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Macbooks and all-in-one units like the iMac come with a slew of built-in features that accomplish a variety of tasks thanks to the much-lauded Mac OS X operating system. For those who are new to the Mac platform, it can be a bit difficult to find one’s bearings and become familiar with all that OS X has to offer. One thing that any computer user should be familiar with is how to record a desktop for things like tutorial videos. It’s not that difficult to accomplish, and can be done in a few simple steps.Getting Started
To begin a screen recording, a user will have to find the default screen capture video program. On the latest version of Mac OS X, codenamed “Lion”, the standard desktop recording or “screencasting” program that’s used is QuickTime. The latest version of QuickTime is simply called X, and it boasts a number of improvements over previous versions. It can export and crop screencast video clips, and share clips with others quickly and easily. In order to capture a screencast, a user will need to first locate QuickTime using OS X’s Finder and start it up.Recording The Desktop
In order to begin a screencast, one must click on the File tab of the QuickTime overhead navigation bar and select “New Screen Recording” from the drop-down menu. If the screencast is being captured on a laptop, the built-in microphone will suffice. Alternatively, one may choose to use an external microphone for better audio quality. Once the “New Screen Recording” tab has been clicked, a small window will pop up with a drop-down menu tab on the extreme right. To use an external microphone, users will have to click that tab and select “Line In”. To begin the actual screencast, users need to click the “Record” button, followed by “Start Recording”. Once finished, users can click the “Stop Recording” square button on the upper menu to end the video.Tips and Tricks
While QuickTime’s recording capabilities are outstanding out of the box using the default settings, users may want to polish their videos a bit before sharing. Resizing and trimming can be accomplished by clicking the “Share” button on the main navigation bar, followed by “Trim”. Users can then crop their videos however they see fit. Once finished, the video in question can be published directly to Youtube by clicking on the “Share” button again and selecting Youtube. Users will be prompted for login credentials, and the video will be automatically uploaded.
Final Thoughts
QuickTime will provide all of the screencasting features that the vast majority of users will ever need. However, there are a number of third-party proprietary and freeware alternatives like Copernicus and Capture Me that also work quite well. When crafting eye-catching and engaging screencasts on a Mac, it’s important to remember that audiences respond to videos that are unique. Add a bit of post-production flair in iMovie to really stand apart from the crowd. In any event, recording screencasts on the Mac OS X platform is easy even for those with no prior experience.

Viruses, malware and spyware can cripple a computer or a network of computers and bring a business to a grinding halt. Malicious software can render a computer unusable as well as destroy vital data. Understanding what to do to prevent this necessitates first understanding exactly what viruses, malware and spyware are. Viruses:
Viruses, also known as worms or Trojans, are designed to damage a computer’s operating system, wipe out data, or both. Some viruses, upon infecting a system, open fake warning popups to try and induce the computer user to click on the popup and ultimately pay money to the creator of the virus to remove it. Other viruses change the computer’s home page or open hundreds of popup ads so that it is impossible to use the computer. The worst viruses attack the computer’s operating system and registry and can only be completely removed by reformatting the computer, causing the loss of any data not protected by a current backup.

Malware:
Malware can be as innocuous as a tracking cookie that delivers targeted advertising to the computer’s user, or as malicious as a keylogger. Keyloggers record every keystroke typed on a computer and can steal passwords, banking information and other private information. Malware is of particular concern to business owners working with sensitive information, such as financial information or medical records. Spyware is another term for malware but is usually applied to tracking cookies and is considered the less severe end of the malware spectrum.

What to watch out for:
What business owners and employees need to watch out for in order to avoid viruses, malware and spyware are email attachments, including commonly used business file formats such as .PDF, software downloads, music and video downloads and clicking on unfamiliar links. One must be particularly cautious on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter because shared games and links can allow malicious software to infect a computer or network of computers. Gamers may click a link thinking they are going to receive some special item for their game and have their account hijacked and their computer infected. Any software downloaded from the Internet should first be verified through a good paid antivirus software which offers a link-checking feature and scans downloads for viruses and malware.All computer users should have current backups of their vital data, including business files, photographs, documents and music. Business owners in particular should invest in a purchased antivirus program which can be installed on multiple computers and help safeguard the entire network. Finally, if a virus or malware does make it past the antivirus software, a business owner may find it worth the money to call for professional help in order to ensure complete removal of the malicious software and protection and recovery of important files.