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Last week I posted a short PSA on software vendor Zynga’s attempts to gain access to your personal information via Yahoo!.  This week’s technology news contained reports that Facebook, facing a wave of criticism, has disabled a recently-introduced capability that “allowed” users to share their cell numbers and physical addresses with developers of applications they use on the site, and within the sites of other publishers to which their accounts are linked.  Once again, fellow Geeks, let me caution you!  You cannot be too careful with your personal information online!  It has value, because people and corporations want to make money off of you.  Stay vigilant, and zealously guard your personal information, lest you find yourself awash in SPAM, or worse yet, have your identity stolen.

Q: A friend has a fairly new computer, Dell I think with Windows 7.  Lately , when she sends an e-mail with pictures, the pics don’t come through, It shows just a square with a little red x. Is there a setting that should be checked or unchecked? 

– Marilyn A.
Destin, Fla

A: Oh, it’s been a while since I covered the infamous “Red X” problem in the column.  I’m sure there are lots of new readers since then, so this is certainly worth repeating.  This problem generally happens when one’s e-mail software is configured to send only a reference, or link to a picture, rather than the picture itself.  This is sometimes referred to as “sending pictures from the internet” since it is assumed that if one computer on the internet can access a picture, that any similarly-connected computer should be able to do the same.  That whole process falls apart when the link is to a location that is local to a one computer, and the receiver’s computer has no access to that location.  Left with nothing to display, the receiver’s computer draws the ubiquitous red x symbol.

Solving this problem means forcing your e-mail software to send the actual picture rather than a link to it.  These steps should work in Windows Mail, Windows Live Mail, or Outlook Express.  For other e-mail software, consult the User’s Manual.  From within the software, click on “Tools” then “Options…”  Select the “Send” tab, and under “Mail Sending Format” click “HTML Settings…”  Make sure the box labeled “Send pictures with messages” is checked.  That’s it!

READER TIP OF THE WEEK – Subject: Free Antivirus Protection.  Reader J. O. writes and says “In a recent column you noted that AVG is a good free antivirus and I agree, but I think Avast may be even better and it’s free also.  I have been using it for 4-5 years and ever since I dumped Norton and McAffee I have not had a virus problem.  All the people I have advised to use Avast also have eliminated their virus problems.  I like it because you can tell when it is running and they also do very frequent updates, sometimes several updates daily – well before Microsoft or others send security updates to their products.  Once per year you have to re-register, but other than that it is far less intrusive than other products I have tried.”  It’s worth mentioning that PC Magazine also recently rated Avast! quite highly in their analysis of antivirus products, while my current favorite – AVG – wasn’t even on the radar.  Needless to say, I’m presently evaluating Avast! as a replacement for the machines I maintain.