6 Ways to Keep Your Child Safe Online
For young people, the internet is a great resource for learning, playing games, and connecting with friends. At the same time, it’s a potential source of danger for children. Parents can take action to teach their child about how to stay safe online and set out working rules to provide solid guidance.
1. Use Parental Controls and Software
Parental controls and software are a great first line of defence for your children. They’re inexpensive to purchase and, in most cases, very easy to use. Services for computer support in Sydney and elsewhere can assist with setting up the right controls and programs to suit your requirements.
- These programs can limit access to inappropriate sites as well as the amount of time your child spends on the internet.
- Some programs can keep a history of sites accessed by users.
- Other programs track instant messaging conversations and control contacts.
10 Hot Identity Theft Tips for Mobile Devices
With access to high speed mobile internet, smartphones and other mobile devices present a new frontier in identify theft protection. If, like most people, you use your smartphone to check email, surf the net, and do internet banking, you may be putting yourself at risk of data or identity theft. While it’s ideal to seek advice from professional services for computer repairs in Sydney or elsewhere, you can also use these 10 tips to get started.
The Risks
The same features that make your phone or handheld tablet ‘smart’ also make it vulnerable to viruses and malware. While many people may have firewall and anti-security software installed on their desktop and notebook computers, fewer users take proactive measures to protect their data on their mobile devices.
A report by Forrester Research has suggested that one in five adults will bank via smartphone by 2015. Viruses like Zeus, a bank-account hacking Trojan virus that targeted Android phones in mid-2011, can capture and forward private banking data (as well as SMS messages) to a remote Web server without the user being aware.
6 Step Checklist to Choosing an Internet Service Provider
If you’re looking to get connected to the internet, there are some key issues to know about before choosing a provider or service package. Given the myriad packages and providers on the market, we’ve put together this easy six step checklist to help you make the right decision. If you have any computer issues at any stage before and after the connection period, computer support professionals can help you out so you get online and have your computer working as soon as possible.
1. Internet Service Connection Types
There are a variety of different connection types to choose from. Which one you choose will depend on your usage requirements and roaming needs.
Pros and Cons of the iPad
The iPad was first released in April 2010, selling 3 million units in just 80 days. iPad 2 was released in March 2011, and a third generation model is due to be announced in early 2012. Although the iPad hasn’t been as widely used as the iPod or iPhone, it remains the number one PC tablet device, with 29 million iPads sold since its first release and Apple holding as much as 83 per cent of tablet computing market segment in the US. While the iPad is a very user friendly device, first time users can still benefit from some computer support, advice, or guidance. In this article, we take a quick look its major features, advantages, and any potential limitations.
Key Features and Specifications
Its key features include the following.
6 Benefits of Wireless Networking for Home and Office
Wireless networking refers to having a wire-free broadband network within the house or office, though it’s also common to have wirless networking in libraries, cafes, and other public spaces. Wireless networking, also commonly known as Wi-Fi, is to be differentiated from mobile broadband or wireless broadband, which usually means the user can access the internet through a mobile broadband modem anywhere on a roaming basis. Wireless networking has only become better and easier to use over the past decade, and increasing numbers of users are going wireless for their home or office broadband connection. These are just some of the benefits of going wireless.
1. Freedom and Mobility
How to Find Free Apps for Your Smartphone or iPhone
The incredible range of apps is one of the major reasons why smartphones have become so popular for everyday and business use. ‘App’ is short for ‘Application’, and the term typically refers to programs for smartphones that let you do something such as play a game, access information, or record a schedule. For every priced app there are around 10 apps that are free for downloading. There is no need to obtain professional phone or computer support if you’re relatively new to apps and want to get started. Instead, follow this guide to find the best free apps for your needs.
Types of Apps
There are literally millions of apps on the internet, from gaming apps to organiser apps and social networking apps. While it’s impossible to thoroughly categorise all the apps that are available, the following are some of the most popular types of apps:
Top Six Data Draining Mobile Apps
Smartphone apps have taken mobile convenience to a whole new level. You can check weather, film reviews, and up-to-the-minute news on flights while on the run. The range and complexity of some apps can send people running for professional computer support services for advice. However, most apps are very easy to use, though data intensive apps can bring an unpleasant surprise at the end of the month. These are the top apps to be careful about if you want to avoid being charged excess bandwidth fees from your telco.
Video Apps
Youtube has millions of videos, with thousands of videos being added every day. While at least some of its 490 million unique users must be accessing the site from a mobile phone, the fact is, video streaming and conferencing on your smartphone is the number one reason you’re eating up your bandwidth well before the end of your billing cycle.
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Seven Tips for Preventing Identity Theft Online
The internet is a particularly dangerous place for people who haven’t taken steps to safeguard their identity and private information. Fraudulent activity from identity thieves typically results in losing thousands of dollars for victims. While getting professional computer support is the best way to keep yourself secure, you can start off by using these seven steps to reduce exposure to malicious activity online.
1. Passwords
It’s surprising to find how complacent many people are about their passwords. Never use simple passwords, share your passwords, or use the same password for long periods of time.
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Six Benefits of Upgrading Your Operating System
Whether you use Windows or Mac, there are a variety of reasons why an upgrade could boost the performance of your computer. New versions of operating systems are released on a regular basis to eliminate bugs, incorporate improvements and user friendly features, and these can assist performance by enhancing software and hardware compatibility. Generally, your system should work faster and more smoothly. It’s not always an easy process to upgrade your operating system so do use professional computer support services if you have any doubts.
1. Software Compatibility
New versions of software – such as games, office packages, utilities and other software you may use may not be designed for older operating systems. This usually means you won’t be able to install these older programs on your computer at all. Software compatibility can also contribute to speed and stability, making your computer less prone to slowing down or crashing.
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Five Tips for Protecting Your Computer Data
When it comes to the integrity of your computer data, you don’t want to be taking any chances. Hackers are skilled at breaking into systems and accessing files and personal information that can be used to commit identify fraud. While computer support professionals are your best avenue for making sure your computer is well protected, there are things you can do to minimise risk and exposure. These are just some of the tips to use to help secure your computer data from viruses, bugs, and other malicious software that make computers particularly vulnerable to hackers.
Use a Firewall
Most operating systems will come with a firewall. For PCs, this means any version of Windows after XP onwards. These are software based firewalls – programs that are already installed on your computer when you buy them. The software firewall works to check all inbound traffic and to protect malicious traffic coming in. Software firewalls for Windows Vista and Windows 7 can be programmed to check outbound traffic to shield your system from viruses that try to ‘call home’ and send out your private information.
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