Here's your Geekly Update for the week of August 24th, presented in small bytes. Get the scoop on gadgets & hardware, security patches, browser news, social networking, web tech and search engines. Read on......
"Sometimes when I'm away from home, I'll park my car, fire up the laptop and get online with a free unsecured wireless signal. Is this legal?"...
"I'm thinking about buying a Wifi sniffer to help me find wireless networks when I'm travelling. How good are the various devices, and are they legal?"...
"I'm looking for a truly wireless printer, one that can connect to my laptop with no cable, and also runs on batteries. What do you recommend for the business traveler who needs to print wirelessly?"...
"I have a wireless router with high-speed internet and a laptop that connects via Wi-Fi signal. Sometimes I get a decent wi-fi connection, and sometimes nothing at all. What can I do to boost my Wi-fi signal?"...
"My friend has gotten rid of his landline phone in favor if something called Skype. He claims he can make free calls all over the world. What exactly is Skype, is it really free, and is it legal?"...
"I've seen a new wi-fi adapter that claims to be a HUNDRED TIMES FASTER than the currently available ones. Is this new 802.11N technology really that fast, and will it work with Windows XP?"...
Cyberspace malefactors are enslaving millions of unsecured computers into zombie networks that are responsible for spewing out mountains of spam and attacking legitimate websites that oppose the spammers. Is your PC part of the problem? Find out now......
If you use wireless Internet access in public places like Starbucks or the airport, you should take some simple precautions to make sure you're not broadcasting your passwords and other personal info to others in the vicinity......
Remember that 1995 movie "The Net", starring Sandra Bullock? Okay, I didn't see it either. Somehow I couldn't imagine Sandra as a software engineer after watching her in "While You Were Sleeping". But I digress... the movie was a story...
"Is it safe to use wireless Internet access in my home? I've heard that neighbors or even people driving by can tap in to my wireless signal. There must be a way to do it safely, since it's so common...
For best results, use just ONE or TWO keywords. This search engine looks for all words in any order. To search for an exact phrase, enclose the phrase in quotes. You may also use AND, OR, and NOT keywords to specify boolean expressions. For example:
"format drive"
spyware OR virus
phone NOT cell