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|   Dec. 20, 2008—Vol. 12, No. 51 Support this free newsletter—Support our advertisers
I'd really like you to call me. After all, they call it "talk radio" for a reason. You can join in the fun. I'm sure you have at least one question about something digital. I'm here to help with unbiased advice. HO! HO! HO! IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT THIS WEEKEND'S SHOW: The Kim Komando Show "Annual Great Giveaway" continues this weekend. Details about how to enter and what you can win are a few paragraphs down. I have over $80,000 in great prizes! HERE'S HOW TO CALL ME DURING THE SHOW WOW! EXTRA HOUR THIS WEEKEND ONLY!
 MY CHRISTMAS WISH Oh, I know some of you are up to your chins in ice and snow. I wish you warmth and happiness. I wish you good health so you can enjoy it all. And I wish everyone peace in their hearts and homes. While we're making merry, let's remember our troops. Many are in harm's way. Others are based far from home. Some people are close to home but have to work—police officers, firefighters, medical professionals, air traffic controllers, airline employees, and many, many others. God bless them all. And God bless everyone who listens to my shows and reads my newsletters. I love you all! CHECK OUT MY NEW SMALL BUSINESS CENTER Running your own business is a learning process. You need to learn how to get the business off the ground. Then, you must learn how to deal with the issues that arise from time to time. So, all business owners can use a little extra help. I can't give you all the answers you need to run your business. But I can help you find what you need. I have plenty of advice and resources in my new Small Business Center. Find out how this can help your business flourish. 'TIS THE SEASON FOR…SCAMS This week, my mother forwarded me an e-mail she received. It was purportedly from AOL. The message said that her billing information was "out of order." It urged her to update her information. The message warned that her service could be suspended. There were also vague threats about Terms of Service violations and "future problems." The message is part of a phishing scam. I warned her not to respond to it. You should ignore similar messages should you receive them. I just wanted to give you a gentle reminder. I don't want you to remember Christmas 2008 as the year your identity was stolen! SPEAKING OF CHRISTMAS…
WHAT CAN YOU WIN DURING MY GREAT GIVEAWAY? Here's a peek at our Grand Prizes:
• Photographer's Dream Prize Pack: Are you an avid photographer? You'll love this prize! One lucky winner will be taking pictures with his or her new Nikon D90 Digital SLR Camera! Plus, the winner will be able to edit, print and share photos with the great prizes included! Value: $2,509.96 • Gadgets & Gizmos Prize Pack: Everyone loves gadgets and gizmos. So, we've put together some of our favorites for this grand prize. We're giving away everything from an LG 19-inch W52 LCD Monitor to Garmin's nuvi 255 GPS Navigation System! Value: $1,128 • Home Entertainment Bundle: If you like games or movies, you'll love this prize package! It includes an 80GB PlayStation3 Entertainment System, along with four PlayStation3 games, eight Universal Home Entertainment DVD movies, and 10 Big Fish Games computer games. Value: $1,073.82 • GE Security's Simon XT Wireless Security System: Simon XT is a cost-effective wireless security system offering burglary and fire protection. Value: $2,100 • Sonos Multi-Room Music System: The Sonos Multi-Room Music System makes it easy to add music to every part of your life and every room in your house. Value: $1,715 • The HP TouchSmart IQ506: The HP TouchSmart IQ506 is a touch-enabled PC with a 22" diagonal widescreen. Value: $1,499.99 • Polk Audio SurroundBar 360˚ DVD Theater: Polk Audio's SurroundBar360˚ DVD Theater is the best performing single-speaker surround sound theater system on the market. Value: $1,199.99 • TriGem's Averatec 2575 Series Notebook Computer: The new Averatec 2575 Series notebook is a full-featured machine, combining powerful dual-core processing with infotainment capabilities in an ultraportable, ultra-light form factor. Two lucky Grand Prize winners will win an Averatec 2575 Series Notebook Computer! Value: $1,099.99 But that's not all! Click here to see all the great prizes at the Annual Giveaway Site. You could win a Sony PlayStation 3, Logitech network music player, Panasonic Blu-ray Disc player, LG 19-inch LCD monitor, Xbox 360 gaming console, Epson all-in-one printer, Garmin GPS, Shure earbuds, Kodak digital camera, Universal Home Entertainment DVD collection, DXG HD camcorder, Adobe photo software, Myvu Crystal media viewer, Microsoft goodies, Sony game or software package, Microsoft's Zune player, SOLO leather rolling laptop case, Total Training one-year subscription, Gifts.com gift card, Lynda.com online training library, Motorola GPS unit, Logitech QuickCam Webcams, Seagate's FreeAgent Go portable storage solution, Genius Touch Speaker System, Omnitech digital photo frame, Audiovox Homebase Message Center, Motorola mobile phone, Pathfinder Luggage CompuBrief, Big Fish Games package, Staples gift card, Rosetta Stone Spanish language software, and more! HOW CAN YOU WIN? HOW YOU CAN WIN DURING MY NATIONAL RADIO SHOW: HOW YOU CAN WIN ONLINE: DID YOU WIN? - Kathy Kasley catches me on WRVA 1140 AM from Williamsburg, VA. She picked up a $150 Audiovox Homebase Message Center! - Donald Claycamp lives in Conway Springs, KS, and listens on KFH 98.7 FM. He'll be charging in style with a $200 WildCharge Gift Certificate. - Pamela Dollarhide listens on KTTH 770 AM in Maple Valley, WA. She'll have the best home movies. She won a $170 DXG HD Camcorder. - Tim Kenyon in Rocklin, CA, tunes in on KSTE 650 AM. He'll be making video calls in no time. He won two Logitech Webcams valued at $229.98! - Connie ODaniels from Acworth, GA, listens on WSB 750 AM. She now has a sleek photo printer with the $300 Epson Artisan 800. - Terry Stec in Madison, PA, listens on WPGB 104.7 FM. He won a Logitech Squeezebox Boom Network Music Player valued at $299.99! Every day, I pick a new winner. Check the winner's page and maybe you'll see your name in virtual lights. Be sure to tell 10 friends and family members! And get ready to call in to my show! Finally, don't forget about our sponsors. Be sure to check out the great prizes on the Great Giveaway area. The sponsors make the giveaway possible. So, if you ever want to learn more about any of the prizes, click those links (hint, hint) and you'll land at the sponsor's site. ACCESSORIZE DIGITAL GIFTS WITH FREE SOFTWARE Here are some of my favorite freebies from the past week. Click on the links below to learn more about the free programs. There's still plenty of ground to cover. Hurry back!
• Want to know more about wireless networking? Analyze your home network. I can show you how. • It's great having tons of photos on your computer. But organizing and searching through them isn't easy. • Passwords are always hard to remember, especially on the go. You better take your passwords with you. Want a tip? Bookmark my Downloads page. Just go there and press Ctrl+D. That will add my downloads to your browser's favorites! And remember this: If I say a program is free, it's FREE. There are sites on the Internet that sell free programs. There are also many ads on the Internet for similar programs, which aren't free. If somebody tries to charge you for a free program, back up. You've clicked on the wrong thing. Saturday's download — What are the staples of the holiday season? Well, some staples are gifts, Christmas lights and family. Many people also send greeting cards. But that can get expensive. You have to buy and ship them. Stamps aren't cheap! Luckily, you can send cards right from your computer. And the best part is, they're free!RECHARGE WITH A QUICK VIDEO BREAK Don't miss these hot videos from the past week: • Where is the most exciting street in America? You can travel down it with Google's Street View. This was a cool art project. There is nothing better than catching a good show. Performers that have perfected their art are a joy to watch. But you don't need to leave your house. Find great performances in the Video of the Day archive:
NOTE: Are you having trouble seeing my daily video picks? Do you get a message that the video is not available? Sorry to say, it's probably not the video. It's your computer, my friend. Get help on my troubleshooting page. These problems are pretty easy to fix. THE EASY WAY TO SAVE MY VIDEOS Again, to download the video, all you need is the video's Web address. Don't know how to find that? Click here for step-by-step instructions. And to start saving videos you find online, use the free tool on my Web site. It's located at http://www.komando.com/myvideo/ PRIVACY AND SECURITY TIP: 5 ways to protect your gear Need to find a radio station near you? Click here to use the official Kim Komando Show Locator Map. With over 450 stations, there's a station near you. STILL TO COME: Useful tips, important news and a few laughs!
• Online help for a tough job market • Important security tips; and some awesome freebies! Back to the top   ENABLING PARENTAL CONTROLS ON THE IPHONE Your kids are going to love their new phones! The iPhone is one of the hottest gadgets on the market right now. And there's good reason for that. It's an all-in-one communications and entertainment tool. Of course, this also means you need to worry about how your teens will use it. I do have some good news for you, Mike. Your kids can download all the music, movies and games they like. This won't affect your monthly phone bill. That's because purchases through iTunes aren't linked to your AT&T account. Rather, you pay with your iTunes account. This should be somewhat comforting. That is, unless you created iTunes accounts for your kids using your credit card. They could still run up bills, only on your credit card. Also, you have to worry about your kids accessing adult content. This should be a real concern for parents of teens. Fortunately, I have some help for you! On my site, you can learn how to activate the iPhone's parental controls. The same tip will help you with the iPod touch. After all, it poses most of the same risks. Parents, don't miss this tip! You'll also want to read my tip on iTunes' parental controls. Your kids can find some offensive stuff on iTunes. Or, they can run up big bills—no iPhone required! If you have a young child, an iPhone is less than ideal. That's okay. There are plenty of other phones that are great for young kids. To learn more about them, read my handy tip. Of course, kids can get into trouble with any phone. So don't miss this tip. It will help you monitor your child's phone use. SECURING A MACHINE RUNNING 64-BIT WINDOWS More and more computers are using 64-bit Windows. I suspect many people are buying the machines without realizing this. That can pose problems when you start to load software on the machine. Some programs simply aren't compatible. That's especially true of security software. Hardware can also be a problem. You can probably buy security software for 64-bit Windows. But, I think your money can be put to better use. Instead, download free software! You can download AVG or avast! from my site. Both work on 64-bit Windows. You just need one antivirus program. For anti-spyware, you need at least two programs. You can try Ad-Aware, Spybot-Search & Destroy or Windows Defender. Again, these are all free on my site. Finding a firewall will give you the most trouble. There simply aren't many that work with 64-bit Windows. But, you can use Comodo. It's free. You'll see a lot more machines running 64-bit Windows. It does have some disadvantages. You can get around them. When you buy software, be sure it's compatible with your machine. You'll want to check for hardware and software compatibility before you buy. Find out everything you need to know about compatibility issues in my handy tip! DON'T MISS OUT ON AN AMERICAN CHRISTMAS For those of you who haven't heard of An American Christmas, let me explain. It is a national radio show hosted by Mannheim Steamroller's Chip Davis. My husband Barry writes and produces the show. There are really two parts to the show. First, there's the daily show called The 12 Days of Christmas. Then, there's the show that airs on Christmas Eve and Christmas day. You can catch this 12-hour extravaganza on more than 260 stations. Not everyone will be able to tune in to the show, of course. Fortunately, it is available on iTunes. You can download about an hour of the show for $5. The clip is commercial free. Just search for Christmas Companion in iTunes. Or, open the program and then click this link. BUYING ANY TECH FOR THE HOLIDAYS? HOLIDAY SHOPPING GUIDE AMERICAN FORCES RADIO & THANKS NO PREEMPTIONS! DOWNLOAD & LISTEN WHEN YOU WANT! DON'T STOP YET – THERE'S MORE YOU NEED TO KNOW:
• Keep reading! I have more money-saving tips! Back to the top
 ONLINE HELP FOR A TOUGH JOB MARKET You have to be savvy. You'll find plenty of help online. I have some tips, and some places to look. For links to these sites, visit www.komando.com/news. Your résumé is your professional calling card. A poorly executed one might well go into the trash. A clean, clear effort might get you an interview. Few people land jobs with just a good résumé. But a sloppy résumé is a killer. So, your résumé must be top-notch and error-free. It is the price of admission. Most job boards offer tips for crafting a résumé. Or, search Google for sample résumés. Microsoft Word includes templates. Microsoft has more on its site. Take your time and do it right. Don't let the competition kill your job prospects! Read the rest of my column for more must-know advice. It's free on my site, of course. A LITTLE ABOUT ME: HOW TO CALL ME DURING THE SHOW HOLIDAY SHOPPING GUIDE STILL TO COME IN THIS ISSUE:
• Browsing without leaving a trace Back to the top 
I expect I'll see more questions like this in the next few weeks. After all, digital cameras are always hot gifts. But times are tight. So many people will be looking for inexpensive or free photo programs. Fortunately, I have a number of photo programs on my site. Not every program will be suitable for you. Some are better suited for certain tasks or users. IrfanView is an extremely handy program. It will help you convert photos to different formats. You can also crop photos and add captions to them. It's fast and easy to use. But its editing features are limited. So, you may want to try a different program. If you're just getting started, try PhotoPlus. It is an easy way to enhance and manipulate photos. For more advanced features, try Paint.NET. You can work with layers and add special effects. The program also has a high-quality feel to it. Maybe you want a program that is comparable to Photoshop. Photoshop is the industry standard. But the latest version costs $700. That's more than most cameras! Most people don't need all the features present in Photoshop. On the contrary, the wealth of features makes it difficult to use. But some people need all of these features. In that case, try GIMP. It's a difficult program. But it can do just about anything you want! I recommend you try all of these free programs. You'll see which one best suits you. Or, you may not like any of them. In that case, you'll probably need to pony up some cash. My handy buying guide will help! Let me leave you with something fun. How would you like to add dramatic lighting to your digital photos? You can with high dynamic range imaging. It doesn't require a special camera. All you need is a special program, which you can download for free. Sound good? Learn how to get started with HDR photography in my cool step-by-step tip! A MESSAGE FROM THE KOMANDO.COM POSTMASTER SEE SOMETHING UNDERLINED? CLICK & LEARN
As always, I guarantee your privacy. Your e-mail address will not be sold, leased or given to anyone, ever! STILL TO COME IN THIS WEEKEND'S EDITION:
• Protect your privacy while surfing the Web Back to the top
MY AFFILIATES ARE MERRY AND BRIGHT! CHECK THESE CHANGES ONE HOT TOWN On Oct. 7, 1997, Mrs. O'Leary's cow was absolved of all blame. The Chicago City Council approved the resolution.
DON'T ASK SANTA, CLICK ON MY MAP STUFF YOUR OWN STOCKING STILL TO COME IN THIS WEEKEND'S EDITION:
• Search in secret
KIM'S TIPS FOR KOMANDO KIDS: Track Santa Claus online CONTEST SITE: Set Sail! CONTEST: The Annual Kim Komando Show Great Giveaway FREEBIE OF THE WEEK: For dogs at work & play FREEBIE FROM KOMANDO.COM: Share videos for free GET A COOL SITE EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK In case you missed any this past week, here's a list of some of our favorites: THIS WEEK'S FOCUS: Send e-cards for free Let's keep it going; there's plenty more to cover:
EMERGENCY PATCH FIXES INTERNET EXPLORER FLAW THE END IS IN SIGHT, BUT I WILL BE BACK NEXT WEEK
 As you point out, though, clearing the browser can be difficult to remember. Fortunately, though, there are solutions for most of the popular browsers. They won't automatically clear out the browser. Instead, the computer is prevented from storing data in the first place. It's called privacy mode. However, for obvious reasons, many refer to it as porn mode. IE8 beta, Safari and Google's Chrome all have it. Firefox doesn't include a privacy mode. But you can add one, with the Stealther extension. Stealther also works in Firefox 3.5 beta. Privacy mode blocks private data and cookies from being recorded. It also blocks your Web history and search history. You will still be able to add bookmarks and download files. Remember that these things can also expose things about you. Turning on private browsing is fairly easy. Hopefully, you can remember to do it! By default, private browsing is not activated when you open the browser. That's true for all of these browsers. In Internet Explorer 8, open a new tab. Select Start InPrivate Browsing. Or, simply click Safety>>InPrivate Browsing. A new window will open. You'll see an InPrivate icon in the address bar. In Safari, click Edit>>Private Blocking. Once the feature is enabled, you'll see a check mark next to it on the Edit menu. The feature is called Incognito Mode in Google's Chrome. You can start an incognito session by pressing Ctrl+Shift+N. Or, click the menu to the right of the address bar. Select "New incognito window." An icon of a man in a hat and sunglasses in the top right corner of the Window. As, I said, private browsing is not yet a part of Firefox. So, you'll need to download the Stealther extension. Once it is downloaded and installed, you'll want to configure it. To configure Stealther, click Tools>>Add-ons. Click the entry for Stealther and then click Options. You can select what is blocked and what isn't. You can also select a shortcut key for Stealther. To turn Stealther on, use the shortcut key you created. If you didn't create one, use the default shortcut key. It's Ctrl+Shift+S. Or, click Tools>>Stealther. When it is activated, you'll see a check next to it on the menu. IF I HELPED YOU, CAN YOU PLEASE HELP ME? 1. Tell your co-workers, employees, team members, fantasy sports buddies, family members and friends to check us out. I have a form that makes it easy. 2. Link your blog, online profile or site to my site. Instructions and cool artwork await you. Have a great weekend. Thank you for your support of my show and newsletters! I appreciate it! Kim :)
 EVEN REINDEER GET INTO TROUBLE SOMETIMES One Christmas Eve, Santa Claus landed on a rooftop and suddenly he heard a very loud, "Snort sniff honk honk snort!" coming from one of his reindeer. Since he was in the sleigh behind them, he didn't know which one it was. It happened again, only louder this time. "Snort sniff honk honk snort!" Dogs in the neighborhood began to bark. "Shhh!" Santa hissed. "Please be quiet!" He went to work lifting the sack of toys out of the sleigh when he heard it again, only a lot louder this time. "SNORT SNIFF HONK HONK SNORT!" Lights came on all over the neighborhood and some people even stuck their heads out of their windows. Santa was horrified. Jumping back into the sleigh, he drove quickly back to the North Pole. He lined up all the reindeer and announced, "We are not going to deliver another present until the reindeer who is making funny noises with his nose steps forward and apologizes!" None of the reindeer stepped forward. Santa held up a piece of paper. "I know who it is and I have written your name on this paper. But I want to give you a chance to do the right thing on your own." Still none of the reindeer came forward. So Santa did the only thing he could do. He read off the rude-nosed reindeer... Have a great day and I'll see you on the radio! Remember, there's an extra hour of the show this weekend. So you have even more time to give me a call! I'd love to hear from you. It takes just three easy steps: 1.) Call the LIVE broadcast. That's this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the East Coast, or, if you live on the West Coast, 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. 2.) Know the phone number. It is, of course, toll-free 1-888-825-5254. 3.) Talk to our call screener Andrew and tell him what's on your mind. That's all there is to it! Hugs, GET MORE TIPS FROM ME TO YOU
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I'm very concerned about my privacy. That's particularly true when I'm surfing the Internet. Unfortunately, I can also be fairly forgetful. Is there something that will clear out my browser automatically when I'm done? I don't want to have to clear it out manually.
Your Web history says a lot about you. It can reveal health issues, relationship issues, financial issues. This stuff is private. You don't want anyone else mucking around in it. 
Copyright © 2008, The Kim Komando Show. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of The Kim Komando Show is prohibited and strictly enforced. Newsletters may contain links to sites on the Internet owned and operated by third parties. The Kim Komando Show is not responsible for the availability of, or the content located on or through, any such third-party site. Information in this document is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and freedom from infringement. The user assumes the entire risk as to the accuracy and the use of this document. We will not be liable for any damages of any kind arising from the use of this information, including, but not limited to direct, indirect, incidental, punitive, and consequential damages. You may also unsubscribe by sending a request via postal mail. Please include your name, e-mail address and a printed copy of your Newsletter e-mail. Send to: |
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