Kilo Seven

This is rich. A programmer's blog illustrates how to use Linux to protect you from Windows viruses by running your Windows programs in the Linux Windows emulator, 'Wine', and how easy it is to kill a virus in Wine. It also shows how Firefox warns you three times before the virus gets into your system from Facebook. You want computing safety? Use Firefox and Linux.

A very clear technical explanation from a Microsoft expert explains why Vista freezes . Solution: Only run one app at a time, buy Windows Seven, or upgrade to Ubuntu 9 .

Oh, this is so slick. A freeware site I track explains how you can use freeware to control your Windows PC or Mac by posting tweets.

This Ziff-Davis/CBS article suggests using a Linux Live CD for online banking and shopping . UPDATE: So does the Washington Post computing columnist . Why? Even the director of the FBI almost fell for a phishing scheme, and if he can be had, so can you. Linux Live CDs boot your computer with the free, much-more-secure Linux operating system, and look very much like Windows. However, you don't have access to your hard drive, so viruses and spyware can't take hold in your system. If you want to save data, you can save it to a USB 'thumbdrive' flash memory device you can take with you, and the article discussing saving passwords on a flash drive in a locked, encrypted file. It's really easy to download from kubuntu.com and 'burn' Linux to a blank CD-R, have one mailed to you, or you can skip that and buy a disc at FreeGeek at 1731 SE 10th , east of Union behind the Goodwill store. Their Thrift Store sells discs for a buck, 11 AM - 7PM, Tuesday - Saturday. H

Gotta Sidekick? BACK IT UP NOW. BY HAND. There are still folks out there who don't know their Sidekick smartphone data is toast if they let their battery run down or if they do a reset (a typical problem solving procedure for Sidekicks). Here's a block diagram of the Sidekick system as originally designed: And, after your data's protection was outsourced to Elbonia: Daniel Eran Dilger has the most complete explanation of this sorry Redmondic debacle whereby Sidekick users lost data Microsoft should have protected, if their word was worth anything: Microsoft's takeover of Danger (creator of the Sidekick - ed. comment) almost two years ago should have given the software giant the time to fortify and secure Danger's online operations. Instead, it appears the company actually removed support to cut costs. According to a source familiar with Danger before and after the Microsoft acquisition , T-Mobile's close partnership with the original Danger was leveraged and