Welcome to Michael's Article Collection

Recent Studies Show That 9 Out Of 10 Pcs Are Infected Wit...

Spy Sweeper named PC Magazine's Best of the Year 2004 for antispywareThe very best AntiSpy program on the market -Webroot Spy Sweeper. Webroot Spy Sweeper was named best spyware remover 2004 by PC magazine and praised for it's efficiency, speed and userfriendlyness.Spyware and malware are large problems for Internet users today and can be both annoying and a real threat to you and your computer. . .

Understanding the Components of a Home Network

Home networks are becoming more common. If you have never heard network terminology device names like router, hub, etc may seem confusing. This article explains what makes up a home network.Home networks are becoming more common. People want to be able to share a single broadband Internet connection to several computers in the house. There are many different devices that you can use to make up . . .

What Makes The Best Website Hosting Company

When choosing the best website hosting company, it is important to consider several things before making your choice. As they say " You never get a second chance at a first impression." This is true when we are talking about your website! Web hosting is a service that allows users to post Web pages to the Internet. A Web host, or hosting service provider (HSP), is a business that provides the t. . .

Strange Going On Over At eBay

What makes people list some very weird and outrageous items on Ebay? Is it their ego that drives them? To think that thousands of people will read and maybe even bid on their ridiculous offerings – is that it? What sort of offerings can be categorised as ‘strange’ you might ask? Well, this author has seen auctions for: virginity (this was removed because let’s face it – that’s prostitution and . . .

Identity Theft, Even After You Die

Believe it or not identity theft has moved to the dead. It is compounding more and more family's grief because con artists are digging up identities of the deceased. The identity of someone who has died is becoming an irresistible target to thieves and the death helps buy them time before they are likely to get caught.The scam artists search the obituaries where they find valuable information. . .

Build Your Own Computer or Buy?

Just look inside a computer case. At first glance, all those wires and components can look terrifyingly complex. And thinking about putting them all together by yourself may seem impossible.Not to worry! Even though they are the products of advanced technology, the various pieces of a personal computer (PC) fit together with simple connections. If you can use a screwdriver and follow simple ins. . .

Home Based Business For Women

Affiliate marketing is a good opportunity for a home based business for women. With a little bit of time and effort women are staying at home and running their own home based business. Like hundreds of thousands of stay-at-home moms, you too can make money from the comfort and safety of your own home, all while your toddler sleeps, while you do laundry, even while on vacation with your family.. . .

Anti-Spam Software Case Study: Pacesetter Claims Service

When catastrophe strikes, many insurance companies tend to get flooded with new claims. These sudden surges in client demands can be overwhelming, and that's where Pacesetter Claims Service, an independent adjusting agency, comes in.Founded in 1997, Pacesetter Claims Service is a well-established company with offices in five different states, as well as Puerto Rico. They are dedicated to provid. . .

From Concept to Website

You’ve decided to create a website to market your products or services. More and more people start their information searches online, so having a website is the logical next step. But without web development skills or knowledge, how do you build and market a website?To help you bring your business online, we’ve laid out these steps for you:The website concept Choose and register a domain name W. . .

Finding the Perfect Anti-spyware Software

Fortunately, there are generous individuals and organizations who have the facilities to review the work of the Anti-spyware developers and make the results available for all of us everyday users of the Internet. The challenge for us is to know where to go for these results and recommendations, and to know which of the anti-spyware and anti-virus programs to use on our computers. There are many. . .

The Top Twelve Threats No Computer User Should Ignore

The internet is undoubtedly a fantastic resource for families and offers a rich vein of educational content. However, there are potential dangers - welcome to the seedy world of viruses, spam, trojans, pornography, spyware and other nasties. Here are the Top Twelve Threats No Computer User Should Ignore: 1. Viruses - A computer program that copies itself. They often disrupt your computer system. . .

How To Choose The Best Domain Name

In this article we are going to look at the thought process you should go thru to choose the best domain name. First of all let's define what a domain name is. A unique name that represents each computer on the Internet. (Some machines do have more than one domain name.) The DNS converts the domain name requested by an Internet user into an IP address. The Domain Name System (DNS) helps users t. . .

Cable vs DSL - Which is Better?

As broadband Internet becomes more mainstream, one of the most common questions we get is: which is better, cable or dsl?The answer to that question is not so definite. Many factors come into play when deciding which high-speed connection to choose. Regardless of which you choose (DSL, Cable, or even Satellite) it’s going to be a ton better (and faster) than that ancient dialup modem you’ve bee. . .

Is Overnight SEO Success Still Possible?

As the owner of a search engine optimization company, I have seen the SEO industry evolve a great deal over the years but never more dramatically than it is right now. Lately I have noticed signs that the "free ride" of getting easy website traffic from search engines is coming to an end. And that has caused many optimizers and website owners to ask themselves, "Is overnight SEO success still p. . .

Simple Survey Leads To Big Profits Online

Success online follows a simple formula..."Ask and you shall _______." Most people fill in the blank with "receive". Not only is it a well-known phrase from the Bible, but it's also a very powerful online marketing principle. If you operate a business and want to sell massively more products and services quickly, the fastest way to do it is by simply asking your customers and prospects what the. . .

Further Down Along The Information Highway

You should only continue reading this article if you have discovered the profit potential in two things... ...Information and eBay. Without having a clear belief in your ability to create money from virtually nothing using your mind and eBay I am afraid you'll not get the point of this article. Selling a physical product on eBay is all fine and well and there are many sellers making a great liv. . .

How Does A Firewall Work?

You may have heard the term firewall before but have you ever wondered how does a firewall work and why do I need one? A computer firewall protects your computer by putting up a barrier to keep anyone from accessing your files when you are surfing the Internet.Once a hacker get access to your files malicious codes spread through your computer retrieving your personal information that the hacker. . .

A Brief Biography Of Donald Ervin Knuth (1938 - present)

Author of "The Art of Computer Programming"; creator of TEX and METAFONT; and inventor of the strangest software versioning systems ever. Well known for many reasons, famous for a few; Donald Ervin Knuth is most certainly a legend in his own lifetime.His series of books, The Art of Computer Programming [‘TAOCP’], was first introduced to the public in 1968. It is still in production. Volumes 1 . . .

How To Email Pictures ... So Others Can See Them! ;-)

OK, so let's go over something that is a nuisance to most, a pet peeve to me. Did you get that really cool e-mail yesterday? You know, the one with all of the cool pictures embedded in it? Oh, you mean you were like me ... just a bunch of red x's where the picures were supposed to be?Did you ever feel like you had done something wrong when you got an email like that? So did I ... until I scoure. . .

7 Tools to Prevent Identity Theft Fraud

Identity theft fraud in America has reached epidemic proportions having surpassed 27 million cases and increasing every year. The banks are taking identity theft fraud very seriously and have taken substantial measures to protect your identity and your accounts against scammers. They have implemented a password protection for online transactions. When you use your online services, keep your sec. . .

How to Choose an Internet Service Provider

An ISP - Internet Service Provider - is a company that provides a gateway to the Internet for individuals and companies. In its simplest form, connecting to the Internet requires a telephone line to dial up an ISP using a computer and modem. The ISP then provides the route onto the Internet.Choosing an Internet Service Provider requires a simple first step. Ask yourself: "What do I want to use . . .

How to Prevent Online Identity Theft

Identity theft rates one of the fastest growing crimes in mAmerica today and the Internet can make it even easier for some criminals to take your good name and drag it through the mud. Identity theft involves criminals stealing your personal information such as credit card numbers, social security numbers and other information, usually to buy things on credit or to empty out your bank accounts.. . .

Will Microsoft Lose The Browser Wars?

Until recently, software giant, Microsoft's Internet Explorer Web browser enjoyed a relatively unchallenged position as the most popular Web browser in the world.Despite lawsuits and charges of unfair competition from the likes of Netscape and others, Microsoft dominates browser software with over 90% market share. Microsoft's dominance of the browser market stems mainly from the simple fact th. . .

Pay Only for the Digital Camera Features You Need

Focus on Features When Buying a Digital Camera Being well informed about the main digital camera features before shopping means you will know which are worth the extra cost. Reading reviews and talking cameras with friends will be helpful, but here are the key points to consider. The first thing you will notice when looking at digital cameras is the term megapixel is used often. Pixels are the . . .

How 5 Easy Tactics Can Seriously Boost Your Website Sales

The art of turning website visitors into paying customers depends almost entirely on good sales copy. What is that?Simply put good sales copy is the content of your copy and presentation of your copy put together in such a way that it increases your visitor to sale conversion rate on a consistent basis.It's an ongoing process in which you will always try to beat your "control". Beating the cont. . .

EpokInc: Identity Management Solutions and all Web Servic...

Identity Rights Management (IRM) is the expression of information and rights between individuals, organizations, services and applications. IRM is an emerging technology category where globally unique identities are used to define data and service ownership and employed to extend the organizational trust boundary for trusted data exchange.EpokInc offers Identity management solutions and all web. . .

How To Stop Spyware From Robbing You

Booting up the computer in the morning seems to be taking longer and longer. The pauses between asking for a web page and it loading increase. Suddenly, even keystrokes aren't registering on the screen as quickly as normal. Is your PC on the verge of a breakdown or has some version of spyware made a nest for itself on your machine? The average user doesn't contemplate that the numerous websit. . .

From Spyware With Love!

Its late. You've been scouring the web for that perfect present for your Aunt Bess in Idaho. You finally find it at presents4aunties.com. The site looks a little rough on the edges, weird colors and such. But they have that gift you know will make Aunt Bess add you to her will. You purchase the gift, log off and head to bed. Tired but happy.The next day, coffee in hand, you turn on your compute. . .

Watching the Watchers : Detection and Removal of Spyware

If spyware were a person and he set himself up in your house, you are likely going to do one of two things. You'll kick him out yourself or you'll call someone (such as the police) to do it for you. Employing tools that detect and remove spyware from your PC, whether it's at home or at the office, should be on the list of top things to do for your complete protection, and the protection of your. . .

The Lowdown on VoIP

It seems like technology is headed for a massive telephone change over. The traditional Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is looking to be replaced by VoIP. VoIP is short for Voice over IP. VoIP is the routing of conversations over an IP network or the Internet. VoIP uses a packet-switched network instead of the circuit-switched voice transmission lines used by traditional telephone netw. . .

Hard Disk Wiping and the Secure Removal of Data

It is important for businesses to recycle their computers, but have you thought about what happens to the data on your computer when it is collected? How sensitive is the data stored on your hard disk?If you are donating equipment to a recycler, you need to ensure that their data removal procedures operate to a high standard.A recycler needs to honour the requirements of the Data Protection Act. . .

Golden Rules For the Use of Autoresponders

Autoresponders are a perfect way to increase traffic to your site. They can save many valuable hours by automatically answering emails concerning frequently asked questions about a service or product or by sending a welcome letter to new members of your program. There are many ways that autoresponders can help your business. One of the most important is their ability to track the effectiveness . . .

Effective or Irritating: The Use of Pop Windows in Intern...

A few years ago, pop-up windows were all the rage in Internet marketing. It seemed that every time one opened a web page they would be bombarded with offers for this or that. It had gotten to the point where surfing the Internet was almost like playing a video game; when the ads would pop-up one would try and close them out before another one came. This is precisely why we have seen the decline. . .

Fear of Submitting Brought on by Urban Myth?

Quite a few surfers say things like "I wouldn’t advise you to use autosubmitters, many Search Engines don’t allow auto-submissions" or "I think autosubmitting is like a quick fix."But here’s what I say:Small European search engines and others are unlikely to randomly crawl your sites. You have to bring your site to their attention. If everyone relied exclusively on big search engines for tr. . .

Make Quality Content Your #1 Priority

It is by now a proven fact that content is the most important element for getting better pagerank and, consequently, more traffic.Furthermore, the best ranking websites have content that is better written than most other sites.A common mistake is to think that Google spiders just consider keywords and layout in order to establish pagerank.If you look at the top ranking pages for the most search. . .

You Should Look Up Your Google Page Rank!

Here are a few spots that show you your Google PageRank for free. I tested my site http://www.thefishfinder.com/members/saltwater/ledbetter/, which summarizes past field research among the Pacific salmon purse seiners, who, of course, are experts when it comes to salmon fishing.A few free page-ranking sites were not in working order or returned spurious results. Six sites returned a Google Page. . .

Do You Know How To Defeat The Browser Hijacker ?

Your browser now has a new start page and a new search page. Every time your browser loads a page that doesn't exist, you end up at some strange site, probably filled with popup ads or worse - pornography. Nothing you do, from resetting the home page in your options menu to rebooting your machine gets rid of the problem. If you're really unlucky, the first new page you try to load has called up. . .

Promoting your Affiliate Programs with Articles

If you are not creating articles for your website and your affiliate programs, you should. Why? Even though it may seem like a lot of work, and it may take you time to build -- articles add a valuable commodity to your site -- content. And my friend, the search engines and people alike are always on the lookout for good content.If you are creating articles, you are always looking to find ways . . .

Spyware Consequences and Defenses

Unfortunately for computer users spyware has become the primary threat when surfing the internet and as the problem continues to grow the likelihood that users can stay “spyware free” is lessened. The nuisance with spyware, aside from its annoying byproduct consequences, is that users often invite the invasive application into their computers by visiting web sites with spyware embedded in thei. . .

Whats All This I Hear About Firewalls?

At this point, if you've got the whole "turning the computer on" thing down; you are ready to learn about firewalls. Whether you use your computer for business or pleasure, it is important to have a firewall. If you use a high speed Internet connection like Cable modem or DSL, you are at a MUCH greater risk for someone to hack into your computer, ultimately giving them free rein to meddle in yo. . .

Cracking Down on Spyware

Do you know what your computer is doing while you are away? You may be amazed at all of the things that your computer can pick up on a daily basis. First came viruses, and that was a huge threat for many years. We heard about such infections as the Love Bug virus, Doomsday virus, and many more. Most of these could do serious damage to your system. Today, one of the biggest threats to your c. . .

Another Fine Mess!

I was reading an excellent article today titled "Identity Theft" by Judith Collins at eWeek.com, when it got me to thinking.... I'm in the Anti-Spyware business, and I'm doing a lot of advertising to promote my website, but here I am online and on the phone, giving my personal information to.....who? Strangers basically, Geez!. The majority of identity thefts occur thru contractors employing pe. . .

Virtual IT Anyone?

Running a business requires top-flight skills in many areas. The problem for a small business is that there are less people to share knowledge. In fact, people may mean “you”! Not everyone can be an expert in everything. In a large business you can afford to hire individuals to specialize, a smaller business cannot. What do you do when you need to be everything from the graphic artist to the. . .

Is Expired Domain Registration Still Profiotable?

After the dot com crash, expired domain names and expired domain name traffic have been a source of potential income. It is important to inexpensively obtain the automated tools required to track the thousands of domain name registration and abandoned websites that are removed from the domain registry and become available for purchase.Expired domain registration and the expired domain name traf. . .

Introduction to VoIP

What is VoIP?First things first, VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. At a base level that means phone calls over your broadband connection. You really do need a high-speed connection to take advantage of VoIP to get phone calls comparable to a normal landline phone. Traditional "dial-up" connections are not really sufficient.VoIP works in a different way to your home phone. Your h. . .

Search Engine Submission - What to look for when selectin...

Every business owner I've met has been encouraged at some point to invest in a website; often convinced with hype that if their business didn’t have a website then they might as well pack their bags and retire to the social security queue.Hype aside, this statement is basically true. Certainly, any business deemed suitable for online marketing will miss out on a flood of new business without th. . .

FineBrowser – your multibrowsing experience

Convenience is something people constantly seek. That applies to everything – apparel, vehicles, and everyday working conditions. In search of new capabilities of everyday things we constantly experiment and try something new.It happens the same way to software programs. A web browser is something that opens the Internet for us, and how comfortable web surfing is, directly depends on the featur. . .

Podcasting: Internet Radio On Demand... and MORE!

If you haven't heard the term "podcast" yet, you will. It's about to blow the world of online audio through the roof as every Tom, Dick and Shirley can now operate a high powered Internet Radio station providing on-demand audio (and shortly, video) with nothing more than a microphone, simple software, and a little imagination. Just like cable TV in the 1980's gave smaller networks and individua. . .

Choosing The Right Power Supply

The power supply is the least respected and most overlooked component in your PC. No one ever talks about how big their power supply is, all you ever hear is how fast their CPU runs, or how much memory they have, or how many MP3's they can fit on their hard drive. The only time anyone ever talks about the power supply is when they got one really cheap or it was included free with their case.Did. . .

Identity Theft - What Is The Contribution of The Internet?

Identity theft – also known as ID theft, identity fraud and ID fraud – describes a type of fraud where a criminal adopts someone else’s identity in order to profit illegally. It is one of the fastest growing forms of fraud in many developed countries.In the UK identity theft is increasing at the rate of 500% each year and, according to Which Magazine, 25% of the population have either suffered . . .