Geeks2U | January Newsletter

When it comes to our home and business email use, and to the email addresses that we use regularly, one thing is often true: The longer you use a single email address, the more spam you tend to get. These types of emails, besides being generally annoying, have other negative effects.

When you frequently receive junk mail in your inbox, you begin to develop a delete-instead-of-read attitude, and many times you end up missing the emails you wanted to read (imagine missing an email from a client because as you delete all of your junk-mail). In other cases readers are taken in by emails, particularly phishing-style email, and end up sharing personal information that they never intended to give away. The simple truth is that spam is annoying, and can cause many problems, but it’s also easy to stop.

1.    Windows Spam Filters – If you have a newer PC that came with Windows Vista, you already have a spam filter. Simply selecting “Junk email options” from the tools menu will allow you to setup a simple spam filter that actually works quite well. Outlook Express on Windows XP computers also had a similar option, but the filter wasn’t as advanced.

2.    Commercial Spam Filters – For those who need an additional level of control over their email, commercial software is an excellent solution. Programs like Mail Washer Pro, Spam Fighter, or Only My Email give you the highest level of control over your junk mail options.

3.    Your ISP – One thing many people don’t know is that your Internet Service Provider may also offer spam control. Many ISP’s allow you to setup which email makes it through and which doesn’t. This is usually done from your ISP’s account management page.

When you work to control spam you are doing more than just ridding yourself of an annoyance. You’re working to make email what it was intended to be; a fast and efficient way to communicate with others and to get the information you want to read.

With the rise in high-speed access over the past decade, Internet users are now the majority. With that comes the simple fact that more people than ever before are turning to email to communicate with friends and loved ones. This increase in usage has also led to an extreme growth in unwanted emails, or spam.

Junk mail is such a large problem that the Radicati Research Group Inc, of Palo Alto, California, estimates that spam costs the global economy $49 billion each year in lost productivity and technical costs. Other researchers have put the number much higher.

The costs of spam are, of course, arguable. Here are some quick stats that aren’t:

1. More than 50% of the emails sent worldwide each day are junk mail.
2. 36% of spam is advertising related.
3. The next largest category (32% ) is adult-related junk mail.
4. 25% of junk mail is related to financial matters.
5. Only 2.5% of junk mail is fraud-related. Of that 2.5%, three quarters of those emails are intended to steal personal information.

At the time of this writing there are approximately 14.5 billion junk mails sent daily. That number is expected to grow in the years to come. Some researchers put the number at 58 billion messages per day by 2012.

With numbers like that, it’s no wonder that spam email tops the list of Internet’s most-unwanted by-product!

Sedna USB VoIP Phone, SE-P1K

This month's gadget is one that many users will find indispensible. It is the Sedna USB VoIP Phone, and it adds a whole new level of functionallity to Skype.

This handy gadget allows you to make your Skype calls without headphones and a microphone. It makes for a much more traditional phone-like calling experience.

The SE-P1K comes with features like caller ID, an easy to read LCD screen, and doesn't require any other hardware to work. Simply plug it into a standard USB port, and start calling.

If you've been making use of Skype, or another voice-over-IP service, you won't want to miss this one!

For more information enquire directly to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Gadget Price: $27

Sean started his IT career in Toowoomba, Qld about 16 years ago.

After 2 years of working in multiple stores Sean found a need for an onsite service in the Toowoomba community & so commenced his own successful business.

After 3 more years Sean & his family moved to Melbourne where he commenced working with Compaq/HP as a workshop technicians, specialising  in laptop servicing.  He then moved to work in one of the larger local computer superstores as the Computer Service technician & was there for 5 years. He then took on a role of Computer Service Manager for a further 5 years.  After becoming frustrated with the "retail bureaucracy ",  Sean again opened his own business and has not looked back since.

Sean's qualifications include:

• Small Business Management
• Cert 2 - Retail Operation
• Cert 4 - IT
• IBM PC Institute
  • PC Basics
  • PC Architecture
• IBM certified for server repairs
• AMD & Intel Partner Certifications
• Microsoft Partner - OEM Products
• D-link Networking

Sean is currently undergoing training in the Kaspersky range of Internet Security & Antivirus applications.

Sean is exceptionally competent in all aspects of consumer & small business based desktop & laptop repairs & upgrades, for both hardware & software problems, data recovery, virus & other malicious software removal.

Sean truly loves a challenge and gives his utmost attention to each client & their needs.