Xmarks to Shut Down

Xmarks Blog - End of the Road for Xmarks

This post attempts to summarize the Xmarks story: how we got to be the most heavily used browser synchronization service in the world and yet still find ourselves pulling the plug.

Microsoft Issues Emergency Patch for Windows Web Bug

As promised, Microsoft today delivered an emergency patch for a Windows Web server flaw that is being actively exploited by hackers. The fix addresses a vulnerability in ASP.Net's encryption that attackers could abuse to access Web applications with full administrator rights; decrypt session cookies or other encrypted data on a remote server; and access and snatch files from sites or Web applications.

OpenOffice.org Volunteers Cut Ties with Oracle

The volunteers behind the OpenOffice.org competitor to Microsoft Office have severed ties with Oracle and formed The Document Foundation. Oracle got OpenOffice.org with its purchase of Sun Microsystems. Under The Document Foundation, OpenOffice is called LibreOffice, and the break with Oracle is being lauded by the open-source industry.

Amazon Puts E-Books Everywhere with Kindle for the Web

A new Kindle for the Web beta from Amazon.com lets readers sample new book titles in any recent browser. Readers of Amazon's e-books can read the first chapter free and adjust Kindle for the Web as needed.

Taskbar Items Pinner Pins Anything to the Windows 7 Taskbar

Windows 7: Free utility Taskbar Items Pinner adds pre-defined or user-defined folders, files, and even web pages to the Windows 7 taskbar.

Politics, Privacy, and State-Sponsored Viruses

Cybersecurity: Stuxnet Suspicions Rise: Has a Cyberwar Started?

The Stuxnet worm has been rattling security experts for quite some time with its complexity and ingenuity. New suspicions have been raised recently that the worm was used to sabotage a nuclear reactor in Iran. That, coupled with the worm's behavior, has led to some speculation that Stuxnet is a state-sponsored weapon. Iran was perhaps hit hardest by Stuxnet, with nearly 60 percent of all infected PCs found in that country.

Report: Feds to push for Net encryption backdoors

The Obama administration will seek a new federal law forcing Internet e-mail, instant-messaging, and other communication providers offering encryption to build in backdoors for law enforcement surveillance, The New York Times reported today.

Browser Betas: The Future of Web Surfing

Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, and Chrome all have beta browsers available for download. Here's a look at the Web of the near future.

Stop Using Windows XP, Please

I have no nostalgia for Windows XP. It was a decent operating system with its share of problems, but the longer I run it in the office, while using a smaller Windows 7 laptop as my mobile system and working on a Windows 7 machine at home, the more I notice its shortcomings. Windows XP lacks stability, strong security features like BitLocker, universal search, the Aero interface, innumerable usability features, Device Stage and the overall speed enhancements I enjoy in Windows 7. On the other hand, thanks to three service packs, it does still work.

Five great Firefox privacy add-ons

It's getting more and more difficult to protect your privacy on the Web. Just as we're invited to share our thoughts and experiences with friends, family, and the universe, there's somebody recording it all and looking to make a buck from it, legally or otherwise. The key is to find the right balance between the Web's convenience and your security.

What I Use–Part 3

This is a continuation of the article I started three weeks ago on the hardware and software I personally use. In this edition, I will focus on specialized software, mostly used for specific organizational functions such as music, DVD’s, eBooks, etc.…plus more.

1. Music: For my music, podcasts, audio books and even some videos, I use an 80GB iPod Classic. If you use an iPod, you are almost forced to use the free Apple’s iTunes. Now, you will hear a lot of Windows users complaining about iTunes (but not many Apple users). It is extremely bloated, has some stuff you really don’t need, and is a pain to upgrade as you must download the whole program again. But, frankly, I have never had a problem with using it and it does the job pretty well…keeping all my music organized and readily accessible. There are other programs that do almost the same thing and will work with iPods, but all fall short of iTunes, if you use an iPod. And for educational podcasts and videos, you cannot beat the wealth of free materials in the iTunes store.

2. DVD Organization: If you collect DVD’s of movies and TV shows, check out Invelos’ DVDProfiler. It is an excellent way to keep your collection organized. When you enter a new DVD, it pulls all the information about the DVD into the data file…actors, director’s, synopsis, cover art etc. Basically, you don’t have to enter anything except the name, or even better, the DVD’s bar code number. Everything else is filled out for you, with room for you to make notations. It is free, although there is a $30 paid version you might want to purchase if you get seriously involved.

3. E-book Organizer: As mentioned here before, I use Amazon’s Kindle for a great portion of my reading. The number of books available to me number in the millions and many of them are free and come from other places besides Amazon. If I order a book from Amazon, it is easy as the book is sent to my Kindle wirelessly within a minute of my purchase. But, if I get books from other sources, I used a free program called “Calibre.” This great program is an excellent organizer program that can do many things besides collecting book purchases when you download them. It can collect books done in most other formats and convert them into the Kindle format, then send them to my Kindle via USB. But Calibre works with all book readers and formats, so if you bought a Sony Reader or Barnes and Noble Nook, you will want Calibre also. It has many other functions besides those mentioned here, but if you have an e-reader of any type, Calibre is a must!

4. Web Page Design – In the past, I used a discontinued software product from Symantec called “Visual Page.” It has been discontinued for some time, but I still find myself using it. For the most part, I use a program from Serif called WebPlus X2. It takes some time to learn how to use it (I found that to be true with all Web Page design programs), but I like it a great deal and it does a very good job for me. I am sure I have not fully realized its entire potential, but I am getting there slowly by surely. This is not a free program. The cost is around $80 and the current version is X4.

5. FTP Program: FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol and is the program I use to send newly created and revised Web pages up to my Website. For this specialized software, I use Filezilla, another free program that is just excellent and is probably the choice of the majority of Web site designers. It is a dream to use.

Next time, I will focus on productivity software, such as spreadsheets, word processing and much more.

Special Edition–A Look at Internet Explorer 9

Internet Explorer 9 beta review: Microsoft reinvents the browser

It is, without question, the most ambitious browser release Microsoft has ever undertaken, and despite the beta label it is an impressively polished product.

Internet Explorer 9 Feature Focus - Pinned Web Sites

Unlike other web browsers, Internet Explorer 9 integrates with Windows in a very deep way, especially Windows 7. And the best Windows integration feature in IE 9, arguably, is its support of pinned web sites. That is, IE 9 allows you to pin your favorite web sites to the Windows 7 taskbar in a manner that is similar to the way you pin favorite applications.

What's Missing in IE9?

It goes without saying that IE9 is still in beta, so many or all of these annoyances may be fixed before final release sometime in 2011. I realize that I’ve certainly missed some things and have probably been a bit picky on some others, but here is what comes to mind:

Microsoft: IE9 will never run on Windows XP

Microsoft has ruled out putting Internet Explorer 9 on Windows XP, leaving millions of PCs open to Mozilla and Google browsers providing hardware-accelerated rich-internet. PS: It is also missing a few important features when running on Vista. IE9 is best used on Windows 7.

How to uninstall Internet Explorer 9

Maybe you've seen enough of the Internet Explorer 9 beta for now -- you just wanted a taste, but you'd rather not use a beta browser on a day-to-day basis. Maybe you just want to know how to uninstall it because other people are going to ask you how to do it. Unlike most other programs on your computer, however, you won't find IE9 listed on the Uninstall or change a program screen.

Download the IE9 Beta

You must choose whether you are running a 32 bit or 64 bit version of Windows 7 or Windows Vista. This new IE will not work in Windows XP. And if you choose to install it, you will no longer have use of IE8.

Looking Back at the History of Search

Finding stuff online: 20 years of innovative search engines

What would the Internet be without a way to find something specific on its millions of sites? Search engines started providing that function two decades ago. Here are some of the landmarks, from Archie to AltaVista to Google and Bing. A fun look back at the history of searches, which is to say the history of the Internet.

Coping with Windows Live Hotmail Wave 4

Microsoft's new version of Windows Live Hotmail brings several new features to the online-mail table. Some of you have written me with tales of woe, cursing the new version and the Windows Live horse it rode in on and begging to get your old Hotmail back. Sorry, you can't. All is not doom and gloom. As you'll see, the new Wave 4 Hotmail does have its redeeming social values. And if you're still suffering through the changes, there are a few tricks that might make dealing with the newer, shinier version easier.

How to Buy a Point-and-Shoot Digital Camera

Follow these seven simple rules to find the perfect compact digital camera for your needs—and your budget.

Backup Overview

There are two kinds of people in the world - those who have had a hard drive failure, and those who will. Make sure this common occurrence does not lead to the loss of your image collection. An excellent article about making sure you back up the right way.

Best Free Personal Finance Software

We've just completed a major update of our Best Free Personal Finance Software section. Editor "Antoosa" has done an excellent job with a much expanded product coverage so most users should be able to find a product suited to their needs. He's also added some weekly budget tips and even some budget humor - a subject that's undoubtedly welcome in these hard economic times.

What I Use–Part 3

This is a continuation of the article I started two weeks ago on the hardware and software I personally use on my computers. As I said last week, I hope you find it of value.

1. Boot-up Management: This is a recent and welcome addition to my arsenal. Soluto is a new software, still in beta, that will help you improve your boot-up times by analyzing what your computer is loading, then making recommendations on what can be eliminated or even loaded later after your computer is finished booting. Works like a dream and I was able to cut my boot sequence times by at least half.

2. Backup Software: This is one of the most critical areas in your entire arsenal of computer software. The most important thing you can remember is that the hard drive where you store your data is going to die…not if, but when. Therefore you must backup your data…and to more than just one place. I use the 3-2-1 rule of backup…it must be backed up in 3 places; it must be stored on 2 different types of media; and at least 1 backup must be off-site.

As you will see, I am a freak for backups and I make it a rule to back up at least once a day. I have 5 external hard drives, 2 of which are kept off-site. I don’t want to lose my data. As a professional photographer, I have thousands of photos I never want to lose. I also have thousands of music files, original digital paintings…not to mention documents, spreadsheets, financial data and more. You get the idea.

Now there are different types of backups…the standard file-by-file backup, file synchronization, cloud backup, and disk imaging backup. Here is what I use for these.

a. File by File and Synchronization backups – for both of these I use one program that works perfectly for me. Syncback SE is another free program that allows you to make backups or sync two drives so that the files are identical. It backs up files so that you can see them individually, rather than having a single file filled with data that doesn’t show you what you have backed up and only works (hopefully) when you restore it. Each backed up file is as usable as the original file and if there is an error, you are notified. I have programmed the individual back-ups or file syncs, organized them into groups and have the groups automatically run every night. If there is a problem, I am notified.

b. Disk Imaging Backup – This specialized type of backup is used to make a perfect image of your hard drive…then if your hard drive dies, you install a new hard drive and copy the image over to the new drive…and you are back up and running. I have an image backup of all three of my computers. I was using a program made by Macrium, but it failed me the other day when I used it to restore a drive. So, now I only use the imaging software that comes built-in with Windows 7. I know from experience it works perfectly. The best way to use it is to install your operating system and your favorite programs, and then image the drive.

c. Cloud Backup – For this I use Dropbox. This great software gives me 2 Gb worth of free backup into the cloud for extra protection. But it also serves a second and greater purpose…it syncs the data between my desktop and both my portable computers…so whatever is done on any of my computers is automatically sent to the cloud, then to my other computers when they are on. Syncing is done on a continuous basis whenever a file is changed.

3. Virus and Spyware Protection: Here, for this most important of my utility programs I use two free program: Microsoft’s Security Essentials for virus, Trojan horse and worm protection; and SuperAntiSpyware for spyware protection. Both are free. Security Essentials gives you protection over most malware, including some of the really bad spyware. But SuperAntiSpyware covers the small little advertising-based spyware that wants to know what I do and where I go on the Web. None of their business. Security Essentials has caught a few pieces of nasty bugs that try to get into my machine. For instance, not long ago it caught one site trying to download malware attached to its Web page. Both products do their jobs nicely, and, as I said, are free. SuperAntiSpyware does require a bit more manual work, but it is worth it.

To be Continued Next Week…

Interesting Phone Plans Coming from Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart Will Offer No-Contract Family Mobile Plan

Wal-Mart will offer no-contract wireless coverage from T-Mobile through its Family Mobile plan. Using a variety of handsets from Nokia, Motorola and Samsung, Wal-Mart's Family Mobile starts at $45 a month for one phone and $25 for each additional line. If Wal-Mart pushes Family Mobile, other wireless carriers might be forced to offer similar plans.

Internet Explorer 9 beta review: Microsoft reinvents the browser

Today in San Francisco, Microsoft will officially unveil Internet Explorer 9 and make it available to the general public. It is, without question, the most ambitious browser release Microsoft has ever undertaken, and despite the beta label it is an impressively polished product.

Stuxnet attackers used 4 Windows zero-day exploits

The attackers behind the recent Stuxnet worm attack used four different zero-day security vulnerabilities to burrow into — and spread around — Microsoft’s Windows operating system, according to a startling disclosure from the world’s largest software maker. Two of the four vulnerabilities are still unpatched.

Tools and Resources for Grammar, Copywriting, Spelling and More

So much of the web is based around written content that it’s important for anyone who works online to have a good grasp of language, including grammar and spelling. But it’s not always easy to find reputable sources that can teach us these things if we didn’t learn them in school (or retain them for long after). Below are over thirty great resources for learning more about grammar, vocabulary, copywriting, and more.

Password Protection: Password Recovery and Control Tools

Did you really think you had to remember a different, strong password for every site on the Web? We've got the tools you need to gain access every time. But for my money, there is no better product to use than LastPass. It is so safe and definitely the best.

Tomorrow is Patch Tuesday

Microsoft to fix 13 holes in Windows, IIS, and Office

Affected software includes Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7; Windows Server 2003 and 2008; and Office XP, 2003, and 2007, with the older versions affected by the critical bulletins, according to the security advisory announcing the plans for September's Patch Tuesday.

iPad competitors lining up

Apple's iPad may finally have some competition. With the gadget, Apple started the craze for building devices that are smaller than notebooks and bigger than standard smartphones, feature touch-screen interfaces, and enable people to browse the Web and download apps. And the iPad took off quicker than most people anticipated, selling 3 million units in its first 80 days. The device is expected to keep tight hold of its market-leading position for at least the next year.

ClearCloud DNS - Access to a Safer World Wide Web

This one looks interesting. ClearCloud prevents you from being able to access known bad websites, sites that will download malicious files to your computer. Even better, ClearCloud prevents you from being able to access malicious websites that you may not even know your computer is trying to access — and it prevents potentially nasty programs from "phoning home" and secretly communicating between your computer and cybercriminals.

Four ways to get the most from your 802.11n Wi-Fi

In theory, 802.11n can zip by your 100Mbps Fast Ethernet at a real-world 160Mbps, but the practice it’s usually much slower. No, the Wi-FI vendors aren’t lying; the problem is that you have to set 802.11n up just right to really get fast performance.

FotoMorph 11.1 (Windows), from Digital Photo Software - Free

FotoMorph is a photo animation tool with a friendly user interface. Amaze your friends and family with unbelievable transformations. Morphing is an animation technique in which one image is gradually turned into another.

What I Use–Part 2

This is a continuation of the article I started last week on the hardware and software I personally use on my computers. As I said last week, I hope you find it of value.

Utilities (Continued)

1. General Utilities: The Swiss Army Knife of utility software for me is Glary Utilities. It has way too many tools to list here, but some of them are: Disk analysis, Duplicate File Finder, Empty folders finder, file shredders, file encryption, startup manager, memory optimizer, and registry cleaner/defrager. One of my favorites is “disk analysis.” I use it to analyze a hard drive to see what might be taking up so much room on the drive. It gives me a complete list of folders and files along with a pie chart to help figure things out. Another free program.

2. Defrag Software: For a long time I used a free program, Auslogics Disk Defrager. It’s a great program that works faster than most. But since I switched to Windows 7, I use the disk defragmenter that come built-in with Windows. It runs automatically once a week in the middle of the night. Disk defragmentation is not as important as it once was, but I think it still should be done occasionally. Now, with Windows 7, I don’t worry about it.

3. Partitioning Software: This is something you don’t use very often, but when you do use it, you want a program that is safe and won’t destroy the data on existing partitions. A while back I used one program that will go unnamed that destroyed all the data on a partition while I created a new one. I now use Minitool’s Partition Wizard. I recently used it on one of my computers and it performed as advertised and the existing partitions were kept safe. It is also a free program. PS: Windows 7 does have a built-in partitioning program, but it does not have the functionality of Partition Wizard.

4. PDF Reader: I cannot say this strong enough…DO NOT USE ADOBE READER. There are so many security holes in it with new ones being found on a weekly basis, making your computer vulnerable to viruses and other malware. That being said, I recommend using Foxit Reader, a fast program that is much, much safer and only 10% the size of the bloated Adobe Reader. I am also experimenting with Nitro PDF Reader, but it is too soon to give it my total recommendation…but it does seem to have more functionality than Foxit and so far I like it very much.

5. CD/DVD Burning: I looked long and hard at several programs before I found Ashampoo Burning Studio 6. This remarkable, free program offers several options for burning different types of CD’s and DVD’s: data, music, movies, ISO and more. It will also burn Blue Ray discs. Heartily recommended.

More to come next week.

High Speed Google Search is Here

Google Instant Filters Your Google Search Results As You Type

Google Instant is a major update to the default Google search experience, providing immediate, as-you-type search results that aim to speed up your everyday Google queries by two to five seconds per search.

Mozilla patches DLL load hijacking vulnerability

Mozilla has joined Apple in being among the first to fix the DLL load hijacking attack vector that continues to haunt hundreds of Windows applications. The open-source group released Firefox 3.6.9 with patches for a total of 15 vulnerabilities (11 rated critical). Make sure you upgrade your Firefox browser soon.

Kindle vs. Nook vs. iPad: Which e-book reader should you buy?

Yes, it's true: now is a better time than ever to be in the market for an e-book reader. Hardware prices are more affordable than ever, and more titles are available electronically--anywhere from hundreds of thousands to millions, depending on whether you include the huge library of free public-domain titles--than at any point in history.

Windows 7 Calculator Tips and Tricks

I’m sure most of you have used the Windows 7 Calculator for the odd sum that you need to quickly add up, but it turns out this calculator is much improved on previous versions of Windows. There’s a whole bunch of other features thrown in there which you mightn’t know about at first.

SecondShell is a portable utility that makes Windows Explorer a lot more user friendly

SecondShell is a tool that makes window management both less fiddly and more keyboard shortcut oriented. It doesn't actually do a whole lot (it's only 200 kilobytes!), but it adds such handy features that you'll wonder why Windows doesn't include them by default.

The New Chrome Browser is Here

A Newer, Shinier Google Chrome 6 Browser Arrives

Google has just released the latest version of Chrome 6, their top rated “Modern Browser” that makes web surfing even faster, easier and more secure. Released last week to coincide with Chrome’s second anniversary, the first stable build of Chrome 6 is updated with a few tweaks to improve on its already topnotch design.

Apple's Ping dinged by spam

Apple's brand new music social media service, Ping, is already getting hit by a barrage of comment spam. Apple apparently has set up no spam or URL filtering in Ping, leaving the service wide open to junk comments.

SuperSite for Windows: Apple iTunes 10 - A Review

It's gotten to the point where iTunes is simply something that we, as Windows users, have learned to live with. It's a bloated, poorly-written, poor performing pig of a program. But it's also an absolute necessity for the hundreds of millions of us who use iPhones, iPods, and iPads every day.

Password Protection: How to Create Strong Passwords

The problem is that passwords should be different everywhere you use them, and that can make it difficult to remember them all. And, if a password is truly strong, that makes it even more difficult. That's why we've put together this helpful password guide.

Hotmail Now Supports Push Email and Other Features

Users of Hotmail will find it easier to stay up-to-date and be productive with your phone. Starting 08-30-10, users can get email, calendar, and contacts pushed automatically to your phone using Exchange ActiveSync (EAS).

What I Use–Part 1

I’ve been doing this blog/newsletter for over 10 years. During that time, I’ve recommend hundreds, if not thousands of products for you to look at or use. Do I use all the hardware/software I recommend? Of course not. But almost everything I do use has been written about here…some more than once.

Over time, I have become a bit of an expert in computer products, so I recognize good products when I see them and use them to help me with my own productivity. So, I decided to write a series of blogs describing the products I personally use and why. I will still write the regular blog with news and new hardware and software recommendations…but I will pop in once-a-week with more info about my personal favorites. I will accumulate these blogs and put them together in one article one my Web site…then continually update it when I change or add products.

Now, I’m guessing that most of you don’t give a rip about what I use as hardware, so I will save that for the Web site…with the caveat that some of my software ties directly to some hardware, so I will mention the hardware then.

With that in mind, I begin this series with software…specifically the utility software I find most useful. I hope you will find this series very useful.

Utilities

1. Encryption: I use TrueCrypt to encode all my personal files on my laptop and netbook computers. These 2 computers are out in the public a great deal so they have the highest possibility of being stolen. If they are, no thief will have access to my data. I don’t currently use it on my desktop computer, but may in the near future. I have tried using Microsoft’s own Bitlocker encryption software, but TrueCrypt works best for me. I have it set so that when the computer boots up, the first thing it asks is for my password to unlock the TrueCrypt directory. TrueCrypt is free so if you are thinking about encryption, I recommend this one highly.

2. Uninstall Software: For this, I use Revo Uninstaller. The standard uninstall option that comes with Windows usually leaves behind a lot of worthless files that can clog up your computer. Revo goes way beyond that, removing related files in the directories and in the registry. I always set it on the highest setting to remove all the junk files. Again, this program in free.

3. General File Cleanup: For this I use CCleaner. Windows leaves behind a lot of temp files and other junk in its wake, not to mention the trash bin, browser temp files, etc. I think the first time you run CCleaner you will be shocked how much junk is left behind…and it’s usually in the Gigabytes. You can tell the program what not to remove. For instance I tell it not to erase my browser cookies. Using this program may not make your computer run much faster, but you will free up a lot of hard drive space.

4. Disk Management: While the new Windows Explorer in Windows 7 is quite an improvement over past version, I still use Xplorer2 Lite the majority of the time. I like it because it gives me two windows to two separate file or drive locations so I can drag and drop files much easier. It is called Light because it is also a paid version.

I will continue this series next week.

Apple’s Big Day

New iPods abound including multitouch nano at Apple event

Apple held its annual fall media event Wednesday. During the event, Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled a new line of iPods, as has become tradition, including a new shuffle, a multitouch-enabled nano, and an A4-powered, FaceTime-compatible iPod touch.

iTunes 10 Gets a Streamlined Interface, Adds a Social Network for Music

If you were hoping for a totally redesigned, less twiddly iTunes 10, you're out of luck. But Apple added a social tool, Ping, for following artists and friends' tastes and tracking concerts. And your music list looks a bit tidier, too.

Apple TV upgraded with rental model, no purchasing content allowed; $99

Apple’s music-themed event concluded today with a revamp we’ve all been waiting for. The second-generation of Apple TV is official, and it sure is small. First off, the new Apple TV is much smaller than the original, being only 1/4th the size this time around. Connectivity is simple to figure out with ports for power, Ethernet, and HDMI, plus 802.11n Wi-Fi. Each box also comes with a remote control.

Windows 7 Family Pack to make a comeback in October

starting October 3 in the U.S., the Family Pack will be available via select retailers and online at the Microsoft Store for $149.99. Still, the better buy is to get all (nearly) unlimited Microsoft products via Microsoft TechNet for $199.

FilerFrog adds loads of useful actions to your Windows context menu

Want a way to put dozens of handy commands within two-click reach? Download FilerFrog and bolt it on to your context menu, and you'll have a wide array of new tools available via your right mouse button as you browse your files and folders in Explorer.