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December 29, 2006

Got Spam?

Did you know that over 90% of email is spam? Good thing spam filters prevent most of it from actually being delivered into email inboxes. Here's a good article on the recent rise of spam emails.

And even more important, here are 10 tips to safely survive spam. A good rule of thumb is that if it looks like spam, it probably is so it's best to not even open it. And if you do, certainly don't click on any links because that can lead to all kinds of trouble.

Posted by Hugh Garber at 09:38 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page

December 28, 2006

Secure file transfers

I've recently received a handful of questions about securing file transfers.

This is a GREAT topic for some of my upcoming blog posts!

In the meantime, the WS_FTP Professional Security Guide does a nice job of highlighting the security capabilities of the WS_FTP file transfer client.

Posted by Hugh Garber at 09:40 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page

December 27, 2006

Buying a new laptop?

Planning to ring in the new year with a brand spanking new laptop? If so, here's a great resource to help you choose what type of laptop to get. The guide includes recommendations on how to configure it based on your computing activities and also suggests some helpful buying tips.

Posted by Hugh Garber at 10:03 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page

December 22, 2006

Happy holidays!

It’s hard to believe that 2006 is already coming to an end. Writing for the FTPplanet blog has been a blast .... And I look forward to continue posting FTP information and product tips while also mixing-in other interesting technology topics and news.

I would like to say thank you to all of the dedicated readers of FTPplanet. Also, here's a big thank you to our members and forum moderator who have contributed greatly to the success of our online community.

Have a safe and happy holiday season!

Posted by Hugh Garber at 10:11 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page

December 21, 2006

Sale on WS_FTP Home

Now is a great time to get the latest version of WS_FTP Home.

Ipswitch is selling WS_FTP Home for just $15 until December 31st.

"WS_FTP Home 2007 lets you quickly and easily transfer music, photo and video files and publish personal websites, blogs, and podcasts."

$15 is the lowest price I have ever seen WS_FTP Home sell for. What are you waiting for???

Posted by Hugh Garber at 09:37 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page

December 20, 2006

Desperately Seeking Kooky?

If you're searching for an unusual, funny, and curiously outlandish gift then check out PCWorld's Oddball Gift Sites. Loads of goofy bobbleheads, action figures, t-shirts and other novelties are now at your fingertips.

Hmmmm ..... should I get the Star Wars Darth Tater Mr. Potato Head OR the South Park Talking Cartman Deluxe Action Figure???

Nevermind, I'm going with the Homer Simpson Chia Pet -- I never would have guessed that Homer could sprout hair!!! Now if I can only get that silly "Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia" jingle out of my head.....

Posted by Hugh Garber at 09:02 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page

December 19, 2006

FTP Overview

I often get asked questions like "What is FTP and how does it work?"

Basically, FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol .... and FTP is a very commonly-used Internet technology for moving and sharing files between two locations. FTP is a widely adopted and proven technology that's used by million of people worldwide every day. An FTP transfer requires two computers -- A server and a client.

* FTP Client: Computer running FTP client software such as WS_FTP Home, initiates a connection to the server.

* FTP Server: Computer running FTP server software such as WS_FTP Server, listens for connection requests from other computers.

The FTP Server administrator decides who can connect to the FTP Server and allows verious file transfer activities such as uploading files to the server, download files from the server, rename or delete files on the server and creating new folders on the server.

Posted by Hugh Garber at 09:16 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page

December 18, 2006

Apple iPod vesus Microsoft Zune

Microsoft is challenging Apple in the portable music arena. CNET's Veronica Belmont leads the two products into a ring and lets them fight it out based on features, style, compatibility and more. See which player comes out the champ.

Posted by Hugh Garber at 09:15 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page

December 15, 2006

Crazy Computer Mice

Funny slideshow showing ten amazingly crazy computer mice. My favs are the glow-in-the-dark mouse, the ergonomic cool fan mouse, the germ-free mouse, and the mouse made of bamboo.

What will they think of next? Perhaps a mouse made of cheese?

Posted by Hugh Garber at 10:15 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page

December 14, 2006

Customize how WS_FTP software launches

Did you know that you can change how WS_FTP 2007 behaves at launch. You can choose to:

- Open a blank workspace (ie: Do not connect to any saved server connections)
- Open a FTP connection dialog (ie: Asks what server connection you want to open)
- Open the last local and remote server folders (ie: WS_FTP opens the last local and server connections)
- Connect to your default FTP site (ie: Similar to choosing a browser homepage)

Open up the Options screen by selecting 'Tools' and then 'Options' (or by clicking the 'Options' icon in the toolbar). The Options screen should open to the 'General' tab. Look for the 'Auto Reconnect' option and select what you want from the drop down box.

I like to start WS_FTP by opening my last local and server connections ..... and while doing so it also automatically re-enters my server logon info for me. Very convenient!!!

Posted by Hugh Garber at 09:20 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page

December 13, 2006

Wackiest Gifts Under $200

Looking for some unique gift suggestions? Here's a list of 10 pretty wacky gift ideas. My favorite is the digital piggy bank with LED screen ..... and the iPod dock for the bathroom is sure to be a crowd pleaser!

Posted by Van K at 09:35 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page

December 12, 2006

Find a wireless hotspot near you!

Great site to find a wireless hotspot. Very handy resource for when you're traveling and need to feed your addictive Internet habit!

More than 130,000 wireless hotspots are listed from over 125 countries around the globe. The United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France and South Korea and Japan account for a big chunk of the listed hotspots, and cities with the most number of hotspots are San Francisco, New York and Chicago.

Posted by Hugh Garber at 10:50 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page

December 11, 2006

WS_FTP for blogging

Here's a blog from the Philippines that I came across this morning that describes how you can use WS_FTP to update your website.

Posted by Hugh Garber at 09:25 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page

December 07, 2006

FTP Basics

Here's a great tutorial on the basics of using FTP.

The WS_FTP Getting Started Tour does a real nice job of showing how WS_FTP client software is used to share files with an FTP Server. The video also includes an example on how WS_FTP can be used to publish a website.

Posted by Hugh Garber at 09:53 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page

December 06, 2006

Gifts for Geeks

Here's a few cool gift ideas in eWeeks "Geeks Guide to Holiday Shopping." I'm eying one of the Thinkpad X30's myself....

Posted by Van K at 10:33 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page

December 05, 2006

Compression saves time!

Compressing files into .ZIP format reduces the time it takes to transfer files.

WS_FTP Professinal has a fully integrated and amazingly easy to use .ZIP Compression feature. All you do is click the "Compression" icon and then your file transfers will be automatically compressed before being transferred.

Here's a screenshot from the Ipswitch website that showcases the compression feature of WS_FTP Professional. The .TXT file on the left side is 1.15MB .... and when its compressed and transferred the .ZIP file is now half the size.

The smaller the file size, the quicker the transfer will complete.

I like things that save me time!

Posted by Hugh Garber at 09:20 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page

December 04, 2006

TVs Hot .... Desktop PCs Not

This years hot consumer products are big-screen televisions, new video gaming consoles, digital cameras and notebook PCs. And its great to see that prices are falling on most of these items.

"The XBox 360 is on everybody's list ..... And the PS3 and the Wii, of course. Those are hot."

Posted by Van K at 10:57 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page

December 01, 2006

Surf Safely!

A few words of caution as we approach the holiday season. There are scammers all over the Internet trying to take advantage of folks with spam and phishing scams.

Here's a good article with examples of eBay, PayPal and eCard scams. "The first thing to remember is that while it is the season of giving, it is very important to keep your wits about you whenever you make purchases or open e-mails."

Posted by Hugh Garber at 10:01 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page