Phishing for your personal info that is.
For those of you who use email, which is practically everyone who actually uses a computer and surfs the internet, "phishing" (pronouced "fishing") is the term used to describe emails that are sent out by individuals, whom I shall politely refer to as scumbags, bottom-feeders and the like, who are trying to steal your personal information.
These dirtbags send out phishing attacks, which are emails that look exactly like legitimate emails that could be sent out from your bank, or businesses that you deal with. Very often, they target users of Citibank, Paypal, or eBay, since there are thousands of people who have accounts with these larger well-known companies. It's incredibly easy for anyone to recreate or copy a legitimate email message, add a bogus link or malicious code and send it out to every single email address they can come up with (also called "spamming").
The intent of a phishing attack is to lure you into clicking on their bogus email links, or filling out a form to steal your username and passwords. If you follow the instructions or links in these phishing emails, they will take you to a bogus or fake website forged to look like the real thing, but exist solely to steal your personal and confidential information.
For this to work, all you need to do is enter your username and password into these bogus forms or follow the link to their websites, click on the submit button, and your personal info will be instantly sent out into the internet for these criminals to use. They will quickly change your passwords, empty out your bank account, steal your identity, and wreak havoc with your life. And no, I'm not exaggerating. Try it if you dare (no, don't - I'm serious).
Phishing emails use social engineering to try to trick you to let your guard down. The email messages try to create a sense of urgency. They will state that your account has been compromised, or that they have experienced a security breach and you need to confirm your credit card info, or SSN or username and password. They may just state that they want you to login to their site to "validate" that you are still a current user. They may state that your account is "frozen" or locked down until you verify your identity.
Just remember: NO legitimate business or website will EVER ask you to confirm your username and password, or any other information through an email link or form.
I cannot overemphasize to you the seriousness of these phishing and other similar attacks. If you let your guard down for just one email, that's all it takes for these scumbags to steal your stuff. NEVER, ever click on email links. Never fill out email forms. If you suspect foul play, open up a web browser and type in the web address of the website you want to check.
"But I have an anti-virus program. Aren't I protected?" Anti-virus programs DO NOT protect you from these phishing attacks because often there isn't any "virus" per-se, only a link or address that takes you to a bogus website.
Since these bogus websites are created every minute of the day and last only weeks, days, and sometimes only hours, there's no way to keep track of them. Your personal info is often sent to a "collecting" email address, where the scumbags accumulate your info. Unlimited free email accounts that can be created in Hotmail, Yahoo or Google, so once a criminal has been sent your personal information, they just abandon that email account, never to be traced.
OK. Now I'm afraid to open my emails. What do I do?
Make sure you have the latest security updates from Microsoft.com. While Windows XP users can turn on automatic update checking, you should still make it a habit to visit Microsoft's Windows Update website to download the latest security patches.
To get to Windows Update: Click on Start, All Programs, Windows Update. Or, if you are using Internet Explorer, you can also get there by clicking on the menu bar "Tools, Update Windows". Once there, just click on "Express Install" and follow the directions. Having the latest security patches is just the bare minimum. There are still many unpatched and unknown vulnerabilities in Windows and Internet Explorer.
Install an anti-virus program and make sure that it regularly loads updated virus definition files.
Install an up-to-date firewall program.
Trend-Micro PC-cillin, and Zonealarm sell highly rated security software suites that are relatively inexpensive, and all have "competitive upgrade" rebates if you own previous versions or a competitor's product. Check techie websites like PCWorld.com, CNET.com, or PCMag.com to read the various reviews on the many different security products.
DO NOT click on any links or attachments in your emails, no matter who it's from. Just delete suspicious emails. If you want to follow a link, open up your browser and type in the internet address instead.
Last of all, use common sense. Never respond to any email that purports to be security related or asks for confirmation of your personal info. Be afraid and be paranoid :)
Monday, May 30, 2005
Friday, May 27, 2005
Use the Farm, Luke - An Amusing Tale
All right, here's an amusing take on our old favorite movie, Star Wars. It's a pretty good parody of the movie, produced by the Organic Trade Association.
It's actually a commercial, but whether or not you buy into their message, it's amusing nonetheless. Store Wars is a pretty clever 5 minute animation that introduces you to Cuke Skywalker and his friends as he battles the fearsome Darth Tater.
Atom Films has a collection of Revenge of the Sith parody videos that you might want to check out as well.
May the farm be with you... :)
It's actually a commercial, but whether or not you buy into their message, it's amusing nonetheless. Store Wars is a pretty clever 5 minute animation that introduces you to Cuke Skywalker and his friends as he battles the fearsome Darth Tater.
Atom Films has a collection of Revenge of the Sith parody videos that you might want to check out as well.
May the farm be with you... :)
Thursday, May 26, 2005
Real Hockey Players Shoot Left (if you're right-handed)
Hey, hey. Here's my first rant :)
I figured that, since I say that I'm gonna rant and rave, I better follow through and rant about something - especially since those who know me, know that I like to make "suggestions". I like to think that all of my "words of wisdom" are beneficial to the world around us - or at least around me ;)
As a hockey instructor, there's nothing that irks me more than to see a new hockey player picking up the wrong hockey stick. For those who are not familiar with the fast and intense game of hockey, players use an 'L' shaped stick to propel a hard rubber puck into a net.
Now, here's where newbies go wrong. You see, just about every hockey stick has a curve built into it's blade. Looking down the shaft of a stick, the blade either curves to the right or left. If it curves to the right, it's a LH, or Left Hand stick. If it curves to the left, it's a RH, or Right Hand stick. Clear as mud?
I guess the problem stems from the nomenclature for how the sticks are labeled. Typically, a hockey stick is held with two hands like a shovel, or for want of a better example, a rifle. The hockey stick gets its right or left hand designation from which hand is closest to the "front" of the stick, or blade.
So if a typical right-handed person is holding the hockey stick like a rifle, the right, or "trigger" hand is at the top end of the stick, and the left hand is at the front. Thus this is called a LH Left Hand stick. This does NOT mean that this is a stick for left-handed people!!
Since Canadians basically invented the game of hockey, it makes sense that they're the ones who know how to play the game. If you pay attention to the game, the majority of Canadians, Europeans and professional players "shoot left" using a LeftHand stick, and they are right-handed.
The further south you go into the States where they are newer to the game of hockey, the more you find players thinking that because they are right-handed, they should use a RH stick, or "shooting right". But this is incorrect. The hand on the top end of the stick should be your stronger, or dominant hand. Using a RH stick means that you are using your weaker left hand on the top end to control the stick.
People say to me "but in baseball I swing right-handed, and in golf I swing right handed, shouldn't I use a RH hockey stick?" and I say to that No, No, NO! The key word here is "swing". In baseball and golf, you're hands are together and your entire game is a single "swing". In hockey, we do not swing. We Stick-handle. Get zat through zee head.
Have you ever tried to swing a golf club like you hold a hockey stick - with your hands apart? Do you think you'll get a better, stronger swing? Heck no. They're two totally different sports. Swing right (golf), shoot left (hockey). Key word here - shoot the puck, using a LH left hand stick.
Watch a hockey player and you'll see that 90% of his/her time with a puck is spent stickhandling or passing. The other 10% is spent shooting, typically a wrist shot, or a slap shot; and no, that is not a swing like in golf.
You need to understand that control of the hockey stick comes from the hand at the top of the stick. Thus that needs to be your dominant hand. You hold your hockey stick like you hold your tennis racket or your sword - in your right hand if you're right-handed. That means your left hand is at the front of the stick. That means you use a LH or left hand stick.
When a player is on a breakaway, typically he will use one hand to hold the stick and push the puck forward. It makes sense that the dominant hand is at the top end of the stick. That hand never lets go of the stick. The lower hand is there to provide support and additional power (and to push the opponent away). Watch a right-handed player who uses a RH stick on breakaway, and few of them will be able to control their stick with their left hand. Their speed and agility suffer.
While right handed players who use a RH stick will be able to become proficient at hockey, they are handicapping themselves. Of course, there are a small minority who are more comfortable shooting right, typically, those are the people who snowboard "goofy-foot".
So if you want to learn how to play hockey properly, get the correct hockey stick:
Yeah, there are always some hockey goons who feel they need to check other players into the boards, but the good players are the ones who can finesse the puck into the opponents goal without the violence. Watch a European game of hockey, and you'll see how fast and amazing the game really is.
Hockey players practice stickhandling and skating drills, football players practice trying to hit someone as hard as you can. You know which one I like doing ;)
I figured that, since I say that I'm gonna rant and rave, I better follow through and rant about something - especially since those who know me, know that I like to make "suggestions". I like to think that all of my "words of wisdom" are beneficial to the world around us - or at least around me ;)
As a hockey instructor, there's nothing that irks me more than to see a new hockey player picking up the wrong hockey stick. For those who are not familiar with the fast and intense game of hockey, players use an 'L' shaped stick to propel a hard rubber puck into a net.
Now, here's where newbies go wrong. You see, just about every hockey stick has a curve built into it's blade. Looking down the shaft of a stick, the blade either curves to the right or left. If it curves to the right, it's a LH, or Left Hand stick. If it curves to the left, it's a RH, or Right Hand stick. Clear as mud?
I guess the problem stems from the nomenclature for how the sticks are labeled. Typically, a hockey stick is held with two hands like a shovel, or for want of a better example, a rifle. The hockey stick gets its right or left hand designation from which hand is closest to the "front" of the stick, or blade.
So if a typical right-handed person is holding the hockey stick like a rifle, the right, or "trigger" hand is at the top end of the stick, and the left hand is at the front. Thus this is called a LH Left Hand stick. This does NOT mean that this is a stick for left-handed people!!
Since Canadians basically invented the game of hockey, it makes sense that they're the ones who know how to play the game. If you pay attention to the game, the majority of Canadians, Europeans and professional players "shoot left" using a LeftHand stick, and they are right-handed.
The further south you go into the States where they are newer to the game of hockey, the more you find players thinking that because they are right-handed, they should use a RH stick, or "shooting right". But this is incorrect. The hand on the top end of the stick should be your stronger, or dominant hand. Using a RH stick means that you are using your weaker left hand on the top end to control the stick.
People say to me "but in baseball I swing right-handed, and in golf I swing right handed, shouldn't I use a RH hockey stick?" and I say to that No, No, NO! The key word here is "swing". In baseball and golf, you're hands are together and your entire game is a single "swing". In hockey, we do not swing. We Stick-handle. Get zat through zee head.
Have you ever tried to swing a golf club like you hold a hockey stick - with your hands apart? Do you think you'll get a better, stronger swing? Heck no. They're two totally different sports. Swing right (golf), shoot left (hockey). Key word here - shoot the puck, using a LH left hand stick.
Watch a hockey player and you'll see that 90% of his/her time with a puck is spent stickhandling or passing. The other 10% is spent shooting, typically a wrist shot, or a slap shot; and no, that is not a swing like in golf.
You need to understand that control of the hockey stick comes from the hand at the top of the stick. Thus that needs to be your dominant hand. You hold your hockey stick like you hold your tennis racket or your sword - in your right hand if you're right-handed. That means your left hand is at the front of the stick. That means you use a LH or left hand stick.
When a player is on a breakaway, typically he will use one hand to hold the stick and push the puck forward. It makes sense that the dominant hand is at the top end of the stick. That hand never lets go of the stick. The lower hand is there to provide support and additional power (and to push the opponent away). Watch a right-handed player who uses a RH stick on breakaway, and few of them will be able to control their stick with their left hand. Their speed and agility suffer.
While right handed players who use a RH stick will be able to become proficient at hockey, they are handicapping themselves. Of course, there are a small minority who are more comfortable shooting right, typically, those are the people who snowboard "goofy-foot".
So if you want to learn how to play hockey properly, get the correct hockey stick:
- If you're Right-handed - get a LH lefthand stick.
- If you're Left-handed - get a RH righthand stick.
Yeah, there are always some hockey goons who feel they need to check other players into the boards, but the good players are the ones who can finesse the puck into the opponents goal without the violence. Watch a European game of hockey, and you'll see how fast and amazing the game really is.
Hockey players practice stickhandling and skating drills, football players practice trying to hit someone as hard as you can. You know which one I like doing ;)
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Be frugal like Paul :) Part IV - Magazines
Hello, My Name is Paul and I have a problem :)
Oh yeah. My postman really hates me. Well, not really. Though I'm sure he curses my name every other day when he stuffs 10 pounds of magazines into my woefully inadequate mailbox. I'm sure one of these days my mailbox is going to topple over from the constant strain of holding so many magazine subscriptions (not to mention all those catalogs too).
Yes, I'm addicted to magazines. I've been addicted for as long as I remember. I must have a magazine wherever I go. I also never pay full retail for my subscriptions. And neither should you.
Just about all of my magazine subscriptions cost me less than $5 per year. There's virtually no reason you need to pay more. Yes, there are the odd magazines that don't go on "sale", but for the most part, you can subscribe to your favorite magazine for less than the cover price of one issue.
How do I do it? Easy.
If you do use the magazine search engine and find another website selling your favorite magazine for less, make sure you read the fine print on the website. Some of the other websites automatically renew your magazine at the "going market rate" at the end of your subscription. This is NOT what you want. Some also say that you agree to receive emails from their sponsors - this is spam. This is NOT what you want.
I've had very good experiences with Best Deal Magazines, and good but limited experience with NetMagazines. So always read the fine print, or stick with these companies.
Soon, you'll quickly find that your mailbox is filling up with cheap magazines too :)
Oh yeah. My postman really hates me. Well, not really. Though I'm sure he curses my name every other day when he stuffs 10 pounds of magazines into my woefully inadequate mailbox. I'm sure one of these days my mailbox is going to topple over from the constant strain of holding so many magazine subscriptions (not to mention all those catalogs too).
Yes, I'm addicted to magazines. I've been addicted for as long as I remember. I must have a magazine wherever I go. I also never pay full retail for my subscriptions. And neither should you.
Just about all of my magazine subscriptions cost me less than $5 per year. There's virtually no reason you need to pay more. Yes, there are the odd magazines that don't go on "sale", but for the most part, you can subscribe to your favorite magazine for less than the cover price of one issue.
How do I do it? Easy.
- Go to Fatwallet.com and search their Hot Deal forums for coupon codes for "Best Deal Magazines". Write down the coupon code (e.g. right now there is a code for 27% off your entire order).
- Go to XPBargains.com and find the store listing for "Best Deal Magazines". Click on the store name and look in the listings for more coupon codes. Write them down. There is currently a code for saving $5 off a $30 purchase.
- Go to eBates.com. Make sure you're signed in (registration is free).
- Click on the link for "Best Deal Magazines". That will take you to bestdealmagazines.com (you must use the eBates.com link or you will not get back 10% of your order as cash back).
- Click on the "Free Magazines" link on the BestDealMagazines.com website. At the bottom of the next page, you can select "show all" to see all the magazines that are available for "free" - actually, you pay $4.69 "shipping" for each one year magazine subscription.
- Pick as many of the magazines as you like. Each one is only $4.69/year.
- When you check out, enter in your coupon codes.
- The selection changes frequently, so if your favorite magazine is not listed for "free", check back in a week or two. It may show up. Also check the "$5.95" or "Under $10" links for other cheap magazine subscriptions.
- Be patient. Magazines take anywhere from 6 to 18(!) weeks to start coming depending on the publisher. I have always received my magazine subscriptions.
- Unlike some other magazine websites, you don't have to worry about receiving spam with Best Deal Magazines. They only email you when your subscription is ready to expire.
If you do use the magazine search engine and find another website selling your favorite magazine for less, make sure you read the fine print on the website. Some of the other websites automatically renew your magazine at the "going market rate" at the end of your subscription. This is NOT what you want. Some also say that you agree to receive emails from their sponsors - this is spam. This is NOT what you want.
I've had very good experiences with Best Deal Magazines, and good but limited experience with NetMagazines. So always read the fine print, or stick with these companies.
Soon, you'll quickly find that your mailbox is filling up with cheap magazines too :)
Monday, May 23, 2005
Very Cool Car Gadget Saves You Big Bucks
Ever had that darn annoying little "check engine" light come on in the middle of nowhere? Did you take your car in to the dealership to find out what it meant and/or to turn it off? Did you have a cow and start foaming at the mouth when the dealer told you that it would cost you a ridiculous 75 bucks just to "hook up your car and see what the computer says"? And that the fee doesn't include the cost to fix it?
Arrgh. Are you incredibly annoyed and feel like you're being taken to the cleaners? Again? By the same dealer that sold you this mega thousand dollar car only to have a dumb little light blink at you?
Well, don't get scammed. Get even. At least get informed. There's a very cool little thing-a-ma-jiggy called the CarChip E/X.
All you have to know is that you buy it, plug it into your car, and drive. If that silly little check engine light comes on, just unplug the CarChip E/X, plug it into your computer and, voila! It tells you what the car is trying to tell you. Well, almost. It tells you a ton of things, but the main thing it does is give you a code that indicates what the problem is.
You'll have to do a little research on the web, but it's very easy to find out what that code represents. Nine times out of ten, it indicates a loose gas cap. That would be a very expensive trip to the dealer if you didn't have the CarChip and just went to the dealer.
If the CarChip indicates a different code, you might have a chance to fix whatever the problem is without having to go to the dealer, and save yourself beaucoup bucks. Of course, you could always go to the dealer to have them fix it, but at least you'll be informed when you go in there and less likely get taken for a ride. You know what they say, knowledge is power.
The CarChip is like a little black box for your car. Since 1996, thanks to emission control regulations, just about every car sold in the USA adheres to a protocol called an OBDII. This includes a plug which allows anyone with a computer hookup or scanner (like the CarChip) to plug into the car's computer and download information.
With the CarChip E/X plugged into your car, it records up 300 hours of your driving data. This includes: time and date for each trip, distance, speed, hard accelerations and braking, and engine diagnostic trouble codes. If you happen to have the misfortune of getting into an accident, the CarChip E/X will automatically generate an accident log showing the last critical 20 seconds of speed.
In addition to recording the basic trip data, you can pick four other parameters to record ranging from RPM, engine coolant temperature, throttle position, fuel pressure, battery voltage, etc. Using the included software, you can then graph out the data to show you how your vehicle is performing.
What good is that? It makes it much easier help figure out why your car is behaving or running a certain way. It makes you an informed owner when you need to bring in your vehicle for service. One more great feature is that the CarChip lets you reset your check engine light.
If the problem was an intermittant one, resetting your check engine light might be your solution. But please keep in mind, if the check engine light persistantly comes on, and you can't figure out what the problem is, take your car in for diagnosis - it could be something more serious.
One more big bonus for any of you out there with teenagers of driving age - the CarChip E/X is like a nanny thats always with your driver. Every time the vehicle is driven, CarChip E/X records how your teenager is driving. Every hard acceleration, hard braking, or excessive revving of the engine is recorded for you to download and see. Since the CarChip records every insertion or removal from the vehicle, they can't disconnect it without you knowing.
You can use it on just about any vehicle; share it between vehicles and lend it to your friend. For less than the price to two trips to the dealer, you can get the CarChip E/X (or it's cheaper mate, CarChip, which has a more limited feature set) for about $150. (Sears.com is one place that carries it). There's no better gadget for the automotive nut in this price range.
Trust me, I know. I didn't buy the company, but I did buy their product :)
Arrgh. Are you incredibly annoyed and feel like you're being taken to the cleaners? Again? By the same dealer that sold you this mega thousand dollar car only to have a dumb little light blink at you?
Well, don't get scammed. Get even. At least get informed. There's a very cool little thing-a-ma-jiggy called the CarChip E/X.
All you have to know is that you buy it, plug it into your car, and drive. If that silly little check engine light comes on, just unplug the CarChip E/X, plug it into your computer and, voila! It tells you what the car is trying to tell you. Well, almost. It tells you a ton of things, but the main thing it does is give you a code that indicates what the problem is.
You'll have to do a little research on the web, but it's very easy to find out what that code represents. Nine times out of ten, it indicates a loose gas cap. That would be a very expensive trip to the dealer if you didn't have the CarChip and just went to the dealer.
If the CarChip indicates a different code, you might have a chance to fix whatever the problem is without having to go to the dealer, and save yourself beaucoup bucks. Of course, you could always go to the dealer to have them fix it, but at least you'll be informed when you go in there and less likely get taken for a ride. You know what they say, knowledge is power.
The CarChip is like a little black box for your car. Since 1996, thanks to emission control regulations, just about every car sold in the USA adheres to a protocol called an OBDII. This includes a plug which allows anyone with a computer hookup or scanner (like the CarChip) to plug into the car's computer and download information.
With the CarChip E/X plugged into your car, it records up 300 hours of your driving data. This includes: time and date for each trip, distance, speed, hard accelerations and braking, and engine diagnostic trouble codes. If you happen to have the misfortune of getting into an accident, the CarChip E/X will automatically generate an accident log showing the last critical 20 seconds of speed.
In addition to recording the basic trip data, you can pick four other parameters to record ranging from RPM, engine coolant temperature, throttle position, fuel pressure, battery voltage, etc. Using the included software, you can then graph out the data to show you how your vehicle is performing.
What good is that? It makes it much easier help figure out why your car is behaving or running a certain way. It makes you an informed owner when you need to bring in your vehicle for service. One more great feature is that the CarChip lets you reset your check engine light.
If the problem was an intermittant one, resetting your check engine light might be your solution. But please keep in mind, if the check engine light persistantly comes on, and you can't figure out what the problem is, take your car in for diagnosis - it could be something more serious.
One more big bonus for any of you out there with teenagers of driving age - the CarChip E/X is like a nanny thats always with your driver. Every time the vehicle is driven, CarChip E/X records how your teenager is driving. Every hard acceleration, hard braking, or excessive revving of the engine is recorded for you to download and see. Since the CarChip records every insertion or removal from the vehicle, they can't disconnect it without you knowing.
You can use it on just about any vehicle; share it between vehicles and lend it to your friend. For less than the price to two trips to the dealer, you can get the CarChip E/X (or it's cheaper mate, CarChip, which has a more limited feature set) for about $150. (Sears.com is one place that carries it). There's no better gadget for the automotive nut in this price range.
Trust me, I know. I didn't buy the company, but I did buy their product :)
Sunday, May 22, 2005
Skype Me!
What me? I said "skype me". That's the new way of IMing between two or more people.
What's IM? Aw, that's so, like 2004ish already :) OK, for all those non-technogeeks and those above the age of twelve, let's take a step back.
IM, or Instant Messaging and it's close cousin "text-messaging" is the modern day equivalent of the ole' teletype. Ok, well not quite, but Instant Messaging is a versatile program that allows two or more people who are online to "chat" or send text messages to each other in real time.
So why not just use email to shoot messages to each other? There are several reasons why: 1) it's much faster than email, it's virtually instantaneous, 2) you know that the other person is online right now, 3) you can have several people "chatting" at the same time, and 4) did I mention that it's much faster than email?
There are many times when it's more convenient than calling on the phone or emailing someone when you need an answer - since it's less formal than email or a call, the other person can take their time answering the question, or quickly type out a response. It's easy to multitask on your computer and have an IM conversation with someone.
So what is this "Skype" thing? Skype is essentially an internet telephone with free long distance. Skype is like an Instant Messaging program on steroids. You can use it to "chat" with other people, or you can use it to actually talk to other people.
Using a simple microphone, either built into your laptop or a cheap one that you plug into your computer, you can talk to your friends or anyone in the world who has an internet connection for FREE.
That's right. You can call just anyone who has a high speed internet connection (I don't know if it'll work with dialup, though I doubt it) and talk to your heart's content. You can even conference in several people and have a grand 'ole time talking to everyone. For FREE. For frugal people like me, that's the kicker.
For the most part, the quality of the connection is usually pretty darn good. On overseas calls, it's no worse than the typical connection I get with a regular phone. And if the other person doesn't have a computer with a high speed connection, or doesn't even have a computer, you can make phone calls to regular telephone numbers for a small (something like around 2 cent/min) fee.
Now here's the fine print. You can only talk to someone if they're online and signed into Skype. Not online? Can't talk for free. You're gonna have to wait 'til they're online. Or pay a few cents per minute and call/skype their regular old phone. Also, since this is a free internet dot-com service, don't expect any customer service - it's practically non-existant.
BUT - it's FREE, it's clear, and it's fun. There are even people who put up a sign that says "skype me, I'm available for talking". They welcome random phone calls from anyone, anywhere around the world. And I'm sure they have some pretty interesting conversations...
What's IM? Aw, that's so, like 2004ish already :) OK, for all those non-technogeeks and those above the age of twelve, let's take a step back.
IM, or Instant Messaging and it's close cousin "text-messaging" is the modern day equivalent of the ole' teletype. Ok, well not quite, but Instant Messaging is a versatile program that allows two or more people who are online to "chat" or send text messages to each other in real time.
So why not just use email to shoot messages to each other? There are several reasons why: 1) it's much faster than email, it's virtually instantaneous, 2) you know that the other person is online right now, 3) you can have several people "chatting" at the same time, and 4) did I mention that it's much faster than email?
There are many times when it's more convenient than calling on the phone or emailing someone when you need an answer - since it's less formal than email or a call, the other person can take their time answering the question, or quickly type out a response. It's easy to multitask on your computer and have an IM conversation with someone.
So what is this "Skype" thing? Skype is essentially an internet telephone with free long distance. Skype is like an Instant Messaging program on steroids. You can use it to "chat" with other people, or you can use it to actually talk to other people.
Using a simple microphone, either built into your laptop or a cheap one that you plug into your computer, you can talk to your friends or anyone in the world who has an internet connection for FREE.
That's right. You can call just anyone who has a high speed internet connection (I don't know if it'll work with dialup, though I doubt it) and talk to your heart's content. You can even conference in several people and have a grand 'ole time talking to everyone. For FREE. For frugal people like me, that's the kicker.
For the most part, the quality of the connection is usually pretty darn good. On overseas calls, it's no worse than the typical connection I get with a regular phone. And if the other person doesn't have a computer with a high speed connection, or doesn't even have a computer, you can make phone calls to regular telephone numbers for a small (something like around 2 cent/min) fee.
Now here's the fine print. You can only talk to someone if they're online and signed into Skype. Not online? Can't talk for free. You're gonna have to wait 'til they're online. Or pay a few cents per minute and call/skype their regular old phone. Also, since this is a free internet dot-com service, don't expect any customer service - it's practically non-existant.
BUT - it's FREE, it's clear, and it's fun. There are even people who put up a sign that says "skype me, I'm available for talking". They welcome random phone calls from anyone, anywhere around the world. And I'm sure they have some pretty interesting conversations...
Saturday, May 21, 2005
Security For Your Computer: How-To Videos
Microsoft has some great videos that you can watch online or download for free that explain the top security issues that affect you and your computer.
They're simple enough to understand, and cover things like:
They're simple enough to understand, and cover things like:
- 3 things you can do to prevent spyware
- What you should know about phishing scams
- Defending against viruses and worms
- Keeping your computer up to date
- Dealing with spam e-mail
- Protecting your privacy and personal information online
- Teaching your kids about online safety
Friday, May 20, 2005
Geocaching - Hide & Seek with your GPS
There's an adventure game called Geocaching that's a great way to have fun and get some exercise while you're at it. It's like the modern day version of "Hide and Seek". The only requirement is that you have a handheld GPS device (there's a great deal on a nice color one that also holds streetmaps at Amazon.com (Garmin eTrex Legend Color) for $240 after rebate).
It works like this: Someone hides a little trinket somewhere and then records the co-ordinates (latitude and longitude) on a website like GeoCaching. Your job is to use those co-ordinates and track down that trinket.
Sounds easy, doesn't it? But it's harder than it sounds. It's one thing to know where it is, but it's a whole 'nother ballgame to get there. And that's where the fun comes in. Since the accuracy of the GPS units vary by several feet, you won't have an exact match to the location of the 'cache' or hiding place. So you may spend some time finding the exact hiding place. But of course you'll have fun while you're at it.
One other cool tool that you can add to your arsenal is a GPS computer program called ExpertGPS that allows you to see the routes that you took on a map. It pulls satellite aerial images from the internet and allows you to see where you've been or where you can go.
Using the mapping tools in ExpertGPS, you can draw your route directly on a map, search for nearby features from the millions of waypoints in it's database, and transfer your trip directly to your GPS.
ExpertGPS uses your internet connection to retrieve maps as you navigate, and saves the maps to your hard drive. Disconnect your laptop and head out on a trip, and all of your data is available. ExpertGPS keeps track of which maps need to be retrieved from the Internet, so you can quickly define an area to map and let ExpertGPS gather the data later.
So that's it. Happy GeoCaching!
It works like this: Someone hides a little trinket somewhere and then records the co-ordinates (latitude and longitude) on a website like GeoCaching. Your job is to use those co-ordinates and track down that trinket.
Sounds easy, doesn't it? But it's harder than it sounds. It's one thing to know where it is, but it's a whole 'nother ballgame to get there. And that's where the fun comes in. Since the accuracy of the GPS units vary by several feet, you won't have an exact match to the location of the 'cache' or hiding place. So you may spend some time finding the exact hiding place. But of course you'll have fun while you're at it.
One other cool tool that you can add to your arsenal is a GPS computer program called ExpertGPS that allows you to see the routes that you took on a map. It pulls satellite aerial images from the internet and allows you to see where you've been or where you can go.
Using the mapping tools in ExpertGPS, you can draw your route directly on a map, search for nearby features from the millions of waypoints in it's database, and transfer your trip directly to your GPS.
ExpertGPS uses your internet connection to retrieve maps as you navigate, and saves the maps to your hard drive. Disconnect your laptop and head out on a trip, and all of your data is available. ExpertGPS keeps track of which maps need to be retrieved from the Internet, so you can quickly define an area to map and let ExpertGPS gather the data later.
So that's it. Happy GeoCaching!
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Dragonboat Festival, DC May 28-29, 2005
The 4th Annual Washington DC Dragon Boat Festival is coming to town.
If you're around the Washington DC area this coming Memorial day weekend, try to catch the Dragonboat races on the Potomac River.
Watch 20 paddlers, an oarsman, and a drummer race a 45 foot long dragonboat against several other teams in a rush to the finish line. It's an exciting and fun to watch event that's celebrated in cities around the world.
I'll be racing with the ECS mixed adult team again this year, and helping with the officiating as well. Hope to see you there.
Excerpt from DragonboatDC.com:
LEGEND OF THE DRAGON BOAT RACE
The Dragon Boat Festival commemorates the life and death of Chu Yuan (340 –278 BC), a political leader of the state of Chu.
Chu Yuan was a respected poet as well as politician of ancient China. When he lost the trust of the King and saw his home state of Chu fall into the hands of inept officials and the country weakened with the ensuing invasion by its powerful neighbor, Chu Yuan drowned himself in the Mi-Lo River in despair.
The people of Chu rushed to rescue him, but in vain. In memory of Chu Yuan’s loyalty to the kingdom and as a symbol to keep the fish away from his body, people threw rice dumplings wrapped with bamboo leaves - called tzung-tze - into the river.
Since then, the dragon boat races have taken place annually, and tzung-tze has become a festival snack sold in food stores instead of being thrown into the rivers. This event is now known as the Dragon Boat Festival.
If you're around the Washington DC area this coming Memorial day weekend, try to catch the Dragonboat races on the Potomac River.
Watch 20 paddlers, an oarsman, and a drummer race a 45 foot long dragonboat against several other teams in a rush to the finish line. It's an exciting and fun to watch event that's celebrated in cities around the world.
I'll be racing with the ECS mixed adult team again this year, and helping with the officiating as well. Hope to see you there.
Excerpt from DragonboatDC.com:
LEGEND OF THE DRAGON BOAT RACE
The Dragon Boat Festival commemorates the life and death of Chu Yuan (340 –278 BC), a political leader of the state of Chu.
Chu Yuan was a respected poet as well as politician of ancient China. When he lost the trust of the King and saw his home state of Chu fall into the hands of inept officials and the country weakened with the ensuing invasion by its powerful neighbor, Chu Yuan drowned himself in the Mi-Lo River in despair.
The people of Chu rushed to rescue him, but in vain. In memory of Chu Yuan’s loyalty to the kingdom and as a symbol to keep the fish away from his body, people threw rice dumplings wrapped with bamboo leaves - called tzung-tze - into the river.
Since then, the dragon boat races have taken place annually, and tzung-tze has become a festival snack sold in food stores instead of being thrown into the rivers. This event is now known as the Dragon Boat Festival.
Check Your Property & Auto Claims History - Free
If you own a car or a home, you probably have auto or home insurance (at least you should). I'll bet you probably buy it from your agent that you've always dealt with too. And I'll also bet that you're probably unlikely to change for fear of the unknown - not knowing if you'll get a good deal, not knowing if you will lose out for not staying with the same company forever, not knowing if that claim you made a few years ago will be held against you.
It's not really voodoo or some black magic (well, maybe a little). You just need some additional knowledge to help find out how those companies view you; how they rate you in terms of insurability and whether or not that claim you made is on your "record".
Well, like your financial credit report, insurance companies keep records on your auto and home claims. Some companies are known to record an inquiry into a possible claim as an actual claim even if you don't actually file a claim. Talk about a scam.
So what to do? Easy. You get the scoop on what they are reporting about you. Through the government's FACT Act (or Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003), you are entitled to view a copy of your 'CLUE' (or Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange) report. You can read more about CLUE reports here.
There are two reports that you can get for free. Your Personal Property Report, and your Auto Report are both available once a year through a company called ChoiceTrust.com (part of ChoicePoint).
So make sure you request your free reports yearly and try to stay ahead of the game.
It's not really voodoo or some black magic (well, maybe a little). You just need some additional knowledge to help find out how those companies view you; how they rate you in terms of insurability and whether or not that claim you made is on your "record".
Well, like your financial credit report, insurance companies keep records on your auto and home claims. Some companies are known to record an inquiry into a possible claim as an actual claim even if you don't actually file a claim. Talk about a scam.
So what to do? Easy. You get the scoop on what they are reporting about you. Through the government's FACT Act (or Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003), you are entitled to view a copy of your 'CLUE' (or Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange) report. You can read more about CLUE reports here.
There are two reports that you can get for free. Your Personal Property Report, and your Auto Report are both available once a year through a company called ChoiceTrust.com (part of ChoicePoint).
So make sure you request your free reports yearly and try to stay ahead of the game.
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Send Your Kids To College For Free
Well, not quite for free. Since the cost of sending your kids to college seems to keep growing exponentially every passing year, every little bit helps. Here's a way to help cut the cost of education. Especially when that help is free.
Upromise is a free program that gives a percentage of your purchases back to you in a special savings account when you register your credit cards and grocery cards with them. It is similar those "affiliate" or "cashback" programs I talked about in previous posts.
Once registered, everytime you go shopping online or in your local store, or eat out at a restaurant, Upromise deposits a certain percentage of your purchase to your Upromise college savings account. Everytime you buy a sponsor's product with your grocery rewards card, you get credit as well.
Even if you have an air miles credit card, you still get Upromise dollars in addition to your air miles. As a Upromise member, you also have the option of opening a 529 college savings plan through Upromise Investments.
The best things about this program is that it's FREE, and you don't have to do a thing once your register your cards with them.
You can even have family and friends automatically add to your college savings when they register their cards and link them to your account. So if you don't have kids, you can help support mine ;) I'll even send you a referral link. Just let me know :D
Upromise is a free program that gives a percentage of your purchases back to you in a special savings account when you register your credit cards and grocery cards with them. It is similar those "affiliate" or "cashback" programs I talked about in previous posts.
Once registered, everytime you go shopping online or in your local store, or eat out at a restaurant, Upromise deposits a certain percentage of your purchase to your Upromise college savings account. Everytime you buy a sponsor's product with your grocery rewards card, you get credit as well.
Even if you have an air miles credit card, you still get Upromise dollars in addition to your air miles. As a Upromise member, you also have the option of opening a 529 college savings plan through Upromise Investments.
The best things about this program is that it's FREE, and you don't have to do a thing once your register your cards with them.
You can even have family and friends automatically add to your college savings when they register their cards and link them to your account. So if you don't have kids, you can help support mine ;) I'll even send you a referral link. Just let me know :D
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
I'm Linkified :)
Finally. I've got my own little feed 
. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, see the little orange box with the letters 'XML'? That's a special link containing information that makes it easy for anyone using a "newsreader" or "RSS Reader" to subscribe to my blog.
It's not a link that's meant to be clicked on; its job is to identify my blog to your newsreader program and makes the content or "feed" of my blog available for download. It's a concept called RSS, or Really Simply Syndication. You can read more about RSS in this PC World magazine article.
A newsreader is a program kind of like your email program. It works by going out and "pulling" or collecting infomation from various feeds that you've subscribed to. Rather than subscribe to email newsletters (and worry about spam), you subscribe to RSS feeds and read the blogs or news in your newsreader.
There are web-based newsreaders that work kind of like Hotmail, the online email program, and standalone programs or ones that are integrated with your browswer. One highly rated stand-alone newsreader program I've used is called Pluck, which works with your internet browser.
So if you're like me and always forget to visit a particular website or blog (like AskMyPaul), then you can "subscribe" to my blog with a simple newsreader program.
. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, see the little orange box with the letters 'XML'? That's a special link containing information that makes it easy for anyone using a "newsreader" or "RSS Reader" to subscribe to my blog.It's not a link that's meant to be clicked on; its job is to identify my blog to your newsreader program and makes the content or "feed" of my blog available for download. It's a concept called RSS, or Really Simply Syndication. You can read more about RSS in this PC World magazine article.
A newsreader is a program kind of like your email program. It works by going out and "pulling" or collecting infomation from various feeds that you've subscribed to. Rather than subscribe to email newsletters (and worry about spam), you subscribe to RSS feeds and read the blogs or news in your newsreader.
There are web-based newsreaders that work kind of like Hotmail, the online email program, and standalone programs or ones that are integrated with your browswer. One highly rated stand-alone newsreader program I've used is called Pluck, which works with your internet browser.
So if you're like me and always forget to visit a particular website or blog (like AskMyPaul), then you can "subscribe" to my blog with a simple newsreader program.
Sunday, May 15, 2005
Be frugal like Paul :) Part III - Cash Back
OK, you wanna buy something, so you do like Paul: Step One - check for deals posted in Hot Deal forums at places like FatWallet.com. Step Two - Look for coupon codes listed in places like FatWallet.com or XPBargains.com. Step Three - Click through affiliate links, make your purchase, and get money back (up to 15% of your purchase).
Huh? What's an affiliate link? Y'all know what an ad is, right? Some store has paid good money to advertise their stuff in the local paper, banner ads, on TV or wherever. You also know the concept of "word-of-mouth". Well, someone had the great idea that instead of spending big bucks on these ads, they'd pay money to those who people who "tell" others to buy from their stores. It's the "If I had a dime for every time I..." thing.
Amazon.com
was one of those companies who first started paying other websites, or what they call "affiliates", to refer people to their store. Amazon would pay the referring website a certain amount for each person who came and made a purchase. This was much cheaper and more effective than paying for ads.
But it's the referring website that's getting the referral fee, not you. So what good is that? Why would I bother going to a referring website, then to the final store instead of going directly to the store? Well little grasshopper, that's where some enterprising websites come in.
Everybody wants to make a buck, so some websites like FatWallet.com and eBates.com decided to share the wealth or "share the love" as Amazon.com would say. By clicking through these affiliate websites to your final destination website, Fatwallet and eBates will share their referral fees with you. Sweet eh?
Don't worry, you're not paying a dime more for using these referral links. It's not only transparent, but it's free to you, the prices you pay are exactly the same as if you had gone directly to the website, AND you get anywhere from 1 to 15% of your purchase back in cold hard cash-ola (well, a cheque or direct deposit to your Paypal or bank account).
The concept is similar to those credit cards that give you air miles for all your purchases. In this case, instead of a credit card that tracks your purchases, you use a referring website and they give you actual dollars back for your qualifying purchases. Don't worry, they don't track you or watch what you buy, they just send a referral code to the destination store that identifies which website referred you so that the store knows who to pay the referral fee. The referring websites have no knowledge of what you buy, the actual store tracks your purchase and pays the affiliate the referral fee.
So how does this all work? How do I do this? It sounds too complicated.
Bah, it's easy as pie. Here's an example scenario. Let's say you want buy a new Dell computer. You go to Fatwallet.com and register with them (they need to know who to send the money to). Click on the Hot Deals forum and do a search for Dell computer. You'll find a gazillion posts talking about hot deals and coupon codes available at Dell.
Once you find a good deal there, you click on the 'Stores' link in FatWallet. Find the link for Dell Home Systems. Listed there are more coupon codes and sales, and a link to take you to Dell. Currently, you'll get 3% of your purchase back for buying through the Fatwallet link. Click on the link and a new browser window will open up to Dell's website (make sure you allow popups from the fatwallet site if you're using a popup blocker). Make your purchase (don't forget to use a coupon code - right now they have a coupon for $500 off a certain laptops and free shipping), wait for your computer to come, then 3 months later a cheque for 3% of your purchase will be waiting for you.
Not only did you save money on your new computer, but you just got money back for going through FatWallet.com. On a purchase of $1000, that's worth 30 smackers. FREE.
It's so easy, there's no excuse for not buying through those Fatwallet or eBates.com. And if you want, I'll send you a referral email for ebates.com. If you sign up and make a purchase, ebates will send me $5 for referring you ;)
My Favorite Cash Back Web Sites
(Don't forget to register with the website to setup an account)
Happy shopping :)
Huh? What's an affiliate link? Y'all know what an ad is, right? Some store has paid good money to advertise their stuff in the local paper, banner ads, on TV or wherever. You also know the concept of "word-of-mouth". Well, someone had the great idea that instead of spending big bucks on these ads, they'd pay money to those who people who "tell" others to buy from their stores. It's the "If I had a dime for every time I..." thing.
Amazon.com
was one of those companies who first started paying other websites, or what they call "affiliates", to refer people to their store. Amazon would pay the referring website a certain amount for each person who came and made a purchase. This was much cheaper and more effective than paying for ads.But it's the referring website that's getting the referral fee, not you. So what good is that? Why would I bother going to a referring website, then to the final store instead of going directly to the store? Well little grasshopper, that's where some enterprising websites come in.
Everybody wants to make a buck, so some websites like FatWallet.com and eBates.com decided to share the wealth or "share the love" as Amazon.com would say. By clicking through these affiliate websites to your final destination website, Fatwallet and eBates will share their referral fees with you. Sweet eh?
Don't worry, you're not paying a dime more for using these referral links. It's not only transparent, but it's free to you, the prices you pay are exactly the same as if you had gone directly to the website, AND you get anywhere from 1 to 15% of your purchase back in cold hard cash-ola (well, a cheque or direct deposit to your Paypal or bank account).
The concept is similar to those credit cards that give you air miles for all your purchases. In this case, instead of a credit card that tracks your purchases, you use a referring website and they give you actual dollars back for your qualifying purchases. Don't worry, they don't track you or watch what you buy, they just send a referral code to the destination store that identifies which website referred you so that the store knows who to pay the referral fee. The referring websites have no knowledge of what you buy, the actual store tracks your purchase and pays the affiliate the referral fee.
So how does this all work? How do I do this? It sounds too complicated.
Bah, it's easy as pie. Here's an example scenario. Let's say you want buy a new Dell computer. You go to Fatwallet.com and register with them (they need to know who to send the money to). Click on the Hot Deals forum and do a search for Dell computer. You'll find a gazillion posts talking about hot deals and coupon codes available at Dell.
Once you find a good deal there, you click on the 'Stores' link in FatWallet. Find the link for Dell Home Systems. Listed there are more coupon codes and sales, and a link to take you to Dell. Currently, you'll get 3% of your purchase back for buying through the Fatwallet link. Click on the link and a new browser window will open up to Dell's website (make sure you allow popups from the fatwallet site if you're using a popup blocker). Make your purchase (don't forget to use a coupon code - right now they have a coupon for $500 off a certain laptops and free shipping), wait for your computer to come, then 3 months later a cheque for 3% of your purchase will be waiting for you.
Not only did you save money on your new computer, but you just got money back for going through FatWallet.com. On a purchase of $1000, that's worth 30 smackers. FREE.
It's so easy, there's no excuse for not buying through those Fatwallet or eBates.com. And if you want, I'll send you a referral email for ebates.com. If you sign up and make a purchase, ebates will send me $5 for referring you ;)
My Favorite Cash Back Web Sites
(Don't forget to register with the website to setup an account)
Happy shopping :)
More Bang for Your Buck - Car Donations
If you live in Washington D.C., Maryland or Virgina, and you are considering donating your car, then you might want to check out Vehicles for Change http://www.vehiclesforchange.org/
The law was recently changed regarding the value you can deduct for your vehicle. This is one of the few organizations where you may still qualify to deduct the full market value of the donated vehicle. Vehicles for Change meets all the State and Federal requirements to assure your donation is tax deducible per IRS guidelines. Basically the donated car is not auctioned off but instead sold for a minimal amount to a needy family.
This is a win/win situation for both the giver and recipient - you get more credit for your vehicle, and someone needy benefits.
The law was recently changed regarding the value you can deduct for your vehicle. This is one of the few organizations where you may still qualify to deduct the full market value of the donated vehicle. Vehicles for Change meets all the State and Federal requirements to assure your donation is tax deducible per IRS guidelines. Basically the donated car is not auctioned off but instead sold for a minimal amount to a needy family.
This is a win/win situation for both the giver and recipient - you get more credit for your vehicle, and someone needy benefits.
Friday, May 13, 2005
Friday Sales at Amazon.com
Every Friday, Amazon.com puts a bunch of stuff on sale. For the most part, the things that are on sale aren't that great, but every now and then they have something worth buying at a pretty good price.
The sale lasts only one day and the selection changes every Friday.
You can get to it from their main page (Amazon.com) and clicking on the link at the top named "Today's Deals". Then look for the link to "The Friday Sale".
Might be worth your while taking a lookee.
puts a bunch of stuff on sale. For the most part, the things that are on sale aren't that great, but every now and then they have something worth buying at a pretty good price.The sale lasts only one day and the selection changes every Friday.
You can get to it from their main page (Amazon.com
) and clicking on the link at the top named "Today's Deals". Then look for the link to "The Friday Sale".Might be worth your while taking a lookee.
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Be frugal like Paul :) Part II - Coupon Codes
Coupons are good. Repeat after me, coupons are good. That's coupons as in KOO-pons, not Q-pons. As I've mentioned in the past, I always check those Hot Deal forums before I buy anything, and it goes without saying that I never buy anything without first checking if there are any coupons available.
No, coupon is not a dirty word, it's not an admittance of any weakness, cheesiness or cheapness. You don't have to hide your face or use some pseudonym. It's plain common sense. You'd be foolish to just hand over your money and not use a coupon when there was one available. It's just like buying something on sale. You wouldn't pay full price for something if it was on sale would you? You do like sales don't you?
Coupons are free money, not just a couple of cents off, and usually worth significant chunks 'o change. All it takes is a few extra seconds of time to enter in a coupon code. It's like your secret pass to savings. Stores offer them as incentives to buy from them. They're there for you to use. So use them.
Like the coupons you get in the mail or newspaper, the web equivalent of the coupon is a coupon code. Since you don't present a physical coupon to a cashier, you just enter in a coupon code at checkout, and voila! free savings.
Coupon codes can be made up of numbers, letters or both. There are both single use coupon codes and multiple or unlimited use coupon codes. The single use coupon code means that it can only be used once, usually only by one person so you can't share it with your friend. Most coupon codes out there are multiple use, or unlimited use coupon codes which means that you, your friend, your friend's friend and dog can use the coupon as many times as you wish. Oh yeah!
You can find tons of coupon codes in the Hot Deal Forums like FatWallet.com, or just do a google search for the terms "coupon" and a store name. FatWallet.com even has a list of stores and the available coupon codes for that particular store. As an additional bonus to using the coupon codes, there are programs that offer "rebates" or "cash back" when you use a special link when you make a purchase at a participating store. I'll talk about that in the next part of this "frugal" series.
So remember, always first check if there's a coupon code for a store before you buy anything. And please, do me a favor, if you're intent on buying something at full blown list price, send me the money that you were going to spend on it. I'll buy it for you and deliver it to your house (and keep whatever savings I can make). And while you're at it, send me all your free air miles since you're probably not too interested in those freebies either ;)
Bottom line: Coupons = free money. And free is good.
No, coupon is not a dirty word, it's not an admittance of any weakness, cheesiness or cheapness. You don't have to hide your face or use some pseudonym. It's plain common sense. You'd be foolish to just hand over your money and not use a coupon when there was one available. It's just like buying something on sale. You wouldn't pay full price for something if it was on sale would you? You do like sales don't you?
Coupons are free money, not just a couple of cents off, and usually worth significant chunks 'o change. All it takes is a few extra seconds of time to enter in a coupon code. It's like your secret pass to savings. Stores offer them as incentives to buy from them. They're there for you to use. So use them.
Like the coupons you get in the mail or newspaper, the web equivalent of the coupon is a coupon code. Since you don't present a physical coupon to a cashier, you just enter in a coupon code at checkout, and voila! free savings.
Coupon codes can be made up of numbers, letters or both. There are both single use coupon codes and multiple or unlimited use coupon codes. The single use coupon code means that it can only be used once, usually only by one person so you can't share it with your friend. Most coupon codes out there are multiple use, or unlimited use coupon codes which means that you, your friend, your friend's friend and dog can use the coupon as many times as you wish. Oh yeah!
You can find tons of coupon codes in the Hot Deal Forums like FatWallet.com, or just do a google search for the terms "coupon" and a store name. FatWallet.com even has a list of stores and the available coupon codes for that particular store. As an additional bonus to using the coupon codes, there are programs that offer "rebates" or "cash back" when you use a special link when you make a purchase at a participating store. I'll talk about that in the next part of this "frugal" series.
So remember, always first check if there's a coupon code for a store before you buy anything. And please, do me a favor, if you're intent on buying something at full blown list price, send me the money that you were going to spend on it. I'll buy it for you and deliver it to your house (and keep whatever savings I can make). And while you're at it, send me all your free air miles since you're probably not too interested in those freebies either ;)
Bottom line: Coupons = free money. And free is good.
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Be frugal like Paul :) Part I - Deal Forums
So you want to save money? Get more bang for the buck? Looking for a good deal?
Well you've come to the right place. The web that is. The web is a wonderful equalizer. You've got practically unlimited info at your fingertips. But where do you start? Who do you trust? Because it's so incredibly easy for anyone to setup a website, literally taking only a few minutes, you've got to be careful where you tread. It's as easy to spread information across the web as it is to spread mis-information. For every legitimate website out there, there are thousands of scammers out there trying to get your money.
So what do you do? Start with the big names. While that's not a guarantee of anything, that's a beginning. Ask your friends. And as my better half would say, Ask My Paul.
So what do I do? First and foremost, I scour several deal forums for hot deals and coupon codes.
Deal Forums
Pssst, wanna buy a cheap widget? You've got to know where to find the latest hot tips. Next to having your own personal deal finder, deal forums are the greatest thing since sliced bread.
What are deal forums? They are basically websites that emulate the bulletin boards that you find in your local supermarket. You know the ones, they are the cork boards plastered with things for sale, like cars, garage sales, and various want ads. They are a place where anyone can "post" a message, available for anyone that happens to glance at it.
Deal forums are online places where anyone can share info on hot deals, super sales, and tips, tricks and techniques for nailing down a great deal. They are basically just a whole lot of "posts". Posts are the equivalent of the piece of paper stuck to the supermarket bulletin boards. Once you register on the site, you are free to post a deal or comment.
Deal forums are free, full of information - some good, some useless, and usually are "monitored" by a forum Moderator. The moderator acts as an editor, "locking down" or freezing duplicate, nasty or illegal posts. Typically though, moderators stay out of the way.
One of the first places I go to, and one of the best deal forums on the web, is FatWallet.com ( http://fatwallet.com/c/18/ ). Here you'll find several forums, coupon codes, store ratings, and get this - money back on any purchases that you make when you "click-through" their website. I'll explain this money back stuff in another blog.
When surfing at Fatwallet, I pretty much spend all of my time in the "Hot Deals" forums. This is the forum where, appropriately enough, all the hot deals are posted. If you intend on perusing through the tons of posts there, it would be in your interest to register with the site.
Registering with the site allows you to organize the posts into a more logical and, in my view, useful order. By default, the latest post is at the top of the page. This would be a good thing, but since anyone can make a comment on a post that someone else has made, that post gets "bumped" to the top of the list. When several people comment on a post, it stays at the top of the list. I'm more interested in seeing newer posts, so I organize the posts by "Recent Topic". This format lists the posts in sequential order by time of post. That way, I can quickly scan and view all new posts.
While you can just glance at that post subject lines, reading the posts often describe how the deals are structured, or how to get the price that the poster got. Good deals often require using a coupon code as well as submitting mail-in rebates, so read the post carefully so that you understand how to get that low, low price.
Acronyms
One thing you'll notice when reading the posts, is that people use lots of acronyms. This is to save time - no time to waste typing out everything in great detail. Here are some of the more common acronyms:
AR - after rebate (the price quoted is after mail-in rebates)
AC - after coupon
BM - Bricks and Mortor - a physical store as opposed to a web-based store.
OOS - Out of Stock
PM - price match
YMMV - your mileage may vary (I got this deal, but you might not be able to copy it)
You can find a more through listing in the fatwallet forum faq (frequently asked questions) found as the first post in the hot deals list.
Use the Search
Like google's search tool, most forum websites have a search feature. If you are looking specifically for a good deal on something in particular, you can just do a search in the Hot Deals section for the product that you're looking for. It will list any posts that talk about deals for the product or store that you're looking for.
There's also a built-in price comparison search engine built into Fatwallet's search feature. This allows you to do a quick price search on several different websites at once. Other price comparison websites to check are: www.bizrate.com, www.pricegrabber.com, or ones that are associated with techie websites like www.cnet.com or www.pcworld.com. Just keep in mind that only a few stores are listed in these price comparison engines - typically, the stores pay to be listed.
One more place to get a good idea of what the market price of an item should be, is to go to ebay and see what the item that you're interested in is going for.
Summary
Deal forums are the expanded community bulletin boards where anyone can share great deals with everyone.
Well you've come to the right place. The web that is. The web is a wonderful equalizer. You've got practically unlimited info at your fingertips. But where do you start? Who do you trust? Because it's so incredibly easy for anyone to setup a website, literally taking only a few minutes, you've got to be careful where you tread. It's as easy to spread information across the web as it is to spread mis-information. For every legitimate website out there, there are thousands of scammers out there trying to get your money.
So what do you do? Start with the big names. While that's not a guarantee of anything, that's a beginning. Ask your friends. And as my better half would say, Ask My Paul.
So what do I do? First and foremost, I scour several deal forums for hot deals and coupon codes.
Deal Forums
Pssst, wanna buy a cheap widget? You've got to know where to find the latest hot tips. Next to having your own personal deal finder, deal forums are the greatest thing since sliced bread.
What are deal forums? They are basically websites that emulate the bulletin boards that you find in your local supermarket. You know the ones, they are the cork boards plastered with things for sale, like cars, garage sales, and various want ads. They are a place where anyone can "post" a message, available for anyone that happens to glance at it.
Deal forums are online places where anyone can share info on hot deals, super sales, and tips, tricks and techniques for nailing down a great deal. They are basically just a whole lot of "posts". Posts are the equivalent of the piece of paper stuck to the supermarket bulletin boards. Once you register on the site, you are free to post a deal or comment.
Deal forums are free, full of information - some good, some useless, and usually are "monitored" by a forum Moderator. The moderator acts as an editor, "locking down" or freezing duplicate, nasty or illegal posts. Typically though, moderators stay out of the way.
One of the first places I go to, and one of the best deal forums on the web, is FatWallet.com ( http://fatwallet.com/c/18/ ). Here you'll find several forums, coupon codes, store ratings, and get this - money back on any purchases that you make when you "click-through" their website. I'll explain this money back stuff in another blog.
When surfing at Fatwallet, I pretty much spend all of my time in the "Hot Deals" forums. This is the forum where, appropriately enough, all the hot deals are posted. If you intend on perusing through the tons of posts there, it would be in your interest to register with the site.
Registering with the site allows you to organize the posts into a more logical and, in my view, useful order. By default, the latest post is at the top of the page. This would be a good thing, but since anyone can make a comment on a post that someone else has made, that post gets "bumped" to the top of the list. When several people comment on a post, it stays at the top of the list. I'm more interested in seeing newer posts, so I organize the posts by "Recent Topic". This format lists the posts in sequential order by time of post. That way, I can quickly scan and view all new posts.
While you can just glance at that post subject lines, reading the posts often describe how the deals are structured, or how to get the price that the poster got. Good deals often require using a coupon code as well as submitting mail-in rebates, so read the post carefully so that you understand how to get that low, low price.
Acronyms
One thing you'll notice when reading the posts, is that people use lots of acronyms. This is to save time - no time to waste typing out everything in great detail. Here are some of the more common acronyms:
AR - after rebate (the price quoted is after mail-in rebates)
AC - after coupon
BM - Bricks and Mortor - a physical store as opposed to a web-based store.
OOS - Out of Stock
PM - price match
YMMV - your mileage may vary (I got this deal, but you might not be able to copy it)
You can find a more through listing in the fatwallet forum faq (frequently asked questions) found as the first post in the hot deals list.
Use the Search
Like google's search tool, most forum websites have a search feature. If you are looking specifically for a good deal on something in particular, you can just do a search in the Hot Deals section for the product that you're looking for. It will list any posts that talk about deals for the product or store that you're looking for.
There's also a built-in price comparison search engine built into Fatwallet's search feature. This allows you to do a quick price search on several different websites at once. Other price comparison websites to check are: www.bizrate.com, www.pricegrabber.com, or ones that are associated with techie websites like www.cnet.com or www.pcworld.com. Just keep in mind that only a few stores are listed in these price comparison engines - typically, the stores pay to be listed.
One more place to get a good idea of what the market price of an item should be, is to go to ebay and see what the item that you're interested in is going for.
Summary
Deal forums are the expanded community bulletin boards where anyone can share great deals with everyone.
Monday, May 09, 2005
Bargains, bargains everywhere...
Everybody likes a bargain. Especially me. It irks me to no end to pay for anything at full retail price. With the internet, there's no excuse for getting scammed and paying full price for practically anything. It doesn't take much to save a lot. And it's incredibly easy to do.
Contrary to popular belief, I don't spend every waking moment surfing the web looking for good deals. I do spend some time reading the news. And playing with the kids. Sometimes I even help clean up around the house. I even get through a few newspapers and magazines once in a while.
But hey, I don't watch much TV. There's no time. Time's ticking away on some awesome deal that's going to sell out shortly. So I've got to troll through those deal forums and wade through all those hot deal emails.
There's a lot of enjoyment browing through those hot deal websites where everybody and their mothers are posting the lastest and greatest deals to save you money. It's the thrill of the hunt they'd say, and I'd have to agree. It's quite the addiction to save a few dollars here, mucho dollars there. 10, 25, 50% off wheeeee! Of course, with any addiction, it takes more and more to get some satisfaction. Something's gotta be a least 50% off or it doesn't get my heart pumping, hands sweaty, and that intoxicating giddyness that comes with nailing that $15 DVD for only $3 - shipping included!
Ok, the little things in life do excite me. They bring a little satisfaction and cheap amusement for the day. At least it keeps me off the streets...
Contrary to popular belief, I don't spend every waking moment surfing the web looking for good deals. I do spend some time reading the news. And playing with the kids. Sometimes I even help clean up around the house. I even get through a few newspapers and magazines once in a while.
But hey, I don't watch much TV. There's no time. Time's ticking away on some awesome deal that's going to sell out shortly. So I've got to troll through those deal forums and wade through all those hot deal emails.
There's a lot of enjoyment browing through those hot deal websites where everybody and their mothers are posting the lastest and greatest deals to save you money. It's the thrill of the hunt they'd say, and I'd have to agree. It's quite the addiction to save a few dollars here, mucho dollars there. 10, 25, 50% off wheeeee! Of course, with any addiction, it takes more and more to get some satisfaction. Something's gotta be a least 50% off or it doesn't get my heart pumping, hands sweaty, and that intoxicating giddyness that comes with nailing that $15 DVD for only $3 - shipping included!
Ok, the little things in life do excite me. They bring a little satisfaction and cheap amusement for the day. At least it keeps me off the streets...
Saturday, May 07, 2005
It's teacher appreciation week.
Here's a little joke that is making the rounds. It's actually more fact than fiction. Teacher appreciation week was last week, but I thought that it was still relevant.
>>>>
Being interviewed by the school administration, the eager teaching prospect said:
Let me see if I've got this right. You want me to go into that room with all those kids, and fill their every waking moment with a love for learning. And I'm supposed to instill a sense of pride in their ethnicity, modify their disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse and even censor their T-shirt messages and dress habits. You want me to wage a war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, check their backpacks for weapons of mass destruction, and raise their self esteem. You want me to teach them patriotism, good citizenship, sportsmanship, fair play, how to register to vote, how to balance a checkbook, and how to apply for a job. I am to check their heads for lice, maintain a safe environment, recognize signs of anti-social behavior, make sure all students pass the mandatory state exams, even those who don't come to school regularly or complete any of their assignments. Plus, I am to make sure that all of the students with handicaps get an equal education regardless of the extent of their mental or physical handicap. And I am to communicate regularly with the parents by letter, telephone, newsletter and report card.
Uh huh.
And I am to do all of this with just a piece of chalk, a computer, a few books, a bulletin board, a big smile AND on a starting salary that qualifies my family for food stamps?
Yep. That's it. Any questions?
>>>>
We trust our kids with our teachers every day. Please remember to take a moment to show your appreciation to your favorite teacher whenever you have a chance.
>>>>
Being interviewed by the school administration, the eager teaching prospect said:
Let me see if I've got this right. You want me to go into that room with all those kids, and fill their every waking moment with a love for learning. And I'm supposed to instill a sense of pride in their ethnicity, modify their disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse and even censor their T-shirt messages and dress habits. You want me to wage a war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, check their backpacks for weapons of mass destruction, and raise their self esteem. You want me to teach them patriotism, good citizenship, sportsmanship, fair play, how to register to vote, how to balance a checkbook, and how to apply for a job. I am to check their heads for lice, maintain a safe environment, recognize signs of anti-social behavior, make sure all students pass the mandatory state exams, even those who don't come to school regularly or complete any of their assignments. Plus, I am to make sure that all of the students with handicaps get an equal education regardless of the extent of their mental or physical handicap. And I am to communicate regularly with the parents by letter, telephone, newsletter and report card.
Uh huh.
And I am to do all of this with just a piece of chalk, a computer, a few books, a bulletin board, a big smile AND on a starting salary that qualifies my family for food stamps?
Yep. That's it. Any questions?
>>>>
We trust our kids with our teachers every day. Please remember to take a moment to show your appreciation to your favorite teacher whenever you have a chance.
Searching for stuff in MS Outlook
If you use Microsoft Outlook (not Outlook Express) and have ever tried to find an old email from your long lost uncle, you know that the "find" or search tool that comes with Outlook really stinks. It's slow, clunky and it just may find what you're looking for.
I'm sure you all use Google for your web searches. Wouldn't it be nice to have something like that for searching for stuff on your computer? Well Microsoft bought out a company that makes a search engine for all your emails called "Lookout" (yes, there's also Google Desktop, but that's a post for another day).
Lookout is a lightning fast search tool that allows you look up any word or phrase in any of the gazillions of emails that you have stored up over the past years. It's one of those cool tools that ya gotta have. You may think you don't need it, but once you use it you'll see what I mean.
It only works if you're using MS Outlook version 2000 or later, and on Windows 2000 and later. It also requires MS .Net Framework version 1.1, and it will prompt you to download it if you don't have it already. Installation is pretty simple and straightforward. You can get Lookout here: http://www.lookoutsoft.com/Lookout/download.html
This is one of those "really cool tools" that I have on my computer, and you should too :)
I'm sure you all use Google for your web searches. Wouldn't it be nice to have something like that for searching for stuff on your computer? Well Microsoft bought out a company that makes a search engine for all your emails called "Lookout" (yes, there's also Google Desktop, but that's a post for another day).
Lookout is a lightning fast search tool that allows you look up any word or phrase in any of the gazillions of emails that you have stored up over the past years. It's one of those cool tools that ya gotta have. You may think you don't need it, but once you use it you'll see what I mean.
It only works if you're using MS Outlook version 2000 or later, and on Windows 2000 and later. It also requires MS .Net Framework version 1.1, and it will prompt you to download it if you don't have it already. Installation is pretty simple and straightforward. You can get Lookout here: http://www.lookoutsoft.com/Lookout/download.html
This is one of those "really cool tools" that I have on my computer, and you should too :)
Friday, May 06, 2005
The Travel Insider Newsletter
It you travel and like gadgets, or even if you don't travel much, but like gadgets - any kind of gadget (like me), then you'll like this guy's email newsletter. David M Rowell publishes a weekly newsletter that has some interesting commentary about the airlines and their industry, and talks about all kinds of interesting ways to make your travels easier and smarter.
You can sign up for his newsletter at his website: www.thetravelinsider.com
There are articles about using cellphones abroad, ways to save at airport parking, ways to get your golf clubs, skiis or baggage to your destination with few hassles, and lots of reviews about travelling gadgets.
He also posts some great deals on where to get stuff, like the current promotion for some noise reducing headphones. If you've heard about the Bose headphones, you know that they cost quite a lot. David has found a great alternative called Solitude noise reducing headphones. His review on is his website. You can get them Travel Essentials here: http://www.travelessentials.com for only $140 (30% saving) when you use coupon code "MAMA". I'm not sure how long this coupon will work, so get 'em while they last.
That's my plug for his newsletter. May the force by with you and your gadgets :)
You can sign up for his newsletter at his website: www.thetravelinsider.com
There are articles about using cellphones abroad, ways to save at airport parking, ways to get your golf clubs, skiis or baggage to your destination with few hassles, and lots of reviews about travelling gadgets.
He also posts some great deals on where to get stuff, like the current promotion for some noise reducing headphones. If you've heard about the Bose headphones, you know that they cost quite a lot. David has found a great alternative called Solitude noise reducing headphones. His review on is his website. You can get them Travel Essentials here: http://www.travelessentials.com for only $140 (30% saving) when you use coupon code "MAMA". I'm not sure how long this coupon will work, so get 'em while they last.
That's my plug for his newsletter. May the force by with you and your gadgets :)
Yet another scumbag virus/trojan/worm coming around.
As usual, I will remind you to NEVER click on any email attachment. I repeat, NEVER click or double click on any email link, attachment or picture that you receive via email. It doesn't matter if you have an anti-virus program running or not. It doesn't matter if the email is from me or your little old great grandmother. The surest way to infect your computer is to click on an email attachment. Paranoia is not an understatement.
Why not? 'Cause an infected email will surely come from someone you know. That's how the virus/worm works. The virus randomly goes through an infected person's computer and address book, sticks a name in the "from" line, sticks another name in the "to" line, then mass mails itself to everyone and everything it can. You can be sure that whoever's name is in the "from" address is definitely not the one the infected email came from. So don't bother emailing that person to tell them that they're infected. Chances are, they aren't.
So you're thinking, what do I do? Well, that's easy. Just right click on the attachment, click on "save as", then save it to a folder on your harddrive somewhere. I use a folder named appropriately enough, "scan first". Then open up Windows Explorer (not Internet Explorer), go to the folder where you saved the file, right click on the file, then click on "scan this file" or something like that. Almost every virus program lets you right click on a file and scan it. If it's clean, and it's not a program (a file that typically ends in .com or .bat or .exe), then you're probably safe and can open it.
If it's a program, I'd think twice about clicking on it and opening it. Why? There are scumbags out there that write little programs that are little trojans. They may do something innocuous, but at the same time, load some worm/virus or worse yet, a "key-logging" software on your system. You'll never know, and if it's a key logger program, it will record every single keystroke that you type, take screenshots of your screen, then quietly send your bank username and passwords to some scumbag somewhere in the world, where they will proceed to wreak havoc on your life - steal your identity.
If your virus definitions aren't up to date, then there's a possibility that a new worm/trojan/virus can infect your computer. So always keep your anti-virus program up to date.
I'll talk about phishing emails and what anti-spyware, anti-virus, anti-scumbag programs to load on your computer later.
That's all for now.
Why not? 'Cause an infected email will surely come from someone you know. That's how the virus/worm works. The virus randomly goes through an infected person's computer and address book, sticks a name in the "from" line, sticks another name in the "to" line, then mass mails itself to everyone and everything it can. You can be sure that whoever's name is in the "from" address is definitely not the one the infected email came from. So don't bother emailing that person to tell them that they're infected. Chances are, they aren't.
So you're thinking, what do I do? Well, that's easy. Just right click on the attachment, click on "save as", then save it to a folder on your harddrive somewhere. I use a folder named appropriately enough, "scan first". Then open up Windows Explorer (not Internet Explorer), go to the folder where you saved the file, right click on the file, then click on "scan this file" or something like that. Almost every virus program lets you right click on a file and scan it. If it's clean, and it's not a program (a file that typically ends in .com or .bat or .exe), then you're probably safe and can open it.
If it's a program, I'd think twice about clicking on it and opening it. Why? There are scumbags out there that write little programs that are little trojans. They may do something innocuous, but at the same time, load some worm/virus or worse yet, a "key-logging" software on your system. You'll never know, and if it's a key logger program, it will record every single keystroke that you type, take screenshots of your screen, then quietly send your bank username and passwords to some scumbag somewhere in the world, where they will proceed to wreak havoc on your life - steal your identity.
If your virus definitions aren't up to date, then there's a possibility that a new worm/trojan/virus can infect your computer. So always keep your anti-virus program up to date.
I'll talk about phishing emails and what anti-spyware, anti-virus, anti-scumbag programs to load on your computer later.
That's all for now.
My First Blog :)
OK. So now I have my blog all setup and nowhere to go. I guess I'll have to start posting stuff here.
So welcome to my little place on the net. I guess I'll start sharing my thoughts and insights on all things like computers, shopping, cars and gadgets.
Recommendations, rants and raves will henceforth spew from my brain onto this blog whenever I remember to write it, or whenever someone prompts me.
It's kinda odd, like I'm talking to myself, so we'll have to see who "listens" to what I have to say, and go from there.
So if you're here and reading this, hopefully I'll be adding more. Feel free to ask me about something, and I'll try to provide you with some free advice :)
Paul
So welcome to my little place on the net. I guess I'll start sharing my thoughts and insights on all things like computers, shopping, cars and gadgets.
Recommendations, rants and raves will henceforth spew from my brain onto this blog whenever I remember to write it, or whenever someone prompts me.
It's kinda odd, like I'm talking to myself, so we'll have to see who "listens" to what I have to say, and go from there.
So if you're here and reading this, hopefully I'll be adding more. Feel free to ask me about something, and I'll try to provide you with some free advice :)
Paul
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