Never leave home without your IT security awareness. (Media credit/NOAA)

On May 10, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) released its annual 2011 Internet Crime Report. The 2011 Internet Crime Report is a summary overview of online criminal activity. In 2011 the IC3 received 314,246 complaints, an increase of 3.4 percent from 2010, but less than 2009. The estimated dollar loss in 2011 was $485.3 million.

The IC3 received and processed, on average, more than 26,000 complaints per month in 2011. Many online schemes use deception schemes to de-fraud victims of identities and money. The report summarizes complaint types, along with statistical breakdowns by demographics and state.

Some common themes of internet crime include:

• Auto-Auction Fraud - 4,066 complaints at a loss of $8.3 Million. In fraudulent vehicle sales, criminals attempt to sell vehicles they do not own. Criminals advertise vehicles for sale at prices below book value, and claim they are moving for due to work or military deployment. They get the money because they are rushed, or take partial payment. The criminal does not deliver the vehicle. Demographically, males age 40-49 complained most, followed by males 20-29. Let’s say, “These prices are a steal!”
• Romance Scams - 5,663 complaints at a loss of $50.4 Million. Scammers target individuals looking for online for companionship or romance. Victims believe they are “dating” a good person. Overwhelmingly, the most frequent complainants were women ages 50-59, with women 40-49 a close second. On average, each victim reported a loss of $8,900. Dearie, when it seems too good to be true, it’s probably not.
• Work-from-Home Scams - 17,352 complaints at a loss of $20.1 Million.Cyber criminals move stolen funds using work-from-home scams. Organized crime and cyber criminals recruit victims through newspaper ads, online employment services, unsolicited emails or “spam,” and social networking sites advertising work-from-home “opportunities.” Sadly, for their participation, some “victims” are legally liable for participating in criminal activity. Victims are the “mule” for criminals who use the victim’s accounts to steal or launder money. Scammers may also damage the victim’s own identity or accounts. While all ages, except the elderly fall for this, woman are over 50% more likely than men to become victims. Everyone with an email account will probably get such an offer. PRESS DELETE, &/or report spam. Ah [sigh], don’t we wish we could get rich quick?
• Loan Intimidation Scams - 9,968 complaints at a loss of $8.2 Million. A relentless continual caller claims the victim is delinquent on a loan and must repay the loan to avoid legal consequences. The callers claim to be representatives of the legitimate-sounding law enforcement agencies such as the FBI, or they claim to be collecting debts for various companies. Callers have accurate identifying information about the victims, including Social Security numbers, dates of birth, addresses, employer information, bank account numbers, and names and telephone numbers of relatives and friends. Females age 30-39 appear most at risk; perhaps struggling single mothers who are not surprised when loansharks come calling. (One avoidance tip is to never fill out an online application for a loan or credit card.) Hmmm, now I’m starting to sweat…
• FBI Impersonation Email Scams - 14,350 complaints at a loss of $3.5 Million. Government agencies do not send unsolicited emails, but scammers do. Men ages 50-59, then over 60, often fell prey. Impersonating a federal agent, to defraud consumers, sure takes a lot of, um, nerve!

The typical American reader would not expect Alaska and the District of Columbia to have much in common; let us count the ways they differ. However, Alaska and DC have the highest rate of reporting internet crime per population; and are in the Top-7 for highest average dollar loss.

More advice: When you travel overseas – let’s generalize this advice for any WiFi or guest internet connection (domestic or foreign) – be careful what you view and click, and protect your computer/data.

IC3 receives, develops, and refers criminal complaints of cybercrime. IC3 provides victims with a convenient, central reporting mechanism, and coordinates the response with local, state, federal, and international levels. How low can these criminals go? To read the IC3 report, click here.

I was going for a fresh start with my computer. It’s been running slow. There’s a lot of stuff installed that I don’t need. So I did some autumn cleaning, opening the case to dust it up and then doing a fresh format and install of Windows 7 Ultimate. (All my documents, photos, videos, music, and other files are stored off the “C” drive. (See this article for more info on “Clean Starting” your PC)

Besides Office and iTunes, and this handy guide I created a while back, here are some more programs (in no particular order) that you should download and install:

10. Foxit Reader

Adobe/Acrobat Reader was a default for me for years. Every time I configured a new computer, it was one of the first programs I installed. Until now.

Thanks to MaximumPC, a magazine I’ve read and subscribed to for years, I found Foxit Reader. Apparently, 100 million other people have found it too.

It’s fast and light, allowing you to view PDFs with just 3MB of memory used. It’s free, but there’s also a professional version for $40 if you want to do some PDF editing. I think I’m in love.

One warning, when you install it, it does try to bundle a browser toolbar with it. Just uncheck that option.

9. 7-Zip

Sure every new version of Windows supports Zip files natively, but what about the occasional RAR or ISO file? What about GZIP and TAR files?

7-Zip is a tiny program that integrates into the Windows 7 shell to give you native-looking support for all these formats. It is a great program that does not hog resources.

8. Filezilla

Sure iCloud and Dropbox are great, but I back up a lot of my files on personal webservers, and I still like FTP as the way to go when it comes to accessing those files. It also comes in handy for editing website files on the fly.

Filezilla is the best way to use FTP in Windows. You can download a client and a server app for free under the GNU license. It’s a great way to handle files.

7. Notepad++

Good ole Notepad. One of the last unchanged vestiges of Windows 3.1 days. Personally, I love Notepad, but my eyes don’t. Neither does my head after a migraine induced by a difficult CSS editing session.

Notepad++ is just that. It is a basic text editor that does two things that we tech nerds need: It supports more than one document, and it highlights HTML and programming code in easily recognizable colors.

It is a smart text editor that is also amazingly fast, almost as fast and unassuming as the original Notepad. But once you install Notepad++, you’ll know why I’m never going back.

6. Audacity

This isn’t new at all, but if it is to you, then shame!

I love Sony’s Acid software for music projects and anything that requires a lot of power, but for everything else, including podcasts and streaming interviews, it’s Audacity. Audacity does for free almost as much as hundreds of dollars worth of audio software can do, and it’s so easy to use.

Audacity is a default app for Emerson College as well, and if the journalism and multimedia students are using it, you should too.

The only pain is that you have to download the MP3 plugin separately.

5. Gimp or Photoshop Elements?

Gimp is the open-source response to $500 for Adobe Photoshop. It’s very decent software. It is what Open Office is to Microsoft Office. Powerful, but lacking in the polish department. It’s also free.

If you want to buy something, Photoshop Elements is an under-$100 alternative to the full version, and it’s worth a glance. If you primarily do photo editing, retouching, and the like, Elements is really all you need. It gives you layers and most of the tools you use in the full version.

Still…I don’t use either. I admit it. I have the full version. I use it for Blast’s graphical needs, and I also need things like Adobe InDesign and Contribute.

4. Secunia PSI

This is a new one for me, but I’ve started to really enjoy it. Secunia Personal Software Inspector keeps tabs on all the software you have installed on your computer and checks them against a database of known vulnerabilities. It will tell you if you need a new patch or if your older software is at end-of-life, possibly leaving it vulnerable to exploits.

You can disable the tray icon and just scan your computer manually, but I have it running right now, it it only uses 1.2MB of memory, so I’m happy. When you’re doing a clean start install of Windows, it’s great to have this one running, because it will tell you what you still have to patch, even when you think you’re done.

3. bioPDF

Here’s another one that goes against the Adobe grain. bioPDF is a PDF Printer that lets you do just that. Everyone runs into a time when they need to create a PDF, and there are a lot of bloated or adware-filled options out there. This is not one of those. This is a quick, tiny, and free PDF creator.

2. GnuCash

We all need a little accounting software in our lives. For most people, that’s Quicken. For small business owners, it’s QuickBooks. But both cost money, and people tend to think they have to buy it new all the time, because new versions keep coming out every year.

I use GnuCash. It’s larger than your usual free app (about 400MB) but that works in its favor in this case. GnuCash is also the only title of its kind to make PCMag.com’s Best Free Software of 2011 list.

The best thing is, if you have an old version of Quicken of Microsoft Money, you can import your old backup files into GnuCash.

1. TrueCrypt

TrueCrypt is an encryption program. Not everyone needs it. Some people really need it. No matter. TrueCrypt won’t stop the CIA or a police raid on your computer, but if you want to hide sensitive, uh, photos from a snooping friend, roommate, or significant other, it will do the trick.

All snark aside, there are perfectly valid reasons to use this software. People store all kinds of sensitive information on their computers (see Gnucash) and this software lets you protect it.

Television and Internet services are expensive. And we’re juiced into buying service because we simply need both in our lives in the 21st Century.

I’ve written previously about the tricks and traps that both Verizon and Comcast throw at you. It’s a racket. Everyone knows it. Everyone pays.

But there are things you can do to help mitigate the screwjob. Here are five things you need to do before you sign up for television and/or Internet service.

1. Buy your own modem

SURFboard SB6120

Do not rent a modem from the company. It’s a waste of money, and you will may end up with an older model that actually can’t process data as fast as your cable service can send it out. Translation: Blast! Comcast Internet might not come through any faster than the basic package with an older modem.

If you DO rent a modem, make sure they give you one that is “DOCSIS 3.0.”

The Motorola SURFboard SB6120 is the best modem on the market. The newer SB6121 model is only more expensive. It won’t do anything else for you. Both are supported by Comcast, however, so if you’re one of those people that needs the newest model, go for it.

Generally avoid modems that have wireless routers built in.

Now, you may have to ignore this step entirely if you are bundling your home phone service , because you’ll need to buy or rent a modem that handles your Internet and phone service. One of the best is the Motorola SBV6220, but Comcast currently does not support it. (Check Comcast’s official compatibility list before buying anything)

2. Buy a router

The Netgear N750 WNDR4000

By rule of thumb, here in late 2011, you should buy a Wireless N router with gigabit Ethernet.

The major brands, D-Link, Cisco, Belkin and Netgear are all usually pretty good. I prefer Netgear, but it’s more of a personal preference.

This is not the kind of thing you want to skimp on.

The Netgear D600 WNDR3700 is a good, affordable router. It’s one of the best values in wireless routers. It is great for gaming or streaming movies and does 300 MBPS wireless networking.

If you want to go a little better, the N750 WNDR4000 is probably the best wireless router you can buy for home or small office use. It can do 450 MBPS WiFi and has a USB port to plug a portable hard drive in for an instant network attached storage device.

3. Do not cancel your home phone service ahead of time.

If you’re making the big Comcast (Or Time Warner, Cox, etc) leap, the odds are you’re going to buy a bundle package that includes home phone service. If you’re a big land line user, this could save you some money. Do not cancel your existing home phone service yet. Order the service, give the cable company your phone number, and they will port the number to your new service, just like you do when you switch cell phone companies. Otherwise, you could get stuck with a new number, new area code, and lose the number you’ve had for years.

4. Argue, lie, cheat

When you’re on the phone, ordering your service, don’t accept their offer. Tell them their rival is cheaper. Tell them the price is way too high. Lie if you have to.

They likely will come down on the price or magically discover a hidden deal they can offer you that might save you $20 per month. You might get transferred a few times, but hell, it’s money!

5. Check your wiring

Or have the tech check your wiring. If you live in an old house or are renting, the odds are good that the cable wires have been there for a while. Check for cable splitters too. Nothing is worse for cable Internet than a signal that’s been split a bunch of times over old wiring.

The tech will do some replacing if need be. Broadband is FAST these days. You’re paying the same as everyone else (unless you followed step 4 really well) so you might as well get the same speed in the end.

One of the best things about living in a loft is the open-floor living room. But it’s not a cakewalk trying to organize and design functional spaces within this sort of blank slate that a loft gives you.

For example, part of my living room exists under a staircase. What exactly are you supposed to do with that?

Build a bar.

So I took the opportunity to browse rooms on IKEA Share Space for inspiration.

I had already used IKEA’s BILLY shelving system to create a veritable library of books, movies and knickknacks against one wall, so going back to IKEA for the materials for my home bar was a natural choice. There are plenty of pre-made home bars available at stores and online, but a lot of them feel cheaply made and are extremely small for the $1,000-$4,000 price tags. A pre-made bar also is hard to customize and make “yours.” I also am not interested in a walnut, cherry, or oak finish, which is all colors that the modular bars seem to come in.

To start, a lot of measuring was needed. I only had so much depth to work with under the stairs before the bar would interfere with the walkway between the kitchen and the entryway. I used two AKURUM 39″ x 13″ horizontal kitchen cabinets with frosted glass doors up top, with two AKURUM 12″ x 30″ kitchen cabinets and a PERFEKT end wall unit to give me some additional shelves on the bottom. I covered that with a 97″ NUMERAR black countertop that was cut to fit the 12″ width.

That covers the rear. For the main bar, I took two simple AKURUM 24″ base cabinets and screwed them together with a 50″ NUMERAR countertop. Using CAPITA brackets I was then able to create a seating area, with a third piece of countertop, just above the “main bar.”

And that’s your basic bar. Lighting was a challenge, because I could not add new hard-wired wall light fixtures. I used six GRUNDTAL lights, mounted below each cabinet, to illuminate the space.

I had some more space on the right side of the area, above an air conditioning return. I obviously could not put shelves or a cabinet over the return, so I mounted another piece of NUMERAR to the wall using IKEA’s EKBY wall brackets. That gave me a perfect space for a wine refrigerator and some bottles. I also mounted four IKEA LACK shelves on the left side of the bar, where the staircase starts to slope. This was perfect for storing bottles or red wine.

Assembling the cabinets was surprising easy, especially after I had finished the first one. The key for me was to take my time, resist the urge to use power tools, and then double-check the graphical directions. I did require some home delivery for the entire order, as the countertops would not fit in my car, but the cabinets would have been easy to transport in their signature IKEA flat boxes.

I also purchased extra shelves for the base cabinets and the 30″ wall cabinets, for added storage ability.

I rounded out my living room with two IKEA “tree” houseplants, two LACK side tables and a LACK coffee table.

I had planned on putting the bar project off until next year, depressed at the prices online. Adding all this lively surface area to my loft is a real jump-starter for parties and holidays, and having a home bar, that’s twice the size of the more expensive “ready made” bars is a dream come true. After going to IKEA, seeing the prices (the grand total for my custom bar was $812.88), and learning what I could do, I was really motivated to get the project done.

My advice is to spend some time in the store, if you have one locally. There are a lot of products, and you should not let yourself get overwhelmed. Take your time, measure everything twice, and pick a design that suits you. Just make sure you have someone to give you a hand mounting cabinets to the wall. They get heavy, and that’s not the kind of thing you want to do twice if you mess it up.

Want to see more of the finished design? Take another look at my finished bar on IKEA Share Space at: theshare-space.com/Spaces/blastmagazine

Note: The artwork on the wall is a digital image created by concept artist Andrew Kim for the video game Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. It is printed on canvas.

IKEA is sponsoring this article, but the designs and opinions are my own.

This happens a lot. A family member or friend buys a new PC and says “Gee can you install all the software for me and set it up?” My dad finally bought a new PC, only his second since 2003, and the task fell on me to get it ready for everyday use.

And sure, we admit it, our inner nerd squeals with delight whenever we get our hands on a fresh computer, out of the box.

Depending on who the computer is for, you may have some business software and games to install, but if you’re the technologically-adept one in your family, make sure you don’t overlook these five programs that will make everyone’s life easier now and in the long run:

5. The PC Decrapifier

The PC Decrapifier is a magazine and tech-site favorite, and it is well-regarded as an essential tool for new computers.

What is boils down to is this: sometimes it’s not only about what you put into a computer, but what you take out of it that makes a difference.

When you buy a new computer, it’s loaded with software. Loaded. We call this “bloatware.” It’s fat. You don’t need all of it.

You want to remove trial software, search engine toolbars, Dell/Sony/etc. support software and anything else that you don’t need — and don’t need running in the background — on a new PC.

You can run ‘msconfig’ and then open up the Control Panel’s software add/remove tool to get this same task done, but the Decrapifier has online resources that will tell you which software should go and which software can stay. So it’s helpful.

4. Dropbox

With all this talk about cloud computing and online data storage, even your mom or dad should be able to take advantage. Enter Dropbox, an easy-to-use service that gives you 2GB of online storage for free or up to 100GB for $19.99 per month.

Dropbox is useful. You can store software installations, photos, videos, documents, website files and anything else you need to access later.

3. iTunes and/or VLC

iTunes has come a long way on the PC since I ranted about it in 2009.

And the fact is, your parents and aunts and uncles are using iPads and iPhones, so they need iTunes. Go ahead and install it for them, but then make sure you set up their iTunes account also. Old people get confused.

Beyond iTunes, there’s a bit of Gen-Y software magic that even dear-old-dad can enjoy. VideoLAN’s VLC Media Player is the best, open source, cross-platform media player that can play nearly every disc, video file and audio file available, including DVDs, DivX movies and MP3s, and it has no advertising or spyware

It’s software that we use, so they should use it too.

2. Chrome or Firebox

I still install Firefox on family computers. It’s faster, better and more secure than Internet Explorer. A growing number of people are plugging into the Google matrix, however, so Chrome may be the way to go.

Either way, you need to install a second browser and set it as the default.

Just make sure you tell your loved one to allow the updates to install when prompted. Keep that most recent version running.

1. Microsoft Security Essentials

Go back to the Decrapifier for a second. Now remove whatever trial version of Norton or McAfee came with the computer. Get rid of it. Your relative is never going to pay to renew it after it expires, and the constant prompts reminding then to upgrade will result in “I think I have a virus” phone calls that you don’t need.

So just uninstall the stupid trial editions.

Install Microsoft Security Essentials. It is the best piece of software that Microsoft never charged for. As long as you have a genuine version of Windows (and all new, out-of-the-box commercial PCs do) you can download and install Microsoft’s always up-to-date antivirus, anti-spyware, anti-malware security suite.

It integrates with the Windows Firewall (make sure that’s turned on, especially once you remove the Norton/McAfee software) and gives you real-time protection just like the expensive boxed products.

If you have some moral problem with Microsoft securing your computer, you could try avast! and the free version of its antivirus software. It’s a very good solution that keeps your computer secure.

Honorable mentions

You may also want to consider EASEUS Partition Master, if you’re really doing some hardcore configuring. If the PC has one big 2TB drive, it may be a good idea to break it up into a system drive and some workspaces.

Recuva is a good choice for file recovery. It helps you recover accidentally-deleted files. We’ve all been there. Another phone call-saving measure.

There’s a lot of talk about cellular service providers unrolling their 4G networks, but most people still don’t know the difference between the new and the old and how it will affect them. For starters the “G” means generation and yeap, you guessed it, we’re entering our fourth generation in technological advancements in the cellular service industry. So now you know why it is called what it is called, but what is the true difference? What can we expect to experience differently from what we are used to?

This may not make a huge difference with you, but the frequency bands are different between 3G and 4G. With 3G, the frequency is usually between 1.8 and 2.5 GHz (Gigahertz = unit of frequency) and can transfer data at a rate around 3 MB/second (about a song’s worth of data per second). With 4G, the frequency bandwidth is between 2 and 8 GHz and can transfer data from 3 MB/second up to 12 MB/second, but with the potential to get up to 200 MB/second. So that would allow users to view streaming video clearly in HD, download their favorite TV shows in minutes rather than hours, and allow for overall faster service while perusing the internet. The types of 4G broadband networks are LTE (Long-Term Evolution), Wimax (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access), and WiFi.

When Verizon created their CDMA platform (the name for their 3G platform) they did not include the capabilities for upgrades to their 3G service to make it faster (unlike Sprint, for example, who was able to update their 3G service). As a result, Verizon is now rolling out 4G service and all of the other companies are soon to follow if they haven’t already. Of the main cellular carriers, T-Mobile has promised to roll out 4G soon (whatever that means), Sprint already has a 4G network, Verizon is in the process with some cities ready to go (like Boston and NYC) , and AT&T promises to roll out 4G in 2011.

So that is the basic gist of the difference between 3G and 4G, so you should be happy and excited to get your hands on a 4G enabled smartphone when you have your next available upgrade and when your carrier has a solid 4G infrastructure in place. I know there are 3G and 4G articles up everywhere, but if you haven’t read the differences just yet, perhaps this shed some light for you.

Don’t wait until danger and destruction are imminent to ensure you have the provisions needed to keep you, your family and your property as safe and secure as possible.  Whether preparing for a natural or man-made disaster, it’s imperative Americans don’t simply cover the bare necessities like batteries and canned goods, or wait until a situation is at hand to seek out the necessary provisions.  Take the time to thoroughly plan and shop in advance so you are fully, not partially, prepared for an emergency.

While it’s of utmost importance to have the fundamentals in place relative to food, water, medication, communication and transportation, there are a number of other important factors to consider when safeguarding the homestead.  Every household has stacks of important papers that are difficult, in some cases virtually impossible, to replace, such as insurance policies, medical records, birth certificates, legal documents, passports, computer data, automobile and home ownership documents.  Jewelry, medications, and other valuable items also require waterproof, secure protection, and those who own such items would be well-served by ensuring they are safe and secure during a disaster, those natural and otherwise.

Consider this assortment of "next level" emergency preparedness tips, gadgets and gear:

Briggs and Stratton Storm Ready Kit: As a storm approaches, power outages are not uncommon. And, after a storm passes, electricity may not be available for hours, days, or even weeks. Living without electric power is challenging, but if you are prepared with a generator appropriate for home use, you don’t have to suffer through dark nights or food supplies without refrigeration. "Briggs and Stratton Storm Ready Kit" is one good option, as it includes a 25-foot panel extension cord that is rated at 30 amps, two quarts of SAE 30 engine oil to keep your generator purring, and two packets of fuel stabilizer. There is also a large storage cover made of nylon with a drawstring bottom to protect the generator when not in use.

Pelican SabreLite 2000: This medium duty flashlight has a lightweight body made of Lexan resin, and a laser spot Xenon lamp. This durable flashlight is completely submersible in water. Package includes belt spring clip, stainless steel split ring and black lanyard. Requires 2 C-cell batteries (not included).

Pelican Protector Case: To safeguard important documents, data, and valuables, seek watertight, dust proof, chemical resistant, and corrosion proof storage containers. Many sturdy cases are on the market, including the popular Pelican Protector Case that is made of Ultra High Impact structural copolymer, which makes it particularly strong and durable.

Cable-Safe Complete Cable Manager: With a hurricane comes water, which all too often seeps indoors creating a flood situation. In a flood, cables, power adapters, power strips, hubs, modems and other small devices are at great risk.  Readily lift these items off the floor and put safely out of harm’s way with cable management products such as the Cable-Safe Complete Cable Manager – an extremely effective and inexpensive way to loop, tie and hang cabling and wiring off the floor.

*** Surface Raceway Cord Covers: Of course, with any exposed wiring, power cords and cabling for use with generators and other devices come safety risks. Poised and ready to trip all who pass, exposed power cords, cables and wires are far more than an unsightly. Fortunately, cord cover systems are available to keep passersby from tripping on loose cables and wires running across a walkway. Cord protectors cover, hide, and protect cords and cables while keeping floors clear and safe. They also lie flat, and stay flat, and are decidedly easy to install.

Christina Hansen is a Product Specialist at CableOrganizer.com — a leading eTailer of cable, wire and equipment management solutions.  She may be reached through the company’s Web site located at http://CableOrganizer.com.

Boy, now that sounds sexy.

Blast relies on a big MySQL database for all its stuff. It’s a great technology that let us and millions of others run dynamic websites.

More and more people turning to WordPress and content management platforms on their own domains, through hosting providers that make setting up your SQL database a cinch.

But like any database — or like any pile of data — it gets cluttered, and your hosting provider usually isn’t there to help with these problems.

Just like your computer’s hard drive needs to be defragged every now and then, it’s also a good idea to “optimize” your MySQL tables. Optimizing a messy database can create drastic performance improvements.

Here’s how.

Before you do ANYTHING to your database, make sure you back it up. A good method is to “export” the database to a file on your hard drive. We aren’t responsible if you screw up.

The common MySQL management tool is called phpMyAdmin, and it can usually be accessed by typing the name of your SQL server into your browser and logging in. Once you’re in, click on the database you want to optimize. On the left panel, you’ll see all the database’s tables. Scroll to the bottom and click “check all.”

Then — very carefully — click the dropdown menu and select “Optimize table.” Again, be careful, because “drop” and “empty” are also options in this menu. You don’t want to click those.

Now your server will run an analysis, repair and optimization sequence on your entire database. It can take a few minutes depending on the size of your database.

Enjoy your optimized MySQL database.

Blast and its many blogs employ several services to try to make money out of all this mess.

One of those is Newstex for syndication.

While we can’t discuss how much we make (hint: we’re not buying boats with shorties and T-Pain and SNL cast members) Newstex is a piece of our puzzle, and some kind of syndication should be in yours too. They even get us on Amazon Kindle.

They recently released an ebook about syndication. Here it is. Enjoy.

(ARA) – The next time you walk into the room where your new flat-screen TV is on display, take a good look around. Is it starting to look dirty? Between all the dust and lint that flies around the average room and the dirty fingers used to turn the TV on its mount, it doesn’t take long before the set needs a good cleaning.

But don’t be tempted to use the same methods you would to clean your tube TV. Flat-screen television sets require more specialized care. Here are a few “Dos” and “Don’ts” to keep in mind:

• Don’t reach for strong chemical cleaners like alcohol, ammonia-based cleaners or window cleaners. They can damage the screen’s special coating.
• Don’t spray a liquid cleaner on the screen, as it can leak into the TV casing and damage the circuitry.
• Never use paper towels or newspapers to wipe off the screen either. These are wood products and will scratch the screen.

What you should do instead is look for a solution that is specially labeled “safe for laptop screens” or “LCD and plasma screens” and wipe it on with a soft cloth, preferably one made of chamois, microfiber or 100 percent cotton. These items are sold individually, or in kits available at most home entertainment stores or online. Kits, which typically include the cleaner, wipe cloths and brushes, are the most affordable way to go.

A line worth considering is Sanus Systems’ new Elements Screen Care, a series of quality screen care accessories that gently clean high-end TVs and monitors, and easily remove dust without damaging the screen. Within the Elements line is the ELM101, a complete screen care system that includes a special alcohol and ammonia-free gel that gently cleans TVs and monitors without harming screens or discoloring bezels and a Micro-Mist bottle you can use to apply it in a targeted spray. They also include a microfiber cloth that cleans without leaving behind lint or residue and an antistatic dusting brush attached to the wiping handle.

“We know these cleaners are going to be extremely popular among flat-screen television set owners because they offer the solution they’ve been looking for,” says Jason Schmidt, product manager for Sanus, “an easy and inexpensive way to keep their electronics clean.”

Elements Screen Care products are now available at thousands of retail locations nationwide; a store locator is available at www.sanus.com.

Once you have your cleaner on hand, here are the quick-and-easy steps you should follow to clean your set:

Step 1
Disconnect the power to your TV before you clean it each time. This is much safer, and it will allow you to see the smudges and dirt better.

Step 2
Use either lukewarm water or a cleaning solution to clean your TV, and wipe it on to the screen with a damp, soft cloth. Just a gentle wiping of the screen is enough. Rubbing, scrubbing and hard pressure can damage the screen.

Between cleanings, a little preventative maintenance will go a long way. Remember, it’s important to dust your TV and its screen on a regular basis. Excessive dust will damage any electronic device.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

(ARA) – So you finally bought that beautiful new flat-panel TV you’ve been eyeing for the past six months. Now what? An increasing number of new TV owners are abandoning bulky entertainment furniture to mount their TVs on the wall.

Wall mounted TVs are the latest trend in home improvement, and for good reason. They free up floor space; provide the option of wiring bulky, unattractive cables inside the wall — making for a clean, wireless appearance; they are affordable; and best of all, they are easy enough for a do-it-yourselfer to install, but first you need to come up with a plan.

“When deciding on the type of mount you want, there is some important information to gather,” said Jim Wohlford, general manager for Sanus Systems, a leading mount manufacturer. Here are the guidelines he recommends people follow:

1. Know where you want to put it. If you plan to mount your TV on a wall in the living room, for example, the general rule of thumb is to make sure you have at least twice as much wall space as the width of your TV. This will allow the TV to fill the space nicely without seeming too large, and leaves you extra room to hang art or speakers.
2. Have your TV information handy when you shop. It’s important to match the mount to the size, weight and mounting-hole pattern of your TV, so have your TV brand and model number with you. Generally, TVs that are less than 42 inches in size have a VESA-standard hole pattern for mounting and TVs 42 inches and larger have random hole patterns that require mounts with universal hole patterns. Any competent electronics store salesperson can help you find the right TV/mount combination.
3. Choose one with the most flexibility. Do you want a mount that sits flat against the wall, or would you rather have one that allows you to tilt, swivel and extend the mount in any direction? Titling and full-motion mounts offer far more flexibility than a low-profile or “fixed” mount and make it easy to hook up cables to the back of your TV.
4. Consider all possibilities. Ceiling mounts and under cabinet mounts are great alternatives.
5. Safety first. Make sure you are capable of installing the mount yourself, before choosing the do-it-yourself route. Reputable mount manufacturers make most mounts so they are relatively easy to install as long as you follow the directions and have someone else there to help you lift the TV. There’s always the option of hiring a professional to install your TV. Ask the store salesperson where you purchase your mount if they offer an installation service. If they don’t, they may be able to suggest a local company that specializes in mount installation.

Whether you choose to mount the TV yourself or work with a professional, here are some additional things to be aware of:

• TV mounts are installed by securing them to wall studs or into concrete. Make sure you know where you want the TV placed ahead of time so you can avoid marring the wall by drilling multiple holes.
• Do your research. Make certain the mount you choose is the best option for your needs but when in doubt, pick the mount with the most flexibility. This is where full-motion mounts are ideal because you can tilt, swivel and pan them in virtually every direction and some even extend and retract from the wall. Full-motion mounts with extension allow TVs to be mounted in the corner of a room.
• For optimal viewing, mount your TV at eye level from where you will watch TV. If that means eye level when sitting on a couch, then mount it there. However, it may make the TV look low when standing next to it. A simple solution is to mount it at normal height when standing and tilt it to eye level (providing you have a tilting or full-motion mount) when sitting down.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Scan lines add a futuristic look and feel to photos, graphics and logos. What a lot of people don’t realize is that it’s a really easy effect to create in Photoshop, and it’s a great way for graphic design beginners to experiment with a few different Photoshop tools.

There are two steps to creating a scan line effect. First you have to create a pattern of the scan lines, and then you have to apply that pattern to your properly sized image.

Let’s add some scan lines to this Halo 3 screenshot. I’m using Photoshop CS2, so there may be slight variations in different versions.

Step one: Create a Photoshop pattern

Create a new image that’s 1px wide by 3px high with a transparent background. Unless your computer monitor is a black and white television from the 80s, you’ll have to zoom in a bunch to see what you’re doing.

Using the pencil tool, set it to 1px and click the middle of the new image so that the top and bottom are blank.

Click “Edit –> Define Pattern”

Name your new pattern “Scan Lines” and save it. It will stay in your patterns forever, so you only have to do this once.

Step two: Add the pattern to your image

Open the image you want to edit. If it’s a flat image like a JPEG or GIF without layers, right click the “background” in the layers tab and select “Duplicate Layer.” With the new layer active, click “Layer –> Layer Style –> Background Options.”

Click “Pattern Overlay” and select your newly created pattern.

And there you have it. Easy scan lines in Photoshop.

Now, this looks good, but not perfect. There’s more you can do with this effect. Let’s see what happens when i size down the lines to 50 percent:

It will come down to personal preference, but this looks a little cleaner. You can also play with the opacity until you get a design you want to use.

Another thing you can do with this pattern is pump the pattern size to 1000 percent and create an easy “looking through blinds” effect:

Got a Photoshop tip? Want to know how to do something? Let me know!