Is Our Internet Infrastructure Safe? And Free Hubble Wallpaper

Our fancy Internet infrastructure operates on a wire and a prayer

The fiber-optic outage—actually sabotage—in the Bay Area on Thursday reveals a dirty little secret: Our infrastructure is ridiculously vulnerable and it only takes a few vandals (or terrorists) to bring communication to its knees.

Microsoft to start pushing IE 8 to existing IE users

Microsoft already has pushed via Auto Update the final version of Internet Explorer 8 (IE 8) to customers who had installed the beta version of its latest browser. Starting next week, the company plans to begin delivering IE 8 via Automatic Update to users with older versions of IE installed.

Windows 7: 83% Of Businesses Won't Deploy Next Year

The success of Windows 7 will depend a great deal on if large businesses will finally upgrade. New data shows that the vast majority of corporate IT departments won't touch Microsoft's next OS until at least 2011.

Free Music Archive: Free MP3s, and yes, they're legal

Do you like free music? Who doesn’t? If you’ve been downloading music illegally because you’re just too strapped for cash to go out and buy the record — because that’s the only reason you would do that, right? — then there’s a new solution for you.

Hubble Site - Wallpaper for your Computer

The Hubblesite.org Website offers a ton of free wallpaper for your computer. And it comes in various sizes for different monitor settings. Chose the one that is right for you. If you like images from far off places, check this out.

Has Our Electrical Grid Been Compromised?

The U.S. electrical grid: How big of a cyber target is it?

Spies have reportedly been probing the U.S. electrical grid for months and planting software that could be activated at a future date, according to a Wall Street Journal. The report highlights the latest vulnerabilities facing U.S. power infrastructure.

AT&T and Apple needlessly shackle Skype users

Skype versus AT&T and Apple, a duopoly I like to call Ma iPhone. Since Skype put its app on the App Store, more than 2 million downloads have been recorded because people want to make cheap Skype calls with their iPhones. Go right ahead, says Ma iPhone, but you can only make those calls via Wi-Fi, not 3G.

Windows 7 HomeGroup: Networking Made Easy

Microsoft has been trying for a long while to make home networks easy to use, with automatic connections and ready access to shared files and folders. With the Windows 7 feature known as "HomeGroup," the company seems to have succeeded.

Hands On: Acer's New 11.6-Inch Aspire One Netbook

(This new netbook looks like a winner, if the price is right) Acer raised the stakes Tuesday night by launching the first netbook with an 11.6-inch screen, a version of the Acer Aspire One. Perhaps most importantly, the 11.6-inch Acer Aspire One is long enough to accommodate a full-size keyboard, while the majority of netbooks have ones that range between 89 percent to 92 percent of full size. That, together with Acer's aggressive pricing strategy, could solidify the One as the premier netbook in the United States.

Gadwin PrintScreen 4.4 (Windows) - Free

Gadwin PrintScreen allows much more flexibility with that Print Screen button at the top of your keyboard. This is a good one!!

The New FriendFeed – I Love it

New FriendFeed: Simpler, Faster, Better (Maybe Too Fast)

FriendFeed is taking the next step in its evolution with a complete redesign and lots of new features. We were able to see a demo of the new site last week and have been testing it over the weekend. Our opinion: the new FriendFeed, which launches into beta today, is simpler, faster and better than the old FriendFeed.

Mixed reactions to FriendFeed overhaul

From what it looks like, the fresh, real-time streaming redesign of social aggregator FriendFeed is getting some accolades from already-avid users--but might not sway the masses.

Conficker wakes up, updates via P2P, drops payload

The Conficker worm is finally doing something--updating via peer-to-peer between infected computers and dropping a mystery payload on infected computers, Trend Micro said on Wednesday. Researchers were analyzing the code of the software that is being dropped onto infected computers but suspect that it is a keystroke logger or some other program designed to steal sensitive data off the machine, said David Perry, global director of security education at Trend Micro.

Olympus: 12 megapixels is enough

Olympus has declared an end to the megapixel race

BumpTop: Software toy or useful desktop replacement?

If you're tired of that flat desktop, BumpTop is a 3D desktop interface you're going to want to try. What could be better than 'organizing' your space by flinging, stacking, and fanning icons and photos? Read on to find out we like and what still needs work.

Mostly Microsoft News

End nears for XP, Office 2003 support

Microsoft will drop mainstream support for Office 2003 on April 14--the same day that the retirement process begins for Windows XP. Although mainstream support for the Office 2003 applications suite will come to an end, Microsoft has the product scheduled to remain in "extended support" until April 8, 2014.

Skipping Vista

Despite the fact that Windows 7 is almost cooked, a leaked Microsoft memo suggests that XP may live on past its May 30, 2009 retirement date.

Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows: Windows 7 Product Editions: A Comparison

Even at this early stage, I believe these tables will help you pick which Windows 7 product edition makes the most sense for you, based on your needs and wants. Let's dive right in.

Microsoft's intelligence security report: The top 5 takeaways

Microsoft on Wednesday will unveil its sixth Security Intelligence Report and the tome—all 184 pages of it—has a lot of interesting data points culled from the software giant’s antivirus applications. Microsoft concludes that rogue security software is a big threat, lost and stolen equipment is a bigger issue than hacking and PDF and Office extensions are leading vectors.

BumpTop: Software toy or useful desktop replacement?

If you're tired of that flat desktop, BumpTop is a 3D desktop interface you're going to want to try. What could be better than 'organizing' your space by flinging, stacking, and fanning icons and photos? Read on to find out we like and what still needs work.  Free download.

More on Newspapers and Other News

Survey: Credit card fraud a top concern in U.S.

This should come as no surprise to anyone, but people in the U.S. are worried that as the economy worsens, the chances for identity fraud, particularly with regard to credit card data theft, will increase.

Google helps, not hurts, newspapers: executive

Google Inc helps newspaper websites make money through online advertising and does not misappropriate their content, a lawyer for the search engine said on the company's blog on Tuesday.

AP cuts newspaper rates, moves to protect web news

The Associated Press unveiled rate cuts on Monday to help member newspapers reeling from declining advertising revenue and said it would sue websites that use its members' articles without permission.

Changes to Apple's iTunes prices take effect

he era of one-price-fits-all-songs on iTunes came to an end Tuesday as Apple Inc., the Internet's dominant digital music store, began selling some of its most-downloaded songs for $1.29 apiece.

Power Twitter- Firefox Add-ons

Free Firefox Ad-on adds more features to your Twittering: search and recent searches -search scoped to a specific user -status history peeking on mouseover -Facebook status updates -inline YouTube, Flickr, TwitPic, Google Maps, song.ly, and more

Special Edition – The Death of Newspapers

As a university journalism graduate, I am more than interested in what is happening to our nation’s newspapers.  In short, many are dying; many more will die in the near future.  What does that mean for all of us?

There are many reasons for this trend, too many to name here.  One is TV news.  If that is to be our main source of news, God help us all.  CNN and Fox are a joke when it comes to news.  Their version of news is about entertainment, not news.  Same with most local TV stations. Ratings, ratings, ratings.    

Another reason is Craigslist.  We all use Craigslist now for our want-ads, thereby killing a huge revenue stream for newspapers.  And, of course, the rise of news on the Internet is still another reason for the end of traditional newspapers.  I suppose I could go on, but the bottom line is that print media may have outlived its usefulness in today’s digital world.     

If you do a search on “Death of Newspapers,” you will find hundreds, if not thousands of recent articles on the subject.  I have selected a handful here, many focusing on the digital world and how it may replace newspapers.  I hope you will find it of interest.

Jim

The future of newspapers | Who killed the newspaper? | The Economist

“A GOOD newspaper, I suppose, is a nation talking to itself,” mused Arthur Miller in 1961. A decade later, two reporters from the Washington Post wrote a series of articles that brought down President Nixon and the status of print journalism soared. At their best, newspapers hold governments and companies to account. They usually set the news agenda for the rest of the media. But in the rich world newspapers are now an endangered species. The business of selling words to readers and selling readers to advertisers, which has sustained their role in society, is falling apart.

Death of newspapers

The real problem isn't that newspapers may be doomed. I would be severely disheartened if I was forced to abandon my morning ritual of sitting on my deck with a coffee and the papers, but I would no doubt get used to burning out my retinas over the screen an hour earlier than usual. As Nation columnist Eric Alterman recently argued, the real problem isn't the impending death of newspapers, but the impending death of news -- at least news as we know it.

Murdoch says papers should charge on Web

Rupert Murdoch, whose media company News Corp owns one of the few U.S. newspapers that makes people pay to read its news on the Web, said more papers will have to start doing the same to survive.

The future of newspapers: print v. digital

Five articles worth reading that relate to journalism as it transforms.

Newspaper Death Watch

This web site describes itself as "Chronicling the Decline of Newspapers and the Rebirth of Journalism." Might be worth a view

Readers share some advice for Starbucks

Even though this story is only partially about technology, I found it very interesting and thought you might also. Pay particular attention to the part Starbucks might play in replacing newspapers.

Weekend News and a Free Book

Texas Tells Microsoft's Vista To Mosey on Out of Town

Texas government shouldn't be Vista country, according to its state Senate. That legislative body approved earlier this week a rider to the state budget that would prevent governmental agencies from using the Microsoft Vista operating system without approval from a legislative board.

PC Failures, PC Fixes: Troubleshooting Mysterious Problems

Has there ever been a truly trouble-free PC? We've gotten a lot closer to it in recent years, thanks to better diagnostics and improved software and hardware engineering -- but sometimes, every now and then, things fall apart and the center cannot hold in a big country way.

Lifehacker - Top 10 Home Office Hacks

Whatever kind of work you do at home, your office is one place you want to spend the time to make comfortable and convenient. Take 10 of our tips on organizing, fixing, and streamlining that space.

After the Software Wars by Keith Curtis (Free Book)

Keith Curtis, an 11-year veteran of Microsoft, takes a programmer’s approach in “Software Wars,” attempting to systematically build a case that free software can help pave the way for a 21st-century renaissance in many fields ranging from artificial intelligence (cars that drive themselves) to the human journey into space (space elevators). For Mr. Curtis, free software is all about leveraging our collective intelligence." Book is free to download

Digsby - Free Software

Digsby helps you manage all your IM, e-mail, and social network accounts from one easy-to-use application.

News and Free Software for Wednesday

Readers share their Security Baseline nominees

Windows Secrets readers have been giving me their feedback loud and clear: they hate Norton all-in-one products and love standalone antivirus, antispyware, and firewall apps.

Microsoft Rules Netbooks Now, Linux Lurks

Microsoft today sits comfortably atop the growing netbook market with Windows garnering 90 percent of netbook sales in November, December and January.  Can Linux survive?

Gmail: Expect bigger changes in next 5 years

Some thought Google's e-mail service an April Fools' joke when it arrived a half-decade ago. Look for Gmail's differences to increase in the next five years.

Recuva 1.25.409 (Windows)

Recuva (pronounced "recover") is a freeware Windows utility to restore files that have been accidentally deleted from your computer. This includes files emptied from the Recycle bin as well as images and other files that have been deleted

Xobni 5342 beta (Windows), from Xobni Corporation - Free!

Xobni is the Outlook plug-in that saves you time finding email conversations, contacts and attachments.

Browsers, Worms, and Intel’s New Killer Chip

Installing Internet Explorer 8--photos

Installing IE 8, it turns out, is an involved process, and one that will reboot your computer. This is a good time to make a phone call, brew some coffee, or begin a calisthenics routine.

My painfully poky week with IE 8

In the interest of broadening my horizons, I promised Microsoft I'd give Internet Explorer 8 a fair shake by trying the browser as my default for a week. And, boy, am I glad that week is over.

Find the right Firefox add-ons

If you're a Firefox user, chances are you've been using add-ons to extend its functionality. But if you haven't, or if you're looking for new add-ons, I've found 20 for you to try. But since installing all 20 will probably slow your browser to a crawl, I've broken them into four categories. I have grouped the add-ons into "packs" for business professionals, shoppers, social-network fanatics, and students.

The "no bull" guide to Conficker

I get the feeling that while there’s a lot of hype surrounding this latest bit of malware, actual infections are much lower than some would want you to believe. However, over the past few days the number of enquires I’m getting in relation to Conficker has skyrocketed, so to try to answer people’s questions, and calm people’s fears, I’ve put together a quick “no bull” guide to Conficker.

Test Center: Intel's Nehalem simply sizzles

Intel's new Nehalem Xeon CPUs, which are being introduced in countless one- and two-socket servers and workstations today, have already generated a lot of heat. While introducing the new processors to technical journalists in February, Nick Knupffer, Intel's global communications manager, boasted that "Nehalem represents the biggest performance jump we've made since the introduction of the Pentium Pro."

Microsoft is busy…plus worms and Twitter

Updating the Windows 7 release schedule

Microsoft has been doing an admirable job of suppressing leaks about its Windows 7 release plans. But someone in Redmond needs to do a better job of teaching its own employees when not to hit the Publish button on web pages.

Microsoft's "I'm just not cool enough to be a Mac person" ad tries to kick Apple where it hurts

Microsoft’s latest salvo in the Mac vs. PC ad war seems to have hit a nerve with Apple fans.

Microsoft exits the encyclopedia biz, kills Encarta

Microsoft Encarta is a digital encyclopedia that used to come on a CD-ROM, and eventually graduated to a web-based service. But in the age of Wikipedia, where even the Encyclopedia Brittanica allows users to suggest edits, it looks like Microsoft either can't or choose not to compete. The company is pulling the plug on Encarta later this year.

'60 Minutes': What's next for the Conficker worm?

The following is a transcript of a "60 Minutes" report on Internet viruses that aired Sunday.

Nine Ways to Use Twitter

Disregard the hype and the haters; Twitter is a powerful platform with plenty of practical uses.

Today’s Computer News Roundup

I am back in Tucson from my week-long stay in Vegas.  Had a very good time with Elisa, and later, Susan, in spite of a cold and sinus infection.  Still recovering from that, but improving daily.  Happy to be home and getting back to normal.  Here is today’s news:

Two security holes patched in Firefox 3.0.8

Mozilla published a critical security upgrade for Firefox Friday evening. Version 3.0.8 for Windows, Mac, and Linux fixes two security holes listed as "critical."

Conficker worm might originate in China

There's been a lot of fuss about theConficker worm. However, there is a $250,000 question: the origin of the virus. This is the amount Microsoft is putting up as a reward for any information leading to an arrest related to the case. Folks at BKIS, a Vietnamese security firm that makes the BKAV antivirus software, announced Monday that they found clues that the virus may have originated from China. Previously, there were rumors that it might have been from Russia or Europe.

Facebook changes to address user complaints

Facebook users haven't exactly been reticent about their dislike for Facebook's recent redesign. And Facebook staff want you to know they're listening.

Microsoft, NASA put universe back on the Web

Microsoft and NASA, announced plans to make planetary images and data available via the Internet. The two organizations will jointly develop the technology and infrastructure necessary to make NASA content--including high-resolution scientific images and data from Mars and the moon--explorable on Microsoft's online virtual telescope for exploring the universe, called WorldWide Telescope.

Convert your PDFs to MS Word

There are several well-regarded, free ways to take advantage of the Print function to transform just about any file to a PDF. PrimoPDF and doPDF sit at the top of the list, but what about reverse engineering that conversion? Converting in the other direction, from a PDF to a Microsoft Word-compatible format like DOC or RTF is trickier.

Microsoft Releases Internet Explorer V.8

Sorry about not doing a blog post lately but am currently in Las Vegas with my Italian daughter Elisa…and finding free Wi-Fi in Vegas is about as easy as finding a slot machine that hits jackpots.  Found one at Denny’s (Wi-Fi, that is) way way out on Sahara Blvd.  Will be back in Tucson next weekend and will continue my traditional blog updates then.  Until then, I hope you find these stories of use:

Hands-on with IE 8: A giant step for Microsoft

Setting aside the issue of speed for a moment, some of the features in Internet Explorer bring it up to what we've come to expect from a browser, and some of them forge ahead. Many of these are borrowed from other browsers, and at least in the case of Firefox, the features can be imported using extensions.

IE8 focuses on usability

The ultimate improvement in browser performance is not making a page load faster but making it unnecessary to load the page at all. That's the guiding principle behind some of the most interesting interface changes in Internet Explorer 8

Why You Want Windows 7

I've been using Windows 7 for months, first as a pre-beta and now as the remarkably stable Beta 1. It's an encouraging update. No wackiness. When I use it, I don't find myself wondering, "Who moved my cheese?" It's sensible and smart—often in hidden and surprising ways. It also seems to be allergic to blue-screen crashes.

All flash drives not created equal | Storage Bits | ZDNet.com

Low-priced SATA flash drives are tempting. But beware: some of them test at an abysmal 2 random writes per second!

Safari hole exploited in seconds at security conference

The security expert who won $10,000 hacking a MacBook Air in less than two minutes last year won $5,000 on Wednesday by exploiting a hole in Safari in 10 seconds or so.

Windows 7, iPhone, and Better Tweeting

Windows 7 build 7057 - Performance that blasts past XP, Vista and previous builds

After I carried out the performance test on Widows 7 build 7048 I commented that I thought some of the results were all over the place. However, on looking at this latest build, I’ve no doubt that not only will Windows 7 will be fast. In fact it will blow away all previous Windows OSes, including the sainted Windows XP.

Microsoft Details New Changes to Windows 7 - News and Analysis by PC Magazine

Just weeks after releasing a lengthy list of 36 improvements it plans to make to the release candidate (RC) of Windows 7, Microsoft on Friday unveiled 28 more changes it plans to make before upgrading the operating system from beta to Release Candidate.

iPhone OS 3.0: What you need to know

Apple on Tuesday unveiled the next version of the operating system that powers the iPhone, dubbed version 3.0, at an invite-only event at Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, Calif. It will be available for developers beginning today, and to everyone else "this summer." It's a free upgrade for iPhone users

Home Networking in 5 Easy Steps - Reviews by PC Magazine

Building a home network? First question: Why would you want to? Only ten years ago you could have answered that question easily: "I'm an incurable geek." But nowadays there are so many products and services being offered for home networks that it's really a question of "why wouldn't you want to?"

How to kick iTunes' lock-in media formats squarely in the fruit

If you're not tied to using an iPod as your primary portable media player, or if you're just playing songs on your PC, avoid iTunes entirely. There's any number of alternative media players and managers you can use.

14 Tricks for Making 140 Character Twitter Tweets

If you Twitter, you might want to read this.

New Tools and Free Software

Google Voice: A push to rewire your phone service | Webware - CNET

Google Voice, the new version of the GrandCentral technology Google acquired in July 2007, has the potential to make the search giant a middleman in an important part of people's lives, telephone communications. With the service, people can pick a new phone number from Google Voice; when others call it, Google can ring all the actual phones a person uses and handle voice mail.  This could become huge.

20+ tools for price watching and protecting

In the U.S., tax season is well upon us. And with the recession in full tilt, you may be--smartly--biding your time to make a purchase. Fear not though, there are tools aplenty to help you keep an eye on the price of something, and swoop in to get it when it goes on sale or the manufacturer offers a rebate.

Four PC Blu-ray Drives Reviewed and Tested

To Blu-ray or not to Blu-ray? When it comes to adding a Blu-ray drive to the PC, that question is getting asked more today than a few months ago. With projections of Blu-ray disc sales of over 100 million units this year, Blu-ray has certainly arrived.

Recover Files 2 (Windows)

Recover Files is an award winning program that can undelete / recover deleted files after they have been deleted. Recover Files is a professional file recovery software that allows it's user to recover accidentally deleted files.

Gadwin PrintScreen 4.4 (Windows) - Free Downloads on ZDNet

Gadwin PrintScreen allows much more flexibility with that Print Screen button at the top of your keyboard. Free

A Virtual Cornucopia of Tech News

Is Windows 7 reliable enough to release now? | Ed Bott’s Microsoft Report

Ed Bott: I installed Windows 7 build 7048 on a Dell XPS 420 one week ago, and after a few hours of road testing decided to begin using it as my main production system. So how is it working out?.

Federal CIO on leave following FBI sting at DC offices

The U.S. Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra, appointed by President Obama last week, has been placed on leave, following an FBI raid yesterday at the District of Columbia’s IT offices...even though he has not been linked yet int the big DC bribery investigation.

Facebook Challenges Twitter to Celebrity Deathmatch!

Blame Shaquille O'Neal. Facebook's sudden, desperate move to help celebrities, sports personalities, and big brands transform their somewhat static Facebook pages into full-blown profiles is, I think, almost a direct response to the blast of excitement created by relative Twitter newbie and basketball icon Shaquille O'Neal.

How to Delete Accounts from Any Website

Sadly, not all Web sites and social networks are created equal when it comes to breaking up. With some, it takes only a couple of clicks to say good-bye. If you stop paying, that goes a long way toward ending it with a few sites. Others make you jump through more hoops than a tiger at the circus.

Kindle, schmindle...I've got your $350 e-book reader right here

With all the buzz about Amazon's new Kindle 2, you'd think this revamped e-book reader was the most advanced piece of technology this side of designer babies. After all, for $359, you get a color screen, Wi-Fi and full-function Web browsing, video playback, 60GB of storage, and a reasonably usable keyboard. Oh wait, you don't get any of that stuff. No, that's what $350 can get you if invested in even a low-end Netbook, such as the new 10-inch Acer Aspire One. Not only is there a wide range of PC software available for buying and displaying e-books (and tons of free content as well), when you're done with all that highbrow readin', pop open a Web browser and rot your brain with some Hulu videos.

Gadwin PrintScreen 4.4 (Windows) - Free Downloads on ZDNet

Gadwin PrintScreen allows much more flexibility with that Print Screen button at the top of your keyboard. Free

Windows and Firefox News

Microsoft wants to 'rescue' apps for Windows 7

The rule of thumb is that if a program runs in Vista, it will run in Windows 7. Conversely, in general, programs that won't run in Vista also won't work with Windows 7. At least in a few cases, though, even applications that didn't run in Vista will run in Windows 7. That's because of some work that Microsoft has done to "rescue" certain types of programs that were rendered incompatible by the move to Vista.

A sneak peek at the Windows 7 Release Candidate

This build is not the long-awaited Release Candidate, but it does include a slew of bug fixes, design changes, and interface tweaks checked in as part of the march toward an RC, much of it based on feedback from beta testers. What you see in this build is not experimental; given the development process for Windows 7, it is a near-certainty that the changes you see here will make it into the final product.

Microsoft plugs remote execution, spoofing holes in Windows

Microsoft on Tuesday issued patches for critical holes in all supported versions of Windows that could allow an attacker to take over a system by executing code remotely if the user viewed a maliciously crafted image file.

Extreme PCs and "Homebrewing": Rest in Peace

In the glory days, everyone had lots of disposable income, and those of us who called ourselves “PC Enthusiasts” thought nothing of doing complete hardware refreshes every six months to keep up with the technology.  Those days are probably now over.

Electric car network coming to Arizona

Alternative energy company Ecotality said on Friday that it will supply charging stations in Arizona as part of the planned roll-out of plug-in electric cars from Nissan next year. Nissan North America has committed to making its electric vehicles available to municipal or private organizations in the Tucson, Ariz., area, Ecotality said. Nissan's all-electric sedan is scheduled to be available in certain areas of the U.S. next year.

Beta Beat: Firefox 3.1 Beta 3 Available for Download

If you're eager to stay on the cutting edge of Firefox, head over to Mozilla to grab the newly released Firefox 3.1 Beta 3. As we mentioned last week, the next beta will be upped to Firefox 3.5

Which Windows is Best? Plus More

Windows 7 vs. Vista vs. XP performance shootout - which is best?

How does the latest leaked build of Windows 7 (7048) compare to the beta 1 (build 7000), Vista SP1 and XP SP3 in terms of performance? According to my Hardware 2.0 inbox, this is a question that you want answered. Let’s see if I can answer it for those of you who are interested!

Is IE8 the end of the line for Internet Explorer?

IE8 is the last version of the Internet Explorer Web browser. At least, that's what I'm hearing through the grapevine. It seems that Microsoft is preparing to throw in the towel on its Internet Explorer engine once and for all.

Firefox, too, revamping new-tab behavior

Opening a new tab in a Web browser shows a lot of prime but empty real estate, and now the programmers behind Firefox are following their peers at Safari and Chrome in trying to make it more useful.

Web Browser Speed Dating

When did the story stop being about the Internet and start being about Web browsers?

PMA 2009's photo finish

Despite the economy, tons of new photo products debuted, partly because planning takes place 6 to 12 months out. So it's likely that the first real signs of contraction will appear with the fall product lines. And, in fact, at least one manufacturer has already changed its dSLR release plans in preparation for tough times.

Olympus: 12 megapixels is enough for most folks | Underexposed - CNET News

Olympus has declared an end to the megapixel race. "Twelve megapixels is, I think, enough for covering most applications most customers need," said Akira Watanabe, manager of Olympus Imaging's SLR planning department, in an interview here at the Photo Marketing Association (PMA). "We have no intention to compete in the megapixel wars for E-System," Olympus' line of SLR cameras, he said. Instead, Olympus will focus on other characteristics such as dynamic range, color reproduction, and a better ISO range for low-light shooting, he said.

Today’s Really Good Stuff

Hackers update Conficker worm, evade countermeasures

Computers infected with the Conficker worm are being updated with a new variant that sidesteps an industry effort to sever the link between the worm and its hacker controllers, according to researchers at Symantec. The new version, dubbed Conficker.c, represents the first set of "orders" that researchers have witnessed being sent to infected systems, said Vincent Weafer, vice president of Symantec Corp.'s security response group. The update shows that the hackers want to defend their collection of compromised PCs, Weafer argued.

The Google OS is coming by year's end

It's not news that Microsoft will get Windows 7 out as fast as possible this year. Vista has been a complete dog, so Microsoft will rush to deliver what is essentially a cleaned-up, lightweight version. What is news is that Google will have its own contender for desktop operating system king: Android.

Dreaming of cutting the subscription TV cord

The economy is in the toilet, and I know I'm not the only person in America who is looking for ways to cut costs. Top on my list in 2009 is finding a way to eliminate my $100 a month cable TV bill. Up until very recently, the idea of cutting off subscription TV would have meant skimping on a whole lot of good quality entertainment. I must admit, I don't watch a lot of TV. But I watch enough that I would be very sad if I had to give up HBO's "Flight of the Conchords" or NBC's "30 Rock." But thanks to that wonderful communications network known as the Internet and the fact that big Hollywood studios and TV networks have finally realized that digital distribution is actually a good thing, cable cord cutters, like me, won't have to sacrifice that much or anything at all, depending on what movies and TV programs we like to watch.

How Vista mistakes guided changes to Windows development

About a year ago on its Redmond, Washington, campus, a member of Microsoft's Windows Vista team met with a group of journalists to face some tough questions about the OS. At the time, it was clear Vista was not going to be the great success Microsoft had predicted, as many of the company's critical business customers were beginning to reveal they would wait for the next release of Microsoft's client OS instead of upgrading corporate desktops to Vista.

Trackle gives you web alerts for virtually anything

Sometimes you just don't want to sit in front of a browser window and hit reload. Maybe you're waiting for plane ticket prices to drop, or maybe you want to be the first person to apply for fresh jobs on Craiglist. Trackle is one way to get alerts via email or SMS for practically anything on the web. You can Trackle stocks, product prices, and even people.

Seattle Paper to Go Net Only?

Seattle paper may shift to online-only

Hearst Corp, one of the largest U.S. publishers, has offered some of its Seattle Post-Intelligencer (P-I) staff work in an online-only version of the paper, amidst speculation that the newspaper's print edition may be shutting down, according to media reports.

Facebook vs. Twitter: How will you stream your world?

The future will be streamed. And streamed some more.

Will iTunes kill the CD?

We're getting close to the day when a major artist or group releases a download-only album. Maybe it'll be the next Rolling Stones or Sufjan Stevens album. That'll be a dark day

Pretec unveils 666x Compact Flash Cards

Pretec creator of the highest capacity CompactFlash card in the world (100GB) and the fastest CF card in the world (433X), continues today its record breaking history in the field of speed and capacity by unveiling the extraordinary 666X CF card, the world’s fastest CF card.

Downloads: DeskHedron Adds 3D Virtual Desktop Eye-Candy to Windows

Free application DeskHedron brings multiple virtual desktops to Windows, complete with an impressive spinning 3D animation that switches between your desktops.

Bug Patches and Other Good Stuff

Mozilla patches eight Firefox bugs, six critical

Mozilla this week patched eight security vulnerabilities in Firefox, half of them critical memory corruption flaws in the browser's layout and JavaScript engines. Oracle White Paper - Nucleus Report: Who's ready for SMB? - read this white paper. Firefox 3.0.7, the second security update this year to the open-source browser, fixes about the same number of bugs that Mozilla patched a month ago.

Coming on Patch Tuesday: 3 Windows bulletins, 1 critical

Microsoft today outlined plans to ship three security bulletins for software vulnerabilities in the Windows operating system. One of the three bulletins will carry a “critical” rating, meaning that it will cover flaws that could be exploited to launch remote code execution attacks.

3 Free Anti-Spam Programs Reviewed

We pulled three, free-for-personal-use anti-spam programs off the Web and gave them a specific challenge: Beat Microsoft Outlook's own anti-spam prowess.

Advanced iTunes 8 Management - Solutions by PC Magazine

Inexpensive iPods, music-playing cell phones, and—heck—even PCs have essentially replaced the traditional stereo system. Power up your iTunes 8 organization, navigation, and maintenance skills with the following tips:

YouTube - Hudson River Plane Landing (US Airways 1549) Animation with Audio

SHere is an animation of the US Airway crash complete with audio between plane and tower. Very interesting and well done

Highlights from the Big Photo Show in Las Vegas

PMA 2009 - Digital camera news from the 2009 PMA show

Want to know what to expect in cameras and camera gear over the next 6 months? It's all on display at this year's Photo Marketing Association show, and CNET's there to bring it all home to you.

Microsoft may let Windows 7 users turn browser off

Microsoft has included in recent Windows 7 test versions an option to turn off the Internet Explorer 8 Web browser, according to testers who have used the recent builds.

Microsoft's Biggest Enemy Now: Apple, Linux, or Itself?

In a meeting with financial analysts last week, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer laid out who he thinks are the biggest threats today to Windows on the client side. Surprisingly, Apple wasn't number one. It wasn't number two or three either.

Skype 4.0 for Windows delivers truer video, sound

Skype 4.0 became available for free on Tuesday to Windows users. The free desktop VoIP communicator is a worthy final version that brings some key enhancements with video and audio bandwidth.

Whimsy: Entire State Of Maryland Roped Into Online Prank War

This video is hilarious. This is payback for a prank one fellow pulled on the other at Yankee Stadium. There is a link to that one also. Don't miss this.

Near Future Not Good for PC Business

Gartner: PC sales to see worst fall in history

The global PC industry will suffer its 'sharpest decline in history' in 2009, as overall demand for PCs falls by 11.9 percent compared with 2008, according to analysts at Gartner. The new low beats the previous record decline of just 3.2 percent, which took place in 2001. According to a statement from Gartner, both emerging and mature markets are forecast "to suffer unprecedented market slowdowns".

Microsoft's Massive List of Improvements to Windows 7

Microsoft on Thursday released a lengthy list of 36 improvements it plans to make to the release candidate (RC) for Windows 7, though the company did not provide any details on when that RC might actually be available.

Gazelle: The browser that thinks like an OS |Fatal Exception

Interesting article about Microsoft's newest Web browser now in development. The operating system is now losing its importance. The Web is becoming more important and more relevant than the operating system. Is this the future?

The Post-Chronicle Wiki: Imaging a New Media Frontier in San Francisco

The question is no longer, "Is the traditional newspaper model viable?" or even "How can we tweak it to keep it alive?" No, nothing short of a complete overhaul will be enough to keep traditional print media relevant. Or at least that's what some media professionals in San Francisco are saying.   The days of newspapers printed on paper are ending.

Foxmarks becomes Xmarks, does site discovery

Now known as just Xmarks, the tool layers in site discovery features. The Xmarks plug-in shows you sites similar to the one you're on, based on what other users have bookmarked and where they've filed those bookmarks. The plug-in also gives you additional information in search results, letting you see site popularity and user ratings on your search hits.

A Google Computer Coming?

The Google Computer: Android Desktop Edition - Columns by PC Magazine

If cranky columnist John C. Dvorak is right (and I'm thinking he is), the world of desktop computing is about to take a big left turn. The company in the driver seat? Google. Dvorak outlines how Microsoft cannot kill Google the way it previously torpedoed Netscape and then lays out a simple plan for Google to introduce a new Android OS-based Google PC. If this happens, Microsoft will have a real problem on its hands. You must read this fascinating column.

White House ditches YouTube after privacy complaints

Responding to complaints by privacy activists, the White House has quietly abandoned YouTube as the provider of the embedded videos on the president's official home page. With the release of the latest weekly video address, the White House has shifted to a Flash-based video solution using Akamai's content delivery network.

5 Reasons Why I Bought a Kindle 2 - Opinions by ExtremeTech

Until the release of this version of the Kindle, I hadn't been particularly interested in buying one. Frankly, I thought the first Kindle was ugly and a rather stupid idea. I chuckled and snorted with derision when Amazon first announced it, sure that it would be just another e-book bomb like so many before it. But oddly enough, the Kindle turned out to be a reasonable success with around 500,000 estimated sales last year.

How to: Keep your laptop from being stolen

A laptop is stolen every 53 seconds, and approximately 97 percent are never recovered, according to the FBI. Worse, one out of every 10 laptops will be stolen within the first 12 months of purchase.

CCleaner 2.16.83 Free Download

Remove unused files from your system - allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space.

Special Windows 7 Edition

I took some time off from my busy baseball schedule to put together another blog…this one on Windows 7.  Have been enjoying the Arizona sun (in the high 80’s lately), to take in some major league baseball Spring Training games as well as some University of Arizona baseball games.

The Rockies and the Diamondbacks both train here in Tucson.  Saw the Dodgers yesterday and the White Sox on Thursday.  I also have tickets for upcoming games with the Giants and A’s, and hope to take in the Mariners also.  It is fun-in-the-sun here in Tucson and Spring Training games are inexpensive.  I had a box seat on Thursday, five rows from the field between home and first and it cost me all of $16.

But, if you love the game of baseball, the college game is great fun to watch.  The crowds are smaller, but the student cheering section is fun to listen to.  And, you can’t beat the price of a ticket…$3 a game for us seniors.  But, I still hate the sound of aluminum bats.

Anyway, here are today’s news stories about the new Microsoft operating system that holds so much promise:

 

Microsoft: Here are some of the Win 7 changes coming in the next build

In a February 26 post to the Engineering Windows 7 blog, Microsoft itemized some of the changes that it is making to Windows 7 that will be part of the Release Candidate (RC) test build that is widely expected in April.

Is Jumping from XP to Windows 7 too Complicated?

When Windows 7 is released later this year or in early 2010, many PC users who upgrade will be coming from Windows XP. Unlike Vista users, they can't do an "in-place upgrade," in which the new OS overwrites the old one, preserving their installed applications, preferences, and data. Instead, they'll have to do a clean install, which means they have to back up their data, install Win 7 (either deleting or XP or installing as a separate environment), reinstall their apps, restore their data, and re-create their preferences.

10 Things Windows 7 Must Do To Succeed

I recently attended a briefing where Microsoft explained some of the new features in Windows 7 to reviewers from different publications. At the end of the meeting, the MS folks asked the half-dozen of us present what it will take for the new OS to be a success.

Netbook Smackdown: XP, Windows 7, and Ubuntu Face Off

What’s the best OS for use on the new ultra-portable netbook systems? I used a Samsung NC10 netbook and three operating systems to try to find out the answer. The Samsung NC10 is a pretty standard netbook--1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor, 1GB RAM, 160GB hard drive, and a really nice 10.2-inch WSVGA screen. The NC10 comes with Windows XP Home as the preinstalled OS.

Software: Turn Windows XP Into a Fake Windows 7

Bored of Windows XP and antsy for Windows 7? With a couple of quick downloads you can get the look and feel of Microsoft's next OS, no clean install necessary.

We Are Borg: Resistance is Futile

Borg-like cybots may patrol government networks | Military Tech

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory has created software that uses colonies of borg-like cyberrobots it says will help government agencies detect and fend off attacks on the nation's computer network infrastructure. The Ubiquitous Network Transient Autonomous Mission Entities (Untame) differs from traditional security software agents in that its cybot "entities" form collectives that are mutually aware of the condition and activities of other bots in their colony. When these cybots detect network intruders, they communicate with one another, preventing cybercrooks from creating and using a diversion in one spot within the network to then break through in another.

Safari 4 a big step up, but not as far as rivals

A big user interface overhaul makes Safari look polished rather than clunky on Windows, builds in better search abilities, and makes good use of the fact that people often visit the same sites over and over.

Netflix To Offer 'Streaming Only" Plans

Netflix Inc Chief Financial Officer Barry McCarthy said on Wednesday it plans to offer its online streaming service on a stand-alone basis.

15 online photo editors compared

Tools that let you edit photos in the Web browser have come a long way in the last few years. We wanted to take a moment to do a feature comparison with a grouping of editors--big and small, to see what each one is capable of.

Free Tax Software from H&R Block

TaxCut Basic 2007 1.0 (Windows), from H&R Block

TaxCut Basic, from H&R Block, guides you through your federal return with a step-by-step interview with simple questions to help ensure your taxes are done right. TaxCut quickly and easily imports last years tax and financial data from TaxCut, MicroSoft Money, Quicken, and TurboTax.  I have been using this program for many years and it is very good. 

How to Buy a Bluetooth Headset - Reviews by PC Magazine

Picking the right Bluetooth headset might seem simple, but it actually comes with a challenge that's unique to all headphones, and, well, anything that needs to be placed in your ear: It's tough (and not completely sanitary) to try products out before plunking down the cash for them.

New scareware sends you to fake Download.com reviews

Last week, BleepingComputer.com reported on how to remove a new variant of an old scareware. This new nasty, known most commonly as Antivirus2010 or Anti-Virus-1, points you to spoofed versions of Download.com, ZDNet, PCMag.com, and other software sites, demanding that you download their program to clean your computer. Of course, it does nothing of the sort, merely perpetuating the infection.

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware is a free, high performance anti-malware application that thoroughly removes even the most advanced malware and spyware. With one of the fastest, most effective quick scans and malware removal capabilities on the market, this program is the perfect addition to your PC's defenses.

Google Updates Toolbar for IE

Google has introduced Google Toolbar 6 Beta for Internet Explorer, touted as "a year in the making" and offering, well, a few new features, although Google's toolbar team describes it as a major upgrade, launching simultaneously in 40 languages.

Another Special Security Edition

Microsoft researchers developing new, more secure Web browser

Microsoft researchers are developing a new Web browser that they say could offer a far greater degree of security than Google's Chrome, Mozilla's Firefox or Microsoft's own Internet Explorer. The browser, called Gazelle, relies on 5,000 lines of C# code called a "browser kernel" that helps enforce security rules to prevent malicious access to the PC's underlying operating system, according to a recently published paper.

Starting from scratch is the only malware cure

If you discover malware on your system, don't mess around. Back up your data, format your hard drive, and begin again.  In most cases today, this is the only real cure.

9 free antivirus programs for Windows

Keeping your Windows computer virus-free doesn't have to cost you a lot of money. Heck, it doesn't need to cost you any money. There are plenty of good options available for those of you on the hunt for free antivirus software.

Facebook users targeted by rogue application

A new piece of malware making the rounds on Facebook falsely warns users that their friends have had problems viewing their profiles, posing a potential threat to users' personal information. The rogue application, dubbed "Error Check System," displays an error message in the notifications section that reads "(Friend's name) has faced some errors when checking your profile View The Errors Message."

File Encryption 2.1 (Windows), from File Encryption Software

File Encryption is free software to help users protect their confidential data by encrypting them into encoded, non accessible form which can be opened only after entering a password.

Republicans Propose a Really Stupid Law

Bill proposes ISPs, Wi-Fi keep logs for police - CNN.com

Republican politicians on Thursday called for a sweeping new federal law that would require all Internet providers and operators of millions of Wi-Fi access points, even hotels, local coffee shops, and home users, to keep records about users for two years to aid police investigations.

Data retention bills to benefit copyright holders

If a new federal proposal announced this week requiring Internet providers and Wi-Fi access points to keep records on users for two years becomes law, police would not be the only ones to benefit. So would individuals and companies bringing civil lawsuits, including the Recording Industry Association of America and other large copyright holders, many of which have lobbied for similar data retention laws in other countries.

And the Web TV wars go on, and on, and on

With all the drama and in-fighting among cable companies, TV content creators, and Web video companies this week, you'd think the whole industry was one big junior-high cafeteria. Oh, wait, it kind of is.

The biggest online security risk: humans

All the delightful modern collaboration tools we use--blogs, wikis, SaaS applications, etc.--just make it easier for your corporate information to walk out the door. Regardless of the systems or applications your company uses, odds are any piece of data can (and will) be accessed, e-mailed, written down, or just remembered by a large percentage of your staff.

Find answers to your medical questions with these five sites

While everyone knows WebMD and probably uses the site to find out about medical conditions, you might be surprised to know there are a slew of sites that offer similar service, providing outstanding medical information. I've picked five worth using.

AccuWeather floats a new weather widget for AIR

On Friday, AccuWeather released an even simpler solution--a small weather-checker for Windows, Mac, and Linux that runs on the free Adobe AIR platform (Windows|Mac). AccuWeather's widget is about as basic as they come, with just enough information for the daily or five-day forecaster.

News and Views for Friday 2/20/09

Where’s Bin Laden? New theory, Google Earth offer clues

A couple of geography professors at UCLA have done some legwork that just might help the U.S. get closer to capturing Osama Bin Laden.

Sprint loses another 1.3 million customers

First, the good news: Sprint narrowed its losses considerably, compared with a year earlier. For the fourth quarter, Sprint lost $1.62 billion, or 57 cents a share. This is certainly better than the $29.45 billion, or a whopping $10.36 a share, it lost during the fourth quarter of 2007. The previous year's losses were due to some large write-downs the company was forced to take related to its merger with Nextel. This time around, Sprint only had about $1 billion in write-downs. Now for the bad news: Sprint is still losing customers. And as a result, its quarterly revenue declined about 14 percent to $8.43 billion.

I'll wait for Windows 7 before buying a new computer

I need a new computer. Badly. My old iMac, which I'm using to write this now, has seen better days. My Windows machines, strewn across the house, are old and tired. But I'm unwilling to buy a new computer today. It's not that I haven't seen machines that I really would like to have, or that I don't have a desire to build my own. But there's a single factor that's forcing me to wait: Windows 7.

Facebook Reverses Course, Pulls Terms of Use - News and Analysis by PC Magazine

Facebook changes its terms of service. Backlash occurs. Then Facebook changes them back. At issue is whether user data can be retained after it is deleted. The interesting thing here isn't that a giant online company changes its ToS, it is that somebody noticed. As it is, cell-phone companies, ISPs, cable providers, and even grocery stores change their privacy policies all the time and no one even notices, let alone makes a peep. Check out our full story to find out if Facebook's policy should concern you.

Six Ways to Make Twitter Useful

Just a few days ago, I talked about our introductory story "Top 10 Twitter Tips for Beginners," but what about old Twitter hands like us? Turns out you can use Twitter for everything from getting better customer service to making your own news feeds. Oh, and you can also discover just how much happier Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore are than the rest of us. That isn't useful, but it is illuminating. Find out how to do all this and more by following this link.

More Info on Social Networking

Top 10 Twitter Tips for Beginners - Solutions by PC Magazine

If you are just now jumping on the Twitter bandwagon, or are intimidated by your inexperience with Twitter etiquette and acronyms, allow us to share some Twittery tips that will make your experience easier and more enjoyable.

TWITTER TOOLBOX: 60+ Twitter Tools

Twitter is a great service, but it would be nothing without the other sites, tools, and apps that help you get the most out of it. Here we highlight more than 60 of our favorite Twitter add-ons.

Top FriendFeed Tips for Twitter Users

Can content aggregator FriendFeed turn Twitterholics into FriendFeed addicts? Certainly, much of the content being imported into FriendFeed comes from Twitter feeds, and there’s a huge amount of overlap between the two user bases.

FriendFeed Basics

A good collection of information about Friendfeed and tips to use when starting out.

10 Privacy Settings Every Facebook User Should Know

Everyday I receive an email from somebody about how their account was hacked, how a friend tagged them in the photo and they want a way to avoid it, as well as a number of other complications related to their privacy on Facebook.

Online Safety Tips for Facebook Fogeys - Solutions by PC Magazine

Grownups, take note! Here is what you need to know before "friending" your first Facebook connection.

Social Networking

“Live as if everything you do will eventually be known” – Hugh Prather

In my case, I made a decision some time ago that part of my life would be known to anybody that wants to know…which is the point of so-called social networking on the Internet.  We all have something interesting to say, opinions to be expressed, thoughts to be made public, and living with the hope that someone out their gives a damn about you…and maybe, just maybe, you will be remembered long after you are dead and buried.  And here, the Internet can help.

That is what social networking is all about...expressing anything you want and hoping somebody will tune in to see.  I started social networking some time ago with my two blogs: this one, Rants and Raves…and Postcards.  This one, is of course, about technology…Postcards, if you haven’t read it, is about my travels and photographs.  Because of this, my writings and my photography are out there for anyone to see…to praise or to damn, or just enjoy.

But, social networking has expanded way beyond blogs.  Seems like there are new social networks popping up all the time.  I like to divide them into two categories…individual sites that perform specific services…and aggregators, where all of these individual sites services that you use can all be gathered in one place for your friends and the world to see.

Let’s start with the individual sites that each have a specific function.  Understand that there are lots of them, so I can’t even begin to cover them all.  First, there are the mini-blogs, Twitter being the most famous.  Twitter is best be classified as a mini-blog that asks the question, What are You Doing?  You have 140 characters to answer that question.  Thousands and thousands of people, both famous and not-so-famous are Twitterers.  Not only can you contribute, but you can follow others as they tweet.  President Obama, for a while, was one.  My favorites include Leo LaPorte, John C. Dvorak, Stephen Fry, and LeVar Burton.  You don’t have to be a member to read people’s Tweets, but if you join let me know and I will follow you.

Twitter works well for me and I contribute to it two or more times per day.  I like it because I can use my Blackberry to tweet when I am away from my computers.  So very handy.  And, according to the latest statistics, Twitter receives over 6 million tweets a day from its members.

Another similar site is Brightkite, not as popular as Twitter, but it ads the capability of listing your location and having it show on a Google map.  Other kinds of social sites include Delicious and Stumbleupon, where you can instantly mark web pages of interest; Flickr and Picassa where you can post your photos for public view; Youtube, where millions of videos are stored and you can list your favorites, Goodreads, where you can review the books you are reading or have read; Digg for news, Wakoopa that tracks your favorite software, iLike for music; even Netflix where you can review movies…and the list goes on and on.

I personally contribute to some of these because I want to.  But, where the rubber really hits the road is the aggregator sites.  The two most famous are Facebook and Friendfeed.  The main difference between the two is that Friendfeed is a public world of everything that's open for all to see. Facebook is a private world of pictures and comments shared by a circle of friends that’s not archived for the world to randomly read.

Being a public sort of guy, I much prefer Friendfeed and use it.  It is much easier to set up. You can follow me on Friendfeed as all the other services that I use all feed in automatically to Friendfeed.  Want to see some interesting web pages I have found, or read my Tweets, or read my book reviews, or even have a list of my two blogs whenever I write a new one? Then head over to my Friendfeed page.  If you have ever gone to my actual blog pages, you will see my last 10 entries on Friendfeed listed side-by-side with my blog.  I set up Friendfeed to automatically aggregate everything I do on the social networks, then put a link on each of my blog pages that shows the last 10 entries automatically.

And like Twitter, I also follow other people’s Friendfeeds to get even more good information.  

If you want to share your thoughts and interests, why not give social networking a try.  Start with Twitter. Be sure and follow people as well as write your own tweets.  Then, start experimenting with some other sites. I would recommend Delicious for bookmarking interesting pages on the Web…and if your are a reader, start using Goodreads.  Then, start aggregating all your input on Friendfeed.  If you decide to jump in, please let me know so I can follow you.

Use the Wheel on Your Mouse? Get this Freebie Today

KatMouse Freeware download and review

KatMouse is a mouse wheel enhancement utility that adds useful functionality to your wheel mouse. First of all it overcomes the requirement that the window must have keyboard focus in order for the scroll wheel to work. In addition, it allows for quick switching between active and inactive windows by simply pressing the wheel button. Get this one for sure!!

Top 10: Top 10 Outlook Boosters

Outlook is such a fixture of office and computer life, its potential as a central life-organizing inbox is easily taken for granted. Empower your Outlook with these add-ons, link-ups, and data management techniques.

Google Sync pushes contacts, calendars to phones

On Monday mobile phone users, including those with Apple's iPhone, got a new way to sync and access information from the cloud. Called Google Sync, the new service lets you sync up both calendars and contacts from a specified Google account and will send changes over the air--both ways.

Security: Properly Erase Your Physical Media

A whopping 40% of the used hard drives on eBay contain easily recoverable personal data. Use the following guide to ensure your personal data never makes it out into the wild.

10 Firefox themes that don't suck

There are plenty of great themes out there for Firefox - these are just a few that I particularly enjoy using.

It’s a Slow News Day

Identity Theft: It's Out of Your Hands - Solutions by PC Magazine

The most important thing you have is you, right? And online, you are your identity. If xyz.com doesn't value you enough to keep you safe, then does that company really deserve your business?

Lawsuit Alleges Netflix and Wal-Mart Acted Improperly

Several lawsuits filed across the country in the past two weeks allege Netflix Inc and Wal-Mart Stores Inc improperly negotiated Wal-Mart's departure from the online video market in 2005 to enable both companies to benefit illegally, said a lawyer involved in two suits on Thursday.

The 20 Best Free PC Games

Hey, times are tough. Games are expensive. What are you going to do, stop playing them? Hah! You can give your credit card a break and still stay up until 2am yelling at your computer monitor if you just know where to find all the best free PC games.

Microsoft Word Shortcut keys

This is a complete list of shortcut keys for use with Microsoft Word. Might come in handy

News, Free Software, and a Good Web Site

Satellite Radio: put a fork in it

Yesterday’s revelation in the New York Times that XM Sirius is in such financial straights that they’re considering declaring bankruptcy, didn’t come as a complete surprise.

Windows 7 build 7022 leaked

A new build of Windows 7 has been leaked, a build that promises better stability and increased performance.

Hollywood trying to sneak packet inspection into stimulus bill

The amendment, which was put forth by Senator Feinstein from California, would allow ISPs to exercise "reasonable network management," to keep tabs on what you're downloading. While the possibility of deterring more serious crimes like child pornography sounds like a good thing, it could also mean that we can kiss most of our online privacy goodbye.

Downloads: DVDSmith Movie Backup Copies Everything or Just Video Easily - Free

There are just five buttons to click on DVDSmith's single window, and most times you'll only need one. You can choose between "Full Disc," which gets you menus, extras, and the full DVD-watching experience, or click "Main Movie" to grab the longest video and audio tracks.

Real Time Flight Tracker & Airport Delays from FlightView

Track airline flights and check out airport problems. Good web site

More on Windows 7 and Review of MagicJack

Should Microsoft simplify XP-to-Win-7 upgrades?

When Windows 7 is released later this year or in early 2010, many PC users who upgrade will be coming from Windows XP. Unlike Vista users, they can't do an "in-place upgrade," in which the new OS overwrites the old one, preserving their installed applications, preferences, and data. Instead, they'll have to do a clean install, which means they have to back up their data, install Win 7 (either deleting or XP or installing as a separate environment), reinstall their apps, restore their data, and re-create their preferences.

How well does Windows 7 handle 512MB?

I’ve been spending most of my time lately conducting in-depth research into how Windows 7 works, in preparation for my next book. In the process, I’m discovering stuff that simply doesn’t become apparent to a casual tester.

Sad news: Consumers don't pay up for quality

Erica Ogg's post "Report: Pioneer to exit TV business" made a point abundantly clear: TV buyers won't pay a premium price for a better display.

What's new about the Kindle 2? Not a whole lot

the announcement itself was underwhelming. The price, $359, remains the same. The battery life's been improved by about 25 percent. The Kindle 2 is much skinnier than its predecessor, slimming down to 0.36 inches in thickness from 0.7, but it's only a tenth of an ounce lighter. The storage capacity has jumped from 256MB to 2GB, or about 200 to 1,500 books, and the electronic ink display has improved from a 4-shade to 16-shade grayscale.

The Complicated Case of magicJack - Columns by PC Magazine

Turns out the problem isn't with the product itself—it's with the company's technical support. And for many would-be buyers, the issues that are coming to light are unacceptable deal breakers.

Firefox: Add-Art Replaces Advertisements with Artwork

Firefox only (Windows/Mac/Linux): Add-Art is a unique advertisement-blocking solution for Firefox. Instead of simply deleting ads from the page, it replaces them with art by featured artists.

TV without Cable, Satellite, or Antenna

As I may have mentioned before, I have no television in my new digs in Tucson.  I left it in storage in Ephrata when I came south.  And guess what, except for football (which is now over) I don’t need it, nor do I miss it.  I live in a great city with lots of interesting activities, I read more than I have in quite some time…and I am watching episodes of those few TV shows that I like, whenever I want.

You see, TV shows have come to the Internet.  Using two different Web sites and a free downloadable program from Adobe, I watch the shows I want to watch at any time, with very few commercials (far less than if I watched on a TV).  Now, of course I live alone so watching on a computer is not a problem.  But if I had a family, it might be a little more difficult to not have a TV.  Can you picture you and your family gathered around the computer watching your favorite show?

Be that as I may, I am going to tell you how to do this.  Yesterday, you might recall I ran an article about cable and satellite companies starting to feel the pinch of our sinking economy.  Getting TV from these folks is not cheap, and they keep raising their prices.  And, even with all the channels they offer, for some of us discriminating viewers, often there is still nothing on worth watching.  Even if you have a DVR, you still must pay these steep tariffs to find the programs you want. That also means that 95% or more of what is available for watching is unseen, meaning the vast amount of your TV dollars are being wasted.

Long before I left Washington, I began renting past episodes of TV shows that I liked from Netflix.  For instance, I got hooked on “NCIS.”  I rented all the DVD’s for the first five seasons, but would have had to wait a while to get the year 6 episodes.  Not now.  I’ve watched them all on my computer using Adobe Media Player, a free downloadable software.  They also have many other TV shows available for free, including old shows like Perry Mason, The Outer Limits, and the Twilight Zone, to name a few.

But, this one program doesn’t have all the shows I like.  For others I turn to Hulu and Fancast, on the Internet.  You can watch their shows, also for free and with few interruptions.  All three of these TV sources offer decent size screens and quality video output.  It’s too bad one can’t get all the TV shows one likes in one place, but that is the way it is in these early days of TV on the Net.  The only complaint I have is that even though there is only a 30 second commercial here and there, they often show the same commercial over and over.

Of course, the future is unpredictable right now, but in my situation, I may never buy a new TV and pay outrageous fees to cable and satellite companies for programming that I don’t watch.  What I am doing now on the Internet is just fine.  I have a feeling that the entire entertainment industry will eventually have to wake up and smell the coffee in this new economy, and start offering a la carte channel programming if they are to survive.  That means you pick the channels you want to watch and to heck with the rest.

Not a bad scenario.     

High Tech and Our Economic Woes

Year in review: Lows for the high-tech economy

What seemed like a decent if uninspiring year for the industry, despite bad news from the real estate markets and creeping trouble in the financial sector, went south in September.

Green Tech Could Get Economy High, With a Little Help From the Feds

Funding continues to pour into green-technology research and development despite low oil prices and a stubborn recession, but whether that will continue long enough to help the economy recover may be up to the government.

Economy Could Slow Business Adoption of Windows 7

The turbulent economy could hinder enterprise adoption of Windows 7, even though many companies opted to skip Windows Vista and are still running the outdated Windows XP OS, analysts said. Although the beta of Windows 7 released in January is getting good reviews, that may not be enough to inspire businesses to upgrade, given their tight IT budgets and the fact that many are cutting costs in any way they can.

Pay TV Providers Worry About Penny-Pinching Viewers

Porter McConnell gave up on pay TV last summer after noticing that monthly rates kept creeping up. Now with no satellite or cable TV, she watches her trusty old TV set with an antenna or she goes online to catch her favorite programs...which is exactly what I am doing these days.

First Look video: TurboTax vs. TaxCut

Finding your way to the right tax-prep program is almost as complicated as doing the taxes themselves.

News, Tips, and Free Software

Microsoft plans critical patches for IE, Exchange

Microsoft Thursday said it will deliver four security updates on Tuesday, two of them pegged "critical," and will finally issue a patch for SQL Server that it's been working on since last April.

Windows 7 Video Tips - CNET TV

A lot of folks are messing about with the Windows 7 beta. So we thought it would be cool to get ahead of the game and do some Windows 7 tips. Even if you don't have the operating system, these tips will give you an idea of what it does, and how it might differ from Windows Vista. So have a look at our Windows 7 tip videos. Watch now!

Gmail gives users 'Multiple Inboxes'

Google late Thursday unveiled a new Gmail Labs feature that allows users to have more than one inbox in their default Gmail view. The new feature--called Multiple Inboxes--allows users to have multiple viewing panes open simultaneously without having to open another browser window. The upgrade gives users a quick view at important labels as well as saved searches.

Beware the bogus economic-stimulus e-mail

Online scammers, always quick to exploit the latest news event, are sending out e-mails promising economic-stimulus package payments but that instead steal sensitive data, the US-CERT warned on Friday. The e-mails are disguised to look like official Internal Revenue Service communications. They offer a link to a Web site that asks for personal information or include a form that needs to be filled out and returned, the security organization said in an alert.

The Best Free Software 2008 - Reviews by PC Magazine

We've just released our newest collection of the best free software—the 2009 edition! Click on over for 173 other pieces of software to unlock the real potential of your PC…for free.

Congress Delays Digital TV Date

Congress approves delay of digital-TV transition | Politics and Law - CNET News

With less than two weeks left before the scheduled national transition to digital broadcasting, Congress on Wednesday approved a delay of the DTV switchover. The House of Representatives voted 264 to 158 to push the transition back from February 17 to June 12. The Senate unanimously approved the delay last week.

Microsoft offers to just 'Fix it' | Beyond Binary - CNET News

When people encounter a problem with their PC, they often go to the Web and do a search to see if others have had the problem. If they are lucky, someone has found a fix and listed the steps on either a support document or within a user forum. Now, they may have an even better option. Over the past six weeks, Microsoft has quietly added a "Fix it" button to a few of the thousands of help documents on its Web site. When clicked, the computer then takes all the recommended steps automatically.

New Firefox 3.0.6 targets security issues

Mozilla on Tuesday released an update to Firefox for Windows, Mac, and Linux that its developers said addresses several security and stability issues in the Web browser.

Google's Cloud: 8 Key Questions

Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, and virtually every other technology company are racing up to the sky and into the clouds. This is, for the most part, a good thing: Think lightweight clients and server-based data that we can access from anywhere in the world. All we need is a Web browser.

The Best Security Suites for 2009 - Reviews by PC Magazine

Which suite will be best for keeping you safe and not slowing you down this year? We've tested them all, and the answer might surprise you. (I don’t recommend using any full security suite, rather only parts of it.  Takes up to much memory and processes)

More Good Windows Info

Removing admin rights stymies 92% of Microsoft's bugs

Nine of out 10 critical bugs reported by Microsoft last year could have been made moot, or at least made less dangerous, if people ran Windows without administrative rights, a developer of enterprise rights management software claimed Tuesday.

Microsoft’s Windows 7 line-up: The good, the bad and the ugly

For XP users who’ve skipped Vista and are wondering whether they’ll be able to get upgrade pricing when moving straight to Windows 7, the answer is “Yes, we can!” The official statement, from a Microsoft spokesperson: “Customers can purchase upgrade media and an upgrade license to move from Windows XP to Windows 7; however, they will need to do a clean installation of Windows 7.”

Disable Unnecessary Windows Services

Because Windows XP has to be all things to all people it has many services running that take up system resources that you will never need. Below is a list of services that can be disabled on most machines:

Hands On with Gmail Offline - News and Analysis by PC Magazine

Gmail's new offline mail feature has gotten plenty of press, but not everyone knows where to find it or how to use. It. That's because Google chose, as it does with virtually every new feature, to put it in its Labs area (in this case, Gmail Labs), a repository for experimental features that you may or may not want to use.

Did online companies market their brands well at the Super Bowl?

Can you communicate what a Web site is about to millions of sports fans looking for entertainment above all else? Now that the Super Bowl is over, let's examine how well the online firms that bought ads fared in delivering spots that effectively communicated their online services.

Super Bowl Ads Available for your Viewing Pleasure

IE slips further as Firefox, Safari, Chrome gain | Digital Media - CNET News

Internet Explorer now has 67.55 percent of global browser market share, a drop of over seven percentage points in a year, according to figures from Web metrics company Net Applications, released Monday. Mozilla's Firefox browser, meanwhile, has gained market share in the same time frame, climbing over three percentage points to 21.53 percent.

Google Earth Now Explores Oceans and Mars

Google Inc. on Monday launched a new version of Google Earth that allows users to explore the oceans, view images of Mars and watch regions of the Earth change over time.

Skype 4.0 for Windows delivers truer video, sound

Skype 4.0 became available for free on Tuesday to Windows users. The free desktop VoIP communicator is a worthy final version that brings some key enhancements with video and audio bandwidth, though it leaves behind some of the extra adornments of version 3.8, the last stable build.

Super Bowl XLIII Ads

Did you miss some or all of the Super Bowl ads...or want to see the good ones again? Hulu.com (sponsor of their own Super Bowl ad) has put them up for you to see. Interestingly each ad is sponsered by another ad.

Hulu: We're evil, and proud of it

Google's "don't be evil" motto has been the target of the occasional critic. Hulu, however, has declared in its hyped-up Super Bowl TV ad that it is evil--and it's not making any apologies.

Weekend News and Freebies

Google gets overprotective, flags whole internet as malware

Google has some built in tools that will warn you before you click a link that could take you to a website running code that could harm your computer. And usually that's a good thing. But Saturday morning, Google started returning warnings for virtually every single search result.

Hulu: We're evil, and proud of it

Google's "don't be evil" motto has been the target of the occasional critic. Hulu, however, has declared in its hyped-up Super Bowl TV ad that it is evil--and it's not making any apologies.

Keep a Spare PC at the Ready for Emergencies - PC World

Some good ideas here for emergencies to keep you up and running when your main PC goes down. I am sensitive to this as my main desktop just went down.

Featured Freeware: Pandora Recovery

Now for NTFS and FAT-formatted volumes, Pandora functions by scanning the hard drive and building an index of existing files and deleted file markers. This, in turn, allows the dead files to be brought back to life--as long as the file format is currently supported by the computer. Users can browse for deleted files, search for specific ones, preview certain file types like images, and get an estimate on the chance of recovery and the amount of time the procedure will take.

Weather apps: Six more weeks of winter?

Here are some of our favorite ways to read the mercury on our Windows PCs.