[Paleopsych] NYT: Q & A: Monitor Web Sites Without Visiting

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The New York Times > Technology > Circuits > Q & A: Monitor Web Sites
Without Visiting
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/31/technology/circuits/31askk.html
March 31, 2005

    Q & A

Monitor Web Sites Without Visiting

    By J.D. BIERSDORFER

    Monitor Web Sites

    Without Visiting

    Q. What does it mean when a Web site says it has an R.S.S. feed
    available?

    A. Really Simple Syndication (R.S.S. for short, and sometimes called
    Rich Site Summary) is a tool used by a Web site for condensing new
    headlines and information from the site into a bite-size summary, also
    known as a feed. You can use a program called a news aggregator or
    news reader to display these R.S.S. summaries (which usually include a
    headline, a short description of the article and a link to the full
    article) on your screen for a quick bite of news.

    Some sites also indicate their R.S.S. feeds with a small orange XML
    button on the home page. XML stands for Extensible Markup Language; it
    is the code typically used for R.S.S. feeds.

    Inexpensive news reader programs for Windows include FeedDemon
    ([1]feeddemon.com/feeddemon) and NewsApp
    ([2]server.com/WebApps/NewsApp). Pluck, the free Web organizer
    software at [3]pluck.com, can also handle R.S.S. feeds. There are
    several news readers for Mac OS X as well, including Net News Wire
    ([4]ranchero.com/netnewswire) and NewsMac (thinkmac.co.uk/newsmac).

    Some news readers work as stand-alone programs, some work within a Web
    browser and some services like My [5]Yahoo can display R.S.S. feeds
    right on a customized page. The Lockergnome site has a tutorial on
    using R.S.S. programs at [6]channels.lockergnome.com/rss/resources,
    where there are links to dozens of news reader programs.

    Replacing Batteries

    In the Pocket PC

    Q. Is it possible to replace the rechargeable battery in a Pocket PC?

    A. If your Pocket PC hand-held is not under warranty and you're stuck
    with a failing battery, you can find replacement parts from a number
    of companies on the Web. For example, you can buy batteries for many
    Pocket PC devices at [7]www.pdainternalbattery.com as well as at
    [8]pdasmart.com, which offers a mail-in repair service for some models
    if you're squeamish about replacing the battery yourself.

    Security Software For Frugal Users

    Q. What security software does the average Windows user need to stay
    safe on the Internet these days, without spending a lot of money?

    A. Security threats run far and wide, so an antivirus program, a
    firewall program and a good antispyware program have become essential
    for protecting your PC. Because junk e-mail can also bring
    identity-fraud scams and malicious attachments, a spam filter for your
    e-mail program is also helpful.

    You can buy individual programs to protect your computer from the
    various Internet ills, but there are less expensive options. You can
    buy a commercial software package with a variety of security programs
    under one roof (and price tag), or use helpful shareware programs.
    [9]Microsoft has free tools as well.

    Companies that offer an Internet security suite of antivirus,
    firewall, antispam programs and other defenses include [10]Trend Micro
    ([11]www.trendmicro.com), Symantec ([12]symantec.com), Panda Software
    ([13]www.pandasoftware.com) and [14]McAfee Security ([15]mcafee.com).
    These packages may cost $50 or more, but they are updated frequently
    and provide technical support.

    There are several free programs designed for protecting a PC, but
    these may not be as full-featured as a commercial product. Among the
    free antivirus programs are AntiVir Personal Edition
    ([16]www.free-av.com), AVG Free Edition
    ([17]free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/2) and eTrust EZ Armor
    ([18]www.my-etrust.com/microsoft; free for one year). Zone Alarm makes
    a free firewall at [19]zonelabs.com, and Windows XP comes with its own
    basic firewall.

    As for spyware stoppers, Ad-Aware Personal Edition
    ([20]www.lavasoft.de) and Spybot Search & Destroy
    ([21]safer-networking.org/en/download) are among the freeware programs
    available. Commercial products like Webroot Spy Sweeper
    ([22]www.webroot.com) are available as well. Microsoft is working on
    its own antispyware software; you can download a free test copy at
    [23]www.microsoft.com/security.

    Questions about computer-based technology may be sent to
    QandA at nytimes.com. This weekly column will address questions of
    general interest, but e-mail and letters cannot be answered
    individually.

References

    1. http://feeddemon.com/feeddemon
    2. http://server.com/WebApps/NewsApp
    3. http://pluck.com/
    4. http://ranchero.com/netnewswire
    5. http://www.nytimes.com/redirect/marketwatch/redirect.ctx?MW=http://custom.marketwatch.com/custom/nyt-com/html-companyprofile.asp&symb=YHOO
    6. http://channels.lockergnome.com/rss/resources
    7. http://www.pdainternalbattery.com/
    8. http://pdasmart.com/
    9. http://www.nytimes.com/redirect/marketwatch/redirect.ctx?MW=http://custom.marketwatch.com/custom/nyt-com/html-companyprofile.asp&symb=MSFT
   10. http://www.nytimes.com/redirect/marketwatch/redirect.ctx?MW=http://custom.marketwatch.com/custom/nyt-com/html-companyprofile.asp&symb=TMIC
   11. http://www.trendmicro.com/
   12. http://symantec.com/
   13. http://www.pandasoftware.com/
   14. http://www.nytimes.com/redirect/marketwatch/redirect.ctx?MW=http://custom.marketwatch.com/custom/nyt-com/html-companyprofile.asp&symb=MFE
   15. http://mcafee.com/
   16. http://www.free-av.com/
   17. http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/2
   18. http://www.my-etrust.com/microsoft
   19. http://zonelabs.com/
   20. http://www.lavasoft.de/
   21. http://safer-networking.org/en/download
   22. http://www.webroot.com/
   23. http://www.microsoft.com/security