Yahoo! Answers

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At the start of the year, many people often think about getting things in shape: their homes, their bodies, but they don’t stop to think about getting their computers in shape. While online safety and virus protection should be thought about year round, this is a great time to take a quick refresher course on some of the common online threats that you may (or may not) encounter while surfing the net.

Online and within the news you’ve likely heard of some of the most common terms (malware, spam, viruses, and Trojans), but may not have known what they are, or, how to protect yourself or your computer from them. We’ve pulled together a quick resource guide outlining the who’s who, and where to go for more information. But when online, some of the most important things to remember are:

• Don’t trust pop-ups; things pretending to be virus checkers may actually be viruses (more on that later)
• You don’t have to understand a lot about online security to protect against the most common online threats. Keep your computer up to date and be suspicious about the sites you visit- employ the same skills you do in real life as you do online: don’t give out your personal information to strangers, and don’t trust something because it “sort of” looks official. And remember to trust your instincts: if it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.

What’s malware?
Malware is software that does something you don’t want done, usually installed without your permission. It includes viruses, worms and Trojans.

What is spam?
Spam is/can be: the repeated postings of the same content; off topic banter/answers/comments; links to commercial sites or merchandise; in general, unsolicited, unwanted or irrelevant messages, links or postings. You may run into it in your inbox, on message boards, in comments sections, etc. Basically, anywhere that someone can enter or submit text is susceptible to spam.

What is phishing?
This is any attempt to steal your account information. Phishers set up fake web sites that look like those of trusted companies to trick you into disclosing your account information. These pages can look nearly identical to the real thing, so it can be hard to tell that you are on a phony site.

Most commonly, you’ll see these as emails asking for the password to your bank account, your Yahoo! email account (urging you to send your account information or else your account will be terminated), or your credit card information. If you run into a phishing email on Yahoo!, please do report it to us!

Remember to never click on links in emails, no matter how official they look. Use bookmarks or physically type the site name in.

To protect yourself further, set a sign-in seal and don’t give out your Yahoo! password on your computer unless you see your sign-in seal (for more information on this, go here. This helps you know when you’re on a phishing page, or when you’re on a legitimate Yahoo! login page.

Yahoo! Security Center

At http://security.yahoo.com/ you can assess your PC’s exposure to online threats, including malware, viruses, and an assortment of other online risks. Additionally, you can also learn about:

• Protecting your PC
• Protecting your online privacy
• Protecting your children online at Yahoo! Safely
• Getting rid of pop-ups, viruses, adware, or spyware
• And much more!

How to help protect your machine

Be sure that your computer has antivirus software installed and that its virus definitions are up-to-date- many computers do not, and this leaves them open to many malware attacks. Programs like Norton Anti-Virus or http://www.malwarebytes.org/ will help protect and prevent future attacks.

If you see a pop-up, close it promptly, without clicking on anything inside the window (buttons inside the window may download software, no matter what the label on them says, even if it’s “No”, or “Cancel”). Click the close button on the window frame (the “x” in the upper right on a Windows machine, the red button in the upper left on a Mac).

If that doesn’t work use “Ctrl + F4″ on Windows or “Shift + Cmd + W” on an Apple machine to close the window. Worst case, kill the browser with the Task Manager on Windows or Force Quit on a Mac, and if you can’t do that, reboot the machine. (Be sure to save your work in other programs!)

Then run a virus-scan using an anti-virus program to check for any malware remnants.

At the end of the day, it’s up to YOU to help keep your online experience safe—keep your software up-to-date and be cautious about giving out information, including passwords.

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Welcome to week two of the Yahoo! Answers “Get Fit Program.” Last week we told you how you can meet other people looking to share fitness ideas in a Yahoo! Group called “Get Fit, Stay Healthy,” shared some practical exercise tips for corporate employees, and provided a few tips on how to shed excess pounds to tone up your muscles.

This week, our fitness pros, Joanne and Joan from Plus One Health Management have picked a few more questions to answer from the community—you can find their answers below.

Question: “I need help with eating healthy at school when all they sell is cheese fries and pizza!” – Danni

Answer: I can understand your frustration, if you are trying to eat healthy but the healthy options are limited.  You may want to bring your lunch to school, to avoid temptation, and to be prepared.  You can also talk with the foodservice provider to suggest healthier options.  Healthy foods that cafeteria providers sometimes have include sandwiches, yogurt, fruit, baked chicken or fish, and pasta with veggies. Good luck! Also remember that if you are limited on food and have to eat pizza, you can try walking around your school campus with friends to ensure that you’re including a healthy activity with your lunch.

Question: What’s the best way to stretch before working out? – Chris

Answer: Prior to a workout, a warm-up that includes dynamic stretching should be performed. Dynamic stretching involves performing low-intensity movements similar to your workout activity. For example, squats help to get the muscles warm for any type of lower body activity. Static stretching (stretch and hold) is the most beneficial if it is performed after a workout. Not sure what the difference is between dynamic or static stretching is? Check out the definition from our pros, here.

Question: Are there any standing up ab exercises you could do, say, in the shower or waiting in line (that might be awkward)? – Hah.

Answer: Wow you’re really thinking! However, I don’t recommend exercising in the shower as you could slip and injure yourself. Instead, when you’re safe and dry, try standing up tall and tighten your abs. Practice good posture, suck in your abs and maintain normal breathing—all of these things will help you maintain a tight core and help work your abs.

Question from Shine: How do I start exercising when I’m already out of shape?

Start slowly, but make it count—don’t overdo it. Progress quickly,  keep it up, and read this article for even more tips from Shine.

Check back next week for even more tips from our fitness gurus as they answer even more of your health and fitness questions!

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Hey Guys,

When I was going to school, gum was strictly forbidden. If a teacher saw you chewing a piece, it was the fourth grade equivalent of a capital crime. In order to avoid being caught, many a kid swallowed the gum (aka “the evidence”). I never did, because I had heard horror stories around the playground. Swallow a piece of gum, the legend went, and it was in your stomach for ten years.

True or false? There are a number of sites dedicated to answering this very question. KidsHealth.org explains that while a person’s stomach “can’t break down a piece of gum the same way it breaks down other food, your digestive system can move it along through normal intestinal activity.” In other words, it’s not gonna stick around for ten years. It’ll be gone just as soon as you, well, you know.

That said, there are extreme cases. For example, if a person were to swallow a tremendous number of pieces of gum, he or she might have some problems with their digestive tract. But that’s obviously a rare situation. As KidsHealth.org puts it, “swallowing an occasional piece of gum is harmless.”

The urban legend experts at Snopes.com confirm this, saying that once gum goes down the gullet, “it’s no more remarkable in that respect than anything else we swallow.” Snopes theorizes that the misinformation may have started due to gum being often referred to as “indigestible.” That’s misleading. While the stomach doesn’t really break down the gum, it exits the body at the same rate as anything else.

So, it turns out the sages of the playground had it wrong. Wonder if they were lying about not sticking my tongue to a frozen flagpole, too…

Thanks for reading,

Mike

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Last weekend the movie “The Lovely Bones” opened nationwide in the United States. The movie, based on the novel by Alice Sebold is just one of many book-to-film adaptations to come for 2010.

Also on the docket for 2010 is Tim Burton’s version of Alice in Wonderland; The Twilight Saga: Eclipse; and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I.

With so many popular novels being converted into what will surely be popular films, we wondered: what are some of your favorite (and, conversely, least favorite) film adaptations of literary classics? And, is it true that the book is always better than the movie, or, are there any versions of the movie that are actually better than the book?

Be sure to tell us in the comments section below!

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Hey Guys,

The best inventions are the simple ones. Or at least the ones that appear to be simple, the ones that make you think, “Why didn’t I think of that?” So, let’s say you come up with an awesome invention that will make you a zillion dollars. You’re gonna have to patent it, right? How in the heck do you do that? Here’s the scoop.

I did quick Yahoo! Search on “how to get a patent” and was immediately greeted with a slew of results. The first result comes from the good ol’ United States government’s patent and trademark office. The site gives would-be Thomas Edisons all the information they need to protect their million dollar ideas.

But before you send in your application, you may want to learn what a patent is. Generally speaking, a patent gives the holder the right to “exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, or selling” the invention. A patent doesn’t give the holder the right to create anything; instead it denies others the right to copy the invention for a certain amount of time.

Patents are often confused with trademarks and copyrights, but the three are actually quite different. Patents are usually issued for physical inventions or ideas. A trademark, meanwhile, “is a word, name, symbol, or device that is used in trade with goods to indicate the source of the goods and to distinguish them from the goods of others.” Think: Nike’s “swoosh.” Unlike a patent, a trademark doesn’t prevent another company from making a similar product.

Finally, there are copyrights. There are commonly seen on music, books, and games. In the Patent Office’s words: “Copyright is a form of protection provided to the authors of ‘original works of authorship’ including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works, both published and unpublished.” This is what prevents everyone in the world from publishing their own copies of Harry Potter books.

Still want to patent an invention? Here’s a link to all the forms you’ll need. But keep in mind, the process can be complicated. If you’re serious about it, you may want to consult with lawyer who specializes in this sort of thing.

Got your own opinion on the greatest invention of all time? If you ask me, it’s pretty hard to top the wheel, but I think indoor plumbing might be a close second. Third place: the hot shower.

Thanks for reading,

Mike

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