Radio Spots For 5th June

Malware On Tablets / Smartphones

Should we be concerned with virus / malware infections on smartphones / tablets , no.

Most discussion on this emanates from the antivirus companies who warn us that without protection we may get infected and should buy download some sort of protection.

This can be directly related to the decline in PC sales and the rise in sales of tablets and smartphones and the decline in antivirus sales due to Microsoft doing a better job keeping things patched and introducing the best free solution Microsoft Security Essentials.

Currently you have little reason to be concerned , Apple devices there is little to no chance due to apps being vetted before going into the apps store . Android again little chance if you get your apps from the Google play store. 

If you have "rooted" or "jailbroken  " your device then you have increased your chances as you would be downloading from outside approved sources.

You can however have your information shared with the app makers and give them access to your device when installing especially Android apps.  Read the information when installing.

App Of The Week  

Anything After , find out if there is anymore movies after the credits 

More information can be found here: 

Anything After

What To Do When Taking Your Smartphone / Tablet Overseas

Phones are all about turning off data roaming on your current phone so your apps don’t dial out and you don’t access those apps from your “ current sim “and end up on Today Tonight with a massive phone bill due to data charges.

First when leaving - Turn off cellular data

Phones need to be unlocked , this needs to be done at least a week before you go

Options For Making Phone Calls 

Purchase a local sim card in the country you are visiting , then redirect your phone number to your new number

Purchase a travel sim from Australia - 3 travel sims that you can get

TravelSIM is designed for occasional travellers to swap into their phones while overseas, which means they can't be contacted via the Australian number. To make a call you dial the number, the phone hangs up and then the TravelSIM service calls you back and connects the call. It sounds complicated but you soon get the hang of it. It's a pre-paid service with no monthly fee, but your credit expires if you haven't made a call for six months.

TruSim

Meanwhile Truphone's Tru SIM is targeted at regular travellers who want to use the same SIM and phone number when at home and abroad. The Tru SIM is pre-paid, although Truphone also offers post-paid plans for business users.
Tru SIM isn't a callback service like TravelSIM, so you can make calls the way you normally would. You can port your existing Australian mobile number to your Tru SIM, plus you can add a US or UK number to the same SIM for an extra $8 per month.

Woolworths Global Roaming Sim 

Global roaming sim which includes data for apps , email etc - 1GB data is $21

Take Your Own Internet With You

Buy a portable WIFI Hotspots where you can connect up to 5 devices.

When you look at the cost of hotel wifi in some London hotels $8 an hour to $20 - $30 a day , this can be a far better option 

There is also the McDonalds and coffees shop wifi but security is much better with your own connection .

Your own internet connection can be Ideal for maps , Google maps or Apple maps

which come with turn by turn navigation – ideal for holidays so you don't get lost.

Opinion On The Samsung Galaxy S4

I had the new Samsung Galaxy S4 for a few days last week compliments of Telstra so what do I think.

The phone runs Googles Android operating system ( Jelly Bean ) alongside what can only be described as the Samsung operating system. 

As an aside , Androids Jelly Bean by the way is the best OS they have come out with .

You will need a Google account for your phone so you will need to log in or sign up to this then sign up for a Samsung account for access to all the Samsung apps.

This phone has a nice big , clear screen - 5 inch , however while it is bigger it was not brighter than the iPhone 5 screen , but it is a good screen , the best I have seen on the larger smartphones.

Sound is really good and on the Telstra 4G network , internet and phone call quality is excellent. The speed of the 4G network from Telstra is a perfect compliment to the phone.

The phone is "light" for its size but this reflects the amount of plastic that was used to make the phone eg: plastic snap-on back cover.

The cover on the back allows access to the battery ( for those that need to swap the battery , as many Samsung owners do ) and an SD card slot for increased storage

Some of the software on the Samsung S4 is:

Dual Screen : see front and rear views from the camera on the screen at the same time

Eraser: Remove anything that was moving into or out of the frame when you were taking the photo

Translator: Type , speak into the phone what you would like translated or translate documents with the camera

There are motion sensors on the phone that enable you to interact with software on the phone such as change music tracks with a wave of the hand.

In Conclusion :

This is a top end Smartphone from Samsung packed full of software , really nice screen , a bit plastic when compared to others on the market but it is a top quality phone.

Not all the Samsung apps run as promised  , I along with other reviewers had problems with some of the camera apps.

Battery life was ok , but I only had it for a few days and with nearly all phones now they are a 1 day life.

The slogan on the front of the phone states , Life Companion , this maybe true if life was the same length as your phone contract - 2 years 

It will take some time to adjust to all the software on the phone and especially if you were to swap from the Apple world to the Android / Samsung world .

If you want to read more about the samsung Galaxy S4 here is a CNET review

Looking to purchase the Samsung Galaxy S4 , then I recommend Telstra because of their 4G network and superior coverage - more information can be found at this link.

Samsung Galaxy S4 - Telstra Mobile With Plan

Flash - Time To Give It Up On Tablets

I am always asked about Flash on tablets.

Flash does not run on the iPad or the new Android tablets and Adobe will only allow access to Flash on Android devices that already had Flash Player installed and will not support Flash from Android 4.1 onwards.

Adobe implemented this from Aug 15th 2012 - you can read their press release HERE

If you are looking at watching TV or playing certain games , on your iPad or Android device, which on a computer you would watch or play through the internet browser , you will need to go to their app or download the game and not use the internet browser.

There are some ways to watch flash on these tablets but with the constant changes to software , they may not be a long term solution.

Radio Spots Notes For w/c 1st April

Passwords

Stop using passwords that are in the dictionary

If you have trouble remembering a password , try the word and number combo 

• Pick a word you can remember eg: adelaide
• Pick a date you can remember eg: 2013
• Capitalise a letter in the word

Now combine all 3

adeL20aide13

Is Privacy Dead

When we buy a smartphone / tablet we are sharing our outside information with the makers of the devices.

For example:

• Google and Apple location tracking is on by default you need to go into the setup to turn it off after – iOS / Android devices 
• iPhones and iPads have advertising tracking turned on
• Apps purchased on the Google Play store supply your name , suburb and email address to the developer when you buy an app 
• Location mapping is on by default with Google Maps
• Location is turned on by default in Facebook / Twitter
• Siri collects your data – ask Siri a question and no matter how personal it is recording your question 
• Information collected by your location is transmitted to Apple “anonymously”.
• Google location history which you can access through your Google account will show exactly where you have been 

FiveAA Tip Of The Week

Learn how to save your documents in case of a computer / power failure 

Click here for more information:Save your Office documents

Backup

The 3 copy rule – you don’t have a copy of 1 unless you have 3 copies 

• 1 on your computer
• 1 on external media 
• 1 in the cloud 

Remember the perils of not backing up ( hard drives die at the rate of 8% a year after 3 years )

Online backup options can include :

• Dropbox
• Carbonite
• CrashPlan

If backing up to DVDs , CDs be aware that factors can affect the life expectancy of the disc with some home made DVDs only lasting between 2 - 4 years 

Factors that affect disc life expectancy of DVDs and CDs include the following:

• type
• manufacturing quality
• condition of the disc before recording
• quality of the disc recording
• handling and maintenance
• environmental conditions

Remember - Organise your files for easy backup and restore , documents belong with documents , music with music and photos with photos and files do not live on the desktop.

What To Do If You Cannot Get Your Children Off The Computer / Internet

• Unplug the router , this means no internet access

App Of The Week

Angry Birds - many of the Angry Birds games are now FREE to buy

Radio Spots For the 27th March

Backing Up

The 3 copy rule – you don’t have a copy of 1 unless you have 3 copies 

• 1 on your computer
• 1 on external media 
• 1 in the cloud 

Remember the perils of not backing up ( hard drives die at the rate of 8% a year after 3 years )

Online backup options can include :

• Dropbox
• Carbonite
• CrashPlan

If backing up to DVDs , CDs be aware that factors can affect the life expectancy of the disc with some home made DVDs only lasting between 2 - 4 years 

Factors that affect disc life expectancy of DVDs and CDs include the following:

• type
• manufacturing quality
• condition of the disc before recording
• quality of the disc recording
• handling and maintenance
• environmental conditions

Remember - Organise your files for easy backup and restore , documents belong with documents , music with music and photos with photos and files do not live on the desktop.

Emails

Ever made a mistake sending that email – well there are a couple of options that can get you out of trouble 

If you use Gmail you can recall a message after a few seconds with their “ undo send “ setting 

In Outlook you can establish a rule to delay sending any emails 

Apple Warranties

The warranty has just changed to be in line with Australian law which requires that sellers offer a warranty for a reasonable period from date of delivery until the failure becomes apparent – this has been interpreted as 2 years for computers

You need to contact the “seller “ of the product rather than the manufacturer.

SMH Story On Apple Warranty

Tips Of The Week

1. Save your Office documents in case of a power or computer problem - Applies to both Windows and Apple computers  Click here for more details
2. How do you know a genuine Paypal email - emails from Paypal will always address you by your first and last name and will have no Western Union references

App Of The Week

The Paper Toss App - play toss the piece of paper into the office bin 

For more information click here ; Paper Toss App

Radio Spots For 20th Mar - FIVEaa/PowerFM

Analogue to Digital Changeover 

2nd April is the changeover date 

The key questions to me has been around antennas and will the current one cope

• If you are getting the digital stations now you will get it after 2nd April
• If the stations drop out during bad weather, you may need a new antenna
• If your antenna is only a few years old it will be fine 
• New antennas installed are around the $250 mark

Samsung Galaxy S4 announcement 

• Released end of April
• Most telco’s are taking orders now
• 5” screen , improved screen , faster processor
• 13MP rear camera ( shoots 1080p video) and 2MP front camera – can film both at once
• Improved voice controlled interface
• Software translator through camera – put a foreign menu in front of it and it will translate it
• You can use it with gloves
• Eye tracking technology – halts a video when you look away

Lots of interesting software from “Samsung “ but running on the Google Android operating system – could we see a another operating system now that Samsung has grown to the size it is ?

Point to note : Apple shares rose on the announcement of the phone 

On This Week In Technology

In 1895 the first motion picture was shown on a screen to an invited audience in Paris

Social Media News

What is the creepiest thing you can do on Facebook ? - Click here for the Gizmodo story

Website Of The Week

Become an internet superstar with Simon Cowell and You Tube with the You Generation TV Global Audition 

The You Generation You Tube Global Audition

Tip Of The Day

Look at your internet plan

• Many people have been on the same internet plan for years
• Go to your internet providers website and look at the plans 
• In some cases you can save money and get an increased download 

Bring That E Mail Message Back With Gmail

So you have written an email using Gmail and you press send and then suddenly:

• You get that horrible feeling that you should not have done it
• You see that you have replied to all when you did not want to
• Noticed a spelling mistake
• Changed your mind as you have sent the e mail in anger

Well with Gmail there is a solution.

Open up Gmail and go to settings , click on the spoked wheel in the top right hand side of the Gmail screen.

Then open up the "Labs" tab

Then pan down the page until you find the "Undo Send" feature

Enable this and now you will have 5 seconds to undo your e-mail message and I know 5 seconds is not long however it's amazing what you will see at the last minute.

Gmail Task Manager

Task managers keep us at the jobs we need to do and complete.

Gmail which I use as my email client comes with a great task manager.

When you receive an email with a task in it , that you have to complete ,  just click on the box on the left hand side then go to "more actions" which has  a dropdown menu and click on "Add to Tasks" and it will appear on your task list.

You are also able to create multiple task lists by going to the actions and on the right hand side is a List Symbol , click on it and you can make a new list.

Your emails that are associated with tasks can always be accessed by clicking on the email link underneath the task.

PowerFM / FiveAA Segments For 13th March

FiveAA Breakfast Segment 

In 2008 Microsoft’s Windows operating system ran on 95% of all computing devices

By the end of 2012 this has declined to 30%

Lets look at some numbers:

In 2009 Apple made 8.2 billion In 2012 Apple made $41 billion in net income

In 2009 Microsoft made 14.5 billion in 2012 Microsoft made $21.76 billion in net income

In 2012 Google made $10.7 billion and is growing faster than Microsoft

Windows 8 needs to be an operating system that consumers and businesses except and embrace and not be referred to as the next Vista 

Tip Of The Week

Check your Windows Updates as it is "Patch Tuesday "

PowerFM Spot

In 1988 - Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up reached number 1 on the billboard charts 

In 2006 - The first version of Twitter was released 

Discussion Points

Last Week Google Glass , this week Google Shoes

Facebook offers to avoid - There are no free iPads , hair straighteners , Playstation 4 testers , Samsung Phones - Its all about getting your details 

Facebook App - Bang With Friends - "Hook up" with your Facebook friends 

Time to get rid of the VCR and buy a PVR - Personal Video Recorder

App Of The Week

iMadeFace

Create a cartoon face of yourself

Find iMadeFace on the App store 

How to Login To Your Router

Home routers give access to the internet via an adsl connection or a cable connection to a home network.

Then with a wifi router you can get on the internet and share your internet connection between devices such as your computer , tablet and smartphone.

However the question I am constantly asked is , how do i login to the router ?

You need to open up a blank web page

Then you need to key in the routers address

In the example here I have used the Netgear login of 192.168.1.1

You will then need to have the user name and password for your router

You can find this information if you don't have it at Default Router Passwords

If you have not changed anything it will be a standard default ( you really should change this )

If you are after your router login address , more often you can find it on the bottom of your router

If you cannot find the log on , just Google it , for example " What is the login for a belkin router "

Once inside the router you can change many settings or activate wireless security

FiveAA Notes For 12th & 13th Jan

Why You Should Pay More Attention To Google

Remember Google is an advertising company that uses its search component to make revenue

Google can help you whether you have a computer , tablet or smartphone – what you do one is duplicated on all ( Windows / Apple / Android , tablets ,computers , smartphones ) – cross platform , cross device syncing with all saved in “ the cloud”

Everything you do on Google is done and backed up online

Google accounts, tailors your search to your tastes, 2 people can search for the same subject but Google will tailor your search to past searches

Search can be done in so many ways but we rarely scratch the surface , search by time , location , images , shopping , time

Everything you do on Google is done and backed up online

Key Features Of Google

Emails

Establishing a Google account will give you a Gmail address

Forward your current email address to a Gmail account then all your emails will be stored in the cloud - never lose another email again

Click here for gmail tips

Document Creation

You can create documents , spreadsheets , presentations , you can do all this without a traditional office suite all through Google

How To Use Google drive

Calendar

Your appointments are synced across all your devices

Google Calendar Tips

Translate

Translate any document in most languages and write a document from English into those languages

Forms

Google gives businesses the ability to put forms on their website to capture information from forms

Google Forms Tips

Google Maps

The best way to find your way around

Tip Of The Week

Microsoft are due to release a swag of updates today , so manually go in and check all your updates , including the optional ones.

Why ?

"Because keeping windows up to date is your first line of defence "

Tablets Rise In Sales While Windows 8 Tries To Establish Itself

As we look back on 2012 there are 2 big stories.

The highlight for the year is the growth in the sales of tablets which are expected to top 122 million according to IDC 

The other is Windows 8 trying to establish itself as the operating system of choice.

We saw 3 iPads this year from Apple , tablets from Google , Samsung , other manufacturers and of course the Microsoft Surface , their first computer.

Tablet users who truly understand how to use their device know that they can get the vast majority of their work achieved with their device and a knowledge of how to use the cloud.

In 2012 the tablet moved from content consumption to content creation.

In 2013 we look for the release of Office for tablets which has been widely rumoured and will be the app that defines the catagory in the workplace. 

2012 saw the introduction of the highly anticipated Windows 8 

Microsoft decided to introduce a touch based operating system for computers and tablets , whether you had a touch based computer or not.

Windows 7 was the best operating system Microsoft had produced and while there are many things to like about Windows 8 , security for one , the learning curve and the implementation of a touch based operating system on a traditional computer appears too much for some people. Even the head of Windows Product Development claims it takes a couple of weeks to get used to it.

Computer and laptop sales have stagnated in recent years and with the rise of netbooks , Windows 8 has proved not an incitement to get people to buy a new computer but it is gaining traction.

Consumers and businesses appear reluctant to change and in business changes to operating systems takes time but consumers should take the time to learn the benefits.

If speculation is to be believed Microsoft will release a new version of Windows every year - Windows Blue.

Lets remember Microsoft is not a software company anymore , it is a "devices and services" company and as their range of computers , software and hardware grows so will the acceptance of changes to the operating system.

From a personal point of view the more I use windows 8 the more I like it.

10 Steps To Follow For A Virus Free Computer

How much time and money have you spent in having your computer repaired because you have become infected with viruses and malware ?

Infection from virus’s , malware can be avoided if you follow some simple BEHAVIORAL rules.

Remember if you get infected it is your fault not your computer's.

The first point to remember is that running antivirus software will not prevent you getting a virus.
Antivirus software is there in the hope that once you have a virus on your computer it will be able to remove it.

Here are 10 points to follow that should mean an infection free computer
.

NUMBER 1

Update your operating system regularly.
Turn on Automatic Updates on Windows and apply all critical updates immediately.
Check optional updates on a regular basis , they can in some cases trigger off critical updates.

NUMBER 2

Update your software.
PDF readers , Office , Flash 
Adobe are responsible for  numerous infections unless patched.

NUMBER 3

Don’t open email attachments unless you know that the person sending it to you ,really sent it.
Viruses will more often than not come from someone you know.
Email attachments are the number one way that viruses , trojan horses and malware can get onto your computer.

NUMBER 4

Make sure HTML in e-mail is turned off as just by previewing these e-mails you can be infected especially if your computer is not fully patched.

NUMBER 5

Don’t click links in e-mails.
You could be taken to a phising site or this may lead you to install malicious software.
You should copy and paste the link into your browser or type the link into your browser.
HTML e-mail can hide the actual destination of that link so this is another reason to turn off HTML in your email.

NUMBER 6

You should only download files from places you know are absolutely safe.
The use of file sharing software often means you will download malware and Trojans without knowing.
If you download files you should quarantine them in a folder and then scan them a few days later with an updated antivirus software.

NUMBER 7

Have a firewall.
Your broadband router is the best firewall
You should also make sure that in Windows XP , Vista and Windows 7 the firewall is turned on.
There is no need to buy a firewall solution.

NUMBER 8

You should browse the Internet with the latest editions of browsers Firefox ,Internet Explorer 8 (IE9) or Google Chrome

NUMBER 9

Switch to a web based e mail program such as G Mail which will scan your emails before they arrive on your computer
.

NUMBER 10

Have an antivirus solution , the FREE one I recommend is the Microsoft Security Essentials program and the PAID one I recommend is NOD32

These are programs which run quietly in the background without taking over your computer .
I do not recommend anything from Symantec , McAfee , Kaspersky as they are overkill and can and do result in slowdown of your computer.
Remember if you get infected it really is your fault.

Have A Google Account - Add 2 Step Verification

If you have a Google account you need to add 2 step verification 

You can find the instructions and information here.

More Information On Google 2 Step Verification : Click Here

PowerFM Segment For 5th Dec

This Week In Technology

The 20th anniversary of the text message with "Merry Christmas" being sent from a computer to a mobile device by Matti Makkonen

It was however 2 years later that Nokia released a mobile phone that let you easily write messages on

8 trillion messages were sent last year

Discussion Points

Businesses Having Their Customers Credit Details Stolen

The strong advice was making sure your security software was up to date , I would add in that they should have kept their operating systems up to date first.

For example , If you are running  a Windows XP pirated copy , you are indeed very vulnerable 

There was some good advice from the Australian Federal Police

"Credit cards should be kept in a secure place, ATMS should be checked for any unusual attachments, personal details, including PIN numbers, should be protected, financial statements should be checked continuously, mail boxes should be secured and, if possible, chip and pin security implemented on credit cards.

"These arrests are also a timely reminder that all small businesses need to check they have the correct security measures in place, look to upgrade their systems and use strong passwords so they minimise the risk of data compromises."

iTunes

The new iTunes ( version 11 ) is out now and is a big change and a welcome update to the old version.

It is available for both Windows and Apple computers.

There is a much cleaner look to it as you can see from the image below and there is a lot more cloud integration. 

Learn about the new iTunes

Browser Hijacks

Internet Explorer , Firefox , Google Chrome should use traditional search engines such as 

• Google
• Bing
• Yahoo
• Web Wombat

Not ones like :

• Mywebsearch
• Searchonme
• Mocaflix
• Babylon Search

A browser hijacker is a form of malware, spyware or virus that replaces the existing internet browser home page, error page, or search page with its own.These are generally used to force hits to a particular website. If this happens on your computer you need to get it fixed.

App Of The Week

Santa Hats

Put a xmas hat on your iphone photos

Download Link For Santa Hats

5AA Spot For 23rd Oct

THE BIG TECH EVENTS THIS WEEK

Friday: Windows 8 is out , Windows 8 is for computers / laptops

Friday: Microsoft Surface is officially released running Windows RT and which you can order from Microsoft. 

Apple announcement Oct 24th iPad mini and other assorted announcements

Google announcement Oct 29th – tablet and or phone will be coming 

Lets Talk Windows 8

1. Windows 8 is a tablet based operating system that also runs traditional computers as well – works best on touch based computers / tablets but also works with keyboard and mouse.

2. Windows 8 has an interface composed of rectangular tiles and, on some devices, a touch screen, no start menu 

3. Windows 8 you can download, install traditional applications / programs 

4. Windows RT on devices ( tablets ) & Windows 8 look at first glance exactly the same but they are not.

5. Windows RT has an interface composed of rectangular tiles and is the tablet based operating system for ARM devices 

6. Windows RT is not a computer operating system. Windows RT is an operating system for mobile devices. Windows RT runs the Microsoft Surface tablet.

7. Applications and programs for Windows RT will be bundled with the device or can only be downloaded from the Windows Store , that's all 

8. Windows RT devices will have better battery life, lighter weight, cheaper price points

9. However there will be mobile devices / tablets that will run Windows 8 the full version on which you can download and install anything you want.

10. Confused by the difference then you are not alone.

11. You can upgrade from Windows XP or Vista to Windows 8, download Microsoft's compatibility assistant tool, which will pinpoint the programs on your old operating system that won't work on Windows 8

12. Pricing $69 for Windows Pro / $14 to upgrade 

13. Windows 8 comes with built in antivirus / malware software – you do not need to buy anything else , but you could if you wanted to.

14. Windows 8 also has an advanced boot system that will prevent advanced malware & rootkits from causing damage when starting the computer.

15. You can refresh your copy of Windows 8 which will restore the operating system and leave all your documents , pictures etc intact.

16. There is no Start button with Windows 8 but there are some apps you can download to get the same start as Windows 7 

17. There is no built in DVD Playback in Windows 8 however you could use a program like VLC

18. There is no built in DVD maker with Windows 8 

19. Windows 8 devices start very quickly 

20. Should you upgrade – if on Windows 7 , there is no reason – Windows Vista ( maybe ) or Windows XP ( check to see if it will run ) 

Are There Any iPhone 5 Issues ?

Are there issues with the iPhone 5 ?

A few have been reported  , however lets separate out actual iPhone issues to software issues to human issues.

The Map issue – Software Issue

its not as good as Google maps “currently” – Google are resubmitting Google maps as an app to the app store but along with the removal of You Tube is a sign of the divorce between Google and Apple , the Apple Maps will improve.

The WIFI Issue - Software Issue

iPhones are having trouble connecting to wifi networks or staying on wifi networks.

If you’re still having Wi-Fi problems, you can try the following:

Toggle your Wi-Fi off and on – Settings app > Wi-Fi OR

Set your device’s HTTP Proxy to Auto – Settings app > Wi-Fi > Blue icon next to the network you’re connecting to > Scroll to the bottom

One of these methods should cure your Wi-Fi troubles.

The Facebook Issue - Human Issue

Your iPhone has imported your Facebook friends @facebook.com email addresses not their correct ones.

That’s actually your fault as most people have not adjusted their Facebook contact settings to their proper email address not their @facebook address which is in your “ about “ section of your Facebook profile.

The Scratch Issue - Human Issue

People are reporting the new iPhone 5 shows scratches - answer be more careful

The Biggest Issue Of All

People can't put it down

Secure Your Wireless Network Against Unwanted Intruders

You should lock down your wifi router to prevent people intruding on your network and taking your bandwidth and or data.

You will need to log into your router by entering the routers IP address into your web browser.

You do this by connecting your router to your computer with a network cable then entering the address into a browser to access the router.

Most routers use an address like 192.168.1.1, 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.2.1 are also common.
Check your manual or Google to determine the correct IP address.

Change The Router Passwords

First change the router passwords , default router passwords like "admin" are easy to remember, but are also common knowledge.
No password is perfect, however a better password can be used by combining numbers and letters and avoiding words from a dictionary.
Change your Wi-Fi password as well as your router administrator password

Next Change Your SSID ( your wireless network name)

Wireless network's have a name, known as Service Set ID (or SSID).

The simple act of changing that name discourages people from targeting you.

Wireless networks with default names such as "Belkin" will probably not have custom passwords or encryption.

Turn On WPA2 Encryption

Go into your wireless security settings and turn on WPA2 encryption with an approprite password as I have discussed above.

Turn On MAC Filtering
Every device that accesses the Internet has a Media Access Control (MAC) address, which is a unique identifier composed of six pairs of alphanumeric characters.

You can limit your network to only accept specific devices by turning on MAC filtering, which is also a great tip for optimizing your wireless network.

How do you find your MAC Address?

On Windows , open a command prompt by selecting Run from the Start Menu, type cmd and hitting Enter

Windows 7 users type cmd in the Start Menu search box.

You will now see a command prompt

Type ipconfig /all at the command prompt and press Enter to bring up your IP settings.

Your mac address will look like the following 05:0c:ce:e2:6c:28

Mac OS X, go to System Preferences and Click Network.

From there, Select "Wi-Fi" from the list in the left-hand column ("Airport" in Snow Leopard or earlier), then click "Advanced" , then look for the "Airport ID" or "Wi-Fi ID".

Smartphones , tablets , printers , check your manual or Google it.

Backup , Format Your Computer And Reap The Rewards

The computer is one of those rare things that you can make exactly the same as when you first bought it , but yes it takes a bit of work.
I sometimes end up having to format and reinstall peoples operating systems and there is a definite order in which this should be done. 

First have you backed up everything that you need:

The " My Documents " folder should contain the bulk of what you need to back up.

• All your documents , photos , movies , memories etc
• A folder with your internet favourites saved in  , export them from your current browser or Firefox and Google Chrome will sync them for you if you have adjusted the settings
• Instant Message Profiles ( Google search on how to do this )
• Software you have purchased or downloaded with the activation keys 
• Music ( you have purchased or downloaded ) , dont forget the itunes folder
• Your e mails and address book if you do not use a web based e mail solution and if you think about it you should , makes it easier if the worst happens.

Firstly you need to format the hard drive.

You can do this by inserting the Windows disk and follow the instructions on the screen or using the built in format and restore to original condition that comes with many computers.

Now wait until the drive has formatted and the operating system has loaded , follow the instructions and don't be impatient, it takes time.
Fill in all the instructions that Windows needs , keyboard , location etc and wait until that final reboot.
Do not turn on Automatic updates.
After the final reboot and the windows screen is looking at you take out the disk.
Again let me say do not turn on Automatic updates at this time.

Now configure your internet connection.

Now go to Windows Update and select custom not automatic ( if on Windows XP) or just go to Windows Update in Vista and Windows 7 and select the automatic and optional updates, as you are after all updates.

If it has been a while since you bought your computer you will have many , many , many , did i say many updates and reboots to go through.

Keep installing and updating until there are no more to update then reboot your machine and you should be ready to install your software.

Don't try and skimp on this and be aware that it can take several hours to get your system up to date.

Now when you are installing your updates sometimes things may go wrong and it will stop installing updates and say that they will not install.

Here then is the bad news , you will have to go to Microsoft downloads and manually install them one by one.Look for the incident number to make sure you are downloading the correct file.If you can you will see that there is a + sign next to the download which takes you to the link at Microsoft or copy the description into the search pane.

Remember you need these to download to keep your system secure and operating well

Install your Antivirus solution and I recommend going with the new FREE Microsoft Security Essentials if you want a free solution or Nod32 if you want a paid solution.

Make sure you have it totally updated before you proceed any further.

You will sometimes have to reboot your machine and update your antivirus a few times.
Wait until there are no more updates for your antivirus then reboot your machine.

Now that your system is up to date you can turn on Automatic updates in the knowledge that you have completed a job well done and your computer is just like the day you bought it .

If you have restored a machine which is filled with trialware and software ( AOL , McAfee , Norton trials etc) that the manufacturer is trying to get you to use ,  install PC Decrapifier which will remove these.

You can now start to reinstall all your software and then your documents onto your computer.

After installing your software , check for updates and don't forget Adobe Flash , Java and Adobe Reader updates.