What's a Computer Virus?

Today's main Good Question was "What's a Computer Virus?"  Click on the presentation below for concepts, examples, crapware, and suggestions of what you can do about it.

Send Questions to:  ask@NSCSeniorSurfers.Com.   (clicking on this link only works if you have an email client/program configured.  It doesn't work if you only use Web mail in which just type it in the address bar.)

I should never mention BitCoin.  <grin>  Here's the link to the Washington Post article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/02/25/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-latest-bitcoin-crisis/  For an more in-depth presentation of what BitCoin is and how it works, refer to my May 2013 presentation, "BitCoin" revisited.  You'll find it over on the right hand side of this page.

Netflix & Comcast: http://www.extremetech.com/computing/177073-why-netflix-streaming-is-getting-slower-and-probably-wont-get-better-any-time-soon

And Verizon sucks too:

http://consumerist.com/2014/02/11/netflix-streaming-speeds-getting-worse-for-comcast-and-verizon-fios-customers/

Personally, I think Comcast and Verizon are slowing down Netflix because they both have a streaming service they want to sell to their customers.  It's anti-competitive, but with no rules they can do whatever the *@&$ they want.

Trace where an Email came from here:  http://whatismyipaddress.com/trace-email

Have multiple Anti-virus checks on a file here:  https://www.virustotal.com/  My virus file is now showing 35/50 tests as virus, it was only 5/50 when I first got it.

Interesting Maps, I've shown several of these:  http://twistedsifter.com/2013/08/maps-that-will-help-you-make-sense-of-the-world/  Here's the map of Girls names by State over time:  http://jezebel.com/map-sixty-years-of-the-most-popular-names-for-girls-s-1443501909 And boys:  http://jezebel.com/map-six-decades-of-the-most-popular-names-for-boys-st-1450787771

Recommended: 

                Malware Bytes:  http://www.malwarebytes.org/downloads/  (Use the Free version, not the Pro or trial version)

                AdwCleaner:  http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/adwcleaner/  Watch which button to click!

                Should I Remove It:  http://www.shouldiremoveit.com/

Lastly, have you been "Pwned?"  https://haveibeenpwned.com/   If so … change the password on the compromised account ASAP!