Sunday, October 28, 2012
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
20 ways you're getting ripped off without knowing it
Source (for full listing) : Asiaone
<>
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Does Your PC Have a Virus? Or Is It Just SLOW?
By Becky Worley | Upgrade Your Life – Thu, Apr 5, 2012
4 Major Virus Symptoms
Geeky Tricks for Diagnosis
Some people will tell you to hit CTRL-ALT-DEL to launch the task manager and comb through programs (processes) to look for unfamiliar items. I think this is a bad idea. Virus writers are sneaky and will often name virus files to look like parts of the Windows operating system or other common programs. Conversely, many legitimate parts of Windows have weird names that sound like viruses to a layman. I have heard horror stories of people thinking they were deleting a virus only to realize after a reboot that they had disabled a mandatory component of the operating system. Then they had a dead computer that needed a complete Windows reinstallation.
But one place where you can get useful info in the task manager is the networking tab. If you have all other programs closed and still notice a high level of network/Internet traffic, it's a good indicator you have a virus. This tip alone is not a good enough metric for virus diagnosis, but it's a clue as you compile information about the state of your computer.
Surefire Virus Diagnosis - Free virus scanners.
There are lots of free virus scanners online that can tell you if you have some form of malware on your computer. Personally, I like to run two or three programs, because there are hundreds of thousands of viruses, all with different heuristics (behavior patterns), so you increase your chances of diagnosis if you use multiple programs with multiple and varied virus definitions.
I like AVG, Avast, and Malwarebytes. All are highly rated by CNet and PC Magazine.
One tip: when you scan for viruses, be sure to turn off or disable any other security software. These programs do not play well together and can interfere with each other. Also, after you diagnose and remove the virus, keeping one virus scanner is probably a good idea, but you'll want to trash the other two since they can be real resource hogs running in the background.
Virus or Hacked Email
What if people tell you they are getting spam from you? This could either be a virus or that your email account has been hacked. First try these steps to take back control of your email account. If spam or unauthorized email is still being sent out from your account, it's possible you have a virus. In that case, you need to get rid of the virus on your computer and then go through the process linked above again to change passwords and block access to your email.
Slow Computer or Virus?
Once you've accomplished the steps above you should have a clear idea of the problem.
- Your system crashes or locks up often.
- It randomly restarts.
- You see strange error messages or pop-up boxes especially alerts about firewalls or viruses.
- Your system suddenly runs much slower, and the key here is suddenly. If it progressively slows down, it's probably getting bogged down by too many programs running in the background, you haven't defragmented it recently (or ever), or you are nearing full capacity on the hard drive. But if the computer suddenly takes minutes to load a web page, or suddenly takes 10 minutes to shutdown/start-up it's a good clue that you have a virus.
- New toolbars in your browser.
- New shortcuts on your desktop that you didn't put there.
- New items in the system tray at the bottom right hand corner of your screen.
Geeky Tricks for Diagnosis
- If you hit the start button in the lower left corner of your Windows screen and (depending on the Version of Windows you have) either find the run command or just type CMD in the search box, a black box should pop-up. This is a prompt used by computer technicians to run programs at a deep level within the computer and it's often used by the pros to remove viruses. As a result, some malware (meaning viruses, spyware, and other nasty stuff) will disable the feature to make it harder for the user or a tech to remove the virus.
- In a similar fashion, many viruses will prevent the computer from accessing the Windows Update feature, which can also assist in virus removal. So if you go to control panel, Security, and click Windows Update, and your computer can't launch that feature, it's another clear sign you have a virus.
Some people will tell you to hit CTRL-ALT-DEL to launch the task manager and comb through programs (processes) to look for unfamiliar items. I think this is a bad idea. Virus writers are sneaky and will often name virus files to look like parts of the Windows operating system or other common programs. Conversely, many legitimate parts of Windows have weird names that sound like viruses to a layman. I have heard horror stories of people thinking they were deleting a virus only to realize after a reboot that they had disabled a mandatory component of the operating system. Then they had a dead computer that needed a complete Windows reinstallation.
But one place where you can get useful info in the task manager is the networking tab. If you have all other programs closed and still notice a high level of network/Internet traffic, it's a good indicator you have a virus. This tip alone is not a good enough metric for virus diagnosis, but it's a clue as you compile information about the state of your computer.
Surefire Virus Diagnosis - Free virus scanners.
There are lots of free virus scanners online that can tell you if you have some form of malware on your computer. Personally, I like to run two or three programs, because there are hundreds of thousands of viruses, all with different heuristics (behavior patterns), so you increase your chances of diagnosis if you use multiple programs with multiple and varied virus definitions.
I like AVG, Avast, and Malwarebytes. All are highly rated by CNet and PC Magazine.
One tip: when you scan for viruses, be sure to turn off or disable any other security software. These programs do not play well together and can interfere with each other. Also, after you diagnose and remove the virus, keeping one virus scanner is probably a good idea, but you'll want to trash the other two since they can be real resource hogs running in the background.
Virus or Hacked Email
What if people tell you they are getting spam from you? This could either be a virus or that your email account has been hacked. First try these steps to take back control of your email account. If spam or unauthorized email is still being sent out from your account, it's possible you have a virus. In that case, you need to get rid of the virus on your computer and then go through the process linked above again to change passwords and block access to your email.
Slow Computer or Virus?
Once you've accomplished the steps above you should have a clear idea of the problem.
- If YOUR COMPUTER IS JUST SLOW: click here for our PC Tune Up instructions.
- IF YOU HAVE A VIRUS: click here for instructions to Get Rid Of The Virus.
Source: Yahoo.com.sg
Tiny US town fetches S$1.1m at auction
LOS ANGELES - Billed as the smallest town in America, Buford, Wyoming, was sold at auction Thursday for $900,000 to a Vietnamese national who wants to remain anonymous, the seller told AFP.
Twenty-five bidders signed up for the auction, held online and on-site, of the town with its three-bedroom house, school, gas station and several other buildings.
Buford's last inhabitant and the owner of the buildings, Don Sammons, 61, told AFP the package went to a Vietnamese man from Ho Chi Minh City.
"He actually flew here from Vietnam. He was on site," said Sammons.
The winner had to battle it out with bidders from Hong Kong, New York, Florida, Kansas and Wyoming, with the bidding starting at US$100,000(S$126,000). Some called in their offers by phone but about 20 people were on site.
"I'm happy and I'm sad all at once," said Sammons. "But I'm more happy than sad because this is all I wanted."
"I can continue and start the next chapter of my life," he said, adding that he planned to go someplace with sandy beaches and "maybe a palm tree" for a week or two before writing a book about his life in Buford.
The former railroad stop once was home to about 2,000 people. But they started moving away after train service ended, until the sign at the entrance to town read, "Buford. Population: 1."
The buyer will get 10 acres of land. Besides the house, a garage, cabin and barn, the property includes a cellphone tower and a parking lot that a trucking company uses to switch trailers at night.
The Buford Trading Post, as the outpost is called, benefits from regular traffic along the I-80 interstate, with Wyoming's state capital Cheyenne just 30 miles (50 kilometers) to the east, and San Francisco 1,150 miles to the west.
Source: asiaone.com
Twenty-five bidders signed up for the auction, held online and on-site, of the town with its three-bedroom house, school, gas station and several other buildings.
Buford's last inhabitant and the owner of the buildings, Don Sammons, 61, told AFP the package went to a Vietnamese man from Ho Chi Minh City.
"He actually flew here from Vietnam. He was on site," said Sammons.
The winner had to battle it out with bidders from Hong Kong, New York, Florida, Kansas and Wyoming, with the bidding starting at US$100,000(S$126,000). Some called in their offers by phone but about 20 people were on site.
"I'm happy and I'm sad all at once," said Sammons. "But I'm more happy than sad because this is all I wanted."
"I can continue and start the next chapter of my life," he said, adding that he planned to go someplace with sandy beaches and "maybe a palm tree" for a week or two before writing a book about his life in Buford.
The former railroad stop once was home to about 2,000 people. But they started moving away after train service ended, until the sign at the entrance to town read, "Buford. Population: 1."
The buyer will get 10 acres of land. Besides the house, a garage, cabin and barn, the property includes a cellphone tower and a parking lot that a trucking company uses to switch trailers at night.
The Buford Trading Post, as the outpost is called, benefits from regular traffic along the I-80 interstate, with Wyoming's state capital Cheyenne just 30 miles (50 kilometers) to the east, and San Francisco 1,150 miles to the west.
Source: asiaone.com
Boeing 747 Last Flight
SINGAPORE - The last Boeing 747 passenger service operated by Singapore Airlines took off Friday for a commemorative farewell return trip to Hong Kong.Flight SQ747, carrying more than 350 passengers, was due to touch down in Singapore at 7:30 pm.
SIA was one of the world’s largest operators of 747s but is retiring its entire 747 fleet in favour of more modern aircraft such as the Boeing 777 and the “super jumbo” Airbus A380, now the world’s largest jetliner.
“The 747 was truly the jewel in our fleet for nearly four decades, and we would not be the airline that we are today if we had not made the bold decision in 1972 to purchase this iconic jetliner,” said Mak Swee Wah, SIA’s executive vice president commercial.
SIA spokesman Nicholas Ionides told AFP the airline’s cargo arm would still continue to operate its fleet of 13 Boeing 747-400 freighters.
The Singapore flag carrier placed its first order for the 747s in 1972 and took delivery the following year, the statement said.
Source: asiaone.com
SIA was one of the world’s largest operators of 747s but is retiring its entire 747 fleet in favour of more modern aircraft such as the Boeing 777 and the “super jumbo” Airbus A380, now the world’s largest jetliner.
“The 747 was truly the jewel in our fleet for nearly four decades, and we would not be the airline that we are today if we had not made the bold decision in 1972 to purchase this iconic jetliner,” said Mak Swee Wah, SIA’s executive vice president commercial.
SIA spokesman Nicholas Ionides told AFP the airline’s cargo arm would still continue to operate its fleet of 13 Boeing 747-400 freighters.
The Singapore flag carrier placed its first order for the 747s in 1972 and took delivery the following year, the statement said.
Source: asiaone.com
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
"Linsanity" catchphrase to be trademarked by Lin
Friday, Feb 24, 2012
NEW YORK - Call it insanity or "Linsanity"! But in time to come, the phrase can't be tossed around like a basketball if New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin has his way.
He has filed to trademark the term "Linsanity" with the US Patent and Trademark Office, a move that would give the rising NBA star sole rights to use the term on products.
According to the trademark regulators' website, Lin filed his application to trademark the term on February 13, about 10 days after he burst into the spotlight as an unlikely benchwarmer turned hero for the Knicks.
Lin, whose parents are from Taiwan, was cut by two NBA clubs but given a chance to play when two Knicks starters were sidelined. Lin produced the most points and assists of any NBA player in their first 10 starts since 1976.
Continue reading ... Original Source
NEW YORK - Call it insanity or "Linsanity"! But in time to come, the phrase can't be tossed around like a basketball if New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin has his way.
He has filed to trademark the term "Linsanity" with the US Patent and Trademark Office, a move that would give the rising NBA star sole rights to use the term on products.
According to the trademark regulators' website, Lin filed his application to trademark the term on February 13, about 10 days after he burst into the spotlight as an unlikely benchwarmer turned hero for the Knicks.
Lin, whose parents are from Taiwan, was cut by two NBA clubs but given a chance to play when two Knicks starters were sidelined. Lin produced the most points and assists of any NBA player in their first 10 starts since 1976.
Continue reading ... Original Source
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Jeremy Lin puts the ball in Asian Americans' court
The rise of New York
Knicks basketball player Jeremy Lin
has drawn fans as diverse as Harlem street ballers, late-night talk
show hosts and Sarah
Palin, but nowhere has his story been more deeply felt than within Asian
Americans.
In the Asian American community even third and fourth generations must contend with being treated as perpetual foreigners. So it comes as no surprise that they have embraced the big pop culture bang that created "Linsanity" — a force that already has turned long-entrenched cultural stereotypes on their heads and made the Ivy League-educated point guard the most visible Asian American in the country, if not the world.
"[Lin is] definitely a departure from the invisibility or the erasing of Asian American-ness of Asian American players," said Kathleen Yep, a Pitzer College professor of Asian American studies and author of "Outside the Paint: When Basketball Ruled at the Chinese Playground." "There's a fascinating thing of many people claiming Jeremy Lin ... as part of the American story."
To continue reading ... Original Source
In the Asian American community even third and fourth generations must contend with being treated as perpetual foreigners. So it comes as no surprise that they have embraced the big pop culture bang that created "Linsanity" — a force that already has turned long-entrenched cultural stereotypes on their heads and made the Ivy League-educated point guard the most visible Asian American in the country, if not the world.
"[Lin is] definitely a departure from the invisibility or the erasing of Asian American-ness of Asian American players," said Kathleen Yep, a Pitzer College professor of Asian American studies and author of "Outside the Paint: When Basketball Ruled at the Chinese Playground." "There's a fascinating thing of many people claiming Jeremy Lin ... as part of the American story."
To continue reading ... Original Source
Monday, January 23, 2012
Eventvwr scam, what do I do?
I recently received a similar call; so I thought I would alert others. This guy sounded like a caucasian, but sounded angry & frustrated when I refused to cooperate! (I found this answer from Yahoo! Ask)
Okay I know Im really f**king stupid, but it was first thing in the morning and I fell for this scam. I was called around 9am by some Indian guy and he was explaining to me that hes a registered Microsoft technician and had received a call alerting him that my IP address had a number of errors. He then told me to get to my PC and follow the steps to help me resolve these so called 'errors' once it was on he asked me to go onto run and enter Eventvwr (something like that) and when all the errors came up it shocked me and I wanted it fixed. So I just did everything he told me to do and eventually payed £46.99 for some security package. I then went downstairs turned on my other pc googled whether this was a scam and as soon as I found out I rushed upstairs turned off my laptop and internet and phoned my bank to cancel my card.
Am I still at risk, my card was cancelled about ten minutes after I selected 'make payment' as he had total control over my PC I'm afraid to turn my laptop as I think he might install malicious files.
What do I do! Arrghhhh (my bank only had £50 in it so they couldn't steal anything else)
Am I still at risk, my card was cancelled about ten minutes after I selected 'make payment' as he had total control over my PC I'm afraid to turn my laptop as I think he might install malicious files.
What do I do! Arrghhhh (my bank only had £50 in it so they couldn't steal anything else)
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker
If they had you install anything to actually control your pc then remove it...restore it to previous and check it actually uninstalled. If they used windows in built remote desktop then remove its settings.
Inform your service provider that you have falled for this, so that they can monitor the ip address you were on, then (and im assuming your on dynamic IP like most) turn off your router and wait 15-20 minutes and turn it back on. this gets you a fresh IP address from your provider and makes it harder for them to get back on anyway.
Run a antivirus scan on your machines and action anything that you find,
oh and remove any software they "sold" you as its probably infected with something..
I dont have to tell you as you realised but will post for others, anyone ringing you stating they are from or work in connection with microsoft (unless you rang them first) is probably lying, microsoft wont ring you unless you instigated it. Also they wont ask you for money or card details over the phone, do not give out information like this unless you know the source and have validated them like they should have validated you.
Calls like this are unfortunately very common and loads of people fall for it, you have done the right thing by telling the bank immediately. you should be fine.
With luck changing your ip and remote settings will be enough to cut them off. Just be vigilant for a while look for any unusual activity like activity lights when your not doing anything.
This scam is usually after your money not your pc (but not always)
Inform your service provider that you have falled for this, so that they can monitor the ip address you were on, then (and im assuming your on dynamic IP like most) turn off your router and wait 15-20 minutes and turn it back on. this gets you a fresh IP address from your provider and makes it harder for them to get back on anyway.
Run a antivirus scan on your machines and action anything that you find,
oh and remove any software they "sold" you as its probably infected with something..
I dont have to tell you as you realised but will post for others, anyone ringing you stating they are from or work in connection with microsoft (unless you rang them first) is probably lying, microsoft wont ring you unless you instigated it. Also they wont ask you for money or card details over the phone, do not give out information like this unless you know the source and have validated them like they should have validated you.
Calls like this are unfortunately very common and loads of people fall for it, you have done the right thing by telling the bank immediately. you should be fine.
With luck changing your ip and remote settings will be enough to cut them off. Just be vigilant for a while look for any unusual activity like activity lights when your not doing anything.
This scam is usually after your money not your pc (but not always)
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Why is the lion dance so famous during Chinese New Year?
Lion DanceThis festive dance originated in China and is regarded as a dance for good luck and blessings. It is usually performed before letting off the red firecrackers, which will then fill your home and life with plenty of luck. Loud music is also played during the dance to further scare off evil spirits.
Continue reading...
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)