Productivity is such an important thing in our fast-paced world. Since the information can be reached so easily nowadays, it is important to connect remotely to the other computers to increase the productivity. One convenient way is to connect to another computer is to create a gateway from the internet to connect another computer.

There are several programs available for the remote connection. Among those programs, a few are are worth to mention:

1. Windows Remote Desktop Connection: RDC comes with the Windows Professional version to connect other computers. You can’t connect to the computers with Windows XP Home but it is possible to connect to other computers. It is one of the most secure remote connection software. The other end can’t see what’s going on in the computer so, it is great for one end connections. You need to add exception to firewall to use Remote desktop connection.
2. RealVNC: RealVNC is a software where you can connect another computer. The other end can also see what is going on which increases the overall productivity. You need to buy the software to use RealVNC. Meanwhile, you can also use the free version of VNC but it creates a lot of security issues since the free version uses non-encrypted connection. Once we use RealVNC in our computer and we were surprised when we see one morning that someone from France hacked our computer via RealVNC,
3. TeamViewer. Teamviewer is a perfect software for the remote desktop connection. It has the options for multiple users to connect the same computer to see the same screen. This feature increases the productivity substantially. Another major feature for Teamviewer is the ability to connect to the other computers internationally. What gives you the ability to connect your friend’s computers in China. The password authentication allows users to change the password to connect to each other. This feature rules out the security concerns. With Teamviewer, it is also possible to share files with the other computer. As long as you use TeamViewer for the non-commercial purpose, it is free to use.

Remote desktop connections are very important to increase productivity and we recommend CleanPC.org users to read our blog before making a decision on which remote desktop software to use.

For better internet security, we will continue discussing internet security with new shopping tips.

1- Never shop from Bargain Travel Website if your trip may change. If you are not sure the area that you travel, you may get surprised with the hotel you booked online. For instance, I booked a hotel online for my Florida trip by using Priceline.com. When I see the hotel, I decided to cancel my reservation. The hotel manager told me they can’t refund my money because Priceline is responsible for the cancellation. I called Priceline and the representative told me they can’t cancel my reservation too. According to Priceline, I needed to stay in the filthy hotel and battle with the ants in the bed by bearing with the smell. I didn’t and it cost me extra $170. The new hotel that I stayed at that night was cleaner and nicer. They even gave me a bargain for the rest of the trip. So, be aware with the bargain website. They can take your money.,

2- Never shop from Travel Booking Website. If your travel can change, it is a good idea to arrange the travel via airline company. Once I booked my flight with Orbitz and I had to come back early. I called Orbitz and they asked me for additional $150 penalty for the cancellation. The same rule applies to a change in the reservation as well. Fine prints seems to be the biggest earning income for Orbitz. You can have bonus when Orbitz representative asks you whether “anything else” she/he can help you with. So, you need to be careful.

These are today’s shopping tips. For more shopping tips and internet deals, you can read more at CleanPC.org, ShopDomainforSale.com and CouponsDeals.net respectively.

As we use internet everyday in our lives, here are some recommendations to have a safer internet usage.

1- Never give password someone you don’t know. Some spammers may send you pretentious emails asking you to verify your identity. Most companies don’t send such emails and you need to be careful where you submit your email address and password. Checking the correctness of the url may give you a hint whether the email is aimed to get your identify. If you accidentally submit your identity, contact immediately with the bank or email company to reset your password.

2- Don’t give important information in MSN or Chat. MSN and chat softwares can easily be hacked and your identity can’t be stolen easily. To prevent the identity theft, never give your social security number, password, or such critical information on MSN. Someone may steal those critical information and can cost you thousands of dollars to recover the potential damage.

3- Never send your pictures to a person in chat. Ideally, you can’t know whom you are chatting on the internet. Sending your personal files/pictures is not secure decision. The person who acquire your pictures can use those images to claim that he/she is you. The same rules applies to MySpace members. Having pictures publicly available on MySpace can give you a lot of potential damage. You can not know who is looking at your pictures.

4- Don’t send money overseas. Sending money overseas to claim a prize is not wise thing to do. After sending money, there is no return. You need to be careful whom you are dealing with. Ideally, if an opportunity looks like a life time opportunity, most probably it will appear as a scam later on. Ask for business title, tax number when you are dealing with people. Also, use credit card when you a big purchase instead of debit card. If something goes wrong, you can have a chance to get the money back with credit card while you can’t with debit card.

For more information for computer security and other practical knowledge on computers, you can visit CleanPC.org.