Monday, September 5, 2011
If you’re in an area with intermittent or no internet access, you might be happy to know that you can get online by using your cell phone as a wireless router. All you need is a phone that has internet connectivity with an appropriate data plan, a laptop and a USB cable, and you can create your own WiFi hotspot. But there are some things to be aware of before you try this out. The data limits for your particular cell phone package can be exceeded very quickly when you use your phone as a router, so check into charges for extra data usage. Similarly, your phone’s battery life will drain quickly, so it’s a good idea to plug in your phone while you’re using it as a router.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
You may go online on a regular basis to watch movies or episodes of favourite TV shows that you may have missed. But are your online actions hurting anyone? According to a recent study by the Institute for Policy Innovation, it was revealed that copyright infringement costs the U.S. economy almost sixty billion dollars, over 350,000 jobs and about 2 billion dollars in tax revenue. The internet has become a vast sea of resources for anyone wanting to view online content. But not all of these sources offer their selections legally. While sites like YouTube and Megavideo have removed a host of copyrighted television and movie content from their lists, there are still thousands more that can be found online and have yet to be removed.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Internet service providers have teamed up with the motion picture and movie industry in an attempt to cut down on illegal downloads of copyrighted materials. The ISPs have agreed to issue warnings to consumers who have engaged in illegal downloads. Repeated violations can result in the reduction of the speed of your broadband connection or forcing you to a web page which lists copyright laws. Most people are probably not even aware that what they are doing is illegal. Also, many homes have wireless networks set up and individuals in close proximity to their residence may be able to piggy-back off their Internet connection. The companies have assured consumers that there will be a review process for any customers who feel they have been unfairly targeted.
Today millions of families have wireless networks in their homes. These networks are set up using wireless routers that are connected to DSL or cable modems. The routers then send an Internet signal throughout the home. Many people are not aware, however, that when other people come near your home they may be able to access your Internet connection. Some criminals reportedly drive around neighborhoods searching for these connections that they then hack into. Their goal is to gain access to your bank accounts or obtain personal information about you. It has been reported that there are millions of dollars in financial losses attributed to this kind of illegal tapping into the wireless networks of unsuspecting families in just this way. The good news is that there are steps that you can take to protect yourself from these attacks.
As you happily surf away on your handy, always-on wireless home network, did you know that there are bad guys out there that want in on your connection? They have all sorts of tools at their disposal to hack into you connection, watch your habits, and target your login information so that they, too, can access your bank account right after you do. Internet service providers in your area often allow you to purchase a wireless router to easily set up a home network situation. Sometimes they even throw a router in for free with certain plans. But it’s your job to protect yourself, so make sure you look into encryption, software firewall and anti-virus protection, and don’t forget to look into hotspot safety as well. It’s easy to access the internet safely and securely with a little bit of know-how.
If your family has a wireless network that uses a wireless router, you have reason to be concerned. It has been reported that millions of dollars in losses have been experienced by families that have had their Internet connection tapped into. Who does this? Web pirates who visit neighborhoods using scanners to locate available wireless networks in the area. Your router, you see, may send a signal that can actually be picked up outside the walls of your home. There are ways to protect your family, however. The Number One defense against intruders is to encrypt your signal when you first turn your router on. Firewalls should be set up on the individual computers that your family members use. You should make sure your software firewall is turned on and that you disable any file sharing features in Windows.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
A few years back you could find song-sharing sites online where individuals would post links and allow others to download the songs they had on their computer. To join, you had to allow others to download songs from your hard drive. Suddenly millions of songs were being swapped back and forth with absolutely no consideration for compensating the artists who wrote or recorded the songs. Finally, the music industry got into the act and these share-sites were promptly closed down. But, in the meantime, people became engrossed in downloading free music. This has been an ongoing problem until recently when a large group of Internet service providers entered into an agreement with a private group representing the music and motion picture industry. The ISPs have agreed to monitor customer accounts and educate consumers with a warning when they use their Internet account for an illegal download of copyrighted material.
It’s no surprise to anyone with access to the internet or any other news source, that the entertainment industry has lost a lot of income due to piracy. We people just love a bargain or a freebie, and we simply can’t resist downloading stuff we really don’t have a right to. After all, there are such things as copyright laws. So internet service providers are teaming up with rights groups for the music and film industries to help educate consumers when they are breaking copyright laws. But don’t worry — they won’t be sending a short list to the copyright owners with your name on it so that the lawsuits can promptly begin. Most of us, however, would respond well to knowing what’s out of bounds and taking preventive measures to eliminate this problem. After all, I still want my MTV!
When you’re looking for a special kind of scary, a good place to start is with the Mexican horror film genre. Incredibly engaging and well-written, these Mexican films have a long history that started in the early 30s. That’s fun scary. But what’s not fun scary is the frustration you could experience when trying to watch videos with a slow internet connection. If your speed isn’t what you want, then why settle for second best? Thankfully you don’t have to when you research ISPs online with a quality comparison resource. In just a few minutes, you could be enjoying all of the fine Mexican cinema that the internet has to offer. And many providers will reward you for signing up online by giving you discounted months of service or free equipment.