Luckily all but a very stupid or very greedy few fell victim to this highly unsophisticated scam, known as an “advance fee fraud,” However the proceeds must have been well invested because over the years Nigeria has become a mini world center for phishing scams, some of them fairly sophisticated, using fake sites that steal e-mail login information and send distress calls to contacts.

Nigerian phishers are reported to have focused their attention on the social-networking sites to find potential victims for their advance fee scams evolved targeting the more naive people that might use instant messaging and online social networks and seem to be more likely to answer such a call

The Nigerian Government’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are well aware of the bad reputation that they have built up over the years and in 2009 launched an awareness campaign to warn citizens of the country of the bad reputation they were earning Nigeria and the punishment that would be meted out to those caught in such nefarious activities. The EFCC also conducted raids on cybercafés in Lagos and other Nigerian cities, and made a few arrests, but the problem has not only not been solved it appears to have gotten worse.

 In one of the latest scams, e-mail accounts have been compromised and messages are sent to everyone on the contacts list, saying that e-mail account owner has been the victim of a robbery in Nigeria needs money to sort out local expense before they can fly home.  Needless to say, someone with the right anti-virus software in place need never fall victim to a Nigerian phishing scam.

This article was provide by http://www.mcafee-downloads.co.uk/ 

Eventually the Napster issue hit the courts with Fanning and his representatives complaining that they were merely acting as brokers without charge and that the actual file sharing was taking place between people who were not part of the Napster network. However what shot their argument in the foot was the discovery that Napster had stored eight million songs on their servers, and had paid little or no royalties on them.

Napster lost their case and had to close down their website, but in their short life they had changed forever how people looked upon the internet and copyright issues. The music industry were also alive to the fact that change had to come, and the approached the people who had taken over Napster after Fanning with a very clever offer, and one that is regarded as being the ideal compromise situation.   

The compromise was that Napster would pay $10 million in damages, which would be apportioned to the various music publishers whose songs Napster still held in the drivers, as well as a form of royalty for the use of the songs in the future.  That meant that Napster’s activities are not only entirely legal but also the leading source for legally downloadable music anywhere in the World. 

Through Napster’s UK subsidiary the public can listen to any of the ten million tracks that Napster hold for just £5.00 a month. In a classic everybody wins situation, and one that is regarded as a precedent for other downloading sites for the future.

That’s why people collect music and have been doing so for half a century or more. It began with records, tapes and moved on to CD’s at the beginning of the digital revolution. CD was a breakthrough, coming in various formulas that improved the quality of sound considerably. However music lovers were still faced with a familiar problem, not every track on the CD’s was on their list of favourites. So music lovers began to download the CDs on to the hard discs and burning their favourite tracks onto their own personal compilation CDs.

Soon the idea began to catch on and somehow or other, the word got around and people began to exchange their favourite tracks online through e-mails. It was in 1998, that a young computer programmer called Shawn Fanning heard about this “file sharing” and in total innocence decided that he should set up an online meeting place where people could share their music. Shawn’s idea proved to be tremendous success and pretty soon millions of people were using his web site, which he called Napster to exchange tracks.

Fanning was unaware that Napster would cause such controversy as well as breaking quite a few laws. After a court decided that Napster was an illegal entity and he was obliged to close it down just three years after it has begun trading.  Napster in its original and illegal format, during the three years or so that it traded, did show what the public wanted more than anything else that had come previously. They did not want to but CDs with tracks that they didn’t know or like. They also didn’t want to take the risk of downloading illegal tracks, or ones that had been infested by viruses. What they did want was to listen to music of their choice, at home, at work or in transit, 

Nowadays the new and completely legal Napster, act as a file sharing service offering an extensive music catalogue for unlimited listening for just £5.00 a month.  . The total range of Napster tracks now numbers no less than eight million, meaning that there is something there for everybody, and anyone can feel good about listening to their music thanks to Napster UK.

In the last few years since Napster began opeartig in its new format, tens of thousands of music lovers have discovered the advantages of downloading specicific  tracks or even an entire collection. The prices they will pay are still a lot less than through a high street retailer. However many more are attracted to the idea of online music subscriptions, where listeners are allowed unlimited access to millions of songs on the Napster music archives. 

The main benefit of a music subscription is that the listener is able to instantly have a collection of thousands of songs, without spending thousands of dollars. This music can be listened to on a PC, or played on a compatible home audio system, phone or mp3 player. The listener can create multiple track lists for various occasions. Some services also give the subscriber some MP3 tracks each month that can be kept after the subscription ends.

However, online music subscriptions may have drawbacks for some listeners. Using these services can be compared to “renting” music. The music is streamed, and therefore most of the songs do not become the property of the listener. The streamed music can not be burned to CD’s. When the subscriber stops paying the monthly fee, they will lose all any music that has been downloaded through the service.

Subscription music site are not for those who want to a lasting music collecting. In this case each MP3 must be paid for, although some free download sites are available. Other sites may give listeners free music downloads for supporting a cause.

Former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher is urging his fellow musicians to stop

to stream thousands for songs for a small fee each month. These songs can be played on a variety of MP3 devices. However, subscribers can not keep these songs unless they continue to pay a monthly fee. Rhapsody.com and Napster.com are two of the most trusted sites for music downloads,

That is is probably why when Napster first appeared on the scene, they were so popular. Music lovers could download all their favourite tracks and transfer them to portable devices  to listen to them in the  car or at home, in fact everywhere they needed to be. The problem was that the music industry took exception to the concept of  file sharing, and if it was allowed to continue would eventually signal the death of the music industry.

Downloading music began to be regarded as  a serious offence, causing  the people whose concept Napster was to temporarily withdraw their service and regroup. They were well aware of the  tremendous demand for easy access music  and began friendly discussions with the music publishers to see if a compromise situation could be reached. Thankfully it was and today  less than ten years later Napster is not only entirely legal but has become the World’s largest online record library,

Music lovers can now take a subscription that averages  £5.00  a, month ( if paid quarterly in advance) or £7.00 if paid monthly. For that sum, subscribers to Napster UK can take advantage of on-demand streaming of the 10 million tracks in the Napster catalogue, all legal and virus free,

This has proved to be a win-win situation for everyone concerned, and signals an end to CD racks, album tracks and vinyl records spread out across the floor. 

It was obvious that this situation couldn’t continue, and pretty soon, the courts decided that “file-sharing” was illegal and had to end, and the public also reached the conclusion that the risk of downloading viruses and malware didn’t justify getting a free song or two.

From this situation, the new, completely revamped and totally legal Napster rose from the ashes, and the public loved the idea. In May 2009, Napster began to offer their services to the UK public, and it’s fair to say that this new music concept has captured their imagination.

 The new Napster now allows subscribers to listen legally on demand to more than ten million full-length, CD quality tracks, after agreements in the UK with all five major record companies – BMG, EMI, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music International, and Warner Music International – as well as independent labels body AIM was reached.

No less than ten interactive and advert-free Napster radio stations allow listeners to see which song is coming next, skip forward or jump back – with favourites easily added to their Napster library with one click. Napster can even build subscribers their own custom radio station on the fly simply by selecting three songs they like. Napster’s rich community features allow subscribers to browse each others’ play lists and even share songs among other Napster users.

This means that instead of having all the hassle of downloading, cataloguing and storing all of their favourite music tracks, a Napster subscriber, for around five pounds a month can readily access all of their favourite tracks, and let Napster worry about where to store them.  Included in the £5.00 monthly package is the ability to download and keep three of your favourite tracks every month. Nowadays the new and squeaky clean Napster has all the benefits.

This article was provided by http://www.napster-music-download.co.uk

Lessons have to be learned, and one of them has to be is that the time to prepare for winter is now, and not in six months time or more. The Government’s boiler replacement scheme is working at full force, and the first generation “A “boilers have begun to be installed for those eligible and forward thinking enough to take advantage of this very generous offer, and especially the top-ups provided by British Gas.

Not everyone needs to upgrade e their boiler to get their homes ready for winter, and there are a few other measures that they can take to keep their fuel bills under control while enjoying a warm home next winter.  The most fundamental step is to take all the necessary steps to ensure that the heating systems in your home are operating to their maximum.  When the winter months come, and the rain or snow is beating outside, you don’t want to find yourself playing with your heating systems once the temperatures drop below freezing. Instead call out a certified British Gas engineer to check out your boilers and pipes to see make sure that everything is in order.

One of the most basic steps to take is to ensure sure that your house is properly insulated, especially potentially drafty areas like attics or basements. Ensure that all windows and doors are sealed properly. Hinged and sliding doors can be especially problematic. To make sure that no cold air is entering your home from the outside, they should be totally weather proofed. Cold air allowed to enter a property on winter will add considerably to your heating costs as well as creating additional problems like mold and mildew, which can seriously damage the structure if left unattended.

Another potential weak link is your water pipes drainage system. Pipes need to be lagged to prevent from bursting, when temperatures drop below freezing. Even if the heating system is working properly, if there is no water reaching it, it will be unable to do its job, and another long, cold and lonely winter will ensue.

When we install a central heating system, we ensure it fits around the demands of your lifestyle. By installing our latest controls, you’ll have access to an intelligent heating system that reacts to changes in temperature and provides different levels of warmth in each room, as well as giving you hot water whenever you need it. It is this passion for only installing the best, most adaptable systems at affordable prices that has earned us such an outstanding.

This article was provided by http://www.britishgasboilers.co.uk/replacement-boiler.htm

Essentially a heat-activated switch, a thermostat has a temperature sensor that causes the switch to open or close as the room warms or cools, completing or interrupting an electrical circuit that activates the furnace or cooling unit.

If your home has an older, non-programmable thermostat, consider replacing it with a fully programmable one. This is an essential tool for saving energy because you can use it to eliminate periods when the furnace or air conditioning unit may run unnecessarily. As its name implies, this type of thermostat can be programmed to maintain different temperatures during the day and night.

thermostat can be your ally in achieving energy savings during both winter and summer months. Here are some tips on how to use your thermostat wisely:

* Program it. If you don’t already have one, consider purchasing and installing a programmable thermostat. These devices allow you to adjust temps automatically throughout the day, letting you to keep things cooler or warmer when necessary and shutting off heating or AC when unnecessary.

Multiple settings let you get as specific as you’d like, with up to six variances daily and separate options for weekdays and weekends. By using a programmable thermostat, you can shave off as much as one-third of your energy bill. For more information, see Programmable Electronic Thermostats and How to Install a Programmable Thermostat.

* If you’ll be gone, make adjustments. If you know you’re going to be absent from your home for a few days or longer, raise the thermostat temperature (or just turn off your air conditioner completely) in the summer months, or, in winter, adjust your thermostat to 65 degrees or lower.

* Consider a matter of a degrees. Rarely is it necessary to set your thermostat lower than 78 degrees in the summer or higher than 68 degrees in the winter. A shift of only one degree can mean a difference of 2 percent on your energy bill.

* Resist the quick cool down. You know the scenario: You’ve just come inside from the 100-degree heat and you want instant relief. So you run to the thermostat and drop the temp down a couple degrees or more. Stop! This doesn’t result in a faster cool down; it only means unnecessary energy usage and wasted money for you.

* Keep heat away.  Make sure your thermostat is located far away from a significant heating source, such as a portable heater, incandescent lamp, or television. A thermostat placed near such a device will interpret that the higher temperature is reflective of the temperature of your whole house, leading to excessive air-conditioning usage.

One of the reasons that prevents people from saving energy is that they have never really kept proper records of how much they use on an annual basis, and how their usage compares with the national average. For example, the average family of four in the UK will use around £2, 800 of electricity each year, which translates into 280 Kws annually at £10 pence per Kw.  Based on that ballpark figure, an average family should be able to assess how that is doing in terms of efficient electricity consumption. If they are using less, then keep it up. However, if they are using more, then it is time to discover where that excess use has gone, and what needs to be done to reduce it.

The next stage in ascertaining where the wastage is coming from is by taking a look at the average family electricity breakdown in percentages. The list below gives a fairly good idea.

Heating and Cooling  the home : 40%
Heating Water  : 12%
Lighting : 12%
Computers and Electronics : 10%
Appliances : 10%
Refrigeration : 8%
Other : 8%

However there is not a lot to be done about comparing and then reducing  your personal usage per category  as the electric companies, at least up to this point in time, cannot provide breakdowns in costs.

All that can be done is look at areas where wastage appears to be rife. Lights left burning, televisions, washing machines, dryers, electric toothbrushes and anything that seems to be being operated needlessly. All is fair in love and war, and the war against electricity wastage needs to be won. For the sake of the environment as well as your bank account. 

This article was provided by http://britishgasboilers.co.uk/gas-and-electricity.htm

Not many people are aware of this but fridges and freezers guzzle close to a fifth of the total energy consumption of an average household, so energy efficiency around the fridge and freezer is something that has to be looked at very closely. If you, like many other UK householder, step back in horror when your electricity bill arrives,  then  the time may well have come to take the necessary measures to ensure that your electricity outgoings do not give you a shock, but instead  contained within natural boundaries.

If that means doing away with your existing clunker, it is something that should be considered very seriously.  If you have changed you fridge/freezer within the last few years, and your bills are still high, then you may need to look at the problem from another angle entirely.  Many people make the mistake of buying a fridge that is too big for their demands. Obviously the larger the fridge the larger the energy consumed and a half empty fridge will find it more difficult to cool the items contained within and use more energy. 

Placing your fridge in the proper spot is also a very worthwhile idea.  For example, if your fridge is situated adjacent to a washing machine, dryer, dishwasher and especially and oven, the heat generating from these appliances will demand a lot more of the fridge to keep cool, pushing up energy consumption and costs.  A fridge that is exposed to the sun’s ray will also struggle to refrigerate its contents. If it all possible it would be best to place the family fridge in cool dry and secluded spot in your kitchen is ideal.

Keeping a constant eye on your fridge’s temperature will save a lot of energy. Remember that tweaking up the thermostat by a degree or so can make a major long term difference in costs. Each fridge/freezer has its own demands and it is a good idea to learn exactly which temperature levels it is most efficient at.  

Regular defrosting of the freezer compartment will reduce the build-up of frost around the coils in your unit, reducing the pressure on the compressor to achieve the colder temperatures. Keeping your freezer frost-free is really important and a key factor in keeping refrigeration costs under control.