I loved getting mixed tapes in the 80's. Even better was making a tape for someone special. But without a cassette recorder, I was a bit at a loss on how to send a mixed tape. Not to mention that most everyone I know has an iPod, iPhone, or some other electronic music player. So what's a girl to do?

Well, once again Microsoft is soon to unleash upon us its greatest (ahem) Operating System. A beta version was leaked on the web September 13, 2011. Some experts believe the new version will be out in Spring of 2012.  We recommend you wait at least six months after the "official" release before upgrading. If you are thinking of getting a new computer, buy in the next few months; prices will be good and you won't have to be a Microsoft guinea pig.

Demo: 3 ways to share your Outlook Calendar with others

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Sharing calendars can make it easier to collaborate with people both inside and outside your company. This demo shows you three ways that Outlook 2007 offers for sharing your calendar. If your company uses Microsoft Exchange Server, you can share your calendar within the organization by using that feature. You can also send a snapshot of your calendar in e-mail to people outside your company. And you can publish your calendar on the Microsoft Office Online Web site and restrict how much detail is shown and who can access it. Watch the demo to learn about a new way to collaborate.

How to do it (text version):

• Share your calendar information
• Publish a calendar on Office Online

Sometimes you cant see the forest for the trees. Thank you Theresa Allen of Events Worth Remembering, for pointing out that I can set alerts on my Iphone for all my appointments. So, now there is no excuse....

I am trying a new app called networked blogs which syncs any updates to my blog with my personal Facebook account and my Business Page on Facebook. Have you tried this? Any comments or suggestions? 

The Risk You Take When Using Free Wi-Fi

When you step into Starbucks and pull out your laptop to innocently check your email or facebook account you are probably unaware of he possible sidejacker sitting 3 tables down from you. As you update your status, he silently send's out a massive virus to all of your friends & contacts. By the time you finish your coffee, pack your belongings and head out to start your day, your friends are all opening a virus that is attacking their harddrive.

      This malicious act is called sidejacking and Firesheep is a program that this person may use to gain access to your personal accouts.

This is how it works:
     Using a sidejacking program such as Firesheep the sidejacker connects to a busy open Wi-Fi network. The program then notifies the sidejacker when anyone on the network visits an insecure website (such as your email or facebook account). The program then displays your name and photo to the sidejacker. He simply clicks on your picture and is instantly logged in as you. The sidejacker can then ‘silently take over your Facebook session, gain access to all of your sensitive data and send viral messages and wall posts to all of your friends.’
 

What is being done to protect Wi-Fi users?
 
     Zscaler (a security firm) released a program called BlackSheep. BlackSheep is designed to notify you if someone who is logged into the same Wi-Fi network is running the FireSheep program (it is not able to notify you should anyone be using any other sidejacking programs).
 
     Since most free public Wi-Fi hookups are unencrypted (such as those offered at Starbucks, McDonalds, and many airports), users don’t understand the risk that they run when logging on to those free sites and accessing their personal data. Security advisors are recently urging Wi-Fi locations to now encrypt their sessions to protect their user, which simply requires a simple password to gain online access.

     So, next time you are sitting in Starbucks drinking your latte maybe it would be a good idea for you to mention this issue to the workers and ask if they would consider encrypting their network.

~Lauren Green

On a personal note, we love fireflies (hence the name) are you a part of the firefly watch? If not, check it out here https://www.mos.org/fireflywatch/

If you are selling on the internet, it is possible you could be selling more with a new platform called OpenSky seen here at http://shopopensky.com/. If you blog, you need to be connected to OpenSky. Take a few minutes to check it out, and let me know what you think, and if you are already using it, we would love to hear how it is working for you.

Just had another call about a website that is being held hostage by the web designer, who failed to pay the hosting bill. So if you haven't already, please secure a backup of your website asap. You can do this by asking your web designer for a backup or if you have access to your hosting account, log into the account and make a copy of the files. If you are using Godaddy as we recommend, the customer service department can assist you with this.

This week we are testing out Godaddy's application Quick Blogcast as our new site format. So far it seems very easy to use, not much different than the Website Tonight product Godaddy provides. The downside with both seem to be in the time it takes to pick a template! Once we get past this hurdle we can work on customizing with our graphics.