West Berks PC News

BBC NEWS | UK | UK identities sold for £80 online

2008-11-17T10:13:00.000Z

Internet fraudsters sell complete financial identities for just £80, according to an online safety group.

The details packaged and sold online include names, addresses, passport numbers and confidential financial data such as credit card numbers.

With six out of 10 people now managing finances online, experts say the public needs to do more to prevent e-crime.

More info @ :- BBC NEWS | UK | UK identities sold for £80 online

BBC NEWS Trojan virus steals bank info

2008-10-31T15:32:00.000Z

The details of around 500,000 online bank accounts and credit and debit cards have been stolen by a virus described as "one of the most advanced pieces of crimeware ever created".

More info @ : BBC NEWS | Technology | Trojan virus steals bank info

BBC NEWS Cybercrime wave sweeping Britain

2008-10-31T09:25:00.000Z

Cybercrime in the UK rose by more than 9% in 2007, according to a new report.

Online identity firm Garlik's cybercrime report claims that more than 3.5 million online crimes were committed in the UK last year.

More info @ : BBC NEWS | Technology | Cybercrime wave sweeping Britain

BBC NEWS | Technology | Fighting the scourge of scareware

2008-10-01T12:59:00.000+01:00

Microsoft and Washington State's Attorney General filed lawsuits against scam artists who frighten consumers into buying useless software.

"Scareware" merchants are accused of tricking computer users into clicking on pop-up alerts that claim their device is "damaged and corrupted".

More info @ : BBC NEWS | Technology | Fighting the scourge of scareware

10 Reasons Why Your Computer Runs Slow -

2008-09-19T17:29:00.000+01:00

There are motives for your reduced speed and any one of them could result in a crash and an up close and personal viewing of the BSOD, (Blue Screen of Death). A slowdown occurs over a period of time. Essentially, if you are on dial-up that is slow to begin with and if you have less than 512MB of RAM, that too can be a major cause. This article list 10 other possible causes of computer slowdown.

More info @ 10 Reasons Why Your Computer Runs Slow -

Recognizing Phishing Scams and Fraudulent / Hoax Email - Microsoft Security

2008-09-10T09:52:00.000+01:00

Eventually most email users will receive a suspicious email. It may appear to be from a bank or a recognisable organistation. These are known as phising emails. Phishing is a type of deception designed to steal your valuable personal data, such as credit card numbers, Windows Live IDs, other account data and passwords, or other information. This article from Microsoft helps you to work out which ones are genuine and which are phishing ones.

More info @ Recognizing Phishing Scams and Fraudulent / Hoax Email - Microsoft Security

The evil genius of XP Antivirus 2008. Anatomy of a malware scam

2008-08-25T12:02:00.000+01:00

The evil genius of XP Antivirus 2008

A number of customers have been caught out by the XP Antivirus 2008 scam currently doing the rounds. This is a great article on the details of the scam and how to recognise similar scams in the future.

More info @ Anatomy of a malware scam | The Register

The 30 biggest technology myths exposed News - PC Advisor

2008-05-06T12:31:00.000+01:00

When it comes to urban legends even technology doesn’t escape. There's a wealth of rumours, myths and old wives tales floating about. Whether you're convinced that turning your PC off by the power button will damage it or you believe DVDs and CDs are an everlasting media, we’ve all been suckered in at one time or another, especially when some of the myths seem so plausible that they can’t not be true. Can they?

PC Answers have rounded up the 30 most common technology myths and misconceptions and explained why they are, in fact, fiction.

More info @ The 30 biggest technology myths exposed News - PC Advisor

BBC NEWS | Children flock to social networks

2008-04-03T16:38:00.000+01:00

More than a quarter of eight to 11-year-olds who are online in the UK have a profile on a social network, research shows.

Most sites, such as Bebo, MySpace and Facebook, set a minimum age of between 13 and 14 to create a profile but none actively enforce the age limit.

Ofcom's survey of 5,000 adults and 3,000 children found 49% of those aged between eight and 17 have a profile.

Ofcom says parents need to keep an eye on what their children do online.

More info @ : BBC NEWS | Technology | Children flock to social networks

WiredKids, the ultimate online safety project for kids and teens!

2008-03-11T16:45:00.000Z

In this age of instant messaging, texting and email, online security is of paramount importance. This website gives guidance to all age groups.

More info @ : WiredKids, the ultimate online safety project for kids and teens!

How to fine-tune your wireless router's settings News - PC Advisor

2008-02-11T12:35:00.000Z

The 802.11n wireless protocol isn’t far away, and we can’t wait to get our hands on its faster speeds and greater bandwidth. However, there's no need to wait for the standard to be ratified to make the most out of your existing wireless setup.

More info @ : How to fine-tune your wireless router's settings News - PC Advisor

BBC NEWS | Technology | Warning on stealthy Windows virus

2008-01-14T11:42:00.000Z

BBC NEWS | Technology | Warning on stealthy Windows virus: "Security experts are warning about a stealthy Windows virus that steals login details for online bank accounts"

Identity Theft - What if it happens to you?

2007-10-11T21:00:00.000+01:00

A third of UK households are still throwing all the information a fraudster needs to steal their identity in the bin, new research has found. What do you do if it happens to you.

More @ : Identity Theft - What if it happens to you?

Encode360, the next step in video transcoding

2007-03-15T09:51:00.000Z

Encode360 is a slightly more automated method to re-encoding media to WMV compatible with the Xbox 360 than the previous wme360 batch file.

Some features:

Automatically checks for necessary components (FFMpeg, FFDShow, WMCMD)
Automatically determines the correct FPS to use when encoding
Point the script at a folder and it'll encode all valid video file formats (Tested against Xvid and Divx. Others might have problems, but we can look into these as they happen)
Drop a file onto it, and it'll encode just that file
Select multiple files and drag/drop - it'll process them sequentially
Ability to move encoded files to a separate folder
Ability to move processed files to a separate folder

More info @ : Happy Beggar - Encode360, the next step in video transcoding

BBC NEWS | Technology | Fast net switchers report success

2007-03-06T15:52:00.000Z

Anecdotal evidence from the BBC's panel of broadband switchers suggests new rules have speeded up the process of moving net supplier.

The regulations make net service firms move quickly when customers declare they want to switch to a new firm.

The changes tried to improve the experiences of the growing number who had trouble migrating away from a broadband supplier.

More info @ : BBC NEWS | Technology | Fast net switchers report success

Scotsman wins £1,300 settlement against spammer | The Register

2007-03-05T09:28:00.000Z

An Edinburgh man has obtained damages of more than £1,300 from British-based spammer.

Gordon Dick was granted the order against Transcom Internet Services Ltd of Henley-on-Thames at a January hearing in Edinburgh's Sheriff Court. Although he hasn't received any money yet, even after sending a debt collector around to Transcom's premises, the lawsuit is a landmark in the fight by consumers against UK spammers. This is the first action of its kind in Scotland and only the second so far in the UK.

More info @ : Scotsman wins £1,300 settlement against spammer | The Register

Trojan phishing attack claims multiple victims | The Register

2007-02-26T09:57:00.000Z

Security watchers have discovered a string of malicious websites that install Trojan code, allowing hackers to compromise end-user banking credentials for more than 50 financial institutions and ecommerce websites.

More info @ : Trojan phishing attack claims multiple victims | The Register

AVG anti-virus stays free (true) | The Register

2006-11-22T12:22:00.000Z

Users of a free version of GRISoft's AVG anti-virus software have begun receiving pop-up messages this week warning that their package would no longer be supported from 15 January. Actually, the firm is simply encouraging users to upgrade from AVG Free version 7.1 to AVG Free version 7.5.

More info @:AVG anti-virus stays free (true) | The Register

SMEs to get tech boost from trio of schemes | The Register

2006-11-15T12:22:00.000Z

Three new initiatives aimed at helping small businesses make use of new technology are to receive €5m in government funding.

More info @ : SMEs to get tech boost from trio of schemes | The Register:

MySpace phishing scam targets music fans | The Register

2006-10-17T15:03:00.000+01:00

Con-men have developed a phishing attack targeting MySpace music fans that highlights the evolving use of social engineering techniques in money-making spam emails.

Nore info @ : MySpace phishing scam targets music fans | The Register

Royal Mail launches e-stamps service | The Register

2006-09-20T11:27:00.000+01:00

The Royal Mail has launched an online service allowing customers to buy and print postage in the comfort of their own homes, Reuters reports.

Payment can be made by prepay account, credit card or debit card and thereafter you simply print a "unique barcode" onto a label or envelope. Prices are the same as for normal stamps.

More info @ : Royal Mail launches e-stamps service | The Register

Toshiba recalls 340,000 Sony-made batteries | Reg Hardware

2006-09-20T10:47:00.000+01:00

Toshiba has joined Dell and Apple, and asked its customers to send back their Sony-made laptop batteries currently sitting in Dynabook and Satellite machines. The notebook maker's recall extends to some 340,000 customers worldwide.

More info @ Toshiba recalls 340,000 Sony-made batteries | Reg Hardware

Google Book Search goes live | The Register

2006-09-01T10:56:00.000+01:00

Google is making waves in the publishing industry by offering free PDFs of out-of-copyright books.

Classic literature fans will be able to download Dante's Divine Comedy, access Aesop's Fables and get hold of other popular classics and rare books that are no longer subject to copyright through Google's Book Search service.

More info @ : Google Book Search goes live | The Register

Dell recalls 4.1m laptop batteries | Reg Hardware

2006-08-15T14:41:00.000+01:00

Dell today issued a recall for 4.1m laptop batteries out of fear that they could catch fire. The product recall stands as the largest ever for the US consumer electronics industry.

Dell recalls 4.1m laptop batteries | Reg Hardware

10 Free Apps to Increase Personal Productivity ~ Lockergnome’s Doing It

2006-08-15T12:19:00.000+01:00

Chris Pirillo has put together a list of 10 small freeware utilities that can help to increase your productivity on a PC.
More info @ : 10 Free Apps to Increase Personal Productivity ~ Lockergnome’s Doing It