If I need to fax a specific form with my company logo on it, can I scan it and use an Internet fax service to send it?

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May 9th, 2011 - Posted by Kent

The following is an actual user-submitted question:

Q: If I need to fax a specific form with my company logo on it, can I scan it and use an Internet fax service to send it?

A: Yes, absolutely. The easiest way to do it is to scan the document and save it as a PDF. Then you simply send the PDF. There are multiple ways to send an Internet fax. All the Internet fax services we reviewed allow you to send faxes via email as well as through a web-based Interface.

Check out our Internet fax comparisons and reviews. You'll also find exclusive discounts on the top Internet fax services.

Tell me more about Internet fax service with VoIP plans.

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May 6th, 2011 - Posted by Kent

The following is an actual user-submitted question:

Q: Tell me more about Internet fax service with VoIP plans. I am up for renewal with another VoIP company so I'm  looking into features of VoIP and costs.

A: Most business VoIP plans offer Internet fax functionality, either as an included feature or an optional add-on. The only consumer VoIP service we've found that offers Internet fax is Phone.com. Internet faxing is a great feature since fax machines generally don't work well with VoIP lines—all those weird bleeps, bloops, and screeches that fax machines make to send a fax don't survive the conversion to data the way that voice does.

With Internet faxing you use a web-based interface to send faxes in an Internet-ready format  right from your web browser. It's a lot like sending an email from a web-based email client. In fact, if you've ever sent an email attachment, you'll have a pretty good idea of how this works. Check out the screen shot below to see how the Phone.com's fax interface works.

Check out our review of Phone.com and see how it stacks up next to other options with our home VoIP service comparisons. Also, you can always get a stand-alone Internet fax service to supplement any home VoIP plan.

True Life: The Importance of Secure Passwords

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May 5th, 2011 - Posted by Sarah

Once, I endured a particularly messy romantic breakup (for which I was at fault, to be fair). During the ensuing fallout, neither party acted like him- or herself, but despite wrongdoings, I still hoped to salvage some sort of friendship in the end. Which made my realization months later that he had somehow gotten into my Facebook account that much more difficult to bear.

Facebook alerted me to an attempted login from an unusual location and prompted me to change my password; I didn't suspect the guy, but then he confessed to logging onto my Facebook account, reading my messages, looking at my settings, and so forth. Regardless of whether it began as accidentally as he claimed, that incident forced me to reconsider my password method.

Like many of you probably do, I used pretty much the same password for everything: Facebook, Gmail, online banking, etc. Common knowledge is that this is a bad idea, so having more complex passwords better safeguards your privacy. Single words, what I used to prefer for passwords, are not very secure at all. Strings of letters, numbers, and symbols are much more secure. But it turns out that the most secure passwords are simple but not too short phrases (delightful bonus: They are also way easier to remember!). This is because the most common methods of cracking passwords only work if the passwords are relatively short.

So today's lesson: Revamp your weak passwords into pass phrases, don't use the same one for every service, and especially don't tell anyone anything about your passwords—unless you want them to know all your information, not to mention your dirty secrets.

Can you print locally from GoToMyPC?

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May 5th, 2011 - Posted by Kent

The following is an actual user-submitted question:

Q: Can you print locally from GoToMyPC?

A: Yes, you can. If the file is on the host PC (i.e., the one you're controlling), it's no problem. You'll simply take control of the host, open the program you want to print from, and select print. If you want to print a file from the remote PC, you can do that to with their Remote Printing function. GoToMyPC gives you a 30-day free trial as well, so you can be sure it works just how you want it to. Read our full review of GoToMyPC, or click here to purchase.

Online Dating: Top Five Pickup Lines

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May 4th, 2011 - Posted by Sarah

In the world of online dating, sometimes you want to make an impression fast. That's when a pickup line might be able to help you. The folks over at Top Dating Sites have posted their ten favorite pickup lines for online dating. But let's be real: Many of them probably wouldn't get a response ("What's your sign?" Really?). We decided to compile our top pickup lines for the online dating world:

1. "I also love (fill in the blank)!"

This shows that you've actually looked at his or her profile. But make sure you're being truthful. If you can't find a common interest, maybe you should click on to the next match.

2. "At first, I thought your profile picture was a stock photo!"

Here's an offbeat way to compliment your intended on both photography skills and looks. Naturally, you'll want to follow with a short explanation ("I love the shadows in your photo" or "What camera did you use?").

3. "Did it hurt when you fell into my inbox?"

Many dating sites, such as Match.com, can email you with updates on your matches. This is a variation on "Did it hurt when you fell down from heaven?" that promises at least to put a smile on the reader's face.

4. "Go to the kitchen, pour yourself a drink, and pretend I just bought it for you."

Cute, right? A lot of sites, like FriendFinder, allow you to "flirt" — that is, send virtual winks, smiles, waves, and so on. This line takes that idea a step further and maybe even foreshadows a date in the future.

5. "I'm sorry; I accidentally deleted your last email. Would you remind resending?"

If you're lucky, you'll get a response of "I didn't send you an email." Then you'll reply with "Well, now that we're emailing, you can!"

Remember that the most surefire way to get a response to your message is to show a sincere interest in the other person. The best pickup line is not a pickup line at all but a well-formulated expression of your curiosity.

If we sign up for Identity Guard, will they call to verify our future purchases, or will they just fix identity theft if it occurs?

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May 4th, 2011 - Posted by Tasha

Q:  If we sign up for Identity Guard, what happens if we lease a new car, or go to Lowe's and buy an appliance?  Will these attempts at setting up credit for these purchases cause Identity Guard to call the dealership or Lowe's and VERIFY that it is US who are purchasing these items? Or do they just fix the mess if it's someone ELSE using our identity to make these credit purchases?

A: Identity Guard actively patrols for the fraudulent use of your personal information and alerts you if it occurs. They do this in a variety of ways, including monitoring your credit reports for changes, scanning the black market Internet, monitoring public records and scanning databases.  You will be notified if any of your 3 credit reports change or if Identity Guard sees suspicious or fraudulent activity around your personal information (ie, name, address, Social Security number, credit cards, bank accounts).

If you are leasing a new car, it is likely the car dealer will run a check on your credit report.  Since this is a change to your report, you will be notified.  Once the actual lease is complete it should show up on your credit report, and you would be also notified about that.  By the same logic if you open a Lowe's credit account to buy a new appliance, Lowe's might check your credit report.  Once again, you would be notified of this and you would also be alerted if the loan appears on your credit report.  However, Identity Guard will not call to verify that it is indeed you buying these items, nor will they call to confirm any other types of credit being opened in your name.  Instead they patrol for and the alert you to potential issues.

In the unlikely event you are a victim of identity theft while you're a member of Identity Guard, you'll have access to their Identity Theft Recover Center (ITAC).  ITAC will guide you through the recovery process.  You'll also get toll-free unlimited access to credit education specialists and 1 million dollars in identity theft insurance coverage.

Overall we feel that Identity Guard is a very comprehensive identity theft protection service and highly recommend them.  They also offer a free 14-day trial, so you can sign up and try them out free of charge.  As a bonus you'll get free credit scores when you sign up for the trial.

The Osama death Facebook virus

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May 3rd, 2011 - Posted by Kent

What do Osama Bin Laden and Lady Gaga have in common? Both have been used in the last week to perpetuate video-based worms on social networking sites. A new Facebook virus is spreading via a message tempting users with a video of Osama Bin Laden's death. Following the link leads to a survey as well as a further propagation of the worm through newly infected accounts. There's no video.

Cybercriminals often take advantage of public curiosity over world events. The Osama viruses will not end with Facebook. Be on the lookout for emails, tweets, and instant messages soliciting clicks with the promise of Osama-related news.

What can you do to protect yourself? Be wary of things that doesn't seem right and do an Internet search when you suspect a fishy link. For instance you can do a Google news search for 'Osama death video' and look at the news results that come back. If it's a news-worthy clip, it'll likely be posted on the sites of major media outlets. Even if they don't post the clip, they'll likely be covering its existence.

Finally, make sure you have a well-rated Internet security software product installed. Many are adding Facebook-based detection tools and they can help prevent more serious viruses.

I have Windows XP. Can Carbonite restore my files after I install Windows 7?

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May 3rd, 2011 - Posted by Kent

The following is an actual user-submitted question:

Q: I have Windows XP. Can Carbonite restore my files after I install Windows 7?

A: Yes. Carbonite has built-in functionality to transfer files from one computer to another. The system change shouldn't be a problem for restoring your documents, photos, contacts, email, and music. Carbonite promises to put everything in the right place. There are full instructions on the help section of their website. Full restores can take a while, even a day or more, depending on the amount of data you're moving. Also, you should note that programs are not backed up by Carbonite. You must reinstall those manually.

If you don't yet have Carbonite installed, make sure to check out our review. NextAdvisor visitors can save an additional 10% when they purchase Carbonite through one of our links.

Can I sign up for and pay annually for an identity theft protection membership service?

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May 3rd, 2011 - Posted by Sarah

The following is an actual user-submitted question:

Q. Can I sign up for and pay annually for an identity theft protection membership service? I prefer to pay annually in lieu of monthly.

A. When you subscribe to a service such as identity theft protection, often it's more convenient or fiscally responsible to make one larger payment a year rather than a small one each month. Luckily, several of the services we review offer annual prepay options, and sometimes it even saves you more money:

TrustedID, $84.12 per year and up: This service monitors a number of different accounts for you and provides you with anti-spyware protection and one three-bureau credit report each year. We think it's the best value of the services out there, especially for families, because it offers a free 14-day trial and a 15% NextAdvisor discount.

LifeLock, $99 per year and up: This service gives you a free 30-day trial and monitors a wide variety of public records as well. NextAdvisor can offer it to you for 10% off. It's also a pretty strong value; it just doesn't have as many features as TrustedID.

Suze Orman's Identity Protector, $125.04 per year and up: Rounding out our annual prepay offers for identity theft protection services is Suze Orman's Identity Protector. When you sign up with Suze, you'll get three-bureau credit scores and reports. Plus this option bears the name of finance guru Suze Orman.

So whether an annual payment fits better into your budget or is less of a hassle, any of these three services could be great choices for you.

Hostmonster discount: No coupon required for 50% off web hosting

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May 2nd, 2011 - Posted by Kent

The Hostmonster discount has returned. The web host has lowered its prices, offering a year of hosting for just $3.95 per month. That's a 50% discount with no coupon required. Check out our review of Hostmonster, or head on over and get the deal for yourself.