What Is 4G...and Do I Need It? | Technology

There's a lot of talk about 4G wireless right now. Sprint has 4G. Verizon's getting 4G. And T-Mobile may or may not be running 4G.  This week's In The Classroom section will explain what this is and help you decide if you really need it.  But first, here's the latest news...

A Firefox Add-On Enables Anyone to Hack into your Accounts

• Here's the scoop on the latest security threat and what you can do to stay safe - http://www.pcworld.com/article/208727/firefox_addon_firesheep_brings_hacking_to_the_masses.html?tk=nl_spx_h_cbintro

A Better Way To Defrag

• Kim Komando reviews an app called Defraggler - http://www.komando.com/downloads/category.aspx?id=6027&utm_medium=nl&utm_source=dotd&utm_content=2010-10-28-article&utm_campaign=title

Flash Drives 101

• Learn some basic flash-drive survival skills for copying files and protecting against viruses - http://www.pcworld.com/article/208885/flash_drive_101_copying_files_removing_viruses.html?tk=nl_sbx_h_cbintro

Beware Of A Fake Microsoft Security Essentials

• I recommend Security Essentials to many of my clients...but make sure you're getting the real-deal - http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/208592/beware_fake_microsoft_security_essentials.html?tk=nl_bpx_h_cbintro

Best Big-Screen All-In-One PC's

• All-In-One PC's are gaining in popularity...here's a review on some of the best around - http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/collection/1648/article.html?tk=nl_lpx_h_topstories

In The Classroom

There's a lot of talk about 4G wireless right now. Sprint has 4G. Verizon's getting 4G. And T-Mobile may or may not be running 4G.  This week's In The Classroom section will explain what this is and help you decide if you really need it - http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2371304,00.asp

In The Mailroom

A reader from Brighton asks "Should I be using more than one Anti-Virus program to increase my security level?  Having more than one anti-virus program examine your system for malware is much like getting a "second opinion" for a medical question...probably a good idea most of the time.  But you need to be careful how you do it...here's why.  Most anti-malware programs have two operating modes - a "real-time" monitoring mode and an on-demand scanning mode.  The scanning mode only runs when you tell it to run; by scheduling a scan to run at a certain time or starting a scan manually.  The monitoring mode is running all the time, watching for any potential threats on your computer and this is where a problem may occur if you are running more than one anti-malware program...many of them do not "play well together" and can interfere with each other or give false indications.  So the solution is to only set-up one "primary" program to do the real-time monitoring and regular scans.  Occasionally you may want to manually start another program and have it do a full scan on your system as a second opinion but when it has completed its scan be sure to exit the program to prevent any interference with your primary anti-malware program.

Got a computer problem or question you would like some help with?

Send me an e-mail at joesblog@thecetagroup.com and I will do my best to get you an answer.

Please also remember I welcome your questions, comments or suggestions for future topics.  I will provide you with a prompt reply and possibly include it in this blog.  Simply e-mail them to joesblog@thecetagroup.com.

See you next week...and Happy Computing!