Facebook (along with other social networking sites) has been around for a few years, and a lot has been written about the security issues involved. Googling “facebook security” yields about 20,500 hits. But what do users really need to know? Information about Facebook users can be broken down into several categories: Personal information: Facebook allows […]

The Olympus E-520 is a small, 10 megapixel digital SLR that boasts an array of features including in-camera image stabilization, live view on the camera’s 2.7” LCD display, and a supersonic dust reduction system on its image sensor. Indoors the E-520 performed well, both in available light (leveraging the image stabilization feature) and using the […]

If your smoke alarm started beeping for no reason, you’d probably head out to the hardware store and buy a new one. Indeed, as part of the City of Ottawa’s “Wake Up! Get a Working Smoke Alarm” program, residents are urged test their smoke detector and change the battery twice a year. But apparently it […]

When I test cameras, I prefer to do so under real situations. I photograph the kids indoors, landscapes outdoors, and generally carry the camera with me for a week or two. And every so often, it poses challenges, like when I recently wanted to transfer my images to my PC, but a previous reviewer had […]

Olympus describes the SP-570 UZ as having the “body of an ultra-zoom” and the “soul of an SLR”. Introduced in the spring, the SP-570, with its SLR-like grip and “normal” looking lens could be mistaken for a three-quarter size SLR. However, take off the lens cap and turn it on, and the extending lens gives […]

Place the family computer in a central location where the whole family can use it and where parents can easily see the screen. Do not place computers in children’s bedrooms. If you don’t know much about the Internet, take the time to learn the basics. Don’t be embarrassed to ask your child to show you […]

For some children the Internet is a valuable tool to help with homework, for others its entertainment and, unfortunately, for some it’s also the babysitter. As a parent, what do you need to know? When it comes to email, instant messengers, and chatrooms, the technology varies, but the safety issues are much the same: Do […]

The net is buzzing about Republican Vice President candiate Sarah Palin’s email account being hacked, and if you somehow missed it, this Wired blog post is a good starting point. I won’t engage in spreading rumours about who might have done it. The bottom line is that he or she, at best, did something dumb. […]

Justice Paul Perell of the Ontario Superior court ruled yesterday that Bell ExpressVu’s administrative charge to customers who fail to pay their monthly bill on time is illegal. In summary, the $25 late fee was found to violate the Canadian Criminal Code provision that makes it illegal to charge an interest rate in excess of […]

Mention computer security to most people and the ensuing conversation inevitably involves viruses, spyware, spammers, and teenage hackers. Yes, it’s true that criminals are heavily involved in identity theft, foreign governments are stealing intellectual property, and pedophiles are trolling the Internet. But if we’re really looking for the number one threat to our money and […]