Data Doctors - Weekly Newsletter

Tip of the Week: Search the Twittersphere for real-time advice

Twitter continues to grow in popularity and it continues to confuse most everyone that has not joined the community, so here is another way to make use of the Twittersphere: getting recommendations on a product that you are interested in buying.

The Internet is filled with websites that offer customer reviews and feedback on virtually anything that would like to buy, but the reviews are 'static' in nature, so you can't ask additional questions of the reviewer.

Here is an example of how you might use Twitter the next time you are researching a product: Let's say you were interested in the new Nikon D90 SLR because it's the first to include HD video capabilities. You can go to http://search.twitter.com and type Nikon D90 in to see every 'tweet' that had the phrase in it. As you read through the comments, when you see one that is particularly insightful, you can send a reply asking the person more questions. In other words, if you find someone that seems to know what they are talking about, you can 'tap them on the shoulder' and ask them for more info...very helpful when you find someone that already owns what you are interested in buying!

PS. You don't need a Twitter account to use the Search site, but you will need one if you want to interact with anyone that you find (it's free).

Headwhack of the Week: Remove Metadata from Pictures in Vista

This week's Headwhack is less of the irritation type and more of the "I had no idea" variety. Most folks don't realize that computer photos often have hidden information called 'metadata' encoded on in the file that can identify the camera that took the picture, the software that acquired it and even personal information about the author in some cases.

This meta data is easily removed in Windows Vista, by right-clicking on the file and selecting Properties. On the Details tab, click Remove Properties and Personal Information. For Windows XP users, Microsoft has a powerful free program that's called Pro Photo Tools 2 that provides an option to edit metadata on photos.

Security: PowerPoint 'zero-day' flaw discovered

Even the innocuous presentation program that has bored all of us to tears during a conference presentation is not safe from exploitation by hackers. Microsoft's PowerPoint was discovered to have a hole that could be exploited if you don't patch it, so before you open any PPT file that you didn't create, get yourself updated!

News: BlackBerry App World has landed

One of the biggest advantages to the iPhone platform is the enormous library of downloadable applications from the Apple App Store for just about anything that could possibly want to do with the portable device. Well Blackberry users that have had App Store Envy can now feel better about thier fruity phones. Research In Motion (the producer of the BlackBerry) just launched their own application distribution system that they are calling App World!

News: From Free to Fee: 7 sites adding new charges

The days of getting something for nothing on the Net could be dwindling. More and more companies are rethinking their no-cost approaches and introducing charges for the online services that users have come to rely on.

Data Doctors Video on Cnn.com: Conficker 'voice of reason'

Amidst the media frenzy for the Conficker worm last week, we did our best to 'keep it real' as we discussed it with our friends at CNN.com and tried to be "the voice of reason" as we explained what was underway...

Watch the video and help our rankings on CNN.com! You can watch us live every Saturday morning at 9:30AM Pacific, 12:30PM Eastern or watch the archived versions of our segments whenever you want at CNN.com/video.

Opinion: Warner Music: All your memories r belong to us

Ever create a slideshow or video and put your favorite music from the '80's in the background? Music can make a world of difference when you create a video or slideshow, but before you upload that video or slideshow to YouTube or Vimeo, you should read what happened to Jason Perlow of ZDNet.com when his wife did just that...

Weekly Advice Column: Ransomware much more likely than Conficker

The over the top reporting about Conficker could cause people to let their guards down when it comes to the vast number of malware scams that are floating around the Internet. AntiVirus 2009 is a long-running 'scareware' program that has tricked many a user into buying it's useless 'fixes' but now the latest version has taken it up a notch by holding your files hostage....learn about it from this week's advice column.

This Week's Show: Viruses: Hype, Hoaxes & Hazards

On the heels of the worldwide attention payed to the Conficker worm, many are chocking it up to yet another over-hyped non-issue. While many of the reports sensationalized Conficker beyond reality, the fact remains that the worm is alive and living in millions of computers.

The problem with media reports on malware is that these complex situations are boiled into 30 second sound bites that tend to lean on sensational headlines and quotes.

This week, we thought we would spend more than 30 seconds discussing the current reality and dangers of being a "netizen" and give you specific advice on how to protect yourself from all of the Hype, Hoaxes and very real Hazards!

Join us Saturdays from 12:00PM-2:00PM (Pacific) on News 92.3 KTAR or listen LIVE via the Internet at KTAR.com as we discuss your computer questions at: 602.277.5827 or ask your questions during (or before) the broadcast using the ask a question page.