A Friend has sent you a Hallmark E-Card.

Today I received an email message stating: "A Friend has sent you a Hallmark E-Card." The message contained the information below.

	If you recognize this name, click the link to see your E-Card. http://www.hallmark.com/ECardWeb/ECV.jsp?a=EG06942727324***************************
	If this name is not familiar to you and you're concerned about online security, please use the following steps:
		Visit http://www.hallmark.com/getecard Enter your e-mail address in the Original Recipient.s E-Mail Address box. Enter EG0694262******** in the Confirmation Number box. Click Display Greeting

Being suspicious, I followed steps 1-4. Here is the response I got.

Conclusion: a phony!!!! Be careful!

The Specs That Matter [and the Specs That Don't]

Technology stores and shopping sites bombard you with details about a device's speeds, resolutions, formats, and more. But much of that data is less important than it may seem. These are the specs to pay attention to when you’re in the market for a PC, laptop, HDTV, camera, or router.

FotoTagger

FotoTagger is a free tool for annotating JPEG images. Add easy-to-hide searchable notes pointing to individual elements on the image. Upload individual images, whole folders or selected photos to Flickr and download them back to FotoTagger. Publish to blogs. Create Web slide shows from folders with annotated images or manually selected images. Edit images in external editors without losing annotations. Organize images directly from FotoTagger.

The Best Video Comedy on the Web

These Web-only comedy episodes are mini gems that you’ll love and your friends will thank you for sharing. Get your laughs online with these Web-only comedy series. Read more...

Spam is King

Spam is a booming business and according to a recent poll almost 30% of you are the problem.The Internet security firm Marshal recently released a study that says that 29.1% of Internet users make purchases as a result of email spam. Read more...

Eight Crazy E-Mail Hoaxes Millions Have Fallen For

E-mail fills our in-boxes with come-ons to see celebrities naked and to get rich quick. Even though we know deep down that these are fakes, why do we continue to think, 'Maybe?'

Malicious Flash ads attack, spread via clipboard

A new type of Internet-based attack is spreading in which Flash-based ads seize control of a Web surfer's clipboard and paste in a link to a malicious site in the hopes that it will be spread from there into e-mails, blogs, and instant messages.

The ads have been spotted on MSNBC.com, Newsweek.com, and Digg.com, and victims have reported on numerous forums and blogs that they appear to be fake alerts that a virus has been detected on the computer and offer to clean it up, , according to antivirus vendor Sophos. Read more...

Free Internet Window Washer

Worried that Web sites are snooping on your Internet activities, or that someone else who uses your PC can see where you've been and what you've done? If so, you need an Internet washer of some kind, a tool that will delete your Internet Explorer browsing history, recently typed URLs, autocomplete history, and so on. That's what Free Internet Window Washer does --- for free.

• Click Wash Settings, then click Browsers, and select what you want the program to clean.
• Back on the main screen, click Wash Now and the program cleans everything you've asked it to.
• If you prefer, click Test Now, and you can instead see a preview of what the program will do.
• In addition to cleaning Internet Explorer, Free Internet Window Washer also cleans traces from instant messengers, including AIM, ICQ, Skype, Yahoo! Messenger, and MSN Messenger.
• And it cleans traces from a wide variety of other programs as well, including Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat

Why Your Printer Just Died

Too many manufacturers don't reveal the three numbers that can help determine how long your new printer will last. Read more at:

TechMyth #1—HDTV Display Fraud

Is it true that HDTV stores sell TVs that have their contrast and saturation bumped-up to make the colors richer and image brighter, at the expense of true image quality? As a result, you will be more convinced in purchasing the set.Read more...

eBay Seeking to Abandon Auction Format

It should come as little surprise to a litany of concerned eBay sellers, but the popular--if wavering--auction site is looking to do away with the whole transaction format that helped make it one of the most successful retail destinations on the Web.

eBay today is expected to announce a plan that will move its focus away from the traditional bidding format, in favor of a standard fixed price scheme. Read more...

Free Internet Fax Services

Dump your fax machine, the Internet has made this dinosaur obsolete. Think of the savings on toner, paper, and time when all you really need these days is a cell phone, PDA, or Personal Computer. I have a big list of sites for you that offer free Internet faxing services. Some of them are completely free, while others offer free or limited trials. Pick the online fax service that suits you best...

Demo: Create a slide show with music in Windows Movie Maker

Watch this demo to learn how to create a slide show with music in Windows Movie Maker.

Savvy Circle

Savvy Circle lets you create a shopping wish list. You can add items from a long list of online merchants.

Your list will help you track what you want to buy.

Savvy Circle will monitor prices for you! When an item goes on sale, you'll be notified.

You need to sign up to use Savvy Circle. You can also opt to receive e-mail notices of sale items that you may like.

phishing

phishing - The act of sending an email to a user falsely claiming to be an established legitimate enterprise in an attempt to scam the user into giving up private information that will be used for identity theft. The email directs the user to visit a web site where they are asked to update personal information, such as passwords and credit card, social security, and bank account numbers, that the legitimate organization already has. The web site, however, is bogus and set up only to steal the user's information.

Report phishing e-mails to the government. It has an e-mail address to which you can forward the messages:
phishing-report@us-cert.gov

Click on emblem for instructions:

MapQuest's Gas Prices

Gas prices are dropping, sure. But I'm still looking for the best price.

That's where MapQuest's Gas Prices a gas portal comes in handy. Stick in your zip code or the nearest intersection, and you'll see a list of gas stations with the lowest (and highest) prices in your area.

The Top 100 Undiscovered Web Sites

PC Magazine scoured the Web to find 100 sites that you need in your Favorites folder or RSS reader.

A third of Vista PCs downgraded to XP

Vista’s death march picked up some pace yesterday, after a metrics researcher revealed that nearly 35 per cent of PCs built to run the Windows operating system have been downgraded to XP. Read more...

Glassbooth

Glassbooth connects you to the 2008 presidential candidate that represents your beliefs the best. find out more »

Clickster - free MP3 music

This free program searches the Web for free MP3 music files from your favorite artists, and delivers them to your desktop.

AppSnap is an application that simplifies installation of software

AppSnap is aFREE application that simplifies installation of software. It automatically figures out the latest version, downloads the installer and then installs the software in one seamless step.

FREE CREDIT REPORTS

Avoid charges for identity theft protection services,check your credit report regularly.

There is one place to go to get yours free. That is AnnualCreditReport.com here. THIS IS THE ONLY GOVERNMENT-MANDATED SITE FOR FREE CREDIT REPORTS.

10 Worst Web glitches of 2008 (so far)

We have been reminded several times lately that Web 2.0 is in no way a synonym for "reliable." Major services have crashed. Big product launches have fizzled. Users have raised their collective fists in the air. What's going on? Is the Web crumbling? Well, no, it's not. But users' expectations are rising, and Web companies often get themselves into trouble by promising far more than they can deliver.

WEBWARE

The Warning Signs of Online Fraud and How to Avoid It

The number may seem grim for Web-based commerce. In 2004 in the Unites States alone, computer users logged in more than 207,000 Internet fraud reports to the U.S. Internet Crime Complaint Center. If you look hard at this number, you may be astounded, and a good bit frightened, by the implication. You may ask, “Is it really safe to buy and sell at an online site?” Read more...

Start a FREE Criminal Search on anyone today

Do you really know who these people are? We associate with them and even invite them in our homes. Do they have a criminal background? Are your children safe with them?

Find out now for FREE!

New Yahoo service helps users share their location

Yahoo Inc. launched a service intended to help users share their real-world location with their friends online.

Yahoo made Fire Eagle available to the public this week. Previously, the service had been available in a private "beta" test since March.

After signing up with a Yahoo ID, users can update their physical locations through Fire Eagle's Web site or from a cell phone with Fire Eagle's mobile site.

Some Web Firms Say They Track Behavior Without Explicit Consent

Several Internet and broadband companies have acknowledged using targeted-advertising technology without explicitly informing customers, according to letters released yesterday by the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Read more...

HowToDoThings

HowToDoThings is a site that solves people’s problems. Whatever the issue, there’s someone out there who has personal or professional experience in that area. We want to compile everyone’s expertise in one place, so that the solutions to millions of problems are easy to find and, more importantly, trustworthy.

Transfer Your VHS Video Tapes to DVD

There are several ways to do this:

1. Recording with a DVD Recorder
2. Recording with a Capture Card (my method)

Read this article. It is very complete.
How To Transfer VHS to DVD

Also read what the Chip Chick has to say.

Ion’s VCR 2 PC VHS-Ripping Recorder is Hassle Free

Here is a short video.

Video Tech Tips: Affordable Video Editing Program

And an article:
Cheap and Easy Video-Editing Tools

Watch Beijing Olympics 2008 Online for Free

The Beijing Olympics 2008 have finally begun and if you missed watching the opening ceremony that was yesterday.

This site has a list of all resources that provide real-time video footage of the Beijing Olympic Games 2008. Some of these resources highlight events while some of them allow you to watch the Beijing Olympics 2008 live online for Free.

PwdHash Generates Theft-resistant Passwords

This excellent tool lets you use a single password at your end but achieve the safety of generating a unique and robust password at each site.

The "Download Now" link above will take you to the utility's download page, where you can choose a version for Firefox or Internet Explorer (6 or 7).

Once installed, use Password Hash by hitting the F2 key in a password field before you type your password. Then, when you submit the password, Password Hash will run what you typed through an algorithm and convert it to a unique, strong password.

Web sites only see what Password Hash sends, and won't have any record of what you actually type. So you can remember just one password and yet have unique passwords at every site where you use the utility.

Version 1.6 for Mozilla Firefox: Installer
Version 0.6 (beta) for Internet Explorer 7: Installer
Version 0.5 (beta) for Internet Explorer 6: Installer

Watch the Olympics on Your Computer

Unbelievable coverage of the Olympics right on your computer! It is like nothing you have ever seen before. You must have a relative powerful computer with a good amount of memory.

Give Your Chats a Personal Touch With Free Videoconferencing

Videoconferencing gives your online conversations a more personal feeling.

• For telecommuting
• Keeping in touch with clientele
• Calling home from a business trip
• Checking in with out-of-state relatives

You're never more than a smile away if you have a Webcam and some free software. An explaination on how to get started, and some helpful tips for getting the most out of your video chats.

Give Your Chats a Personal Touch With Free Videoconferencing

Videoconferencing gives your online conversations a more personal feeling.

• For telecommuting


• Keeping in touch with clientele,


• Calling home from a business trip


• Checking in with out-of-state relatives

You're never more than a mile away if you have a Webcam and some free software. An explanation on how to get started, and some helpful tips for getting the most out of your video chats.

New Browsers Fight the Malware Scourge

The just-released Firefox 3 and Opera 9.5, and the upcoming IE 8, respond to the growing threat with enhanced blocking features.

Send large files to anyone with TransferBIGFiles

Send large files to anyone. Just select the files you want to send and TransferBigFiles will email the recipient with a link to the download page, and it's FREE!

Drive Pricing calculates the cost of a road trip. Add your starting point,enter your destination, your ZIP code , your car's miles per gallon, and the grade of gas you use.
When you click Go, you'll see how many miles you'll be travelling. It will even calculate the cost of gas. This looks like a great idea but it did not work for me. If you try it, please let me know your experience. Don

Get inside the planes that capture Microsoft Virtual Earth

Microsoft's Mark Brown has put up a cool post on his Microsoft Virtual Earth blog. It's part two of a series that's detailing some of the bits and pieces behind the tool that gives you that oh-so-helpful bird's-eye view of your dry cleaners.

BeatThat pays you to find online deals

The site is paying users up to $2 per deal on an item that's lower in price than any pulled in by its price-grabbing engine. Competitor Pricegrabber has been doing this for years, but has offered no way for users to add their own links to the mix.

Can You Guess Where My Accent is From?

How good are you at spotting accents from around the world? Put yourself to the test in the first Language Trainers Accent Game!Simply listen to a couple of lines from the poem, take a guess at their country of origin, and see how high you can score.Can you make it onto the high score table?

Glubble Family Edition for Firefox

Glubble Family Edition for Firefox allows your child to freely discover the best of the web you choose with your family circle online.

PostSmile FREE

PostSmile Free lets you add animated emoticons and canned sayings to your e-mail, instant messages, and blog posts. This easy-to-use program presents your options in a tabbed interface. You click and drag to insert a smiley face, and just click to plug in a famous quote or proverb. This free version gives you access to three collections of animated smiley faces, plus more quotes, proverbs, and jokes than you'll ever need.

Pop-Up Stopper® Free Edition

The free Pop-Up Stopper prevents pop-ups (and pop-under windows) from displaying. You can have sounds notify you when a pop-up has been blocked. The program also allows you to briefly disable the blocking by double-clicking the system tray icon or by pressing Shift or Ctrl when following a new link.

Malicious Software Removal Tool

The Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool checks computers running Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows Server 2003 for infections by specific, prevalent malicious software—including Blaster, Sasser, and Mydoom—and helps remove any infection found. When the detection and removal process is complete, the tool displays a report describing the outcome, including which, if any, malicious software was detected and removed.

Who's Alive and Who's Dead

Welcome to Who's Alive and Who's Dead - the web site dedicated to helping you find out which of the noted celebrities of our time are with us, and which ones have died.

What is My IP address?

What is an IP address?
Every device connected to the public Internet is assigned a unique number known as an Internet Protocol (IP) address. IP addresses consist of four numbers separated by periods (also called a 'dotted-quad') and look something like 127.0.0.1.

This site pinpointed my exact location on a map!

10 Quick Fixes for the Worst Security Nightmares

Most security attacks are targeted at a few weak points on your PC that aren't that hard to protect. Follow these simple tips, and you'll suddenly be a whole lot safer.

Welcome to GreatDanePro

This is awesome...hope you will watch it! So many memories...and a
wonderful trip to the past. Fantastic videos with great musical backgrounds.

GreatDane.com

American federal agents can now take your laptop, iPods without reason

According to new border search policies disclosed by the Department of Homeland Security, federal agents may take your laptop or other media devices for an "unspecified" period of time even without any suspicion of wrongdoing, in an effort to "prevent terrorism."

Webon: DIY Web Sites, No Ads

Webon, a division of Lycos, makes the whole process brain-dead easy, and even with a free account you can build a site without ads.

Smart Website Publishing for Free. Make the site you've always wanted now. Instantly build, publish & share. Create interactive, stylish & ad-free pages. With Webon's powerful site creation platform.Try it now—no registration required

Gmail's Mail Fetcher

Gmail's Mail Fetcher can download messages from up to five other email accounts, centralizing all your email in Gmail. How to set up Mail Fetcher, as well as troubleshooting information for the common problems users face.

FixItUp: Review of Home and Garden Tools

Reviews of home and garden tools by recent buyers. Direct links to comparason prices. Good site for Do-It-Yourselfers

Tutorial: Spoof (fake) Emails

Spoof emails can be a major problem for unsuspecting Internet users. Claiming to be sent by well-known companies, these emails ask consumers to reply with personal information, such as their credit card number, social security number or account password.

AOL Is Moving Closer To Jettisoning Dial-Up

AOL is finally in a position to shed the dial-up-access business that once offered tens of millions of people their first glance at the Internet.

AOL Is Moving Closer To Jettisoning Dial-Up

AOL is finally in a position to shed the dial-up-access business that once offered tens of millions of people their first glance at the Internet.

Oops! My cell phone is in the toilet

Fortunately, you can rescue a wet cell phone. But you have to act quickly. Click on Kim's photo.

Seat Guru by Trip Advisor

The ultimate source for airplane seating, in-flight amenities and airline information.

• Detailed seat map graphics.
• In-depth seat specific comments denoting seats with limited recline, reduced legroom, mis-aligned windows.
• Color-coding to help identify superior and substandard seats. In-seat power port locations.
• Galley, lavatory, Exit Row and closet locations

Kids' Video Website

Totlol is a brand new community-moderated video website designed to be enjoyed by those between the ages of 6 months and 6 years. Click below:

Gas Crisis Fuels Dubious Online Offers

Beware of Internet sites promising cheap gas, free gas, or savings of 60 percent at the pump.

Save Your Data With This Top Backup Program

Titan Backup

Secure, Automated, Easy-to-use backup solution of all your photos, music, emails, settings and important documents. Data can be easily lost: your hard drive can suddenly fail, a virus can wipe files from your computer or your computer/laptop may be stolen. Backup can be considered as an 'insurance' for your data.

It is not free as most of my recommended programs are but it works very well.

Read: PC World's Editor's Review of Titan Backup

Annoyances.org

Annoyances.org is the most complete collection of information assembled for and by actual users of Microsoft Windows. Explore this free web resource by selecting one of the destinations on your left, or use search to find a specific solution.

A Review of AVG Antivirus

If your computer safe from viruses? Without the proper protection, your computer can catch a virus faster than you can recite your email address three times. Viruses can destroy files, compromise your privacy, and make you vulnerable to identity theft. What to do?

Virustotal

Virustotal is a service that analyzes suspicious files and facilitates the quick detection of viruses, worms, trojans, and all kinds of malware detected by antivirus engines.

VirusTotal has been awarded by the American edition of PC World Magazine, one of the 100 best products of year 2007 in the Security Web Site category.VirusTotal has been awarded by the American edition of PC World Magazine, one of the 100 best products of year 2007 in the Security Web Site category.