MyAnswers: How to combine RSS feeds from different sites into a single folder in Outlook 2010.

The following MyAnswers solution 2366 is now available:

Outlook RSS feed by default splits each site into a different folder. The problem is you have to then check each folder for new items. I prefer to check a single folder. I decided to investigate Outlook 2010 and determine how to combine the news feeds from different sites into a single folder.

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Kelvin Eldridge
www.MyAnswers.biz
(An Online Connections service.)

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MyAnswers: Windows Live Mail should be avoided as an RSS feed newsreader.

The following MyAnswers solution 2367 is now available:

Windows Live Mail as RSS Feed newsreader fails to work properly.

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Kelvin Eldridge
www.MyAnswers.biz
(An Online Connections service.)

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Google Adwords advertising issues

I've recently completed running a couple of small trials to test Google Adwords and the results of those trials are available in MyAnswers solution 2361. There are some interesting issues I've noticed with Google Adwords relating to local advertising but a bigger concern is even though I limited visitors to be from Melbourne, I received two visits from China which consumed nearly 20% of my latest budget. Keep in mind my budget is tiny but still I really don't want to promote a local service to people outside of Australia. If it occurred to me I can't help but wonder if this is happening to others.

If you participate in Google Adwords I'd suggest that if you are limiting your advertising to a region that in the beginning you check your web site logs and in particular investigate the clicks and where the IP address is from. Then factor these into your budget accordingly.

Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

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Alert: Qantas Booking reference 47648830 - Seat Select Fee Receipt

Over the last hour I've received five fake Qantas emails for seat selection fee receipts. The booking reference number changes and may be randomly generated. Attached is a zip file with what looks like a randomly generated filename.

If you receive these emails you should delete them.

As a matter of course when I see multiple suspicious emails I use an online scanner to check the attachments so as to advise others to be on their guard. In this case 13 of 47 antivirus programs identified the malware, which also means quite a few antivirus programs didn't and the one which concerns me is Microsoft's Windows Defender which comes as part of Windows 8. If Microsoft want to include antivirus software as part of the operating they have to be up there with the best and not just one of the pack.

Ultimately you are your own best defence against malware and other scams. I'd suggest if you do receive an attachment and have any doubt whatsoever, even from someone you know, then take the time to scan the attachment. In MyAnswers solution 2293 I provide the site I use to check suspicious email attachments and in most cases the site has been very good. The site shows just how often the leading antivirus programs would leave you totally exposed.

Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

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Qantas Frequent Flyer toolbar

I read today that if you install the Qantas Frequent Flyer toolbar, log on to the toolbar and perform valid web searches, you'll receive one point for every valid web search (up to 150 points per month) and if you install and use the toolbar by the 23rd of June 2013 (which is tonight), you'll earn 200 bonus points.

What was also interesting is I read one person said people are installing the toolbar, earning their bonus points and then removing the toolbar.

Toolbars like the Qantas Frequent Flyer toolbar (and Coles offered a similar toolbar) generally offer little value to users and in return users give up valuable private information. For example Qantas are offering up to 150 points per month. If you look at the gift cards from Qantas Rewards they start at a $25 gift card for 3,500 points. That is 140 points is equivalent to $1. Qantas are thus offering a little over $1 of value per month for your valuable searching behaviour which may assist to sell more products and services. The 200 point bonus is worth around $1.43. Not that much really.

Often when assisting clients and cleaning their computers one area is to clean up and remove unwanted toolbars in their browser. The more you have installed in your computer the greater the performance hit. The question is, is it worth around $12 a year of Frequent Flyer points to: a, have your search history recorded for marketing purposes, b, change to using the Yahoo search engine, and c, the slight performance hit you'll experience. The choice as always is yours.

Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

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Alert: 50% Disсоunt from Telstra at online Bills Pay.

Interestingly today I received an email with the subject "50% Disсоunt from Telstra at online Bills Pay". What I found interesting was that of the four email clients I continuously use and test, only one identified the email as a potential phishing scam.

Whilst the email is designed to appear to be from Telstra using the Telstra logo, if you check the links in the email )don't click on them) you'll notice they are for an IP address (a series of four numbers separated but dots) rather than a domain. The IP address is hosted in the United States.

To Microsoft's credit the email client was Microsoft Live Mail client. In fact you can't click on the links unless you actively unblock the message. That's good protection for users. Unfortunately over time I've found this is more the exception than the rule. It would be a good feature for other email clients to have to protect their users where possible. Of course it is hard because scammers change their approach so quickly to work around the software.

Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

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MyAnswers: Changed to US app store and now want to change back to Australian app store.

The following MyAnswers solution 2365 is now available:

When checking for an app on app store the app wasn't available yet in Australia and I was asked if I wanted to change to the US store which I did. Now I can't see the Australian app store. How can I change back to the Australian app store?

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Kelvin Eldridge
www.MyAnswers.biz
(An Online Connections service.)

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