Features:

• 8 outlets • Phone/modem/fax/DSL protection with splitter

• 3 transformer-spaced outlets

• 130 clamping voltage

• EMI/RFI noise filtration

• Instant reset button

• Dual coaxial protection with gold connectors

• Power Blocker® 2 Circuit Breaker technology

• 6-ft power cord

• 100% lifetime connected equipment guarantee

• Automatic shutdown

Fastest, safest most reliable Surge Protector available. Surge protector shuts down completely in 2 milliseconds when it senses a continuing or growing power surge. Easy to use reset button to resume surge protection. Eight standard and three adapter spaced outlets. 6' cord. Virtually unlimited Joules rating. (see the following paragraph) Manufacturer's lifetime product warranty and unlimited connected equipment coverage. Phone line splitter.

Standard surge protectors use MOVs to protect the circuit. The joule rating of any MOV is a measure of the amount of energy it can absorb at one time without failing. With an MOV this level declines with use. When exceeded it can cause an explosion or a fire. (ask Sol M. about this) In a lightning environment this limit can easily be reached. The inductor used in this protector limits current (hence voltage) and has no real world surge current/joule rating limitations.

Internet "phishing" scams. The following information is from Fidelity Investments, but applies to all web sites.

Phishing is an online scam that uses a replica of an existing web page or email you are familiar with to "spoof" or fool you into submitting personal, financial, or password information.

DIFFERENT FORMS OF “PHISHING”

Be on the lookout for:
• an email that seems to be from a trusted source but asks for sensitive personal information.
• a link alteration that creates a replica of a legitimate Web site you’re familiar with and then sends you to a link that requests sensitive personal information.
• IP (Internet Protocol) spoofing via a message with an IP address that seems to come from a trusted source.

HOW FIDELITY COMBATS PHISHING

To help you identify communications from Fidelity and ensure the safety of your identity, we:
• require an authentication process (user ID and PIN) before asking for sensitive personal information (account number).
• send a notice in the mail confirming changes to your account(s) when you update personal account data or open a new account.

HOW YOU CAN PROTECT YOURSELF

To keep your sensitive personal information protected and avoid online thefts, always:
• be suspicious of emails seeking personal information.
• refuse to give out your SSN, PIN, or account number by email.
• review account statements for accuracy.
• provide personal information only after logging into a known, trusted, web site.
• when logging onto a web site, verify that there are no additional characters in the web site name (the spoofing web site could use the same name as the trusted site, with one additional character.

"Get On Joi" is a good ISP with numbers all over the country. Check out their site..$6.95/ month on a yearly basis and $6.45 for two years. Check out their access numbers. Unlimited time.  (Sol M.)
http://www.getonjoi.com

Access-4-free is a one time $4.95 ISP with 10 hrs/mo free. $1.00 per hr over that to a max of 10 hrs. Free from then on for the balance of the month.  (Sol M.)
www.access-4-free.com

Official Cingular KIC (Keep In Contact) Prepaid Wireless Rebate Mail-In Redemption Form
Receive $30 or $50 back by mail when you purchase a qualified prepaid phone model between November 1, 2003 and February 14, 2004. See the following web site.  (Bob K.)
http://www.cingular.com/buy/prepaidrebate

The week of 12/07/03 Best Buy has TurboTax Deluxe and Quicken Deluxe with a combined rebate of $40. TurboTax 2004 eliminated the activation requirement. TurboTax can now be run on any number of computers and taxes can be done for multiple family members.

One of the reviews I read on Quicken 2003 complained about the ads. I don't see ads on Quicken 2004. I also don't see any slowness in Quicken 2004. My summary is: I love Quicken 2004. Lots of nice portfolio, securities, and report features. The analysis can go on and on. But, please note that I am referring to Quicken Deluxe. Quicken Basic doesn't download quotes or financial transactions.

$29.99 (after rebate) at Amazon.com

Good, comprehensive, review of Norton Internet Security 2004. This review will make you want to rush out to buy this product.

The worm displays a Web page that asks users to enter their credit card information.(See the “Technical Details” section of the W.32.Mimail.J@mm writeup for an illustration of the fake "PayPal Secure Application" window.) This information is saved and later emailed to several predetermined email addresses. This worm is similar to W32.Mimail.I@mm (MCID 2239). The email has the following characteristics:
From:Do_Not_Reply@paypal.com
Subject: IMPORTANT <random string of characters>
Attachment: InfoUpdate.exe -or- www.paypal.com.pif

To read more about the W32.Mimail.J@mm, please click here.

Go to Symantec Security Response for posted virus definitions!

All users of Norton AntiVirus who do not have up-to-date virus protection should immediately run LiveUpdate for protection from W32.Mimail.J@mm.

PC TALK RADIO 11/03
Maxtor says backing up your hard drive should be as easy as pressing a button on your backup device. Their new line of external hard drives feature an
LED-illuminated button that, when pressed, launches an unattended, fully automatic backup of the PC or Mac it's connected to. Maxtor's external solution creates a backup that can be used to recover your data even in the event your PC's or Mac's internal hard drive is utterly destroyed. (Tony F)

Maxtor OneTouch hard drive back-up

Digital Camera: If you want an ultra-compact digital camera, look at the Canon PowerShot SD100 Digital Elph.
Nice features that some other ultra-compact cameras don't have:
 1. Autofocus illuminator (for focusing in dim light or darkness).
2. Spot metering.

Positive review

Norton AntiVirus  If you bought Norton AntiVirus a year ago, you need to either buy an updated version ($10 with rebates including upgrade rebate) or pay ($15?) for a one-year subscription to virus definition updates. If bought Norton Internet Security, wait for a sale on that product.

USB 2.0 PCI card with 5 ports. If you buy a new printer, scanner, or reader for digital camera memory, it probably will have a USB 2.0 connection to your computer. This card will give an older computer new capabilities for USB 2.0. Be sure to read the system requirements on the box for the USB 2.0 card. You need Windows 2000 or XP to use the fast data transfer speeds of USB 2.0.