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Posted - December 17 2010 : 07:45:04
Listen now. or Download the archive.
Question: Vivian writes, 'I was listening to your program"... "when you mentioned Microsoft Security Essentials. Can this program be used if you already have other security programs installed? I am running Avast! for which I pay an annual fee and occasionally use Spybot S&D."
Answer: Great question, Vivian. Yes, you can use Security Essentials, but I don't recommend it when you have another program like Avast!. Avast! runs all the time and scans everything you do. Security Essentials will do this also. Spybot Search and Destroy has a component that does this too, but it's pretty easy on your system. If you combine the three, they'll slow things down probably worse than most viruses do.
On the other hand, when your Avast! subscription runs out, you can switch to Security Essentials and save the renewal fee.
Cool Site: PurpleMath: Who hasn't struggled with Algebra from time to time? If you have kids in algebra class who need help, or maybe are homeschooling, take a look at Purplemath.com. Purplemath is a site dedicated to teaching algebra. There, you'll find lessons written with the student in mind, that demonstrate reliable techniques. You'll also find forums so that you can ask questions and benefit from answers to others questions. The site also reviews other math related sites so you can find useful information maybe easier than you could with a search engine. The site also has homework guidelines telling a student what kind of things your math teacher is looking for, and a study skills self survey to help you see how your personal study habits measure up. Schools and individuals can license the sites lesson content for offline use. A CD is available for individuals to buy if you like, or you can just use the website for free.
Cool Gadget: Handheld Attack DVR: This week's cool gadget is for someone who wants to protect themselves but doesn't want to carry a gun. This little device that looks like and isn't much bigger than a can of pepper spray is in reality a video recorder that emits a 90db alarm and blinds an attacker with a powerful LED light. You can put an SD card up to 32GB into the device and then you've got a witness and a picture of the crooks as well as pretty airtight evidence of what happened. The unit records color video and sound, so you'll have both. It runs about $90 from Amazon. Now, one issue you might run into is that 640x480 isn't necessarily very high resolution, but should still be enough to establish what happened.
It's All "Geek" To Me: Insertion Point: This week's term is Insertion Point. The Insertion Point is that place in a line or word processing document, where the next character will be inserted or even deleted. If you're reading a book, you have a place, as in "I don't want to lose my place"; well this is the word processing equivalent. A blinking line, also called a cursor, will mark your place so you know where to look. If your mouse pointer changes to the shape of an I-beam when you're pointing, you can generally click there to move the insertion point to that box or location within the box.
Links
Tech Tip Friday's Show Notes RSS Feed:
http://www.daconsult.com/downloads/rss.xml
PurpleMath:
http://www.purplemath.com
Handheld Attack DVR at Coolest Gadgets:
http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20101202/handheld-attack-dvr-personal-protection-witness/#more-50282
Insertion Point at TechTerms:
http://www.techterms.com/definition/insertion_point
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