Dear Tech in-Law,
I am in the process of trying to work remotely from home. I have everything set up to move forward. However, I want to make sure that I have good coverage for virus. I do not want to pass any type of virus to my office computer. Any suggestions on how to make sure my computer safe? I have McAfee at the present time. It just recently expired and we have not updated it. Please advise.
Debbie

Dear Debbie,
As far as making your computer safe, there is more to it than just viruses, although that is certainly a big step. You can also help protect your system by using anti-spyware, anti-spam, and some type of firewall protection. You mentioned you had a McAfee subscription based service. The nice part about a McAfee or Norton "total solution" is that you will receive all of these tools in one package that is easily accessible and can be configured based on your needs.

There are free utilities available for download that will provide similar methods of protection, but the difference is they are all separate pieces and some are not as easy to set up. If you are looking to save costs and are willing to take some extra time to learn how to configure these you will probably be satisfied with the results they offer . Here are some free alternatives you can review to see if they meet your needs:

1. Anti-Virus: AVG Free Edition or Avast! Free Home Edition
2. Anti-Spyware: Spybot Search & Destroy or AVG Anti-Spyware
3. Anti-Spam: Spambayes

Using these free tools along with the built in Windows Firewall will give you a nice level of protection at no extra cost. After you review the utilities if they are too difficult to configure then I would suggest sticking with the McAfee or Norton all-in-one solution to keep your system protected. Good luck!

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Dear Tech In-Law,
I use Picasa to manage my pictures on my computer and I have about 15,000 pictures now. I was recently advised to purchase an external hard drive to back them up and need to know how to do so. Do I just drag the pictures folder over to the external drive?
Beth


Dear Beth,
15,000 pictures?! Wow! I thought I had a lot! Anyway, backing up your files is a really important issue and unfortunately one that lots of people neglect. It's easier than ever to get this done, and not just for pictures, but for all your files. Your pictures stored on your computer are certainly invaluable and I am glad you are taking the proper steps to help prevent any data loss. There are several ways to backup your files, and I would suggest an online service such as mozy or carbonite that is located offsite from your house or business as the safest method. Next to an online backup service, using an external drive is an easy way to store a copy of your data in a second location.

You mentioned Picasa which is a great application from Google that is free of charge and can really help you take control of all your digital images. Most applications like this have a backup feature built into the application which makes it very easy to schedule. Here are the steps to follow in Picasa:

• In Picasa, do a Tools -> "Backup Pictures..." menu choice.
• Click the "New Set" button (we want a full backup to your external drive).
• Give it a name... e.g., External Drive Full Backup
• Click the "disk-to-disk" radio button...
• Click the "Choose..." button and navigate to your external drive....
• Click the "Create" button (to create the backup set definition
• Click the "Select All" button (to select all your photos)
• Click the "Backup" button to actually do the backup.

That should take care of it! I suggest you look at doing this not only for your pictures, but for all your other important files on your computer. The online services mentioned above are very affordable, usually about $4 or $5 per month. These services contain automatic backup scheduling so once you set everything up you can forget about it and have peace of mind. If you plan on using your external drive for these backups as well, you will need to setup your own scheduled backup plan. Good luck and keep those memories alive!

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Dear Tech In-Law,
I have some photos that I need to edit and enhance with text. Can you recommend an easy program to use?
Jay


Dear Jay,
Photo editing software applications like Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements have been around for awhile but the popularity has skyrocketed recently with the rise of digital images coupled with online photo sharing and blogging sites. The great news is there are now several free options to get your pictures looking snazzy and they are offered online so they are easily accessible and not tied to one specific computer.

Here's an example from one of the online editors that I use called picnik. This is using a sample photo on their homepage they offer to try out the service.

First, the standard image:


I added a basic shape and text here:


There are all sorts of options available on these sites such as color effects, size, text, shapes, distortions, touch-ups, frames, etc. Picnik offers several options for free and they have some advanced features available with a paid account.

Picnik is not the only game in town. FlauntR, FotoFlexer, and Picture2Life are some other free alternatives that offer robust editing tools. And what about Adobe? In 2007 they announced that they would be offering a free, ad-supported online version of their popular Photoshop application. This has not yet emerged but I would guess this will be released this year and I am sure they will impress with what they are able to offer.

Do you have a favorite online photo editor? Post it in the comments!

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