2010
Why is it that just when you need to get something from the Internet quickly, your computer seems to grind to a halt? It can be maddening – we’ve all been there.
When your computer slows down, a number of causes may race through your head. Perhaps the computer is out of memory? Maybe that new software you installed is slowing it down? Could it be that you’ve contracted a virus or spyware? Or maybe you just have a bad Internet connection. If you really are concerned about a virus, spyware or other malware infecting your computer, find help at Internet Security Central.
Otherwise, it’s possible your browser isn’t configured for peak performance. These tricks may not solve all your problems, but they should help get you going in the right direction.
1. Change Your Home Page
This may seem simple, but a graphic-heavy home page, or one with a lot going on in the background, may make your browser take longer to get going. For example, if you have your home page set to a site with a number of large ads, try switching your home page to your favorite search engine and see if that makes a difference.
To do this in Internet Explorer 7 or 8, simply go to the page you want to make your home page and click on the arrow to the right of the Home button, located on the far right hand side of your IE Tab Bar. Select the option labeled Add or Change Home Page and select Use this webpage as your only home page. In Firefox, navigate to the page you want as your home page, click on the icon to the left of the web address and drag it to the Home toolbar button right next to it. Click Yes to confirm.
2. Clear Your Cache
The cache contains details of your browsing history. Images, video, audio files and cookies are stored, presumably to make browsing faster. However, if you have too many temporary files saved on your computer, it will eventually begin to slow down.
To clear your cache and create more space in Internet Explorer 8, click the Tools button on the IE toolbar and select Internet Options. Click Delete under Browsing History and then click Delete one more time.
In Firefox, click Tools, select Options, then Advanced. On the Network tab, click Clear Now in the Offline Storage section.
3. Disable Add-Ons
Sometimes, with or without you knowing it, your browser ends up with add-ons such as extra toolbars, animated mouse pointers, stock tickers or pop-up ad blockers. While add-ons can make your online experience better, they can occasionally interfere or conflict with other software on your computer. Try starting Internet Explorer without add-ons to see if the problem goes away. Click the Start button, click All Programs, click Accessories, click System Tools, and then click Internet Explorer (No Add-ons).
In Firefox, you are given the option to Disable all add-ons if you start Firefox in Safe Mode.
4. Disable Graphics in Internet Explorer
This may seem like a drastic measure, but if you are desperate, it works and it is easy.
On the Tools menu, click Internet Options, then the Advanced tab. In the Settings box, scroll down to the Multimedia section. Clear the following boxes and then click Apply.
• Play animations in Web pages
• Play sounds in Web pages
• Play videos in Web pages (Note: This option is not available in Internet Explorer 8)
• Show pictures
2010
By Chris Crum
Since Facebook announced its plans to take over the web, there has been a lot of talk about privacy concerns, and about deletion of Facebook profiles. There is also concern about the lack of openness in Facebook's Open Graph initiative. Others are just bored with the social network. Whatever the reasons, an increasing number of people seem to be interested in deleting their Facebook profiles.
Matt Cutts and other Googlers de-activated their accounts soon after the Open Graph initiative was announced. Remember, you don't have to delete the account to de-activate it. Facebook makes it very easy to stay. In fact, if you go to delete your account, they will try to guilt you into staying by telling you which of your friends will miss you.
There are apparently (as Danny Sullivan points out) so many people searching for how to delete their accounts, Google is even offering the suggestion "How do I delete my Facebook account?" as a suggestion for a query begining :How do I..."
It would be interesting to know how many people that are figuring out how to delete their profiles are actually going through with it. Marshall Kirkpatrick at ReadWriteWeb, for example, just stood on the "edge of the cliff" before backtracking (though I don't think he intended to go through with it).
Google Insights for Search data shows a pretty big upswing in Facebook account deletion interest over the last year or two (hat tip: Huffington Post):
Seesmic founder Loic Le Meur posted the following video talking about why it's probalby not the greatest idea to delete your Facebook account.
Loic makes a pretty good point about Facebook's usefulness as a source of public data, and about how you should basically consider everything you do online to be public, if privacy is your concern. As he notes, even emails can be forwarded.
Still if you choose to stick with Facebook, knowing your privacy settings is a good idea. The New York Times has an interesting diagram of what it calls a "bewildering tangle of options" for managing privacy on Facebook. "To manage your privacy on Facebook, you will need to navigate through 50 settings with more than 170 options," the publication says.
It will be very interesting to see if a significant amount of people drop Facebook, but at this point, it doesn't look like it's going to happen. One guy recently started an initiative to get people to join him in leaving Facebook. It's not working out so well so far. Josh Levy pledged, "I will delete my Facebook account but only if 10,000 other Facebook users will do the same." The deadline is May 31st. So far he has 76 people.
This isn't like when people started abandoning their MySpace accounts for Facebook. There's no service here drawing people away. People have a lot invested in their Facebook accounts at this point, and as Facebook becomes integrated more and more into the fabric of the web and popular culture as a whole, many will find it hard to walk away even if they have considered it. Then of course there are the many, many people who simply love Facebook.
2010
A friend calls -- did you get my email? Did you see that hilarious video? Have you heard that new song? You turn your computer on, eager to see what the fuss is all about … and wait. The little hourglass taunts you, tempts you, but you know clicking won't help. The hard drive grinds away. Speaking of grinding, maybe it's time to get a cup of coffee. Sigh.
One of the most common complaints we hear is how long it takes to start up a computer. In some cases it can take as long as 20-30 minutes before a PC is really ready to go. Some choose to get around that problem by leaving their computers on all the time, but that's a waste of electricity, and it may not be good for the overall health of a home computer to be left running 24/7. Isn't there a better way?
Older computers are, of course, more likely to suffer from these symptoms. But simply buying a new computer isn't a feasible solution for everyone, especially when times are tough. Nor is cracking open your PC's case to add memory. Rather, there are steps one can take without spending a lot of money -- and without using a screwdriver -- that can help reduce the time it takes to start up.
A Word About Anti-Virus Software
Before we begin, we would be remiss if we didn't mention anti-virus software. It's true that running anti-virus software will cause some delay in startup. But we do NOT recommend removing anti-virus software to improve startup speed -- such protections are a crucial defense against online threats. Rather, we recommend that you ensure you're running updated security software -- newer versions tend to be better about hogging system resources. For more information, go to AOL Internet Security Central.
Startup Slowdown
One of the primary culprits on a slow-starting PC is the array of junk that has been placed on the machine by the programs we use (and don't use). Many of the programs installed on our computers require the PC to do something at startup so they'll load more quickly when you want to use them. But often there are programs we no longer use, or use rarely, that are bogging down boot-up.
You can see what programs are on your computer's startup list by clicking the Start button, then Run, then typing MSCONFIG, then pressing Enter. The System Configuration Utility appears -- click the Startup tab. This displays everything that loads in the background when you start your computer. If it's a very long list, it's probably slowing you down.
Look through the list and see if you recognize anything you don't or rarely use. Be careful -- you don't want to remove everything! We recommend leaving any drivers for your graphics/video controller and other peripherals, as well as any antivirus or firewall software. But if you look closely you can probably spot unnecessary extras that could be eliminated.
A process library site (which you can find in Search) can help explain what individual startup items do and if they are needed. If you find a program you can live without, uncheck it on the list; when you're done, click OK and you will be prompted to reboot.
Font Fog
Another little-known trick is to remove fonts. Each time Windows starts up, it loads every font on your machine. The more fonts you have, the longer it takes. Most of us tend to use the same few fonts for almost everything we do, so if you find your computer has more than a few hundred installed, you may want to consider cleaning out the list.
The steps for removing fonts varies by the version of Windows you're using, but here are instructions for Windows XP from Microsoft Support. One thing to consider before you remove any fonts is whether you might want them back one day. If that's the case, you can remove fonts from the Fonts Folder and copy them elsewhere on your hard drive; doing so will prevent the fonts from loading at startup, but make it easier for you to restore them if you change your mind down the road.
Other Ideas
A little "spring cleaning" on your computer often helps improve performance. Getting rid of old files, cleaning and defragmenting your hard drive, removing viruses and spyware, and uninstalling software you no longer use helps your machine run more efficiently.
2010
by CBS Interactive staff
Facebook claims that it has 400 million users. But are they well-protected from prying eyes, scammers, and unwanted marketers?
Not according to Joan Goodchild, senior editor of CSO (Chief Security Officer) Online.
She says your privacy may be at far greater risk of being violated than you know, when you log onto the social-networking site, due to security gaffes or marketing efforts by the company.
Facebook came under fire this past week, when 15 privacy and consumer protection organizations filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, charging that the site, among other things, manipulates privacy settings to make users' personal information available for commercial use. Also, some Facebook users found their private chats accessible to everyone on their contact list--a major security breach that's left a lot of people wondering just how secure the site is.
In two words, asserts Goodchild: not very.
On "The Early Show on Saturday Morning," Goodchild spotlighted five dangers she says Facebook users expose themselves to, probably without being aware of them:
1. Your information is being shared with third parties
2. Privacy settings revert to a less safe default mode after each redesign
3. Facebook ads may contain malware
4. Your real friends unknowingly make you vulnerable
5. Scammers are creating fake profiles
Below is an edited transcript of the interview.
Is Facebook a secure platform to communicate with your friends?
Here's the thing: Facebook is one of the most popular sites in the world. Security holes are being found on a regular basis. It is not as inherently secure as people think it is, when they log on every day.
Certainly, there are growing pains. Facebook is considered a young company, and it has been around a few years now. It is continuing to figure this out. They are so young, they are still trying to figure out how they are going to make money. It is hard to compare this to others; we have never had this phenomenon before in the way [so many] people are communicating with each other--only e-mail comes close.
The potential for crime is real. According to the Internet Crime Complaint Center, victims of Internet-related crimes lost $559 million in 2009. That was up 110 percent from the previous year. If you're not careful using Facebook, you are looking at the potential for identity theft, or possibly even something like assault, if you share information with a dangerous person you think is actually a "friend." One British police agency recently reported that the number of crimes it has responded to in the last year involving Facebook climbed 346 percent. These are real threats.
Lately, it seems a week doesn't go by without some news about a Facebook-related security problem. Earlier this week, TechCrunch discovered a security hole that made it possible for users to read their friends' private chats. Facebook has since patched it, but who knows how long that flaw existed? Some speculate it may have been that way for years.
Last month, researchers at VeriSign's iDefense group discovered that a hacker was selling Facebook usernames and passwords in an underground hacker forum. It was estimated that he had about 1.5 million accounts--and was selling them for between $25 and $45.
And the site is constantly under attack from hackers trying to spam these 400 million users, or harvest their data, or run other scams. Certainly, there is a lot of criticism in the security community of Facebook's handling of security. Perhaps the most frustrating thing is that the company rarely responds to inquiries.
Do people really have privacy on Facebook?
No. There are all kinds of ways third parties can access information about you. For instance, you may not realize that, when you are playing the popular games on Facebook, such as FarmVille, or take those popular quizzes--every time you do that, you authorize an application to be downloaded to your profile that gives information to third parties about you that you have never signed off on.
Does Facebook share info about users with third parties through things such as Open Graph?
Open Graph is a new concept for Facebook, which unveiled it last month at its F8 conference. It actually is basically a way to share the information in your profile with all kinds of third parties, such as advertisers, so they can have a better idea of your interests and what you are discussing, so Facebook can--as portrayed--"make it a more personal experience."
The theory behind Open Graph--even if it has not implemented it--is its whole business model, isn't it?
That is the business model--Facebook is trying to get you to share as much information as possible so it can monetize it by sharing it with advertisers.
Isn't it in Facebook's best interest to get you to share as much info as possible?
It absolutely is. Facebook's mission is to get you to share as much information as it can so it can share it with advertisers. As it looks now, the more info you share, the more money it is going to make with advertisers.
Isn't there also a security problem every time it redesigns the site?
Every time Facebook redesigns the site, which [usually] happens a few times a year, it puts your privacy settings back to a default in which, essentially, all of your information is made public. It is up to you, the user, to check the privacy settings and decide what you want to share and what you don't want to share.
Facebook does not [necessarily] notify you of the changes, and your privacy settings are set back to a public default. Many times, you may find out through friends. Facebook is not alerting you to these changes; it is just letting you know the site has been redesigned.
Can your real friends on Facebook also can make you vulnerable?
Absolutely. Your security is only as good as your friend's security. If someone in your network of friends has a weak password, and his or her profile is hacked, he or she can now send you malware, for example.
There is a common scam called a 419 scam, in which someone hacks your profile and sends messages to your friends asking for money - claiming to be you--saying, "Hey, I was in London, I was mugged, please wire me money." People fall for it. People think their good friend needs help--and end up wiring money to Nigeria.
A lot of Web sites we use display banner ads, but do we have to be wary of them on Facebook?
Absolutely: Facebook has not been able to screen all of its ads. It hasn't done a great job of vetting which ads are safe and which are not. As a result, you may get an ad in your profile when you are browsing around one day that has malicious code in it. In fact, last month, there was an ad with malware that asked people to download antivirus software that was actually a virus.
Is too big a network of friends dangerous?
You know people with a lot of friends--500, 1,000 friends on Facebook? What is the likelihood they are all real? There was a study in 2008 that concluded that 40 percent of all Facebook profiles are fake. They have been set up by bots or impostors.
If you have 500 friends, it is likely there is a percentage of people you don't really know, and you are sharing a lot of information with them, such as when you are on vacation, your children's pictures, their names. Is this information you really want to put out there to people you don't even know?
2010
by Tom Krazit
Google's settlement with authors and publishers remains in limbo, but the company is planning to launch its digital bookstore this summer with titles it is clearly authorized to sell.
Google Editions will offer digital books for sale through its Web site in late June or July, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal quoting Google's Chris Palma, strategic partner development manager for Google Books. The move will open up a new distribution channel for digital-book publishers and give Amazon and Apple a new competitor in the emerging digital-book market.
Google announced plans last year to offer public-domain books for free in the Epub format, and the report did not specify what format it will use for the first-run in-print books it sells through Google Editions.
A Google representative confirmed that the company plans to launch Google Editions in the middle of this year, but declined to be more specific on the timing.
One key difference between Google's approach to digital-book sales and the approaches used by Amazon and Apple is that Google customers will not be able to download books sold through the store: they'll be accessible exclusively through a Web browser. That has some advantages for Google, in that it side-steps messy DRM (digital rights management) questions and allows it to offer the service for any device, rather than having to negotiate deals.
However, it means Google will have to create a mobile version of Google Editions that can support offline reading. It might also change the pricing equation, given that customers wouldn't actually have their own copy of the books they purchase. Google declined to comment on the pricing structure for Google Editions, although Google's Dan Clancy told The New Yorker in April that it would let publishers set the prices for their books.
At the moment, Google is only authorized to sell books for which it has negotiated distribution rights with publishers and public-domain works. If its sweeping settlement with books author and publishing groups is approved, Google will also gain the controversial right to sell out-of-print yet copyright-protected books, sharing that revenue with the rights holders.
That settlement remains in the hands of Judge Denny Chin of New York, who was recently appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Chin is expected to make a decision on the settlement shortly to wrap up outstanding business before taking on the new role.
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