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February 28, 2007
The Internet's Influence on Shopping
Here are a few interesting research nuggets from IDG.
1. Growth in online sales are expected to grow an average of 11% per year and will hit $174 billion within the next five years. Over time, online sales will account for 10%-15% of ALL U.S. retail sales.
2. Online research is GREATLY influencing offline sales and will continue to expand.
I'm certainly not surprised that more and more people are buying things online.... And I'm also not surprised that the Internet is influencing what people purchase in stores. But the numbers are staggering, not to mention the change in people's shopping habits!
Do you use the Internet to research products before you buy them in stores? I know I do..... it saves me time and makes me a more informed consumer!
Posted by Hugh Garber at 07:26 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page
February 26, 2007
It's More Than Personal: Data Protection Critical For Business
I've recently been blogging a lot about security.
Some of my blog posts have been about protecting the files that you transfer with the advanced capabilities of WS_FTP Professional.
Some of my blog posts have been about how to protect yourself and your computer from general Internet hazards.
Today's blog post is also about security, but more from the corporate security perspective. Every day we share personal information with all kinds of companies, ranging from credit card numbers, health information, financial statements, legal documents, and an astonishing array of other information. Do you ever wonder how businesses handle that information and the precautions they take to protect it?
Here is a great post from today's Ipswitch blog that talks about the recent TJX data breach and resulting exposure of consumer credit card numbers... and it also mentions proposed laws to "force retailers and other companies along with government agencies and nonprofit groups to pay for losses if financial data is stolen."
Hallelujah!
Posted by Hugh Garber at 08:59 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page
February 23, 2007
Beware of "Free Wi-Fi"
Looking to pass time at the airport while waiting for your flight? Well, be super careful about HOW you get online. Free wireless Internet connections may make your computer vulnerable to hackers and full of spyware. Be careful and don't put your PC in harms way.
"The next time you're at an airport looking for a wireless hot spot, and you see one called "Free Wi-Fi" or a similar name, beware -- you may end up being victimized by the latest hot-spot scam hitting airports across the country.
You could end up being the target of a "man in the middle" attack, in which a hacker is able to steal the information you send over the Internet, including usernames and passwords. And you could also have your files and identity stolen, end up with a spyware-infested PC and have your PC turned into a spam-spewing zombie. The attack could even leave your laptop open to hackers every time you turn it on, by allowing anyone to connect to it without your knowledge."
Don't become a victim! Read the complete Computerworld article for more details about how the attack works and how to keep yourself safe from it.
Posted by Hugh Garber at 07:38 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page
February 22, 2007
FTP -- Client & Sever
Here's a nice summary of the File Transfer Protocol that I found on the Hill Associates website. The overview does a good job on the basics of FTP, but my favorite part is their graphic showing an FTP Client and an FTP Server interacting through the Internet. Great job at showing how FTP works in a very simple way!
Here's a shortcut to the picture: View image
Posted by Hugh Garber at 07:46 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page
February 21, 2007
WS_FTP & Vista
Ipswitch has updated their website with some new Vista compatibility news for WS_FTP.
A Vista compatible version of WS_FTP is available.... If you own WS_FTP Professional 2007 or WS_FTP Home 2007 or have an active Service Agreement, you can download the Vista compatible version with your serial number and email address at http://www.ipswitch.com/vistadlc.
More info in on their site about Vista for WS_FTP evaluators and customers running older versions WS_FTP.
Posted by Hugh Garber at 07:30 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page
February 20, 2007
Tips to Keep Your Personal Data Safe
Online safety is a hot topic these days. The good news is that there are some easy precautions that you can take to help insure that your computer remains secure and that your personal information remains private.
Here's a great slideshow from eWeek: "How to Safeguard Your Personal Data -- Before, During and After a Breach". Some of the ways to protect yourself online are to keep a watchful eye on your bank statement, know when to disclose personal information, recognize phishing, review and scrutinize your credit report for unauthorized activity, and keep up with current news.
Posted by Hugh Garber at 07:08 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page
February 15, 2007
Uploading a Website: "This may sound hard but it is really easy and fun..."
There are many people out there who are learning about how to create their website. Here's some good advice from Martin Alba from the Philippines. "Uploading a website -- This may sound hard but it is really easy and fun... FTP is generally the easiest and most popular options"
In addition to using FTP, Martin also mentions Dreamweaver and Macromedia, and he also gives some really good step-by-step directions for all three options.
Do you have a website? If so, leave a comment and let us know what software you use and any tips & tricks you'd like to share....
Posted by Hugh Garber at 12:25 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page
February 14, 2007
Feeling Insecure? You're Not Alone!
Here's a real telling survey: Consumers Not Confident About Internet Security
The silver lining is that people are aware and concerned about Internet security ..... Companies are continually developing better software to safeguard to consumers ..... And more and more people worldwide are taking precautions to help ensure a safe online experience.
Here's an interesting tidbits from the survey: "51 percent of consumers are not confident that their Internet security software is protecting their system."
In the coming weeks I'll blog a bit about online safety precautions......
Posted by Hugh Garber at 07:39 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page
February 13, 2007
Geek Gifts for Valentine's Day
Looking for something cool to get your geeky girl or guy for Valentine's Day?
Forget about chocolate, jewelry or flowers. Instead, go with a heart-shaped computer mouse, keyboard boxers, a challenging game of NET.OPOLY or an iPod-friendly t-shirt.
Posted by Hugh Garber at 07:33 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page
February 09, 2007
SNEAK PEEK: WS_FTP Server 6 with SSH
Ipswitch has posted a "sneak peek" at the upcoming release of WS_FTP Server 6 with SSH.
You can enter your email address in the "let me know" form to be notified when the new product launches and is available for trial and purchase.
The new web administration looks fantastic! It's a great facelift from the previous version of the product. And new encryption strength and file integrity match that found in WS_FTP Pro and are the strongest you'll find anywhere.
Other release highlights include:
- Faster FTP transfers and improved scalability
- Transfer files over FTP, SSL & SSH protocols
- Industry-leading 256-bit AES encryption
- Uncompromised file integrity with SHA-512
- High availability architecture for clustering & load balancing
- Stronger password policies including auto-expiration
- Customizable logging of transfers and admin activity
Posted by Hugh Garber at 07:39 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page
February 08, 2007
Mobile Video Calls
Two-way video calling over cell phones is still a ways away .... but it does look like we're getting close. Here's some news from LG and Cingular (or is it now AT&T?) about their upcoming "wireless video share" that lets users send a live video stream to a recipient during a standard voice call.
Posted by Hugh Garber at 07:30 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page
February 07, 2007
WS_FTP for Vista
Here's updated Vista news from the WS_FTP online user forum. If you own WS_FTP Home or WS_FTP Professional you can get a Vista compatible version by emailing support@ipswitch.com
"A Vista compatible version of WS_FTP Professional 2007 is available today via our Technical Support organization. We do have a publicly available update in the works that should release in Q1 2007.
In the meantime, if you have a license of WS_FTP Professional 2007 or have an active Service Agreement, you are eligible for a version that is available today that runs on Vista and 64-bit OSs. Please email Technical Support (support@ipswitch.com) and for faster service, have your Serial Number available."
Posted by Hugh Garber at 07:27 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page
February 06, 2007
Go Phish!
I'm not usually the type of person that becomes happy when hearing about other peoples misfortunes. But I must admit that reading about the conviction of Jeffrey Goodin made me feel upbeat because we're starting to see more and more focus, effort and force in making the Internet a safe place for everyone.
"Jeffrey Brett Goodin has become the first person convicted by a jury for launching a phishing attack aimed at America Online (AOL) users. He faces more than 100 years in prison following the decision under the CAN SPAM Act late last week in Los Angeles.
The jury found that Goodin operated an Internet-based scheme to trick people into believing they were providing information to a legitimate business.
Posted by Hugh Garber at 07:34 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page
February 05, 2007
FTP summary
Here's a nice File Transfer Protocol summary from a webmaster or web hosting perspective.
"FTP is most commonly used to download a file from a server using the Internet or to upload a file to a server (e.g., uploading a Web page file to a server) ..... FTP is commonly used to transfer Web page files from their creator to the computer that acts as their server for everyone on the Internet."
Many thanks to eUKhost.com, a web hosting company in the United Kingdom, for their informative blog post.
Posted by Hugh Garber at 07:39 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page
February 02, 2007
History of Game Consoles
Great history of video game consoles that spans from the 1975 Atari Pong to today's Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation.
Video game technology sure has come a long way over the last 30 or so years. My favorite part of the anthology is looking back at some of the old television ads. I still have great memories of being my neighborhood's Atari Ice Hockey champ from about 25 years ago.....
Posted by Hugh Garber at 08:10 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page
February 01, 2007
Archiving Images for Sharing
Our friends at ACD Systems have written an article about popular ways to archive all of the digital photos that you've collected before sharing them with friends and family. It's definitely a good read.....
Posted by Hugh Garber at 07:52 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page
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