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Myspace recently announced that they will now allow parents to submit their child’s email address so when they attempt to create an account using the email address, it will prevent them from creating the account. I really don’t understand the logic behind this. A new email can be created in less than 5 minutes and most teenagers are aware of this. It’s great that they are trying to do something, but I don’t see it being very effective. Any thoughts…?

Phishing sites/scams are designed to trick you into thinking you are at a legitimate website hoping that you will enter your login information, credit card information, or other personal information. It’s difficult to detect these scams because they usually do a great job at impersonations. These phishing scams usually come in the form of an email. The email will look like it is from a legitimate source and saying something like the following:

[Subject: Paypal security department]

“Dear paypal user:

We have recently detected several attempts to log into your account from an unknown source. Please login to your Paypal account and confirm your security information.”

The email will also include a company logo, as well as several other elements that a real Paypal email would look like.

The link that you think is supposed to log you into your account actually grabs your login information and stores it for the scammer to do whatever they want with.

How to determine if it’s a scam / fake email:

Find the link they are trying to get you to click, without clicking on the link highlight over it, and look in the lower left hand corner of the email window. It should show a URL. If the URL does not begin with:

http://www.[domain].com

…where [domain] is the domain of company in which the email is about. So in this example, paypal is the domain - so the URL must begin with http://www.paypal.com. If it has anything else after the http://. IT IS A SCAM! Do not even click it.

Some email programs will not show the URL in the lower left of the window, so you can either take a chance and click the link, hoping that it’s not linking to a virus script or play it safe and install antivirus software. Most popular antivirus programs have anti-phishing capabilities built in to detect these sites for you and warn you in advance. If you want to see who we recommend for antivirus software, check out our antivirus software review site.

Be careful when you receive any email that talks about your account or recent security issues. Also, these scams usually imitate large, popular sites such as Paypal, Ebay, some large banks, etc… If you ever fall for one of these scams, and someone gets ahold of your account information, you could have some major headaches down the road.

What is multiple domain hosting? First I would like to clarify exactly what a domain is. A domain (or domain name) is basically the part of the URL (the thing you type in a web browser to get to a website) which begins just prior to the .com (or .net, .org, etc.) and also includes the .com (or .net, .org, etc.) . For example, in the URL http://www.google.com, google.com is the domain. In the URL http://store.cooltshirts.net, cooltshirts.net is the domain name.

When you use a web hosting provider to host your website, you generally sign up using your main domain name. You can then use an online control panel to manage your domain - upload files, setup logging, check stats, set permissions, databases, etc… With Multiple domain web hosting, the web hosting service provider allows a user to add multiple and separate domains, each pointing to a different physical website directory, within one account. This should not be confused with multiple subdomain hosting which is the ability to create multiple subdomains for the same domain. For example, forum.mydomain.com, store.mydomain.com, and support.mydomain.com all use separate subdomains to organize different topics from the same domain. Although many web hosts also allow multiple subdomains, this is not what this article is about. Multiple domain web domain hosting also should not be confused with using multiple domains to point to the same website, also known as domain forwarding.

Multiple domain hosting is intended for people or businesses with multiple domains and websites, and is a convenient and cost effective way to host them. Some (very few) web hosting services have taken it to the next level and allow you to host unlimited websites, also known as unlimited domain hosting. With domain names being so inexpensive, many people have many different domains/websites and need the ability to host them all inexpensively as well. With unlimited hosting, you don’t have to worry about reaching a potential maximum domain limit.

If you are one of the many people, who have the need to host multiple or even unlimited domains, we urge you to take a look at HostMonster. Not only do they offer unlimited domain hosting, but they also allow unlimited storage space, unlimited bandwidth, and unlimited emails at a very reasonable price. If you want more information, you can find our full review of HostMonster here.

There are many Spanish learning courses available and the material can come in many forms including textual, visual, and audio. Some, even contain a hybrid of the above. In this article I am going to talk about learning spanish with audio, the different audio formats available, and why it is important to learn Spanish with audio.

When you hear Spanish for the first time, it may sound like a jumbled mess. But once your ears adjust to the rhythm and speed, you will find yourself picking out common words and phrases. Pay close attention to these common words and phrases as they will contain most of the practical everyday Spanish usage and will help build a foundation upon which the rest of the language can be progressively learned and intergrated. Learning Spanish with audio will also ‘train’ your brain into becoming familiar with all aspects of Spanish dialect including pronounciation, syllable accents - questions vs statements, and common, repeating sounds. You would be surprised how clear the Spanish language becomes after you spend some time immersing yourself with audio conversations.

Spanish audio courses usually come in CD format, MP3 format, or both. Learning Spanish on CD is nice if you want to learn in your car on the way to work or if you do not have an MP3 player. Learning Spanish with MP3 audio is much more convenient because you can listen online, or download to an iPod or MP3 player to listen to anywhere. Also, CDs can become a pain because you have to switch them out, store them, and keep them from getting scractched. In the digital age, MP3 is the way to go, but for you old fashioned types, CD audio is usually available.

Many spanish learning software courses have audio built into their software and present it by matching the audio word or phrase with an image or by quizing you to make the selection. This can be a helpful way to learn, but the most effective is to hear audio of actual Spanish conversation.

The best course we found to learn Spanish with audio is Rocket Spanish. The audio is interactive and engaging. The audio is available in either CD or MP3 format - downloaded or shipped. Rocket Spanish also includes a course book with audio embedded clips which we found very useful in learning the phonetics of Spanish because it allows you to associate various words and phrases as they appear as they are written. They also include software based quiz games and more material online. You can find our full review of Rocket Spanish here.

If you are interested in learning more about Spanish learning courses such as features and prices, be sure to check out our Spanish learning courses comparison chart and Spanish learning course reviews.

What is a guitar mode?
A mode is a group of intervals and the degrees that correspond harmonically with the chord being played underneath. Modes might have a parent scale attached to them, but they are not scales. Modes can change throughout the song, but still use the same scale and be in the same key.

Note Intervals:
Before understand modes, you must first understand note intervals used to contruct a specific key. Here are the intervals used to contruct a key:

• Root
• Minor 2nd
• Major 2nd
• Minor 3rd
• Major 3rd
• Perfect 4th
• Diminished 5th
• Perfect 5th
• Minor 6th
• Major 6th
• Minor 7th
• Major 7th
• Root (octave)

Ionian Mode(Major scale):
Here is how you would contruct the first type of mode - the Ionian mode.

Key Construction____________Major Intervals_________Ionian Mode

1. Root ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> Root ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> DO
2. Minor 2nd
3. Major 2nd ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> Major 2nd ~~~~~~~~~~~> RE
4. Minor 3rd
5. Major 3rd ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> Major 3rd ~~~~~~~~~~~~> MI
6. Perfect 4th ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> Perfect 4th ~~~~~~~~~~~> FA
7. Diminished 5th
8. Perfect 5th ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> Perfect 5th ~~~~~~~~~~~> SO
9. Minor 6th
10. Major 6th ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> Major 6th ~~~~~~~~~~~> LA
11. Minor 7th
12. Major 7th ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> Major 7th ~~~~~~~~~~~> TI
1. Root (octave) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> Root ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> DO

The order of intervals goes: Whole, Whole, Half, Whole, Whole, Whole, Half

Incidentally, this is how you would also construct a major scale. If you start on ANY note and continue following this exact pattern of intervals, you will create the “ionian mode” (or the major scale) in the chosen key (the note you started on).

Types of guitar modes:
The seven different guitar modes are Ionian Mode, Dorian Mode, Phrygian Mode, Lydian Mode, Mixolydian Mode, Aeolian Mode and Locrian Mode. Each mode creates a different set of intervals. See the following image:

Purpose of guitar modes?
Modes add musical ‘color’ or ‘flavor’ to a song. Following are the ‘colors’ or fellings you get when using  each mode:

LYDIAN MODE - very bright, upbeat. Good for anything very bright and upbeat such as pop, kids music, etc

IONIAN MODE - very sweet, happy, bright. Perfect for happy songs, love songs, etc. Used for almost all childrens music

MIXOLYDIAN MODE - middle of the road bright scale. Good for light rock, pop, country, etc

DORIAN MODE - perfect middle ground. Not too bright, not to dark. Good for country, rock, blues.

AEOLIAN MODE - gritty, bluesy, warm sounding rock scale. This is the standard rock and blues scale.

PHRYGIAN MODE - dark, classical metal sound. A Randy Rhoads favorite.

LOCRIAN MODE - very dark, dissident, brooding. Good for heavy metal, dark classical, etc

Summary:
Modes are an excellent way to add flavor to your guitar playing and a great way to impress your jamming buddies or band members. Once you learn the various mode patterns along the entire neck of the guitar, you will be able to play any mode with any scale.

If you are interested in learning more about guitar lesson courses such as features and prices, be sure to check out our guitar lesson course comparison chart and guitar lesson course reviews.

Windows Vista promises to have enhanced security against internet related threats. One of the most talked about addition is UAC (User Access Control), which attempts to automatically sense potentially dangerous situations and temporarily suspends running programs and processes. UAC works by detecting and halting any malware that may be trying to install itself on the machine or run itself with administrative privileges. UAC will prompt/warn you when something attempts to install itself. Unfortunately this is not an end-all solution. Some viruses or malware have the ability to automatically click ‘OK’ or ‘Yes’ on these warnings allowing the virus to proceed with it’s self installation. Also, it may be difficult to determine whether or not the warning is coming from a legitimate source. And, finally, some people have been ‘conditioned’ to click ‘Yes’ or ‘OK’ to simply get rid of the annoying, invasive, warning window and get back to what they are doing. Some other built-in security features include Windows Defender and Windows Firewall. However, depend upon these features without third-party antivirus software at your own risk. Although these built-in features help to some degree, they are not foolproof, and in addition to the the reasons above, there are many reasons to use separate third-party antivirus software. Here are a few reasons why:

1. Email attachments - there are millions of virus infected emails currently in circulation and to the uneducated user, these emails appear completely legitimate and persuasive in getting you to open the attachment. A well written virus by a competent programmer will exploit the weaknesses an any operating system. If you are one of the unfortunate victims, prepare for some serious headaches.

2. P2P downloads - Peer to peer, and other file sharing programs, are some of the most common ways for computer viruses to spread. Viruses hidden in seemingly legitimate installation packages will make there way into your computer faster than you can say - “Woops”.

3. Browser related exploits - Vista’s new version of Internet Exploerer (IE 7) claims to have enhanced security features such as pre-enabled Active-X protection, and a Protected Mode. However, many users will undoubtedly disable these features in order to be able to run flash programs, or other embedded applications which require Active-X. And as for executing unknown ActiveX components - it’s been permitted before, and it will continue to be permitted.

Although Windows Vista is the most secure Windows operating system to date, there are still many ways for viruses to make their way through Vista’s defenses. We strongly recommend, especially if you use the internet frequently, that you install a reliable antivirus program. Antivirus software is designed specifically to solve all of the problems I’ve discussed and more. A good antivirus software will also regularly self update, protecting against the latest virus and malware threats. Let Vista focus on being an operating system and let your antivirus software focus on blocking and removing viruses. Surely you’ve heard the maxim ‘You’re better safe than sorry’. Well, it certainly applies here as well.

If you are interested in learning more about antivirusl software such as features and prices, be sure to check out our antivirus software comparison chart and antivirus software reviews.

Let’s face it, children love to play around on computers. They are curious, energetic little creatures. However, there are some things that they just shouldn’t be getting into such as: email, chat programs, personal finances, business related programs, etc… Fortunately there is software our there which allow you to disable various programs on your family computer. You can even take it a step further and disable various programs during various times, for various users. There are a few good ones out there which give you this control, of which you can find at our parental control software site. Whether it’s protecting important email from being deleted, or preventing your kids from chatting with strangers, be comforted knowing that there is a way to control this.

I have actually heard a horror story from a friend who allowed her 11 year old  access to her home office computer, in which she stored important business data.  He  ended up  deleting some Quickbooks data as well as thoroughly messing up various other things. Of course, she probably shouldnt have given him access to her home office PC, but if she used some sort of parental control software with program management capabilities, it would have never happened. Lesson learned.

You may think that when you delete a file from your computer, that it is actually gone - WRONG! You may think that when you empty the Recycle Bin that those files are gone - WRONG!

Any time you delete a file and empty the Recycle Bin, your simply removing the reference to the file from your hard drive’s file table. The actual data in the file is still on your hard drive. Though your operating system doesnt know about it, it is still there. These files can still be recovered with file recovery software. The only way to truly erase the file from your hard drive is by writing over the sectors in which the file exists. There is no sure way of doing this without some sort of file shredding software. This software can detect which sectors on the hard drive contain data from the file that you want to delete, then write over those sectors, thereby permanently erasing the data.

There are a few software products out there that will do this, but you will find one of the better ones here. It is our top choice in the privacy software category.

I’ve recently been looking into PHP frameworks. For you PHP programmers with complex websites, I highly recommend that you consider using one of these. A framework greatly speeds up web development and simplifies management. It is essentially an interface to PHP which wraps many common tasks such as database reads\writes, form handling, sessions handling, etc.. into higher level, simpler programming. It also allows you to separate your code from the user interface, allowing you to change appearances and layouts of your website without modifying the logic in your web application. A famework drastically simplifies and organizes development. There is a slight learning curve when using a framework, but it’s worth it. Also, because there is another layer of processing, there is a slight performance hit, but again, it is usually worth it.

There are many PHP frameworks out there with the most popular being Zend and CakePHP. Most are free. There are many sites out there outlining and charting the features and benefits of each, but it appears that overall, CakePHP is the best.

Most frameworks use a concept called MVC (Model, View, Controller) which essentially logically organizes all parts of the web application. Models define the objects - users, products, widgets, etc… Views define all visual (UI) aspects - tables, header, footer, charts, graphics, etc… And finally, Controllers define the application logic - loading data into the objects, and what the objects do.

Bottom line, if your website uses a database and processes form data, you will probably greatly benefit from using a PHP framework. Check em out!

And of course, if you need a web host, be sure to check out our Web Hosting Service Review site.

Webroot has recently released the latest version of Spy Sweeper - Spy Sweeper 5.5. Here is what has been added:

• Inbound and Outbound Email Attachment Scanning
• Enhanced Real-time Threat Protection Capabilities
• Easier to use

Spy Sweeper continues to be our Top Choice for the anti spyware category. Click here to read our full review or find more information about Spy Sweeper software from Webroot.