BACK-UP? WHAT WAS THAT?
Too many times I've heard it said “I just lost this file and that program because I did not back up”. There are many reasons that you can lose files, emails or programs.  It can be due to a computer crash, overwriting a file, deleting a program when you're not sure what it does or simply being in the middle of doing something when there is a power loss.

      You should back up your data as much as possible. There are a number of ways to avoid losing data.  Here are just a few:
• Replace your hard disk drive before it expires. What a lot of people don’t know is that every hard drive has a use-by date - this means that from the time of installation, depending on how often you use it, your hard drive will eventually crash seemingly without cause or warning after a few years.

     MIKE SMITH lists some of the key ways to ensure your data isn't lost to a power failure... | more...|

PHISHING ON THE FLY

Recently I was prompted to update my Internet Explorer web browser and install version 7. One of the new features was a new anti-phishing filter.

    Reading the documentation on the phishing filter I discovered that it had been implemented in Hotmail, Microsoft’s public email service, since 2003. I have been using Hotmail for my email since 2001 and during this time I have had many spoof emails from phoney companies pretending to be banks, eBay, stockbrokers, the American government and even Hotmail itself, asking for my details in order to correct errors in my accounts. Proof, one would think, that Microsoft’s approach has been far less than effective.

      But what is phishing? Phishing is a term used to describe the practice of creating websites that look like an official site - for a bank, for example - which asks for your personal details in order to fix a problem. You put your account details in and usually there is a verification process whereby you give additional information such as licence number, credit card information or a secret password. This information is then sent to the computer of the person who created the fake site, giving them have all the information they need to steal your identity.

     MIKE SMITH takes a look at the practice of 'phishing'... | more...|

FIVE STEPS TO A NEW COMPUTER

One of the most confusing and confounding questions that you can ask in the 21st century is how do I choose a new computer? If you have never bought a computer, or it has been a long time since you have bought one, you are going to have to start from scratch. My first experience was one of excitement and complete blindness. I went to the computer swap meet with a known budget of $1,500 and picked something that sounded great - after all, computers are all the same aren’t they? Later I realised that I didn’t get any value for money and had to buy a lot of extras in the coming months, some of which were not readily available for at least another 12 months.

      I have since bought a few computers and have come up with a few steps that should result in you getting a decent computer that will last a few years.

     MIKE SMITH gives his tips for buying a computer... | more...|

THE WORLD OF PODCASTING

When I heard that Sight was going to upload its first podcast online, I was quite impressed that the website had gone so high-tech. I have always wondered what podcasts were but never really bothered to find out because, like most people, I thought you'd have to spend at least $500 to buy an Apple iPod, not to mention be savvy enough to find out how to magically download it onto the iPod via an iTunes subscription. It was at that point that I threw it in the too hard basket, along with the wireless network card, Bluetooth and anything remotely connected to Linux.

      My curiosity eventually won out, however, and with my Y chromosome “what does this button do?” mentality, I logged back on to Sight and clicked the “download this episode now” button. Surprisingly nothing happened. So I clicked another button and got half a page full of pretty writing. What to do now?

     In the first of a new column looking at technology-related issues, MIKE SMITH takes a  beginner's look at podcasting... | more...|

Got a tech issue you'd like help with? Why not email us at helpdesk@sightmagazine.com.au with your question...