IE Bugged By Bug.

Microsoft recently admitted that a critical new bug affects all IE browsers.

"Microsoft said research confirmed that the bug is within all its browsers, including those it currently supports -- IE5.01, IE6 and IE7 -- as well as IE8 Beta 2, a preview version that the company doesn't support through normal channels.

Users running any of those browsers on Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Server 2003 or Server 2008 are at risk, Microsoft said."

Okay, do you want your Windows system to be more secure than it is right now? Do you want to reduce the risk? The solution is simple. Run the Firefox browser, not IE.


Firefox 3 is faster, safer and smarter.

Do you REALLY want to be more secure than ever? Get Linux! Linux isn't prone to Windows viruses, Trojans or bugs. And Linux already has Firefox pre-installed!

Get a better Browser. Get a better operating system. Get Firefox. Get Linux.

Bravo, Everyone!

One of the great things about blogging is the amazing number of tools at your immediate disposal. There's everything from gadgets to embedded images and video to active links to stats packages! It's amazing! And it's that last tool, the stats package, that I'd like to briefly discuss.

It's called Stat Counter and it's a free statistical package that allows you to get a count of the number of visitors coming to your blog or web site.  Well, I was interested in how many folks visited us here at OneClickLinux.com, so I installed it.   And happily, it's not at all intrusive.   It collects the same kind of general information that any other website/server logs, except that it presents you with the information in a variety of graphs and pictorial representations.  It's free and quite popular in the blogosphere. 

I just checked the stats package that runs on this blog and was happy to see that over 45% of the visitors use the Firefox 3.0 browser! In addition, 21.18% use Firefox 2.0.

More than half of One Click Linux's visitors (66%!) use the Firefox browser!

This is so great to see! The word on Open Source Software and it's security and stability is spreading far and wide!

If you use Linux, Firefox is the default browser.   So, after you've installed Linux, and when your desktop comes up, double click the Firefox icon and away you go!  If you use Windows, you'll want to switch to Firefox.  It's a faster and safer browser. You can download Firefox 3.0 here.   Once you use Firefox, you'll never go back to Internet Explorer.  And after you experience all the community support for Firefox, the add-ons, themes, and how customizable it is, you'll then want to switch to Linux.  Like Firefox, Linux is incredibly customizable and user friendly.  Linux also has a huge community to help you along...and it's FREE!

Linux and Firefox make web-surfing safe, secure and more enjoyable.

Get Linux. 

Don't Be Afraid To Click!

I recently purchased a Wi-Fi Internet radio. I decided on the Sangean WFR-20. If you're not familiar with Intenet radio, the concept is simple. The radio is tied, via the intenet, to a central database called Reciva.com. This web site collects more than 15,000 radio stations from around the world and places their streaming links in one area where your radio, once registered, can access them all. There's no need to have your computer turned on. Just turn on your radio and dial in the destination ( you do need a broadband connection and wireless router). One moment you can be listening to your local AM broadcaster, the next you can hear a station as far away as the Falkland Islands! It really is amazing! All stations come in crystal clear with absolutely no interference, fade, or distortion. It's like having the ultimate shortwave radio! And the Sangean WFR-20, in my humble opinion, is the best Wi-Fi radio around. This is the one to get! It's featured packed, looks great in any decor, sets up in minutes, sounds great, and is a real pleasure to use. Since getting this radio, my television sits silently in the corner.

The reason I mention all this is because of what I heard just the other night on Virgin Radio (now called Absolute Radio) out of the United Kingdom . I was listening to the Iain Lee Show and he mentioned to a listener that he NEVER clicks on any links he receives via email. Now, I can't say that I blame him. I'm pretty cautious as well when it comes to links emailed to me. There can be a lot of nasty things out there which cold wreak havoc with your Windows system! (Ah, but I run Linux. More on this in a bit).

I've taken a couple of precautionary steps that I'd like to share with you.

First, if I don't recognize the sender, I don't click the link. It's that simple. Why invite trouble?

Second, I run the Firefox browser. Firefox is open source and thus built, maintained, and supported by a community of hundreds of thousands of users. If anything bad is out there lurking on the web, chances are much better that many of the thousands who've developed Firefox will find a fix much sooner than the dozen or so employees working on troubleshooting IE at the home offices of Microsoft. In short, Firefox is more secure.

"An independent study shows that, in 2006, IE users were vulnerable to online threats 78% of the time. Firefox users? Only 2%."

In addition, Firefox also has thousands of Add-Ons which can be plugged into the browser to help enhance and secure your web surfing experience. I use one called Interclue. Inteclue allows you to preview a web page in a pop up window before visting the site.

"Interclue is the ultimate hyperlink multitool. Small icons appear on mouseover to warn you about dead links, Malware or Phishing Sites, etc, and for any valid links Interclue provides compact link previews, relevant extra information and useful next action buttons."

And lastly, I run Linux. Linux is immune to Windows viruses, Trojans, and malware. So even if I do accidentally click on a link I probably shouldn't have, because I run Firefox and Linux, I'm a heckuva lot more secure than Windows.

so Iain Lee,if you're reading this, do yourself a favor and get Linux and Firefox! Then you won't be afraid to click! (BTW, Iain, if you want, contact me and I'll point you in the right direction to get Linux...and a Sangean WFR-20.)

Get Linux.

A Linux Eclipse

Last night, the lunar eclipse was visible here in the northeast Ohio area. I was able to get outside and enjoyed a terrific view of it. Conditions for star-gazing were simply spectacular! The skies were clear, but the temperatures were near zero degrees! So, my viewing time was only limited to five or ten minutes. After the dogs and I had had our fill (and our toes were sufficiently frozen), it was back inside to the warmth of the house.

Luckily, my brother Jim is an astronomer. He emailed me a link where I could view the eclipse online.

so, I comfortably sat back and booted my Kiowa Linux Laptop. I opened Firefox and enjoyed a clear, warm view of the lunar eclipse. I also "grabbed" a couple of shots from the website. I did this in Firefox by right clicking the image and selecting "Save Image As." Firefox did the rest by automatically downloading the jpeg image to my desktop.

Firefox is a terrific web browser! It's fast, lightweight and can be customized in any number of ways through additional add-ons and themes. It's the default web browser found in almost all Linux distributions. It's also available for Windows and Mac users in many different languages.

Once you use Firefox, you'll quickly say goodbye to Internet Explorer. And I hope that, simply from using Firefox and seeing how great it is, you'll make the next move and get Linux.

BTW, if you want to get a great view of the next astronomical event, check out Sky Window. Our family business manufactures this item under the direction and watchful eye of Jim. Sky Window really does a wonderful job of enhancing the world of binocular astronomy. An in-depth review can be found here.