Tricks: How I worked around Mozy’s NAS device limitation

So the other day I went ahead and signed up for the MozyHome backup subscription, and when I began setting up what I wanted to have backed up I immediately found out that I was unable to back up any files are located on my NAS (Network Attached Storage) device.  Now, I use my NAS box has the central point where I store all of my shared files on my Home Network.  I have a USB drive attached two my NAS box that automatically backs up all of my files on this device, locally, but I also wanted to have offsite backup of these files as well.

My primary interest was in my digital photographs, I have never lost any pictures but I don't want to ever have to suffer that anguish.  So I was looking for simple way to work around this problem and I came up with setting up the scheduled task that runs xcopy with a few switches after it to make it functional and quick after the initial transfer.  Luckily, Mozy works with USB drives that are attached to your computer, and I currently have a 1 TB USB drive attached to my system that I haven't filled up yet so I setup a simple xcopy command that will back up any files that have not changed in my picture directory to my USB drive.  This also gives new one extra copy of my picture files locally as another backup.

xcopy L:\share\pictures\*.* e:\Pictures /d /s /v /c /j

Switch Definitions I used…

• /D:m-d-y     Copies files changed on or after the specified date. If no date is given, copies only those files whose source time is newer than the destination time.
• /S           Copies directories and subdirectories except empty ones.
• /V           Verifies the size of each new file.
• /C           Continues copying even if errors occur.
• /J           Copies using unbuffered I/O. Recommended for very large files.

XCopy command structure and full set of switches:

Copies files and directory trees.

XCOPY source [destination] [/A | /M] [/D[:date]] [/P] [/S [/E]] [/V] [/W]
                           [/C] [/I] [/Q] [/F] [/L] [/G] [/H] [/R] [/T] [/U]
                           [/K] [/N] [/O] [/X] [/Y] [/-Y] [/Z] [/B]
                           [/EXCLUDE:file1[+file2][+file3]...]

  source       Specifies the file(s) to copy.
  destination  Specifies the location and/or name of new files.
  /A           Copies only files with the archive attribute set,
               doesn't change the attribute.
  /M           Copies only files with the archive attribute set,
               turns off the archive attribute.
  /D:m-d-y     Copies files changed on or after the specified date.
               If no date is given, copies only those files whose
               source time is newer than the destination time.
  /EXCLUDE:file1[+file2][+file3]...
               Specifies a list of files containing strings.  Each string
               should be in a separate line in the files.  When any of the
               strings match any part of the absolute path of the file to be
               copied, that file will be excluded from being copied.  For
               example, specifying a string like \obj\ or .obj will exclude
               all files underneath the directory obj or all files with the
               .obj extension respectively.
  /P           Prompts you before creating each destination file.
  /S           Copies directories and subdirectories except empty ones.
  /E           Copies directories and subdirectories, including empty ones.
               Same as /S /E. May be used to modify /T.
  /V           Verifies the size of each new file.
  /W           Prompts you to press a key before copying.
  /C           Continues copying even if errors occur.
  /I           If destination does not exist and copying more than one file,
               assumes that destination must be a directory.
  /Q           Does not display file names while copying.
  /F           Displays full source and destination file names while copying.
  /L           Displays files that would be copied.
  /G           Allows the copying of encrypted files to destination that does
               not support encryption.
  /H           Copies hidden and system files also.
  /R           Overwrites read-only files.
  /T           Creates directory structure, but does not copy files. Does not
               include empty directories or subdirectories. /T /E includes
               empty directories and subdirectories.
  /U           Copies only files that already exist in destination.
  /K           Copies attributes. Normal Xcopy will reset read-only attributes.
  /N           Copies using the generated short names.
  /O           Copies file ownership and ACL information.
  /X           Copies file audit settings (implies /O).
  /Y           Suppresses prompting to confirm you want to overwrite an
               existing destination file.
  /-Y          Causes prompting to confirm you want to overwrite an
               existing destination file.
  /Z           Copies networked files in restartable mode.
  /B           Copies the Symbolic Link itself versus the target of the link.
  /J           Copies using unbuffered I/O. Recommended for very large files.

The switch /Y may be preset in the COPYCMD environment variable.
This may be overridden with /-Y on the command line.

Microsoft Arc Keyboard coming out in February

The Arc Keyboard was developed by the same group that developed the Arc Mouse and will become available in February for around $59.95. It has a beautiful design, is small enough to carry in your backpack, is wireless and its transmitter is so small that you can leave it in the device that you are using a with.  You will notice how light and small it is, and how well it fits in your lap.  The video discusses how well it works with slate computers.  Let's take a look.

ArcKeyboard_ch9.wmv (41 MB)

Interesting Insight into your Win7 System – GodMode Folders

Just finished an interesting article in TechRepublic by Mark Kaelin that discusses a hidden feature in Windows 7 that provides some extra control over your Windows 7 Operating System. The first one that I looked at is called the Monster Control Panel that provides access to 278 items that you can tweak on your system. Microsoft creates these undocumented shortcuts to make it easy for them to test systems.

File Folder Format

To create one of these GodMode files manually, create a New Folder in Windows Explorer, and when it asks for a folder name, type in a name followed by a period and then one of the codes. The resulting file folder will take on the characteristics associated with the code. For example: Monster Control Panel.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}

 

Here are 17 other folders that you can create as well.

Monster Control Panel	{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}
Enter a default location	{00C6D95F-329C-409a-81D7-C46C66EA7F33}
Use biometric devices with Windows	{0142e4d0-fb7a-11dc-ba4a-000ffe7ab428}
Select a power plan	{025A5937-A6BE-4686-A844-36FE4BEC8B6D}
Select which icons and notifications appear on taskbar	{05d7b0f4-2121-4eff-bf6b-ed3f69b894d9}
Store credentials for automatic logon	{1206F5F1-0569-412C-8FEC-3204630DFB70}
Install a program from the network	{15eae92e-f17a-4431-9f28-805e482dafd4}
Choose the programs that Windows uses by default	{17cd9488-1228-4b2f-88ce-4298e93e0966}
Assembly Cache Viewer	{1D2680C9-0E2A-469d-B787-065558BC7D43}
Manage wireless networks	{1FA9085F-25A2-489B-85D4-86326EEDCD87}
Network	{208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D}
Computer	{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}
Devices and Printers	{2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D}
RemoteApp and Desktop Connections	{241D7C96-F8BF-4F85-B01F-E2B043341A4B}
Windows Firewall	{4026492F-2F69-46B8-B9BF-5654FC07E423}
Windows Explorer	{62D8ED13-C9D0-4CE8-A914-47DD628FB1B0}
System	{78F3955E-3B90-4184-BD14-5397C15F1EFC}

Hope you find this as interesting as I did.

Video Conferencing on the Cheap

Skype has been around for a long time now and I find that it still is an essential tool in my arsenal daily used applications. It works into our environment at the office even more because our main service ticketing system utilizes will make use of it to dial out from the customer contact pages. It gained even more of my appreciation this past Friday when I spent most of the afternoon in video conference with our public relations person. We have been working on prepping for this weeks video projects about CES and were able to work online, with full video and sound and sharing files back and forth between our computer systems while in our separate offices. Not that this is something recently available, it was just that it was geeky neat! We were able to easily bring different people into our office and review captured video and each of were able to process the work that we each needed to complete and share with each other.

Items needed: Skype Account, Computer, Web Camera, an Internet connection and someone with the same basic setup. If you are connecting computer to computer your Skype account is free. If you want some of the other basic features that are available from Skype like calling to a non-Skype user or a land line, or having a Skype Phone Number then these services make Skype that much more useable.

CES 2010 – Part 3 Lexmark Announcements

Lexmark has a new Pro-line of Inkjet Printers that will definitely shrink you ink supply budget needs. These Printers range in price from $199.99 - $399.99  and notably share several characteristics that will put them in the forefront of other similar products from other manufacturers. The first feature that I have alluded to is the cost of printing. High yield ink cartridges priced at $4.99 for black and $9.99 for each color cartridge is easily a fifth of the cost of most of the  competition. Each cartridge yields around 500 pages with giving you a calculated cost of $.01 per page to print. These printers boast the four basic multifunction capabilities including Scanning, Copying, Printing and Faxing.

	The Industry's Best Warranty - Focus on work and leave the worry to us, thanks to a 5-year warranty plus lifetime priority phone support (Receive a 1 year limited warranty plus 4 years extended limited warranty by registering within 90 days.). Most of your inkjet printers have at most a 1 year warranty so this should give you some idea to the reliability that Lexmark has put into these products.
	The cost of printing has always been a concern of mine with inkjet technology. You have probably experienced needing to purchase cartridges that cost $25-$45 per cartridge for the same yield as this printer line. The high-yield black cartridge costs just $4.99 each and yields ~550 pages giving you a cost per page in black of about $.01/page. Each color cartridge is an individual cartridge so when one color has run dry you are only replacing that color as needed. This gives you more yield between cartridge changes.
	WiFi Printing is becoming an important part of your network setup. These units incorporate a simple, automatic setup that joins your wireless network quickly and easily. This is of course subject to the range restrictions of your WiFi enabled Router. It supports IEEE802.11b/g/n protocols. It also allows you to connect the system hardwired which will give you even more capabilities.
	Scan and Import Business Cards This advanced technology allows you to easily scan and save information from business cards, such as name, address and phone number. Rather than entering the information manually, you can scan up to 8 cards at a time and synch it with your address book software like Outlook.

Spend more time managing success, and less time managing paper supply with 150-page input capacity on the Pro705 and Pro805 and 300 pages on the Pro905. All three printers boast a 50 page automatic document feeder. Save money and resources with automatic two-sided printing. Print speeds up to 33 ppm black and 30 ppm color in draft mode. Color resolution up to 4800 x1200 dpi and black up to 2400 x1200 dpi. The 4.3 inch web enabled touch screen allows you to create customized 1-touch SmartSolutions to simplify common tasks on the Pro805 and Pro905 printers. Setup tasks such as scan to email or scan to a folder on your system. You can even get the news, view your favorite photo sharing sites and discover the weather – directly from your printer.

Lexmark Pro705 priced at $199.99 

Lexmark Pro805 priced at $299.99

Lexmark Pro905 priced at $399.99

CES 2010 – Part 2 Laptop Announcements

Lenovo IdeaPad U1Hybrid Notebook

Lenovo seems to be causing the most interest at CES with its wealth of new product announcements. The one that really catches my attention is the new IdeaPad U1 hybrid notebook that will be released in the June 2010 timeframe and will be priced around $999. What makes this product so special is that it is a combination slate and notebook. The screen detaches from the notebook shell and it becomes a Linux multi-touch slate that is enhanced for digital media consumption. You can use it to watch video, listen to music, watch a movie or read a book. It has full wireless so it can also be used to browse the internet as well while detached. When you bring it back to the notebook shell it snaps into place and it instantly (or relatively quickly) switches back to a Windows 7 based notebook.

Now let’s look at its basic features: The screen is an 11.6 inch HD Led backlit multitouch screen that is detachable and weighs 1.5 pounds. When attached to the shell it weighs 3.8 pounds, is cherry red, has two operating systems each having its own processor running independently or sharing info between them.  We don’t know the specific Intel dual-core processor that is in it yet that is used on the Windows 7 side. The Screen runs the SnapDragon Processor. It also sports a 1.3-megapixel webcam, ethernet 10/100 ports, 802.11 a/b/g, Bluetooth, (2) USB ports and an eSATA/USB combo port to attach more storage if you care to. This is the first notebook/slate computer that combines the versatility of a notebook with the entertainment value of a slate style computer. Jim Louderback does a nice video review of this product that I have included below.

 

Lenovo Ideapad S10-3t

Tekzilla announces this Lenovo convertible Netbook a iTablet Killer. Lenovo’s Ideapad S10-3t will be released this month and will be priced starting at $499. With a 10.1 inch capacitive touchscreen that can be swiveled and laid back against the keyboard to turn this netbook into a Tablet PC. It will be available with either an Intel Atom 1.66GHz N450 processor or a 1.83GHz N470 processor, up to 2GB of DDR2 RAM, and a 320GB 6400rpm 2,5 inch SATA hard drive. Network connection is important and this unit comes with a built in 80802.11b/g/n2.11b/g/n wireless radio, Bluetooth 2.1 and Ethernet port. 3G and WiMax will be available as options as well. It has two USB 2.0 ports, a 6 in 1 card reader, VGA external port, headphone and microphone jacks, and a 1.3 megapixel webcam. A 4-cell or 8-cell battery will also be available providing up to 10 hours of battery life on the 8-cell battery. Again, Jim Louderback did a very nice video review of this system.

CES 2010 Part 1 – Initial Show Notes

I am going to start off by saying that I am really excited by this year’s CES (Consumer Electronics Show). For any of you that are not familiar with this product showcase that happens every January in Las Vegas, it is the show that has survived over the years as a presentation platform for both concept products and soon to be released products in the electronics industry. This show has probably survived all of the others because of its wide range of focus.  You will find just about every kind of electronic gadget you can imagine.

This year seems to have quite a lot of products involved in several major product lines, EBook Readers and Mobile Computer Technology.  In fact, notebooks and netbooks are equally in the lime light, and the main manufacturer that seems to be coming out with the greatest innovations is Lenovo.  Smart phones are also all will blows and I think we will see quite a few new products in this arena as well.With the advent of the movie Avatar, 3D has been brought back into focus (pun intended). We will see both TV’s and players that will be giving you 3D imaging right in your living room, but that is not all. Content from multiple sources is becoming more important and we are seeing the addition of internet access right on your TV of Amazon Video on Demand, YouTube, Picasa, Bloomberg news, weather and now Netflix Streaming and even Skype video phones. So now you have the ability to have Video Phone conversations with your friends and families right from your Television.  Cameras and Camcorders are going to be interesting as well. High Def is the keyword this year and we will see many products providing High Def in many different form factors. Gadgets in your cars is fast becoming the biggest competitive area for Auto Manufacturers. Ford is starting to become the king in this area with the Ford Sync being the its initial offering now they are piling on with other video presentation of car function  and information access. I will go into this in much greater detail in future postings. I am getting to the point that I want a Ford because of the technology they are offering more than the car. I have got to touch and feel this soon!

Below is a quick list of the different technologies zones that are highlighted this year at CES. The links provided below will take you to a better definition of each of these technologies zone designations and will give you a better feeling of what CES is all about.

Digital Health TechZone
eBooks TechZone
Experience 3D TechZone
Femto TechZone
HDMI TechZone
HD-PLC TechZone
Higher Ed TECH TechZone
HomePlug TechZone
i-stage TechZone
Kids@Play TechZone
Lifestyle Gadgets TechZone
Mobile DTV TechZone
Mommy Tech TechZone
Netbooks TechZone
PC Gaming Alliance TechZone
Robotics TechZone
Safe Driver TechZone
Silvers Summit TechZone
USB TechZone
Wireless Mobility Brought to You by Qualcomm
ZigBee TechZone

This is probably the first year that CES so excited me with the potential of the products that were going to be presented that I contemplated hopping and chat and when there myself to see them firsthand.  But, we're so blessed with th the state of the techno: Jude from presenting information across the Internet that I can take full advantage of those individuals and companies that do this full time.  So over the next couple weeks I'll be digesting all of the information that I can from all the various sources that are available and come back to you with those products that I have found most interesting and useful for all of us.

Lexmark X543DN Color MFP $100 Instant Rebate

This well built workgroup color multifunction printer is now costing you $100’s less than before. Normal Retail on this product is $749 but for a limited time (Promo ends on Jan 30, 2010), your price is just $599. This printer supports network scanning,  copying and duplex printing with output speeds up to 21 ppm in black and color.

The only drawback with this unit is that it is missing a fax function and if you need that you could upgrade to the X544DN! See product demo by clicking here!

And here is something that you don’t see every day…

Lifetime Pricing Guarantee - For as long as you own your X543dn, Lexmark guarantees never to increase the U.S. toner cartridge price found on Lexmark.com.

Feature Highlights:

Paper Handling Standard - 150-Sheet Output Bin  Integrated Duplex  Single Sheet Manual Feed 250-Sheet Input Tray

ADF Paper Input Capacity : Up to 50 pages 20 lb or 75 gsm bond

Standard Ports - Ethernet 10/100BaseTX (RJ-45)  USB 2.0 Specification Hi-Speed Certified (Type B)

Scan Area, Maximum 8.5 x 14 inches

Size (in. - H x W x D) 18.23 x 17.32 x 21.14 in.

Recommended Monthly Page Volume 500 - 1,500 pages

Microsoft Big Easy Offer 4.0

In this economy it is important to take advantage of all of the offers that are available to you. Here is one more that you can take advantage of to help with any current installations you are planning this Quarter.

The Microsoft Big Easy Offer 4.0 runs from Jan 3, 2010 thru Mar 31,2010 and provides partner subsidy funds that can be used with us to help with the implementation of your Microsoft solution including software, hardware and services.

A subsidy is a check made payable to the Microsoft partner of your choice, us I hope. This subsidy can be used to enrich and implement your Microsoft solution. The subsidy allows you to purchase additional products or services from the us thus lowering your Total Cost of Ownership.

You can build up your subsidy by choosing:

• Products from more than one product group.
• Licenses with Software Assurance.
• Advanced or Enterprise Editions.

Talk to us and we can help you decide what you want to implement now to help you afford the best solutions for you.

Here’s the big question: How do you take advantage the Big Easy offer?

• Make a qualifying purchase between January 3, 2010 and March 31, 2010.
• Redeem your purchase within 30 days of purchase date at http://www.microsoftincentives.com/BigEasy4/redeem.aspx.
• Receive your partner subsidy check from Microsoft.
• Spend your subsidy funds with your Microsoft partner upon receipt. Please note that subsidy funds expire after 90 days of the check issue date.

There is a Big Easy Calculator that is available that will allow you to work on the best scenario for your situation.

How to use the calculator:

1. Select the license type for each product version. If you don’t know which license type to select, contact your partner for more information.
2. Select the product group from the second list.
3. Select the product from the third dropdown list.
4. Enter the number of licenses for each product in the worksheet below.

Increase your subsidy amount by adding more product groups and number of licenses, choosing advanced or Enterprise versions, and choosing licenses with Software Assurance (L&SA)!

The bottom line is that if you are considering upgrading, then here is something else that you can take advantage of to help offset the cost of implementing your installation. Be sure to contact us to help you make the best decision for you!

A quick look at MS Office 2010 beta system requirements

I loaded up the Office 2010 beta the other day and I am finally getting some time to play with it this weekend. So far I like it but several of my Outlook synchronizations broke (not unexpected) and I decided to take a look at what the system requirements are. The first thing that jumps out at me is the Operating System requirements. You will need at  least, Windows XP with Service Pack 3 installed. I suspect that this will be one of the reasons that we some push to new equipment. The Memory requirements (256 MB) is still low but like 2007, I wouldn’t run it with less than 2GB, which I suggest for any system right now as the bare minimum. Always remember that minimum requirements are not optimum requirements. You never really run a program at its minimum specs.

The display minimums was the other specification that jumped out at me. I am already sensitive to the screen limitations on my NetBook so I really look at these closely. Most of your 10.1 inch NetBooks have a 1024x600 screen and most of the first units, that were 8.9 inch were the same resolution. Any way, the recommended resolution is 1024 x 768 which is no problem for desktop and notebooks. Five programs will fall within the screen resolution guidelines which include Excel, Outlook, OneNote, PowerPoint and Word. That leaves Access, Publisher, InfoPath and Visio that will not work on your NetBook. Since you have probably read before that I don’t believe a NetBook is a true production machine but more of a research, communication and light writing device then maybe this isn’t a great problem. My next step is to try loading it onto my NetBook and seeing just what the limitations are.

Below are links to the Beta Versions of Office, Visio and Office Web Apps. If you click on the Office 2010 Beta image above you will be taken to the the Office 2010 support page.

Downloads Download Office Professional Plus 2010 Beta Download Visio Premium 2010 Beta Download Microsoft Office Web Apps Beta

First impressions of my Flip HD Video Camera

Merry Christmas Everyone! It’s rainy and wet here today, Yuck!, but we still have a little snow to make it seem like Christmas. I want to start with the Flip camera.

I liked how easy the camera worked and the low light capabilities of the unit. One thing that I noticed though was how noisy 20 odd people can be when crowded into a small space. Because the camera is so light you don’t get tired holding it but you also don’t have the heft to help you steady it either. I tried putting together the pictures using the Flip Software but it seems cumbersome so I tried switching to Window’s Movie Maker. The sound track from the video seemed to shift some on that and I wasn’t real happy with that either. That bothers me because Movie maker is easy to use it would be nice if it would work for this purpose.

I need to give it another try but I miss my big machine. It got a little sick with of the stupidity of its primary operator. I had a Facebook message come through that pointed to a site that a virus/trojan attached and I went through the motions of loading the virus without thinking. Shouldn’t be operating a computer that early in the morning I guess. It really got zapped and the guys are still working on it. I hope we don’t have to reload the computer from scratch. This is not the time of year to be doing that.

My off loading the data to network drives will allow me to bring the system back up to speed rather quickly though if that is what we have to do. So if you run into an email that has you installing software onto your system, don’t do it. Delete, Delete DELETE! Even the best of us can get suckered.

I Caved In!

What I really wanted was a Canon 5D but the Camera Fairy isn't coming through for me. So... I picked up a Flip Ultra to tide me over until she decides if I have been naughty or nice. Oh, I guess I’m mixing up my holidays. Whoops!

The Flip is a cute little thing, and it is hard to believe that the Flip, smaller than a cigarette case, can take such beautiful pictures and store up to two hours of video.

The controls are simple and straightforward. So to it will be very simple to learn how to use and operate. It has a 2X zoom lens and the image you get is very good. I'm not real wild about the sound but it's not too bad when you get close up to the individual you are taking a photo of.

The video we are shooting is done with two small HD cameras, one of them an Aptek the other is a Flip similar to the one I just got.

The biggest problem that I am observing with what we have done so far is with the sound quality. We'll have to see what we can do about that. We are looking at at a sound kit that has a mixer and a desk mic in it, and I have a wireless lavalier mic that we can try as well. If that works we'll need a second wireless set later as we keep going.

We are all very excited about how many options and uses we will be able to use these videos for. So be sure to come back often and see how we grow our video library with different product reviews, how to's and news from our industry.

First Take on new Webcast

Here’s our first try at the webcast. First problem we see is that the sound is a bit tinny. We need to setup and use a microphone and mixer I think to get this to get a bit more base.

Here is a neat Utility to turn off you touchpad while typing

TouchFreeze is a great utility for a Windows based machine that will automatically turn off your touchpad while you are typing on you notebook/netbook. If you are like me, a person with gorilla hands, you probably inadvertently   brush up against your touchpad while typing. All of sudden your cursor is in a different location on your screen and you have just added a great thought to your document but it is in the wrong place! Now you have to fix this and in doing so you now have lost your train of thought.

TouchFreeze when activated, will sit in your system tray and simply turn off the touchpad when you start typing. It’s simple, free and is an open-source program that works with Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003/2008, Windows Server 2008, and Windows 7.

Video Studio

We have been putting the final touches on the first edition of our video studio. We are so excited about what we are doing and how well it is coming together. Paul Koslow who is our webmaster, is starting a new project that includes producing online videos and quick commercial video as well. We feel that with the technology and software available today that we can put together a first class production house, in our house, pun intended, that will allow us to not only provide us with a video content production facility for our website but also for short spots on cable TV like the ones we have done in the past for FYI. This gives us more control, faster to finished product processing, and will help us learn more about what we need to make this all work well for us. Be sure to tune in for more information as all this great stuff begins to mature. Below is a screen test of what will be coming to you soon…

Some exciting news about a new addition to CCI Web Page

We have been getting much closer to putting the final touches on our first “produced” web video which is going to become a weekly feature of our website. These videos will contain content from a varied subject matter but will all pertain to our Solutions Oriented focus. So, you will see videos on new products, news items, how to’s and interviews with individuals in our industry. We are really looking forward to this new venture and really hope to be able to grow it into a valued support tool for you our clients. Stay Tuned and I will bring you more news about this new feature from www.localsupport.com.

Here’s another video showing how quickly a site can go from being clean to infection and back to clean again.

This is not a newsworthy item as mentioned in the YouTube submission that this video stream came from. It is interesting how transient an infection can be on a website. AVG is showing how they can find cached versions of the pre/post/post clean sites and detect the path and style of the infection. For me this demonstrates how easily you can be infected if you don’t have the proper protection in place and if you are not aware of what can happen so easily when you are not careful of the sites that you visit. Again, Thank you Jude for sending these video streams to our attention.

Interesting Video Showing a Virus Scam used to hijack your system

AVG Research Lab presented this video on YouTube to show how easily a user can be scammed into buying a fake security program. Once your initially caught it is very hard to get you system clean again. Jude brought this to my attention and thought it might be of some interest.

Voice to Text has finally arrived on the iPhone

If you've been following me at all lately. You will notice that I am constantly looking for an application that will give me good dictation capability with voice to text recognition on my iPhone.

On the PC, I use Dragon NaturallySpeaking and these same people have developed their own iPhone application to dictate on your iPhone-and it works very, very well. In fact, I am using this program to write this article that you are reading right now! It recognizes all your commands for punctuation, so don't forget to put that in.

The interface makes it very easy to make changes during and after dictation segments. Just tap on any word on the screen that it has converted from voice to text and you will be given options to delete or replace the word with other words that might be similar to what you said.

One of the tricks is to keep your sentences short because it will only have a certain amount of memory to use for the conversion. At the end of your dictation you have the ability to send your text to the clipboard for use in another application. There are also two buttons available that will send you directly to the mail application or text messaging application.

The most useful part of this application is that it allows me to store this text in the clipboard so that I can share my dictated notes with whatever application that I want to insert in to.

The best part of this application for all of us, is that it's free. This App gets my big thumbs-up to add to your library of applications on your iPhone.

A Must Have New Jing Release

You have heard me talk about Jing in the past and now there's one more reason for downloading it.  Jing is a free software package that lets you capture and add visuals to everyday online conversations.  The new release has added the ability your screen captures to Twitter.

Use Jing to:

• Capture a picture of her computer screen
• Recorded video of your onscreen activities
• Then share via Twitter, email or instant messaging

It is available for either Windows or Mac OS X

And the best part is, It's free!  So if Twitter is one of your main stays, there is a no other way to take your Twitter stand out from your peers.