Posted November 30, 2005 
Comments(0) The newest verrsion of Firefox has now made it out of beta and “release candidate” status.
Firefox 1.5 is now available for downloading at Mozilla.org.
If you don”t know about Firefox, read more in my Firefox article at Terry”s Computer Tips.
Posted November 30, 2005 Comments(0) I published this week”s issue of my Terry”s Computer Tips newsletter on Monday afternoon.
As usual, there is special content in the emailed version “just for subscribers,” and more in the on-line edition of the newsletter.
IN THIS ISSUE:
0. JUST FOR SUBSCRIBERS — EMAIL ONLY
0.1 Welcome to New Subscribers
0.2 Computers for Virtual Travel
0.3 Recommend Terry”s Computer Tips to Your Friends
0.4 My Recommendations for Your Computer”s Security
IN THE ON-LINE EDITION
1. YAIESH! Yet Another I.E. Security Hole!
2. Updates This Week
3. Turning off I.E.”s Active Scripting
4. Web Find: Clif Notes Newsletter
5. Get a Free Domain Name
6. Hard Drive Space Discrepancies
7. The Mystery of the Missing Hard Drive Space
8. Shareware/Freeware Pick of the Week
9. Recommend my Terry”s Computer Tips Newsletter to Your Friends
10. Just for Fun!
11. Send me some email!
Posted November 29, 2005 Comments(0) Monday afternoon, some fools published exploit code on the Internet to enable attacks against Windows XP machines. This time, it was not Internet Explorer-specific.
The vulnerability was addressed my Microsoft in patches issued during October.
It you have not been doing your Windows Updates, get your Windows Updates now. Or better yet, your Microsoft Updates so all your Microsoft products will get checked and updated in one step.
Posted November 29, 2005 Comments(0) Qualcomm has released a new version of their email program Eudora (www.eudora.com). I had recently updated to the v7.0.0.16 beta version. Now, the official release is 7.0.0.16, which is no longer in beta status.
Eudora is available in three modes: paid mode, sponsored mode and light mode.
Paid mode is where you purchase a license. Sponsored mode has a small ad in the corner of the Eudora window and may have up to 3 extra links on the Eudora toolbar. Light mode has fewer features but is totally free.
Check out Eudora for a safer email alternative.
Posted November 25, 2005 Comments(0) Time to give Firefox a try!
This week saw the disclosure of yet another Internet Explorer security hole — yet another one that could be used to give full remote control of your computer to someone else.
This one was a flaw in Microsoft”s ActiveScripting (it”s name for Microsoft”s custom implementation of JavaScript). Simply visiting a malicious web site can give control to the bad guys!
The relatively unique problem with this one is that, on the first day of the announcement about the security hole, there was also an exploit in the wild. That is, there was already at least one web site found trying to make use of the security hole.
The big tech web sites are recommending that you turn off Active Scripting in Internet Explorer. This really is necessary because of the ubiquitous nature of I.E. Since Microsoft decided to build I.E. “into the operating system,” its functions are readily called by many other programs. Outlook and Outlook Express use I.E. in embedded windows to display HTML emails. Similarly, other email programs can use I.E., but some allow you to use non-I.E. HTML display methods — Eudora does this.
Of course, if you use I.E. and turn off Active Scripting, many web sites will not display properly.
Now is the time, and the excuse if you needed one, to try the Mozilla Firefox web browser.
Read about Firefox at my Terry”s Computer Tips web site.
Posted November 24, 2005 Comments(0) Preparing to Protect Your New Computer
This is “new computer season” for a number of people. Some families will buy their first computer as a big Christmas present. Other times, the computer is a replacement for an aging machine.
Christmas might just be the excuse to get the new computer. No matter why you get one, the computer needs some security help before it connects to the Internet.
Even if you are not getting one yourself, think about what”s necessary to surf the “Net and read email safely — and be ready to help a friend with their first computer.
Get CounterSpy for your anti-spyware needs.
Get Mailwasher Pro to handle the inevitable spam.
Both have free trial versions!
Read more at A Computer For Christmas - Preparing to Protect Your New Computer.
And, sign up for my free computer tips newsletter while you”re there!
