K9 Web Protection

Free Cyber Watchdog!

by Bryce Mortensen

Introduction

Blue Coat Systems has recently released a product that can help us parents in our fight to filter the media that enters our homes. They are now offering a new product called K9 Web Protection which is free for home use. Well, since most of our home computers reside in the home, you will more than likely fall in within the free licensing of this product. This product is by far the best filtering product I have come across that is offered for free. It offers a wealth of options and control that can help you feel comfortable that your family is protected. You may find that a purchased product provides more granular control, but you cannot beat the price. Blue Coat has been making enterpise ready solutions for large companies for years. They have taken this knowledge and some of their methodoligies and have placed them into this product. Let’s take a look!

Requirements

Currently their is a version available for Windows 2000/XP and another for Windows Vista. Windows Vista also includes a built-in web filter. If you are interested in this, please look at my other other article found here. The footprint of the product is rather small (about 25MB) and in my testing no decrease in performance was detected. The product is lightweight, simple, and can help protect your family.

Installation

You must first obtain the installation package and a license key from the Blue Coat K9 Web Protection website http://www.k9webprotection.com/. You will need to provide a valid email address for this. Once you have provided an address, a license key will be emailed to you. To begin installation download the appropriate package and run it.

Protective Parenting - K9 Web Protection

Quickly removing scratches from CDs and DVDs

I used to look in wonder and amazement at some of the CDs and DVDs in my best friend’s collection. How could he let them get in such a state? “Dude, treat them with more respect” I’d say. Then I had children, and found my CDs and DVDs were perfect replacements for Frisbee toys, coasters and anything else they could think of.

Recently, I found several of my favorite music CDs and movies were unplayable due to some innocent playtime fun. Kids will be kids, there’s little you can do to avoid that (especially if your CDs and DVDs are at kid-height). But before I reluctantly bought replacements, I figured I had nothing to lose by going to the web and finding remedies. If they worked, great. If not, I had lost nothing anyway.

I had heard of toothpaste, which was the first remedy I tried. But I found other methods, too. Below are the results of my exploration, complete with my own experience with the remedy. Remember, I can’t guarantee results. If your scratches are very deep you’re probably out of luck. But if a few scratches are giving you some skipping or the CD/DVD is unreadable, this may save you a trip to your local Best Buy.

Note: NEVER clean any CD or DVD in a circular motion. Always clean in straight lines from the center of the disc outwards. Otherwise, you’ll just make things even worse.

Go to original article for videos showing how to apply techniques and how well each works:

Quickly removing scratches from CDs and DVDs | Wise Bread

How To Copyright your literary work

Getting a copyright for your work is surprisingly simple. USA.gov explains the 3-step process, which requires filing an application, paying $45, and mailing a non-returnable version of your work to the Library of Congress. Ever wondered what you can get a copyright for? It’s probably more inclusive than you thought.

Common literary works include: fiction, nonfiction, manuscripts, poetry, contributions to collective works, compilations of data or other literary subject matter, dissertations, theses, reports, speeches, bound or looseleaf volumes, secure tests, pamphlets, brochures, textbooks, online works, reference works, directories, catalogs, advertising copy, single pages of text, tracts, games, automated databases, and computer programs.

USAGov Webpage on Copyrights: Click here

How To Copyright your literary work - Lifehacker

Free High-Resolution Wallpapers for your Desktop

http://interfacelift.com/wallpaper/index.php?sort=ratings

Top Mapping Tools: Maps, Local Guides & Driving Directions

Whether you’re looking for a tool to help you plan out your next road trip or a quick map guide for your local area, it’s all here. Below, you’ll find the most popular mapping services on the web. While all of them are about maps and driving directions, most have something extra to offer.

For instance, Ask City seems like a top choice when it comes to getting around within your city, finding out about movie theaters in your area, etc. On the other hand, Google Maps does an excellent job at providing more flexible features for long-distance route planning. Similarly, Microsoft’s Live Search is the only application that provides free ‘Maps’ software for your mobile. So, Enjoy! (Note: entries 1-3 in no particular order):

Top Mapping Tools: Maps, Local Guides & Driving Directions » MakeUseOf.com