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Sixtyplus  Music Fans Urged To Get Streaming For Free And Legal Music Online

 

Last month (June), the Government’s Digital Britain report outlined stricter penalties for people accessing ‘pirated’ music online but online music jukebox We7 has found that two in three (64%) consumers are only listening to and sharing music illegally online because they do not know how to do so legally. 

We7 wants to help the retired community enjoy music across the web without fear of penalties and fines and to help teach them about legal streaming and sharing online. 

How to stream

1. Go to www.we7.com

2. Register - you’ll need: username, password, e-mail, gender, DOB & postcode

3. Activate - an email will be sent immediately to the e-mail provided in registration, open it and click ‘activate’. This will open We7 logged in to your account

4. Search using to search bar: any song by name, artist or album

5. Select the version you want

6. Play! And/or ad song to playlist of your choice, or queue it up to play next.

7.  Enjoy!

From easy listening to jazz, classical to country as well as all the latest chart hits, with over 4 million tracks on the site, We7 is bound to have something to suit your tastes. 

Have a go
To encourage more people to have a go at streaming music themselves, We7 has introduced a fun competition called Me7 – the 7 songs that define Me!

A month-long competition with £7,000 in prizes to be won, the ‘Me7’ challenge invites everyone, from novices to seasoned streamers, to create a 7-song playlist of tracks that best defines their life in music - from a teenage anthem to a first dance track – the trick part will be shortlisting down to just 7 tunes!

Me7 Competition 
The Me7 competition will run for four weeks from 24th June.  Each week, the most played playlist will receive a £1,000 cash prize.  At the end of the 4 week competition, the most played playlist overall will win £3,000! 

7 steps to winning:
1)     Build a Playlist of seven songs at http://www.we7.com/#/competition/me7

2)  Describe track by track why the playlist defines your life in music

3)   Enter your playlist into the competition from 24th June

4)   Share, Share Share – use twitter, emails, social networks and share the link to your playlist and have it played as many times as you can by as many people to stand a chance of winning

5)   Do this for one whole week and see if you’ve won

6)   The winner for a weekly prize will be the person whose playlist is played the most in the week

7)   The competition will produce four winners and the winner of the Grand Prize will be the one who out of the four who had the highest play count in any one week.

 

   Seven In Ten Caught

       In Phishing Net

Phishing scam

Web scams in the UK have reached epidemic levels with over seven in ten Brits targeted in the last twelve months alone.

A report from life assistance company CPP shows that over 77 per cent of people received fake banking or ‘phishing’ e-mails, 70 per cent have been targeted with bogus pleas for money and 67 per cent have been told they’ve won a competition only to find it was a sham.

Cunning fraudsters are even posing as friends and family members to con their victims. More than one in ten (17 per cent) has received fake e-mails from impostors claiming to be relatives or acquaintances to steal personal information or money.

And even high profile celebrities aren’t immune to this type of crime with recent online fraud targets including comedians Harry Hill and Ricky Gervais and Chelsea footballer Didier Drogba.

This e-scam activity is no surprise given that the amount of unsolicited e-mails received has also grown. Over 60 per cent of us have been targeted by more spam this year compared to last year, with young Brits getting the most (64 per cent).

The growing trend to use the internet to defraud people saw online banking fraud losses total £52.5m in 2008 according to APACS, the UK’s Payments Association – a 132% increase from 2007 losses.Commenting on the report, Michael Lynch, identity fraud expert at CPP said: “Your identity is your most valuable possession. With web threats on the rise, people need to ensure that they protect their personal information not just in public, but also online.

“Cyber criminals now operate in very sophisticated ways. Although we are seeing very high levels of phishing e-mail attacks asking for passwords and account details, we are now seeing more ‘malware’ attacks such as key-logging, where fraudsters can read what you type on your computer to capture your passwords and other sensitive financial information without you even knowing. People need to be vigilant and make sure that they have the proper security in place such as up-to-date anti-virus software.”


Top tips to avoid online crime:
• Install an active firewall which updates automatically preventing hackers gaining access to your PC or laptop
• Install anti-virus protection which scans malicious files
• Install anti-phishing tools which identifies phishing emails and links that can trick you into giving away personal information
• Sign up to Verified by Visa or MasterCard SecureCode as it will largely put a stop to unauthorised online spending
• Apply for an Identity Fraud protection policy to insure you against identity fraud online
 

 

 

            Computer &  Camera Tips

       Your Computer  
   Questions Answered
 
 
   man working at computer
 
                Q 1. iTunes blocked

  I’ve been using iTunes for a year now with no problems,
  except that when I try to go to the iTunes store my PC
  tells me that I don’t have a network connection.   I   am
  online at the time and I can’t figure out the cause of the
  problem.
  Emma M, London

Hi Emma,
If your internet connection is ok, and you can get emails and browse websites without any problems, it may just be the Windows Firewall that’s misconfigured. Apple has put together a FAQ document on their support site that explains how to change Windows Firewall settings so iTunes can connect:
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1368#win24


                     Q2. Lost files
I  recently had to reinstall Windows XP and I lost all my email messages, my address book and pretty much everything. Is there any way I can find these messages if they still exist?
Thomas P, Bristol

Hi Thomas,
It sounds like your computer was restored to factory settings, so any old data has been wiped.  You may still be able to get some mail back, but it depends on how you collected your emails from your ISP. Check with them and see if you used POP3 or IMAP. If it’s the latter then you may have some messages stored on your ISP’s mail servers.

Alternatively, if you’ve lost some very important messages you could contact a specialist data recovery company, which might be able to get some of your old data back from your hard drive. This kind of service can get quite expensive, so I’d only consider it if you’re missing some extremely important information.

                Q3. Missing shutdown
The start menu of my HP660 laptop has lost its Shutdown,Sleep, Hibernate and Restart options, and all that remain are Lock and Logoff. I have gone to System Restore in the hope that something I installed might be the problem, but it said that System Restore had failed and that the computer had not changed. I tried Norton but nothing came back.  I am running Vista Home Premium and it has all the latest Windows updates.
Mandy L, Coventry

Hi Mandy,
This has been covered quite extensively by the people over at Windows Vista Forums, and they’ve put together a comprehensive guide on how to change the power options available in the Start Menu:
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/
105003-shutdown-options-start-menu.html


        Q4. Unwanted screensaver

I did a bit of exploring on Picasa, but I now find that when my laptop goes to sleep I have random photographs displayed on my screen. I don’t want screensavers if that’s what they are. So how can I delete or disable this option?
John I, Manchester

Hi John,
You can change the screensaver that Windows uses via Display Properties in the Control Panel – once you’ve got this open just click on the Screensavers tab. You can set it to a plain, blank screen if you like, or you could simply set your screen to switch off completely after a specified time.

If you don’t want Picasa on your PC anymore you should be able to remove it from the Add/Remove Programs page in the Control Panel – just search through the list until you get to Picasa, and then there should be an option on the far right to Change/Remove the program.

         Q5. Utorrent connection
I have just decided to try using a router because my son wanted an internet connection in his room. I bought a Netgear router and I am having an issue with Utorrent now. When I use the router , I am shown as a non-connectable. I understand there is a site called PortForward, but I am at a loss as to how to set up a static IP. PortForward informed me that I shouldn’t change the settings on my PC, but I seem to need to do this in order to use the site.
James P, Birmingham

Hi James,
You shouldn’t need a static IP from your ISP. You do, however, need to specify the IP addresses for each of your computers that connect to the router. If you look on the 'Connected Devices' tab on the Netgear router it will show you each computer's name and its MAC address (the unique hardware address of the computer itself - specifically its network hardware, but that makes no difference in this case). You can then specify an IP address to be issued to each computer.

Once you've done that, take note of the IP address of the machine you want to run uTorrent on. Then run uTorrent on that PC and take note of which ports it needs forwarding. You then need to specify these ports in the Netgear router as being forwarded to the IP address of the uTorrent machine. You can specify the ports to be open on the 'Add Services' page on the router, and choose an IP address to point this service to on the 'Ports' page. Once this is done you should notice utorrent begin to behave as normal.

          Q6. Premature shutdown
I am running Vista Home Premium on my laptop that I have had only 3 months. But it is already starting to play up. When I watch streaming video [from BBC iPlayer] or play music from my hard disk, the computer completely loses all power after a few minutes and I have to turn it back on via the power button. I am stumped as to what to do.
Mary R, Reigate

Hi Mary,
It sounds like a hardware problem, but it’s hard to say exactly which component could be causing the whole PC to shut down. Video streaming and playing audio have historically been quite ‘intensive’ applications in terms of processing power and memory used, but a new laptop should be able handle this sort of activity with no issues. As your laptop is only a few months old I’d recommend getting in touch with the manufacturer to repair/replace as appropriate
.


              Q7. Generic error
Can you help me with the following message, which comes up on my screen almost every time a program starts on my PC: ‘The instruction at “0x57d46dd4” referenced memory at “0x00000000” the memory could not be written. Click OK to terminate the program Click CANCEL to debug.’ I also have no sound unless I start Windows Audio manually.Brian S, London 

Hi Brian,
This usually indicates a hardware problem with the memory in your PC. A very small part will have been corrupted. When Windows tries to read or write to that part of your PC’s memory it can’t do it, so reports an error. The only fix is to replace the memory. Thankfully memory prices are quite low, so you should be able to replace it without making a big investment.

Windows Audio should start automatically, so it may be that the settings for the service have been changed. To check this you’ll need to use the Services manager. The Elder Geek explains in detail how to do this, and the service you’re looking for is called ‘AudioSrv’:

http://www.theeldergeek.com/services_guide.htm

If you have a question, send it to me at:
murrayhj@live.co.uk

  Online Payment Services
     Spoof Unmasked
 
Stealth malware redirects browsers towards phony websites. BitDefender researchers have found that scammers posing as online payment services continue to be one of the top ten most spoofed identities in the world of spam and phishing.
 
The latest phishing campaign targets e-banking and e-payment users by deploying several malicious components. The initial approach is an unsolicited message advertising a product claiming to offer the ultimate ‘open source Antivirus solution’, and inviting readers to visit a web page where they can download the product. 
 
However, upon clicking the link, the victim does not receive the promised security suite, but a fake executable – setup.exe – which is, in effect, a self-extracting archive. Its purpose is to replace the content of C:\WINDOWS\System32\drivers\etc and to alter the Web browser’s behaviour, by automatically loading maliciously crafted pages for phishing purposes of PayPal, Abbey and Halifax. Each time the victim types the address belonging to one of these financial institutions, he or she will be redirected automatically towards the fake pages. Here, the log-in credentials (user name, password, security code) and other sensitive data (first and last name, complete home and e-mail address, credit card number, expiration date, Card Verification Code, and even PIN) are harvested by using PHP scripts.

   

 

    How Do I Use My
     Digital Camera?


Lady using digital camera

Taking photos with a digital camera is just like using a camera with film - point the camera, press the button and take the photo.

The complicated bits come when you have to get your pictures out of the camera - you can't just take it to the chemists to be developed! But if you want to e-mail pics of the kids to their gran, or put family photos onto your Christmas cards, then digital cameras are the business.

The Basics

A digital camera is still a camera. If you've ever picked up a disposable camera, taken some holiday snaps and had your photos developed then you can use a digital camera too.

This means that you'll need to keep the camera still while you take your pics, so they aren't all blurred and you'll need to make sure that you point the camera in the right direction! If you can manage that with an ordinary camera, you should do fine with a digital one.

The parts

The main parts of a digital camera are just like the main parts of a film camera. You point the camera at whatever it is you want to photograph, look through the viewfinder to line up your photo and press the shutter button to take the photo.

If you've got it set up to use the flash then most cameras will check how much light there is around, and flash if they need to.

Apart from the top of the range cameras, you don't need to focus or think about technical stuff like shutter speed or exposure - the camera does all that for you.

The difference is that instead of using film to capture the scene a digital camera uses a special sort of computer chip - the same sort used in video cameras - to turn the picture into millions of dots which can be stored in its memory. Once you've taken your photo it is stored in the camera until you decide what to do with it.

Useful Extras
Digital cameras have everything that a film camera has, like a flash for taking photos indoors or where it's too dark, and a zoom that lets you close in on the details that you're interested in.

But they also have lots of extra bits too. Most digital cameras have a little screen in the back that lets you see what you're about to photograph without having to look through the viewfinder.

This is great if you want to take a photo over people's heads, or if you want to be absolutely sure that you've got everyone in the picture.

The same screen will show you your photo after you've taken it, so you can see whether you've captured the moment or just taken a shot of someone's feet.

Then you can get rid of the failed pics and try again. And again, if you're really not much good at this sort of thing!

Some of the top-end digital cameras let you change all the photo settings, just like using a posh film camera. That means you can alter the speed of the shutter and change the amount of light you let through the lens, or set the flash so that it get rids of redeye. Really expensive ones even let you change the lens you're using!


Camera memory
Before you start taking digital photos you'll need to make sure that there's some film in the camera. But with a digital camera the 'film' isn't a plastic roll but some computer memory, and it can get full of pictures just the same.

Most digital cameras will let you take twenty or thirty pictures before they fill up, and once they do, you have to either get rid of some photos or copy them to your computer to free up space.

Or, if your camera uses special computer memory like CompactFlash or a Memory Stick, put in a new card. Don't forget to keep the old one safe.

You'll also need to check the batteries. Digital cameras use power, and if you've got a camera that takes normal disposable batteries you'll find it eats them really fast. Better to get rechargeable ones or - if you can afford it - go for a camera that has its own rechargeable battery pack built in.But whatever the power source, make sure that you've got enough juice for the party or day on the beach.

Downloading your pics
A digital camera holds your photos as computer files, and before you can do anything with them apart from look at them on the camera's own little screen you generally need to copy them to your computer.

Some cameras can be plugged straight into your TV so that you can have a slideshow of your pics - it's called video output, and you'll need a special cable for it. But mostly you'll want to copy your pics to your computer, and probably print them out.

There are various ways to transfer your pictures from the camera to your computer.

How to   do it

What this        means

What you do

Linking Up

Connect the computer and the camera and copy the files.

Use a cable, or a special holder or a wireless link.

Swapping

Take the bit that stores the pictures out of your camera and put it in the computer.

Take a card or disk out of the camera and put it into a special reader on your computer.


Jargon

Here's some jargon to look out for:

Jargon

What it means

USB:

The latest and fastest way to send computer data down a wire.

Serial cable:

The old-fashioned and slower way to send computer data down a wire.

Cradle

A special holder for your camera that is plugged into your computer.

IR:

Infrared - send the information over the air, just like a TV remote control.

CompactFlash:

A common sort of computer memory, often comes as a square.

Memory Stick:

Another sort of computer memory, rectangular instead of square.

Whatever way you use, once you've got the pics onto your computer's hard disk you can clear them from your camera - and then take some more.

That's the real difference between digital and film, because film is used up when you take your pics, but you can reuse the memory on your digital camera as many times as you want.

On the screen
The pictures you take are computer image files and you can look at them on your screen.

Most cameras come with a free program to let you do this, or you can get a painting program like PaintShop Pro, or even look at the pictures using your web browser. You can make changes to these pictures too, just like you can change any computer image - make it smaller or bigger, cut out the bits you like, even add captions or borders, or just fix common problems like red-eye.

You can easily add your pictures to a family website, or include them in e-mails to grandparents or old school friends.

And you can set up a slide show on screen to show off your holiday snaps - if your neighbours will let you!


Printing your pics
Most of us like to have prints of our photos, and there are lots of ways to get your digital pics onto paper. The simplest is just to print them on your ordinary printer.

If you've got an inkjet printer then even a budget digital camera will give you reasonable results, as long as you don't print your pictures too large.

You can buy special glossy paper for printing digital photos too - it's slightly more expensive but the results can be great.

But for the best prints, use one of the internet print services like Boots or Jessops. These let you send them your images and they'll do really high resolution photos. In fact, if you've got a camera that is good enough then it's hard to tell them apart from ordinary photos.