Sanders Media

Greetings from Montauk, NY. My southern accent is definitely getting me some curious looks.

I finally caved. I can’t take my slow DSL uploads anymore (downloads aren’t that much better). Fortunately, I don’t have to change ISP’s.

For those that don’t know, U-verse is a product offered by AT&T. It provides telephone, television and internet service to it’s customers. The beauty of this is the use of Fiber Optics. I will be jumping from 1.5 mbps to 6.0 mbps. While cable can do that already, I’m not in love with our cable provider, Comcast. I know some have beefs with AT&T, but I’ve chosen the lesser of the evils.

For me, the most exciting thing about U-verse is the way the DVR will be used. We’ll have one DVR in the house. However, every other TV in the house will be able to access that DVR. This will allow my family to watch recordings on any TV in the house.

AT&T hasn’t rolled out service everywhere, but when they do, it might be worth your while to try it.

In this tenuous economy, PR and marketing take on even greater importance. For me, the computer industry is interesting to watch. Most PC makers have slashed the cost of owning a new computer. There is one exception; Apple.

They have always tended to shy away from pricing wars, instead banking on the quality of their product. This has given way for the other PC companies to cry foul at the expense of owning a Mac. Steve Ballmer, CEO at Microsoft, is one of Apple’s chief critics. Here are some of his recent comments:

“Paying an extra $500 for a computer in this environment—same piece of hardware—paying $500 more to get a logo on it? I think that’s a more challenging proposition for the average person than it used to be.”

I find several flaws with the Mac-Is-More-Expensive argument. I’ll highlight two. First, look at the total cost of ownership. Macs break down far less. Also, since the hardware stays relevant longer, people spend less on upgrades. Second, Macs are generally more secure. Now I won’t say they are impervious. Far from it, in fact. However, most spyware, malware and viruses are built for Windows. You can read a more complete debunking of this myth here.

I am not here to convert anyone to a Mac. Your choice in computers is a personal one. I just have a problem with misinformation. If people have the truth, they are better able to make wise choices. When buying a computer, that can be a PC or a Mac.

We get a lot of  opinions shoved down our throats these days. Sometimes, you’re just not sure what to think. Take the economy for instance. We’ve heard nothing but doom and gloom for the past several months. However, these same doomsayers were the ones a year ago saying the economy was fine.

This is why I find it very important to be skeptical. What does the person giving me their opinion have to gain? Where do their interests lie? For some, their reputation is paramount. They want to be trusted, so they give honest opinions. Others gain monetarily by giving certain opinions. They will give opinions that paint their interests in a good light.

Whether it’s gadget reviews or financial news, take care to be skeptical. The newsmakers aren’t necessarily looking out for your best interests.

My last post got me thinking about ways to avoid trouble in the first place. Smart browsing can negate many of the online dangers we face. Here are some tips I’ve come up with.

1. Know who is using your computer. It is never a good idea to let someone you don’t know well have unfettered access to your computer. While no one wants to come across as suspicious, taking precautions is never a bad thing.
2. Set ground rules. Make family and friends aware of your expectations regarding your computer. It’s not like allowing them to watch your TV. Your computer contains private info, and has the capability send that info across the web.
3. Don’t go to sites that are unfamiliar. Many sites exist solely to plant malware on your computer.
4. Setup user accounts. An easy way to manage the use of your computer is to require user login. This allows you to control access to your computer at the point of entry.
5. Make sure you are using the most current version of your browser. Browsers are constantly updated to keep up with current threats. You can’t take advantage of these updated security features if you don’t update your browser.
6. Purchase a trusted security suite. I know most new computers come with a security suite, but I’ve found these to be sub-par. In my experience,  Trend Micro and AVG have the best total security suites. You’ll want the paid versions as they are much stronger than the free versions. If you’d like to do your own research, go to sites like CNET.com and Amazon.com. Ignore the professional reviews, and stick to the user comments. You can find out what works in real world environments by reading the user reviews.

There is no reason to be fearful of the dangers on the web. You only need to be wary. By using common sense and trusting your instincts, you’ll avoid most trouble.

Well, the unimaginable happened. The graphics card in my computer died, and I was without my computer from Tuesday to Thursday night. I tried to take this time to get other things done. For instance, I cleaned the digital gunk off my wife’s computer. I watched a documentary I’ve been meaning to get to. I even did some household chores.

This certainly wasn’t my idea of fun. I realized how digitally centered my life has become. From syncing my appointments to browsing in my favorite browser, I was dependent upon my laptop. The one area I didn’t miss a beat was with my Google applications, as they are platform agnostic. I guess this taught me to move more things into the cloud.

The one bright side is I wasn’t out any of my own money. I guess it pays to have an extended warranty after all.