Microsoft OneDrive – formerly SkyDrive

SkyDrive is now OneDrive: It's largely the same as its predecessor, with a few new tricks and new mobile apps. Microsoft's online backup and syncing service is the most flexible and all-encompassing of its ilk, with syncing and access apps not only for PCs, but also for Macs, Androids, iOS, and Windows Phones. It integrates with Office apps, both installed and on the Web, and it can share to Facebook as well. By comparison, Apple's competing iCloud is only available for Apple devices (though there is a decent Windows syncing utility). And unlike iCloud's backup, everything on OneDrive is accessible from a Web browser—even PC files that you didn't specifically upload to OneDrive. For all this power and flexibility—not to mention eminently attractive and usable interface, OneDrive is a clear PCMag Editors' Choice.

Like iCloud from Apple, OneDrive serves a lot of functions. If you just want access to documents or media files, it offers simple online storage accessible from the Web. If you want the same set of files replicated on multiple PCs it provides folder syncing. For users of Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone, it backs up settings. Because of this diversity of function, there are several different cross-sections from which you can view the service—by type of data, client, or function. The data types include documents, photos, video, music, or settings. The clients include computer, mobile, and Web, and the functions are things like syncing, viewing, playing, and simple storage. Let's take a look at the service from these various angles.

Your OneDrive Account
Anyone can get a free OneDrive account—well, anyone who's created a Microsoft account, which includes everyone who's ever signed up for a Hotmail, Live, or Outlook.com account. All users get 7GB free storage space, and, if you're a longtime OneDrive account holder (since before April 22, 2012), you've got 25GB free. If you enable photo syncing on any mobile OneDrive app, you get another 3GB for a total of 10GB. This compares with 5GB free for iCloud and Google Drive (though if you convert docs to Google format, storage is free), and 2GB for Dropbox. Office 365 users get an extra 20GB, and anyone can add 20GB to OneDrive for $10 a year. Purchasers of Microsoft Surface  at %seller% tablets get 200GB for two years. Here's how the pricing compares with that of the other services:

	OneDrive	iCloud	Google Drive	Amazon Cloud Drive
Free storage	7GB	5GB	15GB*	5GB
Add  20 GB	$10	$40	N/A	$10
Add 50 GB	$25	$100	N/A	$25
Add 100 GB	$50	N/A	$60	$50

*All email attachments are counted against this.

Device Syncing
Microsoft likes to refer to OneDrive as a "device cloud" and with Windows 8.1 PCs and Windows Phones, the moniker makes sense. The service can sync settings and apps on those types of devices, while clients for iOS, Android, and Mac OS X give users of those devices access to the files stored in OneDrive's online folders.

Like iCloud for iPhones and iPads, OneDrive lets Windows Phone users  automatically upload photos (and videos) taken with the phone's camera to OneDrive's camera roll, so that the photos are quickly available for viewing online, in a OneDrive folder on a PC, in a Windows 8 PC's Photos app, or in any other OneDrive app you have installed. (As we'll see in a moment, this is now also true of the iPhone and Android OneDrive apps.) And in the OneDrive Web interface, you can view the photos as a slideshow, and even see a map of where they were taken along with EXIF camera info. A similar Web interface of this type is completely lacking in Apple's iCloud.

Another service in the realm of device syncing is the ability to sign into your account and magically reproduce a previous machine you've set up—color and background themes, social accounts, user photo, browser favorites and history, and even apps. OneDrive accomplishes this for both Windows 8 PCs and Windows Phones. In Windows 8, the service goes even further, by allowing third-party apps to take advantage of your cloud storage. Apps and sites can even use the service for single sign-on with your permission.

OneDrive Clients
OneDrive is built into Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone, as long as you've signed into a Microsoft account. But what if you use other technology platforms? OneDrive includes apps for not only Windows 7 and 8, but for Mac OS X, iOS, and Android. For other mobile platforms such as Blackberry, a mobile Web interface is available, and for desktop access when you're not at your own computer, a full feature Web app is available. The last is particularly important, and one thing that's long disappointed me about Apple's iCloud: Why can't I access photos in my iCloud Photo Stream from a Web browser, if the stuff is actually in the "cloud?"

Another OneDrive option for mobile users is the OneNote app. It's available for Android, iOS, and Windows Phone, and on the Web. This lets you create notes that will be automatically synced to all your OneDrive access points.

Folder and File Syncing
Forgetting about "devices" for a moment, OneDrive offers another desktop computer-centric function—file and folder syncing. This convenience is similar to what you get with Dropbox ($9.99 a month, 4 stars).

In the past, Microsoft had separated its syncing service with names like Live Mesh and Live Sync, and (way back) FolderShare. I for one, find the joining of online storage and syncing into one cloud service a refreshing simplification of a previously somewhat confusing set of systems. OneDrive syncing on computers differs from the earlier Mesh in that you can't designate any old folder you want to be synced, only those under the OneDrive main folder. But Microsoft has made it possible for these synced folders to look less sequestered in the OneDrive world, by using Windows' Libraries. It also adds a truly cool feature called Fetch—more about that in a moment.

The desktop clients for OneDrive syncing run on Windows Vista through Windows 7 and Mac OS X 10.7.3 or later. They're quick to install, with a setup wizard that lets you create an account if you don't already have one. It then shows how your OneDrive folder will appear in Windows Explorer (or Finder), with its little blue cloud icon instead of the traditional yellow folder icon. Setup also places a cloud icon in your system tray, from which you can open your synced folder or change settings. You can change the folder's location from the default top level under your user folder.

When you place a photo, document, or other item in the created OneDrive folder, it magically appears in any of your other OneDrive clients on any of your other computers.  You can even share a whole folder, but to co-edit documents in the online versions of Office applications you have to share individual files.

For a quick test, I went over to my Windows 8.1 PC and created a new folder in the OneDrive app, which appeared seconds later in a Windows 7 machine's OneDrive folder that I had set up. Including OneDrive in Windows Explorer is incredibly helpful because you can save work from any application to your cloud storage directly, without having to go to a website.

Happily, Windows 8.1 rectifies an inconvenience of Windows 8: OneDrive syncing is built into the desktop and the File Explorer. With 8, you had to install a utility just as if the desktop were Windows 7 itself.

OneDrive on the Web and Fetch
Web access to all your cloud data is one thing you don't get in Apple's iCloud. The Web app is linked with other Microsoft online services through a top switcher menu that includes Mail (either Outlook.com or Hotmail), People (the social network-aggregator app), and Calendar. It's a very fast and clean interface, with a left panel of menu choices including Files, Recent docs, Shared, Groups, and PCs.

This last item may be the most interesting: For PCs you've installed the desktop client on and authorized, you can pull any files using Fetch, even if the files aren't in the OneDrive folder. When I chose the PCs option from the Web interface's left rail, I was greeted by a message saying "Security check! To connect to this PC we need you to enter a security code. This extra step only takes a minute and will help protect your computer from unauthorized access." When I clicked the "Sign in with security code" link, I was told to sign in on a computer that's connected to my account. Of course, for this to work, the PC your fetching files from has to be on and running the OneDrive client.

One Place in the Cloud for Your Digital Life
With FolderShare, Sync, Mesh, and SkyDrive behind it, Microsoft's cloud solution has come together nicely in OneDrive, combining file syncing with online backup, and cloud storage. Cross-platform support for Macs, iOS devices, and Android devices is a smart move on Microsoft's part, too. Microsoft is anything but a latecomer to the cloud: OneDrive in Windows 8.1 shows this and that the service has moved in the right direction. With the most free online storage, the only cloud service that lets you fetch any file from a PC you've set up, integration with Office and third-party apps, folder syncing, and the most platform options including mobile devices and Web interface, OneDrive is our Editors' Choice for consumer cloud services.

Based on article by M. Muchmore in PCmagazine 3/14

Twitter Your Way to Instant Traffic

As you likely know, Twitter is something of a blend between blogging and social networking. Technically it's a micro-blogging medium because you're limited to just 140 characters per post.

With such a limitation, can Twitter actually be used for driving traffic to your website? Let's take a look...

Obviously with just 140 characters to work with you have to make the most of every word. You have to capture attention quickly in each “tweet” (the name for a post on Twitter).

Starting out is a slow process. You won't have any followers so you'll have few readers. You can promote your Twitter feed in various ways, such as encouraging people to follow you on your site, linking it up with your blog, linking it up in forums you belong to, and by following other people with similar interests or a similar purpose and hope they follow you back.

Once you do start getting some followers, their friends see your posts and profile on your followers feed. If your tweets are useful, or interesting, or entertaining, they may start following you, too.

Every time you post a new tweet, each of your followers receives it in their Twitter feed, and they could see it on their computers and/or their cell phone if they've set it up that way.

Sending regular tweets can help build a connection with your followers. Don't just send any old thing though, make each post count. If you write reviews on new software, for example, then you want to let your followers know when you have a new review for them. For me, a tweet goes out automatically when a new issue of this newsletter is posted.

You can send a tweet each time you add a new blog post or web page to your site. Remember to save room at the end to add the URL.

A lot of people search Twitter to find items of interest. If you word your tweets wisely, using a relevant keyword, your posts might be found searchers, enabling you to gain followers for very little effort.

Used wisely, Twitter can help create interest in your site and help further your brand. Even with these short posts you can set up your identity in a way that draws more followers to your niche.

Twitter is a delight to some and baffling to others. You really have to get into it to understand what’s happening. Look at other Twitterers and see how many ways they're using tweets to set their brand, establish a persona, show expertise or drive traffic to their sites.

The instant gratification of Twitter is part of its attraction. There is also a viral potential. Retweets, when someone tweets a tweet someone else made, can grow exponentially, creating a viral storm.

Retweeting is another way to gain followers. When you retweet someone else's tweet, it shows up in the original Twitterer's feed. If hey see it they may check out your Twitter feed and follow you. If the original tweet came from a users with a lot of followers, you could gain many new followers at once, and even more over time.

These are just some of the ways to use Twitter to drive traffic to your site, 140 characters at a time. And now, Here is an ebook with 101 Twitter tips . . . for free  Download 101 Twitter Tips                                              

Source: Boogie Jack Newsletter #274 2/1/14 

Top 10 Scams for 2014

Top 10 Scams for 2014

It can say with near certainty that, despite the best efforts of law enforcement and the software security industry, the growth of Internet usage will drive the number of scams ever higher.  Though there will likely not be any significant change in the components of the Top 10 Scams for 2013 chart, there may be some repositioning and changes of emphasis.

Here's the 2014 forecast:

1. Phishing and ID theft. The bad news is that the gap between this and other scams will widen, with newly digitized medical databases as well as corporate systems being key hacking targets, alongside continuing growth of social networking scams.

2. Lottery and sweepstakes, probably no change here either. Seniors, often the most difficult to educate about this crime, are the prime target.

3. Malware - this crime will grow in 2014, moving up a place in the chart because of the increased use of smartphones and tablets. Security specialists suggest that half of all Android mobile devices have no security installed. This is such a threat it could even dislodge lotteries from the Number 2 slot.

4. Bogus Internet sites and fraudulent online sales - don't expect to see any drop-off in this crime. It has however moved down in the chart because of the growing malware category.

5. Hit-and-run scams. This category moves up a slot too because of the sudden surge seen towards the end of 2013 in bogus IRS and utility company payment demands. Also, as more people wise up to the risks of wiring cash, crooks have switched to demanding their money on prepaid debit cards, giving themselves some extra cash-gathering time before awareness of this new trick spreads. As always, this category can also be affected by any major natural disaster, which drives up charity scams.

6. Grandparent/imposter scams. It's the simplicity of this one that makes it such a big earner for the crooks. Although phone calls remain a popular technique, crooks are switching to spamming millions of people using email address lists harvested from circulating messages, like jokes and pass-it-on requests. Delete those address lists before you forward!

7. Economy-related scams. Expect to see a surge in reverse mortgage scams when older homeowners try to unlock some of the equity in their property as prices start to recover. Also, the trend towards self-employment, a big feature of the past few years, could spark a new round of work-from-home scams.

8. Advance fee scams. Scammers never seem to run out of ideas for new ways of fooling people into sending them "overpayment" refunds or paying upfront for dubious services. There's no reason to think they'll run out of crooked inspiration in 2014.

9. Investment scams. There seems to be little prospect of better interest rates for savers either, so they'll continue to hunt for higher returns -- especially in precious metals and currency speculation. You can also anticipate a surge in crowd-funding investment scams as crowd-funding becomes a more popular way to raise money for small businesses, causes and creative projects, especially with recent changes in equity crowd-funding laws. Towards the end of 2013, also noted was a new surge in "pump-and-dump" schemes, in which victims are fooled or pressured into buying worthless stock, pushing up prices and enabling the scammers to sell their holdings before the price falls again.

10. Dating and sweetheart scams. This is a contender for moving up a place in the charts but it stays here for now. The driver is the growth in dating site usage by older age groups, including those whose judgment may not be as sound as it used to be. Also seen is a growth in bogus dating sites as well as crooked "sweethearts."

Not a pretty picture is it? Not just this item but our entire Top 10 chart.  As always, though, there are plenty of actions you can take to increase your security and reduce your vulnerability to those top scams -- starting with commonsense, skepticism and regular reading of Scambusters!

Based on article in scambusters.org, issue #575

SOME WAYS TO AVOID MISTAKES DURING PROJECT MANAGEMENT

SOME WAYS TO AVOID MISTAKES DURING PROJECT MANAGEMENT

You may have heard the saying ”Be proactive, not reactive.”  This is very appropriate when considering how best to deal with mistakes.  The idea being to prevent mistakes before they occur. But how exactly do you do that?  Here are a few ways in which to prevent mistakes during project development.

1. Learn from other’s mistakes. Find experienced peers who are willing to share their experiences, and mistakes, and learn from them.

2. Do your research first.  No matter how much you know, you will encounter new challenges on almost a daily basis. Each challenge usually requires you to learn something new. Before you tackle a problem or task, do your homework!  The trial and error way of learning is way to costly and time consuming. Today, with the resources of the Internet, there is little excuse for not doing proper research in advance.

3. Have a plan.   You can not know how to get to your destination without a road map.  A project plan is the road map for a development project – you need to know how you are going to get where you are going.  Days or weeks can be lost if you go down the wrong path. When done the right way, a project plan will keep one fron straying off course.

4. Follow standards and use templates.  There is a good reason why experienced professionals took the time to create and publish industry and company standards. Standards detail best practices and procedures learned over the years from trial and error. Templates such as professional forms can be useful since most of the work has already been done in a standard format.

5. Communicate and coordinate with others. If you are part of a team it is essential to communicate with other team members in order to avoid redundancies and to coordinate your work with the others. There are any number of methods to facilitate team communication, none of which are perfect and all of which are time consuming. However, communication is a critical part of the development process.

These are but a few ways in which to be proactive with the development of your project. These tips, if applied properly, will definitely help to prevent mistakes that could otherwise occur during your project development.

Good luck with your project!

HAS YOUR EMAIL BEEN HACKED? WHAT TO DO!

More and more these days, we're hearing reports about hacked email accounts -- in which individuals' accounts are hijacked by crooks and used to spam their victims' contacts. An email goes out to your contacts seemingly from you often containing a link that leads either to a sales site or, worse, a malware download. Or they may be one of those spoof distress emails claiming the supposed sender is in trouble and needs money.

So how can you tell if your email account has been hacked and what can you do about it? The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has recently issued guidance, which has been posted on the government's OnGuardOnline website.

How to Tell If You've Been Hacked

Usually, the first clue you get that someone is using your email address is when you get emails from your contacts about messages they say they've received from you and which you know for sure you didn't send. You might also check your "Sent" folder if you use an online email account and see messages there that you didn't send. Similarly, you may find your Facebook or other social network account has posts that you didn't write. You may not even be able to sign in to your social media or email accounts.

It's also possible, says the FTC, that people may be receiving emails that seem to come from you when your account hasn't been hacked at all. In that case, the crooks are spoofing your email address -- using their tech skills to "overlay" their real address with yours. But even then, you'll still want to take action to put things right.

How Did You Get Hacked?

There are several ways crooks can get hold of your email account info but the simplest way is that you gave it to them. They already know your email address. It'll be on hundreds or thousands of messages you sent out (including those on jokes you circulated or someone sent to you) or on other sites where you have accounts.

In fact, it's not hard to guess your address if, like most people, you use your first and last name followed by the mail service provider -- like JohnDoe@somemailservice.com. Now, all they have to do is guess your password, which, depending on how wary you are, could take just seconds. Or they may get hold of it from company computers where you have an account, which they have previously also hacked. If you use the same password on multiple accounts, you're in big trouble.

Alternatively, you may have inadvertently installed malware on your PC, perhaps from the very same trick that's now being passed on to your contacts -- you clicked on a link you thought was sent to you by someone you know. The malware then goes through your PC, collects your password details, raids your contacts list and begins the whole process again.

What to Do If You've Been Hacked

You should take five key actions if you believe your email account has been hacked:

> First, check for and get rid of any malware on your PC. Update and run your internet security software for this. If nothing is found, visit the software company's website or search the Internet for more malware-scanning tools from reputable companies.

If you haven't found any malware, download the free scanner form Malwarebytes. Although this is NOT a substitute for full-blown Internet security (as the company will tell you), it does have a good reputation for tracking down and removing installed malware that other tools miss.

> Second, change you passwords. Again, check out our earlier reports on how to create strong passwords. And follow the two golden rules: Don't use the same password for different sites, and change all of your passwords regularly. Use a password manager.

> Third, check with your email provider or social networking site for guidance on restoring or resetting your account. You may find, for example, that the crooks have already changed your password and you can't log on to your own account. You'll find links from most of the big providers on StaySafeOnline.org's Hacked Accounts page.

> Next, check your account settings. Says the FTC: "Once you're back in your account, make sure your signature and 'away' message don't contain unfamiliar links, and that messages aren't being forwarded to someone else's address. On your social networking service, look for changes to the account since you last logged in -- say, a new 'friend'."

> Finally, make sure you tell all your contacts about what has happened, as soon as possible. If you email them, use the "bcc" address field so all their details remain hidden to the others.

How to Avoid Being Hacked

It would be better, of course, if you didn't get hacked in the first place.

You can reduce the risks by following our password guidance and keeping your passwords secret; using a difficult to identify address or at least adding numbers to your address name and keeping your security software up to date.

For more information on this FTC guidance, visit OnGuardOnline's Hacked Email page.

Based on article from Scambusters.org 9/13/13.

TIPS for Keeping Your Information and System Secure

Keep a Clean Machine.

> Keep security software current: Having the latest security software, web browser, and operating system are the best defenses against viruses, malware, and other online threats.

> Automate software updates: Many software programs will automatically connect and update to defend against known risks. Turn on automatic updates if that’s an available option..

> Protect all devices that connect to the Internet: Along with computers, smart phones, gaming systems, and other web‐enabled devices also need protection from viruses and malware.

> Plug & scan: “USBs” and other external devices can be infected by viruses and malware. Use your security software to scan them.

Protect Your Personal Information.

> Secure your accounts: Ask for protection beyond passwords. Many account providers now offer additional ways for you verify who you are before you conduct business on that site.

> Make passwords long and strong: Combine capital and lowercase letters with numbers and symbols to create a more secure password.

> Unique account, unique password: Separate passwords for every account helps to thwart cybercriminals.

> Write it down and keep it safe: Everyone can forget a password. Keep a list that’s stored in a safe, secure place away from your computer.

> Own your online presence: When available, set the privacy and security settings on websites to your comfort level for information sharing. It’s ok to limit how and with whom you share information.

Connect with Care.

> When in doubt, throw it out: Links in email, tweets, posts, and online advertising are often the way cybercriminals compromise your computer. If it looks suspicious, even if you know the source, it’s best to delete or if appropriate, mark as junk email.

> Get savvy about Wi‐Fi hotspots: Limit the type of business you conduct and adjust the security settings on your device to limit who can access your machine.

> Protect your $$: When banking and shopping, check to be sure the sites is security enabled. Look for web addresses with “https://” or “shttp://”, which means the site takes extra measures to help secure your information. “Http://” is not secure.

Be Web Wise.

> Stay current. Keep pace with new ways to stay safe online. Check trusted websites for the latest information, and share with friends, family, and colleagues and encourage them to be web wise.

> Think before you act: Be wary of communications that implores you to act immediately, offers something that sounds too good to be true, or asks for personal information.

> Back it up: Protect your valuable work, music, photos, and other digital information by making an electronic copy and storing it safely.

Be a Good Online Citizen.

> Safer for me more secure for all: What you do online has the potential to affect everyone – at home, at work and around the world. Practicing good online habits benefits the global digital community.

> Post only about others as you have them post about you.

> Help the authorities fight cybercrime: Report stolen finances or identities and other cybercrime to

http://www.ic3.gov (Internet Crime Complaint Center), the Federal Trade Commission at

http://www.onguardonline.gov/file‐complaint.

Visit http://www.stopthinkconnect.org for more information.

LET US NEVER FORGET 9-11

Let us never forget! 

Twelve years ago the United States was attacked by a band of radical Islamists. Thousands of innocent people died as a result of this viscous attack. To this day, the world has not been the same. Over the past twelve years, these animals have threatened and attacked people in many other countries. People all over the world will continue to live in fear until these radical, so-called religious fanatics are eliminated.