Unfortunately there is no quick fix solution, but there are a few things you can do:

1. Make sure that your computer is protected by a Firewall. Not just the
   Windows Firewall, although it is better than nothing. There are free
   solutions available like the Comodo Firewall and the free version of ZoneAlarm.
2. Antivirus software, most importantly one that is up to date.
   Symantec Norton AntiVirus 2008 has good ratings, although I
   find it has to be tweaked to prevent it from slowing down your
   system too much with its real-time scanning.
3. Antispyware software – experts recommend having two of these
   (unlike antivirus or firewall software) – A commercial one and a free one.
4. Antispam filters on email – email is one of the ways in which malware
   can get onto your system, especially if you use Outlook.
   If you use web-based email like me, make sure that images
   inside of messages are disabled by default.
5. Watch where you browse. If you must go to dubious websites, use a
   sandbox or virtual machine of some sort. Even for normal browsing,
   something like McAfee Site Advisor is indispensible – I use the free
   version, but the McAfee Internet Security Suite 2008 includes the
   Site Advisor.
6. Download files from reputable websites like download.com. On other
   websites Site Advisor can really help to check if a site has dubious
   downloads or not.
7. If you don’t mind trying new things, switch from Internet Explorer to
   another web browser like Firefox or Opera. Firefox is constant being
   updated for a safer browsing experience.

Although it is possible to choose the best Antivirus and the best firewall and add the best Antispyware, I find it more cost effective to use Security Suites, which usually include anitvirus, antispam, antispyware and a firewall. For my older PCs which I don’t use much, I mix and match freeware Antivirus like AntiVir or AVG Antivirus, along with freeware firewalls and antispyware.

Exactly one year from today, when you turn your analog TV on, it may not work. Where you expect As The World Turns (ATWT to its fans), you’ll only get fuzz. That’s because February 17, 2009 is when broadcast TV stations will be turning off their analog signals and starting to transmit only in digital. How do you know if yours is an analog TV? If you use “rabbit ears” or a rooftop antenna for TV reception, you’re on an analog TV.

But before you use this as an excuse to pitch your current television out with this week’s garbage so that you can rush down to the big box store to acquire your massive high-def plasma flat screen, consider a more modest approach: simply getting yourself a converter box. Shortly, retailers — online and off — will be selling special boxes that change the digital signal into analog. They’re to cost about $60 to $70.

Best of all, the federal government is providing free coupons through a web site at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/dtvcoupon/ that will let you save $40 on the purchase. At the moment of this writing, exactly 4,732,276 coupons had been ordered. Each household can request two of them.

The coupons won’t be available after March 31, 2008, which means you only have a few weeks left to request yours. They’re also only good for 90 days. That means you can get your coupons, but you also have to plan to use them within three months. No dawdling if you want a good deal. (And since you’re on PriceGrabber.com right now, I know you’re always looking for a good deal.)

I’d assume that your preferred online retailer will accept the coupons too. If they don’t, then find another company to buy from. According to the feds, about 14,000 retail outlets will be accepting them.

The Palm LifeDrive was a good idea, but possibly ahead of its time. It was discontinued just over a year ago. According to some sources it was discontinued because it didn’t meet the 2007 European Union lead-free requirements.

For those who may have never heard of the Palm LifeDrive, here is a recap:
The Palm LifeDrive was Introduced in May 2005 as the first of the Palm Mobile Media Manager category of products. It has a 16-bit color, 3.7-inch-diagonal 480×320 pixel screen, and is powered by a 416 MHz Intel PXA270 processor running Palm OS (Garnet) version 5.4.8. So far the specs could be for any number of high-end handheld computers. True to its name though, the LifeDrive has a built in 4 Gigabyte hard drive (3.85GB user available) and 64MB of internal memory (55MB user available). The LifeDrive was one of the first Palm PDAs to feature both Bluetooth and 802.11b wireless.

The idea with the mobile media manager was that you could put all of your media (photos, music and videos) on the Palm. You could create slideshows with background music. It was a Palm PDA device converged with a media player.

There were a couple of problems though. One of the main problems was caused by the hard drive. Although one with a fast spin up time had been chosen, it was not fast enough for some users. Part of the drive was portioned off to act as non-volatile RAM. There was a definite lag whenever an icon was pressed or an action started. After a firmware update or two the lag was reduced substantially. Some clever third party company offered a service where they would replace the hard drive with a 4GB Compact Flash Card – effectively turning the LifeDrive into a “LifeFlash”. This apparently worked quite well.

Since the LifeDrive has been discontinued, Palm has not released another high end handheld-only device. The Palm TX now fills that spot but lacks a built-in microphone and an external LED to indicate charging or device status.

The computer isn’t reading my son’s Arthur learning game disc. Of course, this isn’t the first time a compact disc in his collection has gone bad on us. Of course, without the grime and scratches on the surface of these CDs, how would I know if it belonged to him or me without my reading glasses on?

I’m accustomed to taking the discs down to our favorite video store and having them run through one of those repair machines. It only costs $2 a pop and the results have been admirable.

But maybe it’s time to take repair in-house. I was reminded of this when I received a press release from a company that makes disc repair machines for corporate use. It got me thinking: Are these things available for consumers too? PriceGrabber says they are. I found the Alera Technologies DVD/CD Disc Repair Kit here.

According to the description, you open the lid, put a few drops of magic repair solution on the repair wheel, insert the scratched disc and press “Repair.” It comes with three different wheels — one for repair, cleaning and buffering (I’m guessing this is akin to choosing a sheet of sandpaper.)

Anybody out there got experience with these devices? More vitally, do you think I could pawn it off — I mean, wrap it up — as a birthday present to my son?

(Apologies to Intel for altering their slogan for their Dual Core Processors.)

I’ve noticed that Desktop PCs with Quad Core Processors are beginning to appear in the weekly Ads of local technology retailers. Desktops with Quad Core processors from both Intel and AMD are being advertised. The AMD Quad Core chip is called the Phenom, admittedly quite a cool name for a processor, and the Intel name is plain old Core 2 Quad. From comparisons by various technology companies, it appears that the AMD Phenom is still playing catch-up with the Intel Core 2 Quad.

One quad core desktop I looked at was the HP Pavilion Elite m9060n Desktop. This Media center PC has a 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 processor, 3GB RAM and a total of 640GB hard disk space, consisting of two 320GB 7200rpm hard drives. It has a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce 8500 GT video card with 512 MB of Video Memory. In the media department there is an integrated FM tuner and TV Tuner with remote, as well as a Blu-ray/HD DVD combo drive. This is definitely a system to connect to a large widescreen LCD monitor or HDTV so you can enjoy high definition movies in either format.

Even with the dedicated graphics card and Quad Core Processor, this is not a gaming machine. Although it is intended as a media center PC, it will more likely be used as a powerful Desktop PC.

Do you have trouble with your wrists like I do? You know what I mean. You spend a day at the keyboard, and your arms feel like you’ve been carrying your bowling ball in front of you all day. (I love my bowling ball as much as the next gal, but it’s not meant for accessorizing.)

Now, keeping in mind that I am no medical professional (in fact, I blanch at the sight of slivers), I’ve got two solutions that have worked for me, neither of which involves surgical procedures, physical therapists or insurance reimbursement.

I wear a Smart Glove, a fingerless glove that has little beads to pad the wrist. This little device has made a remarkable difference to my typing endurance. Plus, on cold days in my office, it keeps me that much warmer!

Next, I’ve begun exercising my wrists in moments of boredom with a DynaFlex Pro, which, according to the packaging can strengthen and condition “arms, biceps, elbows, fingers, forearms, hands, triceps, wrists and shoulders.” This sucker is tough to work with. Face it, wrists are puny little parts of the body — and the DynaFlex has some real heft to it. After a few minutes of spinning it around in my palm, I feel like taking a nap.

Have you figured out a way to keep your wrists in top-working order? Love to hear about it.

A previous generation of Media Player, the Creative Zen V Plus is on sale at various stores and online. It may not be the latest, but it is a good one.

The CNET review says :
“Creative Zen V Plus is a superb choice for anyone looking for a compact and feature-filled flash MP3 player with great sound quality”

There are two models, the Creative Zen V and the Zen V Plus. The Zen V Plus adds video playback support and an FM Tuner. Otherwise they are the same except for different colors for different models and capacities. When deciding on a Zen V or Zen V Plus, it is worth bearing in mind that the 1.5 inch OLED screen is too small for anything but short video clips. The player supports MP3, WMA, Protected WMA, WAV and Audible audio formats and JPEG photos. The Plus supports AVI video, but other formats like WMV and MPEG-4 can be converted with the included software.

This little media player is packed with functionality. Multiple named playlists can be created directly on the device. Individual files or groups of files can also be deleted. Bookmarks can be set in any audio file. There is also line-in recording (the cable comes packaged with the player) and voice recording.

Unlike the latest generation of MP3 Players (and like iPods, Zunes and some other media players) the Zen V does not have an expansion slot for additional memory, which is worth keeping in mind when choosing the capacity.

On a recent trip to New York I had the chance to discover the simple joy of using a wireless printer. Exactly where I have been all these years? Somehow in the rush to get work done, I have become oblivious to the snake’s nest of cables adorning my workspace. No more!

From this day forward, if there’s a reasonably priced wireless solution to be had, I’m having it! Starting with the HP DeskJet 460c Inkjet Printer, which I had the chance to try.

This color printer claims a 17-page-per-minute print speed. (That’s definitely optimal conditions. No doubt, your mileage will vary.) The print quality for my purposes was fine. And the unit itself was small enough that I wasn’t sure I had actually found the printer when somebody told me it was around the corner from where I was working. I thought I was looking at a mini fax machine. Silly me.

PriceGrabber reviewer fireworks1972 points out that a lithium ion battery for the unit is extra, since it’s promoted as a portable printer. But since AC was supplying the power for my work, I didn’t notice that aspect of it.

Also, here’s the pain point. You’ll need a Bluetooth or 802.11b printer card to go the wireless route, which nearly — but not quite — doubles the price. If that’s too much all in one swallow, you can add on a USB cable to go the usual physical route for connecting your computer to the printer.

Of course, the 460 is a generation old, but for just a little more money, the H470 promises print speeds of up to 22 pages a minute and a traveling weight of about five pounds, when you’re hauling the battery with it.

The newer version of the printer runs with the HP 98 black cartridge and the 95 tri-color cartridge. The 460c runs with a 94 black print cartridge and the 95 tri-color cartridge.

When I first saw the HTC Advantage X7501, I was trying to visualize how you would hold it up to your ear to make a call. You don’t. Even though the keyboard is removable, to make a call with this computer masquerading as a smartphone, you either use the included wired headset, a Bluetooth headset or the speakerphone. Since it weighs 12.6 ounces and measures 5.2 inches by 3.8 inches by 0.6 inch thick, that is a good thing.

The HTC Advantage X7501 has a 624MHz processor, 128 MB RAM and 256 MB flash ROM, and runs Microsoft Windows Mobile 6 Professional Edition. Although that sounds like a regular smartphone, it also has a 8GB hard drive. Yes, a hard drive. There is also a SDHC compatible miniSD card slot. It has a 480×640 pixel resolution, 5 inch touch screen as well as a QWERTY keyboard. The keyboard can be detached and used as a protective cover for the screen when it is not is use. Additionally it has a 3 Megapixel camera with a built-in flash.

This device is more of an alternative to an Ultra mobile PC than anything else. It just so happens that along with 3G data access, 802.11b and 802.11g wireless, GPS and Bluetooth 2.0, it is also a quad band 850/900/1800/1900MHz GSM world phone. With the addition of the HTC docking station you can connect a mouse, monitor and keyboard, and you have a mini desktop computer. The HTC Advantage is too smart to just be a smartphone.

Easily once a week in my spinning class one or another instructor will say to us, “Don’t you think we should be generating our own power here?” We always nod our sweating heads and keep pedaling. But the fact is that alternative power — in the form of photovoltaic cells — will one day roof our homes, decorate our cars and (who knows?) clothe our children.

But for now, there’s something you can buy that will actually use the power of the sun to recharge your devices on the move. That’s a line of solar computer bags from Voltaic. They come in knapsack and messenger styles, but they all work similarly.

Each bag has three solar panels embedded in them, generating 4 watts of power in full sun. That, according to the company, will power three hours of iPod play or 1.5 hours of talk time on a typical cell phone. The bags include a Lithium Ion battery to store surplus energy and a set of common adapters for you to plug in your handheld devices for recharging. If the sun doesn’t come out, you can plug the battery into an AC travel or car charger.

On top of that, the company uses fabrics for its packs made from recycled soda bottles, which apparently uses less oil to produce (and explains the slight Nehi Orange scent radiating from the sample I got close to recently…)

This year, the company plans to issue a new model, called the Generator, which is powerful enough to recharge a notebook computer.

You don’t have to reside in the outback of a developing country to appreciate the magic of these devices. The mechanics add a bit of extra weight to your luggage, but I’d say that’s a small price to pay for carrying the power of the sun on your back.