Friday, March 23, 2007

Why Hackers Hack

There are two different types of hackers and this article will illustrate the difference of the hackers and why they do what they do. There are two types of hackers in the world; the ones who know how to actually hack into a computer and the pseudo hackers who utilize scripts and programs to hack into systems.

Actual hackers are the people who are out to see if they can get into a system. It is a challenge. Most of these types of hackers won’t harm the system when they are in it; they won’t leave behind Trojans and viruses. After having met a few of these hackers you can understand the rush they receive from doing it. They enjoy hearing about a system that is supposedly impenetrable because that is a challenge for them. They will keep trying until they get in and sometimes will let the companies know the problem that they could have with their system. This type of hacker isn’t out to hurt anyone they are just having fun.

Pseudo hackers are more dangerous than actual hackers because they are the ones that will leave viruses and Trojans in your system. Their goal is to bring down you system as quickly as possible. They will use any means necessary to do this to include using scripts and different programs that are designed to infiltrate your system. They are a malicious bunch and do not care whom they harm. If they are able to locate personal information on your system they will download it for future use. Their enjoyment comes from causing as much havoc as possible, if a system goes down and isn’t able to come back up then they feel they have done what they set out to do, destroy the company.

When you compare the two different types of hackers you realize the reasons that both hack. Neither is for a good reason and both can be harmful to the company, but at least an actual hacker understands what he is doing and isn’t just running a script to see what will happen. Hackers are dangerous and quite a bit of time and effort goes into creating systems and firewalls that are hoped to be impenetrable. Hopefully hackers will come to realize the destructive nature of what they are doing, but it is highly doubtful because they get too much of a rush from it to ever stop.

Friday, March 16, 2007

Simple air conditioning home tune-up

The easiest way to give your air conditioning a tune-up is to make sure that your filter is clean. There are several factors you need to consider when you are trying to figure out how often you need to change your filter.

Own Pets:
If you own pets, then you need to change your filter more often. It will need to be changed at least every two months if not every month. As all pet owners know, most animals shed quite a bit. Just think how often you have to vacuum and sweep the floor because of pet hair, well it also goes into your filter for your air conditioner. So this is something you need to monitor.

Climate:
If you live in a desert or dry climate you will very likely have to change your filter more often because of the dirt and dust that is in the air. If you live in an arid climate and have pets with fur then I would recommend that you change out your filter every month.

Allergies:
If your family or someone in your family suffers from allergies or asthma then it would be prudent to change your filter every month. It will cut down on the allegiants in the air and help to keep the air in the house clean.

There are a few others things you need to think about. If you have a filter system that isn’t disposable then it would be smart to clean it every month. It would also be helpful to have a technician come out and service your system before the start of the warm months, especially if you live in a very hot climate as you will be using your air conditioner more often. If you take care of your air conditioner it will last longer and you won’t have to worry as much about it dying when you least expect it. By keeping the filter clean it will help the system to run easier and not have to work as hard at keeping your home cool.

Choosing between satellite and cable for high-definition TV (HDTV)

High-definition television is fantastic if you have the system to support it. There are actually three different options you can choose from when deciding if you should get cable or a satellite system. They are obviously cable, satellite, and none of the above.

Cable. It depends on what your local cable company provides in the way of high-definition channels. Some cable companies only offer a handful of channels that are available in high-definition and most of the time you will have to pay extra for this service. You need to figure out how many channels you will be receiving and the cost of those channels and figure out what it will cost you on a per channel basis. This way you will be able to compare the price with satellite. The advantage for cable is that you don’t have to pay extra for your local channels and most of them are now available in HD.

Satellite. There are a couple of things to consider with satellite. You need to factor in the cost of the equipment you will need to buy for satellite, because you will have to buy a HD receiver to be able to view HD channels. Then you need to do the same thing that you did with cable. You need to figure out how many channels you will receive in HD and how much extra it will cost per channel. You need to factor in that you have to pay extra for local channels because most of them now offer their shows in HD format.

None of the Above. This means that you can’t get your local channels in HD without having cable or satellite. If you don’t watch a lot of television, but still enjoy watching it in HD when you do, it might be beneficial to look at not getting either cable or satellite. We found when we hooked our HD receiver up to our regular television that we were able to get the local channels in HD. By using this benefits we saved money every month by not going with cable or satellite and can use that money to buy HD movies.

High-definition is the future of television currently and you need to decide if you want to spend the money on cable and satellite. The benefits of cable are that you get channels in HD and analog and don’t have to pay for the local channels. The benefits of satellite are that you get even more channels in HD and analog, but you have to pay for your local channels. If you only watch the local channels then I would recommend that you don’t go with either service and hook your HD receiver up to your television and tune it to the local channels for free.

Monday, March 12, 2007

Can you go without your computer for a day?

My family believes in family quality time, which means that every weekend we spend time together as a family. It could be going to the movies, bowling or just browsing through stores. We don’t have a set agenda most of the time, but we do make sure that we spend time together. This means that we are off the computer for at least one day on the weekends. It has been a way to teach our children that the computer is not the most important item in the house and that if it was gone tomorrow that they can still survive.

It would be difficult to remember life without computers. Most people handle their banking online to include bill payments, they go shopping online and some people even date online. If you want to drop someone a quick note, instead of writing them a letter you send them an email. If you want to read a good story instead of picking up a book, people go online to different websites. I think it is important for people to spend time away from the computer. It can become an addiction like anything else, and it is up to us to realize that it isn’t the only thing in our lives.

The next thing we know is that there will be a computer to cook our food and we just have to tell it what we want. My daughter would enjoy this but is it the best thing for our society. Without the socialization time with family and friends, you become pale and boring. You need to step away from a computer and spend time living your life. Everyone should take at least one day a week and don’t turn your computer on, spend time with your family and friends, go to a movie, go for a walk. There are many things you can do, it is just up to your imagination. Have fun with life, there is much more to it than the computer can ever provide.

Wednesday, March 7, 2007

Will Technology take over the World

When society thinks of this question they can help but think of the movies that have shown technology taking over the world like I, Robot or the Matrix. In actuality, the world won’t be taken over by technology but it will learn to function more efficiently with technology. As you look through history man has endeavored to improve his lot in life by finding more efficient and easier ways to handle his daily tasks. This won’t end anytime in the foreseeable future, because man is ultimately lazy and wants to do as little work as possible so that he can do the things he enjoys doing.

Another reason that man will endeavor to become more efficient is the workplace, companies will be able to make more money which will make their stockholders happy. If more money is being made by business then they are more likely to expand and hire more people which will boost the economy and the cycle will continue. As companies become more efficient they will hire people who are innovators in their fields to find ways to improve the work environment and create new technologies to make life easier for mankind. The reason technology won’t take over the world and put mankind under its thumb is because it doesn’t have the capacity to think up new ideas for greater efficiency, they are machines and do what they are programmed to do. It might seem like your computer has a mind of its own when you are trying to get it to do something, but in actuality it is just doing what it was told to do.

Mankind will continually endeavor to improve his life. Just as some people are pushed to write and get the story ideas out of their head others are pushed to invent. They need to see their ideas come to life. It is not just something they enjoy doing, it is something they have to do, to take their seed of an idea and grow it into a vibrant and living invention. It is this mentality that will keep technology from taking over the planet because no matter how smart you make a machine it is still a machine and incapable of having the imagination to create something that will help everyone in the world.

The final reason technology won’t take over the world is because even though most people think technology is used throughout the world, it isn’t. There are two many places around the globe that don’t even have electricity let alone computers and robots. Many indigenous tribes in South America and Africa have never seen a flashlight let alone any thing more technologically advanced like a computer or even a cell phone. There are many third world countries that exist like they have for centuries, living off of the land and helping each other. I doubt that they will stay like this forever, but I also doubt that technology will take over their world. Their customs and beliefs are too far engrained to let technology become their God.

Friday, March 2, 2007

Why Computers are Frustrating

The problem that people have with computers is that they are intimidated by them. They think the person has to be smart to use them or at least understand how they work. You don't need to be a brain surgeon or understand the interworkings of a computer system to use them. The other problem people have is that they don't want to take the chance of breaking it because the cost of a computer is high, granted not as high as it used to be but still high enough to cause anxiety.

You watch a child get on the computer and you think to yourself, how can they get on there and not have any issues about figuring out how different programs work. They aren't intimidated by this elaborate machine. They use as just another tool that they have at their disposal, much like a television or can opener. To them, it isn't an expensive product that speaks in a foreign language. It is a tool they can use to get their homework done easier and a toy to entertain them until dinner time.

Once you realize that the computer isn't the one in charge it will make it less frustrating to use. If you take some basic classes you will understand the tasks that used to confuse you. The urge to throw the computer threw the window will pass with the training you receive. There will still be times that the computer will frustrate you, it will do things like shut down for no reason, get a blue screen and you don't know why, or even not turn on at all. But once you find out how to deal with these problems and realize you are the one in charge, the computer won't be as frustrating.

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