They’re online with laptop computers, desktop computers, Wii consoles, XBox consoles, iPod Touch, iPad devices, and more!

Your eyes can’t be everywhere all the time, so you need a little extra help when it comes to internet filtering.

A good free web filtering and pc monitoring software can really help you keep your children safe online. You can track IM conversations, emails, and other online activities to keep your family safe.

Check out the free stuff at InternetParentalControlFree.com

But how do you know what the best free security software is for 2011?

You can download the best free virus scan and removal tools online.

There are tons of titles to choose from, but be careful, as some clever malware and virus creators have packaged up fake looking antivirus packages to actually infect your computer.

Check out Best Free Virus Scan and Removal to get truly free security software before it’s too late.

If you’re looking to save money, and stay legal, I recommend OpenOffice or Google Docs, which are both absolutely free office suite software sources.

But if you’re a die hard Microsoft Office fanatic, Microsoft still has their Office 365 public beta going on, which you can check out, for free.

Try it out for nothing else than to get free office suite software, or to put together those needed spreadsheets or reports for school.

And don’t worry, once the beta retires, the above mentioned free titles are compatible with Microsoft Office

The great thing about the internet is all of the free software downloads to delete history, cookies, and temporary internet files:

Free software downloads like “CCleaner” and “CleanUp!” are great free tools that can help you not only clean off cookie files, but also other unneeded files such as temporary internet files, and browsing history. These files just add to your hard drive and can eventually slow things down for you.

I highly recommend, and have used both free software titles above for Vista, XP, Windows 7.

How do I clean off my system? The first thing I start with is virus scans free:

Virus scans free save you money. I’ve known people to buy antivirus software and only be disappointed when they realized that you can scan your computer for free! As a technology consultant, my customers soon learn that I am a big fan of free antivirus software.

As a technology consultant, I recommend to my customers several free titles. Check them out at:

Best Free Virus Scan and Removal

Don’t worry, you don’t have to spend ANY money to try to clean up your computer yourself. That’s because you can get free malware removal tools online.


When you get free malware removal tools online, you’re saving usually at least $50! Whenever someone comes to me wanting me to clean off their computer, the first thing I suggest is this website before they have to pay me for something they most likely can do themselves: BestFreeVirusScanAndRemoval.com

I’m all about things that are free, so I thought I’d share one good resource for some of the best free virus scan and removal tools and guides: YouTube.

It might surprise you that YouTube has TONS of free tutorial videos on how to remove viruses, spyware, and malware from your computer, but it’s true.

It might be a good idea to watch more than one video regarding the same infection just to see if there are different approaches. Plus, check out the comments to see if viewers agree.

You can file your taxes with online tax software such as TurboTax. But did you know that you can get paid for TurboTax Electronic Filing?!


There are a lot of things that you are already doing that you can actually get paid for. I do it all the time. Now getting paid to file your taxes may sound too good to be true, but it is a reality.

By checking out InBoxDollars, you can get paid to file your taxes online with Turbo Tax.

You have to file your taxes anyway, so why not get paid for it?!

You can download free cursors mouse pointers for your desktop or laptop computer and it’s easy!

Once you download free cursors and mouse pointers, your computer will display more of YOUR personality, and not the same old arrows and hands that we’ve all seen way too much.  Say goodbye to the plain old hand and arrow mouse pointers!

This virus infection will pop up on your screen, looking as if it is there to assist you with a hard drive issue. However, it is a malware infection, not a tool that will help you.

You can remove viruses for free using free antivirus software

Check out http://bestfreevirusscanandremoval.com for all of the information you need to get rid of this virus infection.

I always try to figure out how to get more with the same amount of money, or no money at all.  That’s why I tend to recommend free antivirus downloads to my clients.

But even if you decide you want to stick with your tried and true software and buy antivirus software, then a good idea would be to check out MyPoints.

MyPoints is a free website where you earn points for purchases that you make online.  The points are then exchangeable for gift cards to some of your favorite restaurants and retailers.

Many credit cards offer this type of rewards program, so compare what you have on your credit card vs MyPoints and see which gives you the best rewards.

MyPoints is currently offering rewards for great antivirus software such as:

• Norton Antivirus
• Kapersky
• McAfee
• Webroot
• Bit Defender
• and more!

I’ve personally used MyPoints for years, and have cashed in my points for all sorts of gift cards that I’ve used for myself, or have given away as gifts.

• Use a credit card instead of a debit card-most credit cards have fraud protection.  Some debit cards do as well, but keep in mind someone obtaining your debit card number gives someone direct access to your bank account.  This can be a bigger mess than credit card fraud.
• Update your web browser-make sure that your web browser is updated to ensure that you have the most secure transaction as possible.  I highly recommend using a different browser other than Internet Explorer such as Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, or Safari (yes it works on Windows too).  I have nothing against Microsoft’s Internet Explorer other than the fact that it is the most hacked browser in the world.  Keep in mind that most computer owners have Internet Explorer on their computer, so if you were a hacker, what browser would you write malware and spyware for?
• Update your antivirus-I work on a lot of client’s computers that have antivirus software, but still get a virus.  This can be avoided at times by simply making sure it is up to date.  If your antivirus software subscription is expired, I recommend AVG:
  AVG Black Friday/Cyber Monday offer – Save 50% on 1 user 1 year of AVG Internet Security 2011
• Update your antispyware/antimalware software-spyware and malware can also infect your computer, monitor your online activities, and steal your personal information.  Make sure that it is updated to provide the best protection for yourself.  I recommend SuperAntiSpyware and Malwarebytes.
• A word on Firewalls-check out this article on How Firewalls Work. If you have Norton Antivirus, it most likely has the firewall already turned on. If not, check your Windows firewall to ensure that it is turned on.
• Shop only on websites with which you are familiar.  There are websites that can pop up promising great deals, but are any one of numerous online scams.  Ask your friends or family if they’ve used it.
• When you go to enter payment information, be sure that the web address you are on begins with “https”.  This means that it is a secured site.  You shouldn’t enter your credit card information on a site without this.

Getting great deals and free shipping are what make internet shopping great this time of year.  No lines, no crowds, and great deals…enjoy and be safe online.

Of course viruses can get on your computer from user actions such as clicking on something, downloading something, etc.  This is something I warn my clients about to help keep their computers free from trojan infections, spyware, and viruses.

But still, if you’ve got a virus, all you want is to protect your data, and to get rid of the virus or trojan infection.

I highly recommend doing regular data back up to keep those precious pictures, files, etc protected since many viruses have to be gotten rid of by a complete system restore or even a complete system reload.  I can’t tell you how many people I talk to that are sorry that they didn’t back up their data, even though they knew that they should.  Please, don’t let it happen to you.  Data backup is so inexpensive today.  You can purchase an external hard drive, or even a cute usb flash drive for a lot less than it will take to hire someone to get your data back for you once your computer is infected.

With sites like Buy.com where you can get free shipping on popular data backup tools such as external hard drives and usb flash drives, there’s really no reason to not back up your important data on a regular basis.

But I got to thinking, you could make your own free bowling website template by using any of the great free templates at OSWD-Open Source Web Design and then putting your own bowling pictures on them using a free software like Kompozer.

You’ll still need a place to host your website of course, and it can be cheaper than you think. I currently pay less than $10/mo with a plan from godaddy:

Need a little extra help? Shoot me an email at gary@garyfarnam.org and we can discuss ideas, needs, etc.