Trendy Tech Gifts for 2012

Black Friday Goto Guide

In the sea of tech toys and gadgets that hit the shelves every holiday season, a few stand out as the year’s sure-to-sell-out favorites. With the first new console gaming system in six years and a mini-tablet war, this year is no exception. Here are the hottest trending tech goodies of the 2012 holiday season.

Video Game Consoles

Nintendo’s Wii U (http://www.nintendo.com/wiiu, $299.99 for an 8GB “basic”, $349.99 for a 32GB “deluxe”) is the first new console gaming system released since the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 first debuted in 2006. In addition to the standard game controls, the GamePad incorporates a 6.2-inch LCD touch screen (which they’ve dubbed a “Personal Second Screen”) with motion control. Additional game content is beamed to the controller screen so you can see maps, complete challenges with the stylus or your finger, or use it to move your character or vehicle on the big screen. It can be used for handheld gaming, even when the TV is unavailable.

It’s the must have item this season, and it’s sure to sell out fast. If you want one, don’t wait for a sale. The best you can hope for is a bundle deal where retailers may package in an extra game, but you’ll risk losing out to resellers that snatch them up in bulk to mark up $100 or more and sell to the desperate on EBay.

Tablet

Despite the much heralded release of Apple’s new iPad mini, my pick for the best 7” mini tablet is Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008GGCAVM/ref=kindle_dp_comp), starting at $199. An entry-level iPad mini will set you back $329, making the Fire’s price a big draw. Unless you are already married to Apple’s iTunes store, rest assured that the Kindle gives you access to just about all of the most popular apps, as well as the huge library of books, videos, TV shows and music housed in Amazon’s massive library. With an HD display, dual antenna for stronger WiFi reception and both a USB and Micro-HDMI port (for connecting it to your home theater), anyone on your list looking for an ultra-portable mini-tablet is sure to be pleased with the Kindle Fire HD.


If 7” seems just too small to accommodate your handheld web surfing, video watching and game playing needs, Amazon is releasing an 8.9” version of the Kindle Fire HD in time for the holidays starting at $299.99 (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008GFRE5A). Pre-order now – they expect to sell out.

Video Games

Call of Duty (http://www.callofduty.com/blackops2, $60 for XBox 360, Playstation 3, Nintento Wii U and PC) is going to be the hottest video game of the season. This first-person shooter game has developed a huge fan base since the series first launched in 2003, making it the biggest-selling title on Microsoft’s Xbox gaming system. Holiday sales of their annual game releases have outpaced all other games for the last four years and this season will be no exception.

Players battle it out online over a variety of “maps” and game styles. New “map packs” are released regularly to keep game play fresh. Just keep in mind that content is mature so it’s best saved for the older gamers on your holiday shopping list.

Trendy music lovers are clamoring for the pricey but oh-so-fashionable Beats by Dr. Dre headphones. The colorful can-style headphones are about style even more than sound, though many swear by the quality and durability. With many versions available, the entry level Beats Solo HD (www.beatsbydre.com/headphones/beats-solohd-black/900-00011-01,default,pd.html) will set you back about $200, though many retailers are offering them on sale for the holiday shopping season.

With eight colors to choose from, they sport an in-line control and microphone to easily switch from your tunes to an incoming call. Reviews are mixed with users seeming to love or hate them, but they’re unquestionably popular.

Use Pinterest to UP Your Holiday Game

Unleash your inner Martha Stewart with Pinterest

The holidays are my favorite time of year – gathering with friends and family over special meals, showing you care with gifts, watching the kids explode with excitement over pumpkins, decorated houses, lit Christmas trees… you get the idea. If you’ve yet to explore the wealth of inspiration that is Pinterest, this season is the perfect time to take a tour. Whether you’re a holiday lover like me, looking to build some memorable traditions without going overboard, or a budding Martha Stewart ready to make over your home in festive extravaganza, Pinterest has something for everyone.

Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/) is a social, image-sharing website that functions like a shareable scrapbook. Users “pin” images to a virtual board from the Internet, other user's boards or their own computer, resulting in a collection of images that you can visually scroll through until something catches your interest. Boards are all public, so once you’re a member you can see anything that anyone posts.

The biggest challenge for those new to Pinterest is the overwhelming abundance of material and a relatively weak search function. Search is limited to a single text box where you enter keywords and choose to search Pins, Boards or Pinners. Searching for Pins results in specific images where the “pinner” has listed your keyword in their description of the image or link. Search by Boards for collections of images that pinners have categorized under your keyword. Search by Pinner if there’s someone on Pinterest that you’d like to follow.

When it comes to using Pinterest for holiday inspiration, I recommend that you start with a relatively generic keyword search by either Pins or Boards. For example, search Boards for “Thanksgiving” and you’ll get hundreds of images: crafts to keep the kids busy; beautiful ideas to decorate your home with pre-made printables, nature or artistically presented edible arrangements; and food upon glorious food. My favorites are the ideas to help me connect with the spirit of the holidays with creative family activities, charitable acts or homemade crafts and gifts.
When you find an image that links to something that you like, click through to view the other pins on the same board and then the other images that the pinner has collected on different boards. In many cases, once you find someone with similar taste, style or interests, you’ll end up discovering a wealth of great ideas that they’ve already done to footwork to collect. I’ve also discovered that perusing the boards of others who have repinned something I find appealing often leads me to like-minded individuals and the ideas they’ve found to be appealing.

Once you find inspiration, “repin” the links onto your own boards so that you can have them at hand when you’re ready to get in the holiday spirit. I’ve collected numerous ideas that I can come back to when I want to take some time to do a craft with the kids or make a special themed treat for family or friends. There are many, many things I will surely never get around to, but even if it gives me two or three memorable things to try, it’s a win.

In the same way that leafing through a fitness magazine can motivate you to go for a walk or choose a healthier snack, it’s not the specific project so much as the overall feeling that you can create something cool or beautiful. It gives those of us with little time and creativity the opportunity to find achievable projects while offering those with more crafty skills tools, tips and tricks to take their creations to the next level.

While I’ve grown to love Pinterest, it truly is an Alice In Wonderland-style “rabbit hole.” You start off looking for homemade gifts you can create for the neighbors and before you know it you’ve ventured into DIY garden gnomes or motivational quotes. Time on Pinterest is like dog-years – an hour morphs into five more often than I care to divulge.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to attempt to make marshmallows into snowmen.

Top 5 Ways to Save on Your Holiday Shopping

Use Technology to Save on Holiday Shopping

November seems to sneak up on me every year. I’m minding my own business, working out costume details and sugar coating trick-or-treaters when, BAM! Out of the blue it’s time to get cracking on holiday shopping. To help myself get in the game and to help you save some money, here are my top five ways you can use your tech savvy to save money on your holiday shopping.

1. Check out the resale market:

I know, you’re thinking, “wrapping up used gifts?” but a lot of things available though sites like Craigslist and Ebay, or even at your local gently-used second hand store, haven’t actually been used. We’ve all received a present that we thought for sure would come in handy but instead just gathered dust. That posh purse may be perfect for your sister-in-law and is significantly less expensive than buying it in the store. If you have any youngsters on your list I can assure you that they aren’t going to care that the shiny new tricycle took a few spins in someone else’s yard before it showed up under their tree.

2. Use discount gift cards:

Just as there’s a resale market for items that people didn’t end up needing, there’s a resale market for unused gift cards. Check out eCard Exchange (www.ecardexchange.com) or Cardpool (http://www.cardpool.com ) for an extensive selection of discount gift cards that you can use to get instant savings on your holiday shopping. Benefit from those looking to cash-out a gift card they don’t need with savings averaging 10%. Unlike buying on eBay where you have to take a leap of faith that the balance on the card will be valid when you receive it, these sites act as a middle man. They purchase the card from the seller and then guarantee the value to you, the buyer. There’s even free shipping. While you can certainly re-gift the gift card itself, I like to buy discount gift cards for the places I know I’m going to shop for presents, earning myself an instant discount that I can then combine with sales and coupons.

3. Become a coupon printer:

Before you head out the door to cruise the mall, check out the in-store coupons available online through RetailMeNot (www.retailmenot.com/printable) and Coupon Cabin (www.couponcabin.com/printable-coupons/?tn=printable-coupons). You can earn yourself a quick $10 or percent off your purchases with just a couple of clicks and an available printer. If you’re buying online, be sure to check the coupon codes section for instant savings on your order.

4. Compare, compare, compare:

The Shopping Assistant browser extension (http://taoassistant.com/, available for Chrome, Firefox, Opera or Safari) gives you a toolbar that automatically shows similar products to what you’re shopping for at other online retailers, such as Walmart, Newegg and slickdeals. If you prefer to peruse the shelves in person, make that Smartphone data plan earn some money back for you with ShopSavvy 5 (http://shopsavvy.mobi/, for iPhone, Android and Windows Phone). Once installed on your Smartphone, simply use your phone’s camera to take a picture of the barcode of the item you’re considering. The app will instantly report back prices of that item online and at other local retailers, allowing you to request a price match or drive next door to get the best deal.

5. Make your credit card work for you:

Many credit card companies have discovered that the key to keeping customers is to help them save money on purchases they are already making. Most deals and special coupons can only be activated by logging into your account and navigating through the associated deals section. For example, Bank of America cards now offer “cash back deals” that give you cash back on purchases made at certain retailers, restaurants and more. The catch is that you have to activate the offer in advance of making your purchase to get the reward. Citibank now offers Citi Price Rewind which it calls “buy now, save later.” Register your covered purchases and Citibank will track prices at online retailers for 30 days. If the price drops by at least $25, you get the price difference back – up to $250 per item.

Photo used by permission: stevendepolo

The ZeroAccess Rootkit Trojan

ZeroAccess Rootkit: Doomsday and Armageddon all-in-one?

The ZeroAccess Rootkit Trojan is the latest rootkit virus to gain widespread infiltration into a huge number of computers. While traditional viruses attempt to infect and destroy as many computers in their path before they're stopped by anti-virus software, rootkits aim to keep your system working but under the control of an outside party. They typically give a remote user administrative power, allowing them to manipulate files and maintain control of your system.

Once your system is controlled by the administrator of the rootkit, he can cause it to execute actions. Your system becomes a “botnet,” or “zombie” computer, assisting the culprits to perform fraudulent acts, downloading additional malware and opening software back doors for hackers to enter. Since rootkits execute at the same privilege level as anti-malware software, they’re harder to remove – your computer can’t decide which program should have greater authority to shut down the other.

According to James Wyke, Senior Threat Researcher for SophosLabs, The ZeroAccess Rootkit Trojan and its nine known variants has been installed over 9 million times. Its resultant “botnet” is comprised of approximately 1 million zombie machines, generating huge profits for their masters. In his Technical Paper, “The Zero Access Botnet – Mining and Fraud for Massive Financial Gain,” Mr. Wyke calls ZeroAccess “one of the biggest threats on the Internet.”
There are two primary ways this virus is distributed. The first is through something called a Blackhole exploit kit. Through a compromised website or a spammed email, the victim is directed to the hacker's landing page. Ad servers are prime targets for this type of corruption because their high traffic leads to widespread infection. The bad web page contains a JavaScript that scans your computer for vulnerabilities. If they're found, the virus silently downloads into the background workings of the computer and begins to take over.

The second method of distribution is through social engineering. The victim is convinced to run an executable file because they're attempting to obtain a piece of illicit software, bypass copyright protections, etc. For example, one lure the ZeroAccess creators have used in the past is an illegal copy of a popular game called Skyrim. The user attempts to download it, is prompted to open a Zip file, and the virus is installed, essentially with the user's permission.

Initially, victims notice that computer processing slows to a crawl. Internet searches are re-directed to unrelated sites and pop-ups appear much more frequently during web browsing. Advanced forms of the virus have even been linked to information mining and financial fraud, with hackers gaining access to your personal information and performing identity theft.

According to SophosLab’s research, hackers will pay up to $500 for every 1000 infected U.S. systems that a rootkit administrator can prove they’ve added to their botnet.

Defend yourself before you're infected. Make sure all your browsers, plug-ins and operating systems are updated with the latest version of software. Out-of-date Firefox, Internet Explorer and Google Chrome, in addition to Adobe Flash, Acrobat and Java are prime targets of Blackhole exploit kits. Don't give in to the temptation of downloading illegal software through sharing and torrent sites. Keep your anti-malware software current and run it often. Regular backups of your data and applications will allow you to more easily perform a re-format/re-install of your operating system if you become infected and are unable to remove the virus through conventional methods.

If you suspect you may be infected, contact a computer repair professional as quickly as possible. Not only does this virus open doors for other malware to enter your system un-detected, but removal is extremely difficult. It is known to leave behind portions of itself and continue to haunt your computer if not removed properly.

Photo used by permission: Brett Jordan

Social Media Election Apps

Election apps that work like Social Media?

Politics used to be an old man’s game. I mean, just look at the writers of the constitution. For years, it stayed that way. Then in the twenties, women got the right to vote and the game changed a little. But one of the last holdouts of the voting populace has not been by law, but by choice – or the lack thereof. For many years, the youth of America have not been nearly as actively involved in politics as the older generation. The 18-29 demographic turns out to polls about 14% less than those older than they. But that trend is changing. After a brief decline in the 90s, the youth vote is rising closer to the national average than ever before. And one of the reasons for this is the new focus on social media to promote the issues to those using the internet: the youth. One site attempts to offer an unbiased or at least user-driven) source for election information to the young demographic.

TheBallot.org, aimed at young voters, is one of the many new election apps that allows them to explore the election in the manner that they’re familiar with. Upon entering the site, potential voters can enter their address. The site then presents them with a list of applicable votes that they are eligible to cast, from local assembly people to statewide measures. From there, voters can explore the issues and read others’ opinions and see who has voted for what. They can use this information to register their vote and to leave comments for others to see. These responses can then be shared on Facebook or other social networking sites.

TheBallot.org was founded by the League of Young Voters (http://www.theleague.com). It was originally created for the 2008 election, but has not received much national attention. Their goal is to increase the youth vote by fostering a discussion of politics within that sphere. According to a study by UCSD, social networking like Facebook can have a massive effect on voter turnout. (http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/sep/12/facebook-message-boosts-voter-turnout-ucsd-study/) In the study, a message was sent to 60 million facebook users, which resulted in 340,000 new voters coming to the polls. While the results may not seem particularly impressive, this study and others were able to conclude that peers’ comments on social networking sides had a noticeable effect on voter turnout. TheBallot.org is attempting to harness this power for the good of the community and voter awareness.


Photo used by permission:League of Women Voters of California

FBI Virus is “Ransomware”

FBI Virus is a Scam Out to Get You!

I never thought I’d look back fondly on the days when malware just caused annoying pop-ups. The newest bug crawling the Web is called "ransomware," and it holds your computer hostage until you pay a demanded ransom. The latest has several names: FBI Moneypak, Citadel Reveton or simply, Reveton Virus.

The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is the result of a partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center. Designed to give cybercrime victims an easy way to report crimes, they also assist law enforcement in obtaining evidence to prosecute culprits. The IC3 first began receiving complaints about Reveton Ransomware in 2011. They issued a warning about it on their website in May 2012 (www.ic3.gov/media/2012/120809.aspx). Today, the IC3 receives dozens of complains each day from all over the world.

Most viruses activate after opening a file or attachment. Reveton is particularly insidious because it can install itself when a user simply clicks on a compromised website. It then locks down the computer by encrypting files on the hard drive or producing an inescapable black screen. A message is displayed directing the user to a bogus FBI, Department of Justice or IC3 website. The user is accused of a variety of Internet crimes, from illegal downloading of copyrighted materials to possession of child pornography.

There are a multitude of variants of the malware, but in all cases the user is instructed to pay a penalty fine in order to unlock the computer, typically $100-200. Most versions demand that payment be made with pre-paid credit card, such as a Moneypak card (sold at Walgreens or Wal-mart) or “Ultimate Game Card” (sold at Walmart or CVS).
Some variants of the virus turn on the computer’s webcam, recording video and displaying images back to the victim as an additional “we know who you are” scare tactic. Others disable current anti-malware and antivirus software. Once users have paid the "fines" or clicked through the warning message to investigate, it gets worse. The virus remains in the background, sending personal information to the hackers to be used in further crime, such as identity theft and capturing of credit card numbers or financial information.

While you certainly should NOT pay any “fine” demanded by the bogus malware, what should you do if you're infected with Reveton Ransomware? The answer depends on how much control you maintain over your computer. If you’re able to access the Internet, download Malwarebytes (www.malwarebytes.org). They've kept up with variants as the malware has adapted and evolved, making it a strong contender to remove all versions from your computer.

Some victims are completely locked out of their system, unable to access the Internet or their desktop. The IC3 and the FBI recommend that these users contact a computer repair specialist. They warn potential victims that even if they’re able to unfreeze their system, the malware “may still operate in the background” and “certain types of malware have been known to capture personal information such as user names, passwords, and credit card numbers through embedded keystroke logging programs.” (www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2012/august/new-internet-scam)

If you’re feeling confident and want to try some DIY options, repair suggestions are detailed here: http://botcrawl.com/how-to-remove-the-fbi-moneypak-ransomware-virus-fake-fbi-malware-removal/. Just keep in mind that many are advanced, may lead to data loss or operating system damage, and there’s no guarantee that the virus won’t continue to run in the background as the IC3 warns.

If you haven’t been attacked by this nasty bug, make sure that your system’s malware protection is up to date, downloading updates and running scans regularly. Consider installing a firewall router to limit unauthorized, outward-bound traffic from your computer to the Internet and limit your surfing to lesser-known sites, particularly those that facilitate file sharing.

Windows 8 is Here! Now What?

Windows 8: A Simple How to

Windows 8 is finally here. If you've been reading our recent articles, you know that it’s promised to change many things about how we use our computers. If you’re one of those who have decided to make the switch, there are a few things you should know before installing it on your computer.

First, make sure that your computer is actually compatible with Windows 8. This shouldn’t be a problem for most computers made within the last six years or so. The minimum requirements are:

• 1GHz processor


• 1GB RAM


• 16GB of Hard Drive space


• Graphics card with DirectX 9 and WDDM driver

You can look these up by right-clicking on “my computer” and clicking “properties.
If you want to support the touch features, you’ll obviously need a tablet or monitor that supports it. Some laptops will support a few of the touch gestures on their track pads.

Second, you’ll want to make sure that your programs and external devices are compatible with Windows 8. Most that work with Windows 7 will work with Windows 8, but if you’re not sure, check Microsoft’s Compatibility Center to figure out if everything will work.

Now that you’re absolutely sure Windows 8 won’t have any major issues with your computer, do some cleaning to prepare it. Uninstall programs you don’t use anymore. Download CCleaner for free in order to do some maintenance. You can completely uninstall programs, and clean up your registry from here.

Once you've done this, update all your software. Open Software Update from your control panel to download all the features for Windows that may not have been updated recently. Once you’ve done this, go to the programs left on your computer after the cleanup and use the “Check for Updates” feature (usually under the “help” menu) to make sure that you’re running the latest version. This will ensure that the most current version compatible with Windows 8 will run smoothly when you upgrade.

Now, unless you absolutely don’t care about the data on your computer, you’ll want to back your computer up. You can plug in an external hard drive and use Windows’ built-in backup utility. When it connects, it will ask you what to do with the drive and you can tell Windows to use it as a backup drive. Once you’ve backed up, make sure that the files are correct by testing a few of them to make sure they open. If you use an online backup solution, make sure to force an update so that the latest versions of all your files are on there.

Finally, make sure you have all the drivers for your devices, like your video card or printers. These should have come with your PC. If you don’t have them, locate them online BEFORE you install Windows 8. If you don’t, you could be stuck without functioning internet access and no way to get the drivers later. And for any programs that require keys to install, track those down too.