Windows 8.1 Australian release date 18th October

Microsoft have announced the release of Windows 8.1 will start on the 18th of October and start its global tour.

If I read this is correctly it sounds like come the stroke of midnight in each country Windows 8.1 will be available from the Windows App Store. I may have misinterpreted what I read but in any case, we should expect Windows 8.1 to be available around the 18th.


Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 if you require help with your computer.
No problem too small.

Electrical Pro - Peter Matthew Havas blog spamming to promote business

Australian businesses like Electrical Pro should be careful of who they use to promote their business. Today I received a comment on my blog promoting Electrical Pro. The post was written by someone in India so obviously wasn't done by Electrical Pro, but by a service provider on their behalf. I suspect Electrical Pro has retained the services of an SEO organisation, or perhaps their web designer, but Electrical Pro should check out their suppliers before they retain their services.

Often smaller businesses in Australia decide to promote their business but don't ask the questions they should. Simply asking how their business is going to be promoted is a good start.

Spam is spam and whilst it isn't illegal in Australia to spam others by writing comments on blog posts, it is still spam and shouldn't be used as a means to promote your business.

Don't turn a blind eye when promoting your business. You know what is right and what is wrong. There is no excuse for spamming. Poor decisions in business reflect on your business. The business in India has made their money, but the ramifications of being caught blog spamming shows poor business judgement and will cause people to question your business ethics. I know I'd rather use an ethical business rather than a suspect one.

Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

Porcelain drilling - Porcelain Tile Drilling service now available from Master

Master Renovators have now launched their porcelain tile drilling service. More details can be found at www.porcelaintiledrilling.com.au.

If you have just tiled using porcelain tiles and now need to fit your bathroom accessories, you may not have realised that porcelain tiles require a greater level of skill and knowledge than ceramic tiles. If you need assistance call Charlie Brincat of Master Renovators.

Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

The Age changes the pictures in online article for house reported purchased by Julia Gillard

What I found particularly interesting when I read the following article wasn’t when the article first appeared.

$1.8m bungalow wins over Gillard... Read More

When the article appeared it showed the swimming pool at the rear of the home. When I later went back to the article the picture had changed to the one now shown.

The address of the property is exceptionally easy to find in a few seconds of Google searching.

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problem.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

Fuel consumption rate stickers on new cars can be very misleading. Use the Petrol Cost Calculator instead.

When looking at fuel consumption stickers on cars keep in mind the tests are performed in a laboratory and may not match your real world fuel consumption and expectations.

Fuel miser on sticker, a guzzler in real life... Read More

As mentioned in the article, some manufacturers even remove the spare wheel to reduce weight and less weight means better fuel economy. I even wonder if there is weight added to the car to simulate a driver. If you add a driver and passenger (as well as the spare tyre) then all of a sudden you end up reducing your fuel economy.

If you look at the testing methodology there are a series of tests but these don’t reflect your real world driving experience. In the real world according to the article you can expect your fuel consumption to be 20%-40% greater than the stickers.

To use the stickers keep in mind you are comparing the laboratory tests for one car against another car. Not how one car performs in the real world against another.

To get a good idea of your fuel consumption and cost to drive a given distance, use the Petrol Cost Calculator and determine your own litres per 100 kilometres based on your own tests.

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problem.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

Alert: Postal Vote Application delivered to your mail box may not be from the Australian Electoral Commission. Beware of material from Kevin Andrews MP.

I must admit this one shocked me. A couple of days ago I had a Postal Vote Application Form, which I was going to pass on to friends of the family to use, since they could use them and I had no purpose for them. The forms had arrived in the mail. I was gutted when I read the following.

People who intend to vote this way have been urged by the Australian Electoral Commission to take extra care when filling in forms, as postal voting applications sent to the household may be a vehicle for political parties to collect the most personal details of the voting public.... Read More

These forms reportedly aren’t from the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) and in fact are from the political parties. In my case I suspect the Liberal Party because it has on the back “With the compliments of Kevin Andrews MP”. When you fill out the forms according to the newspaper article they apparently go to the party where the information is collected and the form then passed on. It is illegal not to pass the form on.

This is all totally legal. I personally see this as a straight out scam. We expect it on the internet but when our own politicians do it what hope is there for this country. I’m both shocked and disappointed.

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problem.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

Weight Loss Maths is a site which uses a low cost approach

The Weight Loss Maths site is now live. The Weight Loss Maths site serves two purposes. The first is to share what I've learnt about the maths of dieting and to share that information with others. The second purpose is it provides a live site which can demonstrate how to build a presence on the internet for very low cost.

The total cost (excluding time) for the site, including the domain name www.weightlossmaths.com.au, which is registered for two years, is $19.98. Yes, effectively the price is under $10 a year.

My approach as an IT Consultant is to help people build a presence on the internet and enable the client to be part of the process as much or as little as they wish. Some people like to be fully involved and take over their site, whilst others just want it done. Ultimately the approach used is up to the client. By working with clients, clients remain in control of their site and their domain. Many businesses keep control over a client's site and domain which means customer loses control. The customer is then tied into the supplier's business. My approach is to assist clients when needed, and if a client for some reason wishes to go somewhere else (I hope that they don't), then it is their choice.

To build a site like Weight Loss Maths, including registering the domain, you should allow around two to three hours of time. Part of the time is training on how to post articles to the site. When something is required in the future which is beyond the skill of the client, I'm available to assist.

Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.

Alert: Westpac Banking Corporation - You have violated our Terms and Conditions

I'd to advise readers the email from Westpac Banking Corporation with the subject "You have violated our Terms and Conditions" is a fake.

 

The email I received was sent from British Columbia, Canada. The link in the email would send you to a German domain.

 

You should delete these emails.

Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

How to calculate litres per 100 kilometres for your car.

The problem with using the stated litres per 100 kilometres for your car is it may not reflect the true cost of running your car. If what I've read is correct the measurements are very well specified and performed in a lab. Now if you drive your car in a lab then the figures will probably work for you. But the reality is how you drive, the environment in which you drive will affect your fuel consumption. In addition I've noticed that a car that is well maintained and just a couple of years old will have increase fuel consumption by up to 10%. That's a huge difference.

The best thing to do is to measure your own fuel consumption over a number of tanks. One series of tests for driving around the city and another for country driving. Then you'll have a better fuel consumption figure that measures your consumption for you and your car.

To help with the maths of working out litres per 100 kilometres I've written a calculator which can be found at http://www.petrolcostcalculator.com.au/litres-per-100-km/. This is part of my Petrol Cost Calculator.

To work out you litres per 100 kilometres you simply need to enter the distance travelled in kilometres for the petrol used in litres. To do this fill up your tank as far as possible (without overflowing) and then reset your trip meter to zero. Next time you fill up again fill up as far as possible and then record the litres and the distance on the trip meter. If you do this three times you'll have a pretty good average of your petrol usage. You can then use that figure to help determine the fuel cost of travelling distances (using the Petrol Cost Calculator) and that can be handy when deciding whether or not to take public transport, or for a holiday, whether it is better to drive, fly, or take some other form of transport.

Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

Alert: St George - account e-statement

The aim of this email is to highlight the continuing problem of legitimate sites which have been compromised by a third party who have then installed malicious code on the site. This means any site can potentially be used for malicious purposes such as infecting computers, phishing attacks and identity theft.

The following is the body of the email.

Your St.George Internet Banking Profile Has Been Blocked.
Kindly activate your St.George OnLine e-statement please "LOGIN"

The word LOGIN is a link to a page on a UK site. The site which could be any site has a web page added in the folder "Scripts/stgeorge/stgeorge/stgeorge/stgeorge/stgeorge/stgeorge/". The owner of the site will initially not be aware their site is now delivering a malicious page. The email was sent from New Jersey in the United States.

If you receive such an email you should delete it. If you receive an email with a link to a site it is best to open your browser and type in the address. Every day with the internet someone is literally attacking all of us. Only you can protect yourself and your interests so please take appropriate care.

Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

Alert: Your Apple ID has been Disabled for Security Reasons!

Tonight I received an faked email with the subject "Your Apple ID has been Disabled for Security Reasons!".

The link in the email is for an Australian domain where the site runs WordPress and has been compromised. The email was sent from Brazil.

You should delete these emails.

Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

Alert: Westpac New and Improved Database

Today I've received three faked Westpac notifications and I felt I should warn others. The emails all have the subject "Westpac New and Improved Database".

Two of the emails came from Germany and one came from Canada. When I check where the links go to (using a secured computer – don't use your usual computer) it would appear they are sites using WordPress which have been compromised and infected with malicious content. Whilst I couldn't get to see the actual screen a user would be presented with, it could be designed to collect users' logon information or data for identity theft.

You should delete these emails.

Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

The Block 2014 location at Dux House 47 O'Grady Street, Albert Park

It would appear the location for the next series of The Block in 2014 may be Dux House which is at 47 O'Grady Street, Albert Park.

Dux House was sold for a reported $5.9 million.

Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

How much does it cost to make a will?

I've often thought about how much it costs to make a will. A while ago I decided to put my own will together using examples I found in "how to make your own will" kits. I was very happy with the result and other thought it looked very professional. Perhaps I'd missed my calling.

 

So yes you can make your own will and it can cost nothing. The problem however is you don't if what you have created is acceptable or not.

 

I can't help wondering why the government doesn't simply provide a simple to follow website for making a will. The laws are created by the government and when something goes wrong we end having to deal with legal professionals who often charge hundreds of dollars an hour. I suspect there are mistakes that people make with wills, although I've seen people make mistakes with contracts who have retained the services of legal professionals, so nothing in the end is really guaranteed, but we can minimise the risk.

 

JustLocal advertises the services of a couple of legal businesses that can make a will for you and I'm happy to pass on your details if you'd like to contact me.

 

I'm a pretty much do-it-yourself type person, but I do appreciate and call in professionally skilled people as and when required. My personal preference is to work with professionals where I do the work that doesn't require the professional skills and marry that with paying for professional advice when required. A professional crosschecking what you've done is a great way to have peace of mind.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.JustLocal.com.au

Alert: Amazon Gifts- Take full advantage of "Free Weekend" - Shopping Bonus

Just received a faked email from Amazon Gifts with the subject "Take full advantage of "Free Weekend" - Shopping Bonus". The body of the email contains the following 150 AUD bonus shopping offer which of course is not real.

Amazon.com Customer Notice

Take full advantage of "Free Weekend" with our 150 AUD shopping bonus. Amazon.com
is rewarding some of it's lucky customers. Given our successful colaboration, your account has been
declared eligible to receive a 150 AUD gift.

Please follow the link below and insert the required information in order to receive your gift.

The location the email was sent from was Germany.

You should delete these emails.


Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

Alert: MoneyGram - Payment notification email

I received a faked MoneyGram email tonight  with the subject "Payment notification email" and the body of the message as follows.

Revenues notification email
This is an automated email - please do not reply!

Dear customer!

You are receiving this email because of you have been received the money.
It may take a some time for this transaction to appear in the Recent Activity list on your account page.

Payment details
Transaction sum: 430 USD
Transaction date: 2013/08/02

There is a link in the email which if clicked would take you to a page on a site ilpaindia(dot)org and not a site related to MoneyGram. The email had been sent from India.

Since this was a faked email with malicious intent I decided to check the site (using  a secured computer which couldn't get infected) and determine the nature of the scam. Unfortunately the site wasn't responding which probably indicates a large number of people visiting the site as a result of the mass mail out. Pity.

In this situation the site has usually been compromised and contains malicious code, often to infect a computer when visited or to collect user information for those who are tricked into submitting their information. Without accessing the site I can't tell.

You should delete these emails. Don't click on links in emails you receive but instead a safer approach is to open your browser and enter the site address.

Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

Whirlpool knowledge base article links a to site infected with malware

The problem with surfing the internet is often you can end up at a site which has malware. This week I removed malware from one client's computer which resulted from them surfing the internet.

I was researching IPTV services using Google and one page which displayed in the search  results was a Whirlpool page (http://whirlpool.net.au/wiki/internet_television) . I went to the page and found the link to PC TV Software. I followed the link as most people would but then Windows Defender warned there was malware. It should be kept in mind this isn't a page when anyone can post but is a page which is part of Whirlpool's knowledge database.

The lesson here is make sure you are running antivirus software on your computer. You may wish to consider alternative techniques when researching and surfing the internet.

A client recently infected their computer when they visited a fellow recruitment agency's site who was a friend of theirs. The site remained infected for close to a week by the time I was called in to remove the malware from the client's machine.

The only time I've recently infected my computer was when I used software from the SourceForge site which I've visited for years. SourceForge wasn't infected, the program I downloaded wasn't infected, but the site the program took me to after it launched had become infected. I even scanned the program using multiple tools to ensure the program was clean of malware but I did not anticipate the program would open an infected page or in fact had expected it to open a page. The problem with open source software is developers need to make money and sometimes the techniques they use such as taking you to a page which isn't expected, can leave you open to exposure. I removed the malware (a couple of hours work) and then went to the Microsoft App Store and downloaded an app which provided the same functionality. An approach I now consider to be much safer than SourceForge.

Whirlpool is in the top 100 sites in Australia and is thus frequented by a huge number of Australians. A link on one of their knowledge base pages to an infected site is a real concern.

There are lessons that can be shared from these situations. Generally when I'm researching I reboot my computer using a secure disk (used by the American armed forces) which protects my computer from infection. (This disk is available to clients once I make sure it works on their equipment.)

Whilst it is extremely convenient to research using the computer you're currently on, perhaps it may now be prudent to use an older second computer that doesn't offer the same exposure, or to use the secure boot disk approach I use if appropriate.

The lesson I learnt from the recent infection was that some of the sites I've trusted in the past may not be as trustworthy as they could be. Microsoft's app store being more trustworthy than SourceForge was not expect. Finding a link on the Whirlpool site which took me to an infected site was unexpected, but now I will be more cautious when using Whirlpool.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Doncaster, Templestowe, Eltham and the surrounding area.

Alert: NAB Account Information

I received an email this morning with the subject "NAB Account Information" which I suspect is a malicious phishing attempt. The email has a faked Australian sender's email address but the email was actually sent from Georgia Asia. I'd never heard of Georgia Asia before so it was interesting to look up where Georgia Asia was.

You should not click on links to banking or financial sites in emails you receive. Emails are often faked and malicious. Instead visit the site by opening your browser and entering the web address for the site. Clients using my Search Australia search engine can simply enter the commonly used names of the bank and go direct to the bank site.

You should delete emails like these. If you do get tricked contact your bank immediately.

Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

Alert: Bank Of America - statement of expenses

I received a faked email pretending to be from the Bank Of America for a statement of expenses. Attached to the email is a zip will which contains a malicious executable program. The body of the email contains the message:

Bank Of America
Hello.
There is your report (attached) by 07/30/2013.

You can unsubscribe from emailing at you account setttings.
Please contact us if you have any questions on the report.

If you receive a similar message you should delete the email as it is malicious and is currently not detected as malicious by most antivirus programs.

Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

Alert: Bendigo Bank Limited - You have: 1 new Secure Email

I received a faked Bendigo Bank Limited email today with the subject "You have: 1 new Secure Email" and the following text in the body.

An attempt to access Bendigo e-banking was
denied. Please "Logon" now.

If you do not remember trying to access Bendigo
account, Click here: "That was NOT me".

This email was sent from Canada which is another indicator it is malicious. The email does have an Australian email address but this has been faked.

You should delete these emails.

Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.