Are you concerned about what your kids are looking at on the internet?

We have a lot of clients who ask us the best way to protect their kids from the internet. There are lots of commercial applications available, such as Net Nanny. A company called OpenDNS has released a free blocking tool called FamilyShield. You don't even have to download a program. For more information: http://ping.fm/tPPqu A kid who is very sharp on computers can bypass this or anything else. That's when conversations about what they do on the internet become very important. If you have a comment, please email paul@itauthority.us. IT Authority designs, builds and services Microsoft networks.

Do you know what your employees are doing on the internet?

Webfilter is a tool for monitoring internet usage by employees. 2.5 million websites are automatically blocked. The user is required to login to use the internet. This feature can be disabled for the company owner, for example. A list of websites visited by each user is available via a report. There may be exceptions to the rule; for example, all users may be blocked from news except for one site. Users may also be allowed access any site on specific days and times.
Without the ability to exercise some form of management over what your users are browsing, you leave yourself open to legal liability in any number of ways. Provide your employees with safe, well managed access to the internet in the office and you will safeguard your company, your employees and your bottom line. Webfilter is subscription‐based and is renewed annually. It is less expensive to purchase multiple years at once. Feel free to leave me a comment or email paul@itauthority.us.

Office Web Apps are FREE, editable versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote accessible from any computer on the internet. You can upload files here: http://ping.fm/S2ZLi and learn more about Office Web Apps here: http://ping.fm/uaJ5f

Google must be an interesting place to work. Check out these fun facts about Google from mashable.com: http://ping.fm/lqBum

Need a place on the internet to keep notes? There are lots of options, but this one couldn't be any simpler. Enter the URL and start typing: http://notepad.cc/

Following is a great article on tips and tricks for Outlook 2007 from Computerworld. Do you have any to add? http://ping.fm/sXW7i

What has your restaurant done to market itself on the internet? This is a great article on positioning yourself ahead of the competition. http://ping.fm/tWC1a

Android is skyrocketing in popularity and Exchange integration in 2.2 will make it even more popular. Exchange integration with an iPhone is horrible. Tell me what you think! http://ping.fm/Z894S

What's so great about Office 2010?

Three things come to mind: ribbon toolbar, web storage and web apps.

It was pretty goofy that in Office 2007 the ribbon toolbar didn't apply to Outlook. Now the ribbon toolbar is found in all Office apps.

Options on the file menu have returned such as "save and send" which now allows you to save the document to the Web, which will put it in your Windows Live account.

You need to set up a free Windows Live account to use this feature, but you get a generous 25 GB of cloud storage. You can save the file for private or public access. Even if you don't have Office 2010, you can get this feature by going to http://skydrive.live.com.

With web apps, free scaled down versions of Office will be available in June. Scaled-down versions of Word, PowerPoint and Excel will be available when you have a live internet connection. For example, you could create an excel spreadsheet with basic functionality on the Web, then edit it by clicking on "open with Excel".

Please leave a comment and let me know if you plan on upgrading to Office 2010 and why.

What is Facebook and how do you use it for business?

What is Facebook?

From Wikipedia: Facebook is a social networking website that is operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. Since September 2006, anyone over the age of 13 with a valid e-mail address can become a Facebook user. Facebook's target audience is more for adults than youths. Users can add friends and send them messages, and update their personal profiles to notify friends about themselves. Additionally, users can join networks organized by workplace, school, or college. The website's name stems from the colloquial name of books given to students at the start of the academic year by university administrations in the US with the intention of helping students to get to know each other better.

Facebook has a number of features with which users may interact. They include the Wall, a space on every user's profile page that allows friends to post messages for the user to see; Pokes, which allows users to send a virtual "poke" to each other (a notification then tells a user that they have been poked); Photos, where users can upload albums and photos and Status, which allows users to inform their friends of their whereabouts and actions.

Many smartphones support Facebook and some, such as Android, iPhone and Blackberry have a dedicated app.

Facebook consistently ranks as the 2^nd most visited site on the internet (Google is #1). According to Facebook, there are more than 400 million users. 50% of active users are on Facebook daily.

So…how do you use Facebook for business?

Many businesses have a fan page with a separate Facebook account. Many businesses connect their blog to Facebook and also to Twitter. Business updates, news, etc. can be posted for everyone in your group to see. You can market your products or services. You can purchase Facebook ads and even target a specific area. Add interesting and engaging content to your Business Page to maximize your exposure to your fans and their networks. Every time a user interacts with you, their activity will get published to their news feed, which is seen by all of their friends.

I hope you find this info useful.

What is Twitter?

From Wikipedia: Twitter is a social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the author's profile page and delivered to the author's subscribers who are known as followers. Senders can restrict delivery to those in their circle of friends or, by default, allow open access. Since late 2009, users can follow lists of authors instead of following individual authors. All users can send and receive tweets via the Twitter website, Short Message Service (SMS), or external applications (notably including those developed for smartphones). While the service itself costs nothing to use, accessing it through SMS may incur phone service provider fees.

Twitter has been around since 2006. From an article published on April 14th, Twitter has 105 million registered users. Twitter gets 300,000 new users a day. It receives 180 million unique visitors a month.

Do you use Twitter? How do you use it? In a recent survey, 41% of Twitter users used Twitter to babble. 4% use it for promotion. Recently, Twitter added the ability to place ads.

To learn how to use Twitter for business, study Twitter 101 for business here:

http://business.twitter.com/twitter101/

Do you have an interesting Twitter story? Tell me about it!

Verizon iPhone arriving in September, says WSJ

If the stars align and the rumors are true, Verizon Wireless should air pro-Apple adverts come this Christmas because a special-run iPhone catering for the Verizon network is being designed as we speak.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple is building a CDMA version of the handset that will run on the Verizon Wireless network. Sources “briefed on the matter” told the business paper to expect revised iPhone hardware around September, in addition to a “regular” iPhone upgrade expected this summer. According to the Journal:

The model that has CDMA capability, used by Verizon Wireless, is being manufactured by Pegatron Technology Corp., the contract manufacturing subsidiary of Taiwan’s ASUSTeK Computer Inc., said these people. One person familiar with the situation said Pegatron is scheduled to start mass producing the CDMA iPhones in September, but it was unclear when Apple might make the model available

We should note that the Journal’s report corroborates a February piece by Taiwanese trade paper Digitimes, asserting that Pegatron Technology landed an iPhone contract alongside Foxconn which already has a similar arrangement with Apple in place.

Read more at the Wall Street Journal
Christian’s Opinion

Eagle-eyed readers could note that the Verizon iPhone rumors have been persistent since the original iPhone debuted in the summer of 2007. This shouldn’t come as a surprise because Verizon is, after all, the nation’s leading wireless operator and a network fit for Apple’s phone. Several analysts have weighed in with their own predictions as to when Apple might bring the iPhone to Verizon Wireless but all of them have failed to withstand the test of time. The iPhone is still here and it ain’t going anywhere outside AT&T’s tight grip – for now. On the other hand,things could be different this time around.

Apple’s exclusive arrangement with AT&T could expire this or the next year and Apple would benefit tremendously by adding Verizon’s 90+ million-strong user base under its fold. Although Verizon and iPhone are in fact a match made in heaven, I don’t buy a CDMA iPhone story the tiniest bit. Both Verizon and AT&T are currently deploying 4G LTE networks that will host a number of compatible devices in the 2011-2012 timeframe. Why would Apple bother creating different hardware to cater for Verizon if it could simply release a single iPhone hardware supporting any 4G LTE network?

It's Finally Time to Ditch Windows XP

When Microsoft released Windows XP in October of 2001, the software got upbeat reviews and sold briskly. But I doubt if even XP's biggest boosters would have predicted just how long-running a hit it would be. Nine years later, it's still the the world's favorite operating system.

Two words explain XP's uncommonly long reign: Windows Vista. The much-hyped 2007 Windows upgrade turned out to be notoriously glitchy (especially at first) and short on substance. Some PC users tried Vista and loathed it; others simply chose to avoid it. Either way, XP got a new lease on life.

And then Windows 7 arrived last October. For the millions of PC users who chose to skip Vista, 7 is the upgrade to XP. And it's a nifty one, retaining what was good about Vista -- such as the ability to instantly search your entire hard drive -- while fixing every major problem. Features for juggling multiple applications are greatly improved, and annoyances such as pop-up messages are much reduced. Overall, Windows 7 is just plain pleasant in a way that even XP isn't.

Even so, when I reviewed Windows 7 back in October, I told would-be upgraders that there was no shame in waiting a bit just to make sure that the early adopters who installed it on day one didn't discover any nasty surprises. For the most part, they didn't -- and the vast majority of those who participated in a survey I conducted raved about the software.

So today my advice is simple: If you're buying a new PC, get Windows 7. And my recommendation to XP users who aren't ready to get a new machine is only a little more complicated: Unless you're really resistant to change or have a really old PC, spending $120 on Windows 7 Home Premium edition is a great way to get more out of your computer.

Microsoft Windows 7 has quite a few hidden gems that will appeal to business users, mobile mavens, accountants and Web surfers alike. Here’s a few of the highlights. For more, read 8 Hidden Gems in Windows 7.

But before you take the Win 7 plunge, do this:

Make sure your PC is up to the task. Most computers sold in the past few years should do a decent job of running Windows 7. But it's still wise to run Microsoft's Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor, which will do a quick system check and provide customized upgrade advice. (One tip: If your PC doesn't already have 2GB of RAM, get it.)

Back up. I've heard very few horror stories of Windows 7 upgrades gone awry, but you don't want to be the exception that proves the rule. Before you begin the process, make sure that you've backed up your data to an external hard drive or an online service such as Mozy -- especially irreplaceable items such as family photos and videos.

Take your time. Unfortunately, Microsoft doesn't give you any way to install Windows 7 over XP, retaining existing programs and settings. You need to install a fresh copy of the operating system, reinstall your favorite software, set up peripherals such as your printer, and generally recreate your environment the way you like it. Consequently, it's best to do the job when you're not in a huge hurry. (I've been known to upgrade Windows on otherwise lazy weekends.)

What if you're still not convinced that it's time to give up XP? Fret not -- I'm done trying to convince you otherwise. In fact, I'll provide some tips for you, too:

Stay up to date. Let's face it, XP is inherently antiquated. But it's an antiquated operating system that's still evolving, especially when security vulnerabilities are discovered. Use Microsoft's Windows Update service to verify that you're running Windows XP Service Pack 3, the most recent major update -- and that you're getting new security patches as they come out.

Get a modern browser. Don't use Internet Explorer 6, XP's default browser -- it has too many security holes and is too lacking in essential conveniences, such as tabbed browsing. At the very least, upgrade to Internet Explorer 8, the current version. Better yet, try one of the two Windows browsers I recommend most often these days: Firefox and Google Chrome.

Prepare for the inevitable. Unless you have no interest whatsoever in new software, hardware or services, you will say goodbye to Windows XP at some point. Microsoft has repeatedly bowed to reality, allowing manufacturers to put XP inside the boxes of even Windows 7 PCs as a "downgrade" option. But XP's time is almost over, and there's going to be more and more interesting stuff that won't work with it, such as Microsoft's own upcoming Internet Explorer 9, which will support Vista and 7 only.

So feel free to hold onto XP if you choose. Just know when to say when -- and understand that the day is coming soon.

Harry McCracken blogs at Technologizer, his site about personal technology. He's also the former editor in chief of PC World. Follow him on Twitter as @harrymccracken.

Piracy Brings Malware According to Microsoft

Quoting research from various industry analysts, Microsoft warned that users who install unlicensed or counterfeit software on their PCs are 73% more likely to suffer data loss or damage than users of legitimate software. The company also cited a 2006 IDC study that found that 25% of counterfeit software attempted to install unwanted or malicious code when downloaded. In response, Microsoft is launching a series of educational initiatives and enforcement actions in over 70 countries to combat the threat. Microsoft is calling its anti-piracy campaign Consumer Action Day. Microsoft has posted additional information about the risks of counterfeit software and its efforts to fight the problem at microsoft.com/howtotell.

From Evolve Technologies

Facebook surpasses Google in weekly traffic

If you logged on to Facebook last week to share a photo, brag about your child or disclose what city you were born in — one of the latest tell-all trends to sweep the huge social-networking site — you may have helped push the Palo Alto-based company past a new milestone: Facebook for the first time had more traffic than Google on a weekly basis in the United States.

The margin between the two sites was thin. For the week ending March 13, visits to Facebook.com accounted for 7.07 percent of all Internet traffic in the United States, according to Experian Hitwise, a company that measures online traffic. Visits to search engine Google made up 7.03 percent.

Facebook, which declined to comment on the Hitwise report, added about 100 million users between September and February, to reach a total of more than 400 million active users.

The site has "been on a steady march for a while, on their way to becoming the top site," said Hitwise spokesman Matt Tatham.

Jeremiah Owyang, an analyst at the Altimeter Group in San Mateo and author of the blog Web Strategy, said the shift in traffic is important.

"The key trend to think about here is people are spending more time talking to and interacting with each other. This does impact Google because people may be making decisions by listening and talking to each other rather than using traditional search avenues."

He said rising interest in games such as "FarmVille," which many users play via the Facebook site, also may be contributing to Facebook's traffic increases.

"We should expect this to continue," Owyang said of Facebook's traffic growth.

Facebook also had more U.S. traffic than Google on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2009, and on New Year's Day this year, Hitwise said. Google took a back seat to Facebook traffic on some recent weekend days as well, Tatham said, including March 6-7.

Hitwise's measurements do not take into account visits to Google-related sites such as Google Maps and YouTube, Tatham said, but measures visits to the Facebook.com and Google.com domains. Google declined to comment on the Hitwise report.

A year ago, for the week ending March 14, 2009, visits to Facebook accounted for 2.48 percent of U.S. online traffic, and visits to Google made up 6.46 percent, according to Hitwise.

By Sue McAllister
San Jose Mercury News

AVG Research Study Reveals More Than 40 Percent of World’s Malicious Websites are Hosted in the United States

Germany and China Round out Top Three Countries with Web Servers Serving Malware

AMSTERDAM, March 10, 2010– AVG Technologies, makers of the world’s most popular free anti-virus software, today unveiled the results of a research study which shows that – contrary to popular opinion – most malicious websites are hosted on US servers and not in other countries like China.

The AVG research study is based on the analysis of threats reported during the last 6 months from AVG’s 110 million worldwide users of its LinkScanner web security product. The research indicates an increase in malware serving web sites targeting end users, which typically focus on stealing online banking credentials, credit card information, personal identities and passwords to social sites.

The detection and analysis of exploits was based on AVG’s unique crowd-sourced methods for analyzing web content for malicious or dangerous intent as reported by AVG’s vast network of LinkScanner installations worldwide. AVG’s research shows that malicious code is not just an issue with outlaw servers located in countries with weak laws and lax enforcement. Monitoring active web servers serving exploits around the world indicates that 44 percent of the corrupted servers are hosted in the United States, followed by Germany and China at just 5 percent each. Many of these malware-serving websites are legitimate sites compromised by hackers to serve exploits on their behalf. In total, exploitive servers were found in nearly 4,600 locations throughout the USA.

It is important to note that this research makes no statement about who owns or is directing the efforts of these servers – for those criminals and/or criminal networks could be anywhere in the world – and they are.

"The results of this study shatter the myth that malicious code is primarily hosted in countries where e-crime laws are less developed,” said Karel Obluk, Chief Technology Officer, AVG Technologies. “Our research shows that malicious content is much more likely to show up on web servers in the U.S. than one in Asia or Eastern Europe. This makes perfect sense since the USA is a primary target market for the criminals and has rich and mature Internet infrastructure making the threats both highly accessible and cheap to host. What is most striking is the clear rise in the number of malicious servers in the last six months. Today’s hacking techniques are highly evasive so the average user cannot tell if a website is serving malware or not. A web security product is needed."

Obluk continued, "Even more important to note is that, on average during this six month period, about 50 percent of the domains hosted on these servers were online and hosting threats only one day or less. This transient nature makes them very hard to find and add to traditional reputation-based protection systems in time to be helpful to users."

As a preventive measure, users should look for web security protection when going online. AVG’s LinkScanner, included in all of AVG’s products, is a highly effective product to protect users from today’s malware in real-time. AVG LinkScanner is available for a FREE download at: www.linkscanner.avg.com

FBI: Online Crime ‘Increased Substantially’ in 2009

The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), a partnership between the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C) that serves as a clearinghouse to triage cyber crime complaints, has released its 2009 annual Internet crime report. This year’s findings show that, once again this year, online crime complaints ‘increased substantially,’ highlighting the threat posed by cyber criminals.

From the 2009 Internet Crime Report:

* IC3 received a total of 336,655 complaints in 2009, a 22% increase from 2008.

* The total loss linked to online fraud was $559.7 million, up from $265 million in 2008.

According to a statement from NW3C Director Donald Brackman, “The figures contained in this report indicate that criminals are continuing to take full advantage of the anonymity afforded them by the Internet. They are also developing increasingly sophisticated means of defrauding unsuspecting consumers. Internet crime is evolving in ways we couldn't have imagined just five years ago.”

The FBI encourages people to stay safe by having up-to-date security protection, as well as being skeptical of messages received by e-mail.