The Five Best Free News Apps for iPad

Apple’s iPad has made the act of keeping up with the events of the day practically effortless. No longer do you have to wait for the morning paper or your local news broadcast. You oftentimes don’t even need to actively seek out important news updates – the iPad will push them right to you the instant they become available. In the realm of mobile news applications, a few tend to rise above the rest. This is especially true when it comes to Apple’s mobile platform.

AP Mobile

AP Mobile is the official application of the Associated Press. Stories from all over the world are updated continually throughout the day. If something pertinent happens that the AP staff feels you should know about, a “Push” notification will appear on your iPad’s screen regardless of whether the app is running at the time or not.

CNN

Not only does the official CNN application give you all of the news and updates you’ve come to expect, but it also allows you to watch CNN live directly from your iPad. Just tap the “Live TV” icon in the upper-right corner of the screen and log in using your cable television provider’s username and password. Anything that CNN broadcasts that you would be able to watch on your television will also be viewable on your iPad.

Flipboard

The Flipboard application takes news from various sources, including your favorite social networking sites, and formats articles as if you were reading a digital magazine. You can flip through the pages or browse by categories to view only the topics you feel like reading about. You could see a photo posted by a friend on Twitter or Facebook alongside a story from CNN or The Huffington Post. Flipboard takes news and makes it not only easy to consume, but fun as well.

HealthMap

The HealthMap application takes recent health alerts from all over the world and formats them as pins on a giant map. By default, HealthMap will allow you to view a map of your area. You can see the exact location of reported incidents like virus outbreaks, disease reports and more. You can zoom out to view a larger map of the surrounding area, or search for a specific location as the need arises.

NPR

NPR is the official application of National Public Radio. Any content that you could tune into on your car or home radio you can also experience on your iPad wherever you have an Internet connection. Content is arranged in an easy-to-navigate interface, allowing quick access to the news you’re searching for.

All of the aforementioned free news applications, and a seemingly endless amount of additional apps, are available in the iTunes App Store accessible via the “App Store” icon on your home screen.

The Five Best Free eBook Reader Apps for the iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad

Apple’s iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad portable devices have completely revolutionized the way we consume written content. Instead of lugging a backpack filled with books around, you can take thousands of complete books with you wherever you go on a device that is lighter than even most paperbacks. There are a wide variety of different applications designed for the eBook reading experience available in the iTunes App Store at any given moment, but only a few of those are really worth the time it takes to download.

iBooks

iBooks is Apple’s official, first-part eBook reader. It allows you to read any book that you’ve purchased and downloaded from the iTunes Book Store, in addition to files saved in the PDF file format. iBooks also gives users the ability to purchase new books directly from the app itself, so no computer is required. You can separate your collection into a series of digital “Shelves” by author, genre, book series or any other category you can think of. The interface is sleek and clean, and it’s designed specifically to take advantage of the touch screen capabilities of the iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad. The best part is that iBooks is available for free to all users.

Kindle by Amazon

The official Kindle application from Amazon effectively turns your iPod Touch, iPhone or iPad into one of the company’s popular Kindle devices. This single app, available free of charge, allows you to read any digital book purchased on Amazon.com on your Apple device. You can move your existing Kindle collection over to your iPod Touch, iPhone or iPad with the touch of a button simply by syncing your Amazon.com account with the application. You can also purchase books on Amazon.com and have them instantly appear on your device a few seconds later automatically.

NOOK by Barnes & Noble

NOOK is Barnes & Noble’s answer to Amazon’s Kindle application. This free application allows you to read all books formatted in the NOOK’s proprietary format. Downloading iBooks, Kindle and NOOK on the same device allows you constant and immediate access to the three largest digital book stores on the planet. If you can’t find a particular book in one of the services, you will surely be able to find it in either of the remaining two.

Overdrive Media Console

Overdrive Media Console is a free application that allows you to check digital books out from your local library without ever leaving the house. You simply sign up for a free account and enter your existing library account information. You can then browse your local library’s digital book inventory and download what you like. When the “Check Out” period has ended, the book will automatically be deleted from your device and “checked back in” at the library. There is no need to worry about late fees ever again.

Shakespeare

If you’re a fan of Shakespeare, you really need to download this application as quickly as possible. As Shakespeare’s work is old enough to be a part of the public domain, this app compiles the complete collection into one easy to navigate interface. This is especially useful for students who need to read one or more of Shakespeare’s works for a class.

How to Update Your Virus Definitions in McAfee Total Protection

The importance of having updated virus definitions cannot be overstated enough. A program like McAfee Total Protection doesn’t just use these definitions during scans of your hard drive, but it also uses them as you browse the Internet under regular conditions as well. Having outdated virus definitions may cause the program to miss a malicious website containing spyware or other types of malware, which can then infect your computer. Updating your virus definitions in McAfee Total Protection will only take a few short moments of your time.

Step 1

Verify that the McAfee Total Protection software is running on your computer. A small “M” icon appears in the system tray of your computer’s taskbar whenever the program is running. If the “M” icon is not present in this location, use either the McAfee desktop icon or the McAfee “Start” menu icon to load the program. If the icon does appear in the system tray, double click on it to open the main McAfee Total Protection program window.

Step 2

Click once on the tab labeled “Home” on the left side of the screen. A series of general options in regards to the program will open in the main program window.

Step 3

Click the option labeled “Update” directly beneath the “Protection Status” option. Both of these options are located in the “Home” section of the window on screen.

Step 4

Click the button labeled “Update” in the main portion of the window. McAfee Total Protection will now use your Internet connection to download any virus definition updates that are available. You will receive a message indicating the completion of the process once the updated definitions have downloaded and installed. Performing a full system scan of your computer now that the definitions have been updated will result in a much more accurate and thorough search of your hard drive for viruses and other types of malicious software.

How to Manage Your Internet Security Settings in Internet Explorer

You should never just assume that the default Internet security settings of a particular browser are going to keep you protected. There is a seemingly endless number of ways that you can pick up a virus or another type of malware on the Internet, so it’s always a good idea to be as prepared as possible. The Internet Explorer Web browser gives users the ability to tweak the default Internet security settings to match their needs. You can make any changes you want in just a few quick steps.

Step 1

Open a new instance of the Internet Explorer Web browser on your computer.

Step 2

Open the “Tools” menu from the top of Internet Explorer. Click the option labeled “Internet Options” to load a new window. Note that you can also access the same screen by selecting the icon labeled “Internet Options” in the Microsoft Windows Control Panel.

Step 3

Click the tab labeled “Security.” Use the vertical slider bar to select a “Security Level” for your browser. By default, the security level will be set to “Medium-high.” You will be prompted before you download any content and Internet Explorer will not download unsigned ActiveX controls. Moving the slider upwards to the level “High” puts maximum security safeguards in place, while moving the slider downwards to the level “Medium” removes a majority of the safeguards of the other levels.

Step 4

Click the button labeled “Restricted Sites” at the top of the page. Click the button labeled “Sites” that appears. Use the window that opens to add the URL addresses of any site that you want to have Internet Explorer restrict access to. Your security level will switch to “High” anytime your computer tries to access one of the sites that you specify.

Step 5

Click the button labeled “Custom Level” to specify your own security settings level. You can choose exactly how the Internet Explorer handles content like loose XAML, XAML browser applications, XPS documents and more. If you open the window and don’t have experience with any of the listed terms it is recommended that you do not change anything in this screen. Doing so could potentially make it more difficult for you to use the Internet Explorer browser.

Using Avast Free Antivirus to Scan an External Hard Drive

Avast is a very powerful free antivirus program designed for the Windows operating system. When you perform a general scan of your computer, the program analyzes all of the files on your primary hard drive for traces of viruses and malware. The problem is that viruses aren’t just exclusive to your primary hard drive – other external storage devices like an external hard drive can be infected as well. You can use the Avast free antivirus software to perform a full scan of any external hard drive you own. You just have to configure the program in a very particular way to allow this to happen.

Step 1

Plug any external hard drive or USB flash drive that you want to scan for viruses into your computer. If you are scanning a USB flash drive, plug that flash drive into a USB port. If you are scanning an external hard drive, use the drive’s USB cable to attach it to your computer. Remember that most external hard drives also require an external power source, so be sure to plug the drive’s power cable into a wall outlet before continuing.

Step 2

Open the Avast free antivirus software on your computer. You can use either the desktop shortcut icon that was created during the program’s installation or the icon in the “Avast Free Antivirus” folder of your computer’s “Start” menu.

Step 3

Click the button labeled “Scan Computer” on the left side of the Avast program’s main menu. The window that opens on screen will feature controls that allow you to scan your hard drive for viruses and malware in a number of different ways.

Step 4

Locate the section of the window on screen that reads “Removable media scan.” This section allows you to simultaneously scan all removable and external storage drives on your computer. Click the button labeled “More Details” to expand this section.

Step 5

Click the button labeled “Start” in the “Removable media scan” section of the window on screen. The Avast software will now scan all of the external and removable drives connected to your computer. Any viruses or other types of infected files that are identified will be immediately quarantined by the program. Wait patiently for the scan to complete to get a detailed breakdown of everything that the program found on the selected drives.

How to Check for System Updates in Mac OS X

Apple often releases updates, both major and minor, for their Mac OS X operating system. These updates are always worth downloading as they can add new features to your computer as well as fix any problems that have cropped up with various programs and even with the operating system itself. If you want to check to make sure you have your computer as up-to-date as it can possibly be, you can do so by following just a few basic steps. So long as your computer has an active Internet connection you can check for updates on Mac OS X in just a couple of seconds.

Step 1

Click on the “Apple” menu at the top of your Mac OS X desktop. This will open a drop down menu of different options for you to choose from.

Step 2

Choose the “System Preferences” option. This will open a new window on your computer.

Step 3

Click the “View” tab at the top of the window. This will reveal an additional screen filled with options for you to select. One of these options will be labeled “Software Update.”

Step 4

Click once on “Software Update.” Next, click the “Update Now” button. This will tell your computer to check to see if any updates are available for any of the compatible programs on your machine, as well as for Mac OS X itself. If no updates are found a message will appear specifying this in the main window. If updates are found they will be itemized and presented to you at this time.

Step 5

Check the box next to the listing for any software update you want to download and install. Clicking on the name of an update will also tell you more about what that particular update was designed to do. Do this whenever you have any questions, or if you just aren’t sure if a particular update is worth downloading. When you’re finished, click the “Install” button in the lower-right corner of the window.

Step 6

Enter your computer’s username and password. This will allow the program to download and install any available updates. If you are prompted to do so, reboot your computer once the updates are complete to finish the installation process. If you are not prompted to do so, you can continue to use your computer normally.

Why Do I Need an iPad?

Apple’s iPad first surged onto the market in early 2010 to thunderous praise and applause. However, due to the fact that it reached critical acclaim so quickly in its lifespan, it can be easy to overlook the device as nothing more than a passing fad. You may be asking yourself, “What can I do on an iPad that I can’t already do on a laptop or desktop?” The answers are many, and may surprise you.

If you’re a reader, you need an iPad. The iTunes iBook Store offers hundreds of thousands of books available for purchase with the tap of a button. You can purchase books via a credit or debit card tied to your iTunes account, the same way you can purchase movies, music and television shows. Even the smallest available iPad, at 32 gigabytes of storage, has enough space to hold even the largest book collections. If you’ve purchased books using competing services like Amazon’s Kindle program or Barnes and Noble’s Nook service, these books are also readable on your iPad via dedicated applications available for free. The iPad is also the perfect reader for other types of print media, like comic books and magazines.

If you’re interested in news and politics, you need an iPad. Nearly every news service you can think of, from CNN to Fox News to the Huffington Post and everything in between, offers iPad applications that reformat their content to take advantage of the device’s touch screen interface. You can also set up push notifications to alert you of news as it breaks at a moment’s notice. If a big news story hits, you don’t even have to open an application. A message will appear right on your iPad’s home screen.

If you’re a mobile gamer, you need an iPad. With games like Angry Birds, Words with Friends and even previous console-only games like Madden Football, the iPad has quickly established itself as one of the premiere mobile gaming platforms on the market. All games are available via digital distribution in the form of applications. No longer do you have to carry around game discs like you do on other handheld consoles. You can purchase games (or download free ones) from wherever your iPad has Wi-Fi connectivity.

If you want to enjoy movies and TV shows on the go, you need an iPad. The iPad’s size and hard drive space make it optimal for enjoying your favorite movies and television programs on the go. Hundreds of thousands of movies, including popular titles fresh out of theaters, are available for a fee from the iTunes Store. You can rent these movies and television shows for a small fee, or download a copy to own for a slightly larger one. Movies and television shows can be managed and synced to your device through iTunes in the same process you would use for music purchases.

If you run a business or are self-employed, you need an iPad. The iPad makes it incredibly easy to manage everything from your finances to the actual work you’re doing. If you need to be able to take credit card payments from customers on the go, you can do so using an application on your iPad. If you need a small but effective word processor to carry with you everywhere you travel, the iPad can accomplish this using any one of a number of dedicated applications. For small business owners and the self-employed, the iPad is like carrying an assistant, accountant and employee around with you on a device that can fit in your backpack.