2013 Best Wi-Fi Booster Comparisons and Reviews

Why Buy a Wi-Fi Booster?

Wireless technology has made connecting to the internet more convenient than ever. If you're like most people, your home network includes desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones – all connected wirelessly through one router. Even high-quality routers have a limited range, though, and there are often dead spots in certain parts of the home.
So what should you do if your wireless signal doesn’t reach every corner of your home? The answer is to implement the power of a Wi-Fi booster, also referred to as a Wi-Fi repeater, in your home network. The technology of the Wi-Fi booster connects to your current wireless network and then repeats that signal, increasing your wireless range significantly. Simply by housing the wireless repeater at the edge of your internet’s dead zone, the booster will bounce the signal to the rest of your home. Not all Wi-Fi boosters are created equal, so we have taken the liberty to narrow down the selection to the best Wi-Fi repeaters on the market. We have also written a few articles on Wi-Fi boosters to help you make an informed decision.

Wi-Fi Boosters: What to Look For

You would think there would be hundreds of Wi-Fi boosters on the market, but the truth is that companies that produce several choices in routers usually only offer one wireless repeater. Our favorites are the Hawking HW2R1, the ZyXEL WAP3205 and the Belkin Dual-Band Wireless Range Extender. These three devices contain most of the elements we found necessary in functionality, features, and help and support.

Functionality
The range to which the Wi-Fi booster can increase your wireless internet signal is the main feature you want to look for. Most extenders don’t specify the extended range’s measurements, but the best can at least double your current router’s range. They increase your current wireless network’s range by harnessing the signal and rebroadcasting it. By bouncing and repeating the signal, you should be able to access the internet in all of your current dead spots. Signal status lights are a must, as these lights let you know if the repeater is even working. On the back of most Wi-Fi boosters you will find at least one Ethernet port, but the best have up to five ports.

Compatibility is an important feature to remember when purchasing a Wi-Fi extender. If the Wi-Fi booster isn’t compatible with your current router then it won’t work. You shouldn't have a problem if your router is fairly new and is considered a b/g/n device.

Features
Making the choice to purchase a Wi-Fi booster is easy, but what you want to look for is an extender that makes it easy to connect to your router. Our favorites are those with a setup button. One push and the Wi-Fi booster automatically sets up a relationship with your wireless router. You may have to go through further steps to customize your connection, but the Wi-Fi repeater will begin to broadcast your router’s signal. Many are equipped with optimal coverage indicators which allow you to place the wireless repeater in a position that maximizes the coverage. To save energy and increase efficiency, we also like those units with a power on and off button and the ability to remotely manage the connection.

Help & Support
Not all of the Wi-Fi boosters on the market have an automatic setup button, and those that do may not always work. The best wireless boosters have excellent help and support options to back up their product. Live chat, an included warranty and a direct phone number are some of the main features we would recommend.

If you’ve been battling with internet dead zones around your house, now is the time to invest in a Wi-Fi booster. Not only will your wireless range double, but you will have the freedom to roam to all corners of your home, wireless device in hand, completely connected.
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Several casualties reported following massive tornado outside Oklahoma City

Posted: 20 May 2013 01:24 PM PDT

Several casualties including children have been reported after a historic tornado swept through the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore, devastating hundreds of buildings including two schools. Meteorologists reported winds up to 200 miles per hour.

A severe storm has generated baseball-sized hail, high winds and at least 28 tornadoes in the Midwest, including Oklahoma, Kansas and Iowa. Residents remain in hiding as meteorologists forecast that the severe weather conditions will continue to generate destructive twisters.

A large tornado touched down in Moore, Oklahoma, a suburb of Oklahoma City on Monday, and seems to have caused catastrophic damage to several housing developments, and at least two schools in the area. Local television news deployed a helicopter to track the tornado as it moved through the area, and then began to survey the extensive destruction to the region.

Officials say that 75 children and teachers took shelter at Plaza Towers Elementary in Moore, which was essentially flattened by the passing tornado, and was the site of an ongoing search effort. Several children were pulled out from the debris so far, with officials reporting that teachers had shielded students with their own bodies.

Students at another local school, Briarwood Elementary, were accounted for and moved to a safe location.

CBS confirmed multiple casualties, including a three month baby and a four-year-old child. There was also a report of the bodies of a man, woman and child found at a 7-Eleven convenience store.

There was confirmation of at least one structure on fire, possibly caused by a gas leak following the tornado’s path through the community. KOCO reported that cell phone service was down in the Moore region, and aerial footage showed wide swathes of homes wiped out.

Moore was last hit hard by a tornado in 1999. That storm had the highest winds ever recorded near the earth’s surface.

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin declared 16 counties as disaster areas. Power companies reported that more than 57,000 outages left people in the dark. In Shawnee, Oklahoma, the body of a 79-year-old man was found lying in an open area of a mobile home community.

“You could be killed if not underground or in a tornado shelter,” read a National Weather Service alert posted Sunday. “Complete destruction of neighborhoods, businesses and vehicles will occur. Flying debris will be deadly to people and animals.”

In some regions, homes were destroyed, cars and trucks were flipped from highways, downed power lines were sprawled across neighborhoods, and trees were uprooted. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol shut down Interstate 40 after semi-tractor trailer trucks and several other vehicles were flipped by wind gusts, Newsok.com reported.

“It’s tearing up everything. Just ripping everything up in its sight,” a helicopter pilot told CNN affiliate KFOR, referencing a tornado near Wellston, Okla. “…Everything was just gone. Like you took the house, you put it in a gigantic blender, you turned it on pulse for a couple minutes and then you just dumped it out.”

The state was littered with debris from damaged houses, trailers, and vehicles. About 300 homes were in ruins and at least 23 people were injured, according to Fallin and Red Cross spokesman Ken Garcia.

Ethan Mignard, a staffer at a local newspaper, told CNN’s iReport that the damage looked like something he had only ever seen on TV. In some areas, patches of dirt remained where mobile homes once stood, and children’s toys were littered across the ground and hanging from trees. Mignard even came across a plot of land with nothing remaining but the front steps to a house that is now gone.

“It looks so out of place… To think that you would have taken these stairs to enter a home, but instead, you look around from up there and you see total destruction everywhere,” he said.

Counties across Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Missouri were all placed under tornado watches late Sunday, and are expected to experience more damage.

“After over 300 reports of severe weather on Sunday, another round of dangerous severe weather is expected Monday with the greatest threat once again in the southern Plains targeting Oklahoma and parts of Kansas, Missouri, and Arkansas,” the National Weather Service reported. “However, severe weather is possible much further north towards Chicago and Madison as well.”

Source

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What you should know about spam

What you should know about spam

Spam is mass-distributed, unsolicited e-mail and instant messaging advertising. Spam is very cheap for the sender to distribute, and a heavy burden to recipients and Internet service providers (ISPs). It can also be dangerous. Cyber-criminals use spam to deliver deceptive or fraudulent messages in the hopes of gaining access to your private information.

What you should do about spam

Reduce spam by following these tips.

• Set your e-mail filter. An e-mail filter and spam blocking software are absolutely critical. Set these security measures to update automatically to ensure that you are protected from the latest threats.
• NEVER reply to spam. Replying to spam, even to "unsubscribe," could set you up for more spam.
• Protect your e-mail address and instant message ID. If you must post this information online, set up two identities, one for real use and one for online activities.
• Be wary of e-mail attachments. Change the settings on your e-mail program so that images and attachments are not opened automatically. Only open attachments from users known to you.
• Watch out for phishing scams. Don't click on links in e-mails or instant messages unless the sender is known to you. Instead, open a separate web browser and visit the site directly.
• Create smart and strong passwords. Use a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols.
• Never enter your personal information in a pop-up window.You may not be able to tell when a scammer has hijacked a seemingly legitimate site.
• Don't fill out online surveys, or register for contests or fan clubs. These may be fronts for spammers trying to collect your e-mail address.

Consumers Warned to Avoid Fake E-mails Tied to Bank Mergers

Online scammers are taking advantage of tough economic times. While e-mails phishing for sensitive data are nothing new, scammers are taking advantage of upheavals in the financial marketplace to confuse consumers into parting with valuable personal information.

The Federal Trade Commission urges caution regarding e-mails that look as if they come from a financial institution that recently acquired a consumer's bank, savings and loan, or mortgage. In fact, these messages may be from "phishers" looking to use personal information - account numbers, passwords, Social Security numbers - to run up bills or commit other crimes in a consumer's name.

Consumers are warned not to take the bait. The FTC has advice about how to stay on guard against this type of scam. To learn more, see the consumer alert:Bank Failures, Mergers and Takeovers: A Phish-erman's Special.

The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit www.ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

• Is Someone Using Your Computer To Send Spam?
• Fake Email Issues

Did you know hackers can use your computer to send spam without your knowledge? You can help deter hackers and ensure your email is delivered by following the steps outlined below.

Mail Client Users (Outlook Express, MacMail, etc.)

To help protect your computer, please visit our help page for instructions on how to securely configure your email client program. In accordance with industry recommendations, Comcast recommends the sending of email on port 587 with authentication or port 465 with authentication over SSL as secure alternates to port 25, which is the default for many older email clients. If you are configured to use a server other than smtp.comcast.net, to send email, please contact your mail provider for alternate secure port settings.

Webmail Users (Comcast.net, Hotmail.com, Gmail.com, etc)

If you are a webmail user and use a web browser to access your email, you don’t need to do anything. It is always important to check for and remove any possible viruses from your computer. This can be done by using Norton™ Security Suite available from Comcast or by using other popular antivirus solutions that are widely available. Norton™ Security Suite is included at no additional cost with your XFINITY Internet service..

Here's a top ten list of the most common ways intruders target your computer:

1. Hackers - A hacker is someone trying to gain unauthorized access to a computer or network.
2. Hijackers - Hijacking is a type of attack in which an attacker gets access to communication between two people or machines and then pretends to be one of them.
3. Viruses - Like many viruses that make you sick, computer viruses are easily spread. The term virus is used for a piece of computer code that attaches itself to a program or file so it can spread from computer to computer, usually meant to do damage to your software, hardware and files.
4. Worms - A worm, like a virus, is designed to copy itself from one computer to another, but it does so automatically.
5. Spyware - Spyware is software that performs certain behaviors, such as filling your screen with advertising popups (such programs are known as adware), collecting or transmitting personal information (through keystroke loggers), or changing the configuration of your computer, generally without your consent.
6. Malware - Malware is short for "malicious software" that is designed to cripple your computer or destroy your information.
7. Trojan horses - Like the Trojan horse of old, when soldiers hide inside a fake statue to attack the city of Troy, today's Trojan horses hide malicious software within other seemingly harmless software.
8. KeyLogger - a piece of software which captures a user's strokes on a computer keyboard. This software can be distributed through a trojan horse or virus to hack into an capture private information from an unsuspecting user.
9. Bots - A bot is a type of malware which allows an attacker to perform actions using your computer, usually without your knowledge.
10. Botnets - Botnets are composed of individual bots-sometimes numbering in the hundreds of thousands. They are then used to distribute spam e-mail, spread viruses, and attack other computers and servers.

What you should do to stop invaders

Prevention is the best way to avoid intruders. Here's what to do to help keep your computer safe and secure.

• Make sure your anti-virus software is up-to-date. Software providers are constantly updating for newly identified threats, and most update automatically.
• Use a firewall to screen out invaders and help make your computer invisible to hackers. Learn more about firewalls »
• Keep your computer up-to-date by enabling the automatic update feature of your operating system. Current versions of the most common operating systems have built-in features that help protect against intruders.
• Be suspicious of attachments. They're an easy way for viruses and malware to spread. Never open an attachment in an e-mail, instant message or mobile message unless you know exactly what the attachment is, even if it's from someone that you know.

Top 10 things you should do to protect yourself

The risks are real, but the solution is clear. Secure your computer, your personal information, and your family against online threats with a comprehensive, easy-to-use Internet security policy. Print a copy of this list and keep it close at hand for easy reference.

#1 - Install Security Software.

Make no mistake, if you don't install strong security programs, your computer's performance and your personal information are at serious risk. Anti-spyware, anti-virus, and anti-Trojan horse software are a must if you spend any time online. Set the software to run in the background of every activity to provide consistent protection. In fact, it doesn't hurt to double up. Some programs will detect intruders that others may not.

Norton™ Security Suite, at no additional cost for High-Speed Internet subscribers, offers the state-of-the-art solution for Internet protection.

Download Norton™ Security Suite

  

Our Comcast Toolbar also offers powerful anti-phishing, anti-spyware (powered by CA), and pop-up blocking technology.

Download the Comcast Toolbar

#2 - Install a firewall.

A firewall is your first line of defense against online bad guys. It monitors the data passed between your computer and the Internet. When it spots suspicious inbound or outbound data, it either filters out questionable packets of information or disallows the connection entirely. Install one on your computer and Internet access point today if you haven't already.

As a XFINITY Internet subscriber, you can download Norton™ Security Suite that includes firewall protection to help conceal your computer from hackers and spyware.

Download the Norton™ Security Suite

  

#3 - Update software regularly.

Hackers work night and day to develop new methods to crack your system. Even the best security software can be compromised if you don't update their protection against emerging threats. Set your operating system and security software to check for updates automatically, then authorize the updates without delay. The brief interruption required to download an update and restart your computer helps keep you a step ahead of the hackers and thieves.

As a High-Speed Internet subscriber, Norton™ Security Suite will automatically backup and restore your music, photos and files.

Download the Norton™ Security Suite

  

#4 - Lock Down your PC.

Think that you'll never lose your laptop? That burglars don't know how to search your hard drive? That no one is peeking at your computer when you step away? Your trust may be misplaced. Secure access to your hard drive with a password. Then set your system to require the password each time your computer starts up, wakes up from sleep mode, or experiences a set period of inactivity.

#5 - Back up your hard drive.

Give yourself the ability to pick up where you left off by backing up your hard drive. "Backing up" means copying the files on your computer's hard drive to an external source, such as a network server, storage disks, or another hard drive. This allows your files to be retrieved if your computer experiences a malfunction or a security-related problem. Of course, backing up only works if you do so regularly. Set your system to back up automatically at times of inactivity, such as late at night.

As a High-Speed Internet subscriber, you get 2GB of storage with Backup & Share for your music, photos and files.

Click here to activate Backup & Share for your music, photos and files.

#6 - Secure your wireless network.

The convenience of wireless networks come bundles with additional risks. Secure access to your WiFi network with a password to make sure that strangers are not grabbing your personal information from the air.

#7 - Secure your passwords.

It's an obvious but important point-security measures that require passwords are only as secure as their passwords. Combine numbers, letters, case, and symbols to create unique, secure passwords - the longer the better. Do not use the same password for more than one or two functions. And of course, never allow unauthorized persons access to your passwords.

#8 - Stay private in public.

Never enter personal information on computers or wireless networks that are not under your direct control. Public computers and open wireless networks are conveniences that are shared by many but patrolled by few.

#9 - Talk to your kids. Watch your kids.

Consistent parental involvement is the best protection kids have against online risks. Educate yourself and talk to your kids about proper online behavior. Limit the risks further by installing parental controls that allow you to set criteria for Internet content, programs used, time spent online, and online chat partners.

Learn more about Norton parental controls.

#10 - Above all, be skeptical.

The Internet presents enormous possibilities and serious risks. Keep your wits about you. The same rules that operate in the real world also operate online. Does an offer seem too good to be true? Do you really know the person on the other end of an unsolicited message? When something doesn't feel right, just close the window and hit delete. Online criminals are sophisticated, motivated, and difficult to prosecute. Don't let them get the upper hand.

Ruins of Lost City May Lurk Deep in Honduras Rain Forest

New images of a possible lost city hidden by Honduran rain forestsshow what might be the building foundations and mounds of Ciudad Blanca, a never-confirmed legendary metropolis.

Archaeologists and filmmakers Steven Elkins and Bill Benensonannounced last year that they had discovered possible ruins in Honduras' Mosquitia region using lidar, or light detection and ranging. Essentially, slow-flying planes send constant laser pulses groundward as they pass over the rain forest, imaging the topography below the thick forest canopy.

What the archaeologists found — and what the new images reveal — are features that could be ancient ruins, including canals, roads, building foundations and terraced agricultural land. The University of Houston archaeologists who led the expedition will reveal their new images and discuss them today (May 15) at the American Geophysical Union Meeting of the Americas in Cancun.

Ciudad Blanca, or "The White City," has been a legend since the days of the conquistadors, who believed the Mosquitia rain forests hid a metropolis full of gold and searched for it in the 1500s. Throughout the 1900s, archaeologists documented mounds and other signs of ancient civilization in the Mosquitias region, but the shining golden city of legend has yet to make an appearance.

 Whether or not the lidar-weilding archaeologists have discovered the same city the conquistadors were looking for is up for debate, but the images suggest some signs of an ancient lost civilization.  

"We use lidar to pinpoint where human structures are by looking for linear shapes and rectangles," Colorado State University research Stephen Leisz, who uses lidar in Mexico, said in a statement. "Nature doesn't work in straight lines."

The archaeologists plan to get their feet on the ground this year to investigate the mysterious features seen in the new images.  

http://news.yahoo.com/lightbox/ruins-lost-city-may-lurk-deep-honduras-rain-photo-130008669.html

Kramnik: Anand tense, scared of Carlsen

13.5.2013 - That is what former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik thinks, after playing next to Anand at the Alekhine Memorial. BUT: Vishy Anand, who since 2007 has fended off challenges from three different players, can defeat the world's number one if he is in the right frame of mind. "If he manages to hold up to the pressure for six games, then Anand will become a favourite," is Kramnik's opinion.

Of late, Vishy Anand has been tense and nervous: Kramnik

By Dhananjay Khadilkar – May 1, 2013

How does one beat Vishy Anand in a world championship match? Since 2007, he has fended off challenges from three different players – Vladimir Kramnik, Veselein Topalov and Boris Gelfand. All the three matches were really close yet Anand managed to emerge on top. But now he has a completely different opponent. At 22, Magnus Carlsen is almost half of Anand’s age, is currently the World No 1 and has achieved the highest Elo rating for any player in the history of the sport.

Kramnik, who himself was a world champion for seven years and had achieved the distinction of beating Garry Kasparov (the only instance that Kasparov had been beaten in a World Championship match), believes that age and motivation are the biggest advantages for Carlsen against Anand.

Kramnik will be backing Anand to win

“Chess is not like football or other sports, but still, when you are much older than your opponent, it works against you. (At 37) I consider myself to be quite old. Vishy is even older than me. So that makes it a bit difficult for him. Magnus has much more energy, more motivation as he hasn’t been a world champion yet. Those are his biggest advantages,” Kramnik told Firstpost at the Alekhine Memorial tournament in Paris. He also added that Magnus was probably the toughest opponent possible.

Kramnik said that in order to retain the title, Anand needs to be more relaxed during the match. “Vishy shouldn’t think about the outcome. He should just play and enjoy and try to show his best. If he is relaxed and doesn’t get too tense, he can win. However, lately, he is a little bit tense and nervous. He should try to be calmer and take it easy,” the Russian world No 3 remarked.

Kramnik predicted that the match would be really close. “A world championship match is always played by players who are very close. It cannot be otherwise. Magnus is very strong but Vishy is incredibly experienced in matches and he is a fantastic player. If he gets in best shape, he is capable of beating Magnus,” he added.

On how Carlsen can beat Anand, Kramnik, who had narrowly lost out to Carlsen at the Candidates Tournament, said that the best way was to deeply analyse the opponent’s recent games and build a strategy. “Quite a lot depends on preparation, not only related to chess but also psychological,” he said. When asked as to pick up his favourite in the match, Kramnik said that it’s too close to call. “I want to see a good match. If both prepare well, it is pretty equal. Generally speaking, I would like a player from my generation to do better. But this is nothing against Carlsen,” Kramnik said.

Source: Firstpost sport

Anand is scared of World No 1 Carlsen, says Kramnik

Vladimir Kramnik, former world chess champion and one of the Candidates who was in race to challenge Viswanathan Anand for the world title, believes the Indian Grandmaster has a chance to beat Magnus Carlsen in the world championship match later this year if he stopped being scarred of the Norwegian challenger. “I believe that Anand definitely has his chances. It is absolutely realistic. The only problem that I think Anand is facing is that he – this is just my opinion – is somewhat intimidated by Carlsen. He is playing unconfidently against him – he's scared of him, I would say,” Kramnik said.

In an interview published recently, the Russian said Anand is afraid of Carlsen just like he used to be afraid of Garry Kasparov. “He was never seriously weaker than Kasparov, but just couldn’t play against him,” Kramnik said. “You know, age is taking its toll, so he (Anand) is playing a little worse than before, but he is still good enough. He loses very rarely, and it is extremely important for matches.” Told by the interviewer that Anand does not win too often these days, Kramnik said he does not have to to retain the world title. “One doesn’t have to win many games in a match. It is enough to win one game and to draw the rest. It is clear that he is now match oriented and not wasting energy on regular tournaments. Maybe he won’t be in his top form. His match against me (in 2008) was probably the pinnacle of his career. He was playing brilliantly back then. Even if he gets back to his normal 'good' form, he can still beat Carlsen, but only if he manages to solve his psychological problems. This is a must-do.”

Kramnik said Anand should not be intimidated by the world No 1. “He should relax and not be afraid of Magnus. One can face Carlsen and actually beat him. If Anand manages to prepare himself this way, then I think the chances will be equal. If not, then his chances will be very low. I would say that if he manages to hold the pressure of Magnus for at least six games (i.e., tie at 3-3), then Anand will become a favourite in my eyes.”

Source: Pune Mirror