Test Your Anti Virus

You can test your anti virus by trying to download this Anti Virus Test File. Another method to test your anti virus is to open note pad and paste this 

X5O!P%@AP[4\PZX54(P^)7CC)7}$EICAR-STANDARD-ANTIVIRUS-TEST-FILE!$H+H*

and then save the file as eicar.com

If your anti virus prevents you from saving this file it is working.

Note: This file is not a virus it is just a Anti Virus Test File.

Downloading Youtube Videos

There are many ways to download Youtube videos. Personally, I use a free Firefox extension called Video DownloadHelper to download Youtube videos, I find it to be the most convenient. There is also a free video player called Miro that can be used to download Youtube videos. Additionally, there are a few sites that enable you to download youtube videos. Some of these sites include KeepVid and Savevid. 

Halo 3 Modded Maps

Update: An updated version of this list can be found on my new site www.tech-culture.co.tv
Here is a link to the updated list http://www.tech-culture.co.tv/gaming/halo-3-modded-maps

As a reminder this site has moved to www.tech-culture.co.tv and new material will be added there.

Five File Hosting Sites With Free Direct Linking

Here are four file hosting sites that offer free direct linking. Direct linking or hot linking allows you to link directly to the file without having to link to a page where the file can be downloaded. Direct linking can also be used to post pictures directly into web pages and forums and it can also be used to stream media like videos and music. The drawback with these sites is that they only offer a limited amount of bandwidth for direct linking files, which makes it difficult to stream media with them as that will likely exceed their bandwidth limit.


1. http://mydatanest.com/



2 GB storage


10 GB Monthly Bandwidth




2. http://www.boxstr.net/


5 GB storage


1GB Daily Bandwidth




3. http://www.fileden.com/


1 GB storage


5GB Monthly Bandwidth




4. http://www.filefreak.com/



1 GB storage


250MB Daily Bandwidth




5. http://www.sigmirror.com/


2.5 GB storage


7 GB Monthly Bandwidth

Embed Flash Videos

Embedding flash videos is really easy. All you have to do is copy this code, then replace the given fields in red with a direct link to the content you want to embed, and finally paste the code you just edited on the site you want to embed the video. You can use a text editor, like notepad, to edit this code.

You can delete the "so.addVariable('image','Paste link to the picture you want to use as a preview here');" line if you do not want a preview picture.


<script src="http://cl.lk/v1lp1" type="text/javascript">
</script>

<div id="mediaspace">
This text will be replaced</div>

<script type="text/javascript">
  var so = new SWFObject('http://cl.lk/v1lq7','mpl','470','320','9');
  so.addParam('allowfullscreen','true');
  so.addParam('allowscriptaccess','always');
  so.addParam('wmode','opaque');
  so.addVariable('file','Replace with link to the video you want to stream here');
  so.addVariable('image','Replace with link to the picture you want to use as a preview here');
  so.write('mediaspace');
</script>

What you should get is an embedded flash video like this

Halo 2 Move Along

This text will be replaced

A Great Free Media Hosting Site and Photobucket Alternative

Imageshack.us is a free media hosting site and photobucket.com alternative. The bandwidth allotment they provide is pretty generous with 200 MB per hour for images, which is much more than photobucket.com's 10GB a month limit which will probably go down again. Like photobucket.com imageshack.us allows direct linking for images but imageshack.us also allows direct linking of videos as well, unlike photobucket.com. imageshack.us also offers free .swf or flash file hosting unlike photobucket.com. Additionally, imageshack.us does not has better picture quality than photobucket.com since imageshack.us allows direct linking of the original picture as long as it is under 1.5 MB in size. imageshack.us also does not have a inactivity limit that if you do not log into your account within a certain period of time your images will not be displayed, unlike photobucket.com, which has a 90 day inactivity limit. The only drawback imageshack.us has is that sometimes it has slow loading times for images. Imageshack.us, like photobucket.com, offers unlimited bandwidth for premium accounts.

Below is a screenshot of Imageshack.us

I don't mean to negative about photobucket.com, but photobucket.com seems to keep getting worse and worse. Another great photobucket.com alternative is Google's Picasa Web Albums.

Don't Fall Victim to a Fake Anti Virus Scam!!!

I have seen numerous pop ups advertising fake anti virus scams. If you see a pop up that says your computer might be infected, is infected or looks anything like the screenshots below just click the red "X" at the top left of the window. DO NOT CLICK "OK" AS THAT WILL START THE DOWNLOAD OF THE FAKE ANTI VIRUS PROGRAM!!! If you just click "X" you should fine and your computer should not be infected.

This is what the FBI says about this scam.

"POP-UP ADVERTISEMENTS OFFERING ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE POSE THREAT TO INTERNET USERS




12/11/09—An ongoing threat exists for computer users who, while browsing the Internet, began receiving pop-up security warnings that state their computers are infected with numerous viruses.



These pop-ups known as scareware, fake, or rogue anti-virus software look authentic and may even display what appears to be real-time anti-virus scanning of the user’s hard drive. The scareware will show a list of reputable software icons; however, the user cannot click a link to go to the actual site to review or see recommendations.



The scareware is intimidating to most users and extremely aggressive in its attempt to lure the user into purchasing the rogue software that will allegedly remove the viruses from their computer. It is possible that these threats are received as a result of clicking on advertisements contained on a website. Cyber criminals use botnets to push the software and use advertisements on websites to deliver it. This is known as malicious advertising or malvertising.



Once the pop-up appears it cannot be easily closed by clicking “close” or the “X” button. If the user clicks on the pop-up to purchase the software, a form is provided that collects payment information and the user is charged for the bogus product. In some instances, whether the user clicks on the pop-up or not, the scareware can install malicious code onto the computer. By running your computer with an account that has rights to install software, this issue is more likely to occur.



Downloading the software could result in viruses, Trojans, and/or keyloggers being installed on the user’s computer. The repercussions of downloading the malicious software could prove further financial loss to the victim due to computer repair, as well as, cost to the user and/or financial institutions due to identity theft.



The assertive tactics of the scareware has caused significant losses to users. The FBI is aware of an estimated loss to victims in excess of $150 million.



Be cautious—Cyber criminals use easy to remember names and associate them with known applications. Beware of pop-ups that are offer a variation of recognized security software. It is recommended that the user research the exact name of the software being offered.



Take precautions to ensure operating systems are updated and security software is current.



If a user receives these anti-virus pop-ups, it is recommended to close the browser or shut the system down. It is suggested that the user run a full, anti-virus scan whenever the computer is turned back on.



If you have experienced the anti-virus pop-ups or a similar scam, please notify the IC3 by filing a complaint at http://www.ic3.gov/. "

Source:  http://www.fbi.gov/cyberinvest/escams.htm



Below are a few screenshots of fake antivirus scam pop up:

Sources:

http://www.fbi.gov/cyberinvest/escams.htm
http://ixwebhostwarning.wordpress.com/
http://seo.mhvt.net/blog/?p=451
http://www.thetechherald.com/article.php/200912/3265/Hackers-use-Natasha-Richardson-s-death-for-monetary-gain
http://imageshack.us/