My Password is ...

Well I'm not going to tell you. However, for some, you may as well just tell a potential hacker/nosy person what your password is. When choosing a password to protect your data and transactions you will want to make it complex but memorable. No sense creating a complex password then writing it on a sticky attached to your monitor.
How then to choose and create a safe password that is memorable?

Let us start with what not to do.

Do not:

• Use Dictionary Words
• Date of Birth, social security or any biographic data
• Names of your pet, family, etc.
• Continuous numbers and/or letters (e.g abc123)

Do:

• Use numbers and symbols
• Make it at least 8 characters long
• Use a cipher (explained below)

A cipher is a method of writing using either substitution or transposition. Below are a few examples.
Take a phrase(or quotation) you like, e.g "The rain in Spain falls on the plain." Your password would use the first letter of every word and become trisfotp. Using a different phrase; "Barkeep, give me one for the road!" Here your password becomes b,gm14tr! Now you have two examples of creating a memorable and complex password.
Once you've chosen a password, you can check it here(http://www.microsoft.com/protect/yourself/password/checker.mspx).
Keep in mind that your password is only one layer of good security for your computer system and having a strong password will not stop a determined hacker with enough time and resources. A strong password does, however, make your system less of a target.

Read more...

One charger to rule them all

With each new cellphone you purchase you get a new charger. Your new phone doesn't work with any of your old chargers, sometimes even for the same brand but different series. If you loose your charger you have to look for a replacement for that, in most cases, specific model. Arrrrggggghhhhh.
The manufacturers have heard your cry and have signed on to offer a standard interface (plug) for your phones across brands.

The new standard will use a micro usb plug and this will be the same for any phones made by almost all of the major cellphone makers (LG, Samsung, Motorola, Sony, Nokia, etc). Most notable by their absence is Apple, makers of the iPhone.
The trade association that brokered the deal says that the "majority" of cellphones by 2012 will have this universal charging solution (UCS).
So if you are in the market for a new phone check or ask your sales rep if the handset you're interested in has a micro usb charger.

Read more...