About Computer Viruses

How to Deal with Computer Viruses

There are many ways in which a virus can infect your PC. But regardless of weather it is a harmful virus or an annoying "practical joke," it is dangerous to let one loose on your system, and it should be dealt with immediately.

Whether you are connected to the Internet or not, it is safest to have an antivirus program installed on your computer. If you are connected to the Internet, it is basically a must.

Types of Antivirus Programs

There are two types of anti virus programs. Both do more or less the same thing, but use different methods. Both types of programs are constantly on the lookout for viruses on your computer, but they do so in different ways.

The first one keeps a list of known viruses and virus types, called "virus definitions." This list of virus definitions is called a virus library. It constantly looks through your computer, checking to see if anything coming into your computer is a virus. It does so by comparing all things coming in with what it has stored in its "virus library".

Any file, document, or program coming into your computer is inspected and compared to this library to see if it matches any of the "virus definitions." One disadvantage of this system is that if a new virus comes out that is different than the viruses stored in your library, this type of antivirus program will not detect it and will allow it onto your computer.

When using such a program, it is important to have a subscription, and to be connected to the Internet, so that your virus definitions are constantly updated. New viruses come out every day. If you choose such a program, one of the things to check for is how often the virus definitions are updated. This will play an important role in keeping your computer safe.

The second type of anti-virus program is called a HEURISTIC program. "Heuristic" means "learning by discovery or trail and error." It comes from the Greek word "heuriskin," which means "to discover".

In other words, the program is capable of discovering new viruses not already known. It is written in such a way that it is able to learn and discover new viruses, without having to refer to a library. This program will most likely also have a library of virus definitions. But in addition to detecting already known viruses, it is able to detect new viruses, and is therefore a more secure program.

Will My Antivirus Program Drain my Computer of Energy?


One final thing to take into account, when choosing an anti-virus program, is how much computer power your anti-virus program uses. It is all fine to have the biggest antivirus program in the world, but that might not leave much computer power left for you to run your other programs. This is an important factors for you to take into account. Otherwise, you may run into a situation where, instead of viruses slowing your computer down, your antivirus program is slowing your computer down!

iPhones Suck, Go Palm TX

Remember Palm, Inc. (Nasdaq:PALM)? Just a year or two ago, they offered the hottest handheld gadgets around… like the venerable Palm Pilot. Unfortunately, News.com recently reminded me that, yes, the brand still exists but it has fallen upon hard times this fiscal quarter.

…Palm recorded a net loss of $800,000, compared with net income of $16.5 million last year. Smart phone revenue was up 21 percent, but overall revenue was up just 1 percent from $356 million last year to $361 million this year.

Much has been made about the effect of the iPhone on Palm, but were that it’s only problem. Everyone’s passing Palm by these days as the company has been slower than rivals like Research in Motion, Nokia, and others to introduce updated designs…

Seeing the iPhone mentioned, I ask myself what Palm, Inc. still has to offer and, more importantly, is there an iPhone killer in their product line? After all, at this stage of its development, the iPhone is overpriced, has no-software and allows for AT&T communication only. What happened to Apple’s “anti-corporate” image? But I digress. Seeing how iPhones suck, what does a quick search of Palm handhelds show? PalmOne, Palm Tungsten and Palm TX, to name a few… The Palm TX in particular caught my attention. Check out the features and ask yourself if all of this is worth just $200:
Palm T/X Handheld PDA is anything but business as usual. Connect a portable, folding keyboard to make working on your business documents even easier. Need driving directions? Get turn-by-turn voice-guided directions with the Palm GPS Navigator (GPS requires optional accessories). Whatever you’re into, you’ll find an application you can use among the thousands made for the Palm OS. Affordable Wi-Fi is here. Introducing the Palm TIX handheld. With built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technology, this is the wireless device you’ve been waiting for. Browse the web and check email from your office, campus, or a home Wi-Fi network-and places like airports, cafes, and hotels (with ISP service applicability). Carry your Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files and get more done anywhere. Web pages, presentations, spreadsheets, photos, and videos come to life on a large color screen that rotates from landscape to portrait mode. Have time to unwind? The Palm TX handheld even lets you listen to MP3 and read eBooks.


Sound familiar? Like an iPhone, but for a lot less? Yeah, there’s no phone capability, but you already had that, right? More than 400 people have reviewed the TX and found i to be a four star product. The PalmOS has been around for years, with far, far more applications available than what’s out there for the iPhone. WiFi, MS Office compatibility, memory slots, MP3 player, etc. make this a great package for people who are about business rather than the latest marketing coup. What do you have to say?

HP Pavilion Media Center M8120N

HP is a computer brand we’ve trusted for years. Since the late 90s, the company has targeted consumers with "Media Center" desktop systems for maximum video and multimedia performance. As time as passed, computer prices have dropped and dropped and dropped, delivering to us one of HP’s latest desktop deal - the HP Pavilion Media Center M8120N. Priced new at just under $1200, this system has an Intel Core Duo processor, 3GB of RAM and a whopping 640GB hard drive. Did I mention it’s just $1200?

Review full system info on the product detail page, but it’s worth noting that this desktop PC has received an average of four stars from Amazon.com users. Many of those who have purchased it have rated it with five stars, citing:

I ordered my new PC and it arrived within the week. I was thrilled. The set up with the directions you gave me were simple- I could do it without asking anyone for help. Each feature has been so easy to master. I now use my digital camera card in the slot on the PC to upload my photos- no more cords to worry about. I made a file of photos and used the DVD burner to burn a file for safe keeping. Simple, fast, and I love it! And I watched some movies on it too.. really great!

What more could we say? The only negative reported was that early models had only a VGA monitor output. This was a little too low tech for those with high-end monitors - a DVI output would have been preferred. Subsequent reports indicate the HP now ships with DVI output and a VGA adapter. Perfect!

Interested in buying the HP Media Center? When it arrives, the package contains the HP Media Center m8120n desktop PC, keyboard, mouse, remote control, and power cord. It is backed by a limited warranty for parts and labor for one year from date of purchase as well as technical telephone assistance for one year. Software is also covered for 90 days from date of purchase. This is definitely a desktop computer system worth considering for home and home office users in the market. For more information, readers can also reference the CNET review of the M8120N.

Multi-gigabit wireless computers

New research at the Georgia Institute of Technology could soon make that tangle of wires under desks and in data centers a thing of the past.

Researchers at the Georgia Electronic Design Center (GEDC) at Georgia Tech are investigating the use of extremely high radio frequencies (RF) to achieve broad bandwidth and high data transmission rates over short distances.

Within three years, this multi-gigabit wireless approach could result in a bevy of personal area network (PAN) applications, including next generation home multimedia and wireless data connections able to transfer an entire DVD in seconds.

The research focuses on RF frequencies around 60 gigahertz (GHz), which are currently unlicensed -- free for anyone to use -- in the United States. GEDC scientists have already achieved wireless data-transfer rates of 15 gigabits per second (Gbps) at a distance of 1 meter, 10 Gbps at 2 meters and 5 Gbps at 5 meters.

The goal here is to maximize data throughput to make possible a host of new wireless applications for home and office connectivity, said Prof. Joy Laskar, GEDC director and lead researcher on the project along with Stephane Pinel.

GEDCs multi-gigabit wireless research is expected to lend itself to two major types of applications, data and video, said Pinel, a GEDC research scientist.........

PC That Saves Energy

The world is moving towards technological advancement overlooking many priorities, and it is evident now that we are moving ahead at the cost of our own future. Carbon emissions are inarguably growing into an epidemic, while sources from all walks of life strive a bit in the direction to curb the headed catastrophe players from the Silicon Valley too feel the need to catch up, cutting on their energy consumptions and the carbon footprints.

With energy conservation as brainwave, Zonbu has resorted to the idea of detested subscription based PC, with all amenities - it is an ultra mini PC thatll be a sale for $99 with the subscriptions priced between $12.95 to $19.95 per month.

Zonbu (certified by the Green Electronics Council) can be purchased through its website, zonbu.com, and is a perfect deal cause the 15watt PC can save up to $10 a month in electricity capered to the standard 200watt PC.

Zonbu the energy efficient PC, comes with an intel powered microprocessor from VIA technologies of Taiwan with 512 MB RAM plus 4 GB flash memory instead of the regular (power consuming) disk drive. The PC also uses the Gentoo version of the Linux operating system that allows a free upgrade to latest version of all the applications, the device comes without the power-consuming fan as well.

Grgoire Gentil and Alain Rossmann are the names that have devised this device with a green twist, setting an example for the computer related equipment manufacturers to build products that are more energy-efficient. It may be difficult to fathom consumers going in for the energy efficient device that sells on the much unappreciated subscription system, yet, the two designers believe the PC will sell like cellphones with people paying out of their monthly earnings.

Zonbu is without the keyboard, mouse and monitor, which the company will sell as options. This PC fits in the category of the second PC at home and can surely be a good solution to curb power consumption, giving your kids a PC in the kitchen.

COMPUTER KNOWLEDGE FOR YOU

Software Evolution
Free Image Hosting Rafael Sosa



As Internet connections become more permanent with broadband access, software will be able to evolve into a more efficient and personalized medium. Currently, most software run from our hard drives and require installations that alter our system configurations, many times slowing down our computers. Because software occupies space and processing power, there is a limited amount of software that can run in our PCs. On the business side, current software systems require many companies to produce a system of distribution (Compac Discs), customer support, and is usually not compatible with all customers, thus limiting its customer base further.




A software evolution is ocurring and it is going to benefit both customers and businesses immensly. Software will no longer come as a packet that needs to be installed on a PC, but rather it will be completely Web based. Web based software will become the default way of reaching customers. Customers will have advantages such as, using unlimited amount of software, using applications regardless of where the person is or which computer he/she is using, software can be personalized and upgraded to meet specific needs to each individual. Businesses will be able to, reduce costs, reach a larger customer pool, taylor its software to diverse markets, repair bugs more rapidly and easily, understand its customer and the way they use their software, etc.




In order for this software revolution to occur in whole, there needs to be a central point. Like Miscrosoft’s DOS in the 80’s, which became the standard choice of operating system to centralize and organize our computer operations, there needs to be an online operating system. As of now, Microsoft has built an empire because of its vision and their dominance in the OS market. However, now there is a window of opportunity to take a large chunk of that empire and possibly eliminate Microsoft’s monopoly of the Operating System. While there are many companies and organizations (Apple, Linux, Lindows) out there trying to take a bite out of Microsoft by competing on the same turf, PC users are accostumed to Windows and will most likely not switch. The opportunity to eliminate this monopoly is to create an Online Operating System. PC users will inevitably move completely online.




An Online Operating System will be the central point of every user in the future. There are online companies who have an inside advantage to this, such as Yahoo!, Google, and AOL, but it can be anyone’s medal, even to a fairly unknown competitor, as was Microsoft when they introduced DOS to the world. In this new concept of Operating System, there can be a larger space of diversity and can be shared by more companies, unlike the current status.

VRAJ