computer questions: ethernet, spyware, viruses

[Commie Basher]

(1) What is ethernet? Does it have something to do with internet connections, DSL, etc? Do I need it? I'm looking for a new laptop. Should I care if it has 10/100 or Gigabit Ethernet?

(2) I have a virus/spyware, whatever. How do I get rid of it?

Norton Antivirus finds nothing. SpyCOp finds nothing. I have ZOne Alarm Pro. But I have something. I have to type every other letter two or three times. My computer is slow and doesn't recognize every keystroke. My CAPS lights is always on. My USB port works intermitently.

[cajun-jack]

I have roadrunner cable and at one time had 3 of their modems at $50.00 per month each. Office depot put a $179.99 router on sale for $99.99 and i bought one.

My neighbor across the street is an engineer for a local t.v. station. He brought home a roll of cat 5 cable and he and i networked all 3 machines and even added a 4th. I turned in 2 of the modems, thus immediately saving the price of the router and for over a year now have been saving the $100.00 per month.

A few days after turning in the modems, we got a call from roadrunner (time warner) asking why we had turned in the modems and the wife told them we had bought a router and networked the puters. Lady said ok, we were just checking to see if you were dissatisfied with the servie. thank you.

[wireplay]

Memory cards are essential. I would definitely have a 128MB card available in addition to the card you get with the camera.A megapixel is a million pixels, basically points on the screen. If you look at a computer screen very closely, you will see it is composed of dots. Each one is a pixel. You can determine meegapixels by multiplying the height of dots by the width.

My 5MP camera creates approx a 2.5 MB image (depending on quality, etc.). Hence a 128MB card can hold around 60 images. A 256MB card can hold 120, etc. All of the numbers are approximate and depends...

Check out dpreview before making a decision.

[MaryFromMichigan]

I appreciate for the info on cameras.
I'm sending it on to a friend (also a photography buff) who is buying one soon.
Thanks much! :-)

[rw4site]

What TommyDale (#17) said, plus, if you are new to photography, get a 2+ or 3+ mega pixel and save. The high mega pixel cameras are not necessary for most users.

Also, I recommend one that uses rechargeable AA size Nickel-Metal Hydride batteries. They are cheaper in the long run and in a pinch, your camera can use regular alkaline batteries. You can buy extras with a charger at most discount stores for about $20. Also get an extra memory card (or two). The more storage (MB) size the better.

Then get a memory card reader for transferring your images from the camera to your computer in lieu of the USB cable that is supplied with the camera. This will save your camera's battery power and be less work for its electronics.

Everything I listed can be bought for less than $400. I have a Fugi 2600 (2 mega pixel) and a 3.2 Mega pixel Sony DSC-P52. I got the Sony so I could use its memory stick to display my photos and most other JPG images on my 36" Sony TV.

To any one interested.
To display other JPG images on a Sony TV with a memory stick slot, you have change the file name of the image to a file name that mimics the camera's default file system. For instance, a JPG image with a file name of election.jpg must be changed to DSC0xxxx.JPG (Sony's file name/number) with the xs representing a unique number for each image. I copy the images I want to use to a temporary file folder for the name change so that my original files are not disturbed. The files are then transfered to the memory stick into the folder with the other photos.

[sirchtruth]

Thanks so much for your insights, I will research this with your advice.

[DB]

Once an executable program is installed on your system and running it has access to everything you type and do on your computer if the programmer wants it to.

Spyware can operate at virtually any level - from simply reporting back what music you listen to on the Web to passwords used for home banking and beyond.

You are basically trusting the programmer to not log these things and report back what it finds to the black hole known as the Internet.

Your friend is basically right.

Make sure you keep current on all MS security patches and ideally use a firewall. Especially with a broadband connection.

The worst thing about a static IP is once your IP address is known, Web sites can track what you do and who you are. Every Email you send has your IP in the header. So once known they can then lookup your Email address based soley on your IP address when you visit a site. They can then target SPAM that matches what you do on the Web (among other things).

[Agnes Heep]

While there are other networking topologies besides Ethernet, such as Token Ring, or FDDI, Ethernet is fast becoming the standard for virtually all networking. In Ethernet, all the devices on a single physical network "share" the wiring that connects them, in a more-or-less random fashion. Each device "listens" for traffic on the wire and transmits its data (in the form of electrical impulses) at a time when the line is free of other traffic. At the same time, the transmitting device has the capability of listening for "collisions," which occur when two or more devices try to transmit simultaneously; if a collision occurs, the device waits until the line is again free and re-transmits the data it lost. As you can imagine, this is a fairly chaotic way of doing things, though it has definite advantages over other methodologies. Recent improvements in the hardware technology now enable devices to communicate directly without the advent of collisions, and speeds over copper wire have increased from 10MB all the way to 1,000MB (Gigabit).

[Rain-maker]

Rofl, hey we know it works!

[Leroy S. Mort]

I'm looking for a GOOD quality $200-$400 digital camera. Anyone got suggestions?

Canon A70. No contest. (If you can find one....).

Best technology purchase I ever made.

[Vinnie]

Here is another site worth researching.http://www.imaging-resource.com/WB/WB.HTM

[Vigilantcitizen]

I have to back up Vinnie's recommendation of Nikon's digital cameras.

I researched for two months before buying the Nikon coolpix 775 Christmas 2001, and the camera has been great.

Even at the smallest file/picture size settings, IMHO the picture quality far surpasses the Sony, Kodak, and Olympus digital cameras I use at work.

Other reasons I chose the Nikon , the time it takes the camera to cycle between pictures, and at the time I bought it, the Nikon was one of the only cameras to come with a camcorder type rechargeble battery.

[Vigilantcitizen]

I forgot to add, my Nikon is about the size of a pack of cigarettes.

[Commie Basher]

I'm looking for a GOOD quality $200-$400 digital camera.

I recommend the new Olympus with the 10x optical zoom (has 3.2 megapixels).

Two years ago, I bought an Olympus C-700 with 10x optical zoom at 2.1 megapixels, and I love it. More camera than I need, fully automatic AND fully manuel, depending on what you want. A bit hard learing it all, but you don't need to to use it.

The best part is the 10x optical zoom, which is rare. (Don't be fooled by a high digital zoom; a digital zoom merely enlarges the image by trimming off the edges, and you can do the same on any computer image program like Photoshop or Paint). But a high OPTICAL ZOOM gives you great flexibility.

My Olympus takes great shots at 2.1 megapixels, but now they've got a 10X opitcal zoom camera at 3.2 megapixels. Should be great. Mine cost about $450 on ebay.

[Commie Basher]

What's with spyware and how harmful is it?

Spyware is programming put on your computer by merchandisers, govts, whoever, and it reports you browsing to them. Aside from the privacy issues, it eats up processing power and slows everything down.

[MainFrame65]

"... If you have only one computer in your home or office, you will not need or use ethernet. ..."

True if you will use only a dialup connection, otherwise possibly false. If you intend to use either cable or DSL service instead, the service provider will require a
converter/router interface box (incorrectly referred to as a modem) that probably will have one or more ethernet ports for your computer(s). I have heard that some might offer a USB connection, but you would have to ask.

[Commie Basher]

Boot into safe mode (look up "safe mode" in Windows Help). Then run your virus scan.

I rebooted, but it frooze on reboot. It just showed the "TOSHIBA" logo, which it does before the Windows logo. Only after cut off power could I reboot again.

It runs better now. Norton AntiVirus still claims there's nothing there.

I did one bad thing. I bought this laptop in March 1999 with Win 98 -- and I've never logged in for MS updates. I have reinstalled it from the CD a few times, but no updates.

[Commie Basher]

Ethernet is basically networking.

What's networking? Is that when a company links up employee computers? It's not the same as going online, nor does it relate to DSL or Wi-Fi, does it?

[Commie Basher]

The USB port may not be from the drivers not loading properly.

My USB port refuses to recognize my digital camera, which it has done in the past. It recognizes my CD/RW drive when I plug that in. (I only have one USB port). It used to recognize both the CD-RW and the digital camera.

[Vigilantcitizen]

See #52.

I'm a Nikon guy, but the Olympus cameras are very good. I'm about to the point of stepping up to a higher quality camera (4 to 5 megapixel), and haven't ruled out the Olympus.