The growing list of XP SP3-related glitches being encountered by users should give pause to anyone thinking of downloading and installing the update.
if you've kept XP patched from week to week, there's presently no clear advantage to implementing the operating system latest service pack, though you'll want to do so eventually.

When should you install XP Service Pack 3?
Since its initial release a little over a month ago, XP Service Pack 3 has been plagued with reports of problems among early adopters. Considering that the service pack's most important enhancements relate to computers on corporate networks, you may be wondering whether you need XP SP3 at all.

It comes down to a question of support. Microsoft supports each service pack for two years following the release of its successor. Thus in the spring of 2010, XP SP3 will be the only XP service pack that Microsoft will support. In addition, Microsoft has stated it will offer free support for those facing XP SP3 installation issues through April 2009. If you have already installed XP SP3 and haven't experienced any problems or any other service-pack glitch, you don't need to remove SP3.

However, if you haven't yet installed XP SP3, hold off. There are known problems with computers related to AMD processors, Norton Antivirus System Protect and some have been reported with Office 2000 and Explorer 7.

Instead, scroll down the Windows Update page each Patch Watch Tuesday and choose to install updates that do not include XP SP3.

Bottom line: if you've installed XP SP3 and your PC is working fine, leave it alone. However, if you suspect SP3 has caused your system to act up, remove it via XP's Add or Remove Programs applet. Finally, if you haven't installed SP3, it's perfectly okay to wait until all the wrinkles are ironed out.

Just remember, there's no rush to deploy this service pack.

It is claimed that 95% of failed searches are not because the information is not on the internet. It is due either to faulty technique or lack of perseverance. The following items will help you to succeed in searching. Be aware that upper and lower case in Google will give the same answers, unlike earlier search engines.

Word selection - You have to forget how you think and learn to think like Google. This is because Google operates through a complex series of algorithms. The key words you need will vary with the nature of the search. Adding one or two words may give you the answer you seek.

Learn to know all the implications of using inverted commas. Learn to use all the special searches available under “more” on the Google Home Page. These include things like Google Scholar and Google Maps that will add considerably to your search abilities.

Google Books. You will be amazed at the number of books that have the complete text.

“I’m feeling lucky”. This facility may take you directly to the one answer you want. 

Google is a dictionary. Simply type “define” followed by the word. Be aware that Google gives the same result for singular, plural or an –ing ending for a word in your search.

Images - There are billions of photographs and graphics in answers to this search. It also is a useful means of going to the original full web site, which may answer all the information you seek.

Follow the weather. Do a search for B.O.M, which will give you the Bureau of Meteorology. Put the local weather maps into Favorites. You can immediately see what storms are doing in the Sydney area or anywhere else.

Cached - Not only does this highlight in colour the words requested but it takes you back to the original web site which may no longer be available. Also use the Tilde character “~”. This character on the left side of your keyboard can be put at the beginning of a word with no space following to give you answers that are synonymous.

Be aware of the preferences link. You may need to use a word, which is not family friendly for a particular search. You can adjust preferences to get your search results and then return to the original setting.

Translate to another language. Use the “Language Tool” link found to the right of the search box.

Get more answers on a page. By using the preferences link you can increase the standard answers of 10 to a page to 20 or more.

   Tiny URL (universal resource locater) is a web service created by Kevin Gilbertson that provides short aliases to redirect long ones.

Some computers won't allow you to click a long url in an email so you need to copy and paste into your browser.

Are you sick of posting URLs in emails only to have it break when sent causing the recipient to have problems?

There are many terms used when talking about the important topic of Online Security.
Every Internet user should at least have a basic understanding of the terms used and so I have collected a few of the more popular ones and put them in this article with a brief explanation of each.

Adware means "Advertising Supported Software". It refers to placing adverts in software or distributing them along side a software downlaod. Distributing a program that has adverts for third parties such as a finance company is Adware. Whilst generally harmless they are none the less annoying.

Bots are software applications that run automated tasks over the Internet. Bots perform tasks that are both simple and structurally repetitive, at a much higher rate than would be possible for a human editor alone. Bots are used in a malicious way by criminal gangs to coordinate attacks on networked computers for financial gain. (Thousands of infected PC's around the world can all be used at the same time for an unlawful act.)
 
Cross-site scripting This is a method of placing malicious scripts on websites that are then "executed" inside the web browser of the person viewing the website. These scripts can be dangerous at times. These scripting vulnerabilities can be used by attackers to bypass the access controls, however as soon a new vulnerability becomes known both the Internet Explorer and FireFox browsers are "patched" quickly. This is why it is essential to be using the latest browser version.

DDos stands for Distributed Denial of Service. A DDos attack attempts to consume the target resources so that it cannot provide the service.  This means a website can be brought down by aiming 1,000's of page requests a minute until the website can no longer cope and fails! Criminal gangs will use this kind of attack to threaten website owners into paying "protection" money.

A drive-by download is a program that is involuntarily downloaded to your computer, without your permission or even your awareness. A drive-by download can be commenced by simply visiting a Web site or viewing an HTML e-mail message.

Exploit This is name given to any process that seeks to take advantage of a code vulnerability, usually in a web browser such as Internet Explorer or FireFox.

Firewall In its simplest form it is a software security mechanism that prevents unwanted/unauthorised Internet traffic from entering your computer. A firewall can also block software on your computer from sending out data as well. Having a software firewall on your computer is ESSENTIAL if you are connected to the Internet.
 
A keylogger is a hardware tool or small program that monitors each keystroke a client types on a specific computers keyboard. As a hardware device, a keylogger is a tiny battery-sized plug that sits between the between the user's keyboard and computer. Keyloggers can steal valuable information that can allow a their access to your online banking account etc.

Malware is software that is designed to damage a computer system without the owner’s informed permission. It is a combination of the words malicious and software. The expression is a general term used by computer professionals to mean a variety of forms of hostile, intrusive, or annoying software or program code.

Phishing is the act of deception by giving someone secret information or tricking them into doing somewhat that they normally wouldn’t do or shouldn’t do. For example: distributing e-mails to a number of users falsely claiming to be your bank etc in an endeavour to cheat the users into yielding private information like passwords. The latest versions of Internet Explorer 7 and FireFox 2 have built in phishing filters to help spot this kind of activity.

Root Kit is a set of tools that hackers embed in a victim’s computer. They can act as a "back door" entrance onto your computer and provide information for the person who put them there. These tools have been especially designed to allow malicious processes or applications to run on your computer but evade detection.

Spyware is any technology that assists in collection of information about a computer user without their knowledge. Spyware is software that is put in someone's computer to secretly gather information about the user and relay it to advertisers or other interested parties. Spyware can get in a computer as a virus or as the result of installing a new program. If you have some annoying advertising that appears on your computer all the time you are likely infected with a spyware applcation.

Trojan is a software application that installs malicious software while under the guise of doing something else. These are nasty things to get infected by and are used to steal data from you as you use your computer!

Virus is a computer program that can copy itself and infect a computer without permission or knowledge of the user. A virus can only spread from one computer to another when its host is taken to the uninfected computer, for instance by a user sending it over a network or carrying it on a removable medium such as a CD, USB drive or by the Internet and email. Not all viruses are harmful BUT they all cause problems on the infected PC.

Worm is similar to a virus but with a different implementation. It is a self-replicating computer program. It uses a network to send copies of itself to other PC's and it may do so without any user intervention. Unlike a virus it does not need to attach itself to an existing program. Worms can bring a PC down to the point where it is impossible to use it because it too slow. Worms can also harm a company network by consuming most of the available network bandwidth, so that the connected PC's cannot speak with each other.

However you can generally remain safe if you use an up to date AntiVirus package, AntiSpyware package, make sure your Windows Firewall is on and have Windows Updates set to automatically receive any updates from Microsoft as they become available. It is also advisable to have another firewall that stops traffic out as well as in.

In addition if you have not yet moved to Internet Explorer 7 or FireFox 2, from an older version, do so now!

Security Software: a few suggestions:

Free Anti Virus

http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/2/

Free Anti Malware

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/Search.aspx?displaylang=en

Free Firewall – Sygate

http://www.tucows.com/preview/213160

New software is very enticing. Sometimes, you might even find it irresistible. But when you don't practice patience, you can cause yourself and your system considerable grief.

Most people like new software. After all, it's usually offered with a lot of promising features that make it better than what you had before. But, when considering whether to install now or later, be sure to look before you leap.

Get there faster with Windows Key shortcuts

 
The Windows Key is a time-saver for many functions. For example, pressing and releasing it displays the Start menu. Also, the Application Key — near the right-hand Ctrl key on newer keyboards — brings up a shortcut menu without using your mouse.

Here's a handy cheat sheet you can cut out to help you memorize the keyboard combinations you find most useful:

Keystroke                        Action

Win+D                        Show the desktop

Win+M                        Minimize all windows

Win+Shift+M            Restore windows minimized with Win+D or Win+M

Win+E                        Launch Windows Explorer

Win+F                        Search for files or folders

Win+Ctrl+F               Search for computers

Win+L                         Lock the computer

Win+R                        Open the Run box

Win+U                        Open Utility Manager

Win+Pause               Display System Properties

Win                      Open the Start menu

The mobile phone now accompanies most of us during our daily tasks and chores, such as travelling to and from work, going shopping, and during our leisure times.

It has also become a lifeline in times of need, ranging from simply being late and being able to phone ahead, reporting accidents, to reuniting families and friends who have been separated by unforeseen events. Should the worst ever happen, and the emergency services need to contact someone on your behalf, would you want to make it easier for them?

An initiative conceived by a paramedic in Britain, is trying to solve this problem. The idea is that you store the word ICE in your mobile phone address book, and against it enter the number of the person you would want to be contacted ‘In Case of Emergency’. For more than one contact name ICE1, ICE2, ICE3 etc could be used.

In an emergency situation ambulance and hospital staff can then quickly find out who the next of kin are, and be able to contact them. This could save a life, or put a loved one's mind at rest. Not only does it help emergency workers identify a person if they come upon them unconscious, it also helps identify the owners of lost cell phones.

It occurred to Bob Brotchie, Clinical Team Leader at the Cambridge Ambulance Station, "that it isn't so much where the phone calls but the acronym that matters. It's the consistency that makes this effective... home, work, wife and the like are ubiquitous entries on cell phones but not necessarily the right one for an emergency and you cannot expect a first responder to scroll through an address book trying to guess which one to use, that if we had a uniform approach to searching inside a mobile phone for an emergency contact then that would make it easier for everyone."

A BBC report confirms that the campaign encouraging people to store personal details on their mobile phones to help identify victims of accidents and disasters has taken off since the bomb attacks in London early in July. Brotchie also regards the idea as beneficial towards loved ones as well as the patient themselves. He said "Research suggests people recover quicker from the psychological effects of their loved one being hurt if they are involved at an earlier stage and they can reach them quickly." He also hopes for mobile phone manufacturers to have the ICE contact system as standard in future phone models. "It seems natural this information should be kept there," he added. "Sometimes dialling the number for 'Mum' or 'Dad' might not be appropriate, particularly if they are elderly, suffer from ill health or Alzheimer's," said Matthew Ware, a spokesman for the East Anglican Ambulance service, which is promoting the ICE initiative in the UK. "This would give paramedics a way of getting hold of the appropriate person in a few seconds."

Of course, the ICE contact should be told that they have been nominated. The importance of people choosing their ICE partner thoughtfully must be highly stressed, especially if they are required to give consent for emergency medical treatment. And for those of us that have people with special needs, it could work well for them, if it was set up for them and explained to them.

A quick survey of on-line forums and Blogs shows that there is support for the idea in Australia.

 The Emergency Department in Canberra website, which is dedicated to the staff of an emergency department in Canberra, whilst it points out that it ‘in no way reflects the opinions or policies of that hospital’, states that ‘We often have critically ill patients arriving in our emergency department with little or no identification let alone details on whom to contact. But they invariably do have a mobile phone in their jacket, or back pocket. We often look through the address list to see if we can find a Dad or Mum but these may not be the people that the patient wants contacted.’

The general consensus appears to be "any means that people use to carry relevant information about themselves will be useful in an emergency. Storing the information in mobile phones may be useful in some cases, though it should not be relied on as the only way. We anticipate there will be benefits for ambulance and emergency service personnel from ICE number listings in mobile phones but next of kin and other important information, such as medical conditions and medication, should also be included in wallet cards, diaries and other similar personal items."

This sounds like a good idea sounds like a good idea, but remember, information can become out of date, and the designated next-of-kin number is disconnected or you change your next of kin altogether.

Keep your information up-to-date, it may be useful at some time.