Acoustic or Digital Piano - Which Should You Choose?

If you've made a decision to invest in a piano for your home then several elements will come into play when choosing between an acoustic or digital piano. Potentially, in a perfect world, you would have both; a classic acoustic piano with it's fantastic touch and tone along with the usefulness and versatility of a digital piano. assuming that owning both is not a possibility, you will need to dilutely take into consideration the advantages and drawbacks of each to choose which will be best for you.

Let's have a glance at the advantages of an acoustic piano. To start with it's the "real deal"; a stunning instrument capable of subtle subtleties that are challenging for the digital piano to emulate. The experience of performing with an acoustic piano-- the touch and sense, the harmonics, the reverberations, the aesthetic beauty and the relationship with heritage-- is so special and sophisticated that even the most advanced digital piano will not be able to reproduce it all. And, provided that you buy a top quality piano and it is properly kept, the acoustic will continue to cater to you, your little ones and even your grandchildren for many years.

The drawback of an acoustic piano? The upfront financial investment is a lot higher than purchasing a digital model. As a matter of fact price is the number one cause that most people choose against an acoustic. Acoustic pianos also take up a good deal of space, are very difficult to relocate and you must thoroughly consider where in your house you keep it as drastic changing of temperature and moisture may have an unfavorable effect on your piano. In addition tuning and preserving of an acoustic piano adds several hundred dollars a year to their overall cost of ownership.

Now let's take a look at the digital option. In recent years the construction of digital pianos has improved drastically and the array of styles offered is now massive.

One of the most significant factors to consider when purchasing a digital piano is the touch and experience of the "ivories". A top quality keyboard will feature weighed keys to ensure that it reproduces the ambience of using an acoustic piano as accurately as possible. If you're a beginner this is important so you build the proper playing approach and it will make the transition to an acoustic piano easier. Digital pianos use up substantially less space and you can position it in any area in your house - temperature, cold or moisture will not have an effect on the tone of your digital piano and it will not need to have regular upkeep like an acoustic piano does. And the price is a huge factor. Whilst it's plausible to spend several thousand dollars on a digital piano, you can buy a fantastic quality instrument for under $ 1000.

One big advantage that digitals have over an acoustic piano is its ability to sound like any other instrument imaginable. They come with many 'styles' that make it possible for you to totally change the sound of your keyboard. With pre-recorded tunes, a musician with even the most fundamental piano abilities can sound like an entire orchestra. You could even install your favorite favorite song selections and play together with The Beatles, Johnny Cash or Lady Gaga.

Learning to make music on a digital piano is loads of fun. There is a wide array of academic software available plus you can connect headphones and play for hours and hours at a time understanding that you're not disturbing the rest of the home or your neighbors!

While digitals have a great deal of advantages, it's important to also take into consideration the negative aspects. The longevity of a quality digital is limited. Like other electronic devices, they quickly depreciate in worth and, with manufacturers introducing new models regularly, your digital piano will, in time, become outdated.

So which is the best digital piano? There is a significant choice and it can possibly be overwhelming when you first begin to search for your ideal piano. We have put together a shoppers guide to help you locate the best piano for you and your loved ones. There are buying ideas, an AZ of piano 'geek speak' and many piano reviews.

5 Tips to Picking the Song Order on Your Album

You've spent countless hours writing and rehearsing Your songs. Another few hundred more in the studio recording them and just for good measure another hundred or so mixing it till it sounds just right. Now the album is soon to go for mastering and You're putting the finishing touches on the way the album is going to play out. Here are a few tips I found helpful when putting the final play list together.

1) Put Your lead single in the first 3 songs.

The reasoning behind this is that when people buy your album they will most probably buy it because they enjoy your lead single. This means that when they look at the playlist on the back of the CD one of their first thoughts is 'where's the single?' Now if they see it in the top three they would be more likely to listen to the two other songs in the top 3 as they'll be thinking 'well at least the lead single is only a song away so I might as well give this song a chance '.

Also if for example your lead single was song number 2 they will most likely end up listening to song number 3 because they are already in the 'groove' of your music and that would let the songs run. Having another solid song in the top 3 is also a plus as You make a great impression early on.

Another small addition is to make the silence at the end of the lead single and the silence at the beginning of the song after it particularly short so that the break between the lead single and the song after it is quick.

If the lead single was in the center of the album the situations are that the listener will skip directly to it and then end up listening to the consequent songs. This would mean a large chunk of material will be skipped in the first listen through.

2) Make the Song after Your lead Single a Solid Track.

After listening to your first single your listener will be in the mood for some more of your best material and so serve them with it! If they listen to two solid songs in a row that's when they will say 'wow, these guys must have a pretty solid album' and will be more open to listening to your more diverse songs.

Now when I write 'a solid track' I do not mean that it has to have the same energy or emotion as your lead single but it should have another dose of the 'you' that is in the lead single that they've grown to love so much.

3) Put 'Happier' / High Energy Songs at the Beginning and End of the Album.

When listening to an album nobody wants to leave the experience feeling 'bummed out' or overly introspective, that would most likely result in them not listening to the album again for a while or when they do being pensive when it gets to the final few tracks or in the case of the more (negatively) emotionally charged songs being at the beginning they would probably skip them entirely.

If the album starts out with high energy songs and then slowly drifts into the more introspective, emotionally charged songs in the center it will be easier to handle as the residual 'vibe' from the first songs will still be lingering and 'cushion' the blow of the more emotionally charged, introspective songs.

4) 'Trim The Fat'.

If You find two or more songs that sound like quite simply keep the best of the two and get rid of the latter. I do not mean complete scrap the song and destroy the final mix, simply save it for a later date.

When putting out a promo CD or a subsequent EP You could use the track that was left out of the full length album. The beauty of this is that when people are listening to the Promo or EP they would be reminded of the full length album so would link the good emotions they had listening to your full length album with the EP or promo.

5) Listen, Listen & Listen Again (after that ... Listen Again).

The most important of all the tips would be to listen through the album as many times as possible. Get friends to listen to it, your producer to listen to it, ask your mastering engineers advice when they're going through the mastering process.

After that listen to it again and if anything even remotely sounds out of place then do not get it pressed. Wait until You've got the playlist so perfect that you could listen to the album through and want to start it again right then, that's when You know.

Lastly always remember that the buck stops with You. There is no one else in the world that can even begin to judge Your album but yourself. It's Your Music, Your Passion, Your Experiences, Your Sweat, Your tears on that record and so the last say is Yours. It is Your Child.

Always remember that, always.

An Outline of Personal and Business Loan Categories and Their Uses

The number of loan products have increased over the past 20 years as economic necessity and a demanding public in need of specialization to resolve financial circumstances. From personal loans, educational loans, business loans and even municipal loans. The entities that took part in the creation of the various financial products are actuaries, risk management professionals, "information and informatic engineers" and Wall Street among others. It was necessary to create, enhance or break down for better or for worse loan services and products to keep money fluid in a diverse marketplace that required funds to address niche demographics.

• Personal Loans

Signature Loans - A signature loan is just as it sounds. One applies for a loan and gives a signature on a promissory note to repay the loan in a certain amount of time. That amount of time is called a "loan term" and may be from six months to five years. Signature loans usually require good credit and the criteria for loan approval are mostly based on the borrower's credit and and to a lesser degree on assets. Not all signature loans have the same parameters for qualifications. Some loans may require the borrower even with good credit to account for assets to show the lending institution for underwriting purposes. The institution may or may not place a lien on the assets but ratherless wants to have documentation providing that there are indeed financial or physical assets owned by the borrower. Signature loans usually come with lower interest rates than other types of consumer loans like payday loans, credit card advances, title loans and some car loans. More on these topics later. Who are the lenders in signature loans? They range from large subsidiaries of auto manufacturers to banks, savings and loan institutions, finance companies and payday loan companies.

Credit Card Loans - Credit Card loans or cash advances from credit cards are another form of personal loans. These quick loans are more readily available to the general public and does not require a credit check. To obtain the initial card more than likely required a credit check or at least the process of identification for secured credit cards. Credit card loans or advances usually come with higher interest rates and also other fees for having access to the cash. Various entities allow access to the credit card cash advances from bank tellers, check cashing facilities and automated teller machines (ATMs). The fees vary based on source used to access the funds. To lower the fees for cash advances some use check cash facilities to have the card charged and receive cash back in turn for not having to incur the fees of ATM machines as cards are assessed a fee twice; first by the ATM company and also their bank. The interest rates on credit card loans or advances are usually higher than signature loans. There are some states that have usury laws that have lower interest rates on credit cards. The loan or advance on a credit card is not a "term loan" as with most signature loans. It is more or less a line of credit the borrower has access to when they need it as long as there are funds available on the credit card. Interest on consumer loans are no longer tax deductible as in previous years. They were designed for short term borrowing needs but many have come to use their credit cards as a regular source of funds in tight economic times or between paychecks.

Wedding Loans - A relatively new form of loan to carve out a niche for the lending industry and meets the needs of the increasing costs of weddings is the Wedding Loan. Because of the expense of weddings which can range into six figures, it sometimes requires a personal loan or even a business loan of the families involved to provide a proper wedding. Wedding loans can be secured (using assets for collateral) or unsecured (signature loans) to obtain funds for the ever growing need to pay for the escalating wedding costs and all the various services and products that a successful matrimonial ceremony would need. The credit criteria and the term may vary based on the amount needed and financial status of the people involved.

Payday or Cash Advance Loans is a fast growing market because it typically requires the least of credit criteria used for loan approvals. One can have bad credit for a quick and instant loan. Just having proof of income, proof of identity and a checking account is all that is necessary to secure funds. Even today many have checking accounts without checks one can still obtain a cash advance by asking their bank to produce a one time check to give to the payday loan agency. Many payday loan companies and stores can obtain approval with no faxing of documents as they utilize other means for proof of income. Although payday loans come with very high annualized interest rates they sometimes are the only source of emergency cash loans for those in need.

Automotive , Motorcycle, RV (recreational vehicle) and Boat Loans - These personal consumer loans are usually not signature only loans but asset based loans. In other words a financial lien is placed against the asset to secure a loan to purchase or refinance the car, boat et al. These consumer loans may sometimes require a down payment of five to twenty-five percent to secure enjoyment and use of ownership. Because these are not funds that are already available as with credit cards they come with a "loan term" from one to six years depending on the choices of the consumer, the marketplace and the credit status. The interest rates can range from very low usually offered by manufacturers of cars, motorcycles, RV's (recreational vehicles) and boats to very high if the borrower uses a credit card, a finance company or a "buy here - pay here" lender - or the car dealer who finances the purchase of the car by giving the borrower a term of months and years to pay the balance of the loan off.

• Business Loans

SBA (Small Business Administration) Loans are loans that are given to small businesses which are not able to qualify for a loan from a financial institution for various reasons from lack of business history, lack of collateral to "secure" the loan or not having an appropriate credit history. The SBA is not a direct lender but acts as an underwriter on behalf of the bank that funds the loan for the business entity. If the borrower defaults on the loan the SBA will pay the bank a percentage of the balance for taking the financial risk to loan the funds to the business. There are various types of SBA loans which will not be covered in this article but a future article will explain in more detail.

Conventional Business Loans are loans that are either unsecured meaning no asset is used to approve the loan or secured and called "asset based loans" where assets from inventory, equipment, accounts receivable or real estate are used for underwriting for loan approval. Conventional business loans are given to business entities that have great banking relationships, established business credit history with trade lines with other businesses that do business with and good standing with various credit reporting entities like Dun & Bradstreet. There are short term loans with interest only payments with the balance due at the end of the loan usually referred to as a "Balloon Loan". There are also longer term loans that are fully amortized (principal and interest in each payment) paid over one to five years or more.

Equipment Leasing is a financial instrument which technically is not a loan. Meaning based on tax ramifications and who owns the equipment - leasing is just that - leasing an asset owned by another entity. Leases are usually from large corporations or a bank. The lease term can vary from one to five years or more and there usually are tax benefits to the business entity in leasing new or used equipment.

Equipment Sale Leaseback is a transaction to use equipment that is already owned by the business or municipal entity to secure funds for the present need for operations. The term can vary from one to five years and the amount of funds can vary based on credit history and a percentage of the fair market value of the equipment. The company then in turn leases the equipment back in usually a month payment. The company or the lessee usually has different choices on what they want to do with the equipment at the end of the term. They can roll the lease transaction into newer more updated equipment or software. They can buy the equipment for one dollar or ten percent of the fair market value of the equipment.More and more companies are leasing today as opposed to paying cash or using bank lines or loans.

Merchant Cash Advance is used by businesses that need fast cash and can not qualify or do not want to go through the process of getting bank approval for needed funds. A Merchant Cash Advance is also not a loan product but it is the selling of assets or credit card receipts at a discount. In other words the Merchant Cash Advance company buys the credit card receipts and then attaches a fee usually every time the business "batches", settles or closes the day's or week's sales until the funds advanced are paid off. There is no term with merchant cash advances as it is not a loan so there is no set payment amount or period. The paying off of the advanced funds vary based on the credit and debit card transactions of the day or week.

Factoring Accounts Receivable Invoices enables a business entity that normally has to wait 30 days or longer to be paid by other businesses or governmental entities. Again factoring is not technically a loan but a selling of invoices at a discount for cash now. In a typical transaction the company applies with a Factoring Company and the company looks primarily at the credit of the other business or governmental entity that the company is doing business with. Based on that as long as the client of the company is a solvent business or government agency the invoices are bought and funds are dispensed to the business usually within three days of due diligence on the company they are transacting business with. In other words the funds are dispensed after there is a credit check and processing of the other company. The dollar amount that is advanced can vary from fifty percent of the invoice to eighty or ninety percent depending on various factors such as the size of the invoice to the credit criteria of the other company or governmental entity, whether it is a city, county, state Egypt federal agency.

Medical Factoring is a financial transaction that benefits medical entities like hospitals, clinics and various health care professionals that have to wait to receive funds for services performed on patients. Like Factoring and Merchant Cash Advances Medical Factoring is the selling of assets in this case invoices for cash now. In many instances the health care industry receives payment from third party entities like insurance companies, Medicaid and Medicare and state entities that provide funds for those in need of medical procedures. The medical facility or professional in turns sells the invoice (s) on a going basis or one time for cash now. Once there is an interest is selling the receivables then a Factor steps into analyze the billing so that funds can be advanced. This process can vary in length but is usually shorter in length than the process of getting bank financing.

Contract and Purchase Order Funding allows companies to bid on large projects for governmental agencies, hospitals, universities, prison systems and municipalities or also to sell to larger corporations even if the business does not have the credit or bank approval or the wherewithal to service or fulfillment a large contract order. Similar to Factoring which works hand in hand with Purchase Order Funding it is not a loan but a simultaneous transaction that involves advancing funds based on the credit of the governmental agency or larger company and the size of the contract. The funds that are advanced are for the cost in completing the order of products or performing services. So the profit that will be gained is not advanced but the costs as in raw and finished material, transportation, production, labor, expertise and any other costs involved in completing the contract. Once the contract is completed or once an invoice is ready to be sent to the client a factoring company which is sometimes owned by the same company buys the invoice at a discount and the funds that would normally be advanced to the company are usually used to settle the amount advanced for the material and other services that were needed to complete the order. Contract and Purchase Order Funding usually requires large transaction amounts as opposed to factoring that can be utilized for invoices as small as one hundred dollars. With the use of Contract and Purchase Order Funding companies that were locked out of the process of bidding on large contract s may become players in multi-million dollar deals.

Commercial Real Estate Sale Leasebacks are similar to Equipment Sale Leasebacks featured in this article. Instead of utilizing owned equipment to secure cash when bank borrowing is not wanted or not available the commercial real estate is used to access funds now. This can vary from office buildings, medical buildings, retail franchises, industrial buildings and manufacturing to large utility plants. This frees up cash "locked" away in real estate. Many entities find that at the present time the business they are in whether it is retail, manufacturing or another field that the holding of commercial real estate is not in their best financial interest for now. They prefer to put to use funds for their industry. So a retail selling retails goods decides to focus on the retail operations and to lease the space because that real estate when factored into a myriad of calculations does not fit their financial goals during the present time. Yes the ownership of commercial real estate is an asset and can be used as a security for a loan but may also be viewed as a fixed non-performing entity that does not meet the needs of the business, organization, group or individual that owns the building. Commercial Real Estate Sale Leasebacks are another form of getting access to funds and has increased over the years.

Vehicle Towing and Recovery Services

If your vehicle has suddenly decided to stop working, or you have been involved in a car accident, then you will most likely have to hire the help of a recovery service to come and collect your car for you. Tow trucks can be used to tow all types of cars, trailers, machinery, motorcycles and caravans. This article takes a look at some of the most popular types of recovery services that are available, along with information on how you can find a roadside recovery specialist in your area.

Car Recovery

One of the most popular services is that of roadside car recovery. Specialists will be able to recover all types of cars, including vintage cars, sports cars and even racing cars. They will also be able to recover motorbikes. Large tow trucks will often come pre fitted with a tilt tray and an underlift, which will allow it to safely pick up trailers and even small boats or caravans that have been attached onto the back of the car. Some tow trucks will be able to tow two cars at the same time if it is required.

Machinery Recovery

Many types of machinery will be able to be towed using the tow truck. This can include bobcats, tractors, forklifts and scissor lifts. The tow truck will be able to come directly to your place of work to recover the machinery.

Lockouts

Recovery services will be able to deal with car lockouts. A lockout is where you either accidentally lock your keys inside of your car, or you lose your only set of car keys. Sometimes the recovery team will be able to make a new key for your car at the roadside. In some instances, such as when a new immobilizer system is required, the vehicle will need to be towed to a garage where it can be fixed at a later date.

Jumpstarts

Everyone gets a flat battery every once in a while, and the most common reason for this is by accidentally leaving your lights on. A recovery team will be able to quickly come to your rescue and jumpstart your car for you. If for whatever reason the car won't start, or it needs additional work, then they will be able to safely tow it to the garage for you.

Country Work and 4x4 Recovery

A specialist recovery team will also be able to access hard to reach areas to come and collect your car. This can include on rough terrain, such as off road, in the bush or even on a beach.

Where to Find a Recovery Service

You can find a recovery service in your area by searching for them online. All major companies will have a website which list the services that they offer, along with their contact details. Even if you do not require their services right now, it is worth storing a telephone number in your phone in the event that you need to get hold of them in an emergency.

The Gift of Balance

Aristotle is my favorite. He just is. I started buying what I believed to be classic books in my early twenties, during that period of self-renaissance when you realize school is gone and you're more or less in charge of what you know from then on. Just stacks and stacks of books, and what I hoped would make me a better person. That's as honest as I can be.

On one of those betterment journeys to Barnes and Noble I came home with a green book with gold letters: Aristotle XVII Metaphysics. It's beautiful still. It's a million years old. So it kind of has to be. Right? Lest it be lost along the way. It's hard not to trust something that has lasted more than one hundred generations of human existence. Ninety-nine? I do not know. But a hundred? That's gotta be something.

Anywhere.

It was while reading that book that I fell in love with Aristotle and his ideas and started looking for more and more things to know about him; like you do when something sparks your interest. And it was then that I learned of what they, the ancient Greeks, started calling The Golden Mean. Or The Golden Middle Way.

Essentially, it's this. You can not just be one thing. You can not be extremely one sided or polarized and maintain a healthy soul. Or be a healthy society even. If you're all beauty, and have no truth, you rot. If you have all truth, and no appreciation for beauty, you rot. Train only for war, and not peace? Rot. Only peace? Rot. Math, but not art? Art, but not math?

You get the idea.

The idea is that balance and equilibrium must be found and maintained in order for any system to work and live. Especially complex systems. And humans are the most complex of all. You. Your insides. And to keep yourself healthy you have to balance the things in your life that take up the most of your time. You love basketball? When you get home from the gym you should read a book. You love books? When you get home from the library you should go for a run.

And then, maybe, to help the ones around you find their balance, too, and their own equilibrium? That might be the most noble pursuit there is.

If you have someone in your life that you know works day after day in an office, staring with tired eyes at spreadsheet after spreadsheet, mapping out their work life in numbers and ratios and calculation after calculation, why not help them find their balance?

What is SEO - An Overview

Whenever you do some research on a search engine, it automatically gives you thousands of sites you can go to. And have you ever wondered how the search engines decide which one goes first on the results that they brave you? And that how come that this certain site ranks higher than others? This is because of the very powerful technique called SEO. So, what is SEO?

SEO or Search Engine Optimization is a way or technique that helps search engines (like Google) find and rank a certain website higher than the millions of websites you can find on the internet. It's basically optimizing your websites / blogs so when someone did a little research for a certain keyword in a search engine, your site will populate at the top of the list. And SEO also means getting high traffic or more people viewing your site.

What is SEO again and how does it work? SEO is also a practice of improving both internal and external aspects of your website to ensure its visibility in every search engine. It is accomplished by optimizing some section in the "HTML" coding of each page. But there are several ways or methods on how a website should be optimized, and it will depend much on the type of site, content, purpose and competition. On the other hand, general search optimization relates heavily on the proper use of keywords that describe the content of a website. Keywords must first appear in the title section of your page. They should also appear in the section where page is accurately described by repeating the keywords. You should also remember that each page title must use one or more unique keywords to ensure maximum search engine optimization. The use of keywords is very essential to SEO because it is the one that drives traffic to your website.

The most important keywords should be used substantively in the first two paragraphs of the content of the page and should be sprinkled through the body. Other tricks in helping search engine optimization to work are naming image files and anchors with keywords. Anchors are references to other pages within the site or in other words, cross-links

SEO is really a powerful tool in getting high traffic for your website among any other sites available on the internet. It also gives you more exposure for your business and more opportunities of selling your products or services. SEO is really a necessity for you to succeed in internet business. There are several tutorials online that will help you in optimizing your own sites. You just have to carefully search for the ones that will give you more knowledge about SEO. This is what is SEO all about.

Computer Hacking Methods and Protection

Protecting your computer against hacking is different from protecting it against viruses that you accidently or unknowingly invite into your computer that then cause damage in one form or another. Anti-hack is about protecting your computer against external entities that are deliberately trying to get into your computer to cause damage and to steal from you - or cause damage. Viruses are impersonal and hacking is personal.

Anti-Hack software is now out there for sale in addition to anti-virus software. These products protect you in ways that anti-virus software does not. Following are some examples.

DoS (Denial of Service) Attacks:

DoS attacks occurs when too much traffic is directed to your company website at once. The web server essentially 'chokes' on the amount of traffic trying to squeeze into it's network hardware. Attack scripts are easily downloadable and you do not need to be an experienced engineer to launch an attack. Upset customers seeking some sort of revenge or disruption, competitors interfering your site, or these days, as in the recent major hospital attacks, the trend is to hold your web site hosting until some ransom is paid or some demand met. "Ransomeware" is a reliably new term, but it is gaining a lot of visibility in recent times.

SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) Attacks:

Akamai's Prolexic Security Engineering and Response Team (PLXsert) recently issued a threat advisory warning of DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks abusing the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) interface. PLXsert SNMP DDoS attack campaigns target various industries including consumer products, gaming, hosting, nonprofits, and software-as-a-service, mainly in the US (49.9%) and China (18.49%). The attackers used an online tool posted by the hacker group 'Team Poison'. This latest wave of attacks targets devices running SNMP which by default is open to the public Internet without that feature is usually disabled. Anti-hack software is now being created that help prevent SNMP attacks such as this by preventing the attacker from forcing network switching to secondary gateways.

SYN / AWK Attacks:

This is a little complex but basically, a SYN flood attack is similar to a Denial of Service attack in that there is request made to the web server that ties up its resources and makes it unavailable to other connections. When a computer or web browser tries to connect to a web site, what's called a 3-way handshake is used to establish the connection between the two computers. In a SYN / AWK Flood attack, the computer offers its hand (1-way), the server reaches out to meet it (2-way) but the offered hand is quickly withdrawn. The server waits for the hand to come back until it 'times-out' and then the cycle repeats millions of times. The 3-way handshake is never established and all other connections are denied while this is happening.

USB Auto-Run Attacks:

By default, Windows runs any executable, program, or script on a USB drive the second it is inserted into any computer or laptop. This means that anyone * with unauthorized code, like a virus or a key-logger or backdoor program - all of which are easily downloadable - can walk past any computer in your building, insert the USB drive for just a second or two, and take control of your entire business without you knowing about it. Anti-virus software knows this and will try to block known vulnerabilities, but what about the unknown ones that were created this morning?

* I want to get them thinking locally here too. Friends could do it, your wife could do it, your kids could do it, the babysitter, your priest, etc ...

Remote Connections:

Here's a test; right-click on My Computer and select the Remote tab, or, in Windows 8, right-click This Computer and click the 'Remote Settings' link on the left side of the System panel that opened. Is 'Allow Remote Assistance connections to this computer' checked? Click the Advanced button and you will see how far this goes and how easy it is for your computer to allow others to connect to it. You can actually allow others to take complete control of your system.

This was designed for a helpdesk in a major corporation to connect quickly and easily without a lot of authentication fuss. The average home, school, and SOHO system is obviously not on a corporate helpdesk so closing these interoperability 'features' will help protect your system against external intrusion. If you ever need them back on, you can explicitly turn them back on. But we do not believe they should be on by default. Neither does the NIST, the USAF, The DoHS, or even the NSA. Check for the current settings on your computer - then update if necessary - I'll bet you find this this setting is on, allowing remote control to externals.

Microsoft Program Inventory:

In Windows 7, Microsoft quietly introduced a feature they call 'Program Inventory'. A direct quote from Microsoft states: "The PDU catalogs programs and files on the system and sends information about those files to Microsoft". Not only are you constantly sending information about every installed program on your machine, but also information about every single file that a program can open. Read that quote again: Microsoft 'catalogs all of the programs and files on your system' and they admit it somewhere buried in the guts of the operating system.

But they did not tell you before they implemented it. You would be shocked at what they are doing with Windows 8 and especially the new and free upgrade to Windows 10. How on Earth could have a sustainable business model giving away your main product except there was some massive reward for doing so. Your information is most likely that reward. Find this window in your system settings to turn off the feature if you wish to protect the privacy of your information.

Conclusion

While no system can be completely 100% secure in today's rapidly changing computer threat landscape, there is absolutely no reason to give intruders a helping hand. Easy-connection and interoperability features and settings need to be switched off by the dozens. The goal is to make it more difficult for intruders, much more difficult, rather than to continue to have operating systems with hundreds of open doors, windows, and step-ladders into private areas just waiting to be exploited.

Windows 10 is particularly vulnerable and there are many settings you should be considering turning off to protect yourself further so be sure to learn more about this - there are many video guides for doing this available on YouTube today.

In summary, there is a definite reason why hacking is on the rise globally. People have realized just how easy it is now to gain control of your computer - and they are doing it.