Being safe on your computer is important to do on a daily basis; however, on days like Cyber Monday, it is especially important as you are much more vulnerable. If there are lots of sales to pick from and you are frantically clicking around sites to get the deals that you want, it is easy to make a mistake and put your whole computer in jeopardy. Granted, getting a $1000 TV for $200 may be worth damaging your computer, but most of the time this will not be the case.

While Cyber Monday may have passed, these are some tips that you should always keep in mind in order to keep your computer healthy and to protect your own identity.

First of all, be wary of the items with the huge discount. They may be too good to be true. Check out the Better Business Bureau to see if the site you’re visiting is accredited. Another thought to keep in mind is to check CyberMonday.com; they’ll have a listing of all the legitimate websites.  Another tip is to only make purchases on sites that are secure or SSL. How can you tell? Well, look at the URL for the page; does it begin with “https://”? If so, then that “s” means that you are in a secure site. When you do pay, pay with plastic and not a wire transfer or something else. Credit laws are in place so that you can dispute an item that you ordered if it never comes in and you can typically get all of your money back if the bad guy gets caught in the act of taking your money illegally.

Last, but not least, make sure that your software is ready to fight. Make sure that you are up to date, and perhaps put up a few more security features. Also make sure that you are using the latest version of the browser that you are using. Browsers do a pretty good job about protecting computers from malicious things.

Good luck and keep your identity as well as your computer safe!

Whenever people talk of computers, it’s Microsoft vs. Apple, when it’s search engines, it’s Google vs. Yahoo, when we talk of internet service, it’s Comcast vs. Verizon, and when we discuss cell phones it’s Google vs. Apple. Very rarely do we ever consider the smaller bits of the whole sum, and this leads us to rooting for a specific company as if they were a sports team. It’s important to note also that often times we begin to show our fondness for a company when it’s on it’s way up — when it’s the “little guy.” We did this with Google and we did this with Apple.

However, as soon as they get too big or too cocky or begin to actually act like a big business acts, folks turn on them and crucify them as a monopoly. This interests me because we seem to be doing this to ourselves. It’s almost as if we can’t handle (or don’t want) more than a handful of competitors in any given business. What’s telling about it is that people seem to have this team mentality without actually being on the team.

When someone sees that my roommate owns an Android phone and that I own an iPhone, most of the time their first question is “which one is better?” My question to that is “how can one say which is better?” It’s all preference. Sure a product might have features that another does not, and we might not like the business practices of some companies, and some companies might be in bed with the government spying agencies, but when you get right down to it the important thing is whether or not a given product or service will be useful to you.

We’ve got better things to discuss than our allegiance to a company that doesn’t know we exist and doesn’t give two shakes about us. They’re in it for the money; every business is. Let’s keep our minds and wallets open, and our mouths shut, shall we?

First, the world of computers.  Everything these days has a hard drive.  Video cameras, digital cameras, MP3 players and even gaming systems.  All of this data costs a lot of money to replace, and many pictures are priceless to the parent of a newborn or the newlywed couple.  The trend is going to drive toward home servers to back-up all this data for the savvy and off site back-ups for the average Joe.  Those with the knowledge and marketing skills could make a killing.

Next, the touchscreen.  This type of technology is in cell phones and supermarkets.  People of all ages love it, and it is much easier to figure out than 20-button controllers.  Begin to look for this in television remote controls.  Now that we are using one remote to control a TV, sound system, DVR, etc., there is an increasing need to simplify the process.  Touchscreen remotes are currently very pricy, but once makers come to their senses everyone will need one.

Back to computers.  With the home server or off-site server coming to age, there is going to be much less of a need for the DVR and sound systems mentioned above.  We can do everything through a computer, and TVs are basically hopped-up computer monitors.  Having a centrally based data center will allow for the elimination of thousands of dollars worth of equipment.

The last will be the completion of a current movement…wireless.  Wireless mice and keyboards finally are getting to a good point where they are reliable.  Bluetooth is proving its worth in the headphone and earpiece world.  Soon enough, all speakers will be wireless, and freedom from wires will be granted except for the pesky power cords.

All of these are not far-fetched ideas, and the trends are moving that way.  Get ready to live more easily.

Less software required

No, don’t scratch your head. Any computer expert who knows anything about how computers work will tell you that less software on your computer is always better. It doesn’t take up as much memory space and lets the computer process information a lot faster. Apple enables you to install only a few software programs because their programs already have a variety of functions within them.

Mac Computer Runs on Windows

Mac computers are compatible with Windows, but PCs legally cannot run a Mac operating system. But if you’re using Mac computers, why would you want to use Windows? It is not really a question of wanting; it is the question of having the option. For example, if Photoshop stopped working when you used Leopard, you could install Windows on your computer to do your work.

Macs have higher “second hand” value

Selling used computers can be difficult, especially since a lot of manufacturers and online retailers are putting their computers up for sale. Inevitably you will have to price your computer a lot lower in order to close a sale. The PC market is already crowded but people are willing to pay more for a Mac.