As InventHelp’s Invention Girl and the rest of world were riveted by reports of the dangerous Conficker worm over the past few weeks, Mac users enjoy the luxury of blowing off the hysteria. Even Invention Guy, a Mac loyalist, watched with amusement as I ran my antivirus program day after day to warn off any attacks on my precious PC.

According to security experts, those days of peace and solace amid PC panic may be coming to an end. Researchers have found computer malware invented specifically to target Mac computers and expect these attacks to become more common.

For years, Macs were protected by relative obscurity. As Macs grow in popularity, they become bigger targets for online thieves. Plus, the bad guys online know that Mac users tend to be proportionally more affluent than PC users and are tempted by potentially large payoffs.

A Trojan horse program, dubbed the “iBotnet,” has infected only a few thousand Macs, specifically Mac users who have downloaded pirated versions of the Mac software iWork. The malicious software is called a “botnet” because infected computers become part of a network that is controlled by the program’s author.

Mac’s botnet is significantly less of a threat than the highly publicized worm Conficker. Conficker, by comparison, was thought to have infected up to 10 million computers. Worms are different than botnets because they sneak into a computer and replicate without the owner’s knowledge.

In a statement, Apple said it works diligently to resolve computer security problems before they can manifest into larger issues.

Still, InventHelp’s Invention Girl expects to see antivirus companies invent computer protection software designed especially for Macs. Welcome to the Fear Club, Mac users!

InventHelp’s Invention Girl loves the playfulness of April Fool’s Day. Putting a rubber band around the kitchen sink sprayer? Funny. Infecting computers with a dangerous superworm? Not so funny. But, that’s what may happen to some PC users this Wednesday.

You may remember my blog a few weeks ago about high-tech pranksters that hijacked construction road signs. Even I got a little chuckle thinking about road signs blaring warnings like “CAUTION: ZOMBIES AHEAD!!!”, but high-tech pranks like viruses are just mean spirited.

Viruses can make your operating system go haywire, causing data loss and compromising security on sensitive information like banking numbers and credit card information. The Conficker worm, which many experts say could strike on April Fool’s Day, is especially sophisticated and dangerous.

What can you do to keep this April Fool’s gag from corrupting your files and depleting your data? Microsoft, who has a $250,000 “bounty” on the worm, offers PC users some basic tips on protecting your digital life. First, make sure that your antivirus software is installed and up to date. Many programs allow you to set these updates automatically. Also, never open attachments or install software from sites that you don’t trust.

The invention of protective software like Webroot’s AntiVirus with AntiSpyware has kept many computer users safe from viral infection. Even with an antivirus program, your risk is much lower, but not eliminated completely. What worries some technology experts is that Conficker is a worm, wiggling its way into the system through Windows’ software weaknesses. Viruses, on the other hand, tend to come in attachments.

If your computer does become infected, you can try to download Microsoft’s Malicious Software Removal Tool. Because Conficker is so advanced, you may not be able to access this site. In that case, try Windows Live OneCare, which scans your PC for free.

With April Fool’s Day behind us, it seems that the world is not going to come crashing to a halt due to Conficker worm. Still, we at InventHelp hope you’ll use these tips to keep your PC safe all year long!

Remember a simpler time when really a clever prank involved little more than a carefully placed whoopee cushion?

We at InventHelp love a good gag, but some high-tech jokesters have been pushing the limits lately. Just this week, a Taco Bell in Missouri fell victim to a hacker who commandeered the drive-through radio system. Hungry customers looking for their nacho fix were instead berated with obscenities.

Authorities say the pranksters must have been nearby in order to interfere with the drive-through frequency. We all know Taco Bell has a sense of humor (or at least its Chihuahua spokesman did), but the execs are not amused. The pranksters will surely face charges if they are caught.

Another high-profile prank made headlines recently when techies hacked an electronic road sign system in the Midwest. Imagine driving down the road and seeing a sign that reads, “DAILY LANE CLOSURES DUE TO ZOMBIES” or “CAUTION! ZOMBIES AHEAD!”

I’ll be the first to admit that the thought makes me chuckle, but this dangerous stunt could have ended badly. Drivers who are distracted are more likely to cause an accident or endanger road crews. Officials in several states are involved in the hunt for those responsible.

I guess that squirting flowers, fake mustaches and itch powder just don’t cut it in this age of high-tech stunts. InventHelp and Invention Girl hope you’ll use technology for good instead of evil!

Despite all the Hallmark hype surrounding the holiday, InventHelp’s Invention Girl just can’t get into Valentine’s Day. It may be that the idea of getting flowers and chocolates year after year on February 14th just doesn’t excite me. Luckily, Invention Guy knows me well enough to understand that my heart melts for technology.

Now, you wouldn’t necessarily think of inventions as romantic, but these fun innovations were surely invented by someone who’d been struck by Cupid’s arrow!

The Hand Hugger by Smitten Mittens is great for new couples who just can’t bear to be apart for a minute. This fleece mitten is built to accommodate two interlocked hands. So, you can hold your sweetheart’s hand during your moonlit Valentine’s Day stroll without the barrier of both of your gloves. I can’t decide if that’s adorable or nauseating!

The Hand Hugger isn’t the only invention out there built for two. Let’s not forget two-person umbrellas, two-person Smart cars and two-person T-shirts!

As cute as these inventions are, let’s face it: Valentine’s Day is for the ladies. And if your gal is a techie like me, she’ll love my new favorite Valentine’s invention this year – the delicious Marzipan BlackBerry. Who says chocolate is a generic gift? This invention is the perfect combination of tradition and technology. Plus, she’ll put the down the CrackBerry long enough to savor the flavor (and your time together).

Happy Valentine’s Day from Invention Girl and InventHelp!

Whether you’re a football fan or not, the Super Bowl is an event not to be missed. While sports nuts like InventHelp’s Invention Girl yell at the television and jump on the couch, non-sports fans (a.k.a. sane folks) can enjoy one-of-a-kind commercials and epic half-time musical performances. And, of course, there are the Super Bowl parties.

What makes a great Super Bowl party? Crunchy snacks, savory dips and mouth-watering appetizers certainly don’t hurt. Neither does having some tasty beverages on hand. To really get the party going this year, the Nostalgia Electrics 5-Liter Beer Chiller & Dispenser from Sears can be used to serve cold beer all game long.

This portable kegerator fits standard 5-liter gravity minikegs and pressurized kegs. Plus, the sleek design and chrome finish are sure to stand out among the snack bowls and party trays.

If you can’t make it to the Super Bowl, the next best thing is watching it on a great television. What’s the best choice for the avid football fan? According to ConsumerSearch, which strives to provide objective, precise reviews of electronics and other household items, the big winner is the Samsung LN52A650. This 52-inch model provides some of the best picture quality along with elite add-ons like InfoLink, which gathers news, weather and other useful tidbits from the Web.

Congratulations to the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers for making it to the big game! I’d say good luck to both teams, but this InventHelp employee’s heart is loyal to the black and gold. Go Steelers!

When I was a youngster, InventHelp’s Invention Girl was not very helpful in the kitchen. Mom would slave away over homemade soups, stews and lasagna while I’d be off playing games. If Nintendo’s Personal Trainer: Cooking had been invented back then, I could have played with my food instead!

Personal Trainer: Cooking is a combination of an interactive cookbook and a live cooking demonstration. Your personal DS Chef talks you through more than 245 recipes collected from 30 countries around the world. If you want to impress your international friends, you can even find cuisine specific to a country’s region!

Future chefs can use the stylus or simple voice commands to continue to the next page, repeat a step or go back. The voice function feature is especially handy if you’re covered in whatever dish you’re preparing. Plus, the software includes a timer and calculator, as well as a search function to help you find that perfect gourmet dish. The Cooking Guide also includes an ingredient checklist to use as a shopping list.

Nintendo is not the only system that’s looking to bank on the kitchen cash cow. Atari’s “What’s Cooking? With Jamie Oliver,” Majesco’s “Cooking Mama World Kitchen,” and Ubisoft’s “Hell’s Kitchen: The Video Game” all offer friendly culinary competition for Nintendo.

Are you the next Julia Child or Emeril? Probably not. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t be the best cook on the block! Happy cooking from Invention Girl and InventHelp (and if you’re ever in the Pittsburgh area…we’d love a sample)!

Do you have a co-worker who ends every email with a smiley face or a wink? InventHelp’s Invention Girl has noticed that emails are getting more and more “emotional” thanks to the explosive popularity of emoticons.

Now, if your coworker has Gmail, say goodbye to black and white text emails forever – Gmail just unveiled 143 picture emoticons to help users communicate.

InventHelp’s Invention Girl was a little slow to embrace emoticons (they just seemed too “cutesy” when they first hit the scene), but now I’ll admit that I can have entire conversations by using them! A few of my favorites on Yahoo Messengers are the “cowboy,” “clown” and “party” faces.

Compared with Gmail, those emoticons are downright humble. Gmail includes a dancing lobster, martini glass, snowman and even a heaping, fly-covered pile of you-know-what (gotta break bad news somehow, eh?).

While they’re not entirely professional, emoticons are a great way to lighten the mood. Of course, one flaw with IM and email is that you can’t see the other person expression or gauge the diction in their voice. Sometimes, what’s meant to be a joke can be taken the wrong way.

Used sparingly and appropriately, emoticons can be a fun way to communicate. And really, what else says “I’m having a laugh” like a dancing lobster?

When times are stressful, as they almost always are during the holidays, an overwhelming dose of cuteness can be the solace you need. InventHelp’s Invention Girl was furiously researching the latest inventions the other day when I received a link from a friend.

“Take five minutes and watch these adorable puppies,” she said. I’m admittedly an animal lover, but a puppy cam seemed a little too cute for me. Still, I clicked on the link. And I’ll be the first to admit that gawking at those playful pups brightened by mood!

What started as “virtual puppy-sitting” has transformed in an internet phenomenon, with millions of K9 fans logging on to see the frolicking brood. A San Francisco couple came up with the idea to film their Shiba Inu litter while they were at work. The 5-week-old pups (three boys and three girls) can be seeing wrestling, happily chewing their toys and pawing at the air.

Upstream, the company now hosting the puppy cam, stumbled on the site when it had only one or two viewers. Upstream’s employees passed the link onto their friends, who passed the link into their friends, and so on. This mushroomed and more than 4 million people tuned in last week to watch.

While InventHelp and Invention Girl don’t necessarily advocate for “wasting time” online, those warm and fuzzy puppies can really boost your spirits. But, don’t get too attached to them. All of the puppies have owners already!

You may have heard of how dangerous “Trojan Horses” can be online. A “Trojan Horse” in the online world is a computer program planted illegally in another program that can damage your computer or steal personal information when the software is activated.

This week, hundreds of thousands of bank customers got some unpleasant news – their accounts had been hacked by a dangerous Trojan called the Sinowal, which (according to online safety experts) is one of the most sophisticated forms of malicious spyware around.

Likely originating in Eastern Europe or Russia, this sneaky spyware works by stealthily gathering banking data by waiting for unsuspecting users to browse common web destinations, including popular social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace. When a user clicks on a link, the software downloads in the background.

IT professionals think that because the Trojan has already been around for two years, the infrastructure supporting it must be very sturdy. It’s quite costly to store and maintain the amount of information that this Trojan gathers, so the return on the investment for these online thieves must be high.

InventHelp’s Invention Girl has a few pieces of advice for keeping safe online: monitor your bank accounts and credit cards regularly to ensure they’re not being used without your permission, only visit trusted websites, and finally, think before you click!

Have you ever gotten an e-mail forward from a friend that contained a story so wild or strange or unusual that you found it hard to believe? InventHelp’s Invention Girl got one last week that told a tale so far fetched that I decided to do some digging.

The email I received states that a young woman evaded an attack by a predator pretending to be a police officer by dialing #77 on her cell phone. The email goes on to claim that calling #77 from your cell phone in any state connects you directly to highway control dispatchers.

Luckily for the amateur investigative reporters of the world, there’s a website called Snopes.com. The Snopes crew researches popular email chains and debunks internet rumors. On the homepage, you’ll find the “25 Hottest Urban Legends” as well as pages and pages of information on new, old and obscure legends from the internet and beyond.

It turns out that this particular email had a few small truths and a lot of big lies. It’s true that perpetrators can pose as police officers, but dialing #77 is not the way to go if you need to reach police for help. The code does work in a few states, but it’s far from universal. Police generally recommend dialing 911 if you feel you’re in danger.

Although I don’t want to be viewed as a “know-it-all,” I felt I had to share what I learned with the woman who sent me the email. I’d rather look like a know-it-all than have her take the email’s bad advice if she’s in a dangerous situation!

So, before you hit that “forward” button again, be sure to do your homework. Most stories that sound too strange to be true usually are!