Some Great Security Tips

How to Block Bad Websites

There are many ways to block bad websites and unwanted content. I break this guide into three different ways to prevent your PC from being infected by accidentally visiting a malicious or compromised website: (1) programs and tips that help prevent your PC from being a target for malware. (2) Programs that alert you to potentially malicious websites when they appear -- the self-censorship or "just change the channel approach". (3) Programs that filter unwanted content/websites from appearing -- the censorship approach.

ShieldsUP Tests Your Firewall for Vulnerabilities

The best way to determine if your computer's (or router's) firewall is working and optimized is to effectively try to penetrate it. Browser-based utility ShieldsUP! tests your firewall for vulnerabilities and kinks in your computer's defense.

Internal HP document leaks: Slate tablet to cost $549, hope to combat iPad.

It’s similar in other respects to the iPad, including a multitouch screen (slightly smaller at 8.9 inches, with a 1,024×600 resolution), built-in Wi-Fi, and a 1.5-pound weight. Of course, it doesn’t have a proprietary processor running it; instead, it uses the Intel Atom Z530 CPU familiar from many, many netbooks.

iWork on the iPad is a great way to work: Review

As reported when the iPad was initially announced, Apple has created iPad versions of its popular iWork productivity suite, including Pages, Numbers, and Keynote apps--each of which is available for $9.99 at the iTunes App Store. We've had a chance to get a close look at each of the iWork apps and have found them to be extremely useful on the new platform.

Ultimate Windows Tweaker, a TweakUI for Windows 7 & Vista

Voted the best Windows 7 Tweaking software by Lifehacker readers. Ultimate Windows Tweaker is a freeware TweakUI Utility for tweaking and optimizing Windows 7 & Windows Vista, 32-bit & 64-bit. It can simply be downloaded and used as a portable application to customize your Windows to meet your requirements. With judicious tweaking, it can make your system faster, more stable, and more secure with just a few mouse clicks

Court Decision May Affect Your Browsing

Court: FCC has no power to regulate Net neutrality

A three-judge panel in Washington, D.C. unanimously tossed out the FCC's August 2008 cease and desist order against Comcast, which had taken measures to slow BitTorrent transfers before voluntarily ending them earlier that year.

Is your browser spying on you?

Microsoft claims Google's Chrome web browser is "stealing your privacy." Are they right?

Microsoft's big gamble with free Office

Microsoft has a new plan to make more money from Office: give it away. With Office 2010, one of the biggest changes is how many ways there are to get Microsoft's most profitable software program for free.

More Google Buzz Changes Try To Fix Privacy Fiasco

Google has made more changes to Google Buzz, hoping to repair the damage from its opening fiasco and satisfy privacy advocates. While Google is responding to an FTC complaint about Google Buzz, it may be too late, since usage of the Gmail social service appears low. While Google Buzz now uses suggestions, it wants to satisfy initial users.

Partition Wizard Manages and Fixes Your Hard Drive for Free

Windows: Partition Wizard does everything you'd probably need a partition tool to do, and does it on 32 and 64-bit systems.

It’s iPad Monday!

Editor’s Note: In spite of what you may think, I am not an iPad hater. In fact, it has some very interesting features I find attractive. And I think it will succeed in the marketplace. I just won’t buy one until the 2nd or 3rd generation when it contains some addition features that are critical for me. JRC 

Apple sells over 300,000 iPads on day of debut

Sales included pre-orders of the iPad, a new type of touch-screen device that blends features of the iPhone, electronic book readers and tablet computers. Prices start at $499 for iPads that connect to the Internet through Wi-Fi. Apple will sell costlier iPads with cellular data connections later this month.

InfoWorld review: Apple iPad surprises, disappoints

So you've probably heard about the iPad. Apple is once again making headlines with the release of a consumer-focused computing device, and the level of hysteria surrounding the iPad is fascinating from an anthropological point of view. But is the iPad really worthy of this craziness? Yes and no.

Why Apple's iBooks falls short of Kindle--for now

In case you haven't noticed, Amazon's changed gears a little bit when it comes to its Kindle platform. If you look at Amazon's homepage, you'll notice a different message. Now that the iPad is here, no longer is Amazon just advertising the Kindle e-reader front and center, it's all about the Kindle app, which is available for a variety of devices.

iPad reportedly overheating in the sun

You know the story from Greek mythology about Icarus, and how his father Daedalus told him not to fly too close to the sun with the wings he made for him out of feathers and wax. Icarus didn't listen and fell into the sea. Well, according to several reports, Daedalus might want to warn iPad owners not to play too close to the sun with their beloved new devices because they too may crash.

Apple iPhone 4.0 Event Announced: What to Expect

Apple announced Monday that on April 8 it will give the public a sneak peek at its iPhone 4.0 operating system. The news comes as Apple buzz is at a fevered pitch with the successful launch of its iPad tablet computer on Saturday.

Friday Potpourri of Opinions

The Enduring Value of Microsoft Office

I was intrigued to see an article in "The Wall Street Journal" on Monday describing the "challenge" that Microsoft Office faces from Google's free tools. The reason is simple: I don't believe that Google's free tools--Google Docs, part of Google Apps--represent a technical or financial challenge to Office at all. And I was curious to see whether I had missed something.

The Great Firewall of China Will Engulf the Gutless

I'm fully aware of the stakes involved for Western companies opening a window to business with Beijing, but the Great Firewall won't stop at Yahoo, Vietnam or Hong Kong. China has struggled to keep a vast country in line since the days of the Han Dynasty, and it is used to having its way -- and denying others their say.

Apple iPad Review with Video and Photos

(An in-depth review of the iPad from PC Magazine) Having used the iPad for some time, I can tell you that the device just makes sense. When you combine basic-but-essential work tools with iWork, an improved browser, e-mail, iPod, and photo applications, a well-executed e-Book platform with iBooks, and throw in thousands of downloadable apps and games, and package it all in a gorgeous, slim slate with a beautiful 9.7-inch touch screen, you have yourself a winner.

Mozilla fixes security hole with Firefox 3.6.3

Mozilla released Firefox 3.6.3 on Thursday to close a critical security hole. If that is your browser of choice. It may upgrade itself automatically. Just double-check to be sure.

First Legitimate iPad Reviews

8 Layers of Security Every Computer Should Have

Every time you connect to the Internet, you are putting your computer -- and the information stored there -- at risk. As Roger Thompson, chief security officer with AVG Technologies told me:

What's Google planning for Chrome 5?

After a year and a half, Chrome has come a long way toward matching the features of better-established browsers. Now, with version 5 coming together, a lot of Google's work focuses on advancing the state of the browser art. I find myself using Chrome more and more. If I could get all the add-ons that I use in Firefox, it would be hard to resist no changing.

First round of iPad reviews are in

You don’t have to wait until Saturday. The first round of iPad reviews are in.

Apple's iPad: The Mothership Prepares for Launch - TIME

One of my favorite people in the world, British actor, writer, comedian, director Stephen Fry has written an article in Time Magazine on the iPad and spent an hour with Steve Jobs. Highly entertaining, informative, and an example of great writing.

AquaSnap Brings Aero Snap and Transparency to Windows XP

If you're stuck with Windows XP either because you can't or don't want to upgrade from Windows XP, you may be interested in some of the features that Windows 7 offers from Aero Snap, or the ability to turn windows semi-transparent, shake them to minimize other windows, or "snap" them to certain places on the screen.

The Best of the Best Free Software

Emergency IE update patches 10 critical security holes

Microsoft today shipped a cumulative Internet Explorer update with patches for 10 security holes, including a drive-by download vulnerability that’s already being used in malware attacks.

Obama faces major online privacy test

When Barack Obama was campaigning for the presidency in 2008, he promised that as president, he would "strengthen privacy protections for the digital age." That pledge will be put to the test as the Obama administration considers whether to support a new privacy proposal released by a coalition including Google, eBay, Microsoft, AT&T, the ACLU, and Americans for Tax Reform.

Windows 7 holes eased by axing admin rights

Ninety percent of critical Microsoft Windows 7 vulnerabilities can be mitigated by configuring the operating system for standard user rather than administrator, according to a new report released on Monday. Removing administrator rights would also protect against exploitation of all of the Office holes reported last year, 94 percent of Internet Explorer flaws and 100 percent of IE 8 flaws reported last year, and 64 percent of all Microsoft vulnerabilities reported in that time period.

What Twitter's New Home Page Means For You

Twitter's ready to stop the quitters. The social media service rolled out a shiny new home page this week, and its goal is simple: to help new users understand what the site's all about and keep them coming back for more.

The Best Free Software of 2010

Get what you DON'T pay for: Here are 196 programs that cost nothing but will make your computing life richer—all while keeping your wallet fat.

This Week in Cybercrime

Another week of hacks, malware, and cyber crime

From the discovery of the first serious iPhone 3G exploit to the sighting of a new Captcha-conquering bot, the past week has proven interesting in the world of IT security, so much so that I've decide to take a look at several of stories that have cropped up, rather than doing my regular deep-dive into a specific topic.

AMD, Intel ready 'many core' processors

Advanced Micro Devices is the latest to up the processing core ante with a 12-core chip. Intel is expected to follow this with a chip that contains eight cores.

Google to build Flash into Chrome browser

Specifically, Google said it will distribute Flash with Chrome, update it automatically, and eventually put Flash in Chrome's sandbox where its risks can be contained better.

A Kindle World blog: AP compares Kindle and iPad advantages

The AP today compares E-book advantages on the Kindle and the iPad. They advise that, if choosing between a Kindle or an iPad for reading e-books, buyers keep in mind some advantages of both products.

Two free and easy ways to share and sync folders

Few people do all their work on a single computer. Fewer still don't occasionally need access to files on another PC, whether their own or someone else's. The free Gbridge program lets you access and synchronize files and folders on any Internet-connected PCs quickly and simply.

Today it’s China and Junk Mail

In post-Google China, censorship is unfazed

Chinese Internet users have one less Web search option this week, but otherwise it's business as usual as the People's Republic of China uses technology and intimidation to keep citizens away from objectionable content.

Report: Tens of millions still opening junk e-mail

In this day and age of technological advancement and digital lifestyles, it's incredible to me that nearly half of a recently surveyed audience opened junk e-mail (aka spam), intentionally.

More Than 1,000 Communities Apply for Google Fiber Test

Going gaga for Google: More than 1,100 communities and 194,000 individuals have applied to be part of Google's experimental fiber network, including some crazy stunts to garner Google's attention. Google will review the responses to decide who gets broadband speeds up to 100 times faster than current networks.

Windows 7 Feature Focus: Backup and Restore

With Windows 7, Microsoft expands on the pervasive and reliable backup and restore solutions for both data files and the entire computer that it introduced in Windows Vista. Key among this functionality is Backup and Restore, which can be ued to copy your important files and folders to a safe location or create a system image that can be used later to restore a broken PC. You may never need to turn to a third-party backup and restore utility again.

CheckPlaces - Add-on for Firefox

Checks your bookmarks are valid and the pages still exist, checks for duplicates and for empty folders and can restore missing favicons. Also checks and compacts (vacuums) your Places database.

More Friday Follies

Google-China Rift Takes More Ugly Turns

From YouTube outages to Google corporate pages displaying in Chinese, the fallout from Google's recent decision is getting ugly fast.

Microsoft hopes Bing users pick up the tab

Aiming to try to get more attention for its special pages, Microsoft is testing a new look that will add a series of tabs in the center of its Bing results pages, prominently identifying when there are additional types of content.

Many browsers patched prior to hacking event

One of the top draws at CanSecWest, the highly regarded Canadian security conference, is the break-the-browser contest known as Pwn2Own. So can it be coincidence that Apple, Google, and Mozilla updated their browsers just days before the contest?

Essential Add-Ons for Your Windows 7 PC

Microsoft's Windows 7 improved upon myriad problems with Windows Vista, but it's still not a perfect operating system. Helpful utilities, however, can shore up Windows 7's weaker spots. One tool makes it easier to organize your Windows 7 desktop, while another makes creating and resizing partitions a drag-and-drop affair.

10 Places to Scan Your PC Online for Free

Want to make sure your anti-virus program is working as well as it should? Check out these 10 on-line sites that will scan your computer for free. I recommend Eset NOD 32.

Ready for Your National ID Card?

Lawmakers Eyeing National ID Card

Lawmakers are proposing a national identification card — what they’re calling “high-tech, fraud-proof Social Security cards” — that would be required for all employees in the United States. The proposal by Sen. Charles Schumer (D-New York) and Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-South Carolina) comes as the states are grappling to produce another national identification card at the behest of the Department of Homeland Security.

Firefox 3.6.2 addresses critical vulnerability

Mozilla released Firefox 3.6.2 late Monday to fix a critical security hole involving Web-based font technology. Be sure to get it if you use Firefox.

Apple iPad vs. Amazon's Kindle: Consumers weigh the two devices

Apple’s iPad and Amazon’s Kindle are in a dead heat among consumers who are seriously considering a purchase of the devices in the next three months, according to comScore. But let’s put those statistics in context: Few have even held an iPad yet it has the recognition of the Kindle.

Videos - How to Stop Using Google

Good, short video on how to eliminate Google from your life...if you are concerned about privacy issues, or just want to be free of it.

WinDirStat - Windows Directory Statistics

WinDirStat is a free disk usage statistics viewer and cleanup tool for Microsoft Windows. Gives you a complete tree list of all your directories plus color bar charts to help you analyze where all your disk space went. Handy tool

IE9 and iPad Making News

IE 9 Platform Preview has speed, not much else

The Internet Explorer 9 Platform Preview exhibits to good effect two of what Microsoft says will be the new browser's selling points: speed and HTML 5 support. If the final version is as fast as or faster than the preview, IE will no longer be a laggard in the browser race and will most likely beat out Firefox. And while HTML5 is the future of Web browsing, be aware that IE9 will NOT run on Windows XP...ever.

iPad Pre-Orders Reported in 'Hundreds of Thousands'

Pre-orders for Apple's iPad have been reported in the "hundreds of thousands" and could challenge the iPhone's phenomenal debut record. Apple is also reportedly running into content resistance from print publishers for the iPad and has focused on other media. Analysts are bullish on the iPad's prospects as prices drop and apps are modified.

The National Broadband Plan needs to be fixed -- already

Special interests are already undermining the National Broadband Plan and the FCC's vagueness on implementation is playing into their hands -- Web users must act now

Is Google Wave getting Buzzed?

Arguably one of Google's biggest announcements of last year, Google Wave appears to be an afterthought among the tech trendsetters after the launch of Google Buzz in early February. Privacy concerns mostly laid to rest, Google Buzz is actually doing much of what Google Wave promised: collaborative discussion, media sharing, and social networking within an e-mail-like framework.

WeatherBar Integrates Weather Forecasts with the Windows 7 Superbar

Like to keep the eye on the weather but never been too keen on sidebar gadgets or system tray apps? WeatherBar is a simple app that puts the weather in your Windows 7 taskbar, offering quick access to the forecast.

FaceBook Scam Alert and Some Great Tips

Beware the new Facebook password reset scam

If you get an e-mail that appears to be from Facebook saying the company reset your password and urging you to open an attachment, it is a scam. Repeat, it is a scam.

New security tools help protect your PC

The latest routers, security suites, and software patches can help protect your PC against today's ever-more-sophisticated Internet attacks. These security tools are easy to install, easy to maintain, and provide the average PC user with basic protection against viruses, botnets, Trojans, rootkits, and other types of malware.

12 Tips for Printing Great Photos

With a bit of knowledge and practice, you should be able to print great-looking photos at home. Here are 12 techniques for improving the quality of your prints.

Twenty highest-radiation cell phones

The SAR level listed in our charts represents the highest SAR level measured with the phone next to the ear as tested by the FCC.

70 of the Best Free and Open Source Games for download

Here are several great games you can download for free. Note there are two more web pages filled with more games. Just click on the 2 links toward the bottom of the page.

Microsoft Dominates Today’s Blog

Study: Businesses start to embrace Windows 7

A new survey shows that businesses are increasingly planning their move to Windows 7, with more than half of those questioned planning to have some machines running the operating system in their corporations by the end of the year.

World Wide Web - Microsoft Encourages Developers To Test Drive IE9

Microsoft invited developers at MIX10 to test-drive Internet Explorer 9 with HTML5 features and developer tools by accessing a platform preview. IE manager Dean Hachamovitch said Microsoft wants feedback from developers, a major change from previous IE releases. IE9 has so far fallen short of web standards, including Canvas and Acid3.

Can Windows Phone 7 multitask (and other Microsoft mobile questions and answers)

Here are five new things I learned about the platform via these various channels. All of these are questions I keep hearing from potential developers and customers trying to decipher Microsoft’s evolving mobile story.

Roundup: E-Readers

The gadgets in this roundup have more modest ambitions than the iPad: Most of them are really only good for reading. But they're arguably much better for long bouts of reading, because their reflective, E Ink screens won't tire your eyes the way an LCD like the iPad's will. And, with one or two exceptions, these e-readers are all much less expensive than the iPad.

Vista Start Menu – Convenient alternative to Start menu

Vista Start Menu is the convenient alternative to the plain Start menu you find in Windows XP and Windows Vista. The program uses your cognitive abilities (visual memory, reflexes,etc.); however, while it is easily understandable for beginners, it is also highly efficient for experienced users.

Google About to Wave Bye Bye to China

Google pullout from China imminent

Although Google appeared to be going about business as usual in China (posting openings for engineers, managers, and sales staff in China), behind the scenes negotiations between Google and the Chinese government over protection of Google intellectual property and, more importantly, ongoing censorship have exposed irreconcilable differences.

Only a fool would pre-order an iPad

This morning, the fool's parade gets started. Apple is taking online "pre-orders" for its iPad tablet, which is supposed to begin shipping on April 3. Buying a new kind of product sight unseen is foolish. Especially given how mysterious Apple has been on what the iPad can do and what restrictions on capabilities and media access it will place on users and content providers.

What to expect from HTML5

Support for the next generation of HTML is already appearing in today’s browsers and Web pages. Are you ready to take advantage? 

How to save and share ridiculously large files

A few years ago it was a big deal to find a place that would let you share 1 gigabyte files. Things change, though. Bandwidth keeps growing, and the cost of Web storage keeps shrinking. That's good news for people looking to share increasingly large files, be it an HD video recording or an archive of several files that tops out at over a gig.

Disk Space Fan 1.4.2.796 (Windows)

Disk Space Fan is a nice disk space analysis tool for Windows. It helps you to free up disk space by quickly finding and deleting big, useless files. It displays disk space usage with a nice chart. You can navigate the folders easily with the chart. It is also integrated with Windows Explorer to open, delete and browse files or folders.

Update on National Broadband Plan

The FCC National Broadband Plan Faces Long Haul

The FCC is facing resistance and opposition as it readies its National Broadband Plan, and the implementation is likely to take many years to put in place. A controversial part of the FCC's plan involves asking broadcasters to free up unused airwaves on a "voluntary" basis. Parts of the FCC broadband plan have enjoyed widespread support.

Twitter aims to filter out malicious links

Twitter is launching a new service designed to stop users of the social-media site from getting duped by phishing links that steal their login credentials and other attacks.

HP Slate vs. iPad: Focus on Flash

With the iPad presale beginning in just a few days, and the clock ticking down to the much-anticipated Apple tablet finally hitting the streets, HP launched a renewed campaign for its Slate tablet PC debuted at the 2010 CES by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. Each platform has pros and cons, but so far the debate seems to center entirely around support for Adobe Flash.

How To Skip Movie Trailers on Your DVD

Get sick of waiting for your movie to begin? Want to skip the FBI warning? Me too...I just want to go straight to my movie. Here is a quick little video tutorial that shows you how.

Photo Magician does simple, quality batch image resizing for free

One type of program I often forget to load on a fresh Windows install is a good photo resizing tool. Sometimes -- like when I want to create a screenshot tour of an app -- it would make things simpler to just dump a pile of full-size screenshots into a folder and let some little app churn out images resized to the dimensions I need.

Internet a Right? or Something to be Taxed

Is Internet Access a Fundamental Right?

A new survey reveals that in spite of the web's "dark side" -- privacy and fraud concerns -- people around the globe view Internet access as a fundamental right and a force for good, although some feel trepidation over expressing opinions online. Most people felt the web is a place to learn, network, conduct business and even find a significant other.

More states propose Internet sales taxes

Colorado is not alone. Fifteen other states have considered or are considering enacting laws targeting Amazon and other e-commerce companies that typically do not charge sales tax for shipments sent outside their home state, according to a report released Monday. Four states including Colorado have already enacted them.

iPad: Q&A

The release of the iPad is only 3 weeks away. I’ve been getting a fairly hefty load of emails from people asking me a variety of questions about it. In this post I sift through the fact and fiction to bring you answers based on what we know about the device so far.

New Opera Browser Version 1,110 Percent Faster Than Last

A new Opera version arrived this week, with the slogan, "The fastest browser on earth." And by some measures, that's not an exaggeration. In my tests with the SunSpider JavaScript Benchmark, Opera indeed came out ahead of Firefox, Chrome, and Internet Explorer by significant margins. And it outpaces its own previous version by a whopping 1,110 percent. This is all thanks to the Norwegian software house's new Carakan JavaScript engine.

100 Incredible Lectures from the World’s Top Scientists

If you, like me, have an interest in all things scientific, then you will enjoy the treat provided by Sarah Russel at BestCollegesOnline. She has gathered together a list of 100 fantastic lectures by some of the world's leading scientists.

Windows 7 Tips

Tips on Computer Management in Windows 7

Computer Management is a Microsoft Management Console (MMC)-based tool that combines a number of administrative utilities into a single UI. It debuted in Windows 2000 and has soldiered on in ever version of Windows since. But in Windows 2000 and XP, the only simple way to access this tool was by right-clicking My Computer and choosing Manage, so many users simply didn't even know it existed. Now, in Windows 7, you can run it more easily via Start Menu Search. But again, you have to even know it exists to do so.

Get help from the Windows Reliability Monitor

Windows abounds with special-purpose tools that can help in the care and feeding of the beast — if you can just figure out where to find them. Today, I'd like to introduce you to the Reliability Monitor, one of my favorite ways to identify and exorcise the demons that lurk within.

Microsoft Readies 8 Windows, Office Patches

Microsoft will ship two security updates on Tuesday to patch eight vulnerabilities in Windows and Office.

Buzz backfire: How Google pushed me to Facebook

I use and enjoy Google Buzz. But here's the funny thing: because of it, I've begun using Facebook more. Buzz backfired for me for one simple reason. I wanted a mechanism for social networking with my personal contacts, but Facebook is where those ties are active. Although I have plenty of close contacts in my Gmail address book, not all of them use Gmail and therefore Buzz. Buzz has a good framework but the wrong faces.

Free Legal Information on the Web

The best single website for legal site links in the United States is www.findlaw.com. I can't comment about sites in other countries because I don't know much about them, but I'd be glad for tips about this or any other topic that would improve this essay.

Friday Tech Follies

iPad to hit the U.S. on April 3

Starting March 12, consumers can pre-order both the Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G models from Apple's online store or reserve a Wi-Fi version to pick up on April 3 at any Apple store.

Charging fees for Hulu comes with its own problems

Hulu's most viable alternative — charging for access to some videos — could turn off viewers and crimp the site's explosive growth. Ultimately, the remedy to Hulu's current troubles could leave the site even worse off, a poor shadow of its former self.

Buy Office 2007 Before Sept. 30, Get Free Office 2010 Upgrade

Microsoft kicked off its "Technology Guarantee" program for Office 2010 on Friday, meaning that anyone who buys and activates Office 2007 between now and Sept. 30 will get to upgrade to Office 2010 for free when it's available.

How to Buy an External Hard Drive

With the amount of data users need (or want) to cart around with them these days, it makes sense to invest in an external hard drive. We tell you what to consider when choosing the right one for you.

Score Free AudioBooks at BooksShouldBeFree

You can find quite a few free audiobooks online but they're frequently scattered all over. Save yourself the run around by checking out the thousands of free audiobooks cataloged at BookShouldBeFree. BooksShouldBeFree houses thousands of books in the public domain, available as both MP3s and as iTunes format audiobooks. Each entry for a book includes links to the full text, supplemental text, and reviews.

Earthquakes and Social Media

Tech-Savvy Chile Embraces Social Media

Since Saturday's quake, traditional media here have focused on hard news -- death tolls, rescue efforts, government announcements and images of lootings -- while social-networking tools such as Twitter, Facebook and some Google applications have been at the forefront of transmitting highly localized information

What enterprise still uses IE 6? Try Intel

Internet Explorer 6 is a relic, but corporations continue to cling to it. At this point, IE 6 in the enterprise is common, but it’s nonetheless surprising when Intel—Microsoft’s long-time partner—is still using the ancient browser.

Security expert: U.S. would lose cyber war

The U.S. government, if confronted in a cyber war today, would not come out on top, a former U.S. director of national intelligence said Tuesday. "If the nation went to war today, in a cyber war, we would lose," Mike McConnell told a U.S. Senate committee. "We're the most vulnerable. We're the most connected. We have the most to lose."

Confessions of a Windows 7 pirate

In the interest of research, I’ve been digging into message boards and forums run by unabashed Windows enthusiasts who are intent on breaking Microsoft’s activation technology.

Hubble Ultra Deep Field 3D

What happens when you point the Hubble Space Telescope to a seemingly blank patch of sky? A view that takes you to the edge of the universe! Fantastic video...don't miss it. I recently went to a lecture that talks about the different types of galaxies in this video.

Confessions of a Kindle User Part 2

Yesterday, we looked at the features and functionality of Amazon’s Kindle. Today, we look at how to acquire books for reading on the Kindle.

Shopping for books on Amazon is easy. You can do it from your PC or from your Kindle. The Kindle is equipped with a wireless connection from AT&T that allows you to shop from your Kindle and have the book delivered wirelessly. This connection costs you nothing. You can also buy a book on your PC and it will be wirelessly delivered the next time you turn your Kindle on. As a side note, turn off the wireless when not using it and you will extend the life of the battery.

Not sure whether or not you want a particular book? Amazon lets you download a sample of that book for free. Usually it is the first chapter or two. Then, if you like it, you can download the entire book as described above.

As for book costs, well let me tell you, for all the books that are on my Kindle, including those that I have erased after reading them, I have spent about $20. There are literally thousands and thousand of books available for free, even new books.

Amazon themselves offer about 80 free current books at any one time…sometimes they last for about a month, other times for only a few hours. But, there are many other sites that offer free books of all kinds. My favorite place to search is manybooks.net and inkmesh.com…the latter also has a link that connects you to Kindle’s latest free books that is updated hourly.

There are two other items, both free, I recommend you download to make your Kindle experience even better. First is “Kindle for the PC.” It is a software program for your computer that is a Kindle reader. You will often need it to download books from non-Amazon sources. It is quite easy to transfer your books from the PC Kindle software directly into your Kindle.

And, here is a sneaky trick for folks that don’t use a Kindle or any other reader for that matter. First, download the Kindle for PC application, then download a sample of a book you are thinking about purchasing. If you like what you see, you can get the dead tree edition of the book and be assured it is what you want. Just a thought.

The other item to get is a wonderful program that you can use to organize your book collection AND convert different types of e-books into other types…in my case, the Kindle. The program is called “Calibre” and is free. It does a fabulous job of converting other formats to Kindle. But it will also do the same thing for most other eBook formats. So if you have a Barnes and Noble Nook or Sony Reader, Calibre will work for you also.

The Kindle uses a format called “Mobi” that is exclusive for the Kindle. But there are many, many books published in the ePub and PDF formats. While Kindle will read a PDF document, it doesn’t do it well. It is much better to convert the PDF (or Word, or HTML document) to the Kindle format. Calibre is not the only eBook converter, but it is the best by far.

Conversion is a simple process. After converting a book, Calibre will load it into your Kindle if your are connected via USB. Calibre is a very useful utility and highly recommended for any eBook reader.

Well those are my thoughts on the Kindle and eBook readers in general. As I said earlier, I love reading and storing books this way. Although you can’t try out a Kindle without ordering it, you can head over to your nearest Barnes and Noble store and try out their “Nook” to see if you like using an eBook reader. You might be surprised.

Confessions of a Kindle User Part 1

Well, this is not really a confession, more like experiences. The word “confessions” is just more interesting in a headline. Anyway, it is now just over two months since my son and daughter-in-law gave me a Kindle eBook reader for Christmas. Of course, I knew it was coming as I helped pick out the best one as his wife received one also. I did a fair amount of investigating before I chose the Kindle. My other two major choices were the Barnes and Noble “Nook” and the Sony eReader.

The bottom line of this report is I love my Kindle and take it with me almost everywhere. I spend more time reading everyday than I have in a long time…and loving it. The reason is simply that my Kindle is with me most of the time and previous downtime. such as waiting for lectures and concerts to begin is now used for reading.

The Kindle is lightweight and compact, slightly larger than a paperback book (but lighter and thinner). It holds over 1,000 or more books at any one time. Right now I have just over 40 books on mine. I usually read two or three at time…whatever strikes my fancy.

Reading is easy as it is almost precisely like reading a book, at least to my eyes. It uses a 6” e-ink screen…they are not backlit so they are easy on the eyes. I can change the font size to make it easier to read and I can read it vertically or horizontally. Page turning is a breeze as there is a forward and backward page buttons. Takes about one second for a page to change.

Since it is not backlit, you do need a light source of any type for reading. If you want to read at night in bed in the dark so not disturb your spouse, you will need a small light that fits on Kindle itself. And reading in direct sunlight is not a problem. I also recommend a cover to protect it.

Battery life is excellent…Amazon says that it will last up to two weeks without a recharge. That is assuming you leave the wireless connection off when not using it (more about that feature later). You can recharge it by plugging into the wall or using a USB port on your computer.

As you may notice from the photo, there is a miniature keyboard at the bottom of the device. You can use this for email, typing in searches, or making notes about what you are reading. Each note you write is automatically attached to the page where you started making the note. Granted, the keyboard is more like a cell phone keyboard, but it works well enough.

Another feature that is a God-send is the built-in dictionary. If you find a word that you don’t understand, you can click over to it and the definition will automatically display at the bottom. I recently read some British detective novels from the early 20th century and having the dictionary really helped with some unusual words…and it found every one of them…even told me that no one used those words much anymore.

Still yet another interesting feature is you can switch it from reading to having a voice read the book to you. I admit I have not used it all that much, but it does work surprisingly well. You can have a male or female voice do the reading. It is not as good as an audio book, but still it is better than the average mechanical voice.

While the device has limited Internet capability, you can go to Wikipedia to look up additional information. There are additional features, but I won’t go into them here.

The Kindle is available at Amazon for $259.

Next time, I will discuss more about books, how to buy them, where to buy them and how to get thousands of them for free. Stay tuned.

Taxes, Taxes, Taxes

Taxes 2009: TurboTax vs. H&R Block vs. TaxAct

We know, tax time is the pits, but if it makes you feel better, we did ours six times while researching the pros and cons of TurboTax (Windows|Mac|Online), Tax Act (Windows|Online), and H&R Block At Home (Windows|Mac|Online), formerly called H&R Block Tax Cut. So we know a thing or three about taxes.

FCC previews National Broadband Plan details

The report, which was mandated as part of last year's economic stimulus bill, will provide a blueprint for policy makers and lawmakers to provide ubiquitous high-speed Internet access to every American. It will be presented to Congress on March 17. The plan, which is expected to be hundreds of pages long, will include recommendations for new rules, such as reforms to the $7 billion Universal Service Fund. And it will also include policy recommendations for expanding network coverage, increasing broadband speeds, and encouraging competition.

'Internet addiction' could appear on the official list of mental illnesses

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) are working on the fifth revision of the book at the moment, and Internet Addiction might be included to the ever-growing list of disorders.

Discovering Planets Beyond - How Do Planets Form?

This Web site is part of the Hubblesite and offers a look at how planets outside our solar system are being discovered and even photographed. There is also an interesting video on the site and lots of good information about exo-planetary systems. Fascinating stuff.

Anti-Rootkit - Free Rootkit Removal

For all Windows users (including Windows 7), Sophos offers an easy and very effective choice in rootkit removal, that is suitable even for beginners.

High School Uses Laptops to Spy on Students at Home

Shut down Webcam use, judge tells school district

A Philadelphia High School gave its students free laptops. Then, the school used the built-in web cam in those laptops to spy on some students at home. The school never told students or parents that they had installed spy software on the laptops. This has opened a firestorm of protests, not to mention lawsuits. And, it turns out, this high school may not be the only one doing this. This is an important story that we will be following.

Italian Court Convicts Google Execs for Uploaded Video

Another amazing court decision: An Italian court has convicted three Google executives of privacy invasion, holding them liable for a 2006 video uploaded by a user. Chief Legal Officer David Drummond and two others were sentenced to six-month suspended terms. Google plans to appeal the rulings that fly in the face of a long-standing doctrine about immunity against user content.

Six Labs features now standard for Gmail users

Google has released six technologies tested in its Gmail Labs for use in the mainstream product, including a forgotten attachment detector, previews of YouTube videos, and an autoresponder to send automatic replies while on vacation

Windows shortcuts can boost your efficiency

Constantly moving your hands between the keyboard and mouse is not the most efficient way to interact with our computers, but most of us doggedly stick to it. But if you take a little time to learn (or relearn) a few basic keyboard and mouse shortcuts, you can blaze through your windows faster and more easily — and possibly put less stress on your overworked hands as well.

Dropbox - Online backup, file sync and sharing made easy.

This incredible free program is what you want if you have 2 or more computers that you want to keep in sync. It is the only program that has ever been able to keep my Outlook file in sync across three computers. I also use it to keep my OneNote, Word, and Excel files in sync as well as my blog drafts. No matter where I am, my computers are always in sync. Data is stored in the cloud until you turn on linked computers, then it is downloaded automatically.

Apple and Censorship

Apple Insists Complaints Led To Ban on Sexy Apps

Apple, Inc.'s Philip Schiller insists the ban on racy apps in Apple's App Store is a result of complaints from women and parents. But Apple still allows apps from Playboy and Sports Illustrated, indicating that branded content is acceptable. Apple's ambiguity on its App Store allows flexibility in what apps get banned or restored.

iTunes Store Still Has Plenty of Porn

Apple reportedly took recent action to remove a bunch of boobie and bikini apps from the iTunes store. The reason, ostensibly, is that kids found them and that offended their parents. As we've demonstrated in our story "5 Sexy Apps Still In The iTunes Store," Apple's policy seems arbitrary and incomplete. And that's just its apps policy.

How Can I Ditch Cable and Watch My TV Shows and Movies Online?

I'd love to get rid of cable and stream all my favorite TV shows right from the internet. What do I need to know before I take the plunge?

DocStoc opens up its store to (almost) anyone

Online document host DocStoc launched its DocStore online marketplace a little less than a year ago, and since then it's grown to more than 1 million downloads a month. However, up until now it's only allowed a handful of hand-picked providers to sell their wares on its site. That's changing with a new service that will let just about anyone with what the company deems to be a "professional document" sell their stuff.

The Most Accurate, Highest Resolution Earth View to Date - NASA

This is the most accurate, highest resolution true color image of planet Earth to date. And at 2048 x 2048 pixels, you should put it in your desktop background now.

Lock Your Computer with a USB Drive

Buzz's Latest Tweaks Make for Some Awkward Social Interactions

Google has attempted to soothe user outrage over the privacy holes in its Buzz social service. However, the new adjustments it's made apparently open new doors for creepy behavior, like secretly following someone who's tried to block you. The changes could also allow others to secretly follow you.

Twitter, Facebook use up 82 percent

The average social-networking user around the world spent more than five and a half hours on sites like Facebook and Twitter in December, according to data released Monday by Nielsen. That marked an 82 percent jump from December 2008 when Tweeters and Facebookers surfed their favorite sites for around three hours the entire month.

Mozilla patches critical Firefox bugs

Mozilla has released fixes for five security holes in older versions of Firefox, while a security company has warned of a zero-day flaw in the latest version of the popular browser.

Nuance Launches Free PDF Reader to Compete with Adobe

Nuance Communications, Inc. has just announced the launch of new free Windows-based PDF Reader software that, Nuance says, "includes features typically found in premium products" and "takes up less disk space, is more secure than Adobe® Reader®, and works with virtually any PDF file."

Predator Freeware lock your computer with a USB flash drive

Predator enables you to lock and unlock your PC by simply removing or inserting a USB flash drive. You can use any USB stick, the program will generate a security code and place it on the device to identify it as the key. It will then check every X seconds if the drive is still inserted and if it is not, the program will lock your computer.  Cool idea.

Free Giant 2010 Baseball Book

Critical Census Software Plagued by Glitches

The 2010 Census has already begun in remote areas, but the Census software system is nowhere near ready to handle paperwork and payroll data for the expected 500,000 Census takers. A government watchdog group says that if changes are not made to critical software systems, the Census risks ballooning costs, delays and inaccuracies.

Reports: Internet Attacks Traced to Chinese Schools

Computer security experts investigating Internet attacks on Google and other U.S. companies say computers at Chinese educational institutions may have been involved.

Three Ways to Manage Your Attention with Facebook

First, tune out Inane Updates: While games are huge on Facebook, I really don't care about my friends' gaming activity. I am not alone. "I don't care about your farm, or your fish, or your park, or your mafia" has attracted over five million fans. Thankfully, the New York Times today details how you can tune out say Farmville updates from friends...

Booking a Flight the Frugal Way

Booking a flight is a total mess. Travelocity and Expedia have been joined by Bing and Orbitz and Dohop and Vayama and CheapTickets and CheapOair and Kayak and SideStep and Mobissimo and and and … I could go on and list every single Web site out there, but I won’t. There are just too many. Instead, I’ll lead you through the steps I make when I’m booking a flight myself.

Free Book: Emerald Guide to Baseball 2010

Baseball season is rapidly approaching. If you are a fan, the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) is pleased to to offer the Emerald Guide to Baseball 2010 as a free PDF to the world baseball community. I've downloaded it myself and it is fantastic. I will be printing out a page or two for every Spring Training game I attend here in Tucson. The book is $25 in print.

I’m Dumping Buzz: Here is Why and How

Google makes it easier to disable Buzz

Last week we took you through a laborious step-by-step process to disable Buzz, Google's new social network. Google's engineers made some quick changes as a result of the backlash, including fixing a security flaw affecting mobile Buzz users, tweaking a setup process that has you manually accepting followers, and providing an easier way to disable Buzz if you want to give it the heave-ho.

What Google needs to learn from Buzz backlash

Ask almost any technology company what products and services they use within their own organizations, and most will enthusiastically admit to "dog-fooding" their own products. It's both a show of support for their own technology and an opportunity to test those products for flaws that won't make the light of day before they are fixed. Google is no different. But something went wrong with the dog-fooding process for Google Buzz, forcing company engineers to scramble over a holiday weekend to calm the outcry over privacy violations with tweaks to the settings and set-up process.

Quick cures for the worst Windows 7 annoyances

In its seemingly never-ending quest for a better Windows, Microsoft simply can't resist tinkering with — and sometimes completely removing — features that many of us loved. If you find yourself tripping over new Windows 7 features or missing favorite old ones, I've got some tips that will come to your rescue.

Hands On with Windows Phone 7 Series

Microsoft on Monday launched its Windows Phone 7 Series, the most radical change that Microsoft smartphones have ever seen. WP7 – there's no "Windows Mobile" any more – uses a bold array of tiles and pivoting panels to let users easily access their personal information, Zune music and Xbox Live gamer card.

Back4Sure Makes Quick Work of Backing Up Files to a USB Drive

Windows: Nothing beats a full-on system backup for making sure you've got duplicates of all your important stuff. Free utility Back4Sure is a simple but powerful tool for quickly, incrementally backing up important files to external drives from anywhere.

A Good Look at USB 3

USB 3.0 Boosts Speeds and Bandwidth

Computer users are eagerly awaiting USB 3.0, or SuperSpeed USB. SuperSpeed USB will offer transfer rates 10 times faster than USB 2.0, and USB 3.0 cables should still be compatible with USB 2.0 connections. External hard drives will be the first devices to come out with USB 3.0 connections. Unfortunately, few devices currently support USB 3.0, but they are coming soon.

Google Apologizes for Buzz Fuss, Stops Automation

Google's Todd Jackson has apologized for the Google Buzz fiasco in which Gmail users contacts were made public without notice. In response to user complaints, Google has further tweaked Google Buzz so matchups and sharing are no longer automatic. A security lab reported that in just two days, a Google Buzz spammer had linked to 237 people.

7 reasons to stick with Windows XP

Are you having an internal debate about upgrading to Windows 7? I think that is a good choice for many folks. But, here are 7 reasons to stick with Windows XP that might make help you justify staying where you are.

User Reviews: How to Use Them, And How Not To

These days, online reviews have evolved to take advantage of the medium's strengths, and they've expanded to fill the extra space. Retailers like Amazon love user reviews, and have made them an integral part of the sales cycle: “Do your research right here, on this page, before you buy!” they seem to say, passing off user reviews as a complete replacement for professional reviews.

Webcams Go High-Def—Sort of

Today's webcams have made significant inroads in both audio and video performance. They still don't rival even low-end digital cameras and camcorders, but 2-megapixel sensors, Carl Zeiss optics, and 720p video recording are now commonplace. That's plenty for sharp-looking Skype calls and Web chats, throwaway snapshots, or even an impromptu YouTube performance at your desk.

A Look at SUPERAntiSpyware

The Gizmo Web site calls this program the best free anti-spyware program out there. And after using it for a little while, I agree.

SUPERAntiSpyware comes in two versions, a free version and the Pro version for $29.95. Daily updates for both are free. SUPERAntiSpyware Professional includes real-time blocking of threats, scheduled scanning, and free unlimited Customer Service via e-mail.  The free version requires you to initiate a scan, but then when it finishes, it will wipe out the threats.

Now, there is some misconception about anti-spyware programs and anti-virus programs. The majority of folks think you can only have one anti-malware program running at a time. That is only half true. You can only have one antivirus program running, otherwise the two programs will conflict with each other and start rendering fall positives. Anti virus programs include AVG, Avast, Norton, Microsoft Security Essentials (my personal recommendation) and several others.

But you may one or more anti-spyware programs on your system. Best not to run more than one at a time, but you can use more than one to double check your system.

The two best are SUPERAntiSpyware and MalwareBytes.  I use both, but find SUPERAntiSpware catching more threats. Gizmo agrees with me. Give it a try and see what it finds.

The New Windows 7 Phone

Windows Phone 7 Series Preview

Microsoft drops some shock and awe on the smart phone industry with a surprisingly strong Windows Phone 7 Series announcement. This could be the big one, folks.

Ballmer banks on Windows Phone 7 for the future

Steve Ballmer hopes "7" will be Microsoft's lucky number as the company restarts its mobile business with the release of Windows Phone 7. On Monday, the CEO of Microsoft and his team of Microsoft executives took the wraps off the latest version of the Windows Mobile operating system at a press conference here at the Mobile World Congress. The new Windows Phone 7 is a fresh start for the company in mobile.

Adobe warns of new Reader, Flash holes

Will it never end? Adobe Systems on Thursday warned of new critical holes in Reader and Flash Player, released a security update for the Flash hole, and said a patch for Reader would come next week. My advise...don't wait for Adobe to update, change to Foxit Reader.

The 10 coolest experiments from Google Labs

When you've got thousands of the world's most brilliant engineers spending 20 percent of their time on whatever takes their fancy, cool software is the result.

USB Safeguard 1.1.0 (Windows) Free

It's a freeware file encryption utility, small, portable and easy to use. Simply drag and drop files and folders to quickly protect your sensitive documents, and then enter an password to encrypt and decrypt the files that you want to protect from prying eyes.

More Buzz about BUZZ

Buzz features compared: Just the important stuff

Buzz is, in many ways, highly derivative of existing, and quite popular services. The three biggest ones that come to mind are Twitter, Facebook, and FriendFeed, with the latter two being the same company. Though to Google's credit, it has done something none of these companies has managed to do in integrating it deeply into a popular e-mail service.

Google may remove Buzz from Gmail

Google has now released a statement that they will not be removing Buzz from Gmail, but rather are considering building a standalone version of Buzz that doesn't require Gmail. The main gripe with BUZZ has been privacy issues.

Twitpics from Space

For the past few weeks, Japanese astronaut Souichi Noguchi, traveling in orbit 200 miles above the Earth at around 17,000 mph, has been on board the International Space Station tweeting images of his view from space. The images, which were taken with digital cameras on board the International Space Station, have been posted to Twitter via Twitpic, a Web site that allows users to easily post pictures.

Microsoft Releases Windows Experience Pack for Windows XP/Vista/7

Microsoft has been releasing freebies for Windows 7 users fairly regularly. However, that doesn’t mean that Microsoft has completely forgotten about users of older versions of Windows. The Windows team has released a new set of goodies for Windows Live, which are available not only for Windows 7 but also for Windows XP and Vista.

Antenna: Tune in Radio from Around the World

Radio stations around the world are also broadcasting on the Web, so even if you're far away from a place you like to visit, or you're away from home and want to hear the local news from your neighborhood, you can probably find and stream what you're looking for at any time. The trouble is finding the station you want. With Antenna, the process is a little easier.

Fine Tuning Your Computer and On-Line Experiences

How to fix your Facebook News Feed so it's chronological

Whenever Facebook launches a new design, things get misplaced. If your favorite way to browse Facebook is to browse your News Feed chronologically, here’s how to fix it:

Fine tuning Windows 7 on your netbook

A good article for adjusting Windows to run more efficiently on a netbook. Most suggestions also work very well for a regular notebook.

Freeware outdoes Windows' built-in system tools

Most standard Windows maintenance tasks can be accomplished using the utilities included with the OS itself — but that doesn't mean those tools are your best option. Whether you're looking for an easier way to browse the image files in a folder, create a restore point, revert to XP's Classic Start Menu, or customize your file associations, there's a (free) app for that.

Burning Question: Where’s My à la Carte TV?

Imagine this sweet deal: Instead of paying big bucks for dozens of channels you don’t watch, you get to pick only the content you want: ESPN. Dexter. Every film Jessica Alba was ever in. OK, now forget it. Ain’t gonna happen. At least, not in the near future.

Backup and Restore Personal Folders in Outlook

The Microsoft Office Online site offers a Personal Folders Backup Tool as a free download. To use this tool, be sure to download the appropri¬ate version for your version of Outlook and then exit Outlook before installing the tool. After you download and install the backup tool, you can back up a user’s personal folders

More About Google’s New “Buzz”

Editor’s Note: Yesterday, Google announced its new Buzz program, an add-on for Gmail. Today I got an invitation to connect, and I did. I am not 100% sure I fully understand it, but am going to try and figure it all out. So far, I am following just two people, myself and one other person that Buzz picked up from my Google Reader account.  I seem to be getting both their Tweets and Friendfeeds. I will keep playing and see if its worth it. If you have a Gmail account and get an invite, why not join me and let me know what you think. JRC

Social Networking: Google Buzzes Social Networking Scene

Social networking is Gmail's next logical step, right? Early reactions are divided. Google Buzz "is just mission creep," argues consultant Simon Sinek. On the other hand, if Google does what it does best with this new networking tool -- organizing information -- it might create a competitive differentiator, says First Page Sage founder Evan Bailyn.

Rafe and Josh debate Google's Buzz

Google on Tuesday released Buzz (news), its Twitter competitor. Or is it a swipe at FriendFeed? The new platform has elements of both. It joins other Google communication tools inside the Gmail service, so you can't miss it if you're a Gmail user (if you haven't gotten the notice yet that your account is Buzz-enabled, just wait a few days). Should you use it? That depends on whether your network of friends is on board.

Google to test ultrafast broadband to the home

Google, never satisfied with the pace of change, plans a test that will provide 50,000 to 500,000 people with fiber-optic broadband Internet access with a network speed of a gigabit per second starting as soon as this year.

Malware hits all-time high in January

The amount of unique malware tracked by security vendor Fortinet, reached an all-time high in January. Its distinct malware volume soared to over 9,000 last month, more than twice that in December, the company said.

FotoSketcher 1.95 (Windows)

FotoSketcher turns digital photos into beautiful pencil sketches or paintings in seconds. Free

Good Times for Netflix

Netflix will add 1080p, 5.1-channel surround sound

Netflix’s on-demand video streaming service, a.k.a. Netflix Watch Instantly, is jumping on the 1080p HD bandwagon later this year, with a corresponding bump in audio to 5.1-channel surround sound.

Netflix has Blockbuster on the ropes

The traditional video-store business model appears doomed. At this point, Blockbuster appears headed for the same fate as Movie Gallery. At one time, Movie Gallery was one of Blockbuster's biggest brick-and-mortar competitors, but last week it filed for bankruptcy protection for the second time since 2007.

Macmillan Books Return To Amazon.com

Amazon had limited the availability of Macmillan titles due to an e-book dispute, where Macmillan had insisted on a new e-book pricing system that in effect did away with Amazon's $9.99 Kindle e-book rate. Under Macmillan's model, known as the "agency model," e-books will be priced from $12.99 to $14.99 when first released.

Google Brings Buzz Social Networking to Gmail, Mobile

You've got to hand it to Google: when they take on a project, they don't do things by halves. On Tuesday, in an event at the company's Mountain View campus the company announced Google Buzz, its newest entry into the social-networking

Faster downloads, skins, and caps in uTorrent 2.0

uTorrent 2.0 went gold a few days ago, and the latest stable version of the incredibly popular torrent client introduces several useful new features for those who haven't been playing around with the beta.

Watch out For Haiti Relief Scams

FBI Braces for Haiti-Relief Scam Onslaught

The FBI and at least five state attorneys general have issued alerts on Haiti relief scams, warning Americans eager to support earthquake relief to avoid in-person scams, where door-to-door solicitors ask for money; e-mail and texting scams, which aim to steal money and personal data; and social-networking scams that represent bogus charities.

Nook back on sale

Barnes & Noble's Nook e-reader, which sold out over the winter holidays, is available online once again, the company said Monday. The Nook is also expected to show up in most B&N stores by midweek.

Will Fans Still Love Hulu if It's Not Free?

Hulu's recent billion-video milestone validates the idea that people will actually watch long-form programming online. Now, Hulu says it will explore a tiered pricing structure, and many are betting that Hulu will soon be brought to web-connected devices such as TVs and Blu-ray players. But will its fans still love Hulu if it's not free?

Top 5 Super Bowl Ads

It's Super Bowl Monday, the morning after the big game, and that means it's time to break down the highlights and look back at the best commercials shown during this year's broadcast.

iCatchall: 27 apps for free--Monday only

What's better than 27 apps for 99 cents? Why, 27 apps for zero cents, of course. That's what you get from iCatchall, which, like last week's App Genie, delivers more than two dozen tools under one app roof. Normally it's 99 cents, but in conjunction with previously mentioned Free App a Day, iCatchall is free today (and only today).

FBI Wants Better Snooping

FBI wants records kept of Web sites visited

The FBI is pressing Internet service providers to record which Web sites customers visit and retain those logs for two years, a requirement that law enforcement believes could help it in investigations of child pornography and other serious crimes.

Facebook Engineers Hit Redesign Button Once Again

Facebook has once again redesigned the social-networking site and is rolling out the changes to some users. Facebook says the redesign will make navigation easier, but at least one user says the change has ruined her organization of friends. Facebook has added dashboards for applications and games, and said it is providing privacy settings.

Microsoft's challenge: Innovation, innovation, innovation

Former Softies are weighing in publicly about Microsoft’s culture of innovation — or lack thereof — in the past couple of days. What they aren’t doing is offering any real suggestions about how Microsoft can make a company of 90,000 or so employees more agile, less insular and more innovative.

How to Buy a Netbook

If you're not thinking about buying a netbook, you should be—they're powerful, portable, and even more inexpensive than a year ago. Here's what you need to know before you buy.

Audacity 1.2 - Free - Full Review

Want to record some audio you hear on the Internet? Edit a quick podcast sound file? Mix some tracks together? Clean out background noise? Open source Audacity is your ticket for all these audio tasks, and it doesn't require you to pay for professional sound-editing software.

Great Photos of Pluto (Not the Dog)

MS Patch Tuesday heads-up: 13 bulletins, 26 vulnerabilities

Microsoft’s February batch of security patches will be a biggie — 13 bulletins with fixes for a whopping 26 vulnerabilities.

Windows 7 Release Candidate to Begin Expiration Process

Microsoft this week began warning users of the Release Candidate (RC) version of Windows 7 that the free preview version of its latest OS will begin winding down soon. As part of this process, the Windows 7 RC will begin alerting users of the expiration in about two weeks, on February 15. Then, starting March 1, the Windows 7 RC will begin automatically shutting down once every two hours. The RC formally expires June 1, 2010.

Wired Chinese Yawn in the Face of Google Exit

Google's threat to pull out of China has caused worldwide media attention and scrutiny -- but the wired Chinese population couldn't care less. Chinese Internet users' indifference highlights the challenges Google and other companies have infiltrating the world's most populous Internet market, and how tightly the government controls information.

Most-detailed images of Pluto revealed

A set of photos taken by the Hubble space telescope in 2002 and 2003 show the most detailed look at the former planet Pluto. The photos show an icy and dark molasses colored surface that changes with the seasons.

25 great games you can play on a Netbook

So you finally broke down and purchased a Netbook. After all, these low-cost, low-power laptops are great for tossing in your bag, working at the coffee shop, or taking to class. You knew all along that these systems were not made for gaming, and obviously you planned to spend all your time doing Netbook-like things, such as Web surfing and working on office documents. Still, somewhere along the way, the thought crept in: maybe I can find some games that will run on an Intel Atom processor and integrated graphics.

Oh Dear! Better run a Malware Scan!

Report: 48% of 22 million scanned computers infected with malware

According to the report, the overall number of infected computers (page 10) used in the sample decreased compared to previous quarters, however, 48.35% of the 22,754,847 scanned computers remain infected with malware. And despite that the crimeware/banking trojans infections slightly decreased from Q2, over a million and a half computers were infected.

Initial Sales of Apple's iPad Are Likely To Be Modest

Analyst Charlie Wolf of Needham & Company released a research report Wednesday that projects modest sales of just two million units this year. Sales are expected to reach six million in 2011, but Wolf wrote that it will take a catalyst to propel sales to the eight million mark in 2012.

Amazon agrees to higher prices in e-book dispute

Amazon said Sunday that, while it still believes a $14.99 price tag for e-books is "needlessly high," it will have to give in to Macmillan's demands to sell electronic versions of its books at a higher rate than Amazon's usual $9.99.

Firefox sync doesn't stink

The Weave extension is Mozilla's in-house effort to store your bookmarks, tabs, history, passwords, and preferences on Mozilla's server--the end goal being to snap open Firefox on any computer (or even mobile phone) and get to your content without having to configure your settings or open pages anew.

Best Free Rootkit Scanner/Remover

When your computer gets a virus, that virus tries to spread, and eventually it will damage the host making it much easier to detect. A rootkit on the other hand is designed to hide certain elements such as files, processes, registry entries, or network connections, from the user and other programs thus making it very difficult to detect.

The iPad: My 2 Cents

First, let me say I am a confirmed Windows computer user and don’t feel the need to move over to the Apple computing system, even though I think very highly of their products.  That being said, I do have an 80Gb Apple iPod that I use with iTunes…and I love them both.  They work extremely well for me. Apple puts out many great products…so I am not in any way anti-Apple.

It also just so happens I am looking to buy a new netbook soon. I have a laptop that works fine, but it is just too heavy to lug around the places I like to go and work…like the University of Arizona campus that takes 30 minutes to cross. I want something lightweight that has a long battery life so I don’t need a charger with me and is big enough to comfortably type on.

Now that you know where I am coming from, be aware that I was excited to hear about the new Apple iPad on Wednesday and really liked it at first glance…and was blown away by the price. After watching the introduction by Steve Jobs, the iPad was now under strong consideration.

But, on Thursday, as I did some digging and I began looking at its strengths and weaknesses and how it would apply to my needs…and I can’t make that point strong enough, this review is about my needs.  Your needs may be different and so the iPad may be just perfect for you.

Strengths – It has a long battery life; a beautiful large back-lit screen; the ability to use free Wi-Fi and not be married to AT&T; its lighter than a Netbook; you can watch movies; and it has lots of other good features too numerous to name here that make it fun and useful to use. 

Weaknesses – For me, there are several…

First, the keyboard is in the screen, which makes it difficult for a writer as compared to a regular keyboard (one expert who says he can write 80 words per minute on a keyboard is slowed down to 15 word per minute on an iPad), not to mention greasy fingerprints. Just as important, one has to look down to see the screen when you write. That means you must use it on your lap…or if you use a table you have to strain you neck to see what you are writing. With a netbook, laptop, or regular computer, you stare straight ahead at your screen. Because I write so much, that is a deal killer for me…and I don’t feel like dragging the optional keyboard with stand along with me. 

But wait, there is more...

The screen is backlit, making reading a book a little harder on the eyes than my Kindle…which also means it can’t be read easily outside. I can read my Kindle anywhere where there is light, as it is just like reading a paper book.  So having the iPad as a portable e-reader may not work for me either.

For Web browsing, it looks good, until you figure out that it cannot use Adobe Flash. Being that a large majority of Websites (including mine) use Flash on their pages, that makes it much more difficult to browse (if you use Facebook and play their games, forget it).

Other problems: It has no camera so I can’t videoconference or use Skype (that is not a deal killer for me)…it has no USB ports so I can’t upload my photos in the field…I can’t store more than 64GB of files (the most basic Netbook has 160GB drive)…can’t download programs via a CD drive and can only add content from the Apple Store…there is no multitasking so you can only do one thing at a time…you can use a Bluetooth keyboard, but not a Bluetooth mouse, and it is twice as heavy as a Kindle 2.

The bottom line for me is the iPad is made mostly for content consumption whereas most of my needs are for content creation.

So, for me, the iPad currently does not work, so I will continue in my hunt to find the best netbook.  As much as I might enjoy owning one, it would just be another device that would not replace either my netbook or my Kindle, or anything else for that matter. But, I look forward to seeing the next version of the iPad as I think Apple is on the right track.

Again, I cannot emphasis enough that my review applies only to me and my needs. If the iPad fits your needs, then it is for you, although I still advise caution in buying it now as the best of the iPad is yet to come.   

Special TV Program Alert:

PBS documentary questions tech and our future

“Like Douglas Rushkoff, I've been an enthusiastic supporter of digital technology for more than 20 years and, also like Rushkoff, I've had some second thoughts as to whether--at least for some people--immersion in technology is doing more harm than good.

Rushkoff is the co-host and co-writer of TV movie "Digital Nation: Life on the Virtual Frontier," which premiers on PBS Frontline Tuesday at 9:00 p.m. The show was produced, co-written and co-hosted by Rachel Dretzin, who also produced "Growing Up Online," a show that aired on Frontline in 2007.

The new program explores the use of technology at home, school, work, and in the military, examining the pros and cons of multitasking, immersion in virtual worlds and even remote warfare.”

Excerpt from article by Larry Magid