It seemed laughable when Bill Gates first said that the Windows platform was more secure because it was under constant attack from hackers and therefore needed constant security updating (I’m paraphrasing of course). Over time, however, “tech authorities” have legitimized Gates’ statement by saying that hackers spend more time attacking Windows because it’s the most popular computer operating system. Basically why bother trying to exploit the Macintosh when it accounts for less than 10% of the computer population?

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Ever come across a web site or image that used an amazing color and wanted the hex code so you could use the same color elsewhere? I know I have but always had to use Photoshop to determine the hex code. Well, not everyone has Photoshop and those that do, like me, don’t want to load the program just to figure out a hex code. Fortunately, there is an answer and it’s free: ColorPix.

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Everyone loves free stuff and free online education is no exception. If you’re wondering what the “Great Big Internet” has to offer in the way of free education, check out a nice compilation of resources that Ace Online Schools has put together. The list is short, sweet, and very useful.

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Ever wanted to create your own cell phone ringtone but didn’t know how to get started? If so, check out this ringtone creation tutorial from SimpleHelp.net. The tutorial is well written and easy to follow. Unfortunately, if your phone doesn’t support MP3 or simple WAV style ringtones, then this tutorial won’t help you much.

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More and more consumers join the world of online shopping each year. For one reason or another some consumers have remained on the sidelines when it comes to online shopping. If you, or someone you know, has just started shopping online (and yes there are people out there who have just started) the Money Saving Blog has a nice list of useful tips to help make shopping safe and secure. These suggestions are even good for a seasoned online shopper so take a look.

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When does the Christmas shopping season “officially” begin? I used to think it was the day after Thanksgiving. These days, however, retailers waste no time converting from Halloween to Christmas. Regardless when the season starts, shopping for deals this year will be on the top of everyone’s list. One web site that might be able to help is a place called DealLocker. Check out Rick Broida’s (CNet) post about this coupon collecting site to learn about how it works and where to find it.

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Found an interesting and useful article about sneaky fees and how all of us are starting to pay more and we might not even know it. Even though I enjoyed the article, I have to admit I was pretty depressed when I was done.

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Okay, this is the second Friday in a row where I’m not writing a “tech specific” Friday Find. But in my kid’s mind, Nerf guns are cool tech toys. That being said, I’ve got a warning for all Nerf gun fans: the latest gun to the Nerf arsenal is a complete dud.

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A guitar chord cheat sheet might not be for the technical audience of TechTraction, but it’s still a great example of all the amazing free resources available across the web.

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Sure, you can buy an audio book, but did you know that there several resources on the web that offer audio books for free? Of course some of these free audio books are meant to entice customers to sign up for a pay service, but there are also completely free sites with a limited selection. Diplomaguide.com has compiled a list of 25 online resources for free audio books. Recommended for audio book lovers.

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