Monday, November 5, 2007
Mac users warned: Don't watch that racey video
Apple Mac users can no longer surf to pornography sites with impunity, says Security Fix's Brian Krebs. There's actually a company that sells anti-virus software for Macs -- Intego. And Intego recently issued an alert about e-mail spam circulating on the Internet designed to entice Mac users to visit websites serving up video porn. Instead of a lurid video, the Mac user gets code installed so that the next time he visits eBay, PayPal or the websites of several banks, a bogus webpage appears to collect his or her user name, password and other sensitive data.
Watch GodTube, get Net religion
PLANO, Texas — Chris Wyatt is on a mission.
Walking hastily through his cavernous fourth-floor headquarters in suburban Dallas, the founder of the Christian version of YouTube is searching for an available conference room.
He quickly passes reminders of his success: a group of customer service representatives on the phone, animated meetings in progress and extra office space that GodTube.com is preparing to move into. Finally settled, the nattily dressed former TV producer insists he is as surprised as anyone that the site was identified earlier this year by comScore as the fastest growing on the Web.
"I thought I was going to be a seminary student and then work maybe a couple hours a week," he said. "Now I'm taking online courses because I can't get over to the seminary, I'm so busy."
GodTube.com, a video-sharing site with Christian content, drew more than 4 million unique visitors during October.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Dallas Youtube Christian Godtube Chris Wyatt
It maintains more than 150,000 registered users with active profiles. Plans for the future include producing entertainment programs at the site's headquarters north of Dallas.
GodTube is among religion-based websites that closely copy popular secular models. MyChurch.org is similar to the social networking site MySpace, and Conservapedia.com is the religious right's response to the online encyclopedia Wikipedia. Similar sites target Muslim and Jewish audiences.
Wyatt, GodTube's CEO, is reaching more people than he could hope for in a lifetime of pulpit appearances. He points out that GodTube.com users on Sunday mornings outnumber megachurch pastor Joel Osteen's congregation in Houston.
Wyatt, 38, said the GodTube venture, supported by financial partners in business and ministry, has yet to make a profit.
He said the site earns money through banner advertising, the sale of premium services and providing data to media ministries about viewers. The site never sells personal information, he said, adding that operating the site is enormously expensive.
GodTube videos includes music, comedy and heated theological debates. Two of the most viewed include a corny rap remix called "Baby Got Book" and a 4-year-old girl reciting Psalm 23 from memory.
"Basically, whenever I realized she could recite it, I pulled out my digital camcorder and I put it on my blog," said the girl's father, Brian Mosley of Allen, Texas.
A co-worker put it on GodTube, where it has been viewed more than 4 million times. The non-profit ministry where Mosley works, Bluefish TV, offers downloads of the video and other religious materials for sale to church leaders.
"It's neat to see our ministry get more exposure because of one clip on GodTube," Mosley said. "I think for people who are looking for websites with Christian-specific content, it's meeting that need in a great way."
Sid Emory, a staff member at Lake Robinson Community Church in Taylors, S.C., said he looks for ideas on GodTube that can be used in his church.
"I watch videos from all over. Most of the time I'm watching either pastors, or skits that people have done," he said. "There's just a huge resource of stuff like that. I'm starting to post my own stuff."
GodTube reviews every video uploaded and rejects those with objectionable content. Members of other religions are invited to participate on the website, but they cannot proselytize. Atheists are welcome, too, and they may share their point of view, "as long as it's done respectfully."
Wyatt, a member of First Baptist Church of Dallas, describes the site as a neutral "Switzerland" open to various theological viewpoints. That doesn't mean shots aren't being fired.
Videos being viewed recently include "Why Pentecostalism is not of God," "Mormonism exposed," and "The papacy is NOT biblical."
With more than 25,000 videos on the site and 300 to 500 arriving each day, some question how Wyatt can continue monitoring them all. He maintains that the job is not as difficult as it might seem. About 10 people are monitoring content at any one time, said Wyatt, who hires seminary students for the task.
"It's not really as intensive a process as you might think it is," Wyatt said.
Still, many videos have yet to be posted on the site.
"We are current on all our approvals," Wyatt said. "However, we only support five languages and there are several hundred that have not approved because we are looking for the appropriate translators to hire part-time."
GodTube also is expanding. The website announced the launch of a new social network this month along with Internet tools like "Video Police," in which parents report concerns by clicking a button that brings up an interactive window to talk with a staff member.
Wyatt moved to Dallas last year to attend the non-denominational Dallas Theological Seminary. He created GodTube as a resource for churches and put a test site up early this year. The official launch was in August, when it was rated the fastest growing site.
He said he still intends to become an ordained minister, but his seminary studies have moved to the back burner.
"It was a major surprise and with a great amount of joy that I have the skill set to do this," he said.
Walking hastily through his cavernous fourth-floor headquarters in suburban Dallas, the founder of the Christian version of YouTube is searching for an available conference room.
He quickly passes reminders of his success: a group of customer service representatives on the phone, animated meetings in progress and extra office space that GodTube.com is preparing to move into. Finally settled, the nattily dressed former TV producer insists he is as surprised as anyone that the site was identified earlier this year by comScore as the fastest growing on the Web.
"I thought I was going to be a seminary student and then work maybe a couple hours a week," he said. "Now I'm taking online courses because I can't get over to the seminary, I'm so busy."
GodTube.com, a video-sharing site with Christian content, drew more than 4 million unique visitors during October.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Dallas Youtube Christian Godtube Chris Wyatt
It maintains more than 150,000 registered users with active profiles. Plans for the future include producing entertainment programs at the site's headquarters north of Dallas.
GodTube is among religion-based websites that closely copy popular secular models. MyChurch.org is similar to the social networking site MySpace, and Conservapedia.com is the religious right's response to the online encyclopedia Wikipedia. Similar sites target Muslim and Jewish audiences.
Wyatt, GodTube's CEO, is reaching more people than he could hope for in a lifetime of pulpit appearances. He points out that GodTube.com users on Sunday mornings outnumber megachurch pastor Joel Osteen's congregation in Houston.
Wyatt, 38, said the GodTube venture, supported by financial partners in business and ministry, has yet to make a profit.
He said the site earns money through banner advertising, the sale of premium services and providing data to media ministries about viewers. The site never sells personal information, he said, adding that operating the site is enormously expensive.
GodTube videos includes music, comedy and heated theological debates. Two of the most viewed include a corny rap remix called "Baby Got Book" and a 4-year-old girl reciting Psalm 23 from memory.
"Basically, whenever I realized she could recite it, I pulled out my digital camcorder and I put it on my blog," said the girl's father, Brian Mosley of Allen, Texas.
A co-worker put it on GodTube, where it has been viewed more than 4 million times. The non-profit ministry where Mosley works, Bluefish TV, offers downloads of the video and other religious materials for sale to church leaders.
"It's neat to see our ministry get more exposure because of one clip on GodTube," Mosley said. "I think for people who are looking for websites with Christian-specific content, it's meeting that need in a great way."
Sid Emory, a staff member at Lake Robinson Community Church in Taylors, S.C., said he looks for ideas on GodTube that can be used in his church.
"I watch videos from all over. Most of the time I'm watching either pastors, or skits that people have done," he said. "There's just a huge resource of stuff like that. I'm starting to post my own stuff."
GodTube reviews every video uploaded and rejects those with objectionable content. Members of other religions are invited to participate on the website, but they cannot proselytize. Atheists are welcome, too, and they may share their point of view, "as long as it's done respectfully."
Wyatt, a member of First Baptist Church of Dallas, describes the site as a neutral "Switzerland" open to various theological viewpoints. That doesn't mean shots aren't being fired.
Videos being viewed recently include "Why Pentecostalism is not of God," "Mormonism exposed," and "The papacy is NOT biblical."
With more than 25,000 videos on the site and 300 to 500 arriving each day, some question how Wyatt can continue monitoring them all. He maintains that the job is not as difficult as it might seem. About 10 people are monitoring content at any one time, said Wyatt, who hires seminary students for the task.
"It's not really as intensive a process as you might think it is," Wyatt said.
Still, many videos have yet to be posted on the site.
"We are current on all our approvals," Wyatt said. "However, we only support five languages and there are several hundred that have not approved because we are looking for the appropriate translators to hire part-time."
GodTube also is expanding. The website announced the launch of a new social network this month along with Internet tools like "Video Police," in which parents report concerns by clicking a button that brings up an interactive window to talk with a staff member.
Wyatt moved to Dallas last year to attend the non-denominational Dallas Theological Seminary. He created GodTube as a resource for churches and put a test site up early this year. The official launch was in August, when it was rated the fastest growing site.
He said he still intends to become an ordained minister, but his seminary studies have moved to the back burner.
"It was a major surprise and with a great amount of joy that I have the skill set to do this," he said.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
School security cameras go cutting edge
By Thomas Frank, USA TODAY
The Nashville school system plans to become the first in the nation to use security cameras that spot intruders with controversial face-recognition technology.
Starting Dec. 1, the 75,000-student district will equip three schools and an administration building with cameras that can detect an unfamiliar face or someone barred from school grounds, said Ralph Thompson, assistant superintendent for student services.
"This will give us an edge in providing safety for our students and teachers," Thompson said of the $30,000 camera system. Several intruders have entered Nashville schools in the past year, he said.
A successful test in Nashville could prod other schools to try the technology, said Peter Pochowski, executive director of the National Association of School Safety and Law Enforcement Officers. He said Nashville is the first to use face-recognition cameras.
Nashville will take digital photos of students and workers at the three test schools and store them in the new camera system, Thompson said. When a camera spots a face in a school that it cannot match to a stored photo, it will alert security. The system also could detect suspended and expelled students and fired employees, Thompson said.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: NASHVILLE School School Safety
The technology is denounced by civil libertarians and has been discarded by police in Tampa and Virginia Beach, which found face-recognition cameras in downtown districts did not help in spotting wanted criminals.
"Schools should not feel like some sort of prison," said Melissa Ngo of the Electronic Privacy Information Center.
Jay Stanley of the American Civil Liberties Union said that because the cameras identify people, their widespread use could let authorities "track you throughout the day."
Schools have grown more open to security technology since the Columbine shootings in 1999, though many lack money for high-tech devices, said Ken Trump, a school safety consultant.
Many urban schools have networks of security cameras that are monitored from a control room. Some use radio-frequency ID cards to track students as they board school buses and enter buildings. Others check visitors' names against databases of sex offenders.
An elementary school in Phoenix installed face-recognition cameras in 2004 to find sex offenders but never turned them on because of concern they would flag innocent people, said Carol Donaldson of the Washington Elementary School District.
Jonathon Phillips, head of the National Institute of Standards and Technology's face-recognition program, said the cameras have problems in poor lighting or if they photograph at an angle and cannot fully view a face. A test last year in a German subway found that cameras spotted only half of the test subjects, Phillips said.
The Nashville school system plans to become the first in the nation to use security cameras that spot intruders with controversial face-recognition technology.
Starting Dec. 1, the 75,000-student district will equip three schools and an administration building with cameras that can detect an unfamiliar face or someone barred from school grounds, said Ralph Thompson, assistant superintendent for student services.
"This will give us an edge in providing safety for our students and teachers," Thompson said of the $30,000 camera system. Several intruders have entered Nashville schools in the past year, he said.
A successful test in Nashville could prod other schools to try the technology, said Peter Pochowski, executive director of the National Association of School Safety and Law Enforcement Officers. He said Nashville is the first to use face-recognition cameras.
Nashville will take digital photos of students and workers at the three test schools and store them in the new camera system, Thompson said. When a camera spots a face in a school that it cannot match to a stored photo, it will alert security. The system also could detect suspended and expelled students and fired employees, Thompson said.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: NASHVILLE School School Safety
The technology is denounced by civil libertarians and has been discarded by police in Tampa and Virginia Beach, which found face-recognition cameras in downtown districts did not help in spotting wanted criminals.
"Schools should not feel like some sort of prison," said Melissa Ngo of the Electronic Privacy Information Center.
Jay Stanley of the American Civil Liberties Union said that because the cameras identify people, their widespread use could let authorities "track you throughout the day."
Schools have grown more open to security technology since the Columbine shootings in 1999, though many lack money for high-tech devices, said Ken Trump, a school safety consultant.
Many urban schools have networks of security cameras that are monitored from a control room. Some use radio-frequency ID cards to track students as they board school buses and enter buildings. Others check visitors' names against databases of sex offenders.
An elementary school in Phoenix installed face-recognition cameras in 2004 to find sex offenders but never turned them on because of concern they would flag innocent people, said Carol Donaldson of the Washington Elementary School District.
Jonathon Phillips, head of the National Institute of Standards and Technology's face-recognition program, said the cameras have problems in poor lighting or if they photograph at an angle and cannot fully view a face. A test last year in a German subway found that cameras spotted only half of the test subjects, Phillips said.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Rate your fitness routine with GPS
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — After a race through 15 miles of rock-laden, hilly trails in Wyandotte County Lake Park, Byron Rieper went online to discuss the competition with other runners.
Many already were sharing their experiences online. Some blamed heat and humidity for their slow times, others recalled unforgiving hills. Rieper, a seasoned marathoner and cyclist who lives in Overland Park, used his watch to offer them a detailed look at the course.
Millions of athletes are using watches like Rieper's Garmin Forerunner 305, which maps his path and records his distance, speed, pace and heart rate. Other devices that use the Global Positioning System are geared at athletes competing in long-distance events, including cyclists, triathletes and hikers.
The popularity of these devices has spiked as more people discover the websites where all this information is being uploaded and compared, including SportsTrack, Garmin Ltd.'s MotionBased.com and Nike's Nikeplus.com.
Many companies, including Nike and Garmin, have organized running groups people can join to test the gadgets.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Kan GPS Garmin OLATHE By Orlin Wagner, AP Garmin Ltd. Byron Rieper Ted Gartner
"I just think all these free websites where people can upload their data has really contributed to their popularity and people are just more aware of GPS either on cars or on phones," said cyclist Jeff Englert, 48, of Shawnee, Kan., who has switched from a handheld GPS to his Garmin watch to compare elevation climbs during his training.
Englert, who has ridden for 25 years, said he logs on the MotionBased website to find the best local routes when he travels.
Other fitness monitoring systems include Nike and Apple's Sports Kit, which enable iPod Nanos to measure distance without GPS, and Timex Corp.'s Bodylink system, made in partnership with Garmin, which uses a GPS transceiver to transmit data wirelessly.
Timex plans to come out with a new series of GPS watches to compete with Garmin, said Heberto Calves, the company's vice president of marketing.
"The trend of fitness measurement as a whole is growing," Calves said. "It just makes it more interesting, and the technology allows people to get the information they need without a needing a trainer."
Garmin, based in the Cayman Islands with operational headquarters in Olathe, Kan., also recently introduced a smaller fitness watch that doesn't use GPS but measures speed and distance.
"It helps position us as a fitness company, not just a GPS company," said Garmin spokesman Ted Gartner.
Fitness and outdoors products account for about 12% of the satellite-based navigation devices sold by Garmin, top U.S. maker of GPS devices. But sales of automotive gadgets, which bring in nearly 70% of revenues, are climbing faster.
Runners and cyclists who use the watches said the devices have led them to change their routines. Rieper, who is training for an Ironman triathlon, loads workouts into it and uses the "virtual partner" feature, which makes noise when he drops below a certain pace.
"This really helps, because I ride alone and I run alone because no one wants to do the distances I want to go," he said. "We all suffer from loneliness out there, so it's nice to get some feedback."
But the devices aren't perfect. Some swimmers gripe because they have to put the devices inside their caps and often can't get a signal in the water. Other athletes say the 12- to 14-hour battery life isn't long enough.
"Sometimes the battery dies before some of these longer races are even halfway over," Rieper said. "We have to find other ways to charge them or you just don't use it."
Many already were sharing their experiences online. Some blamed heat and humidity for their slow times, others recalled unforgiving hills. Rieper, a seasoned marathoner and cyclist who lives in Overland Park, used his watch to offer them a detailed look at the course.
Millions of athletes are using watches like Rieper's Garmin Forerunner 305, which maps his path and records his distance, speed, pace and heart rate. Other devices that use the Global Positioning System are geared at athletes competing in long-distance events, including cyclists, triathletes and hikers.
The popularity of these devices has spiked as more people discover the websites where all this information is being uploaded and compared, including SportsTrack, Garmin Ltd.'s MotionBased.com and Nike's Nikeplus.com.
Many companies, including Nike and Garmin, have organized running groups people can join to test the gadgets.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Kan GPS Garmin OLATHE By Orlin Wagner, AP Garmin Ltd. Byron Rieper Ted Gartner
"I just think all these free websites where people can upload their data has really contributed to their popularity and people are just more aware of GPS either on cars or on phones," said cyclist Jeff Englert, 48, of Shawnee, Kan., who has switched from a handheld GPS to his Garmin watch to compare elevation climbs during his training.
Englert, who has ridden for 25 years, said he logs on the MotionBased website to find the best local routes when he travels.
Other fitness monitoring systems include Nike and Apple's Sports Kit, which enable iPod Nanos to measure distance without GPS, and Timex Corp.'s Bodylink system, made in partnership with Garmin, which uses a GPS transceiver to transmit data wirelessly.
Timex plans to come out with a new series of GPS watches to compete with Garmin, said Heberto Calves, the company's vice president of marketing.
"The trend of fitness measurement as a whole is growing," Calves said. "It just makes it more interesting, and the technology allows people to get the information they need without a needing a trainer."
Garmin, based in the Cayman Islands with operational headquarters in Olathe, Kan., also recently introduced a smaller fitness watch that doesn't use GPS but measures speed and distance.
"It helps position us as a fitness company, not just a GPS company," said Garmin spokesman Ted Gartner.
Fitness and outdoors products account for about 12% of the satellite-based navigation devices sold by Garmin, top U.S. maker of GPS devices. But sales of automotive gadgets, which bring in nearly 70% of revenues, are climbing faster.
Runners and cyclists who use the watches said the devices have led them to change their routines. Rieper, who is training for an Ironman triathlon, loads workouts into it and uses the "virtual partner" feature, which makes noise when he drops below a certain pace.
"This really helps, because I ride alone and I run alone because no one wants to do the distances I want to go," he said. "We all suffer from loneliness out there, so it's nice to get some feedback."
But the devices aren't perfect. Some swimmers gripe because they have to put the devices inside their caps and often can't get a signal in the water. Other athletes say the 12- to 14-hour battery life isn't long enough.
"Sometimes the battery dies before some of these longer races are even halfway over," Rieper said. "We have to find other ways to charge them or you just don't use it."
Friday, November 2, 2007
Google sets up widget distribution network
SAN FRANCISCO — Google is setting up a distribution network for social networking applications, adding a new twist in the Internet search leader's brewing rivalry with rapidly maturing start-up Facebook.
Although Google confirmed its plans late Tuesday, its new social networking platform won't be unveiled until later this week.
Google hopes to build a one-stop shop for software developers who create tools that make it easier to share music, pictures, video and other personal interests on social networking sites like Facebook and News Corp.'s MySpace.com.
The popularity of these applications, also known as "widgets," has grown dramatically since Facebook opened its website to accommodate outside developers five months ago.
Facebook now hosts more than 8,000 widgets, helping to boost its worldwide audience to about 50 million users and elevate its market value to $15 billion after Microsoft Corp. paid $240 million for a 1.6% stake in the Palo Alto-based company last week.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Google News Corp Facebook Opensocial
Microsoft trumped Google in the bidding for a piece of Facebook. Google's bigger social networking ambition is believed to be one of the reasons Facebook decided to deepen its partnership with Microsoft instead.
Google now hopes to attract many of the same applications thriving on Facebook to its own network, dubbed "OpenSocial."
The system is set up so the participating software developers will only have to code their applications once. Google will then ensure they are compatible with all the websites in its network.
The early participants in OpenSocial include social networking destinations like LinkedIn, hi5.com, Friendster and Ning, as well as the websites of business software specialists Salesforce.com Inc. and Oracle Corp.
Google also will feature the applications on its own social network, Orkut, which hasn't attracted much traffic outside South America.
OpenSocial's combined audience will exceed 100 million users, according to Google.
The list of developers feeding applications to Google include three of Facebook's most popular Widget suppliers — Slide, RockYou and iLike.
Mountain View-based Google won't try to make money from the OpenSocial network right away but hasn't ruled out the possibility of eventually inserting ads into the applications.
"There is no question Google will benefit from this," Joe Kraus, a Google product manager, said in a Tuesday interview. "Google's role is highly intertwined with the Web, so anything that makes the Web a better experience tends to help Google."
While Google muscles into the social networking scene, Facebook appears to be gearing up to grab some of the advertising revenue that has been pouring into Google. Facebook is expected to discuss its plans for its own advertising network during a Nov. 6 event scheduled in New York.
Facebook already has proven to be thorn in Google's side by recently hiring away some of its top engineers.
Although Google confirmed its plans late Tuesday, its new social networking platform won't be unveiled until later this week.
Google hopes to build a one-stop shop for software developers who create tools that make it easier to share music, pictures, video and other personal interests on social networking sites like Facebook and News Corp.'s MySpace.com.
The popularity of these applications, also known as "widgets," has grown dramatically since Facebook opened its website to accommodate outside developers five months ago.
Facebook now hosts more than 8,000 widgets, helping to boost its worldwide audience to about 50 million users and elevate its market value to $15 billion after Microsoft Corp. paid $240 million for a 1.6% stake in the Palo Alto-based company last week.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Google News Corp Facebook Opensocial
Microsoft trumped Google in the bidding for a piece of Facebook. Google's bigger social networking ambition is believed to be one of the reasons Facebook decided to deepen its partnership with Microsoft instead.
Google now hopes to attract many of the same applications thriving on Facebook to its own network, dubbed "OpenSocial."
The system is set up so the participating software developers will only have to code their applications once. Google will then ensure they are compatible with all the websites in its network.
The early participants in OpenSocial include social networking destinations like LinkedIn, hi5.com, Friendster and Ning, as well as the websites of business software specialists Salesforce.com Inc. and Oracle Corp.
Google also will feature the applications on its own social network, Orkut, which hasn't attracted much traffic outside South America.
OpenSocial's combined audience will exceed 100 million users, according to Google.
The list of developers feeding applications to Google include three of Facebook's most popular Widget suppliers — Slide, RockYou and iLike.
Mountain View-based Google won't try to make money from the OpenSocial network right away but hasn't ruled out the possibility of eventually inserting ads into the applications.
"There is no question Google will benefit from this," Joe Kraus, a Google product manager, said in a Tuesday interview. "Google's role is highly intertwined with the Web, so anything that makes the Web a better experience tends to help Google."
While Google muscles into the social networking scene, Facebook appears to be gearing up to grab some of the advertising revenue that has been pouring into Google. Facebook is expected to discuss its plans for its own advertising network during a Nov. 6 event scheduled in New York.
Facebook already has proven to be thorn in Google's side by recently hiring away some of its top engineers.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
How to digitize your life
Protect your memories by backing them up:
•Scan old photos and documents. Scanners digitize printed material, so you can store it on your PC. They start at around $75 and easily plug into the USB port on any computer. Many all-in-one printers have built-in scanners, which work with software that operates the unit like a copy machine. Scan at resolution of at least 300 DPI (dots per inch) to ensure that you'll be able to produce a good print later.
STORY: Online data backup can save music, photos from disaster
If your photo collection is too daunting, try a scanning service. Scanmyphotos.com offers scans of as many photos as you can fit in their prepaid box (about 2,000) for $99.95. Organize your photos by size (8x10s, 5x7s, 4x6s) and put them into the prepaid mailer. The photos are returned to you along with a data DVD of your images.
•Make a copy on a data DVD. Most home computers come with free burning software; slip in a blank disc, and follow the prompts to burn the disc by adding files. Or use a more robust program like Roxio Easy Media Creator 10 ($99.99), which lets you make cool-looking DVD covers as well.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: DVD Backup Hard drives Scan Scanners
• Use an online backup service. Online photo sites such as Shutterfly and Kodak Gallery store low-resolution files of your pictures; in most cases, you'll need to order prints to get them back. Ad-free services such as Phanfare and Smugmug charge about $50 a year and let you retrieve high-resolution photo files. For photos, videos and all your other digital material — from Word documents to your music library — try online backup services such as Mozy or Carbonite, which charge about $50 yearly for unlimited storage.
•Buy an external hard drive. Hard drives get cheaper and bigger every year. A 500-GB hard drive sells for about $100. Fill it with your digital life. For peace of mind, buy a second drive, and take it to a relative's house or put it in a bank safe-deposit box.
•Backup the backup. A power outage can cause a hard drive to fail. So if you have an external hard drive connected to your computer, buy a surge protector strip with battery protection. These units are available for $30 to $40 and have built-in batteries that keep your devices running for around 20 minutes in case of a power failure.
•Scan old photos and documents. Scanners digitize printed material, so you can store it on your PC. They start at around $75 and easily plug into the USB port on any computer. Many all-in-one printers have built-in scanners, which work with software that operates the unit like a copy machine. Scan at resolution of at least 300 DPI (dots per inch) to ensure that you'll be able to produce a good print later.
STORY: Online data backup can save music, photos from disaster
If your photo collection is too daunting, try a scanning service. Scanmyphotos.com offers scans of as many photos as you can fit in their prepaid box (about 2,000) for $99.95. Organize your photos by size (8x10s, 5x7s, 4x6s) and put them into the prepaid mailer. The photos are returned to you along with a data DVD of your images.
•Make a copy on a data DVD. Most home computers come with free burning software; slip in a blank disc, and follow the prompts to burn the disc by adding files. Or use a more robust program like Roxio Easy Media Creator 10 ($99.99), which lets you make cool-looking DVD covers as well.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: DVD Backup Hard drives Scan Scanners
• Use an online backup service. Online photo sites such as Shutterfly and Kodak Gallery store low-resolution files of your pictures; in most cases, you'll need to order prints to get them back. Ad-free services such as Phanfare and Smugmug charge about $50 a year and let you retrieve high-resolution photo files. For photos, videos and all your other digital material — from Word documents to your music library — try online backup services such as Mozy or Carbonite, which charge about $50 yearly for unlimited storage.
•Buy an external hard drive. Hard drives get cheaper and bigger every year. A 500-GB hard drive sells for about $100. Fill it with your digital life. For peace of mind, buy a second drive, and take it to a relative's house or put it in a bank safe-deposit box.
•Backup the backup. A power outage can cause a hard drive to fail. So if you have an external hard drive connected to your computer, buy a surge protector strip with battery protection. These units are available for $30 to $40 and have built-in batteries that keep your devices running for around 20 minutes in case of a power failure.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Electronic 'vampires' suck energy, not blood
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A force as insidious as Dracula is quietly sucking a nickel of every dollar's worth of the electricity that seeps from your home's outlets.
Insert the little fangs of your cellphone charger in the outlet and leave it there, phone attached: That's vampire electronics.
Allow your computer to hide in the cloak of darkness known as "standby mode" rather than shutting it off: That's vampire electronics.
The latest estimates show 5% of electricity used in the United States goes to standby power, a phenomenon energy efficiency experts find all the more terrifying as energy prices rise and the planet warms. That amounts to about $4 billion a year.
The percentage could rise to 20% by 2010, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Ohio DVD player International Energy Agency US Department of Energy Dave Walton
In California, lawmakers passed a proposal last year — dubbed the Vampire Slayers Act — to add vampire electronics labels to consumer products, detailing how much energy a charger, computer, DVD player, PlayStation, microwave or coffee maker uses when on, off or in standby mode.
"It's something people don't know about," said Dave Walton, home ideas director for Direct Energy, a utility and energy services company that has one of its four main offices in Dublin, Ohio.
The issue is particularly pressing in Ohio, the nation's No. 1 emitter of toxic air emissions — mostly from electricity production at the state's coal-fired power plants. Walton said skyrocketing energy costs mean everyone should worry about the vampires in the house.
The International Energy Agency has estimated standby energy use by vampire electronics at 200 to 400 terawatt-hours a year. The entire country of Italy consumes about 300 terawatt-hours of electricity each year, according to the agency.
Picture any appliance that displays a clock while otherwise idle, such as a microwave oven, coffee maker or DVD player. They constantly consume little bits of energy.
"About 40% of the electricity being used to power your home electronics is consumed while they are in that standby mode," Walton said. "If you just focus on that piece, you will be making a big step."
Ditto for things that charge, such as cellphones, PDAs, toothbrushes or portable tools, some of which trickle a charge even after the device that's charging is at capacity.
Some chargers halt the flow of current when it's not needed, which should happen automatically with chargers for lithium-ion batteries. If you're uncertain, Walton advises unplugging chargers when not in use.
He recommends hooking up your home computer system, including accessories like a printer or scanner, to a single power strip that can be easily switched off each night. He advises shutting off the other vampires too, though the inconvenience of resetting the clocks, channels and timers on those devices each morning will discourage most people.
The government-backed Energy Star program, coordinated jointly by the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, identifies appliances that consume less energy.
If one in 10 American homes used only appliances endorsed through the program, the Energy Department estimates, it would reduce U.S. carbon emissions by the same amount as planting 1.7 million acres of trees.
Insert the little fangs of your cellphone charger in the outlet and leave it there, phone attached: That's vampire electronics.
Allow your computer to hide in the cloak of darkness known as "standby mode" rather than shutting it off: That's vampire electronics.
The latest estimates show 5% of electricity used in the United States goes to standby power, a phenomenon energy efficiency experts find all the more terrifying as energy prices rise and the planet warms. That amounts to about $4 billion a year.
The percentage could rise to 20% by 2010, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Ohio DVD player International Energy Agency US Department of Energy Dave Walton
In California, lawmakers passed a proposal last year — dubbed the Vampire Slayers Act — to add vampire electronics labels to consumer products, detailing how much energy a charger, computer, DVD player, PlayStation, microwave or coffee maker uses when on, off or in standby mode.
"It's something people don't know about," said Dave Walton, home ideas director for Direct Energy, a utility and energy services company that has one of its four main offices in Dublin, Ohio.
The issue is particularly pressing in Ohio, the nation's No. 1 emitter of toxic air emissions — mostly from electricity production at the state's coal-fired power plants. Walton said skyrocketing energy costs mean everyone should worry about the vampires in the house.
The International Energy Agency has estimated standby energy use by vampire electronics at 200 to 400 terawatt-hours a year. The entire country of Italy consumes about 300 terawatt-hours of electricity each year, according to the agency.
Picture any appliance that displays a clock while otherwise idle, such as a microwave oven, coffee maker or DVD player. They constantly consume little bits of energy.
"About 40% of the electricity being used to power your home electronics is consumed while they are in that standby mode," Walton said. "If you just focus on that piece, you will be making a big step."
Ditto for things that charge, such as cellphones, PDAs, toothbrushes or portable tools, some of which trickle a charge even after the device that's charging is at capacity.
Some chargers halt the flow of current when it's not needed, which should happen automatically with chargers for lithium-ion batteries. If you're uncertain, Walton advises unplugging chargers when not in use.
He recommends hooking up your home computer system, including accessories like a printer or scanner, to a single power strip that can be easily switched off each night. He advises shutting off the other vampires too, though the inconvenience of resetting the clocks, channels and timers on those devices each morning will discourage most people.
The government-backed Energy Star program, coordinated jointly by the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, identifies appliances that consume less energy.
If one in 10 American homes used only appliances endorsed through the program, the Energy Department estimates, it would reduce U.S. carbon emissions by the same amount as planting 1.7 million acres of trees.
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