How To Secure Your Wireless Network

People have more flexible time due to wireless network. Thanks to the invention of wireless. People can now work from home while taking care of their kids or doing house works. No more stress from traffic jam anymore. Is this great?

Well, there is something you should realize. Working from home while using a wireless local area network (WLAN) may lead to theft of sensitive information and hacker or virus infiltration unless proper measures are taken. As WLANs send information over radio waves, someone with a receiver in your area could be picking up the transmission, thus gaining access to your computer. They could load viruses on to your laptop which could be transferred to the company's network when you go back to work.

Believe it or not! Up to 75 per cent of WLAN users do not have standard security features installed, while 20 per cent are left completely open as default configurations are not secured, but made for the users to have their network up and running ASAP. It is recommended that wireless router/access point setup be always done though a wired client.

You can setup your security by follow these steps:

1. Change default administrative password on wireless router/access point to a secured password.

2. Enable at least 128-bit WEP encryption on both card and access point. Change your WEP keys periodically. If equipment does not support at least 128-bit WEP encryption, consider replacing it. Although there are security issues with WEP, it represents minimum level of security, and it should be enabled.

3. Change the default SSID on your router/access point to a hard to guess name. Setup your computer device to connect to this SSID by default.

4. Setup router/access point not to broadcast the SSID. The same SSID needs to be setup on the client side manually. This feature may not be available on all equipment.

5. Block anonymous Internet requests or pings. On each computer having wireless network card, network connection properties should be configured to allow connection to Access Point Networks Only. Computer to Computer (peer to peer) Connection should not be allowed.

Enable MAC filtering. Deny association to wireless network for unspecified MAC addresses. Mac or Physical addresses are available through your computer device network connection setup and they are physically written on network cards. When adding new wireless cards / computer to the network, their MAC addresses should be registered with the router /access point. Network router should have firewall features enabled and demilitarized zone (DMZ) feature disabled.

All computers should have a properly configured personal firewall in addition to a hardware firewall. You should also update router/access point firmware when new versions become available. Locating router/access point away from strangers is also helpful so they cannot reset the router/access point to default settings. You can even try to locate router/access point in the middle of the building rather than near windows to limit signal coverage outside the building.

There is no guarantee of a full protection of your wireless network, but following these suggested tips can definitely lessen your risk of exposing to attackers aiming at insecure networks.

Developers' Icon Toolkit

ust imagine how dull computers would be if all software developers and game creators used an identical or standard icon. Fortunately, this is not the case as many of us strive for originality and creativity. But how many users have a standard background image on their Windows desktop? Desktops are clearly far more interesting with personalized desktop and file icons. And navigation is also easier, as it can be very frustrating to find a favorite game shortcut on a desktop filled with hundreds of identical icons!

Software and game developers have always used icon creation software to inject creativity and originality into PC use. And it is for this purpose that Aha-Soft has created an icon toolkit that gives both home PC users and developers the power to create, modify and convert icons.

The Aha-Soft Icon Toolkit consists of two separate software packages - 'Any-to-Icon' and 'ArtIcons'.

The Any-to-Icon software package includes an icon format conversion program, allowing users to convert more than a dozen image formats (BMP, JPEG, GIF, PNG, PCX, PSD, TGA, TIFF, WMF, WBMP, XPM, XBM and CUR) to Windows icon formats (ICO). Icon libraries can also be handled by Any-to-Icon, together with extraction of icons from ICL, EXE, DLL, SCR, IL, NIL and other libraries. Any-to-Icon has a wizard interface (as well as a command line interface) making it possible to convert multiple files in an instant.

Any-to-Icon offers a number of important functions to the home PC user. Firstly, there is icon creation: the home user can instantly convert favorite photos or images into 32-bit true color icons (Windows Vista style). It is also possible to extract icons from favorite games and use them on a desktop. Any-to-Icon even converts screenshots via the clipboard, automatically resizing and enhancing them.

In addition to assisting the home user, Any-to-Icon is an even more valuable tool for the developer. Powerful enough to handle multiple file conversion, there is no need to manually convert all software icon libraries for Windows Vista. Any-to-Icon does the job for you - simply select all software icon libraries, process them through Aha-Soft's Any-to-Icon (selecting the sizes and color depths), and the process is complete! This can result in three simple sets of icons for Windows XP users, Windows Vista users and DOS users.

And this is not all the super software can do! The custom size output setting in Any-to-Icons can be used to create icons for presentations (size 64x64 and over) and much more.

The ArtIcons software package is truly a monster utility indeed! Users can create new and original icons from scratch, using professional image editing tools, shapes and effects. Users can also convert, edit, extract and manage icons and even entire icon libraries. ArtIcons can also import Apple icons and save them to Adobe's PSD, GIF, and many other image and icon formats. ArtIcons is available in two different versions: ArtIcons Standard and ArtIcons Pro, which is supplied with an integrated icon library manager.

Using ArtIcons, software and game developers will never need to worry about how and where to get a new set of original and cool icons for their 'freshly-baked' slick software. ArtIcons allows home PC users to modify their existing icons easily and professionally, amazing friends with an awesome looking 'My Computer' icon with the user's smiling face inside the screen! The possibilities with ArtIcons are endless!

Both software packages from Aha-Soft have a clear, easy to understand and user-friendly interface in multiple languages (including French, German, Hungarian, Brazilian-Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Italian, Japanese and dozens more). ArtIcons and Any-to-Icon both come with clear help files and other documentation. Both packages were developed to be powerful and resourceful for professional users (ie art designers, software programmers, web developers), while remaining easy-to-use for amateurs and normal PC users.

ArtIcons and Any-to-Icon are available instantly using a credit card over the phone, by mail, e-mail or using a secure order form on the developer's website. The packages are compact enough to be downloaded instantly using a broadband internet connection, or in just a few minutes over a 56kbit/sec modem. The option of having a CD-ROM sent out to any country in the world is also available. Aha-Soft also has special discount schemes for bulk volume purchases, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Aha-Soft provides demo downloads for both Any-to-Icon and ArtIcons, with a fully functional 30-day trial period for the latter, and some function limitations for Any-to-Icon.

The world of icon creation and modification has never been so easy with Aha-Soft's Icon Toolkit: ArtIcons and Any-to-Icon. Be original and creative, save time and money - try ArtIcons and Any-to-Icon today!

For more information please visit the web pages of Aha-Soft's ArtIcons and Any-to-Icon.

Protect Your Computer With Zone Labs

Location Laboratories is the most respected name in Online protection software, and with good reason. The Location Laboratories items are effective at keeping computer techniques protected from malware, online online criminals and other Online bad guys without clogging up your system.

They're also easy to set up and configure to meet your needs. Location Labs' items offer a range of services depending on what you need and want from an Online protection application.

ZoneAlarm, the most primary firewall application program offered by Location Laboratories, can be downloaded for free and used for individual, non-business use.

ZoneAlarm Pc virus adds the Location Laboratories triple-defense firewall application, malware protection, e-mail protection and protection for your wifi network.

Zone Labs' ZoneAlarm Anti-Spyware offers the same features as the malware application except with anti-spyware protection instead of malware.

The added power of ZoneAlarm Pro contains Location Labs' identification fraud and comfort protection programs, e-mail protection and anti-spyware.

The all-in-one solution from Location Laboratories is ZoneAlarm Online Security Suite, such as the primary and multiple protection firewalls, anti-spyware, malware, identification fraud and comfort protection, anti-phishing and trash blocker, e-mail protection, im protection, parent handles and protection for wifi PCs.

You can also buy the im protection and parent handles separately from Location Laboratories in the item or service IMsecure Pro.

These items from Location Laboratories can offer you comfort as they secure your pc from a variety of problems you don't want to have. Location Laboratories can secure you from online online criminals, trash, infections, identification fraud and more. Stop these menaces before they get to your pc and your information, with a little help from Location Labs

Zone Laboratories is the respected leader in Online protection and individual firewall application techniques. More than 30 million computer techniques worldwide are respected to Location Laboratories items. And it couldn't be easier to secure your pc from all of the various threats that are out there when one Location Laboratories products can do it all for you.

The Location Laboratories items are super easy to set up and use but still very powerful. They allow customers to secure themselves without a lot of effort or thought on their part. Location Laboratories also allows more knowledgeable users to fine-tune the settings on their items to provide them exactly what they need from the firewall application and Online protection package.

If you need technical help when working with any products from Location Laboratories, you can find assistance online, via e-mail and through the ZoneAlarm Support Center. Location Laboratories is there with you to help make your Online techniques work for you and secure your pc in the best way possible.

There's no better feeling than being able to get online and know that your pc is safe from infections, online online criminals and identification thieves. Location Laboratories can offer you that kind of protection.

Free Online Games- Use Strategy Games To Develop Thinking

Most of the management courses have strategy game playing as a subject. I am a marketer. My product price is say - x. my competitor introduces his/her product at price - y. what should I do with my price that will increase my share. Because whatever I do, my competitor will manipulate their price. This becomes a game of strategy between my competitor and me. Who so ever devises a better strategy wins in the marketing competition. Free online games help in thinking development for such situations.

Our life is made of strategic steps. Can free online games help us develop our strategic thinking? Let me give one more example of games and strategy. I am an employer. I want to give only a small raise to my employees. But they want more or will leave the job. The risk faced by them is that of not getting another job. The risk for me is to lose my trained employees/. What should I do to retrain them even by giving only a small raise? This is another game that is played between an employer and an employee. Free online games can help us learn more about how to develop strategies for winning.

We all play roles and games with each other. Look at the discount sale announced by big shops. They want the customers to buy goods when the prices are high and the customers want to postpone their purchases till the sale is announced. This is another game playing. Every field of life involves game playing and strategy making. Who so ever has the winning strategy wins in the end. to think strategically is a very important quality of mind. free Online Games can help in developing that ability substantially.

How to Play Omaha High-Low Poker?

When you are learning how to play Omaha high-low you need to learn some special approaches with starting hands. It is also important that you concentrate in comparing your hand with the community card for a poker when you are learning how to play Omaha high-low as a beginner or amateur. Never forget the 2 from the pocket card and 3 from the board card concept in Omaha.

How to play Omaha high-low explained in a nutshell:-
• Forced blinds are made.
• Four down cards are dealt – bet follows from player left to blind (4 pocket)
• Burn
• Three face up community cards - bet follows – from remaining players (3 flop cards)
• Another face up community card - bet follows - from remaining players (1 turn card)
• Last community card face up - bet follows - from remaining players (1 river card)
• Showdown, high and low shares the pot

How to play Omaha high-low and finalize on pot splitting?
• If the same player has both the high and low the pot is taken by the single player.
• If one player has high and other has low (8 or better) the pot is split in to half
• If one player has high and 2 have equally ranked lows, half pot goes to the high rank and the remaining half pot is split between the two lows
• If one player has high and lows and another has equal lows, the high low player takes three-fourth of the pot and the one-fourth is taken by the player with equal low.

A strong starting can be a monstrous luck. If you happen to have the following, you have most probabilities of winning:-
• AAKK, AAQQ, AAJJ, AATT, AAJT, AA99 or AAXX are the best of the hands regardless of double suits.
• KKQQ, KKJJ, KKTT, QQJJ, QQTT, KQJT, JT98, KKAQ, KKAJ, KKQJ, KKQT, KKJT, QQAK, QQAJ, AAKJ, QQKT, QQJT, QQJ9 are also best hands.

When you learn how to play Omaha high-low the most of the trick lies in:-
• Pocket card versus community card considering the 2 from pocket and 3 from board requirement.
• Above all learn to read the 8 or better low card versus the low nuts!

When you learn how to play Omaha high-low you need concentrate on how to read the low nuts, if possible try to mug up the series of nut lows.

Careful When You Strip, There's A Secret Video Surveillance Security Camera In There!

Ladies, have you ever felt naughty eyes on you at the store's dressing room? You are probably right. There is someone watching, so better get out.

Thought you were safe from prying eyes?

Each time you shop for a new outfit you always have to check it out in the fitting room. Enclosed in a little space with a mirror, you think you are alone, so you strip and slip on the jeans or dress and strip again to put your clothes back on.

Your intuition must be right to tell that you're on video. Surveillance security camera systems can be used for mischief too and all ladies must beware. Peeping Toms have gone a level higher in their favorite past time. They have tapped the features of a video surveillance security camera and can enjoy viewing the fitting room scenes in the privacy of their home.

Incredible but sadly true

Hidden cameras are a bane and boon to society. It is an emerging menace when the cameras are turned on unsuspecting women who are thinking they are safe in their homes or in public dressing rooms. Unscrupulous persons can make hidden cameras and use remote controls to activate these.

The use of video surveillance security cameras to invade one's privacy is act of terrorism and is against the law. Yet, people misuse these gizmos with impunity. Peeping toms are not the only ones abusing these security systems. Employers can also bully their staff by keeping an overzealous eye on them.

Unless they are caught spying on women in the privacy of dressing rooms, nothing can be done against the culprits. The law, though, has caught up with voyeurs of the Caesar's Atlantic City of New Jersey. The gaming palace was fined $80,000 by the Casino Control Commission because of unscrupulous use of video surveillance security cameras.

Spying on the spy

Violators of the laws governing the use of video surveillance security camera equipment face one to five years in prison and penalties, so if you have caught a peeping tom in a public place or even in your neighborhood, you can sue. A tape of the recording must be presented as evidence.

Women must be informed of the ugly side of video surveillance security camera systems meant to protect them. One way to protect yourself from malicious eyes is to have a wireless video camera hunter. This can easily track hidden wireless cameras. When it detects a live wireless video, a signal is displayed immediately on the built-in 2.5" color video screen. The alert tone will sound when it has espied a hidden camera. In this case, it indeed takes a spy to catch a spy.

Informed and alert

Moms should caution their teens about fitting rooms, school washrooms, and public comfort rooms. Ladies should never strip without any cover. Children in day school should also get protection from the improper use of video surveillance security camera systems. Indeed, kids should be taught how to protect themselves and to report suspicious activities. It is always an advantage to be informed and well armed.

Finding Photo Editing Software

If you take a lot of pictures, or are getting ready for an event where you'll want to have lots of quality photos to include in your family album (i.e. weddings, holiday get-togethers), you'll want to know more about photo editing software that is both affordable and easy to use. Here are some software programs for editing photographs and graphics that you may want to check out.

Virieu has a free photo editing program that is easy to use, and is compatible with most computers. With the program, you can add captions to your pictures, 'frame' your portraits digitally, and make your photos into backgrounds for your screen or to send out in your email by using the fade and shade features that come along with the program. The programs will also show you how to darken or lighten certain sections of the picture, so that you can remove certain items from your photograph. You can try the editing software out for free during a 21-day trail, and then the service is $29.00.
www.reallusion.com also has a wide variety of editing equipment to try that will make any picture you take look professional and impressive. You can take advantage of the muscle-based facial enhancement feature, so that you can 'fix' the faces of the people you take pictures of to create a more flattering photograph.

Other products from the company include the Effect 3D Studio, a graphics editing and design program that allows you to make animated graphics no matter what your skill level is. You can also purchase CrazyTalk, a program that allows you to create animated talking characters for PowerPoint and DVD presentations. Most computers are equipped to download the programs (a Windows 98 or higher is usually acceptable), and you can try the products out before you purchase any of the programs.

In order for you to download, edit, and save your photos on your computer, you'll need a digital camera to take your pictures with. Brands like Canon and Olympus have great digital cameras that are easy for you to use, and produce quality photos that you can save on your computer. You may also want to pick up a book or two with some more basic information on photo editing software, so that you'll know which programs are easiest to use and most affordable. You can also find new and used photo editing programs, such as Instant Photo Editor on sites like www.amazon.com, with complete CD-ROM instructions on how to make sure you edit great photos every time you use the program.

Gps Cell Phone Tracking Technology

New regulations concerning GPS cell phone tracking will make you more secure especially during emergencies. Under new FCC regulations (E911) all new cell phones must have a GPS chip installed during manufacturing. This allows the local 911 dispatcher to access your location during any emergency. This technology has already saved numerous lives. In addition it has help law enforcement agencies to track and arrest criminal suspects. In addition many manufactures have designed their phones to allow the user to use the phone for navigation. However GPS cell phone tracking technology is not without its critics.

Many people feel the new GPS cell phone tracking technology is another intrusion into their privacy. FCC regulations generally prohibit anyone from accessing your cell phone information including your GPS tracking information. Even law enforcement agencies are required to have a judicial warrant to access your GPS cell phone tracking data. However, there are several new companies that have begun to provide Private GPS cell phone tracking information on any cell phone user. The legality of these services is a much debated issue. State laws often have in some cases restricted these services. Private investigators, bail bond agents and friend of the court personnel are the most common customers for this service. Obviously there is the possibility of misuse of this information by stalkers and other criminals. Some people have refused to upgrade their phones in order to keep their phone location information private.

The new GPS cell phone tracking technology allows the phone company and 911 dispatchers to accurate locate your cell phone to less 100 feet in most outdoor environments however if you live and work within the deep canyons of an urban setting the accuracy will be degraded to 300 feet or more. Buildings that do not allow good cell phone coverage will obviously prevent cell phone tracking. In addition if are located within area that blocks cell phone service. Recently a woman lost control of her car while on our local interstate ending up deep within the heavily treed median. She was trapped in the vehicle but was able to call 911 for assistance. Unfortunately she was unable to tell the dispatcher exactly where she was. State troopers and sheriff deputies spent time looking for her but her vehicle was not visible from the Interstate. Fortunately dispatch was able to access the GPS cell phone tracking information for her phone. Troopers were able to locate exactly where she was located and she was extricated from here vehicle and taken to the local hospital.

Despite all the privacy concerns, the new GPS cell phone tracking capability is a valuable tool for emergency responders and law enforcement personnel. Hopefully law makers will monitor the use of this technology to make sure that the ability to abuse this valuable technology is limited. However we certainly hope that they do not make laws that prevent private citizens from using this valuable tool to track their own privately owned phones. GPS cell phone tracking technology that allows you to keep track of your family members through their cell phone keeping you and your family safe.