TODAY'S TOURBUS TOPICS: SKYPE / BITTORRENT / TOP 20

In today's TOURBUS, you'll learn how to make free phone calls all over the world, download movies with Bittorent, and then we'll take a look back at the Top 20 for 2006. Read on!

Free Calling With Skype

Skype is a software package that lets you make 100% legal, free calls to almost anyone, almost anywhere in the world. After trying Skype, you might be tempted to toss your existing phone and cut the phone company out of the loop. But there are some tradeoffs. Learn all about outbound and inbound Skype calls here:

http://askbobrankin.com/free_calls_with_skype.html

BitTorrent: Download or Low Down?

A reader concerned about "file sharing" asked me this:

> "I've been told that I can download movies and even popular
> software for free using Bittorrent. Sounds too good to be true.
> What exactly is Bittorrent, is it legal, and safe to use?"
Depending on how many pencils you have in your pocket protector, BitTorrent is either a peer-to-peer protocol designed to deliver large files over the over the Net, or it's a software program that provides Internet users with downloadable digital content such as films, music, games, podcasts and software. Actually, BitTorrent is both.

The availability of copyrighted and pirated materials is rampant on BitTorrent, but that doesn't mean you can download your favorite movie or a free copy of Microsoft Office with impunity. Lawyers for the entertainment and software industry are becoming more aggressive when it comes to protecting their interests.

Learn how BitTorrent works, where to get the best BitTorrent client software, and educate yourself on the legal issues involved:

http://askbobrankin.com/download_with_bittorrent.html

The Top Twenty for 2006

Every so often I go through the Ask Bob server logs and see which articles were the most popular. Here is a sampling from the Top Twenty, ranked by readership volume, for the year 2006:

* HOW TO ADD YOUR OWN MUSIC AND SOUND CLIPS TO A MYSPACE PROFILE

http://askbobrankin.com/add_music_to_myspace.html

* LIBERATE YOUR ITUNES MUSIC BY CONVERTING TO MP3

http://askbobrankin.com/convert_itunes_to_mp3_format.html

* CLEAN OUT THE CYBER-SLUDGE AND MAKE XP RUN LIKE NEW

http://askbobrankin.com/make_windows_xp_run_faster.html

* GOT OLD VHS TAPES WASTING AWAY? TURN THEM INTO SHINY DVDs

http://askbobrankin.com/convert_vhs_to_dvd.html

* RADAR DETECTORS: MY LITTLE FRIEND ON THE DASHBOARD

http://askbobrankin.com/radar_detectors.html

* GET STARTED WITH LINUX - SOME HANDY TIPS

http://askbobrankin.com/linux_help.html

* IS YOUR WIRELESS NETWORK SECURE?

http://askbobrankin.com/hide_your_ssid.html

* READY TO CUT UP THE CREDIT CARD?

http://askbobrankin.com/cancel_your_credit_card.html

* LEARN HOW MUCH YOUR (OR YOUR NEIGHBOR'S) HOUSE IS WORTH

http://askbobrankin.com/house_values.html

If you want to see the rest of the Top Twenty for 2006, pop on over to http://askbobrankin.com/the_top_twenty.html

That's all for now, see you next time! -- Bob Rankin