mikealao's blog

RSS Feed Homepage

Articles: 1, 2

Fake American Express Calls
2008-01-31 01:24:00
I got a message from American Express on my home phone the other day saying that I should call this number: 8883172720 or (888) 317-2720 or 1-888-317-2720This is a scam and phishing expedition. Only call the telephone number on the back of your credit card.
More About: Calls , Fake

7 Useful FireFox Add-ons
2008-01-16 00:02:00
Source: Code Sector BlogScrapBookScrapBook is a Firefox extension, which helps you to save Web pages and easily manage collections. Key features are lightness, speed, accuracy and multi-language support. Major features are: Save Web page or entire siteSave snippet of Web pageOrganize the collection in the same way as BookmarksFull text search and quick filtering search of the collectionEditing of the collected Web pageText/HTML edit feature resembling Opera’s Notes Flashblock Flashblock is an extension for the Mozilla, Firefox, and Netscape browsers that takes a pessimistic approach to dealing with Macromedia Flash content on a webpage and blocks ALL Flash content from loading. It then leaves placeholders on the webpage that allow you to click to download and then view the Flash content. ImgLikeOpera ImgLikeOpera allows load only the images that you want in Firefox browser. This extension is very useful for non broadband users. Features: placeholders for blocked images;(re)load im...

Freeware-Software.org
2007-12-31 17:33:00
source: http://www.freeware-software.org/Best Free and Freeware Software for Windows™ Office / PDF OpenOffice.org - is a multiplatform and multilingual office suite and an open-source project. Compatible with all other major office suites, the product is free to download, use, and distribute. OpenOffice.org is a collection of different applications that work together closely to provide the features expected from a modern office suite. Many of the components are designed to mirror those available in Microsoft Office. download page AbiWord - is a Free Software word processor licensed under the GNU General Public License. AbiWord has a similar user interface to Microsoft Word, intended to ease migration for new users. It is supported on Linux, Mac OS X (PowerPC), Microsoft Windows, ReactOS, BeOS and other operating systems. download page Mozilla Sunbird - is a free, open source, cross-platform, personal calendar application developed by the Mozilla Foun...

not-a-virus:RiskTool.Win32.CloseApp.a
2007-12-31 17:14:00
not-a-virus:RiskTool.Win32.CloseApp.aNoth ing to worry about, this file is not a virus. It is program that is used by applications to close programs (i.e. Vista transformation pack). It can also be used by malware to shut down an anti-virus program.My recommendation is to quarantine it and see what happens. If your system doesn't need it, don't worry about it. If you run into problems you can just go into your anti-virus program and restore it from quarantine.
More About: Virus

Reinstall Windows and outfit your system with all freeware programs
2007-11-18 18:59:00
Source: Freeware Genious Reinstall Windows and outfit your system with all freeware programs Author: Samer Description: I recently clean installed Windows XP on my laptop, and this meant that I had to re-install all the essential software that I use. It also presented an opportunity to write a posting about how you can outfit your computer with all the essential (and non-essential) software you need using strictly 100% freeware and/or open source titles.This posting could have been titled any of the following: How to never use a paid program again (aside from Windows).53 essential freeware programs that can take care of the majority of your computing needs. I am writing this from the perspective of myself clean-installing Windows and re-installing all the software I find to be essential afterwards. This post took a long time to write, please Digg and/or Stumble it ;). Pre-installation: before reformatting my hard drive, I used the foll...
More About: System , Programs , Outfit

Capital One Credit Card Late Fees
2007-10-13 15:10:00
I have kept a Capital One credit card for the past couple of years because I had a "fixed" rate of 4.99% APR. Recently the rate went up to 8.99% APR, which was still pretty good. I mainly use my American Express Delta Skymiles card because of the great customer service I receive from American Express and the other benefits that come with the card. Amex is not accepted everywhere though, so I also carry the Capital One card. I missed a payment last month due to my getting confused about managing payments on bill pay (I've been paying $400 - $700 per month on the card) and cancelled the $50 automated payment I have setup to avoid missing the minimum monthly payment. I was hit with a $39 late fee. I called to have it canceled and was told that they system does not allow the phone reps to cancel the late fee anymore. Instead, a request was submitted and I would get a response in about 15 days.Well, I'm not waiting for the response. I applied for a credit union credit card that ...
More About: Card , Credit , Fees , Credit Card , Late

Free Gas Price Widget on your Website
2007-10-05 17:58:00
Gas-cost.net has a cool widget that can be used on blogs to show daily average gas prices. Check it out:The only problem is that they don't explain on their site where these "nationwide" gas prices are coming from. I know that today gas prices in my area of Norther Virginia are less than $3/gallon for regular today.
More About: Website , Widget , Free , Price

How to bypass websense and other censorship methods
2007-10-04 08:54:00
From webusabilityhelp.blogspot.com:Internet filters are active everywhere - Flickr is banned in Iran & UAE, BBC & Wikipedia are blocked in China, Blogspot blogs are banned in Pakistan, YouTube & Photobucket are prohibited for US army overseas while social sites like Bebo, MySpace or Facebook may be banned in your office.Some companies even block access to mail websites like Yahoo or GMail under the pretext of security.Click To PlayIn the past, we have discussed atleast a dozen methods to help you access blocked websites that are banned in your office, school or by the government of your country. Here's a new method for unblocking websites - you'll probably enjoy it more than the previous hacks because it takes the geekiness out of the whole process and make it extremely easy to access blocked URLs.Opera provides a free online tool called Opera Mini Simulator that emulates the Opera mobile phone browser on your desktop computer. The tool is done in java and is quite po...
More About: Censorship , Methods , Websense

Lesser Known Free Utilities for Windows
2007-08-26 06:23:00
From decimation.com:I thought it would be interesting to focus the lesser known freeware applications that are available instead of just listing all the popular freeware applications (Firefox, SmartFTP, etc). I’ve tried to attach a screenshot with each program so you can get a feel about what the program does before downloading it. Feel free to comment if you think I missed something and would like it added. Remember that the focus of this post is not to point out well known pieces of software but to focus on the lesser knowns. Acrobat Reader Speedup This program will dramatically increase the speed it takes for Adobe Acrobat Reader to open. I can’t imagine not using it.UPDATE 1: Foxit Reader - Replace Adobe Acrobat all together with this program. This is a lightweight program that is less than 2mb. Since I have no specific need for Adobe I’ve recently switched. allSnap Another simple program that snaps your windows automatically like you see in Winamp. You can go to the si...
More About: Windows , Utilities , Free

How to list an eBay auction for maximum profit
2007-08-17 13:13:00
How to list an eBay auction for maximum profit August 9th, 2007 under Money, eBayThis article written by: Mike Panic Over the last 8 years I have been buying and selling items on eBay for myself and more recently, small businesses. In that time I’ve learned a few tricks to help get you maximum profit for your items with just a few tweaks during the listing process. Here is a checklist to go through when listing your items. List the item on SundayKnow the item you are listingResearch what similar items have sold forBe honest with your descriptionBe realistic with what you expect to get for itAvoid most eBay add-onsGet a good starting bid, avoid reserves, use Buy It NowList the item for maximum visibilityBe as descriptive as possibleUse quality photographsExplain any flawsSpell checkExplain shipping & handling fees up frontCreate a disclaimerReply to all questions in a timely mannerShip fastUse PayPalPromote your auction List the item on Sunday. It is a proven fact that lis...
More About: Auction , Ebay , Profit

CFL, Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs - Questions and Answers
2007-08-15 23:08:00
What is an energy-saving compact florescent light bulb, and how does it differ from regular incandescent bulbs?CFLs use at least two-thirds less energy than standard incandescent bulbs to provide the same amount of light, and last up to six to ten times longer: 10,000 vs. 1,000 hours. They save $30 or more in energy costs over each bulb’s lifetime.CFLs also generate 70 percent less heat, so they’re safer to operate and can cut energy costs associated with home cooling. CFLs produce no sound and fall within a warm color range. They are available in different sizes and shapes to fit almost any fixture, either indoors or outdoors.Why should consumers use energy-saving bulbs?CFL bulbs save energy, producing more light per watt than a standard incandescent lamp. Using CFL decreases energy consumption—resulting in energy savings—and helps reduce the amount of harmful greenhouse gases. The World Wildlife Fund recommends conversion to CFL bulbs in our fight against greenhouse gases....
More About: Questions , Answers , Light , Questions and Answers , Compact

21st Century Citizen’s Ultimate Guide to Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL)
2007-08-15 22:23:00
The new fad seems to be compact fluorescent light bulbs. Does switching to these bulbs actually save money? How much money will I save? Does this really make a difference to the environment? All of the answers are in the excellent article below.The article below is from www.21st-century-citizen.com:21st Century Citizen’s Ultimate Guide to Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) Bulbs This is the first aricle in a series on Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs. We’re publishing this series so there will be a set of pages that provide everything a person needs to know about CFL lighting. If there is anything missing, please contact us so we can consider adding it to the series. Introduction / Summary Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) Bulbs will save energy and cut your electric bills. They cost more initially, but will last as much as 10 to 15 times as long as regular light bulbs. CFL bulbs only need 20-25% of the energy of a normal light bulb, so you’ll save money on electricity. How muc...

Simply Google - all of Google's hidden features in one webpage!
2007-08-08 19:54:00
Simply Google Google Sites Google Searches Google Blogs Google Analytics Web Google Accounts Images Google Alerts Groups Google Mail News Personalised Home Froogle Google Suggest Local Google Sets Blogs Google Moon Books Google Mars Maps Google Store Scholar Google Current TV Video Google Zeitgeist Music Feeds Google Fun Base Mentalplex Directory Pigeon Rank Finance Google Romance History Bookmarks Downloads Linux Desktop Apple Earth Microsoft Talk Movies Toolbar Definitions ...
More About: Features , Simply , Hidden , Webpage

Best Web Conferencing Services
2007-08-05 15:16:00
From allconferenceservices.com:Best Web Conferencing Services Web-based conferencing systems use Internet browsers and servers, specific software selections, and other equipment to allow home-based individuals and businesses to interact with one another.On the market, a multitude of web conferencing companies offer a wide range of services.When it comes to the best, a careful analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of top products is necessary to come to a conclusion based upon individual or corporate needs.In helping consumers locate best web conferencing software and services that cater best to their requirements, a few factors help make the decision much easier to accomplish.Top 7 Web Conferencing Solutions In no apparent order, you will find some of the best web conferencing software options on the market, offering a variety of pricing options and convenient features to consider:1) Citrix GoToMeeting One of the best web conferencing options is GoToMeeting, wher...

How to Speed Up Windows XP Shutdown
2007-07-28 00:17:00
I got this from techdo.com:Why Windows takes so long to Shutdown ? This can happen when third party or Microsoft applications have not properly unload from memory when exiting. Windows will keep trying to completely close them until finally decides that it can't and should shutdown. Even if you find the application causing the problem it may be impossible to do anything about it. To fix this problem Microsoft released the User Profile Hive Cleanup Service After the installation open up your services list (Click start, then run and type services.msc now click OK), you should see new service running in the background: This free utility automatically cleans up user profiles reclaiming resources as soon as a task is finished and prevents you from wait when shutting down Windows XP. The other option is to download this .zip file. Running the .cmd file contained will force Windows XP to shoutdown in few seconds. You may also need a fast user Log-off or a fast Restart.
More About: Speed , Windows Xp , Speed up

How to circumvent Websense or the firewall at work or school
2007-05-28 19:57:00
I got this from boingboing.net:A group called Peacefire created proxy software called Circumventor to bypass censorware. Install this software on your home computer and allow others to use your proxy to access the web, or use your proxy from work or school to access any web site. (Thanks, Sean!) Bennett Haselton of Peacefire, who developed Circumventor, says: "For 90% of users in the USA affected by SmartFilter, there is no reason to use anything but Circumventor. The reasons are: 1) It's simple to set up. Just run three simple point-and-click installers. We even have a wizard that comes up automatically to help you set up port forwarding on your router if you've never done it before. 2) You are not required to install anything on the "censored" computer, you just bring a URL in with you to work.3) It works even if the censored network blocks direct connections to IP addresses outside the network (which would break some of the other...
More About: Firewall , Work , School , Websense

How to create a bootable Windows XP CD/DVD
2007-05-08 19:19:00
Bart's Preinstalled Environment (BartPE) bootable live windows CD/DVDCheck out this link for an excellent tutorial on how to create a bootable live Windows CD/DVD.Why would you want a bootable Windows CD/DVD? It's in case your system crashes and you need to be able to access your files on the hard drive. This has actually happened to me twice in the past month. Using your Windows install disk to repair your installation is always an option, but at 39+ minutes it is really a pain.Here is some information from the web page:What is BartPE and PE Builder? Bart's PE Builder helps you build a "BartPE" (Bart Preinstalled Environment) bootable Windows CD-Rom or DVD from the original Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 installation/setup CD, very suitable for PC maintenance tasks.It will give you a complete Win32 environment with network support, a graphical user interface (800x600) and FAT/NTFS/CDFS filesystem support. Very handy for burn-in testing systems with no OS, rescuing f...
More About: Windows Xp , Create

Bypass workplace firewalls: SSH tunneling for dummies
2007-05-08 15:04:00
Franck from Franck's Place posted an excellent how-to some time ago on his blog. Specifically, he provides instructions on how to surf freely at work an bypass idiotic web surfing restrictions. I have quoted Franck's introduction, but will leave you to click the link to view the post in its entirety on Franck's blog.SSH tunneling for dummies"More and more, litigation and regulation is forcing companies to restrict what you can do on an office computer. For some people it's now easier to work from home than the office because of those constraints. The irony is that most people also have handheld devices with none of those constraints anyway. And even without any of those, it's very easy to bypass most protection systems.For example, here is a way to bypass a corporate firewall that prevents you to access certain websites -- not that you should or want to do it. If you follow those steps, you do it at your own risk! But here it is, for educational purposes :)"SSH tunneling for ...
More About: Workplace , Dummies , Firewalls , Tunneling

How to Remove Duplicate Emails in Outlook
2007-05-08 14:43:00
Outlook has this annoying habit sometimes of downloading two copies of each message from POP servers. I just installed Outlook 2007 and wasn't really surprised that it too downloads duplicates. How do you delete 5 megabytes worth of duplicate emails that took two hours to download from your POP server? Here is how:you can use the free software Microsoft Outlook Duplicate Items Remover which scans a selected folder for duplicate emails and moves them to a separate folder where you can delete them easily. This is by far the easiest way to cope with this situation. The software does not only remove duplicate emails in Microsoft Outlook but also duplicate notes, contacts, calendar entries and tasks.Below is a screen shot of the software:Tags emails duplicate emails outlook microsoft outlook outlook 2007
More About: Outlook , Emails

Who is selling your email address?
2007-05-01 03:39:00
When you give your email address to a website, you hope that they don't sell or trade your address to a bunch of spammers. Well if they do, here is a simple way to see what sites are responsible for what particular piece of email. This requires you have a Gmail account.If your Gmail login name was username@gmail.com and you went to samplesite.com to fill out a registration form, instead of just entering username@gmail.com as your email, enter it as username+samplesitecom@gmail.com instead. When Gmail sees a "+" in an email address, it uses all the characters to the left of the plus sign to know who to send it to. In this example it would still send it to username@gmail.com. Now whats cool is if you search Gmail for username+samplesitecom, you will see all massages that were sent to that email address. To see who is responsible for sending a specific message click the Show Details link and you will see the complete address.
More About: Selling , Email , Address

Free 411 Directory Assistance through Google
2007-04-17 21:23:00
Here is a quick way to save money. Instead of dialing 411, dial 1-800-466-4411 to reach Google 's free service. I just tried it out, and it worked perfectly. Here is some information taken from Google's site:Google Voice Local Search is Google’s experimental service to make local-business search accessible over the phone. To try this service, just dial 1-800-GOOG-411 (1-800-466-4411) from any phone. Using this service, you can: search for a local business by name or category.You can say "Giovanni's Pizzeria" or just "pizza".get connected to the business, free of charge.get the details by SMS if you’re using a mobile phone.Just say "text message". And it's free. Google doesn’t charge you a thing for the call or for connecting you to the business. Regular phone charges may apply, based on your telephone service provider. Note: Google Voice Local Search is still in its experimental stage. It may not be available at all times and may not work for all users. We’re fine...
More About: Free , Directory , Directory Assistance

Money Market Account with 6.00% APY at HSBC
2007-04-17 20:21:00
HSBC is offering a money market account with 6.00% APY through April 30th.Here is the link.Technorati Tags:money market, account, best accounts, interest, savings, hsbc
More About: Money , Market , Money Market , Account

What to do with your tax refund
2007-04-17 18:42:00
Tax day is upon us yet again (although the IRS did just give us a 48-hour extension due to storms in the northeast). Many of us will be receiving tax refunds. What are the best uses for this influx of cash? Here are some suggestions:Splurge. Buy yourself something nice. Sometimes you do deserve to treat yourself.Pay off your highest interest rate credit cardMake an extra mortgage payment if you are not subject to prepayment penaltiesPer this Motley Fool article, "Making one extra payment a year on a 30-year, 6.5 percent fixed-rate mortgage will shave more than $60,000 in interest and six years off the life of a $200,000 loan. "Keep a stash of cash for emergencies.Your best option is a highly liquid and high-yielding money market account. Try Capital One which as of today offers a 5.0% APY.Open a Roth IRA account and turn you refund into $17,000!Per this Motley Fool article, "If you invest $2,500 -- last year's average refund amount -- and earn an 8 percent average annual retu...

Index Funds
2007-03-20 17:31:00
Seeking Alpha has a great article on why you should invest in index funds. I wholeheartedly agree and have about 40% of my portfolio in country-specific index funds. My intent is to increase that to 60-70% of my portfolio by adding additional index funds that track the major indices such as the S&P 500. Please note that I use exchange trade funds (ETF) because of their low expense ratios and other costs.Wikipedia has some basic information on index funds that is worth taking a look. Also check out CNNmoney.com which has a list of the best index funds for 2007.
More About: Fun , Fund , Index , Funds

Flexible Speding Account (FSA) Savings Greater Than Most People Realize
2007-02-15 16:28:00
Check out the article from Kiplinger.com which highlights, among other things, just how great the savings are from using an FSA account. Most people think that the savings are just from federal income tax, but keep in mind that you also save 7.65% social security tax and 5% or more of state income tax. From the Kiplinger article (see quote below) you can see their calculation of $1,100 in tax savings from just $3,000 in payroll deductions. It is a great deal, but you do have to make certain that you expense all of the contributed funds."You can save big by paying for your out-of-pocket health care costs with pre-tax dollars in an FSA. Salary that goes into these reimbursement plans dodges federal income and Social Security taxes, and in most states, state income taxes, too. For example, put $3,000 in an FSA to pay health care bills that you have to pay anyway and you would save more than $1,100 in taxes (assuming a 25% federal brackets, 5% state bracket and 7.65% Social Security ...
More About: People , Great , Pedi , Flex , Real

Foliofn - Window Trading at it's Best
2007-01-16 20:34:00
Foliofn allows individual investors to maintain folios of up to 50 stocks, complete 100 trades per month, and all for a fixed $19.99 per month or $200 per year. It is essentially like running your own mutual fund. Stock trades can be made twice a day at 11 am and 2 pm. Most securities are available as "window" trades, and if not, at a low trading fee of $4.Investing only a few thousand dollars may not be worth the monthly fee, but the service offers significant savings when investing $10,000 or more. I use the service to manage my IRA, which I rolled over from the 401(k) plans I had left with prior employers.The link to the site is foliofn.com. Here is what they have to say about their service:FOLIOfn's system offers the first real alternative to individual stock picking and mutual funds, allowing you to easily own a portfolio of securities or other securities without the complexities, risks, and costs of building it one security at a time. A Folio is a group of ...
More About: Wind , Trading , Best , Indo , Olio

Low-Rent/Mortgage Living
2007-01-16 09:01:00
I ran into an interesting post on positivesharing.com related to low-rent living and the advantages thereof. For those of you that don't know what low-rent living is, here is my definition:Finding a place to live that will result in a housing ratio of less than 28%. The housing ratio is calculated by taking the monthly rent/mortgage payment and dividing by gross monthly income.My current housing ratio is about 13%. Mind you, I had to make some trade offs to get to this figure. I live about 50 miles outside of Washington, DC. There is no nightlife to speak of where I live. There aren't even any good restaurants. The upside? I can afford to travel and am no longer stressed about my finances.Anyway, here are the top 10 advantages to low-rent living according to positivesharing.com:1: Freedom to leave a bad job 2: Freedom to take a chance 3: Freedom to do what I enjoy 4: Freedom to do what’s right 5: Freedom to work less hours 6: Freedom to say no to some customers7: Peace o...
More About: Living , Mortgage , Rent , Gage , Ving

The Dollar-Cost Averaging Investment Fallacy
2007-01-12 21:53:00
The Sun's Financial Diary has a post on dollar-cost averaging (DCA). The post is somewhat drawn out, and the conclusion comes as no surprise. The advantages of DCA are a myth, and if anything, a tool used by mutual funds, insurance companies, etc., to sell you their products. Why doesn't DCA work? The premise behind DCA is that the risk of loss is reduced by investing over time rather than as a lump sum in case the market takes a nose dive. In the short term your risk of loss would be less, but over time security prices have consistently risen more often than falling. Here are some additional articles and quotes on the subject:Timothy Middleton, "The Cost ly Myth of Dollar -Cost Averaging," Moneycental.msn.com. "Popular wisdom says scheduling your investments is the best way to make money. But it's actually a sales gimmick to wheedle over time what you won't commit up front."MoneyChimp, "Does Dollar Cost Averaging Work?" MoneyChimp.com. "So why do so many people persist in be...
More About: Investment , Men , Ragi

Easy Tips for Saving Money on Electricity
2007-01-11 16:28:00
Binarydollar.com has some useful tips on saving on electricity:Go easy on the oven. Use fluorescent lights. Take some temperatures. Turn off the computer. (not right now) Use full capacity. Binge iron.Please see his blog entry for the details on each of the tips above.For additional information on saving electricity, check out "Mr. Elecricity's" site on everything you've ever wanted to know (or not know) about electricty.Percent of Total U.S. Residential Electricity : Tech Tags: electricity saving+electricity electric+bill electric+company
More About: Money , Tips , City , Tricity

Web 2.0 Directory
2007-01-10 06:56:00
Check out the Web 2 .0 Direct ory which lists Web 2.0 applications either alphabetically or by date added. Users can suggest new applications as well. It is a great way to keep up with some of the newer internet innovations out there.Web 2.0 Directory The creator of the directory also has a blog that is worth checking out:Tech Tags: web+2.0 web+2.0+directory
More About: Tory