows 95, I believe. (We used to call it Plug and Pray. Actually, it works pretty well today. ) Plug and Play is designed to make it easy for you to connect printers and other gadgets to your computer.
AND NOW IT’S TIME FOR A HISTORY LESSON
| Copyright © 2008, The Kim Komando Show. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of The Kim Komando Show is prohibited and strictly enforced. Newsletters may contain links to sites on the Internet owned and operated by third parties. The Kim Komando Show is not responsible for the availability of, or the content located on or through, any such third-party site. Information in this document is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and freedom from infringement. The user assumes the entire risk as to the accuracy and the use of this document. We will not be liable for any damages of any kind arising from the use of this information, including, but not limited to direct, indirect, incidental, punitive, and consequential damages.Kim’s Newsletter 2711 N. 24th St. Phoenix, AZ 85008 |
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