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Make The Most Out Of Your Skills Or Hobbies In Your Spare Time

On the internet you can purchase anything you can imagine; whether you are looking for electronics, clothing, animals, or even something so outlandish and weird you are sure to find someone selling it somewhere. On top of that you can also purchase services via the internet – something that many websites have begun to capitalize on recently.

Whether you have a unique voice and can sing beautifully, or if you have a beer belly and want to show it off, someone somewhere will be willing to pay money for it, all you have to do is know where to look!

Here are some websites that you can offer services and products on, however you need to be aware of any fees that may be incurred with these websites and what types of products/services you can offer. Read more to find out about each one!

Fiverr

Here you can offer almost anything you can imagine! Whether you want to dress up in a set of bags and go around shouting things, or if you want to take a picture of your animal doing something, you can charge simply $5 per service/product and people will buy it. Unfortunately Fiverr takes a $1 cut from your profits; however they mediate the transaction so you are assured that you don’t deliver a product then don’t get paid.

Link: http://fiverr.com/

DigitalPoint

Digital Point, commonly abbreviated DP, is a website that is directed mostly at websites, IM (internet marketing) and other related products/services. While DP doesn’t take any cut of your profits you are forced to strike bargains and deals with the users yourself and this increases the chances of being taken advantage of – on the flip side you can use your better judgment to make sensible deals and rack up a substantial profit. Sell services here such as writing articles, creating scripts/programs, selling e-books, domains, and much more!

Link: http://forums.digitalpoint.com/

Freelance.com

This website is fully devoted to freelancers who are selling services of all types. Here  you can find jobs to do and bid on them. Most jobs are over $30 however the average price of jobs is around several hundred. You can even find full time jobs online that allow you to completely work from home and get paid what you want! The jobs have a huge variety: writing, design, programming, data entry, website creation, and so much more.

Link: http://www.freelance.com/en/

In the current economy it is important to make use of every penny you can, however if you are smart and know where to go for odd jobs you can have a nice side job (or even a full time job) from the computer that you can do in your spare time!

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Antivirus Needs For Daily Web Use

Millions of web users prowl about the internet with only limited knowledge of the hazards and threats out there. As a result many hackers and users with malicious intentions are able to exploit the ignorance of others. Hackers can utilize a wide variety of methods to gain control of information, emails, accounts, or even the victim’s computer. As a result of these threats there is a variety of companies out there that are willing to offer you antivirus programs and other security software to help protect you and your computer. Unfortunately many people are unaware of the protection they will need. These companies are always looking to make money, so they will try to convince you that you absolutely need a paid subscription for an upgraded antivirus program. Below we will analyze just how much protection you will need to do your daily computing, and which antivirus programs will deliver exactly what you want and need.

When it comes to internet users, there are a wide variety of people with just as wide of a variety of internet needs. Whether you are a social butterfly, a shopaholic, an online banker, an avid movie watcher, or a complex mixture of all of them, different actions on the computer can put you at risk in different ways. Here is a list of general activities, their risks and the precautions you should take:

  1. Online banking – with this you need to be completely sure that your computer is secure. Your financial information is a goldmine for hackers. Some of the most common ways they will attempt to retrieve your bank information is by key loggers and phishing sites. Running a quick scan of your computer will help, as well as making sure to log out when you are finished.
  2. General browsing – you don’t always have to visit porn sites or other adult content sites to get a virus. In fact even the most harmless of Google searches can redirect you to a malicious site. Be careful of suspicious sites and try to avoid them when you can, however having your antivirus program run a scan daily, or every other few days, should rid your computer of any Trojans or other viruses that you may have picked up along the way.
  3. Facebook/social network sites – the main target of hackers of late has been Facebook. Its popularity and wide expanse of users has made it a playground for malicious attackers. Facebook accounts are highly sought after and they can be hacked by multiple means (click here to learn more about Facebook account hacking) such as phishing, control of the primary email, brute force hacking, key loggers, and more. Make sure never to put your login details in any other site other than Facebook. Also, running thorough scans should catch key loggers.
  4. Buying/selling online – same as with your online banking information, a hacker would love to get ahold of your credit card information or PayPal so that they can exploit it for their own means. Scammers, key loggers, phishing sites, and other viruses/malicious software can be used in this situation. Make sure to perform regular scans as well as keep your antivirus up to date. Also don’t put your information in any site that is suspicious or isn’t verified by a trusted payer such as PayPal.
  5. YouTube – YouTube does an excellent job of working to prevent viruses and other malicious programs from targeting its users. It recodes all of the videos which, in essence, rids the videos of any potential viruses. They have also disabled links in their comments and added numerous other features. However, not all video sites are as proactive in their attempt to stop hackers so be wary and use trusted sites only.
  6. Downloading files – this is the number one way to infect your computer with a virus/worm/ or malicious software program. The hacker will attempt to create a program that seems to be something completely different than it is; a helpful antivirus perhaps or even some useful plugin. Either way, most of the viruses and malware gain access to your computer by you downloading them. Make sure to scan the download for infections and scan your computer regularly.

So how do you protect yourself you ask? Truth is, it is almost impossible to stop all malicious attacks against your computer. There are thousands and thousands of hackers and many of them work to exploit antivirus programs and firewalls so that they can have access to your computer/data. However, most hackers try to affect as wide of a population base as possible and their efforts are generally not focused in on one individual person. This means that you are can find safety in numbers…somewhat. A minimal firewall and antivirus system, coupled with an awareness of internet safety precautions, will be more than sufficient to protect yourself and your computer from being successfully hacked.

No need to spend your hard earned cash here; there are several free antivirus programs that will suit your needs.

Avast! Free Antivirus – Top picked free antivirus program. Has excellent features, fast download, speedy scans, sandboxing, and more. Click here for the download.

Microsoft Security Essentials – has slightly slower scanning and lower detection rates than Avast but it is still a great free antivirus program. Click here for the download.

Avira AntiVir Personal Edition – great malware detection but somewhat annoying. Click here for the download.

AVG Anti-virus Free – great behavioral blocker but takes forever to download. Click here for the download.

 

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An Overview of Why Bandwidth Monitors Are Essential For Businesses

Why do you need a bandwidth monitor?

The internet has become the life essence of many businesses and almost every business in existence today utilizes the internet in some shape or form; whether its sending emails to clients, employees researching information, updating information, selling products, or more.

With the rise of the internet came the rise of such sites that are….well distractions for people in workplaces. If you own a business or have employees working for you, catching them slacking off while using Facebook or watching YouTube videos is probably a massive pet peeve for you. But how do you prevent them from doing these activities when you are not around?

Thankfully all computers connect to the same internet and this can then be monitored by tools called bandwidth monitors. Bandwidth monitors are essential for business owners and allow them to ensure their business is running at maximum efficiency.

What exactly do these monitors do?

Bandwidth monitors are not just for ensuring miscellaneous sites are not visited, but they also provide security and data analysis to ensure that other areas of the network are made efficient.

With online threats abundant, it is important for businesses that utilize the internet to protect themselves against DNS attacks. A successful DNS attack could shut down a network for days and cause countless hours of work and lost profits.

Additionally bandwidth monitors allow successful analysis of traffic and internet usage. As many businesses are bound by tight (and expensive) bandwidth constraints, making the most out of what they have is essential – and a main reason why many utilize bandwidth monitors.

Bandwidth monitor features: traffic reporting, extracting user information, traffic analysis, traffic monitoring, and more!

How much do bandwidth monitoring tools cost?

Now that you see how essential bandwidth monitors are, the question you are probably wondering is how much these monitors cost. First off, as with most programs, you can find free programs and then you can find paid ones. There are pro’s and con’s to each however finding the right one can be a difficult task. Below are a few bandwidth monitors with a few of their key features.

Bandwidth Monitor Pro
Price: Free for 30 days.
Key features: This program has an easy to use interface that allows you to quickly set it up and customize the settings. There are notifications that will alert you of a multitude of things and it is great for IT professionals and business owners.

Download Bandwidth Monitor Pro.

Rokario Lite
Price: free
Key Features: This is the free version of a paid version described below. It has several great features such as customizable elements, real-time updates, helpful graphs, a theme designer, and more.

Download Rokario Lite.

Rokario Professional
Price: £9.75
Key Features: This paid version has all of the features as the free version and much more. With programmable notifications, HTTP and Data server broadcast, customizable web output, log functions, click through mode, and more, it really makes up for the small cost with its functionality.

Download Rokario Professional.

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Web Servers – Features and Prices

What is a server?

A server is simply a program running on a computer that computes the request of other programs. These requests generally come from a client and that client can use the same computer or connect to the server via the internet from a remote location.

What kinds of servers are there?

There are numerous servers available and each one is defined based on its uses. Servers range from game servers and file servers to proxy servers and web servers with numerous others in between.  Since almost every action on the internet requires the user to interact with some sort of server, you can imagine how important and diverse servers are.

Which server should I need for my website?

When it comes to websites, you will always need some sort of hosting. This ensures that your site is always up and can handle the traffic/queries/ and requests from the visitors. Web servers are used for this service and can be hosted on server computers from anywhere in the world.

You can find free servers and free hosting for your site, but it is recommended that you use a paid server if you plan on having a successful site or if your site has a lot of data or traffic.

Different characteristics of Web servers:

  • Bandwidth – is a bit rate measure of available or consumed data communication resources expressed in bits/second or multiples of it (kilobits/s, megabits/s etc.). This is a measure of data transfer and it is expressed in bits per second (bps). Good bandwidth for a server would be unlimited.
  • Hosting space – this is the amount of room you are allotted for the files stored on the server. You can easily find servers with unlimited hosting space.
  • Email accounts – For servers this is where you can make as many email accounts as you’d like on your server and read them from the Control Panel.
  • Domains – Quite a few servers offer unlimited domains for their users.
  • MySQL databases – MySQL is a relational database management system that helps you manage all of your data for the server (like registered users).
  • CPanel – This is a user interface for the admins and owners of the server so that all of the features of the server can be managed.
  • Uptime – Servers sometimes crash, go offline, or experience other technical issues. This can be a problem when visitors come to visit your site and they are not able to access it. Making sure you have a reliable server is essential.
  • Customer Support – Having a server that comes with 24/7 customer support is very handy as you will sometimes encounter issues and a quick resolution is necessary.
  • Support of a variety of scripting languages (ie php and perl) – This is excellent for programmers and scripters who prefer to use a different scripting language.

Where to get a web server

So you decided you want a server but need to know where to find one, well below is a list of the top sites that offer these services. Also included is the price they charge and some of their features.

1)      http://www.hostmonster.com/

Features – Unlimited Space & Bandwidth, Host Unlimited Domains, Unlimited E-mail Accounts, Free Domain, cPanel, Google Adwords credit, Free Site Builders, WordPress, No outsourcing.

Price – $8 per month, specials at $6

2)      http://www.ipage.com/ipage/index.html

Features – Unlimited Disk Space/Bandwidth and Email, Free Domain, Free Security Suite, Free Site-Building Tools, Free Online Store, Free Yahoo & Facebook Credits, Powered by green energy

Price – Regularly $8 per month, specials low as $3

3)      http://www.justhost.com/

Features – Unlimited GB’s of Space, Unlimited GB’s of Transfer, Unlimited Domain Hosting, Unlimited E-Mail Accounts, Unlimited MySQL Databases, FREE Site Builder, FREE Domain Name, FREE Instant Setup, Anytime Money Back Guarantee

Price – $7 per month, specials at $4

4)      http://www.hostgator.com/

Features – Unlimited disk space and bandwidth, Free site builder, Control panel, Free website templates, 99% uptime guarentee, 24/7 support, Google Adwords credit

Price – $4 per month

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Configure This – Ipconfig Commands And Uses

Many people are familiar with the command (commonly abbreviated cmd) prompt that is on their Microsoft Windows OS. From here you can run a variety of commands that will display various tidbits of information. One of the most commonly used command prompts is the ‘ipconfig‘ prompt.
Now, once you are on your cmd screen simply type in “ipconfig” and you should get something similar to this below:

Other ipconfig commands
– Ipconfig /?
This will display a whole plethora of information because the ? makes it a help message.
– Ipconfig /all
This will display all of your configuration information.
– Ipconfig /renew
This will renew the IPv4 address for your adapter.
– Ipconfig /release
This will release the IPv4 address (you can renew it afterwards).
– Ipconfig /release 6
This does the same as the previous release except it targets the IPv6 address.
– Ipconfig /allcompartments
Just a command that will show you all of the information on all compartments.
– Ipconfig /flushdns
Flushdns will purge the DNS resolver cache.
– Ipconfig /registerdns
This will refresh all DHCP leases and will re-register the DNS names.
– Ipconfig /displaydns
This is how you display all of your DNS information.
– Ipconfig /showclassid
Showclassid will display all of your dhcp class ID’s that are allowed for the adapter.
– Ipconfig /setclassid
Using this prompt will modify the dhcp class ID.
– Ipconfig /showclassid6
This will display all of the IPv6 DHCP class ID’s allowed.
– Ipconfig /setclassid6
This will modify the IPv6 DHCP class ID.

What are the ipconfig commands used for?
When you are having internet connection issues, one of the most common places to check for the problem is your adapter settings. Using ipconfig commands gives you the ability to assess your connections, renew them, and gather vital information that could aide you in successfully repairing your internet connection.

You can also use the ipconfig commands (specifically ones pertaining to the DNS) to resolve some common errors that you may encounter. If your DNS cache is outdated or corrupted in any way while browsing the internet you can have difficulty accessing the sites that became corrupted in your cache.

One such scenario would be you trying to access a site that was down, but then it came back up later. If your DNS cache got corrupted it will save the information on the site being down even though the site is now updated and back online. Due to that corruption you will still see the site as ‘down’. A way to fix this is by flushing your DNS and retrying the site.

As soon as you experience internet connection troubles with your computer you should first check to see if your router is online, WiFi is on, then you go to your cmd prompt. These are common issues that many people face and it is a quick fix for internet problems that often lead to hours of frustration.

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Kindle 3G – Features and Hacks

Many people believe that the Kindle is a simple e-reader which retrieves its books from Amazon.com. However many people are not aware of the unique features that this simple device offers.

On top of just being able to download books and magazines, this device can actually browse the internet. No it can’t handle video’s or any extensive web elements, but simple websites with mostly text on them are easily pulled up. Googling is a snap as you browse about on FREE 3G internet, and other sites work great as well.

Want to find out when the next movie is playing, or search for a great restaurant? Check on your Kindle! Many people underestimate the 3G capabilities of the Kindle and would be pleasantly surprised to see that it can do most of the functions that smart phones can without having to pay the monthly bills associated with them.

What Kindle Should I purchase?

You will see that there is a slight price gap between the Kindle 3G with ‘special offers’ and one without. These special offers are actually ads that appear when your Kindle is not powered on, and for some people they can be quite annoying. If you want to save money, then purchasing the Kindle 3G with special offers is the way to go especially since there is a hack that can remove those pesky ads (as seen below). If you don’t want to deal with jail breaking your Kindle, then purchase the one without ads and save yourself the headache.

What else can my Kindle do?

If free 3G internet access and unlimited e-books/magazines wasn’t enough, then you can satisfy your greedy appetites by indulging in the Kindle’s other features. For one, this e-reader has an incredibly long battery. It’s advertised to have a battery life of two months, but really the  battery lasts for only a few weeks with continuous use, which is still a significant amount of time for any wireless device.

Another unique feature is that you can store/play music files. There are two small speakers on the back of the device and, while they are not the best, they are able to play your music at a fairly decent volume level.

One last feature is that you can put different text files onto your Kindle so that you can read them. This is perfect for college students and others who have tons of notes to study but don’t feel like carrying them around everywhere.

How do I get text files onto my Kindle

There are multiple ways you can get text files onto your Kindle, one of which is explained here. Or you could go to this site here and simply make whatever you want an eBook that you can then download onto your Kindle.

Many people have found this incredibly useful for school notes, cooking recipes, exam studies, and much more.

How do I get rid of the ads and put in my own pictures?

Those visa ad screensavers will really start to annoy you and I’m sure you’d love to have your own custom black and white photos instead. Unfortunately since you’ve opted into dealing with the ads by purchasing a cheaper Kindle the only way you can remove them is to hack them. Below are two separate hacks, one for the removal of the ads and one for your own custom screensavers.

To view the jailbreak for how to remove the ads and how to add your own pictures as screensavers, view this link.

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How to Install Programs Which Do Not Have a Valid Signature

When it comes to installing unknown programs and files on your computer, you need to be very careful. These programs pose real threats to your computer and you may very well be unintentionally giving a malicious program access to your computer. The good thing about computers running on the Windows operating systems is that they have an automatic process that will not only screen for a valid electronic signature, but if the signature is missing or invalid then it will not allow you to run or install them.

This built in feature for the Windows OS may serve as a shield to protect many normal users, but for the advanced users they may find this bothersome. If you are want to install files without electronic signatures then first you should understand what they are and why the signatures are there before you enable them.

What is a digital signature?

Many of you may not completely understand what an electronic signature is and how this pertains to the actual program or file that you are attempting to run. This signature is actually an electronic security mark that is added to executable files. You have never met the person that created and published the program you are trying to run, and you don’t know who has possibly tampered with the program after it was published. You don’t know what these people’s intentions are, what they are capable of doing, and what they will do if they have any access to your information or computer. Due to these uncertainties, the publishers of these programs and files should have a valid digital signature and if they are tampered with after it was published, or if no signature was ever put on in the beginning, then your computer will alert you before running it.

Unfortunately a digital signature does not guarantee that the contents of the file, or the program, are not intended to harm your computer. That is a decision you must make and it is recommended that you research any suspicious programs or files before allowing them access to your computer.

How to enable and disable the feature that blocks unsigned programs/files

There are three different methods you can try to allow your computer to disable this feature. As the user you need to be aware that you may be exposing your computer to harmful programs and files by doing so.

  • Method one – Open ‘Internet Explorer’, open ‘Internet Explorer Menu Toolbar’, select ‘Tools’, select ‘Internet Options’, go to the ‘Advanced’ tab. Scroll down and check ‘Allow software to run or install even if the signature is invalid’. To reverse this, simply repeat these steps and uncheck the option at the end.
  • Method two– Go to ‘Start’, go to ‘Run’, type in ‘regedit’ in the text box, click ‘OK’, find ‘HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Non-Driver Signing’ in the registry, right click on ‘Policy’, select ‘Modify’. Change the current value and put in a ‘0’ then click ‘OK’.
  • Method three– Press the ‘F8’ key when your computer is booting up. Select ‘Disable Driver Signature enforcement’ for that boot session, then when your computer starts up for that session you will be able to download programs without signatures. You have to do this each time you start up though.

 

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Anonymous Fights For Turkish Citizens – “Let Internet Be A Free Place”, They Say

Anonymous’s war on internet restrictions wages on in Eurasian country known as the Republic of Turkey. Anonymous is known for their stance on internet freedom, claiming that the internet is a free place where people can view whatever information and sites they wish. The Turkish government has now become a target for the international hacking group due to new restrictions that are about to be enacted on internet usage.

The government of Turkey has set up a system that forces internet users to sign up for one of the four filtering packages. These filters will restrict internet sites and the government claims it is for the protection of younger web browsers. They claim that there are a lot of dangerous and harmful websites out there that young people need to be sheltered from. Anonymous, however, disagrees.

The international hacking group claims that the Turkish government is just using the protection of young web users as a façade and that its real purpose is to monitor web activity of all users. Anonymous is not alone in their beliefs. There are numerous critics that claim the government is trying to suppress dissent by restricting web access. Many Turkish citizens have taken to the streets with banners and signs to protest the national net filter that is going to take place. In support of the Turkish people, Anonymous has also taken action.

On June 10th Turkish government websites became the target of Anonymous’s justified attacks. They DDoSed these websites with an application known as LOIC (Low Orbit Ion Cannon). DDoS is a computer term for distributed denial of service attack. When it is one person it is a DoS, when it is multiple people acting, it is a DDoS. The main goal of a DDoS attack is to render the website (or service) unusable. The most common method of DDoSing is by flooding the intended target with so many requests that it simply cannot process them all and the entire site bogs down so that any user attempting to access the site will experience significant lag and will likely timeout. Anonymous successfully DDoSed several Turkish government websites, forcing them to go completely offline. The government, however, wasn’t going to give up without a fight.

Just days after the websites were attacked, Turkish government officials found a way to possibly trace LOIC users. As a result 32 arrests were made in various cities around Turkey. Nine of the individuals detained, who were also minors, have already been released and cleared of charges. The rest are still being questioned.

The government doesn’t plan to enact these internet restrictions until August 22 of this year, but already they are faced with a strong resistance from both its citizens, outside critics, and internet hacking groups from around the globe. Unfortunately for the Turkish government their internet restrictions will likely attract the attention of more hacking groups like Anonymous and they may face a more aggressive resistance as the deadline draws near.

So are Anonymous and other hacking groups justified in their attempts to free the internet from “filtering” and “restrictions”? Indeed they are. While hacking and cyber-attacks are illegal, the Turkish government is not likely to listen to the peaceful rallies and protests of its citizens. Hopefully the government overturns their decision to restrict internet usage. The façade that they are using to cover up their true intentions is easily dismissed; parents are responsible for their children and should monitor their internet usage, the government has no business interfering and limiting internet usage of its citizens. The internet should be a free place where knowledge and information are at the disposal of the user, no restrictions should be put in place by government or any institute other of authority.

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Opera 11 Beta for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux

Download Opera 11 Beta for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux

Opera development team has always been on a constant endeavor two provide best internet browser for their users, and now they have passed another milestone by releasing their next version of their popular browser, which is the Opera 11 Beta.

The development team has just released their testing version for users to examine the new attributes prior to their final release. Just like the prior version, this version also consists of many new features, interesting improvements, and enhancements for internet users.

Features of Opera 11 Beta:

 

Tab Sticking: Allows users to move one tab above another tab to generate a group.

Safe Address Field: This address field conceals the complexness of lengthy URL, and provides users effective control of security while browsing.

Extension Support: it has the extension support, which allows user to add new attributes easily and customize them accordingly.

Better Performance: WebPages load more quickly, and even the complicated apps perform more efficiently.

Enhanced HTML5 Support: Facilitates new requirements and HTML5 solutions, which implies that rich dynamic web apps, and more importantly the multiplayer games could be supported by it.

Extended auto-update: New auto-update technique makes sure that extension and opera apps will remain up-to-date all the time.

Plug-ins On Demand: An option has been added to posses plug-in like Flash player only with click.

Enhanced Email in Browser: The new Email control panel provides users with the option of control over the email listing order.

Faster Installation: Opera 11 Beta is 30% smaller when compared to the previous version Opera 10.60, and therefore the users can download it rather quickly.

The Opera users with be totally fascinated with this new version, as it offers them with enhanced functionalities and advanced security options

Download Opera 11.00 Beta for Windows

Download Opera 11.00 Beta for Mac OS X