The Traversalist

Everybody wants laptop computers it seems. How did we ever live without them? Taiwanese manufacturers have said material shortages will affect shipments this year due to the enormous demands. Many have forcasted laptop computers to be in demand but its amazing that theres been no dip in sales. It’s a fast changing market that is seeing new trends all the time.

I’ve witnessed a lot of gaming laptops being introduced recently. These days you get tons of value because the next best thing is always poised to be released. For those who require portability, the performance laptops provide in relation to playing games shouldn’t be frowned upon much longer as performance is improved. A few of the issues like heat and noise still are present to a point but barely in the midrange notebooks. The chassis’s are also pretty sleek. Hardcore game players will always prefer their desktop gaming setup for performance and rightly so but it’s the functionality laptops give that influences people to compromise on frame rates. I would not give it too long before we see ultra mobile gaming laptops on the market.

Speaking of gaming laptops, the vast alternatives are aquirable when they are custom built. One thing with custom laptops is that you can obtain superior specification parts. Choosing what you want basically is the big advantage. All the systems found in highstreet stores are designed to capture the maximum market share and not the small niche markets. For the extreme users, custom laptops fill the void. There are tons of resellers providing custom laptops, with amazing customer service. This would be a significant attractor to a couple niche markets.

Next generation laptops do look like a mouth watering option. I forgot to mention the giant growth of internet gadgets and notebook computers. Its funny how 1 smart product has created a new market. Big screen and extrodinarily lightweight, that is what consumers would embrace. Neglect speed and price and we could already have this. Companies are packing greater speed into portables and it looks as if gaming laptops will become slimmer and lighter. I honestly can’t guess what to await aside from those ideas mentioned. Someone is modifying something to be diverse in a crowed market.

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Learn to play olympic sports bet now!

Tie together two of everybody’s dominant pursuits and what you’ll disclose is a phenomenon termed a sportsbook gambling Web location. Well, what could ever be more imaginative. If you envision a band of friends cheering to support any given preferred local team, and constantly wagers are set alongside the uproar. So keen to catch some of the action, spectators routinely seek to speculate who is the likeliest to win in the approaching meetup. Put together, all of this eventually turns into a fun little meetup named sportsbook gambling Web location.

To bet, you’ll likely want to drop by at a sportsbook gambling Web location, i.e. a setup that takes sportsbook gambling Web location. In the U.S.A., you will find no less than four states where to do sportsbook gambling legally, but if legality is no concern, you can attempt it practically anywhere providing you determine a bookie and if you’re of age. Included among the sporting contests you can choose to risk money on are pro outside of college football as well as college class basketball, professional baseball and hockey, outside of dog and horse racing. Patrons may choose to bet on the entire tally of a competition or game, at which point a contestant will be defeated, and even if a coin toss in a competition or game comes down either heads or tails.

You can see plenty of many different categories of wagers– straight bets, where you’ll simply specify the team which you think will win or take a licking, parlay wagers, teasers, and, naturally, over/under stakes, the straight bets being the most typical in sportsbook gambling.

Why don’t you run a test or two and enjoy yourself at one go. Just safeguard you won’t get too carried away and drain your entire retirement pension on a whim… Else, there’s a strong probability you’ll be caught remorseful till the end of your days…

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Are free advertising boards a waste of time?

Not if you are consistent.

Of course everyone will admit that all these free advertising boards floating around the net can benefit the board owners but what about the free posters? In short, the free poster has nothing to loose and if they stay consistent and reply to those re-post notices you can absolutely build some side traffic to your site.

These boards certainly can’t generate enough traffic to be any sites primary source of advertising but there are a few techniques you can try in order to improve your results:

1. First of all – read and obey the board terms! This has to be one of the most common mistakes when it comes to failed board campaigns. Don’t use a frame breaking script or pop-up windows. Your ad won’t be of any use when it’s just going to be deleted by the board administrator.

2. Never use deceptive titles or subject lines. I see this all the time and I have to laugh at the sheer ignorance of these posters. As the administrator of a few boards myself, I simply delete these post as soon as I find them. As a fellow site owner looking for ways to promote and make a profit, when I find these same ads I would never give them the time of day. Why would anyone? They just lied to you to get you to look at their ad. If any one thing screams, ‘Amateur’, it has to be these types of childish and deceptive tactics.

3. If it’s allowed, try to post several ads using different wording on each board and watch which one gets the most attention. On the boards I run, you can post as many times as you like as long as you use a separate email address for each post.

4. Deception is wrong but there’s nothing wrong with being a little creative. Don’t get me wrong, the line should be clear and I’m referring to creative attention getters rather than the actual verbiage used. Here’s a few examples but if your not sure if your allowed to use these then always check with the board administrator first. These are actual examples that caught my eye:

–> This ebook is completely free! <--

**W@W!!

L@@K

=====> Psst!

F R E E S I T E T R A F F I C

Here’s my favorite:
(`’•.(`’•. Your ad title! .•”).•”)

Wow, look at this one:
‘`.,, Your Ad ,,.’`

What types of boards are there?
There are several types we are testing and newer ones are sure to pop-up soon.

The most popular type seems to also be the most effective. These are boards that you can post a text ad free for a pre-determined period of time, usually 5 to 10 days. Then your ad expires and you are emailed the option to re-post your ad free for another cycle and you can simply keep re-posting to keep your ad on the board indefinitely.

Of course, it’s still a better deal to for the owners and administrators. That shouldn’t stop you from posting on any of the but it should make you take a look at owning your own board. Here’s why:

The list:. As the owner, you’ll build an invaluable list. Be sure you don’t violate their privacy and never spam and you’ll find many of these contacts will be the people you’ll be working with on future ventures.

The banners and ads:. As the owner, you’ll also have you ads and sometimes even your banners in front of everyone that visits the board. This benefit alone can pay for the board many times over depending on what and how you’re promoting..

The emails:. And finally as the owner, you’re the one sending out those confirmation emails and the the expiration emails. And guess what’s included in these emails. That’s right, your perfectly worded advertisements. And they’ll see it over and over as long as they continue to post. That’s why as a board owner you want to make your board as effective as possible. Always promote your boards to keep fresh traffic coming in.

Brian Hawkins – Entrepreneur, Internet Marketer, Online business consultant, Author. Site owner and administrator of several sites including: http://www.extremesitepromotions.com/ and http://www.csc4u.com/

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If you are looking for a place for cash immediately, same day payday loans work. All you need is to be over 18 and have a valid bank account. This is best if you can not wait for your bank to process your requested loan amount. You can either go to your local payday loan center or for faster service you can go online.

In fact, using same day payday loans funds will be deposited into your account within the same day. This way you will have access to the cash and funds that are available to you and can be used immediately. Check the payback rate and work with your center for a payment schedule.

These loans are designed with you in mind. The application process is simple and only takes a few moments to fill out the secured and private information required on the application. It’s simple and you can get started today. If your not sure what type of loan center to use, do some research online and compare rates and what companies offer what loans. With same day payday loans you can have cash deposited into your account today. It’s simple and easy, why should you wait?

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In April 2005, Congress made sweeping changes in U.S. bankruptcy law that will go into effect on October 17, 2005. It’s called the “Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005,” and it means big trouble for Americans struggling with debt problems.

What effect will the new bankruptcy law have on the practice of Debt Settlement (also called Debt Negotiation)? Will creditors still be willing to negotiate with consumers seeking to avoid bankruptcy? Will lump-sum settlements for 30%, 40%, 50% still be possible now that this tough new law has been passed?

The short answer is “YES.” It will be “business as usual” in the collection industry. People that choose to file bankruptcy will definitely be affected for the worse, as I’ll outline below, but those who choose to privately negotiate their way out of debt will notice very little difference. Creditors will still negotiate. Deals will still be made. And nothing much will change in the world of collections. In fact, a viable alternative to bankruptcy will be needed more than ever.

The credit card banks lobbied with millions of dollars to get this law passed. They’ve been working at it for about a decade. Now they are celebrating. These are the folks who think the bankruptcy system has been abused by wealthy individuals, who have defrauded creditors when they could have repaid their debts.

The facts tell a different story:

1. During the period from 1995 to 2004, bankruptcy filings doubled, while in that same period, credit card industry profits TRIPLED.

2. Credit card companies have not been held accountable for their targeting of “easy credit” to individuals who could not afford such loans, which in turn has contributed to the wave of bankruptcies over the past decade.

3. For people 60 or older, 85% of bankruptcies are caused by medical bills or job loss.

4. A divorced woman is 300% more likely to file bankruptcy than a married woman.

5. African-American and Hispanic homeowners are 500% more likely to file bankruptcy than white, non-Hispanic homeowners.

6. Approximately half of all bankruptcies are filed because of medical expenses due to lack of health insurance, or lack of adequate coverage leading to uncovered expenses.

7. The median income of bankruptcy filers is $25,000. (So much for the “rich” abusing the system.)

The new law was a GIFT to the credit card banks, pure and simple. Some estimates show that it will add another $5 billion to the industry’s bottom line. In other words, the bill is about profits and not much else.

Since my whole approach is about avoiding bankruptcy, I won’t go into a detailed analysis of the provisions of the new law. But just to summarize, the net effect is that many (if not most) people seeking relief under Chapter 7 bankruptcy will be forced to file under the Chapter 13 version instead. In plain English, that means that most filers will be forced to pay back a portion of the debt over a 5-year schedule set by the court.

One of the worst aspects of the new bill is the use of IRS “allowable” expense schedules for determining your monthly budget. In other words, your actual living expense are thrown out the window in favor of the IRS standards (and we all know how generous the IRS can be!). So if your actual rent is $1,300 per month, and the IRS says it should be $1,045 for your county and state, that’s TOUGH! The court will only allow the $1,045, period.

In short, people attempting to file bankruptcy after October 17, 2005 are in for an extremely rude awakening! Goodbye cell phones, cable TV, high-speed Internet access, movies, meals with the family, and anything else beyond the minimum allowable expenses as determined by the IRS and the courts.

So what makes me so certain that the banks will be as eager as ever to settle with consumers for 50 cents on the dollar or less? Simple. Two words: Stealth Bankruptcy.

Hundreds of thousands of Americans are going to discover the new reality of this tough law, and they are going to forgo the court system of filing bankruptcy in lieu of what I call “stealth bankruptcy.” A stealth bankruptcy is when you move (with no forwarding address), change your phone number, and drop off the radar screen to live on an all-cash, no-credit basis. Many people already choose this path rather than deal with the invasion of privacy that comes with formal bankruptcy. After the new law goes into effect, more people than ever will take this approach.

Besides the problem of stealth bankruptcy, there are other good reasons the banks will settle as they always have. Consider these points:

A. The creditor doesn’t know whether or not you’ll still qualify for Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy. They still face the risk that you will qualify for Chapter 7 and end up discharging your debt in full, which means they get NOTHING.

B. Even if you file Chapter 13 under the new guidelines, the creditor will still only receive 30-50% of the debt on average (much less in some cases).

C. Under Chapter 13, it will still take the creditors 3-5 YEARS to recover that 30-50%.

D. A lump-sum of 30-50% TODAY is far better than the same amount collected over 3-5 years.

Of course, I certainly expect debt collectors to use the new law to harass and intimidate people who don’t know and understand their rights. You can expect them to say things like, “You can’t file bankruptcy under the new law, so you’d better pay up today!” They will bully and threaten as always, but at the end of the day, they will still accept reasonable settlements. After October 17, 2005, it will still be “business as usual” in the world of debt collections.

Charles J. Phelan has been helping consumers become debt-free without bankruptcy since 1997. A former senior executive with one of the nation’s largest debt settlement firms, he is the author of the Debt Elimination Success Seminar, a five-hour audio-CD course that teaches consumers how to choose between debt program options based on their financial situation. The course focuses on comprehensive instruction in do-it-yourself debt negotiation & settlement designed to save $1,000s. Personal coaching and follow-up support is included. Achieves the same results as professional firms for a tiny fraction of the cost. http://www.zipdebt.com/article4

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Did you know that you can usually tell the country from which an Oriental rug originated from its design and style? While we often think of ‘Oriental rugs’ as having an overall defining style, the truth is that there are many styles of Oriental rugs, most of them growing from traditional patterns and materials common to the country or area in which they originated. Experts in Oriental rugs spend years learning the variations of patterns, materials, colors and weave that are characteristic of the different areas of the Orient.

Persian Rugs –
These are the rugs that most people think of when they hear ‘Oriental rug’. Persian rugs are easily the most recognized style of Oriental rug. Now known as Iran, Persia has a reputation for producing some of the most beautiful and high quality rugs throughout history. The traditional designs bear the names of the tribal regions where they are made – Tabriz, Kerman, Sarouk and others. The intricate floral and geometric patterns are a hallmark of Persian designs, which make them among the most sought after and valuable Oriental rugs.

Indian Rugs -
Most Oriental rugs sold in the United States nowadays are made in India. The rug industry is one of the mainstays of rural workers in India. Indian rug producers keep a finger on the pulse of the market, so you can find rugs made in India that are made in designs that originate in nearly every other country. Oriental rugs from India are generally less expensive than from other countries. The one rug produced in India that did originate in that country is the traditional Indian dhurrie rug, a flat-weave rug of cotton, wool or other natural fibers created in a variety of traditional and contemporary patterns.

Turkey -
Turkish rugs are prized not only for their beauty, but because most Turkish Oriental rugs are between 50 and 75 years old. World War I disrupted the Turkish rug industry, and it has taken nearly 50 years for the industry to begin to regain its footing. The Turkish government now encourages and supports Oriental rug weaving as an industry, and the rugs produced are striking in their rich use of color and traditional design.

Tibet -
Tibetan rugs are among the most prized of all rugs. Entire villages and families are involved in the art of Oriental rug design. A Tibetan rug can take up to 3,000 hours to complete. They are made from the wool of Himalayan sheep, which is generally regarded as the best wool fiber for rug making because of its high lanolin content. Tibetan rugs feature rustic patterns and rich colors, with variations in the wool texture and coloring that increase the value and uniqueness of the finished products.

To view our list of recommended sources for the highest quality rugs online,
visit: Recommended Online Rug Stores.

Carrie Reeder is the owner of eZerk, an
informational website with articles and the latest news about various topics. Visit the website to read more about decorating and rugs.

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Does your life feel stale? Do you find yourself getting tired or bored of doing what you have always done? Do you feel like you are stuck in a dating rut?

If you are single, you can get caught in a number of ruts. Not making plans to go out with friends, not getting involved in new activities, or not looking for different people to meet can keep you frozen in place. After a while, you may begin to think you are condemned to a life of solitude. That’s because you’re stuck.

Here are some areas you might pay attention to:

1. Do not fall into the trap of believing you have no other choices in life.

Don’t keep doing what you are doing, and make the rut a little deeper each day.

2. Do have hobbies and fun activities.

Laugh, enjoy what you are doing, or find something that might give you the energy to start your day with enthusiasm.

3. Do learn to make yourself happy.

Don’t do the following: complain a lot, wear a furrowed brow, rush to everything you have to do, spend very little time with old friends, and be afraid to reach out to new people. Don’t stay isolated or you will feel more alone and you will wind up staying at the office, working longer hours.

4. Do get help if you are miserable.

As an intelligent, accomplished person, you probably think that you should know how to figure out your own problems, right?

Stop and realize that if you were ill, you would have to make time to take every measure to get well.

Why not take the time BEFORE you might feel sick and heal your withered spirit? Make a pact with someone that you will meet them for a dance class, gym workout, bicycling break, rock climbing experience, volley ball, basketball, Frisbee in the park, or a game of horseshoes. Do just one fun activity outside of your normal routine and notice the difference in your energy.

5. What one action could you take today that would make you feel better about your life?

You might start with renewing old friendships, making some new ones, and going out with them socially every week. By reaching out, you might find that lots of people want to be with you and invite you places.

You might even think about taking some dance classes. You could begin to dance your way out of a rut. Just get moving.

Visit http://www.tonjaweimer.com for more tips, skills, and insight on dating, relationships, singles, and love. Subscribe to our F*r*e*e Savvy Dating Newsletter from master single’s coach, life coach, and syndicated columnist, Tonja Weimer. Copyright 2006, Tonja Weimer. (Please note source if reprinting this article.)

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Spyware is the name that was given to wicked programs that install themselves without your permission. If that doesn’t sound bad. what is worse is that they will bug you more than most viruses can. How you ask? Spyware can produce hundreds of pop-ups, it can monitor your internet browsing and/or spam your email with junk. It can even be used to commit identity fraud by gathering your information. If you say that you don’t have Spyware and that you won’t get it, you are kidding yourself.

How does an average user go about preventing Spyware from taking control of their personal computer (and life)? There are a variety of methods that you can use. For instance you can manually remove it yourself once you are invaded. But that’s not recommended unless you are an expert at computers and by expert, I mean you have received your certifications. With that being said, we common folk will be using spyware removal software since its less time consuming to use. The software will identify the threat and eliminate the Spyware.

What software should I use to remove the spyware? There is a variety of programs to choose from. But the most used programs are Spybot’s “Search and Destroy” and Lavasoft’s “Ad-Aware”. These two programs are free for personal use and Lavasoft provides other professional solutions. There are also quite a few other programs that you can purchase that will have some of the same features.

Spybot’s “Search and Destroy” will block bad programs from being installed with its immunity feature and even block programs from being installed that are harmful to your computer (if you are using Internet Explorer or Opera). It will also identify the programs that are collecting your information or displaying adds and removes them!

Lavasoft’s Ad-Aware does a variety of services for you. Here is a list of what this program will do for you. It scans your memory, registry, hard drives for known Data-mining (logs what sites you have visited). It looks for aggressive advertising (evil never ending pop-ups), Parasites, Keyloggers (logs your passwords), Trojans, Dialers and Malware (Spyware). The program even identifies Browser hijackers (programs that change your homepage) and other tracking components that might be missed by anti-virus software. The program will prompt you to remove all that is listed. Ad-Aware even provides a threat assessment of each nasty program that it has located.

If you don’t decide to download any spyware protection software or purchase some, at least consider these few ways to avoid Spyware. Avoid downloading from websites that you don’t trust (that means websites you have never visited before). You should also read all the license agreements when you install software and other statements associated with that software. Don’t bother with ads that say “free” music or movies “all you have to do is download this program here”, since this should be a give away that it may contain some if not a lot of spyware. Disabling cookies can sometimes help as well. Also checking for updates for your internet browser periodically will help since the makers will periodically fix any bugs that are found.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Spyware

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Managing stress and time is a rewarding achievement that all must maintain in order to reach success. Each day we wake up, we begin by stressing to meet deadlines, demands, and finding time to spend with our family, selves and friends. This seems virtually impossible since there are only 24-hours in a single day and at least of eight of those hours are consumed with sleep.

The challenge of maintaining stress and time brings forth many obstacles, and most times, we find it difficult to maintain. In this article, we are going to work some techniques that help reduce stress and add more time to your management scheme. See, stress is a direct result of not handling your emotions in accordance to the many stressors that attack your life. The key then is finding a solution to get in touch with your emotions. When our emotions are in a sudden outburst, we often suffer tremendous and lack the ability to function to our fullest capacity.

Emotions can also affect how we hear people talk, and how we talk to people. This is called irrational behavior since the mind is not thinking to its capacity. The key then is finding a “rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT),” that works best for your mind. REBT is an action process that requires the individual to approach his or her emotions, while providing them the support to stay in contact with who they are and at the same time find a resolve within self. The plan makes it a convenient method in approaching life’s problems in full light, while overcoming stress.

The therapy technique requires only a few minutes of your time each day. We can start by telling our minds to think positive and believe in what we are telling ourselves. Emotions are a strong force we want to stop before they take control of our lives. If we have negative emotions, it affects our time management scheme since negative emotions puts fear and doubt into our heads.

Thinking Positive:

We all must remember that we are responsible for decisions and behaviors, and that stress is the product of irrational thinking. By learning how to think reasonable and keeping a positive outlook on life, it is possible to manage stress and time. To learn we must practice. Practice makes perfect! This means that you will take a few minutes per day to tell yourself that you are responsible for you, and that you have full control of your mind and the decisions you make.

You have control of your behavior and no one else. Once you have accepted responsibility of your actions and decisions you will soon find the rest an easy road to travel. In other words, you will soon follow a pattern of wise decisions, when you learn to trust self and accept that we all make mistakes. Mistakes are common, but the key to success is learning from your mistakes. If you are stressed as a result of overloads in the workplace, home, and world, then you need to set up some space for yourself.

This means that your time management scheme will need thoughtful planning so that you achieve a specific level of time to manage your stress. Putting off your responsibilities is the process of creating more problems. Therefore, it is important that you create a plan and carrying out the responsibilities as soon as possible. This is putting your plans into action. Action is the process of making something work. When you are working toward goals, things will run smoothly since your plan is in place.

Once you reach your short-term goals, the next step is working to achieve your long-term goal, which requires more action on your part and follow the same golden rules. So take the time out each day to think positive, since motivation is essential for time management and reducing stress. Do not get caught up in self-punishment, which can only bring you down and stumble your time management scheme. Risks are fine as long as you do not have danger in your way. Remember taking risks is a part of life, and this article is geared to dare you to take the risk to become more productive in your everyday life.

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Today the internet is a mine field of malicious code looking to harm your computer. Hackers want to have access to your PC for both fun and profit. You must be diligent in your ability to detect and then protect your important computer data.

Understanding what hackers are looking for, what doors they use to gain entry into your computer and which programs are available to help you protect your PC against any illegal entry will give you greater peace of mind and protect your valuable data.

There are three types of threats to your computer that you need to be concerned about. The first are viruses. The definition of a computer virus is a piece of code or a program that is that is loaded onto and run on your computer without your knowledge. They can attach themselves to other programs on your computer. Some Virus’ can reproduce at a great rate and in turn use up a lot of your computer memory. This eventually can cause your computer to crash. You get Viruses most commonly via email or downloading programs and files. One way is in form of .exe files. If you receive an .exe file you should never open it unless it has been checked and approved as safe by your virus protection program.

Viruses can come into your computer in many other forms. You have to be careful with flash files, movies, mp3 and even .jpeg files. This is a good reason to have virus protection software installed on your computer. Companies like Norton, McAfee (McAfee.com), Trend Micro who makes PC-cilliin (trendmicro.com) and Grisoft (grisoft.com) among others make excellent virus protection products. Grisoft makes AVG Pro which is competent virus protection software. They have a personal edition which is free to use and is very good.

The next piece of software that is needed to protect your PC computer is a firewall. A firewall is used to block illegal access to your computer or network. It will block suspicious data from flowing into your PC and block unapproved programs outside your computer from taking data from your PC.

Think of a firewall as a doorman whose job it is to open a large locked door. When the doorman knows who is knocking at the door either by an announcement or because he recognizes the person he will let them in. With your firewall the firewall is unlocked only on your authorization allowing data to be passed on or received. It learns after awhile who is trusted and who is not.

A firewall comes standard with Microsoft Windows XP (Microsoft.com). But in order for it to protect, you must turn it on. Other solutions are Symantec’s Norton Personal Firewall which you can buy by itself or bundled in the Norton Security Suite (symantec.com). McAfee (McAfee.com) also has a good firewall as well as the free version of Zone Labs firewall called Zone Alarm (zonelabs.com).

And, finally you should have good spyware software to protect against hackers or companies from snooping to find information about you through your internet connection. It is commonly used by companies for marketing purposes. Free spyware software that is widely used is Spybot’s Search & Destroy (safer-networking.org) or Lavasoft’s (lavasoft.com) free version of their Ad-aware spyware application. Spy Sweeper from Webroot (webroot.com) is an excellent choice and does not cost very much. Spy Sweeper has received many top reviews from the computer magazines.

If you install a virus protection software, Firewall and spyware software your computer will be well protected and you will have peace of mind. And, you needn’t spend a lot. In each category you can find a free version that is very good and will help keep your computer problem free.

Ken Katz runs a Dating site:Web4Love.com. He has written this article for his viewers to help inform them on easy and mostly free software to help protect their computers.

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