Wireless Networking 101

Setting up and maintaining a home Wi-Fi network can be a daunting task for a PC newbie. These four how-to guides will run you through some of the basics.

By Patrick Miller, PCWorld    Nov 26, 2011 7:30 am

Wireless Networking 101

A collection of basic tips and tweaks to get your Wi-Fi network running better than ever.

1. Why You Need a Router »
2. How Safe is WPA2-Secured WiFi? »
3. How To Lock Down Your Wireless Network »
4. Router Tips to Make Your Wireless Faster »

How to Forward Ports on Your Router

Your router can sometimes get in the way of your favorite multiplayer games or chat programs by inadvertently shuttering certain network ports. To fix that problem yourself, follow our simple guide to port forwarding.

By Justin Phelps, PCWorld    Nov 29, 2011 1:14 am

Are you having trouble getting your favorite multiplayer games or chat program to connect to the Internet? Does your tablet's Web browser fail despite being connected to a Wi-Fi network? Your problem may be a blocked port on your router, and that's easy to fix.
Your router stands between your devices and the Internet, making sure that data coming in and going out is directed properly. Imagine your router as a wall that keeps out unwanted and harmful traffic while opening ports to permit useful traffic such as Web pages, games, and file-sharing programs. Ports are like doors in the wall reserved only for useful traffic, and your router does a good job of automatically configuring most of the ports you need to safely use the Internet. In some cases, however, you need to tell your router to open up a certain port so a program won’t be blocked. This is called port forwarding, and here’s how to do it.

Windows Home Server 2011: What It Is and How to Use It

Windows Home Server 2011 is here. Find out if it's right for you--and how to set it up.

By Loyd Case, PCWorld    May 26, 2011 6:30 am

Microsoft's original Windows Home Server was both crude and groundbreaking. When it debuted, it had limited hardware support, no 64-bit version, and weak built-in capabilities beyond file and app storage. On the other hand, it offered robust backup, reasonable security, and drive extender--a feature that simplified the tasks of adding and pooling hard drives.

Do I Have a Freeloader on My WiFi

Chris Beck wants to find out if there are unauthorized users on his wireless network.
If strangers successfully get onto your Wi-Fi network, they may be stealing more than bandwidth. After all, they have access to your computers. Your home network should be more secure than the café's down the street.
The first thing you need to do is make sure that no one can get into that network easily. That means setting up your router to use WPA--or better, WPA-2--security.
Because I don't know what kind of router you have, I can't tell you exactly how to do that. Check your router's documentation. Generally, you enter a particular IP address into a browser, which will take you to an HTML-based configuration program located inside the router's firmware.

How To Lock Down Your Wireless Network

Securing your wireless network is a simple process that costs nothing and could save you from a disastrous network breach down the road.

By Alex Wawro, PCWorld    Nov 11, 2011 7:30 am

Wireless Networking 101

A collection of basic tips and tweaks to get your Wi-Fi network running better than ever.

1. Wireless Networking 101 »
2. Why You Need a Router »
3. How Safe is WPA2-Secured WiFi? »
4. How To Lock Down Your Wireless Network »
5. Router Tips to Make Your Wireless Faster »

5 More PC Upgrade Mistakes (And How To Avoid Them)

Upgrading your computer can be easy enough for most people. But it's not without its pitfalls. Here are five common upgrade mistakes that even experienced users make.

By Robert Strohmeyer, PCWorld    Jul 28, 2011 6:32 am

As PCs get more powerful and easier to use, the challenges involved with upgrading them have remained about the same. For the novice, a hard drive upgrade can appear downright daunting. For more experienced tinkerers, the upgrade itself may be easy, but it's easier still to overlook factors that could streamline the whole process and better protect both the hardware and the data stored on it.
Last month, in "5 PC Upgrades Almost Everyone Does Wrong," I explored some common upgrade mistakes. Since so many PCWorld readers -- including a lot of seasoned upgrade veterans -- liked that collection of tips, I thought I'd follow it up with some tips that I couldn't fit into the first article. In this piece, I'll take a look at several of the most commonly

How to Fix Your Family's PC Problems

Are you the first line of tech support for your friends and family? Here's everything you need to troubleshoot for the not so tech-savvy.

By Rick Broida, PCWorld    Apr 9, 2010 6:31 am

When the phone rings in my house, there's a 50/50 chance it's a call for help--tech help. Maybe it's my sister trying to figure out why her wireless mouse no longer works. Maybe it's Dad wanting to know why virus warnings keep popping up on his desktop. (Uh, oh.) Or it could be Aunt Judy looking for the file attachment she knows she saved--but doesn't know where.
Sound familiar? The curse of being even a little tech-savvy is that you automatically get elected Tech Support for friends, family members, and maybe even your coworkers.

Zlango™ Icon Texting Beta

Zlango™ Icon Texting: Get the best text messaging application for free, now with 3 icon themes for Android. Choose your theme, type your text and add icons to your text message!!!
** The Zlango™ text messaging application was tested on the following devices:
Nexus S, Nexus One, Motorola Droid/Milestone and Galaxy S , SE Xperia 10, HTC Desire HD, HTC Wildfire, LG P500.
Now you can send your friends ON ALL PHONES funny, emotive, silly, scary, trashy, elegant or downright in-your-face text messages that get the attention you deserve!
• Easy! Works just like texting – but with visual impact of icons!
• Huge & growing variety of 800+ original icons.
• Distinctive Urban, Gorgeous & Classic icon themes.
Text messaging will never be the same after you’ve tasted Text with Zlango Attitude!

Halloween Live Wallpaper

Celebrate the season with jack-o-lanterns, bats, witches, a haunted house, ghosts, and more! Supports both landscape and portrait mode, with settings for bat population, candle color, witches, spiders, camera speed, and others!

TO USE: Home->Press Menu->Wallpapers->LiveWallpapers

Not all handsets support the live wallpaper feature. If you're unsure, please check for a 'live wallpapers' category as the directions above state.

Scary Halloween Live Wallpaper

allpaper setting sizes are now available for the following resolutions:
600x1024 (Tablet size) 480x854, 480x800, 480x600, 320x480, 240x320
Sizes 480x750 480x700 are also included for added adjustments.
Choose frames per second for the wallpaper speed 1-20
Now save this wallpaper to your SD Card! Once download, the option to save to SD Card will be there :)
Settings-Applications-Manage Applications-choose your wallpaper-Move to SD card
Check out my other live wallpapers!

Bubble Blast Halloween

Bubble Blast Halloween is a puzzle game in which you burst Halloween characters to trigger a chain reaction in order to eliminate them.

2 game modes are available
- Puzzle mode with 2500 levels !
- Arcade mode to play freely

Global scores provided by Scoreloop

App2sd.

Don't forget that we test and validate ALL levels manualy before release them...

Halloween Horrors For Your Phone

Angry Birds Seasons Review

Seasons gives players more of what they've come to expect from Angry Birds.

by Brent Rose, PCWorld

The idea behind Angry Birds Seasons--Rovio's follow-up to the massively popular Angry Birds game--is to introduce new levels for different seasons and holidays. Four incremental updates have come out already, so you have over 85 new levels to play. Although you won't find any new birds to shoot, each theme brings new obstacles and nicely designed landscapes through which to fling your feathered fliers.
Angry Birds Seasons debuted with a Halloween theme, complete with pumpkins, bats, dangling lanterns, a full moon, and spooky trees; this installment offered 45 levels. Soon afterward, the "Season's Greetings" Christmas-themed pack added 25 more. Even though the inclusion of snow and presents everywhere was nice, I found the physics for the Season's Greetings pack to be a bit lacking.

Birds Encyclopedia

Welcome to Birds Encyclopedia.Displays different category of Birds ,tapping on Bird will display the image in a full screen and makes its sound and name.
Good tool to teach kids about Birds and their sounds. Simple user interface with facility of navigating between the pages. Over 50+ Birds and more coming.....

•  
•  

•  

Bird Watching

The Beginners Guide to Bird Watching

Have you ever wanted to be able to go outside and look at birds and know exactly what kind of birds they are and where they come from? Having an official guide to let you know how to bird watch and what to look for a while you are bird watching is the essential to good bird watching techniques.

When you know what the habitat and the habits of birds are watching them is so much more interesting. Bird watching is a relaxing past time in which the watcher watches and records the actions and species of the birds that are around them. There are several techniques to bird watching and to have a guide that will spell out these techniques in an easy to read format is essential to practice proper bird watching techniques. With enough experience you could join the Audubon Society and report your findings during your bird watching adventures to them to be part of a national record.

iBird Pro

This detailed, multimedia field guide covers more than 900 species of North American birds with illustrations, photos, and song clips.

by Brent W. Hopkins, PCWorld

If you have ever seen or heard a bird in the wild and wanted to learn more about it, the iBird Pro Android app might be just what you need. iBird Pro contains detailed photos, information, and song clips for over 900 North American and Hawaiian bird species. You can search for bird species by 35 attributes, including location, body shape, size, habitat, color, song, flight pattern, and bill shape.
The default view lists the species in alphabetical order, with thumbnail images. You can scroll and flick the screen to move through the list, or you can type in the search box. The results list will automatically narrow as you type: For example, as you type "rob," the list narrows from 924 total bird species to just four species of robins. You can toggle between views of the first and last common names, and the family name. With family names, you can toggle between taxonomic and alphabetical views. You can also search by Latin names.
For more advanced search, you can press Menu, Search and select from the list of 35 attributes. You can manually select a state or province as a location parameter, but unfortunately the app does not take advantage of GPS functionality.

Audubon Birds - A Field Guide

This multimedia field guide to more than 750 North American bird species is a must-have for bird watchers and nature enthusiasts.

by Brent W. Hopkins, PCWorld

If you have ever wanted to learn more about the birds of North America, the Audubon Birds Field Guide app is an excellent way to start. This app is packed with detailed information about more than 750 bird species. Color photos, behavior and habitat descriptions, range maps, bird-call audio clips, and advanced search with GPS capability combine to make bird identification quicker and easier than ever before. And since it's all on your phone, you can easily carry the guide with you wherever you go.
But it's more than just a reference guide--this app also allows you to keep detailed records of your bird sightings. You can pinpoint the location with GPS, choose the species from a list, enter details about the sighting, and even snap a photograph with your phone's camera and add it to an album. If you register an account, you can sync your content online and view it on the Audubon Guides Website.
Navigating the app is simple. The home screen has six buttons labeled Browse by Shape, Browse by Name, Browse by Family, About Birds, Advanced Search, and My Content. Browse by Shape shows you bird species that have a similar shape or outline. Browse by Name is an A-to-Z list that you can sort by first (common) name, second (common) name, or scientific name. Browse by Family orders birds in similar groups, such as Ducks and Geese. About Birds is a text-only mini reference guide.

Barcode Scanner Review

This is a simple application with a high level of usability.

by Andrew King, PCWorld

Barcode Scanner by ZXing Team can scan a variety of barcodes on books, products, and shipping labels. Users simply open the application and scan a barcode. Barcode Scanner then gives the option to search the scanned barcode via a "Product Search," "Web Search," or "Shopper Search," all of which are powered by Google.
In scanning UPC labels on products, Barcode Scanner often accurately finds the product on any of the search options. When scanning tracking labels, a Web search is useful in determining your courier service and ETA. Barcode Scanner's most notable feature is its ability to scan QR codes and access the URLs, contact information, and calendar events contained within. A recent update also allows for bulk scanning, letting a user scan multiple barcodes that the utility then automatically saves to a history for future reference.
Barcode Scanner does have a few flaws. It can accurately find the product I am attempting to scan about 80 percent of the time. I consider this fairly acceptable. The more obscure the item, however, the less likely it is to be found. The app fails when it comes to scanning ISBN barcodes on books. In several trials, neither of the three search options found the book I was looking for.
Another limitation comes up when using Barcode Scanner's History feature. Since the history displays only the numbers found in the ISBN or UPC, users may find it difficult to remember what it was they were trying to look for. I had previously scanned a copy of Final Fantasy IX. When looking through the history, I expected to find the name "Final Fantasy" or some derivation. Instead, I saw the number 662248900100. Had I bulk-scanned and wanted to compare Final Fantasy IX prices later, I'd be at a loss. This is not a serious limitation, but it is annoying.

Two Top Indian Mobile Companies Under Investigation

India's top investigation agency has registered a case against two major Indian mobile operators and former government officials in connection with alleged irregularities in the allocation of additional 2G spectrum in January 2002, widening the scope of its investigations into alleged scams in India's telecom sector.

Similar Articles:

• A Second Indian Communications Minister Is Charged in Telecom Scam
• Second Indian Minister Under Investigation in Telecom Scam
• AT&T's Samsung Galaxy S II Now Available Online
• Mobile Phone Hacking - Can You Stop It?
• India’s Airtel Introduces Cash Payment by Mobile Phone
• FCC Finds AT&T's Purchase of T-Mobile not in the Public Interest

The offices of the two mobile operators, Bharti Airtel, India's largest mobile operator, and Vodafone India, were also raided by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday, according to sources.
Vodafone confirmed in a statement that CBI officials had visited the company's offices in Mumbai and Delhi "seeking information related to the spectrum allocation to operators during 2001-02." Airtel was not immediately available for comment.

Mobile Malware Epidemic Looms

I know it’s a tad early for new year predictions but I’m going to beat the rush and make mine now: 2012 will be the year of mobile malware.

Similar Articles:

• Android Malware Has Surged 472 Percent Since July
• For Android, Paid Mobile Security Is Better: Study
• Five Tips to Avoid Malware in Mobile Apps
• Tips for a Malware-Free Android Smartphone
• Keep Malware Off Your Android Phone: 5 Quick Tips
• Sleazy Ads on Android Devices Push Bogus 'Battery Upgrade' Warnings
• Android Malware: Why You Shouldn't Be Scared

That’s an easy prediction to make, because if you look at the numbers 2011 was really the year of mobile

Pakistan Plans to Filter SMS for Objectionable Words

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has instructed telecommunications operators in the country to filter SMS (Short Message Service) messages that include words that it considers objectionable, drawing criticism from civil rights groups in the country.

Similar Articles:

• Hangman Pro for Windows
• Create PDFs for Free With PrimoPDF
• Gmail's 'Bob' Features Help You Avoid E-mail Blunders
• Nsauditor Network Security Auditor
• Amic Email Backup
• Google Closes Knol, Friend Connect and Other Services

"The filters infringe several basic human and fundamental rights enshrined in our constitution, and we think will end up curbing political discourse in the country," Shahzad Ahmad, country coordinator for Bytes for All, Pakistan, a human rights organization focused on Internet freedom, said on Monday.

Report: 2011 Is the 'Year of Mobile Malware'

Smartphones and tablets continue to rise in popularity--among both consumers and malware developers. Traditional malware is still a large and growing threat as well, but mobile platforms represent fertile ground with less awareness and limited defenses. A new report from McAfee illustrates that malware developers are anxious to exploit mobile devices.

Similar Articles:

• Malware Spikes, Spam Plummets, Says Report
• Android Malware: Why You Shouldn't Be Scared
• Android Becoming Prime Target for Malware Makers
• 2012 in Security: Rising Danger
• Mobile Devices are New Frontier for Malware
• Android Malware Has Surged 472 Percent Since July

Actually, while the star of the McAfee Threats Report: Third Quarter 2011 is mobile malware, it is worth pointing out that 2011 is on track to finish as a record-breaking year for malware in general--exceeding very generous predictions. At the end of 2010, McAfee predicted there would be 70 million new malware samples in 2011, but it has since revised that prediction to 75 million based on the rapid proliferation of attacks.
“This has been a very steady quarter in terms of threats, as both general and mobile malware are more prevalent than ever,” said Vincent Weafer, senior vice president of McAfee Labs.

Mobile Malware Crisis? Not So Fast

There's been a flurry of coverage of mobile malware over the past few days, including two separate reports declaring both 2011 and 2012 “the year of mobile malware.”

Similar Articles:

• Android Malware Has Surged 472 Percent Since July
• Android Malware: Why You Shouldn't Be Scared
• Report: 2011 Is the 'Year of Mobile Malware'
• For Android, Paid Mobile Security Is Better: Study
• Five Tips to Avoid Malware in Mobile Apps
• Android Users: Here's Some Advice to Protect Your Phones

Much of that worry flared up following a Juniper Networks report last week asserting that Android malware has increased 472 percent since July--on top of a 400 percent jump between 2009 and the summer of 2010.

AT&T Reports Attempted Customer Data Hack

AT&T today notified customers that there had been an "organized and systematic" attempt to hack into their personal account information.

Similar Articles:

• AT&T's Attempted T-Mobile Takeover: What Went Wrong
• Over-Usage Warnings Target 'Bill Shock'
• Verizon Says "No" to Samsung's New Galaxy S II Android Smartphone
• New Sony Hack Nabs User Data of 2000 Customers
• Your Wireless Carrier Probably Is Selling Your Personal Information--But Does it Matter?
• Hackers Release iOS 4.2.1 Unlock for iPhone 3GS

The company sent out an email to customers informing them of an "attempt to obtain information on a number of AT&T customer accounts" but also emphasized that it did "not believe that