You should always assume that whenever you use your PC, you are leaving behind a record of what you are doing. That’s the benefit of a computer; it’s supposed to keep track of things so you don’t have to do it yourself. But there are times that you don’t want it to be so good […]
What Your PC Tracks Read More »
Privacy Scams As you’ll see from the other articles in this section, there are genuine threats to your privacy on the Internet and your own PC. However, there are also many scammers that try to worry you about things that are usually not threats, often through alarmist ads that look like they are system warnings.
Protecting your personal information and privacy on the Internet can be a major challenge. To use the Internet effectively for shopping, banking, and communication, you will need to give out personal and financial information at times. How do you know when it’s safe to give out information, and how can you protect yourself from that
PC Pitstop Privacy Center Read More »
We would like to thank everyone for participating in the January 2005 Top Dawg Challenge. And also special thanks to our sponsor, BFG Technologies. Without further ado, here are the winners:
And the Winners Are… Read More »
When Dave and I were at the Spyware Conference in Washington DC, we were approached by Avi Nader, CEO of WhenU. Avi was upset because we were passing our WhenU research to various reporters at the conference. Avi cornered Dave and me and asked, “Why are you picking on us? Why don’t you focus on the guys doing identity theft, and other horrible deeds?” I have had a lot of time to think about this question and my answer. Avi, if you’re listening, here is my response.
There was a time that Darth Vader was one with the force, but alas, he went to the dark side. And there was a time that Yahoo was the brightest star in the Internet constellation. My browser favorites are chock full of Yahoo sites, including Yahoo Maps and Yahoo Yellow Pages. My home page is My Yahoo, and I save all of my contacts in the Yahoo address book so I can access them from both my PC and my cell phone. There may be better solutions out there, but in almost all cases Yahoo was the first.
Yahoo – On the Dark Side Read More »
Dave and I attended the FTC Spyware Conference on April 19, 2004. With our latest survey information under our arms, we had hoped we could influence future spyware legislation. It was a learning experience and here is some of what we learned.
Spyware Legislation? Read More »
There is a war going on out there. As you are reading this, the forces of good and evil are at work battling to control your computer. This is not a joke nor an exaggeration. It is happening every day, and at times, I think the bad guys are winning. I’m talking about unwanted software. Software that installs itself largely without the user’s knowledge. The makers of these softwares are going to great lengths to gain control of your PC to further their own causes. Following are three different and distinct examples:
The Evils of Unwanted Software Read More »
When you first loaded files onto your new hard disk, they weren’t fragmented. Each whole file followed the last in consecutive disk clusters, lowest to highest. Your disk performance was never better.
When you began using those files — changing them, adding and deleting records and files — they were broken into smaller and smaller pieces scattered around the disk. That’s because your system writes each new record into the first empty slot it finds on the disk, even if it’s nowhere near the rest of the file.
Why Defragment Your Hard Drive? Read More »
I‘ve been in the PC business a long time. I would almost have to call myself a veteran at this point having worked at Texas Instruments (remember the TIPC?), Gateway Computers, and now PC Pitstop. In reflecting back, I am amazed at how far the PC has come, and more importantly the impact it has had on our lives.
Telecommunications Read More »