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Tips Links and Tidbits Newsletter


Tuesday 7th August 2007

Index




Basic Computer User



Court ruling supports claims that Microsoft’s first OS was stolen
A book that calls DOS a “rip off ”of CP/M is legally protected opinion under the First Amendment, in part because it’s based on some facts not generally in dispute, a judge rules. more


Risk management system busts data skimming ring
Four men have pleaded guilty to using phony point-of-sale PIN-pad terminals to steal customers’ data and passwords and then defraud stores. more


Teachers call for closure of YouTube more


Google wary of behavioral targeting in online ads more


Fears grow that laser printers can seriously damage health more


Death of a disk here


MPack banking crimeware infects 500,000 computers
The hacking toolkit has been going for US$1,000 on the Russian underground and researchers say it’s now in the hands of 58 cybercriminals. more


Microsoft to offer free, ad-supported version of works
The ad-funded version comes in the wake of customer and partner demand to make productivity apps more affordable. more

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Advanced Computer User



Company sues Sony, wants PlayStation 3s ’Impounded and destroyed’
Parallel Processing says the cell processor developed by Sony, Toshiba, and IBM violates its patent for ’synchronised parallel processing with shared memory.’ more


Top security advisor, Richard Clarke: Computers are best friend of progress, and security its worst enemy more


Zero-day attacks pose most critical security concern
Hackers came in second place, while malware and spyware grabbed a close third, according to a survey of IT managers by PatchLink. more


Solar cells break efficiency record
Researchers at the University of Delaware (UD) have developed a solar cell that can convert sunlight to power with 42.8 percent efficiency – a new record. more


Device wakes man with severe brain injuries
A man with severe brain injuries who spent six years in a near-vegetative state can now chew his food, watch a movie and talk with family thanks to a brain pacemaker that may change the way such patients are treated, US researchers said on Wednesday. more


Estonian ’cyber riot’ was planned, but mastermind still a mystery more

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Health



Take a walk more


Is It a Stroke? How Can You Tell?

By Jon Herring

Two weeks ago, I woke up to an urgent phone call from my brother. My father had suffered a stroke. The good news was that he was alive and his speech and cognition were intact. The bad news was that he had only limited movement of his arms and legs.

Within a few hours, I was in Nashville, at my father’s bedside. He was weak and delirious, but happy to have his family close by. And over the next several days, he began to regain control of his hands and feet, and later his arms and legs.

Five days after he was admitted, my father walked out of the hospital under his own power. And while he was barely able to hold a fork or shave with his dominant hand that first week, he wrote me a note before I left with barely any change in his handwriting. Even his doctors expressed amazement at his recovery.

I attribute his remarkable recovery to three things: (1) As a former nurse, my stepmother recognized the symptoms immediately. (2) He was transported to the hospital rapidly and within a short time after the stroke occurred. And (3) he received first-class emergency medical care.

The symptoms of my father’s stroke were obvious: He couldn’t move his arms or legs. But would you be able to recognize less severe, but no less dangerous, stroke symptoms? Someday, you might have to. Here are the most common warning signs:

Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
Sudden, severe headache with no known cause
When a stroke occurs, every second counts. Time lost is brain tissue lost. So if you (or someone you know) have any of these symptoms, call 911 immediately. It could very well mean the difference between a full recovery and permanent disability, or even death.
From the www.earlytorise.com newsletter
[Early to Rise Copyright ETR, LLC, 2007]
If you’d like to subscribe to Early to Rise or suggest it to a friend, please visit: here


An interesting web site page on relative priorities here


Turn Back the Clock with Diet and Exercise
By Craig Ballantyne

There are few accomplishments more impressive than a total body transformation by someone who’s over 40. Yet too many people over the age of 25 think they are “too old ”to get in shape. Not only does my personal experience as a trainer contradict that belief, so does the research.

Recently, American researchers studied over 15,000 men and women aged 45 to 64 to determine the effects of adopting a healthy lifestyle at that point in their lives. The researchers defined a “healthy lifestyle ”as eating five or more fruits and vegetables each day, not smoking, exercising regularly, and maintaining a body mass index of 18.5 to 30.

Only 2,200 of the 15,000 were following a healthy lifestyle. And, not surprisingly, during the four-year study, the number of deaths among the healthy-lifestyle group was 40 percent lower and the number of those diagnosed with cardiovascular disease was 35 percent lower than in those who weren’t following a healthy lifestyle. The researchers concluded that people who adopt a healthy lifestyle, even if they’re over 40, quickly experience improvements in cardiovascular health and reduce their risk of death.

This study is remarkable, because it shows that making changes in your diet and exercise regimens, even fairly modest changes and even when you’re middle-aged, can have a profound impact on the quality and duration of your life.

It is never too late to start improving your health. Add berries to your breakfast, apples to your snacks, more salad to your lunches, and an extra leafy green vegetable to your dinner. For exercise, be sure to combine several days of strength training with interval training each week.

[Ed. Note: Craig Ballantyne is an expert consultant for Men’s Health magazine. If you’re looking to burn fat, build muscle, and quickly step into the body you have always wanted with just three workouts each week, check out Craig’s fat-loss system, Turbulence Training for Fat Loss.]
From the www.earlytorise.com newsletter
[Early to Rise Copyright ETR, LLC, 2007]
If you’d like to subscribe to Early to Rise or suggest it to a friend, please visit: here


The Redline for Your Heart Rate By Craig Ballantyne

If your heart beats too fast at rest, it can be a powerful predictor of death from heart attack. A study of more than 5,700 French men without known cardiovascular disease found that those with a resting heart rate greater than 75 beats per minute had a 3.5 times greater chance of sudden death than those who had a resting heart rate of fewer than 60 beats per minute.

To determine your resting heart rate, measure it first thing in the morning (before you even rise from bed) with either a heart-rate monitor or by placing your index finger against your carotid artery on either side of your neck. Count the beats for 60 seconds (or for 15 seconds, and then multiply by four).

The stronger and more efficient your heart is, the fewer times it must beat to move blood through your system and sustain bodily functions - thus, the lower your resting heart rate.

The best way I know to lower your resting heart rate (and decrease your risk of death due to heart attack) is to engage in intermittent bouts of high-intensity exercise. For a practical strategy to do just that, check out my ETR article “The World’s Most Powerful Workout."

[Ed. Note: Craig Ballantyne is an expert consultant for Men’s Health magazine. If you’re looking to burn fat, build muscle, and quickly step into the body you have always wanted with just three workouts each week, check out Craig’s fat-loss system, Turbulence Training for Fat Loss.]
From the www.earlytorise.com newsletter
[Early to Rise Copyright ETR, LLC, 2007]
If you’d like to subscribe to Early to Rise or suggest it to a friend, please visit: here


Microwave ovens destroy the nutritional value of your food more

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Other



Telstra sues Senator Helen Coonan
The Broadband Connect Program Guidelines offered “up to $600 million” of taxpayers’ money to provide broadband to “underserved ”rural and regional areas. Telstra submitted its proposal on that basis. Instead, almost $1 billion was ultimately awarded to the SingTel Optus and Elders consortium (OPEL) to largely duplicate existing services with little net benefit to rural Australians. more


Not in the Clear Yet... By Rick Pendergraft

Just when it looked as if the U.S. economy was ready to rebound and avoid going into a recessionary period, an economic report suggested we weren’t in the clear just yet.

The Leading Indicators Report for June was published on July 19, and the indicator was negative for the fourth time in the first six months of 2007. The Leading Indicators Report is a forward-looking economic report that attempts to gauge future economic activity by looking at 10 other economic reports, such as initial jobless claims, building permits, and consumer expectations.

By looking at these 10 economic reports, the Leading Indicators Report boils down to a negative or positive number. A negative number means that the economy is expected to slow, and a positive number means that the economy is expected to grow.

As I said, the July 19 report shows that four of the first six months of 2007 have been in negative territory, and the six-month cumulative total is at -0.6 percent. Economic theory says that if the six-month cumulative reaches -1.0 percent, it is a sign that the economy is headed for a recession.

As an investor, you will want to watch for the July Leading Indicator Report, which will be released on August 23. Should the July report be negative - or if the June number is revised downward - we could see the indicator dip below that -1.0 mark. If it does, you will want to take action to protect your portfolio, either by taking some profits off the table or by adding some bearish investments.

You can buy puts on the overall market to add some insurance to your portfolio, or you could buy inverse ETFs.

[Ed. Note: Rick Pendergraft is a market expert and two-time winner of the “Top Trader ”award at Schaeffer’s Investment Research. Frequently quoted in Reuters, Business Week, Forbes, USA Today, and The New York Times, Rick recently made his debut on Bloomberg television. In ETR’s free investment e-mail, Investor’s Daily Edge, Rick and a select group of market specialists will give you to-the-point analysis and tell you how you should act TODAY to make the most money with the least risk.]
From the www.earlytorise.com newsletter
[Early to Rise Copyright ETR, LLC, 2007]
If you’d like to subscribe to Early to Rise or suggest it to a friend, please visit: here


Scientists crack levitation more

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