15+ Apps for Solving Computer Problems

Amplify’d from www.downloadsquad.com

15+ free Windows apps to help you tackle Thanksgiving tech support

The holiday season has always been a time for gathering -- but in recent years, it's also been a time when family and friends come bearing gifts of computer troubles. Their computer friends -- people like the Download Squad team and you, our readers -- get asked to do everything from installing RAM upgrades to the annual computer tune-up. We're happy to oblige, of course, because there's a decent chance someone will pay us in beer or baked goods. Cash is welcome too, but never seems to be offered quite as readily. To make your holiday tech duties a bit easier, I've put together a list of some of my favorite troubleshooting apps for Windows. Where download links for the files aren't on the application's main page, I've included a link to the appropriate download page. I've provided a handful of FileHippo links as well -- they're an excellent mirror site and they don't surround download links in advertisements or "recommendations." Malwarebytes (MBAM) My favorite malware removal tool gets the first spot on the list because, well, it's the first app I turn to when cleaning up troublesome computers. The free version of "target="_blank">MBAM works miracles, and it's definitely worth recommending the paid version -- which does automatic updating and scheduled scans -- to friends who can't seem to keep out of trouble. If you can't get the updater to grab current definitions on your system, download Malwarebytes definitions manually. The file I've linked won't be as current as what MBAM would download, but it's better than no update at all. [FileHippo download] SUPERAntiSpyware Another great, free tool for cleaning up malicious software is SUPER. I find that its scans take longer to complete than MBAM and that SUPER tends to not find as many malicious files -- but it does find files MBAM doesn't. Think of running MBAM + SUPER as the "double tap" for malware. [download page] [portable download] TDSSKiller Lately I've been dealing with an awful lot of the same infection, and TDSSiller from Kaspersky seems to be the secret sauce for getting rid of it. It's designed to eradicate a specific (and nasty) rootkit family, and scans complete in a hurry -- so I've made it a permanent part of my malware checking routine. PCDecrapifier Once you've obliterated the malicious software on a computer, it's time to tackle the crapware. It's especially commonplace on new systems, where OEM PC manufacturers like to do us a favor by pre-installing trial versions of 30 apps we're never going to use. PCDecrapifier takes care of a lot of the heavy lifting here -- saving you the hassle of having to click through every uninstaller in add/remove programs. [download page] Revo Uninstaller There are, of course, some apps which just don't want to leave without making a stink. Broken installers, missing .INI files, and botched registry entries can all make removal difficult. Revo is a great back-up tool in cases like these, and it's able to uproot even the most troublesome apps. [download page] [portable download] CCleaner This trusty app recently updated to version 3.0, and it's better than ever. CCleaner is a fantastically simple way to remove loads of un-needed files from a system -- everything from Windows temp files to bits cached by Web browsers and Flash. [download page] [portable download] WinDirStat If -- after running CCleaner -- you're looking for a way to free up even more space on a hard drive, give WinDirStat a go. It's a free app which will analyze the contents of a drive and show you which folders are hogging all those precious gigabytes. [download page] Easus Partition Master I see a lot of laptops with a totally full C: and a totally empty D: -- many people don't know that the manufacturer has split their drive in two to help preserve their data in case they run a system recover or reformat and re-install Windows. When I encounter this scenario, I'll fire up Partition Master, combine both partitions, and whammo! They've got loads of free space on the only drive they had any idea was usable. Note: partitioning tools can, of course, be extremely dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. You can wipe out loads of important data with a single key press if you're not paying attention -- so always exercise great care when using any tool like Easeus! [download page] TeamViewer Not everyone who wants your help lives conveniently nearby. Some might not want to bring you your computer, and sometimes you just don't want to get out of your chair to go fix someone's busted homepage. TeamViewer lets you troubleshoot from the comfort of your home -- just have your friend run the host on their machine and provide you their ID and password, and you're in. It's available for Windows, Mac, and Linux -- so you can help out regardless of who's running which OS. [download page] [portable download] Dropbox Another great way to help friends remotely is with Dropbox. Get them an account and add them to a group -- it makes for a pain-free way to deliver files like installers and manuals you wish they'd read to their system. Secunia PSI Sometimes people don't want to believe what you're telling them -- they need to see something "official." If you're having trouble getting someone to understand the importance of updating, let Secunia take a look at their system. The app looks for all kinds of vulnerabilities in both Windows and installed applications like Java, Adobe Reader, and iTunes. Microsoft Security Essentials, Avast 5, Avira Never walk away from a freshly-cleaned system without making sure it's got a good, up-to-date antivirus / anti-malware application installed. MSE, Avast 5, and Avira are all great options -- and they're all free for use on home computers. [Microsoft Security Essentials] [Avast 5 FileHippo download] [Avira download page] MVPS.org Hosts File and Sunbelt ClearCloud Anti-malware DNS Another great way to help ensure systems don't become repeat offenders is by blocking access to websites which are known to cause problems. The hosts file, of course, needs to be copied on to each machine you want to protect. Sunbelt's ClearCloud service can be configured either on a system or on a router -- which makes protecting a whole house full of computers a breeze. [MVPS.org Hosts File] [Sunbelt ClearClouddownload page] Read more at www.downloadsquad.com

 

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Why the Founding Fathers Would Reject the GOP

Amplify’d from www.politicususa.com

American Pariah: Why the Founding Fathers Would Reject the GOP

Republican lawmakers, pundits, and Tea Party patriots all claim a desire to return to the Founding Father’s view of America and a strict constitutional interpretation of governance in America. The problem is that the Founders had a very different idea of America than these new constitutionalists, and they would reject the philosophy that the rich and industrialists should have the power to control the government. Republicans and conservatives in general lean heavily toward and support corporations and financial institutions’ domination of America and its citizens. The Founding Fathers believed that people should be the first priority of the government, and some of our most famous constitutionalists believed that banking and corporate monopolies were a pariah on America. Conservatives believe in free market capitalism without restriction or regulation regardless of the drain on the economy, and keep working Americans in near poverty in order to maximize profits. When they cannot beat down workers in America, they lobby legislators to get tax breaks for moving jobs out of the country where they find the cheapest possible labor. When Democrats tried to take the tax breaks and incentives away for moving jobs overseas, Republicans blocked their efforts and insured that Americans stayed unemployed; just so corporations could keep their tax breaks, cheap labor, and no regulatory oversight. Republicans also made every attempt to block financial reforms so banks and the rich could continue reaping profits at the expense of workers. It seems that conservatives believe banks, corporations, and the wealthy are privileged, and work tirelessly to allow them unrestricted control and wealth at the expense of working people. The founding fathers did not, and would not approve of the mindset and practices of conservatives regarding big business and the banking industry. The man responsible for writing the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, said in 1816 that, “I sincerely believe that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies.” Jefferson was prophetic in warning that banking establishments could do more damage to America than an army, and if he were alive today, he would certainly see his words come to fruition as the banking industry and financial institutions have had a major role in creating the deep recession the country and the world is in today. Benjamin Franklin stated that, “No man ought to own more property than needed for his livelihood; the rest, by right, belonged to the state.” Franklin would not approve of corporate America owning and controlling America or its workforce, much less controlling the government. The second President of the United States, John Adams, said in 1765 that, “Property monopolized or in possession of a few is a curse to mankind.” Adams knew that too much power in the hands of a wealthy powerful few would be detrimental to mankind, and in America today, the curse to mankind is the few monopolizing the resources of the majority. The Founders would not approve of the tyranny of corporate-industrial power in America, and yet conservatives claim to want to return to the original intent of the Founders. Either Republicans and Conservatives are ignorant of the original intent of the Founders, or they know and ignore it for the campaign contributions the banking and corporate industries provide them. The framers of the Constitution were concerned that what is happening today would be a detriment to freedom and stability; they were correct. Republicans have enabled class warfare between the wealthy and the working class, and they give every advantage to the extremely wealthy over working people. Even some conscientious wealthy Americans realize there is too much advantage given to the rich at the expense of the working class, and know it is not fair. Warren Buffett, one of the worlds’ richest men knows there is class war in America and realizes the rich get all the advantages at the expense of the middle class and the poor. Buffett said that, “It’s class warfare, my class is winning, but they shouldn’t be.”  Buffett has been outspoken about the disadvantage the poor and working class are put in and knows it is wrong. When Republicans, Teabags, and conservative groups claim they want the original intent of the Constitution and the Founding Fathers, they should first learn what their intent was for America. However, conservatives only use catch-phrases that sound noble, and Americans fall for their lies and deceit every time. Why else would Americans vote for people who act contrary to the intent of the Founders? Because they are lazy, ignorant, and think that because a group says what they want to hear, they will look out for their interests. The Founders were quite explicit that America should be governed by a representational legislature, and warned against banks and monopolies getting too powerful. Conservatives have taken the Founders’ intent as what not to do, and have given power to the banks and corporations at the expense of working Americans. The founders were concerned about tyranny of the wealthy and tried to warn us about the danger, but it just served as a model for conservatives to allow the tyranny of corporate banking to control the government. This is not the America the Founding Fathers envisioned, and the blame lies at the feet of Republicans and their conservative money masters. Read more at www.politicususa.com

 

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Untitled

Amplify’d from www.businessinsider.com

Oregon Senator Vows To Block Internet Blacklist Bill

U.S. Senator Ron Wyden vowed yesterday to take steps to block the controversial bill that would let the government effectively block access from the U.S. to sites involved in copyright infringement. The Combating Online Infringements And Counterfeits Act (COICA) would let the Attorney General petition the courts to blacklist any website on which copyright infringement was a 'central' activity. Domain servers operating in the U.S. would be required to stop handling requests for sites on the blacklist.

COICA has broad support from both parties, and breezed through the Senate Judiciary Committee 19-0. But with just a few days left in the legislative session, one Senator can put up enough procedure hurdles to prevent a vote before 2011, at which point the bill will have to be resubmitted. The bill has drawn fire from academics and free speech advocates on the grounds that the power it grants the government could easily be used to censor the Internet. Wyden likened giving such broad authority to the Attorney General to stop copyright infringement to "using a bunker-busting cluster bomb, when what you need is a precision-guided missile." Read more at www.businessinsider.com

 

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IE is officially the MOST Secure Web Browser - Fall 2010

Amplify’d from www.ghacks.net

Internet Explorer is THE MOST Secure Web Browser… Who’d Have Thought That!

A report compiled by security company Bit9 has named the “dirty dozen” web browsers with the most discovered vulnerabilities, and the results, which have been posted by NeoWin come as something of a, well let’s face it, a major surprise.

The biggest surprise is that Google’s Chrome browser tops the vulnerabilities list with 76.  Safari and Firefox also scored badly with 60 and 51 respectively.  Conversely, Internet Explorer had only 32.  The complete list is below.

Google Chrome – 76 Apple Safari – 60 Microsoft Office – 57 Adobe Acrobat – 54 Mozilla Firefox – 51 Sun JDK – 36 Adobe Shockwave Player – 35 Microsoft Internet Explorer – 32 RealNetworks RealPlayer – 14 Apple Webkit – 9 Adobe Flash Player – 8 Apple Quicktime and Opera Web browser (tied) – 6

This will obviously be inflammatory news to anyone who doesn’t like Internet Explorer (though recently versions of the browser cannot be compared to IE6) and there will people who will point to all the ‘undiscovered’ vulnerabilities in the browser. However it pans out over time, it’s clear that Microsoft’s recent strategies are paying dividends for the company in terms of helping increase their reputation around the world.  It will be interesting to see how IE9 stacks up against the other browsers in 12 months time. Read more at www.ghacks.net

 

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Obama: True to His Word

Amplify’d from www.newsweek.com

True To His Word

Obama is doing just what he said he would do.

The president’s critics on the right deride him as a radical socialist seething with anti-American rage. To them, he’s a frightening success who has transformed the federal government, ruined the economy, and undermined national security. To the left, Obama is a tragic failure who squandered his chance for dramatic change: no single-payer health-care plan, no heated battle against Wall Street, and endless war in Afghanistan. If the president is struggling these days, the critics say, it’s perhaps because he’s out of touch with Americans, and even at odds with his own principles.

Yet Obama is doing exactly what he said he would do. Perhaps the critics should read—or reread—the president’s own books. Dreams From My Father (1995) and The Audacity of Hope (2006) are the most substantial works written by anyone elected president since Woodrow Wilson (who wrote several books before he won election in 1912). In laying out his philosophy, Obama contrasts the GOP’s excessive individualism with the ideal of “ordered liberty” and the rich traditions of civic engagement typical of America in the 18th and 19th centuries. He also criticizes orthodox Democrats for too quickly dismissing market solutions and too often defending failed government programs. Above all, he criticizes the hyperpartisan atmosphere of contemporary public life.

Almost everything you need to know about Obama is there on the printed page. In contrast to the charges coming now from right and left, Obama is neither a rigid ideologue nor a spineless wimp. The Obama who wrote Dreams and Audacity stands in a long tradition of American reform, wary of absolutes and universals, and committed to a Christian tradition that prizes humility and social service over dogmatic statements of unbending principle. A child of the philosophical pragmatists William James and John Dewey, Obama distrusts pat formulas and prefers experimentation.

Throughout his career, Obama has refused to demonize his opponents. Instead, he has sought them out and listened to them. He has tried to understand how they think and why they see the world as they do. His mother encouraged this sense of empathy, and it’s a lesson Obama learned well. Since January 2009, Obama has watched his efforts at reconciliation, experimentation, and -consensus--building bounce off the hard surfaces of political self-interest and entrenched partisanship, but there is no reason to think he will abandon that strategy now. He knows that disagreement is a vital part of the American fabric, and that our differences are neither shallow nor trivial.

Although Obama’s reform agenda echoes aspects of those advanced by many Democrats over the last century, he has admitted—and this is the decisive point in understanding his outlook—that his opponents hold principles rooted as deeply in American history as his own. “I am obligated to try to see the world through George Bush’s eyes, no matter how much I may disagree with him,” he wrote in Audacity. “That’s what empathy does—it calls us all to task, the conservative and the liberal … We are all shaken out of our complacency.” Obama rejects dogma, embraces uncertainty, and dismisses the fables that often pass for history among partisans on both sides who need heroes and villains, and who resist more-nuanced understandings of the past and the present.

The shrill tone of Obama’s critics makes reading his books especially illuminating today. In Audacity, Obama explained why, because of our national traditions, the United States would never have a single-payer health-care system and would have to find a distinctively American hybrid relying on existing insurance plans. That’s what we have now. He explained why, although he favors regulation to protect against abuses, he rules out socialism and remains firmly committed to a market economy. His financial reforms follow that pattern. Finally, he explained why, although he opposed the war in Iraq, he supported war in Afghanistan for -different—and legitimate—reasons. Now that he must bring that war to a conclusion, he has made clear that the decision will be based on evidence, not blind adherence to a predetermined course of action.

After almost two years as president, Obama has failed to satisfy the left for the same reason that he has antagonized the right. He does not share their self-righteous certainty. Neither his personal restraint nor the achievements of his administration should surprise anyone who has read his books. In the domains of health care and economic regulation, and in his approach to Afghanistan, Obama has followed his script: substantial but incremental reforms growing organically from American experience rather than hewing to party orthodoxy. In November 2010, President Obama remains the man who wrote Dreams and Audacity, a resolute champion of moderation, experimentation, and deliberative, nondogmatic democracy. It’s just that the distorting mirrors of political commentary in America’s fun house can make it hard to recognize him. Read more at www.newsweek.com

 

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Amplify’d from lifehacker.com

How to Install Android on an iPhone in Six Easy Steps

What You'll Need: All you'll need to get started is an iOS device; Right now, the iPhone 3G has the best support, and that's what we're using in this guide. Step One: Jailbreak Your iPhone You've got a number of jailbreaking options, including PwnageTool, Redsn0w, and Blackra1n. Pick one that works on your platform, download it, and walk through the jailbreak process. (I'm not going to detail the jailbreak here since the latest jailbreaking methods often change a little, but at this point, jailbreaking an iPhone is a relatively simple process.) Step Two: Install Bootlace in Cydia In order to do this, you'll need to launch Cydia from the homescreen, tap on the Manage button, select Sources, then tap Edit, then Add. The repository you'll need to add is repo.neonkoala.co.uk. Tap Add Source, let Cydia work its magic, and then tap on your newly added repository and install Bootlace. Step Three: Run Bootlace and Patch the Kernel Leave Cydia, and launch Bootlace. If Bootlace isn't on your homescreen after you leave Cydia, restart your iPhone and it should be there. Then just launch Bootlace, and let it download and patch the kernel. When it's done, tap on Reboot and wait for your phone to reboot. Step Four: Install OpeniBoot Now launch Bootlace again, tap the OpeniBoot button, and tap Install, then Continue. OpeniBoot will download and install. Step Five: Install iDroid Once OpeniBoot is installed, tap the iDroid button, tap Install, OK, and then wait. iDroid—which is essentially the Android OS customized for your iPhone—will download and install. This will take a while, so be patient, and if your battery is low, you may want to plug in your phone you start. Step Six: Reboot and Play Around with Android Now you've installed Android on your iPhone. Time to play around with it. Just tap on the QuickBoot button from inside Bootlace, tap the Android icon (the one of the little Android proudly holding an Apple), and confirm that you want to reboot into Android.

How Does It Work?

The first thing worth mentioning is that Android on iPhone isn't close to ready to use as your full-time mobile operating system. That doesn't mean it never will be, but at the moment, this is more something you'd want to do to fulfill your curiosity, wear as a geek badge, or just have a little fun and (maybe) support a really great project. You can see how far they've come along with each phone on the iDroid status wiki. As I mentioned above, the iPhone 3G is the best supported iOS device (and currently only it and the 2G work with the method above, I believe). The biggest issue right now with the 3G is power management (PMU on the wiki), which isn't fully functional. Most importantly, suspend isn't yet working, so your battery won't likely last long. It's still come a long way from where it's been in the past, though, and having followed this project excitedly for a while, the progress they've made in recent weeks has been really impressive. Regarding a few nuts and bolts: Your iPhone's lock button acts as the Android back button; the iPhone home button acts as the Android menu button; the iPhone's volume down button acts as the Android home button; and the iPhone's volume up button acts as... I'm not really sure what. To lock the screen, press the iPhone's home and and lock buttons at the same time. To power off, hold the lock and home buttons for a couple of seconds until the Power Off prompt appears. You can see a few other operating quirks by watching the video above. As you can see in the video, performance isn't perfect (it's occasionally a little laggy), but again, with time, that could change significantly. Either way, the iDroid project—along with OpeniBoot and Bootlace—is something I remain extremely excited about. As a long-time iPhone user and recent Android switcher, the main thing that sets the two apart for me is the iPhone hardware, which always feels a head and shoulders above whatever Android device I put my hands on. I know a lot of people (including myself) who'd kill to dual boot and iPhone 4 with iOS and Android. (In fact, if you really want to help out, you can donate to the iDroid Project by clicking the Donate button on the top right of the iDroid Project's main page and maybe speed things along.) Read more at lifehacker.com

 

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The 5 Most Profitable Drugs - 2010

Amplify’d from blogs.villagevoice.com

The 5 Most Profitable Drugs: They Never Cure You

1) Lipitor (2009 gross revenue: $7.5 billion): Designed to lower cholesterol, Lipitor uses statins to decrease LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels and increase HDL cholesterol levels. Studies indicate that high cholesterol increases one's chance for heart disease, the leading health problem in the U.S. 2) Nexium (2009 gross revenue: $6.3 billion): This well-marketed drug decreases the amount of acid produced in the stomach, but it's not an instant cure for heartburn. 3) Plavix (2009 gross revenue: $5.6 billion): Nobody likes a nasty blood clot, and this drug prevents that from happening, particularly after a stroke or a heart attack. The downside: Plavix increases your chances of small-injury bleeds and, if drinking alcohol, heightens your risk of stomach and intestinal bleeds. 4) Advair Diskus (2009 gross revenue: $4.7 billion): For asthma sufferers, a twice-daily inhaler to reduce the swelling in your respiratory system. Helps keep attacks from being more severe. 5) Seroquel (2009 Gross: $4.2 billion): Rounding out our top 5 is Seroquel, an anti-psychotic drug that treats schizophrenia, severe depression, and bipolar disorder by altering chemical activity in the brain. Read more at blogs.villagevoice.com

 

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Amplify’d from mashable.com

Define the Role of Your Social Media Team

Social media is an increasingly popular area of marketing and communications for businesses of all sizes. Companies from industries of all types are interested in learning about the basics of building and implementing a social media strategy. Since social media is still a burgeoning area in business, there aren’t any set steps for success. While there are many suggestions and recommendations across the web, many of these pointers are specific to certain types of businesses or industries. One area of social media that can be discussed with relative consensus, though, is how to define a social media team’s role in your organization. While there are varying paths that can be chosen, they all stem from the same considerations: the goal of social media, who should be involved, what the responsibilities include, and how the strategy should be implemented. Furthermore, it is important to note how the social media team will interact with the company and community at large. We spoke with two social media experts to get their tips on this topic. Read on for their opinions and add your own in the comments below. Determine Goals The first step to planning any addition to an organization should be setting goals. Before joining the social world, an organization should have an understanding of its goals for: The social media team at large, Each social platform, and Individual team members. “The first thing we did was to define a purpose. What is the purpose of starting a community? Over the past two years, we heard, ‘You’ve got to be in social! You’ve got to be in social!’ A lot of companies are doing that, but they don’t know why,” said Kailei Richardson, manager of strategy and social media expert at PointRoll. Richardson commented that Ripple6, the social marketing division of PointRoll, decided to create a social presence to “use [the company's] product to show how effective it could be, but to also act as an extension of the Ripple6 website.” She noted that the website acts as a brochure of sorts for the company, but the social sites they’ve created promote real dialogue and show a bit of personality behind the organization. Morgan Johnston, corporate communications manager who leads JetBlue’s social media strategy and execution, pointed out that planning a strategy for each social platform was key for planning the role of the social media team within JetBlue: “For JetBlue the role of the social media team started with defining what our role as a company was within each of the various social channels where we interact with customers. Each community tends to define how they’d like to see the business interact with them. It was important to be receptive to those ideas and work collaboratively to define a role where both customers and the organization can find equal utility. “With Twitter () for instance, the real-time nature of the tool tends to lend itself to an operational focus; service monitoring and recovery… While Facebook () or our blog are more focused on story-telling, sales or promotions.” Having goals in place for the social media team, its individuals and each social platform will enable team members to define responsibilities and measure success. Allocate the Appropriate Internal Resources After an organization has defined what the social media team should be and who it should include, the next step is to survey available internal resources and allocate them appropriately. This includes employees, funds and equipment. “Once the role is defined, the internal resources best suited to address each of those areas work to figure out how they can support it effectively,” said Johnston. “We’ve found that having representatives from various teams: Corporate Communications, Marketing, Customer Commitment or Operations coming together as [a] working group is a great way to make sure all expectations are met, but [we recommend] keeping those representatives tied to the overall functions of their original teams. This allows a great deal of flexibility for the team.” Richardson also believes that it is essential to “get the right team members involved.” She advocates divvying up responsibilities based on each team member’s strength and the goals of the social media strategy. Strategists, marketers, site administrators, content managers and project managers were all valid needs in Ripple6’s case. Create a Social Media Policy A social media policy is a great way to set your company’s expectations for social media use in writing for all to see — either internally or externally (or both). These policies come in many forms and can be sensitive documents only for company eyes or public-facing guidelines shared with the world. In most cases, it’s a legal and organizational necessity to have a social media policy to set the tone for employees and the community. If you’re still in doubt about whether you need one, check out the basic considerations here. For companies ready to take the next step toward planning a social media policy, another great resource is a write-up of “10 Must-Haves for Your Social Media Policy” by Mashable () guest author Sharlyn Lauby. The post sums up the most important topics and guidelines and includes an example of a sound social media policy. JetBlue circulates a number of internal-facing and publicly available documents regarding the social media team. Johnston shared JetBlue’s 600-word social media policy and said of it: “We’re proud of our crew members and love that so many want to share their passion for the company in social media spaces. Corporate guidelines for best practices are a great way to help foster that engagement by clearly communicating responsibility and accountability. JetBlue has a 600-word social networking policy that boils down to, ‘Don’t be an idiot.’ “Our guidelines outline requirements surrounding: disclaimers of personal views, protection of sensitive information, responsible and respectful use, and social media use while working. “We do discuss the difference between personal and professional use of social media. However, at this point, any ‘official’ use of social media is limited and overseen directly by our social media team and corporate communications.” Take a look at JetBlue’s social media policy, as well as other great examples, from companies including Forrester, Intel, IBM, Best Buy and Coca-Cola, to get ideas for your company’s social media policy. Communicate Effectively Across the Organization Just because a team is labeled the “social media team” doesn’t mean they have to exclusively use social media tools to communicate with each other and the rest of the community. There is a bit of a misconception about social media enthusiasts that portrays them as Facebook-crazed, Twitter-frenzied social media addicts. Johnston is a firm believer that sometimes old-school tools work best. “Many of the traditional corporate tools work quite well for the majority of our teams — e-mail, IM, or phones,” he noted. “And with the various representatives of the social team spanning the company already, we’re in a good position to reach any additional resources we may need and have them offer their expertise.” For dispersed teams, those tools still work, but Johnston recommends using a collaborative tools such as CoTweet () and Google Wave (). He explained: “For Twitter, where we have our Social Media Support Team from our Salt Lake City-based support center, as well as representatives from our headquarters in Queens all working with a single account in real time, there’s a greater need to make sure we’re constantly connected. We use CoTweet as a great asset for team management of Twitter traffic, and we use Google Wave as a vehicle for team chat, collaboration, and resource management. Though, we are obviously exploring replacements at this time as Google Wave will be shut down at the end of the year.” Richardson noted that Ripple6 uses the company’s proprietary platform to create communities among its various departments and teams. The customized social network is private and allows each team to interact effectively without burdening the rest of the organization. The social media team utilizes the internal community page for sharing content and current projects with each other. The company also has an external-facing community page as well, where team members engage with the community at large. Other communication tools that enable organizations to customize an online networking experience among teammates include the 37signals products, StatusNet Enterprise Social Network and Yammer (). Setting up a social media team is quite a task, but it can be simplified by following some of the above recommendations. What advice would you add for new enterprises entering the social space? Add your thoughts in the comments below. Series Supported by Webtrends The Social Media Marketing Series is supported by Webtrends Facebook Analytics, which provides comprehensive tracking and measurement solutions to help you maximize your ROI. Read more at mashable.com

 

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Free RedBox Rentals - Thru Nov 17th

I assume it will work at any Redbox though. The code is: 7sfdrg7
The offer is good until November 17th!

Other Codes:

CHANCEMONOP 
Redbox and McDonalds have partnered up to give away 1 million FREE Redbox rentals. This code will stop working after it has been used 1 million times.
MEJER26 valid only at Meijer locations (exp.10/27/10)
RT9V62P
DVDKROG valid only at Kroger locations.
DVDATWAG valid only at Walgreen's locations.
DVDONME once per card, no expiration date.
DRIVEIN valid only at Sonic locations.
REDBOX
WALGREENS
DATE124
CLIMB5
BREAK ROOM

Tax Cut Proposals - Democrat VS Republican

Email Tips: Clarity

Amplify’d from lifehacker.com

Email Writing Values: Clarity Is Key You know those emails you read once, read again, and still aren't sure what the sender's trying to say? It's annoying, right? We all recognize a terrible email when we get one, but we're often guilty of the same email sins ourselves. It seems unmistakably obvious: In order to be understood, any form of communication needs clarity. But email is a fast-paced medium, and essential writing values like clarity often take a back seat to time. The problem: Rather than taking a few extra minutes to re-read and vet your email, you send it, no one understands it, and you spend more time working out the miscommunication. Let's talk a little bit about how you can introduce more clarity in your email. Note: When we talk about email writing values this week, we're talking primarily about work-related email. If you're emailing a note to a friend, go nuts with whatever style of writing you prefer. Garbage In, Garbage Out As Gina put it in the the Lifehacker book: The old computer science adage, Garbage in, garbage out (GIGO) means that if you give a computer the wrong input, it returns useless output. Humans are a lot more forgiving than computers, but in many ways GIGO applies to email correspondence as well. When you're composing (or editing) your email, the purpose of your email should be clear from the subject line and maintain that clarity throughout. Don't make the recipient decipher what you want. Be up front from the start and don't muddle down your email with unnecessary language. Clarity Is Better Than Cleverness You may fancy yourself a masterful wordsmith, but don't let your words get in the way of your message. In The Art of Unix Programming, author Eric Steven Raymond lays out the Basics of Unix Philosophy, and as we've pointed out before, these rules often apply beautifully to other areas of personal productivity. Consider, for example, the Rule of Clarity, which argues that "Clarity is better than cleverness". We receive hundreds of emails in the Lifehacker inbox every day, and I thank the gods every time I see an email with a clear subject line and an easy-to-grok question, suggestion, or tip; I curse the email providers whenever the message is buried in its own language. Next time you're composing an email, give an extra ounce of attention to clarity. Can you understand what the email is about by the subject line? Are you burying your message? If not, good for you! If you're not a saint (I'm not), reevaluate your email miscommunications. Lack of clarity is almost always the culprit in my inbox Read more at lifehacker.com

 

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Untitled

Amplify’d from www.healtharticles101.com

Top 10 Resveratrol Health Benefits

1. Longer Life Span Resveratrol health benefits include the fact that this supplement can help you live longer, while staying healthier at the same time. Scientific studies in mice Showed that the supplement contributed to a 20% longer life span, although no studies in humans have been performed to. 2. Lessen The Physical Effects of Aging One of the most well-known grape seed extract benefits Is that the physical signs of aging are slowed down and diminished. This means that you can stay younger looking no matter what your age. 3. May Prevent Heart Disease Resveratrol has been shown to help protect your heart and prevent heart disease. There are no serious Resveratrol side effects to worry about with this treatment either. The French have high amounts of this compound in their diet and eat a diet high in fat, yet they have very low levels of heart disease. 4. Cancer Fighting Properties Resveratrol breast cancer remedy is becoming more common, because this compound has cancer fighting properties which not only help with breast cancer but also many other types as well. In some cases using this compound can be just as effective as chemotherapy, only without all of the negative side effects. 5. Anti Inflammatory Properties Resveratrol health benefits include the fact that this compound acts as an anti-inflammatory in the body, decreasing swelling and inflammation naturally. 6. Increased Energy If you want more energy than you should buy grape seed extract, because in some studies this compound has been shown to increase energy levels and fight fatigue. 7. Lowers Blood Sugar A lower blood sugar is one of the many Resveratrol health benefits, and this compound can help keep your blood sugar stable and at the ideal amount. 8. Weight Loss Solution Resveratrol weight loss has been scientifically proven, so this compound can make an excellent dieting supplement. Individuals who used to supplement reported more weight loss and weight loss which was more permanent. 9. Rich in Antioxidants Resveratrol health benefits include the fact that this compound is extremely rich in antioxidants, and these antioxidants help prevent damage to your cells and keep you healthy. 10. Nutritional Support Nutritional support is another of the numerous Resveratrol health benefits. Because this compound comes from grapes and other foods it is very rich and nutrient which your body needs for optimal health and function. The information provided herein is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. Read more at www.healtharticles101.com

 

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Smart people SLEEP LATE

Amplify’d from www.winnipegfreepress.com

Smart people SLEEP LATE - Winnipeg Free Press Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION By: Robert Alison Posted: 23/01/2010 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 Sleep is a fundamental component of animal biology. New evidence confirms that, in humans, its timing reflects intelligence. People with higher IQ's (intelligence quotients) tend to be more active nocturnally, going to bed later, whereas those with lower IQ's usually retire to bed sooner after nightfall. The precise function of sleep is arguable. But, accumulating evidence shows that lack of sleep in humans and animals can result in obesity, high blood pressure and reduced life spans. Drowsiness impairs mental performance. For instance, 37 per cent of all motor vehicle accidents are caused by drowsy motorists, according to a University of Pennsylvania study. Even minor sleep deficiencies impact on body chemistry. According to Juliette Faraco of Stanford University, sleep loss generates a proportionate need for "sleep rebound". One of the most controversial and significant recent findings is the correlation in humans between the earliness/lateness of sleep preferences and intelligence. Robert Bolizs at Semmelweist University, and his coworkers, have shown that encephalograms during sleep illustrate how sleep elements are directly related to "wakeful cognitive performance." Studies by researchers H. Aliasson and colleagues show the timing of intervals of sleep "correlates closely" with student academic achievement. Extensive research by Satoshi Kanazawa and colleagues at the London School of Economics and Political Science have uncovered significant differences in sleep-timing preferences among people, depending on their IQ scores. People with higher IQ's are more apt to be nocturnal night-owls. Those with lower IQ's tend to restrict their activities primarily to daytime. People who prefer to go to bed early, and who are early-risers, demonstrate "morningness," whereas those whose sleep patterns are shifted later demonstrate "eveningness." Researchers say eveningness tends to be a characteristic of those with higher IQ's. According to Kanazawa, ancestral humans were typically diurnal, and that a shift towards more nocturnal activities is an "evolutionarily novel preference" of the type normally found in more intelligent individuals, demonstrating "a higher level of cognitive complexity" in the practitioners. Recent studies at the University of Bologna suggest early-risers are comparatively more conscientious people. Related studies indicate eveningness is often age-related and that eveningness usually peaks at between 17-21 years of age; thereafter morningness becomes more prevalent. A 2008 study by psychologist Marina Giamnietro and colleagues indicates evening-types tend to be less reliable, less emotionally stable and more apt to suffer from depression, addictions and eating disorders. Morningness or eveningness are often genetically-based, according to researchers Lambertus Klei at Carnegie Mellon Univesity, Patrick Rietz at the University of Pittsburgh and their associates. In 2008, studies at Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry demonstrated sleep-time preferences are often inherited, and subsequent data indicates that 50 per cent of sleep-time choices are dictated by genetic factors. "Hypocretins" are inextricably linked to sleep/wakefulness, according to Stanford University research. Hypocretins react with "wake-up" cell groups, including dopamine. Sleep parameters vary among animals. Cows, for instance, sleep open-eyed. Horses sleep standing up. Some birds can sleep in flight, others while standing. Dolphins sleep in one-half of their brain while the other half remains awake. Bats need 19.9 hours of sleep every 24 hours, lions need 13.5, rats 13, cats 12.5, whales 5.3, deer 3.1, giraffes 1.9, most birds three to eight and donkeys three. Robert Alison has a PhD in zoology and is based in Victoria, B.C. Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 23, 2010 H11 Read more at www.winnipegfreepress.com

 

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Dogs w Tennis Balls

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Dogs With Tennis Balls

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How To Automatically Logon To Windows 7

Amplify’d from pcsupport.about.com

How To Automatically Logon To Windows 7

If security isn't a big issue for you, configuring Windows 7 to logon to your user account automatically can save you some time when your computer is starting up. Just follow the tutorial outlined below to make Windows 7 automatically logon to your user account. When these steps are complete, Windows 7 will stop prompting for a user name and password when your computer starts up!

Time Required: Configuring Windows 7 to auto login to a user account takes less than 5 minutes Here's How: Click on Start and then enter the following command in the search box: netplwiz Press the ENTER key. This command will load the Advanced User Accounts control panel applet. In the Users tab, uncheck the box next to Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer. Click on the Apply button at the bottom of the User Accounts window. When the Automatically Log On dialog box appears, enter the user name you wish to automatically login to Windows 7 with. Then enter your account password in the two fields where it's asked. Click the OK button. Click OK on the User Accounts window to complete the process. From now on, when your PC starts up, Windows 7 will log on automatically. Read more at pcsupport.about.com

 

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Amplify’d from www.windowsreference.com

How to enable Autologon in Windows 7 & Windows Server 2008

Autologon in Windows 7 & Windows Server 2008 ( not recommended though on a server) as in any other version of Windows or even any other operating system allows a user to logon direct into his Windows desktop without having to enter the password. However, this can be possible for only one user on the and multiple user cannot have this feature enabled. To enable Autologon in Windows 7 & Windows Server 2008, 1. Click Start, search for “control userpasswords2″ and press enter. 2. Select the user from the list and uncheck “User must enter a user name and password to enter this computer” and click Apply and OK. That should do. The next time, when you start the computer, you should be logged straight into your desktop. Read more at www.windowsreference.com

 

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Amplify’d from www.lazynetworkadmin.com

Map Network Drive based on group membership – Server 2008 Every once in a while, Microsoft does something that makes you happy. I remember during the Windows server 2003 beta program, I entered in some feedback which in short stated, it would be nice if you didn’t have to attach a script to a group policy, but instead just have group policy do it for you. I gave the example of mapping network drives. Well I spoke and Microsoft listened. Thank you Microsoft. With that being said, I thought I would go over doing exactly what my previous script did but this time with even less scripting. So what did the old script do. The old script made it possible to not write any code. Simply drop 2 files into your netlogon directory, edit the csv with GroupName, DriveLetter:, servershare, and assign the vbs as a user logon script. And that’s it. I still don’t think it gets much easier than that script, but here’s how to do it the new way. Open up Group Policy Management Console –> Navigate down to Group Policy Objects. Right click and choose “New” Give the group policy a name Once you click ok it will take you back to the Group Policy Management Console. Right click on your newly created Group Policy Object and choose “Edit…” Navigate down to User Configuration –> Preferences –> Windows Settings –> Drive Maps. Right Click on Drive Maps and choose New –> Mapped Drive   Choose create, enter in the location, choose reconnect if you wish, give it a label and a drive letter. So now we have the mapped network drive, now we need to apply it to only specified group members. Click on the Common tab of the New Drive Properties dialog window. Place a check box next to Item-Level targeting. Then press the Targeting…. button Click new item and choose Security Group. This will fill in some text and give you a field to enter in the group name. In my scenario, I want my domain admins to have access to my everything drive. Click Ok Click Ok This will bring you back to the Drive Maps page. Here it will show you what you just created. Now just create each additional drive and target the other groups you want to assign a mapped network drive to. After this, all that’s left is to assign a group policy over the OU which you want this applied to. Now once the users log off and log back on they will be greeted when they open My Computer with their new mapped network drive. That’s it!! Finally.. a network admin can just apply settings without being a scripting expert. Read more at www.lazynetworkadmin.com

 

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Amplify’d from www.petri.co.il

Setting up a Logon Script through Active Directory Users and Computers in Windows Server 2008

You can use logon scripts to assign tasks that will be performed when a user logs on to a particular computer. These scripts can carry out operating system commands, set system environment variables, and call other scripts or executable programs. Some tasks commonly performed by logon scripts include:

Mapping network drives Installing and setting a user's default printer Collecting computer system information Updating virus signatures Updating software

Creating the logon script The logon script is the file that does the actual action. It could be almost any action, as noted above. So we'll start by creating that script. The default location for logon scripts is the NETLOGON share, which, by default, is shared on all Domain Controllers in an Active Directory forest, and is located in the following folder: %SystemRoot%SYSVOLsysvol<domain DNS name>scripts Where %SystemRoot% is usually “C:Windows” and <domain DNS name> is the DNS name of the domain, similar to “Petri.local”. This folder, which is a part of the SYSVOL special folder, is replicated to all the Domain Controllers in the domain. Note: The actual process of creating the script is beyond the scope of this article, there are plenty of good resources with great examples on the Internet. Create the logon script and give it the appropriate name (for example: logon.bat, logon.cmd, logon.vbs, etc.) The script can use ANY name, just make sure you know what that name is, and give it the right file extension type. Make sure that the script runs and performs the required action when it is manually run (double-click on it). Copy the logon script (CTRL+C). Paste the logon script in the NETLOGON share on one of the Domain Controllers. The NETLOGON share is located in the following path: c:WindowsSysvolSysvolDomain NameScripts. Note: You can enter a UNC path in the “Logon script” field and place the file in another location. However, this location should be one that is replicated to all Domain Controllers, and unless you have such a folder available, I'd suggest you keep to the NETLOGON share. What permissions are required for Logon scripts to run? Logon scripts run with the credentials of the user. It is recommended that the “Domain Users” group shall be given permission to any resources used by either of these scripts. For example, if the logon script writes to a log file, the group “Domain Users” should be given read/write access to the file or the folder where the log file is located. Most users have limited privileges on the local computer, so logon scripts will have the same limited privileges. Assigning the script to the user Next, we need to decide what user should have the logon script. We will work in that user's user account in Active Directory Users and Computers. With this procedure, you can only link ONE logon script to each user, and you must do it ONE USER AT A TIME, or, if you have the knowledge – script the changes in Active Directory (there are methods to do this, but I won't get into detail here). If you plan to have more than ONE logon script, and if you wish to assign that/those script(s) to more than one user, you might want to look into the "Setting up a Logon Script through GPO in Windows Server 2008" article. Open Active Directory Users and Computers from the Administrative Tools folder (or dsa.msc from RUN). Expand the domain tree, locate the OU where the user is located. Right-click the user object, select Properties. In the Profile tab, locate the Logon Script box. In the Logon Script box type the name of the script from step #2. You DO NOT need to enter the path, since it is located in the NETLOGON share. Make sure you enter the full name (i.e. logon.bat or logon.vbs etc.). Click Ok. Replicate the DCs Now we need to replicate the DCs in the domain by using either Active Directory Sites and Services, Replmon, Repadmin, or wait a few moments (depending on the number of DCs). As a simple follow up to this article, I suggest you use Active Directory Sites and Services. Testing the logon script On one of the computers that is part of the domain, logoff the specific user account. Logon and test. If the logon script doesn't work for you, go back to the basics and see if it works at all by double-clicking on it. See if it's placed in the right path – the NETLOGON share on one of the DCs, and see if it has replicated to the other DCs. Also check permissions by trying to manually run the script from the right path but while logged on as the user, and not as an administrator. Read more at www.petri.co.il

 

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Study: Americans Get Majority Of Exercise While Drunk

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Study: Americans Get Majority Of Exercise While Drunk

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