Factors to consider when buying a laptop.

Purchasing a new laptop can seem like a daunting task. However, you can make the process as painless as possible by considering a few main factors.

Weight and Portability are vital to consider for all of those who have a long commute to college and need to bring their laptops with them.

Ultraportables are great for those who need to get work done on the road. However, screens are small which may not be best for the multimedia design aspect of the course. Also, they do not contain a disk drive which makes installing new software more difficult.

Mainstream laptops are like budget desktops: They're good for general tasks but do not excel with their performance or features. They are quite thin and light and easy to carry around with you. With 14-inch or larger screens and big keyboards, they're suitable for everyday use and a good choice for this course.

Brand

Despite the higher price, I advise people to go for known brands as you pay for quality. Most no-name companies have a lack of spare parts, precarious warranties and unstable configurations which are essential for this course should anything go wrong.

Processor

When it comes to processors, I recommend you go with the fastest you can afford as this will make life much easier for you in the long run.

Intel's Pentium M CPU line offers speed as well as great battery life; however, they are quite expensive. AMD's mobile processors are more affordable than Intel's, but they are generally slower.

Memory

Having lots of memory is vital and lots of RAM allows you to have many programmes open simultaneously, which is essential for this course. Sufficient RAM is also necessary for graphics work and image editing which is a prominent part of the multimedia design module.

Battery Power

Battery life is essential for users who are on the go. However, the stronger the battery, the more expensive the laptop. On average, a cheap laptop could give you between 2.5 and 3 hours of battery whereas a more expensive model could easily give you up to 4 hours. However, power consumption varies from manufacturer to manufacturer and model to model.

Warranty

Most laptops have a warranty that can last for up to a year or more. Most warranties allow non-physically damaged laptops to be repaired or replaced free of cost in the first year and cover parts and repairs in the following years.

Operating System

The operating system can play a very important role. If you choose Windows Vista, the laptop is likely to be more expensive mostly because the OS requires the latest hardware. Tis extra expense would be worth it though as it will benefit you to stay up to date in this course. Other than that, you could choose a Linux, Windows XP or Mac OS X.

Is tracking cybercrooks worth it?

http://articles.cnn.com/2010-03-05/tech/cyberattack.prosecute_1_cybercrime-computer-virus-arrests-of-three-men?_s=PM:TECH

This article is from CNN from 5th March, 2010. John Sutter debates whether we should be chasing cyber criminals or teaching people how to fight against them. Cybercrime rates are up yet arrests of those responsible are rare. The masterminds who write the viruses and Trojans are not deterred by the few arrests that have occurred so some might say that chasing cyber crooks is a futile endeavour.

Karygiannis, a computer scientist and senior researcher at the National Institute of Standards and Technologies, says it would be better to develop new anti-virus technologies and to teach people how to use the internet safely and protect themselves from internet crime.

In March 2010, three men were arrested in connection with a “botnet” network that infected nearly 13 million computers which was used to steal financial and personal information from people in over 190 countries. Mustaque Ahamad, director of the Georgia Tech Information Security Centre, says preventing viruses was an old way to fight cybercrime. Now, we must work towards catching those responsible.

However, this is a lot easier said than done. Many people argue that arresting those responsible is not acting as deterrent. Cyber security experts say that efforts to prosecute those responsible is a waste of time as often the wrong people are arrested, they are often the middlemen. One might also argue that arresting those responsible is pointless because anyone can write a virus. All one has to do is download the software, which are still available for purchase. The people who write this software are almost impossible to catch; therefore, more viruses will always be generated, even if the government continue with arrests.

It is also difficult to say whether the people who write this software are doing anything illegal. The U.S. government, who are cracking down on cybercrime, do not have jurisdiction on the entire planet Earth. If they were to catch those behind the malicious programs, they do not have legal authority to get them and also, it’s not clear that they are committing a crime. Marty Lindner, principal engineer with Carnegie Mellon University’s Computer Emergency Response Team states, “It’s not illegal to write bad software. It’s illegal to use it.” Also, botnets rapidly spread from computer to computer without human instruction so it is difficult to track the source.

As well as prosecuting those responsible, researchers are trying to develop new software to fight viruses and increase education efforts. They are working on a new method of virus protection which looks for harmful files based on reputation and behaviour on the internet. Some are looking into remote monitoring on computers which ensures that people update their anti-virus protection regularly.

I think one must attack cybercrime from both fronts. Emphasis should be put on education and self-protection as well as prosecuting hackers. This is a very serious issue as skilled hackers can easily gain access to all of one’s personal and financial details so it is important that we focus on reducing cybercrime and prosecuting those responsible.

Cyberbullying: A growing problem.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100222104939.htm

This is an article from ScienceDaily from the 22^nd of February, 2010. The article claims that internet bullying is a growing problem among young people and around 10% of adolescents have experienced cyber bullying. This growing epidemic is cause for great concern as, in some ways, it is worse than conventional bullying where the victim experiences a break during the evenings and weekends. The victims of cyber bulling have no refuge as they can be harassed via the internet or by text, making them accessible at any time of the day. Ann Frisén, Professor of Psychology at the University of Gothenburg, conducted research on body image, identity development and different types of bullying among children and adolescents. She states that this growing epidemic is cause for great concern as, in some ways, it is worse than conventional bullying where the victim experiences a break during the evenings and weekends. The victims of cyber bulling have no refuge as they can be harassed via the internet or by text, making them accessible at any time of the day.

Cyberbullying is when someone uses new technologies such as the internet or mobile phones to harass another. People often use social networking sites, chat rooms or text to harass their victims. An example of this is the Facebook group ‘Vi som hatar Stina Johansson’ (Those of us who hate Stina Johansson). Online bullying can be very difficult to tackle as people can retain anonymity and often with groups such as this, only the moderator can delete it.

There is a clear connection between cyberbullying and school life as it usually calms down during summer. Very often, the victims are in the same school as the perpetrator. One can act anonymously online and therefore feel braver to express their true feelings towards another. With the use of the internet, weaker people can bully a stronger person, which is very uncommon in more conventional bullying. People often feel more confident behind the mask of an online persona which often results in trolling or flaming online which can develop into bullying.

Frisén also suggests ways in which cyberbullying  can be tackled. She states that adults need to be more careful with what they put on the internet themselves, for example pictures as children are often inspired by what adults do. Parents should also show interest in their children’s internet activity and ask to see what sites their children use most often. However, parents should not ban their children from using any certain websites as this would encourage rebellion. Instead, parents should teach their children how to safely use the internet and how to act when they are there. ‘All school children in the UK are taught to “zip it, block it and flag it” – don’t share information, block contacts and tell an adult!’

I found this to be a useful article when researching cyberbullying. ScienceDaily give a clear and coherent description of what exactly cyberbullying is and what we can do to prevent it. Frisén also clearly describes her work.  I think internet bullying is a very serious problem which needs to be tackled with a firm hand. Social networking sites should enforce a no tolerance policy to internet bullying and serious cases need to be taken up in court. 

AAAND here's your picture.

Ara sure it's worth a follow.

http://twitter.com/#!/PsychToday

http://www.thejournal.ie/10-year-old-pulls-gun-over-halloween-candy-theft-threat-269679-Nov2011/?utm_source=shortlink
Don't joke about a child's Halloween haul, folks.

Ah dear, forgotten introduction.

Well this is my introduction to my blog. It's a nice place really. That previous post was a video of my inspiration for my Halloween costume. I think I looked quite dashing really.