BestAdvice

In 20 years as a Mac user, Al Camentz has avoided the computing fear most common to Windows users: attacks by viruses, worms and Trojans.

Then in February, three separate threats were identified specifically targeting Apple’s Macintosh computers. Some users saw a message sent via the iChat message service with a Trojan horse software called “Leap-A” or “Oompa Loompa,” and the attachment "latestpics.gz". It pretended to have photos of Macintosh’s OS X operating system, and requested their administrative password to open the images. The second Trojan attempted to use a Bluetooth connection to install itself on the computer. The third tried to exploit Apple's Safari Internet browser. Read more

Going away to camp is a major milestone for children and their families. Several shorter, casual conversations while running errands or eating dinner can help a child who tends to be anxious or homesick. That’s how Bob Ditter, a Boston family therapist and a national expert on camp, suggests parents begin preparing their first-time camper.

So, you are contemplating cutting the proverbial landlocked copper wire and taking the wireless route. Is it because you want to use your laptop or pda while you are watching TV? Are you trying to prepare for a corporate presentation and the conference room isn't cabled, or are you just a propeller head who has run into a topology issue and this is the most economical solution...
Pick one and stick with it for the rest of the article...please, it'll help me... Read more

You may not be a Spielberg or Scorsese but with today's sophisticated video technology so readily available, you now have the tools to shoot like a famous director. Producing good home video takes a little planning and some basic shooting techniques. Here's a short checklist on some instant ways to improve your videos so that even your neighbors will want to watch your nauseous free videos.

Room acoustics. Have you ever thought about it? Has your dealer discussed it with you? Would you believe me if I said that it is the most important component in your playback system? It is. Acoustics will have the loudest and last say. It has been proven time after time, that great equipment cannot sound great in a poor environment, but good equipment can sound great in a good environment. I look at some of the A/V magazines and can tell just from the picture that the sound is poor. Nice expensive gear and no acoustic considerations equal a bad investment. You don’t stand a chance in having the experience the artists worked so hard to create unless you consider set-up, calibration and room acoustics. Read more

It’s not news that gasoline prices are higher than ever, and even worse news that some experts predict even higher prices this summer. There are, however, several simple things you can do to squeeze that lemon of yours into giving you better mileage, and lessening your pain at the pump.

When was the last time you had a tune-up? A badly tuned car can waste up to 15 percent of the gas it burns. For the average driver, that can add up to 35 gallons a year – a big chunk of the tune-up cost. Get a tune-up every 10,000 miles, or twice a year, and make sure it includes cleaning dirty spark plugs and replacing worn ones, changing the oil filter and checking the timing. Read more

We rely on our computers more than ever, and when a hard drive crash occurs, years of data can be gone in the blink of an eye. In most cases the data is fully recoverable, but there are some common mistakes people make when attempting to do the job themselves.

If you experience a hard drive crash, it doesn't take much to make a bad situation even worse. In the event of a hard drive crash, in most instances, the data is completely recoverable at first. However, as part of human nature, we often try to avoid the high costs associated with hard drive data recovery in order to find some sort of "quick fix" to a very serious problem. In this report we will go over some of the symptoms of a hard drive crash and the things you can try in the event of a suspected hard drive crash, along with things you should avoid.

I went to the gym the other night and there he was-Larry King's overcooked reddish-orange face glowing from one of the TV sets above the treadmills. On another set, there he was again, but this time he was kind of sickly green looking. On yet a third TV the poor guy had a purplish cast to him. No excuse for this, I thought. Something has to be done. Folks, lousy video is rampant in our society. It's time we put a stop to it! Bad enough we get it at the gym, but the sad fact is most of us settle for mediocre to poor video on the TVs and projectors in our very own homes. Now as blights on society go, bad video is admittedly not one of the biggies. But it's something we can do something about. For the vast majority of projectors and TVs in use today would look a LOT better with just a few tweaks of the picture control settings. Read more

Shopping for a new mattress? Want to know what to look for when at the store, what to wear (not a skirt!) and who to bring with you when shopping? Here is a Top 10 list for selecting the right new mattress.

1. Get enough rest first - Shop when you are well rested so you will make the best possible decision. According to a number of studies, sleep deprivation causes attention lapses, slower recall and poor concentration. According to Serta's Comfort U survey, "Americans Wake Up to Sleep Loss," less than 10 percent of Americans get the eight hours of sleep a night that research shows to be the most beneficial.
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Maybe a chilly experience in the snow as a child has turned you off to winter sports completely. Get over it! Having a positive attitude and an open mind is always a plus, so even if you think you hate the cold, it may be worth exploring the many activities available. Here are a few expert tips for playing hard and staying warm this winter.