Vince tech updates

ADELAIDE, Australia - An Australian farmer who was held hostage in Mali for 12 days by a gang of men posing as an online love interest has urged others to be careful when seeking romance on the Internet.

Des Gregor, 56, traveled to the landlocked African nation last month to meet his supposed bride, Natacha, whom he had met on the Internet, and collect a dowry of gold bars worth 100,000 Australian dollars (US$85,000; €62,270).

But when he arrived, the wheat and sheep farmer was kidnapped by a gang of armed bandits who bound him, beat him with a machete and stole his cash and credit cards.

Gregor, who returned to his home state of South Australia with a police escort late Sunday, said the men told him they would hack his limbs off with a machete unless he paid them a A$100,000 ransom.

The scam was stopped when Australian and Malian police, alerted by Gregor’s family in Australia, tricked the kidnappers into taking Gregor to the Canadian Embassy to collect the ransom money.

Speaking to reporters at the Adelaide airport, Gregor said he was met at the airport by a well-dressed man, and had no indication that anything was amiss until he was led into a room where two men with a machete and a homemade pistol began demanding money.

”It’s hard to explain what I thought,” he said. ”I basically was wondering what the hell was going on and then they started demanding money - then I knew things were serious.”

Gregor said he had learned his lesson and urged others to be careful when looking for love on the Net.

”I reckon another couple of days and I wouldn’t have returned,” he said. ”Just be careful - make sure you check everything out 100 percent.” - AP

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Although im not going to post all ten tips, you can go to a particular site which i got them later.

HOW TO USE SOFTWARE THAT YOUR COMPANY WON’T LET YOU DOWNLOAD

The Problem: Many companies require that employees get permission from the IT department to download software. But that can be problematic if you’re trying to download software that your IT department has blacklisted.

The Trick: There are two easy ways around this: finding Web-based alternatives or bringing in the software on an outside device.

The first is easier. Say your company won’t let you download the popular AOL Instant Messenger program, from Time Warner Inc.’s AOL unit. You can still instant-message with colleagues and friends using a Web-based version of the service called AIM Express (AIM.com/aimexpress.adp). There’s also Google Inc.’s instant-messaging service, Google Talk, accessible at Google.com/talk. There are Web-based equivalents of software such as music players and videogames, too — typically, skimpier versions with fewer features than the regular programs.

The other approach to this problem is more involved but gives you access to actual software programs on your computer. All three of our experts pointed to a company called Rare Ideas LLC (RareIdeas.com), which offers free versions of popular programs such as Firefox and OpenOffice. You can download the software onto a portable device like an iPod or a USB stick, through a service called Portable Apps (PortableApps.com). Then hook the device up to your work computer, and you’re ready to go. (But if your company blocks you from using external devices, you’re out of luck.)

The Risk: Using Web-based services can be a strain on your company’s resources. And bringing in software on outside devices can present a security problem. IT departments like to keep track of all the software used by employees, so that if a bug or other security problem arises, they can easily put fixes in place. That’s not the case if you’ve brought the program in on your own.

Another thing to keep in mind: Some less reputable software programs, especially underground file-sharing programs, could come loaded with spyware and make it possible for your own files to leak onto the Web.

How to Stay Safe: If you bring in software on an outside device, says Mr. Lobel, make sure you at least tweak the security settings on your computer’s antivirus software so that it scans the device for potential threats. That’s easy to do, usually through an Options or Settings menu. Likewise, if you use a file-sharing service, set it up so that others can’t access your own files, also through an Options or Settings area.

 

 

HOW TO VISIT THE WEB SITES YOUR COMPANY BLOCKS

The Problem: Companies often block employees from visiting certain sites — ranging from the really nefarious (porn) to probably bad (gambling) to mostly innocuous (Web-based email services).

The Trick: Even if your company won’t let you visit those sites by typing their Web addresses into your browser, you can still sometimes sneak your way onto them. You travel to a third-party site, called a proxy, and type the Web address you want into a search box. Then the proxy site travels to the site you want and displays it for you — so you can see the site without actually visiting it. Proxy.org, for one, features a list of more than 4,000 proxies.

Another way to accomplish the same thing, from Mr. Frauenfelder and Ms. Trapani: Use Google’s translation service, asking it to do an English-to-English translation. Just enter this — Google.com/translate?langpair=en|en&u=www.blockedsite.com — replacing “blockedsite.com” with the Web address of the site you want to visit. Google effectively acts as a proxy, calling up the site for you.

The Risk: If you use a proxy to, say, catch up on email or watch a YouTube video, the main risk is getting caught by your boss. But there are scarier security risks: Online bad guys sometimes buy Web addresses that are misspellings of popular sites, then use them to infect visitors’ computers, warns Mr. Lobel. Companies often block those sites, too — but you won’t be protected from them if you use a proxy.

How to Stay Safe: Don’t make a habit of using proxies for all your Web surfing. Use them only to visit specific sites that your company blocks for productivity-related reasons — say, YouTube. And watch your spelling.

 

HOW TO KEEP YOUR PRIVACY WHEN USING WEB EMAIL

The Problem: Many companies now have the ability to track employees’ emails, both on work email accounts and personal Web-based accounts, as well as IM conversations.

The Trick: When you send emails — using either your work or personal email address — you can encrypt them, so that only you and the recipient can read them. In Microsoft Outlook, click on Tools, then Options and choose the Security tab. There, you can enter a password — and nobody can open a note from you without supplying it. (Of course, you’ll have to tell people the code beforehand.)

For Web-based personal email, try this trick from Mr. Frauenfelder: When checking email, add an “s” to the end of the “http” in front of your email provider’s Web address — for instance, https://www.Gmail.com. This throws you into a secure session, so that nobody can track your email. Not all Web services may support this, however.

To encrypt IM conversations, meanwhile, try the IM service Trillian from Cerulean Studios LLC, which lets you connect to AOL Instant Messenger, Yahoo Messenger and others — and lets you encrypt your IM conversations so that they can’t be read.

The Risk: The main reason companies monitor email is to catch employees who are leaking confidential information. By using these tricks, you may set off false alarms and make it harder for the IT crew to manage real threats.

How to Stay Safe: Use these tricks only occasionally, instead of as a default.

 

HOW TO LOOK LIKE YOU’RE WORKING

The Problem: You’re doing some vital Web surfing and your boss turns the corner. What do you do?

The Trick: Hit Alt-Tab to quickly minimize one window (say, the one where you’re browsing ESPN.com) and maximize another (like that presentation that’s due today).

The Risk: The good news is that there are no known security risks.

How to Stay Safe: Get back to work.

 

Thanks to http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118539543272477927.html?mod=fpa_mostpop for the tips!

Gadgets articles - http://www.yehey.com/gadgets

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The chart above simply shows the difference of p990i and the p1i. although there is only a small difference, the price difference is huge.

the p1i sells for around 25,000pesos while the p990i around 14,000pesos.

the only difference I see that matters (of course, except for the looks.) is the ram memory and flash memory. it doubled compared to the p990i.

another good thing i consider is, the p990i uses memory stick pro duo, which is a lot cheaper compared to the m2 memory stick.

As some of you have noticed, I already owned a p990i a few months back. You might wonder why I would like to purchase another p990i after my bad experience with my first p990i. this is my reason, for me, its one of the most complete in features and cheapest one in the market.

so im willing to take another risk.

im going to write a review after I buy this phone next week. hopefuly, it will be a good one already…

Did they take action?

At least Acer did!

The Acer America Corporation and US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) have announced a voluntary recall of approximately 27,000 notebook computer batteries. Those batteries eligible for the free replacement program are the rechargeable lithium ion batteries containing battery cells manufactured by Sony Energy Devices Corporation.

As announced previously by the CPSC, there have been 16 reports of notebook batteries overheating. These reports were associated with earlier recalls by other notebook computer manufacturers of batteries containing these Sony cells.

An Acer spokesman said the company has received no reports of incidents and found no technical issues after months of testing and investigation. The decision to recall the units was made out of an abundance of caution, he said.

When asked why Acer had announced its recall months after its competitors had announced theirs, an Acer spokesman said that the company had been working with the CPSC and Sony since the recall was announced.

“All parties felt it was better to be safe than sorry,” the Acer spokesman said, acknowledging that it took the company months to come to that decision.

Last year, Dell, Apple, Lenovo, Toshiba and other PC makers were forced to recall notebooks with batteries made by Sony after it came to light that a flaw in Sony’s manufacturing process could lead to short circuits, sparks or fire.

The affected Acer models were sold in the U.S. and Canada from May 2004 through November 2006 for between $500 and $1,500, the company said.

The laptops possibly containing the recalled batteries were the TravelMate series with 4-digit model numbers beginning with 242, 320, 321, 330, 422, 467, 561, C20, and the Aspire series beginning with model numbers 556, 560, 567, 930, 941, 980.

Acer advises customers to stop using these recalled batteries immediately and contact Acer to receive a free replacement battery. In the meantime, customers may continue to use their notebook PCs by turning off the system, removing the battery, and powering the system via AC adapter and power cord, until the replacement battery is received.

Now, the cybershot recall, what did they do about it? you guys have any news? I dont! is Sony going down?

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Remember last year? Sony recalled millions of laptop computer batteries they made because there have been cases of those batteries that actually caught fire.

also last year around november, Sony also announced a voluntary recall of eight types of cyber-shot digital cameras due to a possible glitch in the image sensor.

Now, they are recalling 350,000 digital cameras, specifically, the Cyber-shot DSC-T5.

this model, released in September 2005 is no longer manufactured.

The defect? The coating of the cyber-shot dsc-t5 did not have enough adhesive strength,thus, may lead to peeling off and curling up of the coating, which can hurt the user’s hand. according to Sony spokeswoman, Ryoko Takagi.

They have received over 30 reports in Japan and several similar cases that involve wounds like paper cut like scratches and another one, which a piece of coating got stuck under a finger nail.

Manufactured between August and October 2005, the cameras have serial numbers from 3010001 to 3081200.

For other gadget articles, go to http://www.yehey.com/gadgets

High-definition capture and monitoring equipment has long been available for medical uses, but for whatever reason, widespread use has yet to catch on. Now, however, you people will be able to um, partake, in viewing the “first HDTV surgery ever broadcast” as National Geographic HD airs a special presentation of the 1080p system in action. According to a doctor that actually got to experience the technology first-hand, the KSEA HDTV Surgical System provides a widescreen, Full HD look at what’s going on within, employs a 3CCD camera with an acquisition resolution of 1,920 x 1,080, and outputs an image that is progressively scanned and displayed at 60 full frames-per-second. We’d recommend you tune in to the aforementioned show on September 16th if the channel is available in your neck of the woods, but you may want to click on and see a few stills of the KSEA in action before subjecting yourself (read: your weak stomach) to the real deal.

Sources: ONE - TWO

300 the movie

300 is adapted from a novel written by Frank Miller. He was inspired by the chronicle of this historical event after he sa the film the 300 spartans as a young boy. The film is filled with CGI throughout, recreating Miller?s drawings and Varley?s color palette and making possible all the stabbing, slicing, and blood squirting of the battle scenes. While obvious at times, especially the latter effect, the pace and artistry of the activity on the screen keeps the viewer engaged.

300 is a great movie full of visual effects and graphics which made it different and much better. Acting was great, director did a wonderful job and chose great actors, full of action, and it is based on a true story.
Unfortunately, the only negative point of this movie is that they made it so different and untrue because of showing the Persian Empire and Xerxes like monsters (Persian Empire and Xerxes were Heroes too), and it lost all the History points. I prepared to watch a movie closer to the History style, and characters should be based on their true appearance (I’m sure Xerxes wasn’t that Ugly, and he had beard).
Except the negetive point, they made an amazing movie, and you’ll love it. Hope everyone enjoys it.

what do you think? I just watched 300 recently hahaha… was it soo late already? hehe

I kinda got hooked to it haha.. I wanna watch it again. I liked the fight scenes. bloody!

Check out and join their promo! http://www.yehey.com/promos/300/Contest.aspx