The difference between a laptop with HD-DVD and a laptop with Blu-ray is that the laptop with HD-DVD may be cheaper, but it is not able to save data to discs. Blu-ray is able to read and write data to a disc – CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray discs. According to Dell, their notebook is the first Blu-ray Disc system to meet Nvidia’s logo requirements for its PureVideo technology, which is used to deliver HD content on a PC. Desktops and notebooks are being used more and more as an entertainment center when at home or on the road. Pricing for this notebook begins at around $3,699.

Archos Media Player
The new handheld digital media player Archos 604-WiFi lets you access the Web and e-mail and has a vibrant 4.3” widescreen display. It can record and play an assortment of audio and video formats and will network with your PC. It has a 30GB hard drive to let you store up to 25 movies, 300,000 photos or 7,500 songs. Offered as an extra purchase, the digital video recorder docking station will let you record your favorite TV shows with DVD quality to watch later. However, the only TV programming guide that synchs automatically with the unit comes from DISH Network. Archos’ battery life lasts up to 5 hours, which is good for watching recordings on the road. You can view photos and listen to music simultaneously. lArchos regularly releases firmware updates to add new features and fix bugs, so be sure to check their website for updates.

Spyware is difficult to detect and a hidden threat, which is hard to remove from your computer. Spyware usually gets into your computer as a hidden element of software that you have downloaded from the Internet. Even though you might think you downloaded a free song or software program, you may be getting more than what you wanted – a virus or trojan. Spyware collects personal information, subjects you to unwanted advertising, directs you to unwanted advertising and can change the configuration of your computer, thus slowing down your computer system. Spyware infects your computer and does things without your permission.

 

Spam can begin just simply from typing your e-mail address into a form on a website and from there it can travel around the internet until it ends up on a list and is sold to marketing firms. Create a dummy email account with Yahoo Mail or Hotmail (free) for giving out your email address on the internet and to receive Spam in. Ask your family and friends not to give out your email address – often done when sending Online Greeting Cards.

To help prevent spam and spyware

• Make sure to apply patches and upgrades to your e-mail server – maintain your e-mail server.
• Use an e-mail filter system that updates its logic on a regular basis. Remember, catching spam is an ongoing process of blocking the newest techniques.
• Set up a spam trap to track how you are being spammed.
• Use antispyware and antivirus programs on your server and on any of your mobile devices that may connect to the Internet.
• Educate your employees about downloading content only from established Web sites.

Quickbooks Customers – *Reminder*

Don’t forget that in order to print your W-2s you will need to have the Adobe Reader version 7.0 or later. If you do not have it, download the latest version by going to http://www.adobe.com/.