5 Ways to Block Pop Ups

5 Ways to Block Pop Ups...
Advertisers are constantly looking for any way to draw attention to their products. Although typical banner ads are still used heavily, they now seem to be almost invisible to the average web surfer. Pop ups and other intrusive types of advertising are now used to thrust an ad in your face that you have no choice but to at least acknowledge. Regardless of the nature of the ad, pop ups are a nuisance, and there are now many options available for keeping them off of your computer screen all together.

1. Internet Explorer on Windows XP with Service Pack 2
This summer’s release of Service Pack 2 for Windows XP brought about a few significant changes to the operating system. One of the most noticeable was the addition of a pop up blocker to Internet Explorer.

The pop up blocker is integrated into the browser and can be customized by browsing to the “Tools” tab at the top of the program. Like many pop up blocker applications, personal preferences can be set to allow/block pop ups from certain sites, as well as providing customization for how the user is alerted to the fact that a pop up has been blocked.

For those using Windows XP, upgrading to Service Pack 2 is an excellent idea for your system’s security as a whole, but specifically for the additional convenience of an integrated pop up blocker. For those with a Microsoft operating system other than XP, sorry, this is not available for you.

2. Alternative Web Browsers
There are other choices for web browsers available, and many have included a pop up blocker long before Microsoft decided to include one with Internet Explorer.

The Mozilla Firefox browser version 1.0 was officially released on November 9th. This browser has already received a great deal of acclaim and has become quite popular as an alternative to Internet Explorer.
Firefox is a highly customizable web browsing application that includes an effective pop up blocker, tabbed browsing, and many other features not found in Internet Explorer.

Crazy Browser is another option that was released in 2002, which is not as much an alternative browser, as it is a skin for Internet Explorer. In order for Crazy Browser to run, a system must have Internet Explorer 5 (or greater) installed, as well as Windows 95 (or greater) installed as the operating system. The Crazy Browser application then takes the base functionality of Internet Explorer and adds features similar to Firefox, such as the pop up blocker and tabbed browsing.

3. Browser Tool Bars
A growing trend is for websites to offer a downloadable toolbar for use with Internet Explorer. Many of these toolbars offer unique features intended to enhance the user’s web browsing experience in different ways, but they generally also include a pop up blocker. Although there are toolbars available from dozens of websites, Google, MSN, and Yahoo are some of the more reputable names with one available.

The installation of these toolbars is quick and easy, and the most difficult part may be reading the fine print in the license agreements.

Although these toolbars may do an excellent job blocking pop ups, they may also be retrieving data on your web surfing / search habits. If you feel a toolbar may be the right solution for you, stick with one from a trusted name, and just be sure to read the fine print.

4. Pop Up Blocker Software
Stand alone pop up blocking software is available from dozens, if not hundreds, of different sources. With various interfaces, and prices ranging from free to $30 (and higher), choosing one can be a difficult task. Many of the programs that are not available for free do come with a free trial download, so you can at least get a sense of whether the program is right for you before committing. Some of the options in this category include STOPzilla, Secure IE, Zero Popup and Pop Swatter, to name a few.

The main drawback to this type of pop up blocking solution is that you now have another independent application running on your computer. Although they
are generally not resource intensive, why run a program
to do something that can be handled by one that is already running anyway? Additionally, with so many reliable solutions available to eliminate pop ups for free,
spending money on one is hard to justify.

Along with a dedicated pop up blocker, another recommended tact for eliminating pop-ups is eliminating spyware on your computer system. Some pop-up programs use accompanying spyware to target pop ups specifically to you and your web surfing habits. An excellent, free program for eliminating spyware of all type is Spybot Search & Destroy.

5. Internet Access Software from Select ISPs
Some ISPs (Internet Service Providers) now incorporate a pop up blocker with the software they provide to subscribers for accessing the internet. Earthlink, Optimum Online, and AOL are just a few of the larger providers that add value to their packages by adding a pop up blocker. Bundling this functionality with the ISPs base software definitely makes things easy for the subscriber, as there may be no need to find one elsewhere.

In general, these blockers are effective, but are not the most feature rich and may have limited options for customization by the end user. One draw back with ISP provided pop up blockers is that some only work with their service. So, if you ever switch to a new provider, you’ll need to be prepared to switch to a new pop up blocker
as well.

How to smash a home computer!

How to smash a home computer!!

An executive who froze his broken hard disk thinking it would be fixed has topped a list of the weirdest computer mishaps.

it's a bad idea to leave your laptop on top of your car

Although computer malfunctions remain the most common cause of file loss, data recovery experts say human behaviour still is to blame in many cases.

They say that no matter how effective technology is at rescuing files, users should take more time to back-up and protect important files.

The list of the top 10 global data disasters was compiled by recovery company Ontrack.

Human error, including 'computer rage', seems to be a growing problem Adrian Palmer, Ontrack Data Recovery Careless - and preventable - mistakes that result in data loss range from reckless file maintenance practices to episodes of pure rage towards a computer.

This last category includes the case of a man who became so mad with his malfunctioning laptop that he threw it in the lavatory and flushed a couple of times.

"Data can disappear as a result of natural disaster, system fault or computer virus, but human error, including 'computer rage', seems to be a growing problem," said Adrian Palmer, managing director of Ontrack Data Recovery.

OH NO, MY FILES!

One user put his hard drive in a freezer, after reading on the internet that this can fix malfunctioning hardware When tidying up his computer folders, one user inadvertently deleted the ones he meant to keep. He only realised he'd made the mistake after emptying the recycle bin and defragging the hard drive While a large office was being constructed, a steel beam fell on a laptop that contained the plans for the building. A female user placed her laptop on top of her car while getting in. Forgetting about the laptop, it slid off the roof and she then reversed straight over it as she set off Source: Ontrack Data Recovery "Nevertheless, victims soon calm down when they realise the damage they've done and come to us with pleas for help to retrieve their valuable information."

A far more common situation is when a computer virus strikes and leads to precious files being corrupted or deleted entirely.

Mr Palmer recalled the case of a couple who had hundreds of pictures of their baby's first three months on their computer, but managed to reformat the hard drive and erase all the precious memories.

"Data can be recovered from computers, servers and even memory cards used in digital devices in most cases," said Mr Palmer.

"However, individuals and companies can avoid the hassle and stress this can cause by backing up data on a regular basis."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4003733.stm

latest version of the MyDoom internet worm

Unlike its predecessors, the latest version of the MyDoom internet worm does not hide inside email attachments. Instead, it infects computers by tricking their users into clicking a website link located in the text of an email. Once the user clicks the link, he/she is sent to a website that immediately injects MyDoom into the computer by means of a newly discovered hole in Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser.

Some of these malicious emails appear to come from legitimate websites. The most common example of this is an email claiming to be from PayPal, which is the online payment system associated with eBay. The text of the email typically says:

"Congratulations! PayPal has successfully charged $175 to your credit card. Your order tracking number is A866DEC0, and your item will be shipped within three business days. To see details please click this link."

Another type of sinister email contains the following text:

"Hi! I am looking for new friends. My name is Jane, I am from Miami, FL. See my homepage with my weblog and last webcam photos! See you!"

To prevent infection, ignore all email links sent to you via email. If you are uncertain as to whether or not a particular company needs to speak with you concerning a legitimate business matter, then simply telephone the company or visit its central website to access your account safely and securely.

As a reminder, the best way to ensure the privacy of the files, credit card numbers, financial statements, and other sensitive data stored on your computer is to patch the holes in Windows, use a trusted antivirus program, and use a software or hardware firewall