A new security problem has been discovered in Microsoft's Internet Explorer and the Windows operating system that could allow hackers to gain access to personal information on the computers of 900 million Windows users.  

Every time you get on the web, where you point your browser can be recorded. Whether you're at work, on a public wireless network at a coffee bar, or even at home, your web travels are an open book if the network is being monitored, either at the Internet router or from within your wireless network.  And often, web sites can tell where you're visiting from based on your computer's internet address.

I was a digital music early adopter.  Back when iTunes first came out, I started the process of converting my collection of CDs—which filled several CD towers, my entertainment center, and some spare closet space—over to digital, "ripping" them  and storing them on my hard drive.  The reason was simple: the computer had become the center of my "man cave".

I usually end up fielding tech support calls from members of my family, friends, and the occasional random stranger. Usually, they're legitimate questions about what software to buy, or how to make Internet TV work.  When I come to visit for Christmas, there's usually a list of things my parents want tech advice about waiting for me. 

My parents are pretty tech-savvy for their generation. But the questions I field from other people belie a deeper problem—a total lack of basic computer knowledge.