Antivirus

Antivirus – free vs paid

 

Many of us believe, more or less, that the more you pay for something the better it will be. And to some extent, this is true. But when it comes to free or paid antivirus protection, the differences might not be as big as you believe.

When it comes down to the bare-bone function of antivirus software, that is protecting your computer from malware, the free and paid versions of a piece of software will perform nearly exactly the same.

Antivirus companies are not going to intentionally allow their free users to become infected, as its not beneficial for anybody. But what they typically do to convince you to upgrade is offer you some luxury features. These are great for some additional security and easier operation, but on some older computers, these features can slow down the antivirus software and your computer in general.

Most antivirus websites have a comparison table showing which features you’ll get if you buy the paid version. Try taking a look at all the additional features and ask yourself whether or not you actually need them.

A common additional feature is email scanning, but do you really need this? Your email provider may scan attachments for viruses automatically, but the more checks you do, the better.

Perhaps the most important area in which paid protection excels is customer support. Using free antivirus software means you’ll probably be on your own when it comes to solving problems, but you can always check to see if the company has a forum or FAQ (frequently asked questions), that you can consult. Check what customer support is available with a paid version of antivirus software before you purchase it.

The most important tool for staying safe from viruses is your cautiousness. Don’t click on links in suspicious emails and never install software that you are advised to over the phone from a stranger.

PCWorld has reviews of dozens of different antivirus products. You might be surprised to see a few of the free versions ranking higher than some paid versions.

Best free antivirus for Mac and PC.

 

Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge - better than expected

Like most people with a newer computer, I was given the free update to Windows 10 last month. The new default browser for this update is Microsoft's latest internet browser, Microsoft Edge.

For what seems like a decade, but has probably been about five years, I've been strongly suggesting internet users install Apple Safari, Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome as a better and safer alternative to Internet Explorer. This stance hasn't changed, but flaws are developing in a few of these programs and viruses are being more targeted to them as market share grows.

It took me until yesterday to give Microsoft Edge a chance, instantly removing it as my default browser upon upgrade. I was actually shocked by how well Edge ran different websites, including our own.

I'm certainly not saying to chuck away your favourite internet browser, but it's worth giving Microsoft Edge a chance and deciding for yourself when you upgrade to Windows 10.

 

How to set up a wifi hotspot

Hi, I thought this video explaining how to set up a wifi hotspot on Android might be of interest: http://www.yourlifechoices.com.au/video/how-to-set-up-a-wifi-hotspot  

How to set up a wifi hotspot

Hi, I thought this video explaining how to set up a wifi hotspot on iPhone and iPad might be of interest: http://www.yourlifechoices.com.au/video/how-to-set-up-a-wifi-hotspot

Recovering Corrupted Photos

Recovering corrupted photos

 

Have you ever had your camera’s SD card stop working, taking all of your precious photos with it? You may be able to recover those irreplaceable photos for free.

SD cards are great for adding storage to smartphones and cameras, but they are very fragile and need to be treated with extreme care.

If you have an SD card that has become corrupted, or is no longer being recognised by your device, make sure you do not format it. If you have formatted your SD card, it is sadly too late to recover any data from it. 

The first step to recovering lost photos is to install Zero Assumption Recovery (ZAR). This software is an advanced tool for recovering lost data. A full license will cost $69.95 USD, but all the tools you need for recovering digital photos are included with the free version.

Once you’ve downloaded the software, insert your SD card into your computer – you’ll need an SD card reader for this. If your computer has one, it will be a slim rectangular hole, about the about the size of a ten cent coin (side on). Most computers will have one built in, otherwise they are available on eBay for as little as a dollar (shipping included), although it might be worth investing a few more dollars to ensure you get a more reliable device. 

Once your SD card is inserted, open up ZAR and click on ‘Image Recovery (Free)’. Now select the SD card reader from the list of devices. External readers will usually be named ‘Generic USB SD Reader’. If you don’t see the device, try to look for something with the same capacity of the SD card. Once selected, click ‘Next’ and let ZAR work its magic.

The process might take a while, but if it is barely moving at all, or all of the blocks are showing up as red, you may wish to try using a different card reader or computer to run the software. If changing readers or computers doesn’t help, you’ll just have to bear with the slow progress.

In the following screen, check the ‘ROOT’ folder to select all items and then click ‘Next’

From here you can select a location for the images to be copied to, then click ‘Start copying the selected files’.

Once this is finished you should have a folder full of images. Depending on the extent of the damage, you may only recover a few full images, or you may recover all of them.

If you’ve tried all of the above and you haven’t had any luck, you may be able to take it to a camera store and see what they can do. But since it can be a very involved process, this might not be affordable.

Read more at PC Advisor.

 

Friends

Five best websites to make friends

 

As life moves on, some of the people you share it with will as well. These five websites can help you to make new friends and have fun, both online and in real life.

Couchsurfing

Whether you’re inviting travellers to stay in your house for free, or staying in the houses of others, couchsurfing is a fun and unique way to make friends. As well as companionship, some gracious visitors will give you a small gift or perhaps prepare you a meal from their native country as thanks for your accommodation, and many will be happy to return the favour if you are ever visiting their home country. All you need to get started is a spare room (or couch) and an account at www.couchsurfing.org. 

RSVP

RSVP is more than just a dating website: you can look for friends using the service too. With over 1200 people signing up to the service each day, why not see if there’s anyone in your area looking for a new friend?
www.rsvp.com.au

Facebook

Social networks are a great place to talk online and make friends, and an even better place to reconnect with old friends. Have you got a Facebook account yet? Check out our quick-and-easy guide to getting started with Facebook. After you’re set up, why not dig up an old year book and see if any of your old school friends are online? Or search for some hobby or interest-based groups. 
www.facebook.com

Volunteer work

Have you considered helping out the local community with your spare time? It’s a great way to meet people while doing something worthwhile. You could try asking local charities or opportunity shops if they need any volunteers, or you can look online for opportunities to give back to the community.
www.volunteeringaustralia.com.au

The Meeting Place

Here, at YourLifeChoices, we have a community forum with a broad range of topics. All you need to do if you want to get involved in the conversation is make an account with our website. Whether you want to talk politics and news, or learn some new ways to keep your grandkids entertained, you can chat about it on the Meeting Place.
www.yourlifechoices.com.au/the meeting place

 

Email Safety

Stay safe when using email

 

Email is one of the most popular ways that people stay connected. It’s on everything – phones, computers, smart devices, gaming consoles and even some cars. But email was never built with security or privacy in mind.

Your email is potentially vulnerable on the network being used to send it, on the server from which you’ve sent it, on the recipient’s device, or from your own device – be it computer, phone or smart TV.

Whilst most email apps allow for encryption, many do not, and it’s the ones that aren’t that provide perfect fodder for hackers using malware to ‘phish’ for your information.

However, if you follow our easy guidelines for using email you’ll be able to better protect yourself from the malicious intentions of these nasty, thieving hackers.

Treat email like a postcard

You remember postcards, right? Well, technically, email is very similar. It’s an open message sent through cyberspace that can be read by anyone who cares to look for it. So it’s best not to send any private information, such as financial or account details via email, as you could be exposing your personal data to hackers and digital miscreants.

Be wary of attachments

If you are not expecting an attachment on any email you receive, it’s best not to open it. That goes for emails from friends as well as from strangers.

Don’t be click happy

Any emails that contain links to external websites should also be treated with caution, which sounds easy, but hackers are a devious lot that will try any trick to fool you for your info. To find out if a website address is legitimate, simply right click on the link and copy the URL then paste it into your web browser. If the domain name in the URL matches the domain name in the sender’s email address, then you are most likely safe.

Protect your personal information

Unless you are specifically expecting it, an email asking you for personal information should set alarm bells a-ringing. More often than not, it will be someone or some organisation trying to get your personal data to use for their own nefarious purposes. These ‘phishers’ will try to conceal their ploy by disguising their messages as sent by legitimate businesses. So, if you are suspicious of any contact made to you by these seemingly legitimate organisations, it’s best to contact them by phone rather than trying to do so via email. 

Don’t reply to spam

Spam, or junk mail, is quite possibly the most annoying thing about the internet. Spammers will send a million emails to random addresses, and if you reply to them in any way, including unsubscribing, you give them a reason to send you more spam because you’ve verified that your email address is a real one.

Delete messages that state you have a virus

Some viruses infect the contact list, or address book, of the computer they infect, then sends an email to everyone on the list. If you receive an email that tells you that you have a virus, don’t panic, and just delete it.

Get encrypted

The best way to protect your email is to encrypt it. Encryption is when your data is scrambled after it’s sent from your device to whomever it’s intended for, so any one in between can’t read it. Read this article for more information on how to set up email encryption.

Use antivirus software

Okay, so free antivirus software has been in the spotlight recently for subsidising the ‘free’ aspect by selling user data. However, running antivirus software is still a great way to safeguard your information from cyber criminals. If you’re worried that the company that makes the software is selling your data, then maybe it’s time you paid for antivirus software instead.

Read more about this at www.digitaltrends.com

Read more about internet security tips.

Read more about protecting yourself when using public wifi.