January 11 2008 COOLSITES Newsletter #147 by Mark Donaldson

Joined: Aug 02, 2003 Posts: 243

This is what the COOLSITES Toolbar looks like. Click here for more info: http://luem42.com/toolbar.html Click here to get it: http://luem42.OurToolbar.com

I have published the January 11 2008 COOLSITES Newsletter #147 by Mark Donaldson.

The following is an excerpt from this weeks newsletter. To see the full newsletter with all of the COOLSITES links please click and bookmark this link: http://luem42.googlepages.com/coolsites.html and check it each week. Thank you. Mark.

January 11 2007 COOLSITES Newsletter #147 by Mark Donaldson

Due to a problem with Gmail almost no one received the last three newsletters. Gmail's response to my problem has been slow ( what do you expect during the holidays? ). I hope you receive it this week. If you didn't than see it online Saturday at:

http://luem42.googlepages.com/coolsites.html

Semper Gratis (forever free)

Wherever you go if you see the user name LUEM42 that's me

COOLSITES is a list of safe, fun, useful, informative and just plain cool websites and programs that are FREE, FREE and FREE. All of the programs and websites I list are free. If I list anything that is so good but isn't free I will list the price with it.

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Pirillo's Picks for February 13 2007

"And if you think that's a lot of links, you should see how many http://luem42.com/ collects every day. It's enough to make you wanna never leave the house again as long as you live" Yours Digitally, Chris Pirillo http://chris.pirillo.com/

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Clif Notes Newsletter, Feb 2007 http://freewarewiki.com/ClifNotes

"The COOLSITES Newsletter - find the coolest links here. This fella named Mark Donaldson has been sending out his lists of cool sites since 2003. I'd never heard of him before last week. One day I was Googling myself to see who was posting links to my newsletter, and I found his website. I guess he's mentioned my newsletter at least 3 times. I like the COOLSITES website too, but I think it could use some reformatting to make it a bit easier to read. What I really like is the content there. Mark must really read a lot of stuff on the web and he takes the best links then tells you about them." http://freewarewiki.com/CoolSitesNewsletter

Welcome to Clif Notes Newsletter
January 6, 2008

Here are the headlines from this week's newsletter.

# REVIEWS
1. AllChars - easy addition of special accent characters when writing
2. NetSetMan - manage multiple network setups easier
3. MooPlayer - small, simple and portable video viewer
4. BurnAware - stand aside Nero
5. Wavosaur - does some jobs better than Audacity
6. Zipeg - see images in your zipped files before you unpack them
7. Portal - flash version of a popular game
8. Old Newsletter

# TIPS AND FEEDBACK
1. What free software do you need?
2. 10 Useful Plugins for Windows Live Writer
3. 2007 Microsoft Office Add-in: Save as PDF or XPS
4. Internet Fixes Weekend Windup
5. Comments last week

# COOL WEBSITES
1. Portable apps at TopFreeware
2. Kwout - a brilliant way to quote
3. CoolSites Newsletter this week

# NEW NEWS
1. SnapFiles.com - new and updated freeware
2. News from Sarah in Tampa
3. Security news from Malware Advisor
4. A view from CyberNirvana

Latest Newsletter http://freewarewiki.com/ClifNotesNewsletter080106
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Security News

"Websense(R) Security Labs(TM) has discovered a new email attack that uses a spoofed email claiming to be from the National Payroll Reporting Consortium (NPRC). This is similar to previous attacks claiming to originate from the IRS, Better Business Bureau, and Department of Justice. We have been tracking all of these attacks, and reporting them as they are discovered. The message claims that the recipient's company has made numerous misrepresentations regarding worker classification to lower compensation costs. The email asks the recipient to fill in an attached form and fax it to NPRC's fraud department in order to resolve the issue. The attachment is a Trojan downloader with some backdoor capabilities. It is a malicious Windows executable file with an MD5 of 854e259c7c0ac6fb2a26963a9d77600d. Websense Security customers are protected from this threat. At time of writing, only 1 anti-virus vendor has detected this malicious code. For additional details and information on how to detect and prevent this type of attack: http://www.websensesecuritylabs.com/alerts/alert.php?AlertID=835 "

"National Cyber Alert System Cyber Security Alert SA08-008A Microsoft Updates for Multiple Vulnerabilities Original release date: January 8, 2007 Source: US-CERT Systems Affected: * Microsoft Windows Overview: Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows could allow an attacker to gain control of your computer. Solution: Install updates. Microsoft has released updates to remedy vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows. Updates for Microsoft Windows are available on the Microsoft Update site. We also recommend enabling Automatic Updates. Description: Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows may allow an attacker to access your computer, install and run malicious software on your computer, or cause it to crash. More technical information is available in US-CERT Technical Cyber Security Alert TA08-008A.
http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA08-008A.html "

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Security Links

Alert- Bogus Hallmark Greeting: http://www.lockergnome.com/windows/2008/01/07/bogus-hallmark-greeting/

Amazon.com- Help Identifying Phishing or Spoofed E-mails: http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=15835501

Call 4 Action- Top 10 Rip-Offs Of 2007 - Pittsburgh News Story - WTAE Pittsburgh: http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/14953738/detail.html?rss=pit&...;psp=ne

Facebook widget includes spyware, says security vendor: http://ct.cnet-ssa.cnet.com/clicks?t=41767777-be56918137808c8d29d61779...633af-b

Gift card scams rile industry: http://www.thestate.com/technology-wire/story/271162.html

iPhone Malware Hits The Scene. Officially, this threat is said to be more prank than problem: http://www.lockergnome.com/it/2008/01/10/iphone-malware-hits-the-scene/

Malware Protection In Internet Explorer 7 Part I: http://www.lockergnome.com/it/2007/03/07/malware-protection-in-interne...xplorer

Malware Protection In Internet Explorer 7 Part II: http://www.lockergnome.com/it/2007/03/08/malware-protection-in-interne...xplorer

Malware Protection In Internet Explorer 7 Part III: http://www.lockergnome.com/it/2007/03/09/malware-protection-in-interne...xplorer

Malware Protection In Vista Part I: http://www.lockergnome.com/it/2008/01/03/malware-protection-in-vista-part-i/

Malware Protection In Vista Part II: http://feed.lockergnome.com/~r/nexus/it/~3/211369225/

Malware Protection In Vista Part III: http://feed.lockergnome.com/~r/nexus/it/~3/212841923/

Microsoft January 2008 Security Releases ISO Image: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=36f25511-213f...1a-ac68

Microsoft to issue two security bulletins next Tuesday: http://ct.cnet-ssa.cnet.com/clicks?t=41767778-be56918137808c8d29d61779...633af-b

New Phishing Scam Targets Amazon Customers. Scambusters.org: http://www.scambusters.org/amazon.html

New. KeyScrambler defeats keyloggers by encrypting your keystrokes at the keyboard driver level, deep within the operating system: http://www.qfxsoftware.com/learn_more.htm

New. Protect Your Computer- Windows SteadyState - Microsoft Security: http://www.microsoft.com/protect/products/family/steadystate.mspx

Ransomware Extorts Payment With Phone Call. New ransomware that locks up your PC and demands $35 to return control to you is on the prowl: http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,140949-c,trojanhorses/article.html

Running XP- Give It Some Teeth From The Security Front: http://feed.lockergnome.com/~r/nexus/it/~3/211430357/

Top 5 Free Programs To Keep Your Computer Safe And Clean: http://www.lockergnome.com/windows/2008/01/04/top-5-free-programs-to-k...-your-c

Top Five Tips to Stop Computer Hackers ~ Kat's Contemplations: http://www.lockergnome.com/nonstopgeek/2008/01/09/top-five-tips-to-kee...rom-hav

Update. a-squared Free v3.1.0.20 (formerly aÂ² free) Freeware! A2 is a free of charge Anti-Trojan, Anti-Worm, Anti-Dialer and Anti-Spyware Software - optimal protection: http://www.emsisoft.com/en/software/free/

Updated 01-03-08 Blocking Unwanted Parasites with a Hosts File: http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm

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From: Call 4 Action- Top 10 Rip-Offs Of 2007 - Pittsburgh News Story - WTAE Pittsburgh:

If one of your New Year's resolutions is to stop wasting money, Consumer Reports recommends starting with some of the regular products you buy.

The publication has released its Top 10 rip-offs for everyday items.

Although rip-off No. 10 has caused a few health scares, that's not why Consumer Reports recommends you toss bagged salad for good in 2008.

The publication said consumers are paying way too much for salad greens that don't stay fresh for very long.

Rip-off No. 9 are those cheap monthly plans the wireless companies offer. With all of the fees, Consumer Reports said, they cost 30 percent more than advertised.

The No. 8 rip-off is the toothpaste that claims to whiten your teeth. None of the special brands Consumer Reports tested works any better than the normal stuff.

Rip-off No. 7 is the automatic shower cleaner advertised on TV. The only thing it cleans, according to the magazine, is your wallet.

Expensive car batteries come in at No. 6. Apparently, they don't work much better than the cheaper ones.

Rip-off No. 5, are the quick stain remover sticks. According to Consumer Reports, the stains usually stay.

Gift cards from banks come in at No. 4. Unlike the ones issued by individual stores, bank gift cards often expire quickly and come with hidden fees.

Rip-off No. 3 is "wild salmon" fillets. Consumer Reports said "wild" salmon is out of season in the winter, meaning the stuff in the stores is often farm-raised.

Expensive packaging, like the no-waste squeeze bottles for condiments, comes in at No. 2. Evidently, you get more out of a jar.

And Consumer Reports' No. 1 rip-off are shrinking cereal boxes. Companies like Kellogg's are decreasing the box size but not the prices.

One more note if you like using fancy razors. Consumer Reports also tested Gillette's new, five-blade fusion razor and found that it doesn't work much better than the older one.

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/14953738/detail.html?rss=pit&...;psp=ne

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From: Mouse Print. DTV Coupons The Consumer Catch-22: http://www.mouseprint.org/

For the next year, you will hear repeated public service messages about analog television service being elminated on February 17, 2009. It will be replaced by digital TV service (DTV), and all TV stations will only broadcast in digital format. The problem: what if you only have an old-fashioned TV? Will it go black a year from now?

Easy answer: it might if you get your signal using rabbit ears or an old-fashioned antenna. The solution: get a digital converter box that will take the new digital signals and convert them back to analog. To help with the expense of buying these boxes, Uncle Sam has set up a coupon program to offer each household up to two $40 coupons toward the purchase of digital TV converter boxes.

*MOUSE PRINT: Some key facts are buried in the fine print or not well disclosed, including:

1. You cannot combine the coupons toward the purchase of a single box (each will cost between $50 and $70 approximately).

2. The coupons expire 90 days from their mailing to you, and expired coupons will not be replaced.

3. There are only 22.5 million coupons unless Congress authorizes 11.25 million more.

4. While some boxes have already been approved, more are expected.

5. Many if not most retailers do not have the boxes in stock yet.

Translation: The consumer has a dilemna. The coupons are available now, but the boxes are not. If you order your coupons now, the 90 day clock will begin to run on them when mailed, but you will likely have fewer choices of boxes and brands. If you wait for a better choice of boxes, all the coupons might be gone. And, initially, boxes are not likely to be on sale. Later in the year competition will likely be more stiff, and prices may drop low enough for the coupon to cover nearly the full cost.

Ideally, the coupons should have had no expiration, so the sharp consumer could order them now, but have time to choose more wisely from a fuller selection of converter boxes when they become available.

The trick is to get a coupon as late in the program as possible without the supply having already been exhausted. No easy task.

For more information on the details of the coupon program, including an application form, visit https://www.dtv2009.gov

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Windows Secrets Newsletter â€¢ Issue 136 â€¢ 2008-01-10

The following topics appear in the free version

TOP STORY Give XP the performance tools of Vista
Vista has a one-stop tune-up tool
Assemble tool shortcuts in a new folder

WACKY WEB WEEK What, your phone doesn't do laundry?

http://WindowsSecrets.com/comp/080110

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From: TOURBUS Volume 13, Number 17 -- 10 Jan 2008

"I've been a huge fan of Lavasoft's free Ad-Aware for the past three years and have strongly recommended that you download, install, and use the program frequently. Ad-Aware is a program that scans for, and removes spyware and malware from, your Windows-based computer. In his most recent Washington Post Security Fix blog entry [see http://tinyurl.com/3y75ul ], Brian Krebs points out something that I forgot to mention earlier: It's time to upgrade from Ad-Aware SE to Ad-Aware 2007. Why? Lavasoft stopped shipping updates for Ad-Aware SE on December 31. Yikes. Fortunately, the upgrade process is relatively painless. Just download the free Lavasoft Ad-Aware 2007 at http://tinyurl.com/3xsz48, install it, and ... well ... that's it. The installer removes the old version and installs the new version. That's the good news. The bad news is that if you're still running Windows 95, 98, or 98SE, or ME, you're kind of stuck. Your old version no longer works, and the new version only works on Windows 2000, 2003, XP, or Vista. Fortunately, Spybot Search & Destroy--available for free at http://tinyurl.com/yrwy2 --still works with legacy versions of Windows."

If you have 98, like me, you can still use the old version you just can't update it's scan list. Mark.

http://www.InternetTourbus.com

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And Don't Forget

The SciFi channel is playing "The Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy" at 9pm EST Saturday night.

Mark Donaldson aka LUEM42 ( Life, the Universe, Eveything and Me equals 42 )

BTW does anyone know where I can get decaffeinated Chinese Oolong restaurant tea? I have looked everywhere.

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COOLSITES 122 cool links

I harvest what I believe to be the best links from the best sources that are safe, fun, informative, useful and just plain cool. I categorize them and edit their descriptions for clarity.

To see the full newsletter with all of the COOLSITES links please click and bookmark this link: http://luem42.googlepages.com/coolsites.html and check it each week. Thank you. Mark.