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Welcome to this week's edition of the Computer Kindergarten Newsletter.
Today is Sunday, November 2, 2008
Tuesday is Election Day. Please vote!
Daylight Saving Time ends at 2 this morning. Don't forget to turn your clocks back one hour.
In this Issue:
Special Feature: Election Scams Go High-Tech
Tips & Tricks: Alphabetize the Start Menu
This Week's Topic: Buying a Webcam
Question: Printer Shutdown
Websites of Interest: Factcheck; Voterwatch; Votesmart
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Special Feature: Election Scams Go High-Tech
The following is from moneycentral.msn.com.
Con artists are capitalizing on the intense interest in this year's presidential campaign to push schemes to steal your money and your identity.
Political fraud is as old as the hills, and we aren't just talking about ballot-box stuffing.
Today's political scams are of a more high-tech nature, and the scammers often don't much care about election results. Instead, they seek your identity and, ultimately, your money.
Con artists are using a combination of techniques -- ranging from phishing scams to so-called typo-squatting -- to obtain valuable personal information, including Social Security, bank account and credit card numbers, says Zulfikar Ramzan, the technical director with Symantec, an Internet security firm. They then sell that data to other thieves or use the information themselves.
Many of these scams aren't new -- they're just getting a new spin to tie them to the election season, says Lillie Coney, the associate director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington, D.C.
But while today's consumers know to be on the lookout for common bank scams and false solicitations for disaster victims, they're more likely to be fooled when these swindles are framed around the novelty of an election. That's in part because many voters are seeing campaign Web sites and e-mails for the first time, and are therefore unable to differentiate between the legitimate sites and the look-alikes, Symantec's Ramzan says. Unsolicited phone calls seeking donations are common during the political season and also open the door to scam artists.
The 2008 presidential election is particularly fertile for con artists. Given the message of "change" being offered by both candidates, voters are hungry for information and eager to register, says Linda Sherry, a spokeswoman for Consumer Action, an advocacy group based in Washington, D.C. As a result, there's a wave of first-time voters as well as veteran voters who are more likely to click on e-mails offering news on the candidates or to speak with people who claim they can help with the voter registration process.
Another contributor is that more folks today are "wired" than ever before. About 45% of Americans are using the Internet, e-mail or text messaging to get political news and share thoughts about the race, according to a June survey by Pew Internet & American Life Project. That's twice as many people who did so before the previous presidential election.
Here's what voters should watch out for:
Voter Registration Scams
The Federal Trade Commission is warning consumers about e-mails and phone calls from supposed local election boards. Con artists ask for personal information, including a Social Security number or even a credit card number, to verify one's voter registration status.
The deadline to register in most states has passed, but eight states -- Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, Wisconsin and Wyoming -- allow Election Day registration.
The real deal: No matter what, don't give out any personal information over the phone. If a campaign phone call sounds legitimate and you'd like to make a donation, go directly to the candidate's Web site.
Likewise, if you receive an e-mail from an organization with a legitimate-sounding name claiming to represent one of the candidates, check the group's legitimacy at the Federal Election Commission's Web site. All parties that raise money for a federal election must register with the FEC.
Viruses
Here, election-oriented e-mails direct an unsuspecting computer user to a campaign-related Web site or video. Once the person clicks on the fraudulent link, a virus infects the laptop or desktop and steals personal information, such as bank account and credit card numbers, as well as passwords.
The real deal: Voters should never click on a link from an unfamiliar Web site, even if the original e-mail comes from a friend. But since mistakes could happen, installing and keeping anti-virus and Internet-security software such as Norton Internet Security up to date will help protect a computer from viruses and other malicious code, says Symantec's Ramzan.
Bogus Web Sites
Misspell a candidate's name or type in the wrong domain name (such as .org instead of .com) while surfing the Web and you could be directed to a fraudulent but legitimate-looking Web site. Although most typo-squatting in political circles is used to post advertisements or pass along false information, consumers should watch out for sites that solicit campaign donations. The FTC says it's not aware of any widespread efforts this year to collect cash in this manner, but in 2004 there was a fake John Kerry Web site asking for contributions.
The real deal: There are no telltale signs that differentiate a legitimate Web site from one that's fake, so voters looking for the most up-to-date information should go directly to the following sites and bookmark them for future use: the Barack Obama-Joe Biden campaign (www.barackobama.com) and the John McCain-Sarah Palin campaign (www.johnmccain.com).
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Tips & Tricks: Alphabetize the Start Menu
Question: Can I change the programs around in the Start Menu so that they are in alphabetical order? It would make it much easier to find what I’m looking for.
Answer:
You can sort the Start menu Programs in Windows XP. You do not have to do this in Windows Vista, since they are always in alphabetical order.
Click the Start button and point to Programs or All Programs (depending on your version of Windows). Point to any program in the programs list and right click on it. From the resulting menu, left click Sort by Name.
All your programs will now be listed alphabetically.
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Today's Topic: Buying a Webcam
Question: My grandkids have a webcam and want us to get one so that we can see each other when we chat. What are some of the things I should look for when buying a webcam?
Answer:
Webcams are very nice to have when chatting online with family and friends who are far away. They can see you in real time and you can see them.
The following article is from worldstart.com and covers everything you need to know when purchasing a webcam:
Buying a Webcam is an important process, especially if you're going to be using it for important things like seeing your grandbaby walk! Listed below are some questions you should ask when buying a new Webcam.
1.) What resolution does it have? You want people to be able to see you clearly, so you'll want a good resolution rate. The standard is 320x240, but there are also some out there that go up to 640x480.
2.) What is its frame rate? In the end, your Internet connection really decides the frame rate of a Webcam, but when you're buying one, shoot for a frame rate of 30 frames per second. (Webcams don't usually run in a continuous stream of film, they go by frames, so you want your rate to be pretty high). Thirty frames per second is pretty good and most decently priced cams can handle this rate with no problem.
3.) How will my Internet connection factor in? As I said above, the type of Internet connection you have is a big deciding factor on how well your Webcam will run. If you have a faster Internet connection, you're going to be able to get more frames per second. If you have a slower one (such as dial-up), it may not be able to go that fast. You should check your upload speed of your Internet connection before you buy a cam. For example, to get an image of approximately 15 frames per second, you need an upload speed of at least 256 kbps. So, just keep that in mind.
4.) How will my computer's age affect the Webcam? If you have an older computer, you may want to think about purchasing a more pricey cam. The reason for this is that the image processing will be done in the Webcam and not on the computer. That makes a difference.
5.) What type of lens is best? Webcams come with both glass and plastic lenses. A glass lens will give you a clear image, but they are also a bit more expensive. This feature isn't always spelled out on the box the cam comes in, so you'll want to make sure you ask about that before you purchase it.
6.) What about light sensitivity? Higher end Webcams will perform better in lower light, but the others will work just as well in more lighting. You will just need to keep in mind what type of lighting you have on when you're using your cam.
7.) What type of images will show? Well, the more expensive cams will give out a better image. It will be a little more crisp and clear. It's all up to you on what you want in a cam though.
8.) What about prices? As you've already read, I've mentioned some higher prices for higher end Web cams, better images, glass lens, etc. Also, if you have an older computer, you may need a higher priced camera. Webcams can run anywhere from $10 to $1,000. It all just depends on what you're willing to pay and what you want to do with your cam. Before you go out and buy one, write down some features you would like and then look for them when you get to the store.
You'll also want to keep tilting options in mind and find out where you can place the cam on your computer. Those are important factors as well. Hopefully with these guidelines, you will be able to find the perfect Webcam for yourself!
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Question: Printer Shutdown
Should I turn my printer off?
Answer:
Yes, you should. For two reasons: to keep electricity usage down and to stop the ink cartridge print heads from drying out.
If you are going to be printing on and off all day, leave the printer on until you are completely finished. Most printers go through a routine for start up and shut down. To minimize this, turn the computer off when you are done printing for the day.
While the printer does use some electricity, the bigger issue is the drying out of the print heads. Most printers cap the cartridges when the printer is turned off. If you leave it on all the time, the ink will dry out faster, and the cartridges will not last as long. And those cartridges can be expensive!
When you turn your printer off, make sure you use the on/off button on the printer and not on the power strip or surge protector. Turning off at the surge protector will not turn on the capping mechanism on the cartridge head.
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Websites of Interest:
Still have not decided who to vote for? Check out these websites for help.
Factcheck
This is a nonpartisan website that monitors the factual accuracy of what the major political players are saying in their ads, speeches and interviews.
http://factcheck.org/
Voterwatch
What’s going on in Congress? This website provides political news in an unbiased, nonpartisan forum.
http://voterwatch.org/
Votesmart
This website bills itself as the "voter's self-defense system." It is staffed almost entirely by volunteers to present unbiased information.
http://votesmart.org/index.htm
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