Apple’s Big Day

New iPods abound including multitouch nano at Apple event

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

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

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

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

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

Windows 7 Family Pack to make a comeback in October

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

FilerFrog adds loads of useful actions to your Windows context menu

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

Paper Publications Continue to Disappear

USA Today moves away from print publication

USA Today is moving away from print publication it was announced Thursday. USA Today Publisher Dave Hunke, is quoted by the Associated Press as saying that the company will focus on delivering their content on the internet.

Printed Oxford English Dictionary May Fade Away

It may be the end of the line for the printed Oxford English Dictionary as users find online access more convenient. The online Oxford dictionary gets two million visits a month, while the 1989 print version has sold about 30,000. An analyst said writers have found online dictionaries and word-processing spell checkers more convenient.

Quicken Online closes for good; migration to Mint is less than ideal

Quicken Online has officially made its way into the history books, welcoming Mint to replace it, as of the weekend. But unlike other migrations from one software product to another, many of which do a lot of the heavy lifting for the user, this switch from Quicken Online to Mint is no day at the beach. Because the platforms for the two products are so vastly different.

Bad flash drive caused worst U.S. military breach

A malware-laden flash drive inserted in a laptop at a U.S. military base in the Middle East in 2008 led to the "most significant breach of" the nation's military computers ever, according to a new magazine article by a top defense official.

WiLMa Keeps Your Windows Just the Way You Like Them

Windows Layout Manager (also known as WiLMa) is a free app that allows you to manage the size, shape, and positioning of any and all windows on your screen to a fine degree.

Make Phone Calls from Gmail

Google makes it official: Phone calls now in Gmail

Google launched the ability to make voice calls to any traditional phone number from a Gmail account. It's a blend of Gmail and Google Voice technology that allows users to dial numbers from their computers as well as receive incoming calls through one's Google Voice number.

Fact check: malware did not bring down a passenger jet

I’ve been reading breathless and shocking “reports” for several days now explaining that “malware brought down a Spanish jet.” And once again we have a case study in how the Internet echo chamber works to take a single report and distort it beyond recognition.

Microsoft updates Office Web Apps, Facebook Docs

Although officially only two months old, Microsoft's Office Web Apps is already growing up a bit. To satisfy just some of the many user requests for new features, Microsoft this week updated its online version of Office with enhancements to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Microsoft Russia shows apparent Internet Explorer 9 interface

Though Microsoft has released four previews of Internet Explorer 9 over the past six months, none of them included much of a user interface. The company was keeping that under wraps, with the first public unveiling happening in a few weeks, on September 15. But with an apparent mistake by one of Microsoft's Russian Web properties, it looks like the secret might be out: the site posted a screenshot that apparently shows the new browser UI, as noticed by Mary-Jo Foley at ZDNet.

Zimbra Desktop - Free

Zimbra Desktop is free e-mail and calendar software that runs on any Linux, Mac or Windows computer. The tool offers e-mail, contacts, calendar and document capabilities all in one application, and it lets users read e-mail from any POP or IMAP e-mail account, including Gmail, Hotmail or business e-mail.

New Dual Core Atom Processors Released

Dual-Core Atoms Boost Performance for New Netbooks

New netbooks with more powerful dual-core Atom processors from Intel are shipping from Acer, ASUS, Fujitsu, Lenovo, LG, Samsung and Toshiba. Intel's new dual-core Atom is based on the Pinetrail platform and has two physical cores with two threads per core for a performance boost of up to 20 percent.

Hands on review of the Kindle 3

The first thing you should know about the "Kindle 3" is that it's more evolutionary than revolutionary. Most importantly, Amazon has made its 6-inch e-reader smaller and lighter, and it has improved the screen. The Kindle has also adopted the key Wi-Fi feature from its rival, the Barnes & Noble Nook.

Watch Out for New Bank Fees

Not really a high tech news story, but worth knowing. With new consumer laws now requiring banks to let you opt-in to overdraft protection, new fees will be popping up to fill in the gap. Here's what to expect.

Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows: Master Libraries

Windows 7's new Libraries features is one of the biggest changes to Microsoft's latest client OS, and while their use doesn't require a major rethinking compared to the previous scheme of physical and special shell folders, there are indeed some interesting and unique wrinkles to libraries. This week, I'd like to provide some pointers for getting the most out of libraries.

This To-Do List Manager is Top-Notch and Free

f you're the sort of person who buys self-help books aimed at busy people, you've almost certainly heard of David Allen. He's the inventor of a concept called GTD, or Getting Things Done. It's not so much a way of managing your to-do list, but more a way of life. Wieldy is a free to-do list manager, which its author claims is modeled on the GTD concept. It runs under Windows XP and above, and provides a friendly, intuitive way to manage and prioritize all your tasks and thoughts, and keep track of contacts. It uses a Ribbon-like interface, and I actually think it looks a lot like Microsoft Outlook.

Did Viruses Bring Down an Aircraft?

Trojan-ridden warning system implicated in Spanair crash

The airline's central computer which registered technical problems on planes was infected by Trojans at the time of the fatal crash and this resulted in a failure to raise an alarm over multiple problems with the plane, according to Spanish daily El Pais.

HD Moore: Critical bug in 40 different Windows apps

Metasploit’s HD Moore was in the midst of researching the recently patched LNK (Windows shortcut) vulnerability when he stumbled upon a serious problem that exposes more than 40 different Windows software programs to remote code execution attacks.

Adobe Updates Reader, Acrobat and Flash Player

Adobe Reader and Acrobat have received emergency patches to fix vulnerabilities disclosed at the Black Hat conference. Charlie Miller said at Black Hat that the flaws in Adobe Reader and Acrobat could be exploited with specially crafted PDF files. The Adobe updates also fix six vulnerabilities in Flash Player that could be used to take control of a PC.

Facebook Places: One check-in to rule them all

There was something very much in the vein of Utopian science-fiction fantasies to Facebook's announcement of "Places," its location-based "check-in" product that it launched on Wednesday night. In short, Facebook not only wants to be the digital sovereignty toward which all other geolocation apps direct their figurative roads, it also wants to be the Web's own omniscient historian.

How I’d Hack Your Weak Passwords

This isn't intended as a guide to hacking *other people's* weak passwords. Instead, the aim is to help you better understand the security of your own passwords and how to bolster that security.

Top 100 Web Sites

The Top 100 Web Sites of 2010

Here are the PC Magazine picks for the hottest Web sites and Web trends of the year, plus some old favorites to enjoy.

So Google Thinks It Can Dance With the Devil?

Google and Verizon have proposed a compromise on the issue of Net neutrality -- a system that would ensure unbiased handling of traffic over wired connections but leave the world of wireless open to manipulation by service providers. Google has been a neutrality advocate in the past, but critics say this plan is no solution at all.

SanDisk Reveals The SSD Perfect For Mobile Computing - It's Smaller Than A Postage Stamp

Solid state drives just got a whole lot smaller. Memory maker SanDisk introduced a new super compact memory chip that is smaller than your average postage stamp and lighter than a paperclip.

Windows Live Essentials 2011 Beta Refresh Now Available

Microsoft on Tuesday issued a "beta refresh" of its upcoming Windows Live Essentials 2011 applications suite for Windows Vista and 7. If you use Windows Live Essentials 4 Beta, you should go on line and update your software.

DLS Review: Picasa 3.8 Released, now with Picnik editor

Picasa 3.8 has been unleashed upon the world a couple of days ago. It brings with it several major features, sch as Batch Album upload, something called "Face Movie" which creates an animation out of a series of images of the same person, and last but certainly not least, Picnik photo editing.

Is Disney Spying on You?

Disney sued over allegedly spying with 'flash cookies'

A lawsuit filed in federal court last week alleges that a group of well-known Web sites, including those owned by Disney, Warner Bros. Records, and Demand Media, broke the law by secretly tracking the Web movements of their users, including children. Walt would be turning over in his grave.

Microsoft's new Hotmail: Not a smooth transition for all

Microsoft rolled out to all of its Hotmail users the newest version of its Web-based e-mail program in early August. Since that time, a number of users have been reporting problems accessing and composing their mail when using the latest release.

Gartner: Android has overtaken iPhone worldwide

Android is now larger than the iPhone on the world stage, analysts at Gartner said today. Google's phone platform jumped to 10.6 million phones sold, or enough to overtake the iPhone and take 17.2 percent of the market. The researchers believe Apple sold more iPhones than it shipped, at 8.47 million, but the higher number was still enough to put it at fourth place with 14.2 percent.

Best Free Word Processor

If you don't write novels, reports and documentations all the time, but like to use a Word Processor for letters, memos and how-to's, you will love some of these word processors. They are mostly lightweight, load in a jiffy, and give you many more features than those you find in Wordpad that comes with Windows.

10+ extensions for better back-to-school browsing with Google Chrome

If Google Chrome is your browser of choice, there are loads of useful add-on enhancements in the Extensions Gallery which can turn Chrome into a powerful tool for staying focused and productive while tackling your coursework.

Google & Verizon Team Up to Screw Us All

If Verizon and Google Win, We Lose

If Google and Verizon get their way, no one will be able to stand up for wireless customers. Well-considered regulation is needed to stop outrageous practices. Indeed, what the two companies and their pampered executives really mean is that the FCC and the states shouldn't regulate the wireless industry at all. Consumers be damned.

Stuxnet could hijack power plants, refineries

A worm that targets critical infrastructure companies doesn't just steal data, it leaves a back door that could be used to remotely and secretly control plant operations, a Symantec researcher said on Thursday. The Stuxnet worm infected industrial control system companies around the world, particularly in Iran and India but also companies in the U.S. energy industry.

Preparing Windows XP for the long haul

Microsoft's support for Windows XP may be fading, but a loyal horde of XP users plans to stick with this venerable OS for as long as possible. If that's your long-term goal, there are a number of steps you can take now to ensure a finely tuned XP system for months — possibly years — to come.

High Dynamic Range Tutorial

Learn how to Make HDR photos...written by the master of this photo technique. And see his beautiful HDR photographs. This in-depth tutorial will teach you everything you need to know.

FileNotes Freeware - add personal notes to your files

FileNotes is a simple tool that lets you add a personal note to any file on your computer. To add a note, simply right-click on the file and select the newly added `Notes` menu item, which will open a small notes window that allows you to type your note or review an existing note.

Which is the Best Browser?

Record Patch Tuesday yields critical Windows, IE fixes

Microsoft issued a record number of monthly patches on Tuesday, including fixes for eight critical holes affecting Windows, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Word, and other programs that could be exploited to take control of a computer. MAKE SURE UP CHECK YOUR VERSION OF WINDOWS TO SEE IF IT IS INSTALLED. IF NOT...INSTALL IT NOW!!

The Best Web Browser: Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Opera, or Safari?

Not too long ago the job of a Web browser was simple: Get the text from the Internet and pour it into the window. If a tag like <strong> comes along, change the font. Now the challenges are greater because the browser is becoming the home for almost everything we do. Do you have documents to edit? There's a website for that. Did you miss a television show? There's a website for that. Do you want to announce your engagement? There's a website for that too. The Web browser handles all of that and more.

How long will Microsoft support XP, Vista, and Windows 7?

In an ideal world, old versions of Windows would roll off Microsoft’s list of supported products and be replaced by new ones at regular, predicable intervals. That upgrade cycle has been anything but smooth and predictable in recent years, however. Microsoft’s support policy is still returning to normal after XP was allowed to live well past its normal retirement date and then got multiple extensions to placate customers who just said no to Vista.

Five reasons Windows XP still rules the desktop

Microsoft may tout Windows 7's growth curve, but the truth is that Windows XP rules the desktop, and will do so for many years. The most recent report shows that Windows XP has more than twice the market share of Windows 7 and Windows Vista combined.

Meet Project Vigilant--the Wikileaks leak

Highlighting Project Vigilant's role in outing an alleged Wikileaks source, a Salon.com column warned that the organization's members have "extensive, sophisticated expertise in compiling highly invasive data about individuals' Internet activities." It's been labeled a "shadowy spy group" that's "building dossiers" for the feds.

My First Ever Sex/Tech Story

The Hewlett Packard sex scandal: An instant guide

Mark Hurd, the chief executive of tech giant Hewlett Packard, has resigned over a sex scandal involving a softcore porn actress. What happened?

Google, Verizon unveil proposal - not agreement - to help FCC with Net Neutrality

In a post on Google’s Public Policy blog, the companies revealed their vision of how content providers and broadband providers can work together to maintain an open Internet while also allowing technology to flourish.

Coffeehouses unplugging Internet access to reconnect with customers

Coffee shops were the retail pioneers of Wi-Fi, flipping the switch to lure customers. But now some owners are pulling the plug. They're finding that Wi-Fi freeloaders who camp out all day nursing a single cup of coffee are a drain on the bottom line. Others want to preserve a friendly vibe and keep their establishments from turning into "Matrix"-like zombie shacks where people type and don't talk. 

Find Out What Windows Error Codes Mean

I’m sure you’ve all experienced it at some stage or another. You’re just quietly working away on your PC and all is well, suddenly you get the cringing error sound and then a window pops up with a great big red X. In the window is a whole bunch of numbers and letters, an error code.

Best Free Online Applications and Services

Online applications (also known as web applications or webware) are getting more popular, particularly when broadband Internet access has become more common and readily available to more users. With online applications and services, you do not need to download and install them into your computer for using them—you just need to open up a browser and access them online.

Friday Follies for Nerds

MS Patch Tuesday heads-up: 14 bulletins, 34 vulnerabilitie

Microsoft is planning a very busy Patch Tuesday this month: 14 bulletins with patches for 34 vulnerabilities in Windows, Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, SQL and Silverlight.

Report: In IE8, Web ads won out over privacy

Efforts to build Microsoft's Internet Explorer 8 with more robust privacy settings were reportedly stifled by the needs of online advertisers to track user activity, according to a story in Monday's Wall Street Journal.

How to Buy a Laptop

Shopping for a laptop, but completely baffled by the myriad options available on the market? We clear through the clutter to guide you to your perfect laptop.

ClickTV - Ditch Cable TV and Watch Shows When you Want

Let's face it, cable TV service is not exactly cheap and if you want to time-shift your TV shows you have to either rent a special box from your cable provider or pay for another service with a box like TIVO. Thankfully, there are other ways to watch TV without having to pay for cable TV. As long as you have an Internet connection you can go to network sites like ABC.com and NBC.com to see some of your favorite shows. And now, we've released a new utility called ClickTV that lets you watch your favorite shows whenever you want.

Free Audio Books Online

This is a listing of 64 sites that legally offer free audio books, either for online listening or for download.

Tips and Tricks for Windows 7 and Google

Windows 7 Overtakes Windows Vista!

Yes, it’s here, the day that Microsoft has longed for ever since the first reviews of Windows Vista came in. Windows 7 has finally managed to overtake Windows Vista in terms of market share, 10 months after its release. While Windows 7 may still have a long way to go before it surpasses Windows XP, it’s definitely heading in the right direction to do so.

50 Ways to Make the Most of Windows 7

Microsoft's latest OS is rich in features and performance, but there's always room for improvement. Try these tips to optimize your system.

Windows 7 Addons: Fill in the Missing Features

Windows doesn't do everything it should or we'd like, but that's OK. This collection of free programs adds the features Microsoft left out.

Gmail Users Can Now Sign In To Multiple Accounts

Google has added a feature that lets Gmail users sign into multiple e-mail accounts from the same browser. Google's new feature also works with Google Calendar, Google Reader, Google Sites and others. The new Gmail feature is turned off by default, but once activated, Gmail users get a drop-down menu.

How to Migrate Your Entire Google Account to a New One

Whether you finally decided to shed sassyhacker957@gmail.com for a more professional handle or you want to swap Google accounts for less embarrassing reasons, Google doesn't have a built-in system for migrating your data to a new account. So we figured it out.

Fix For Windows Shortcut Security Flaw Due Out Today

Microsoft to release fix for Windows Shortcut flaw on Monday

Microsoft has announced plans to release of an out-of-band update today to address the Windows Shortcut flaw revealed less than two weeks ago. The software giant has been keeping a close watch on the use of .LNK files exploiting the vulnerability and has concluded that it needs to act faster than usual. This flaw affects all versions of Windows.

iPhone 4 antenna woes "significantly worse" than competition

A UK consulting firm says its tests show the "death grip" problem is real, and "significantly" worse for the iPhone 4 than other smartphones. A review from Norway is less critical, suggesting the iPhone 4 gets better signal than competing phones and may be victim to AT&T's less "robust" wireless network.

Raising the stakes in social gaming

The companies that make games with names like Sorority Life, FarmVille, and Pet Society have become some of the most sought-after in the digital-media industry, and now huge companies are starting to take sides. We already knew that there was a lot of money being thrown around in social gaming, but now it's evident that there's far more money at stake even than that. Billions of dollars, even.

Five Best Book Recommendation Services

It's disappointing to haul a book home from the library or shell out hard-earned cash at the bookstore only to settle in at home and find you don't enjoy it one bit. Stock your reading list with these five great recommendation services.

Microsoft OneNote - Download the standalone trial version for OneNote 2010

OneNote is my favorite Microsoft program and probably the most used software on all my computers. Basically, it is a place where you can collect all your information in one place. Collect text, images, drawings, ideas Web pages and much more, all in one place. Although it is available on all versions of Office 2010, now you can download a standalone 60 trial version to try out for free. Warning...if you use it, you will want to buy it.

New Kindle Coming Your Way for $139

Amazon unveils new Kindle; Assessing the e-reader fallout

With the latest Kindle, Amazon is looking to take the offensive on pricing. Barnes & Noble’s recent price cut put Amazon on its heels a bit. Now Amazon is launching a Wi-Fi-only Kindle for $139, $10 cheaper than the Wi-Fi-only Nook. A 3G/Wi-Fi Kindle will run you $189. There is also a sharp Kindle cover that includes a built-in reading light that runs off of the device’s battery, but that’ll set you back $59.99.

iPhone 4 antenna woes "significantly worse" than competition

A UK consulting firm says its tests show the "death grip" problem is real, and "significantly" worse for the iPhone 4 than other smartphones. A review from Norway is less critical, suggesting the iPhone 4 gets better signal than competing phones and may be victim to AT&T's less "robust" wireless network.

10 tweaks to make Office 2010 work the way you want

The latest version of Microsoft Office has some nice new features and usability improvements, but for many of us, the default settings just don’t do the trick. As good as Office 2010 is, you can make it better by customizing configuration settings and installing a few add-ins. In this article, we’ll look at 10 ways you can make your Office 2010 experience a better one.

Five Best Book Recommendation Services

It's disappointing to haul a book home from the library or shell out hard-earned cash at the bookstore only to settle in at home and find you don't enjoy it one bit. Stock your reading list with these five great recommendation services.

Best Free Download Manager

Good download managers also allow you to start several concurrent download sessions from available resources for the one file. This works by splitting the file into parts with each part downloaded at the same time from the various resources. At the end the file is then re-assembled. This can result in dramatic improvements in download speed given a transmission speed limited by internet service providers.

More Trouble for Folks with Something to Hide

WikiLeaks Vows To Put More Documents Online

WikiLeaks has been posting sensitive information to the web since 2006, passing along transcripts, secret videos and more. Now, in the wake of the latest scandal involving reports on Afghanistan, its founder, Julian Assange, pledges to keep posting, fearing only that the group won't be able to "do justice" to the material it's getting in.

Augen's $150 Android tablet hits Kmart circular, coming to stores later this week

We can't say we've heard of Augen before, but the company certainly sparked our interest (and that of Kmart circular readers) this weekend with its $149.99 7-inch Android tablet. Oh yes, you heard right shoppers -- the small Florida-based shop is bringing an Android 2.1 tablet with WiFi, 2GB of storage and 256MB of RAM to a store near you for just 150 buckaroos.

Firefox's next big innovation: A new OS-like interface

During 2010, Firefox has had much of its momentum as an alternative Web browser stolen by Google Chrome. However, a new Firefox innovation called Tab Candy will make Firefox act more like a operating system, with much-improved multitasking and sharing capabilities. In fact, if the Firefox team can pull off all of the features of Tab Candy that it recently demonstrated, it would leapfrog Chrome in functionality.

Sunbird: Your Calendar, Your Way

Computerized calendars are all about convenience. Your calendar app -- perhaps more than any other type of software -- has to work the way you need it. Mozilla's Sunbird gives you customization options for the interface as well as a rich set of under-the-hood controls for setting up where, how and when the application gets its information.

123 Free Solitaire 2009 - Free

As nostalgic as the image of the classic green Solitaire may be, 123 Free Solitaire 2009 7.1 offers the same fun plus more games and sleeker looks.

Secret Afgan War Files Go Public: It Ain’t Pretty

Wikileaks releases massive set of Afghan war files

Wikileaks, the document-leaking organization that has previously released internal U.S. military videos, on Sunday disclosed more than 75,000 confidential files related to the war in Afghanistan. About 76,900 of the files--which the group calls the "Afghan War Diary"--appeared on Wikileaks.org at around 4 p.m. PDT. Wikileaks says it has delayed the release of an additional 15,000 files to allow names and other sensitive information to be removed.

Apple, No. 1 in security holes, report says

In its recently released half year report, Danish security firm Secunia found that Apple surpassed Oracle this year as the software developer with the most vulnerabilities.

Surprising Poll Finds Most iPhone Users Like AT&T

Amid complaints about AT&T's iPhone service that have prompted speculation about rivals T-Mobile or Verizon Wireless getting the iPhone, a poll has found that most iPhone users like AT&T. The author of the Yankee Group study said the results may be more of a reflection on Apple than AT&T. Comedians have had fun with complaints about AT&T.

Use the Reliability Monitor to Find What's Wrong with Your PC

Windows has had a Performance Monitor since the earliest days of NT, but with Windows Vista, Microsoft added a great new utility, the Reliability Monitor, which tracks the overall reliability of your PC over time, keeping up to a year of PC use history. In Vista, the Performance Monitor and Reliability Monitor were part of a combined tool. But now, in Windows 7, they live as separate tools. You can access the Reliability Monitor, shown here, by typing relia into Start Menu Search.

Free Fonts

Want Free Fonts to use on your projects and designs? Look through our free font downloads here. We have files for both the PC and MAC computers so nobody is left out except Linux. Use these fonts on your photoshop, illustrator or any graphics software package you use.

Friday Errata…But Still Interesting

TrueCrypt levels up: Hardware acceleration, convenience improvements

There's no killer feature update to TrueCrypt 7 as there was in version 6. Still, the latest revision to the popular open-source and free encryption program for Windows, Mac, and Linux debuts some new features and security enhancements that make it worth the upgrade.

Adobe Photoshop CS5 Review

The latest version of Photoshop offers a huge number of updates and new features—large and small—so I’m going to concentrate on the standard version of Photoshop CS5 and its photo-centric features. Two factors that may affect whether or not you use Photoshop are cost and a misperception that this program is only for professionals.

Microsoft debuts beta of new Security Essentials

The new engine is smarter at detecting and removing security threats and offers a better performance, according to a Microsoft blog. The software also now integrates directly with Windows Firewall and gives users the option to turn the firewall on or off.

Windows Live shares your Messenger contacts

Anticipating its "Wave 4" Windows Live rollout of new Hotmail and Messenger apps, Microsoft made sweeping changes in how it connects you with its latest social-networking construct. With the new Live format, Microsoft pays a great deal of lip service to maintaining your privacy; but my tests show you can't trust what you see on the screen.

CintaNotes 1.1c (Windows), from Cinta Software

A free, lightweight and user-friendly personal notes manager. CintaNotes is your essential assistant in the daily task of organizing information, such as your own thoughts and ideas, article excerpts, blog postings, quotes from famous people, research data, curious facts, Wikipedia entries, you name it.

Facebook Now One of the Largest Countries in the World

Facebook's half-billion milestone is official

One of the most hyped and least surprising tech industry milestones of the past few years is finally official: Facebook announced midmorning on Wednesday that it has reached 500 million active users around the world, an unprecedented number for a social-networking site.

Amazon Sells More E-Books Than Hardcover Copies

The introduction of Apple's iPad appears to have had little effect on Amazon.com's sales of Kindle e-readers. In fact, Kindle sales grew each month in the second quarter as Amazon lowered the price. And Amazon reports customers are buying more e-books than hard covers. An analyst predicted the decline of brick-and-mortar bookstores.

Microsoft says Windows 7 Service Pack 1 due in first half 2011

Let me say upfront that this statement doesn’t necessarily mean that Microsoft won’t deliver SP1 this year. The Windows team is still chanting the underpromise/overdeliver mantra. With recent Windows releases, the team has provided estimated delivery dates that were considerably later than what they expected they could achieve, in order to make sure there were no (public) missed ship dates.

Chrome 6: What made the cut--and what missed it

Want the ability to print preview in Chrome? Me, too. But we'll have to wait, because it's one of the features that didn't make the Chrome 6 cut.

Duplicate Cleaner - Find Duplicate Files

Duplicate cleaner is a useful program to help you organize the contents of your home hard drive or corporate network. You'd be surprised just how many redundant or duplicate files you could find forgotten in an obscure documents folder. Duplicate Cleaner will deep scan for all types of files - photos, music, films/video, Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, text files - you name it, if it appears twice on your computer then Duplicate Cleaner will find it.

Why You Should Be Using LastPass

Steve Gibson is the one man I trust for security information. He runs a company called GRC (Gibson Research Corporation) at GRC.com.  There, he offers free programs and advice to test the security of your computer. My favorite is “Shields Up” that checks the security of your router.

Steve also does a weekly podcast called “Security Now” with Leo LaPorte on Leo’s TWIT network. Last week, Steve did an in-depth study of a free browser add-on called “LastPass.” And when I say in-depth, I mean really in-depth. Steve studied it for a long time, dissecting it every which way and pronounced it safe to use and recommended that everyone use it to store their passwords.

Your passwords are the weakest link in the security of your computer and your privacy. Too many of us use the same password on almost every site. Many are easily cracked. We use the name of a spouse, a child, a dog, or a word that can be found in the dictionary. Many have way too few characters. And yes, I have been guilty of this in past myself.  These kind of passwords are easily cracked…and could open up your life to identity theft.

A good password, according to Steve, should be 10 characters long, have upper and lower case letters, include some numbers and should not be words found in a dictionary…in other words, gibberish.  If you do that, the number of permutations would be on the order of 7.6 x 10¹⁷.  To put that number in perspective, that would be approximately the number of yards in a light-year. Good luck trying to guess that kind of password.

Of course, the problem with this kind of password is trying to remember it. LastPass will do it for you. Not only that, when you go to a Web site for the first time and create a login, LastPass will offer to generate random passwords for you of any specified length and store them for you. When you back to that Web site, the program will automatically pop-up and log you in. How far you want LastPass to go is up to you. LastPass is extremely intuitive.

But, how safe is LastPass? It is so safe that even the parent company doesn’t know your passwords. They are stored on their servers in the cloud using a random method of encryption that is between you and your computer. No employee of LastPass can retrieve it. I have set LastPass on my laptops to automatically log off LastPass if my browser has not been used for an hour, so if my laptop is stolen, they cannot get at my passwords.

Another great feature of LastPass is automatic form filling. I filled out a long form on LastPass that has all my personal data, and when I run into a form on the Net that must be filled out, LastPass pops up and asks if you want it filled out.  Again, it is very intuitive.

I have been using LastPass for sometime now, but even I did not know about many of its features until I listened to Steve’s podcast.  If you would like to hear Steve’s analysis of LastPass, check out the podcast on the TWIT Network site.  Skip ahead to approximately the last hour of the show.  I warn you that Steve is very detail oriented and might lose you sometimes in the details, but if he says it is good…believe him.

Even if you don’t listen to him, check out LastPass and add it to your browser’s add-on’s.  It works with almost all browsers.  And it is free.

This Was Not Apple’s Best Day

Apple's 'Antennagate' mea culpa - free case until Sept 30

After being dogged by problems with the iPhone 4, Apple today held a press conference announcing what it hopes will solve the problem for good. As the NYTimes predicted, Apple didn’t issue a sweeping recall. Instead I can summarize Apple’s response in five words “free case until September 30.”

Apple was warned about iPhone 4 antenna issues

Possible reception problems with the iPhone 4 were raised early in the design process by Apple’s antenna expert, according to a Bloomberg report Thursday. A carrier partner also issued some red flags about possible antenna problem.

Whoopi Goldberg smashes up her iPhone 4

As the iPhone 4 is tossed in the winds, real and imaginary, of public relations, one of America's most influential commentators admitted she had assaulted, nay, "murdered," her new iPhone.

What to do with passwords once you create them

Cryptography expert Bruce Schneier used to write his passwords down on a slip of paper and keep it in his wallet. Today, he uses a free Windows password-storage tool called Password Safe that he designed five years ago and released into the open-source community. The desktop application lets users remember only one master password to access their password list. I prefer LastPass as its cross platform and has so many options to help you out. Totally safe...even LastPass employees have no access to your passwords.

Connect to Any PC Remotely with Team Viewer

Microsoft left out of the Home Premium versions Vista and Windows 7 the ability to remotely connect to another PC. That feature is only available in the Professional and higher versions of Windows. But why pay extra to upgrade when you can get get the same capabilities using a free remote connect utility. Indeed our Hot Finds editor has a particular favorite which he feels is even better than Microsoft's Windows Remote Desktop program.

A Little News and a Few Tips

Music Moguls Helping to Make Lawyers Rich

RIAA forks out $64 million to catch music pirates, recovers just $1.3 million in 3 years

Microsoft Office 2010 sales on the slow side

Analyst firm NPD Group says sales of Office 2010 have been disappointing to date. Yes, sales so far are roughly in line with those of Office 2007 right now, but it’s selling more slowly than Office 2007 did at launch three years ago.

Data Security - Outlook Links To Facebook, Windows Live Messenger

Facebook and Windows Live Messenger have been added to the Outlook Social Connector in Office 2010. Plug-ins allow the 2003 and 2007 Office versions to use the Outlook Social Connector from the in-box. Microsoft expects to add more social links to Outlook Social Connector. Status updates and photos display with e-mail.

Phone Scoop

Looking for a new cell phone? Check out this Website to find the exact right phone for you before you head to the store. Enter your needs and see the phones that could work for you. Very good info here also.

How to Stay Safe on Public Wi-Fi Networks

Starbucks is offering free Wi-Fi to all customers at every location. Whether you're clicking connect on Starbucks' Wi-Fi or some other unsecured, public Wi-Fi network, here's how to stay safe and secure while surfing a public hotspot. You truly need to read this if you are using a public Wi-Fi.

Consumer Reports Backs Off of iPhone Recommendation

Consumer Reports: 'We were wrong about the iPhone 4"

One of — if not the — most respected product-testing labs has reversed its original positive opinion of the iPhone 4, citing results of its comprehensive testing of the Jobsian handheld's pesky antenna.

Patch Tuesday Will Fix Flaws in XP, Windows 7, Servers

July's light Patch Tuesday will fix remote-code vulnerabilities in Windows XP, Windows 7, and Windows Server versions. The four bulletins will also patch Microsoft Office, especially a flaw in Outlook. Security researchers are irked by Google engineer Tavis Ormandy, who gave Microsoft just five days to fix the Windows XP vulnerability.

Peer into Firefox's future in latest beta

Mozilla released the first beta for Firefox 4 on Tuesday, introducing a new interface design to a wider Windows audience, support for multiple technologies that aim to be essential to Web browsing in the future, and a plan for updates far more aggressive than those of the past. Check out the video to see all the changes in the user interface. You will be surprised.

How to Buy a Desktop PC Roundup

When buying a Desktop PC, you still need to make some choices when it comes to CPUs, memory, hard drive capacity and graphics technology. The good news is your money has never gone further.

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.

Google and China are Friends Again

China renews Google's Web site license

The rocky relationship between Google and Beijing had cast doubt as to whether the license would be renewed. The tension became public in January when Google said it would cease censoring search results in China and also pointed a finger at Beijing as the source of cyber attacks on Google and other U.S. companies.

Congress weighs curbs on state 'iTaxes'

If there are two things state tax collectors seem to agree on, the first is that finding more money could really come in handy right now. The second is that taxing iTunes and other digital purchases might just do the trick. A new proposal in the U.S. Congress is, however, designed to curb many of these "iTaxes," which have popped up all over the country in the last three years.

Hotmail Overhaul Adds Spam Fix, New Features

Windows Live Hotmail is Hotmail's new incarnation, offering a spam-protection overhaul and a bevy of new features that make it a contender. The new Hotmail is integrated with other Microsoft services, notably Windows Messenger (instant messaging), Bing search, online versions of Office and a web-based storage repository called SkyDrive.

Ask Maggie: On dumping cable for online video

There is a growing amount of video content online. Some of it's free, from places such as Hulu. And some of it costs money. For example, Netflix has a monthly subscription fee ($9), and Amazon offers an on-demand service that allows you to rent or buy movies and shows. For some people, mainly those who don't need live news or sports programming, cutting the cord and streaming video from the Web onto a large screen TV is a great, low-cost alternative to paid subscription TV.

Free Utility Makes MS SkyDrive Even More Useful

Microsoft is offering all users 25GB of free online storage through its SkyDrive service. This free utility allow you to access that 25GB just as if it were a local disk drive. Simple, effective, useful and free; what more can you ask?

Borders eBook Store Now on Line

Borders Launches eBook Store, BlackBerry and Android Apps

To compliment its desktop, iPhone, and iPad apps, Borders unveiled new BlackBerry and Android eReader apps today, and opened the doors on its new eBook Store that allows users to purchase books directly from Borders.com and download them to their eReader of choice. I downloaded a couple of free books to my Calibre software, converted it to a Kindle format, then sent it to my Kindle. Works great...so anyone with an e-reader can use this site.

Big-name Windows apps neglect security

Five years after Microsoft baked Data Execution Protection into Windows, many ubiquitous applications -- including QuickTime, Picasa, and OpenOffice -- still don't use it

Windows XP SP2 updates end July 13 -- but don't panic

Scare stories abound about risks as Microsoft ends support for Windows XP, but updates will continues if you've installed SP3

First Look at the Improved and Redesigned Firefox 4

Windows/Mac/Linux: Mozilla today released the first beta build of Firefox 4, complete with a new look, new features, and support for more HTML5 specs. Here's a quick screenshot tour of how it's shaping up: The big changes come in the form of an interface overhaul and some updated support for HTML5 features.

Handy Windows Utilities That Stand Out

Some third-party Windows utilities are so helpful and productive that you wonder why Microsoft didn't think of them first. With a plethora of Windows utilities to choose from, here are a few that are among the best in their categories, including tools for file synchronization, file copying, screen capture, file browsing and more.

Helpful Tips Day

10 Expert Tips For Microsoft Word 2010

Microsoft Office 2010 is vast and powerful, but there are secret techniques you've got to know to get the most out of it. Our latest collection of tips features power-user tricks for Microsoft Word 2010.

How to make the most of Starbucks' free Wi-Fi

Starbucks is now offering free, unlimited Wi-Fi access at nearly 7,000 company-operated locations across the United States. The policy change came into effect Thursday, a little more than two years after Starbucks began offering two hours of free Wi-Fi to Starbucks card holders. Now, however, the time limits are gone, and you can enjoy unlimited free Wi-Fi at your local Starbucks any time you like for as long as you like.

Google Voice newbies, start here

Once invitation-only, Google Voice's free telecommunications service for U.S. residents is now available to all. There are so many features, getting started can be confusing for first-timers.

Calibre Is an Elegant E-Book Librarian

Calibre allows for easy e-book library management, file format conversions, e-book reading and syncing with an e-reader, all from a desktop, notebook or netbook computer. Some of its best functions include downloading content from Web sites and RSS feeds and converting it to e-reader-friendly formats, as well as providing a built-in content server for easy access from any computer. Highly, highly recommended for use with any e-book reader!!

SharpEnviro Is a Smart and Crisp-Looking Windows Desktop Replacement

SharpEnviro takes your Windows desktop and remixes it beautifully. It's not as minimal as the Windows 7 default, nor as data-heavy as many alternatives. Everything—the launcher menu, the taskbar, system tray, and desktops—gets some work. Take a look.

Apple and Dell’s Big Boo Boos

A Big Error: Apple Says iPhone Meter Needs Update

Apple has admitted to an iPhone 4 problem: Its calculation for signal strength is "totally wrong." Because the iPhone 4 incorrectly displays more bars of signal than it should, Apple said, the signal drop when the iPhone 4 is gripped is larger than reality. Apple will update the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, and iPhone 3G with an AT&T formula.

The ignominious death of Dell

How can you trust a company that sells faulty PCs and then blames its customers? Dell is dead to me

Office 2010's Web tools raise security questions

Microsoft's newest Office adds some nifty Internet features, including easy access to shared documents via SkyDrive and PowerPoint Broadcast. But putting personal and business information into the cloud opens up potential security risks that all Office 2010 users should be aware of.

Seagate unleashes 'world's first' 3TB external desktop drive

For the serious digital archivers out there, Seagate has just unveiled the FreeAgent GoFlex Desk external hard drive with a new capacity of 3TB of storage space to fill as you please.

The Best Browser: Summer 2010 Edition Roundup

With the Chrome-Opera JavaScript speed war, HTML5 video support coming in IE9, and an improved Safari from Apple, can Firefox keep our Editors' Choice?

Speed up Your Boot Time with Soluto.

Trust me when I say this program (or one like it) is way overdue. I am just glad it is here now and works like a dream. Let me start at the beginning. Soluto is a new FREE program, still technically in Beta. It is designed to help improve your boot-up time by telling you just what is going on during those few startup minutes.

After you install it and reboot your computer, it starts a timer going that you see in the lower left corner that tells you just how long your boot up sequence takes. After the boot is complete, it analyzes all the processes, then explains it to you.

The explanation comes in 3 sections…first the programs you can easily remove without any problems; second, the programs you can think about removing or delaying from the startup sequence; and finally those programs you can do nothing about.

Besides telling you what each program is from all three sections, it also tells you the actual time it takes for each program to load and in many cases, recommends what you should do. Then, you have the option of removing it from the boot sequence…or having it load later after booting is complete. This later option is unique to Soluto and makes the program a necessary addition to your computer.

You may have noticed that your computer boot time has gotten longer and longer since the day you brought your computer home. That is because all of us add new programs to our systems. Many of these new programs add additional items to your boot sequence without your knowledge, thereby increasing the boot time. Soluto puts you in the picture and lets you decide what you need and don’t need.

I used it on my three active computers and was able to shave a minimum of 30 seconds of my boot time. On my desktop, I actually knocked off a minute and a half, without losing any vital functionality. I love this program and heartily recommend you download it from their Web site. Also, there is a one minute and a four minute video you should watch to get a full explanation of the power of Soluto.

The good folks at Soluto call it, “Anti Frustration Software.” I agree that is exactly what it is! So download it today…I know you will thank me.

Get a Free Audio Book from Audible–No Strings

FREE Audiobook Giveaway at Audible.com

Audible is giving away a free audio book with no strings attached until July 2. No credit card is required. Choose from many great titles.

Is Google Gunning for Facebook with 'Google Me'?

Rumors have it that Google is building its own social networking site named "Google Me" that may be the company's attempt to unseat Facebook. Is it possible for the world's most popular search engine to wage war against the world's most popular social networking site? If speculations are true, there's a chance.

An iPhone wish list looks more like an Android feature list

What do iPhone users want most? According to the results of a survey released today, the top four things that U.S. iPhone users want most are already available from Google’s Android.

Office 2010 reduces ribbon pain

The ribbon UI introduced in Office 2007 met with rejection, dejection, and outright mutiny. Be of good cheer: Office 2010 isn't bad

Turn a USB Flash Drive Into Extra Virtual RAM

It's not hard to turn an extra USB stick lying around that's collecting dust into extra memory for your computer, allowing it to run speedier and manage more applications better.

New Microsoft Live Essentials Beta Now Available

Microsoft's Free Windows Live Essentials Beta Debuts

The new Windows Live Essentials beta will be available for public testing starting Thursday, according to Microsoft. A collection of free Web-oriented applications and services for Windows Vista and Windows 7 PCs.

First Look at Windows Live Essential Beta's New Social Features

Yesterday, Microsoft dropped the new Windows Live Essentials beta, adding tons of new publishing and web service options to their suite of consumer desktop applications. Here's a look what's changed in the beta and how the new apps stack up.

SkyDrive takes on the online-storage arena

Office 2010 marked Microsoft's aggressive entrance into the cloud-computing arena, and Sky Drive is a key component of the company's move to online services. Part of the new Windows Live service, SkyDrive offers generous (25GB) — and free — online data storage and simple collaboration.

Apple: Don't hold your iPhone 4 that way

Now that the iPhone 4 has been out for more than a day (at least in some parts of the world), it’s only logical that a number of bugs have popped up. It seems the biggest one has to do with reception. Apple’s response? It’s you’re probably holding the phone the wrong way.

Barnes & Noble Nook (Wi-Fi) E-Book reader review

For the moment, the Wi-Fi-only version of the Barnes & Noble Nook is the best e-reader you can buy for less than $150.

Big Numbers for Microsoft and Apple

Apple: 3 million iPads sold in 80 days

For those keeping score at home, that's 3 million in 80 days, and 1 million sold in the last 20 days alone. Apple announced after 60 days that it had sold 2 million of the touch-screen tablets. It took Apple 28 days to sell the first million.

150 Million Windows 7 Licenses Sold - 7 Copies A Second

Microsoft announced the incredible milestone on their Windows Team Blog, those 150 million sales figures, translate into approximately 7 copies of Windows 7 being sold each second! Oh the Irony! Windows 7 reached the 100 million mark only 2 months ago, so it appears sales are really beginning to pick up big time now for Microsoft.

How HTML5 will change the Web

HTML5 will spawn richer, more sophisticated Websites while also easing development. Here are nine ways the impact of HTML5 will be felt.

Google Voice Open To All

Google on Tuesday said that Google Voice, its online voicemail and telecommunications service, is now open to everyone in the U.S. Launched in March 2009, Google Voice was previously available through invitation only.

A collection of alternative Web browsers trying to hold their own

Whether you are creating your own gaming Web site or simply checking out the latest Buzz Out Loud, trying to choose one of the dozens of Web browsers out there can be a massive waste of time. Among the big five of Firefox, Internet Explorer, Chrome, Safari, and Opera, there are still more than a dozen second-tier Web browsers that are trying to make a splash in cyberspace.

All the Microsoft Software You Can Eat for $199

I have three computers I currently use and I want to put Office Professional 2010 on all three…Price is $499 each so that is $1,500. I also want to put Windows 7 on my one laptop still running XP.  Price for Windows 7 Ultimate: $219. So that comes to over $1,700 for my purchases.

Except, I can now get all of these and more for $199 by joining Microsoft’s TechNet.  TechNet has been around for a while and it is for computer professionals and other folks who are into computers.  The Professional version of TechNet is $349 for the first year.  But just last week, Microsoft introduced the Standard Subscription for just $199 for the first year and $149 for every year after that if you wish to retain your membership.

But understand this…if you choose not to renew, your software does not expire, even if your membership does. Almost all Microsoft products are available to you with your membership at no additional cost.  Want Windows Home Server? It is there for you.

You are allowed 10 downloads of each product (only 2 for Home Server)…but since there are 3 versions of Office 2010, that means you can download 30 copies.  There are 10 versions of Windows 7 which means you can have up to 100 copies!  All for one low price of $199.  That is quite a bargain.

There are some restrictions, the main one being they can only be installed on your own computers at work or home, and you can’t run a business on them…they are for your evaluation of Microsoft software.

For more information, I recommend you read Paul Thurrott’s excellent article on the subject from his WinSuperSite blog…or just go direct to the Microsoft TechNet Website.  I am joining… are you?

PS: If you are not sure if you you want Office 2010, you can download a 60 day trial copy of it direct from Microsoft and see if it is worth it for you. I did and I really like it.  There are also some excellent tutorials of each of the Office products that are worth doing if you are considering a purchase.

The E-Book Reader Wars Escalate: Prices Crash

Barnes & Noble Offers Wi-Fi nook, Lowers 3G Price

Barnes & Noble is offering a Wi-Fi version of its nook e-reader for $149 and has lowered the price of the 3G nook to $199. A new software version for Barnes & Noble's nook also offers an "extra extra large" font size and the ability to jump to a specific page. Barnes & Noble is also emphasizing a lending option for nook e-books.

Amazon drops Kindle price to $189

Yes, the e-reader pricing wars are in full swing as Amazon has trimmed the price of the Kindle from $259 to $189. In case you're keeping score, that number is a whole $10 less than what Barnes & Noble is charging for the Nook 3G (with WiFi).

How to Rescue a Crashed PC

There's crashed... and then there's crashed. Here's the gamut of solutions for recovering your data and, perhaps, your whole system before it's too late.

Manage and Edit Photos Like a Pro

You've outgrown Picasa and iPhoto, so, what next? These pro-level photo workflow applications give photographers a way to organize and optimize large collections of images.

How to Improve Your Security When Using a Public Terminal

Using a hotel computer, one in an internet cafe or airport is a risky business. Public terminals are fine for general browsing and even (with a few precautions) collecting your email but when it comes to logging in to your bank account or making an online purchase they really should be avoided. We all know that but life doesn't always allow us to follow the rules; sometimes we simply have to use a public terminal to conduct a confidential transaction.

The Joys of InstaPaper

Ever browse the Web and discover interesting stories that you don’t have time to read? Happens to me all the time. I love to read but don’t always have time for it when I find those interesting articles.  And some are just exceedingly long and, to be honest, I don’t like reading long articles at my computer…although I’ve done it from time to time. Sound familiar?

Enter InstaPaper. This excellent Web site will save those long articles for you so you can read them later. After you join (free, of course), there is a “Read Later” button that you just drag up to the tool bar on your browser and it is installed. When you find an article you wish to read later, just click your button and it is saved for you.  Just keep clicking that button whenever you want and the stories will be added to your list.

When you are ready, go to the InstaPaper Web site to see your list. Click the “Unread” link on their site and your list pops right up.  Click on an article you want to read, and away you go. You can read the original article on the Web site, or just click the text only button to see it without all the other stuff on the web page.

But wait, there’s more. As I mentioned above, I don’t like reading long articles on my computer…I would much rather read it on my Kindle.  Much, much easier to read and I can do it anywhere, including out by the pool or in bed. With InstaPaper, I can do this. 

There is a button for the Kindle (and for other e-readers that use the EPub format). Just click it and your saved articles are downloaded to the electronic reader software on your computer (such as “Kindle for the PC”, or my favorite, “Calibre”). From that point, I just connect my Kindle to my computer via a USB cable and Calibre loads it on to my Kindle. Works like a charm. You can also load these articles on to your iPad, iPhone, Nook or any other e-reader.  And, happily, everything described here is FREE (except for the e-readers, of course).

Another feature of InstaPaper is they have a list of suggested articles on their Website that you might find interesting and you can grab those just as easily. For additional suggested articles that can also be saved to InstaPaper, checkout Longform.org.  Happy reading!!

Windows XP Users Vulnerable to Major Attack

Windows XP zero-day under attack; Use Microsoft's "fix-it" workaround

Just five days after Google researcher Tavis Ormandy released details of a critical vulnerability affecting Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, malware authors have struck, exploiting the flaw to plant malware on Windows machines.

Review: Microsoft Office Web Apps: Limited, mediocre, dismal

Is the era of desktop software over? With the general release of Office 2010 this week, Microsoft seems to be sending a mixed message. On the one hand, Office 2010 is the slickest, most feature-rich version of the suite to date. That's a clear challenge to Google, which offers a simpler, Web-based alternative to Office in the form of Google Docs. On the other hand, the simultaneous release of the Office 2010 Web Apps seems to vindicate Google's strategy by duplicating Office functionality on the Web. So which is it?

Office Starter 2010 drops the crapware, adds ads

The one Office 2010 version you probably haven’t seen is the elusive Starter edition. Microsoft hasn’t made review copies available to the press, but they did make the software available last week to partners who want to preinstall Office on new PCs for sale with Windows 7. I’ve had a chance to test a couple of new PCs with Office preinstalled. Here’s what you’ll see if you buy a new PC with this Office edition included.

Twitter: Sorry, but outages come with bigger improvement plan

There’s an old saying among traffic engineers about the traffic jams created by road construction projects that are intended to actually ease backups: “It’s gotta get worse before it can get better.” These days, that seems to also be the rule of thumb at Twitter.

Free Nitro PDF Reader Blows Away the Competition

Nitro PDF Reader (free) is the most powerful free PDF reading and creation tool you can find, performing many tasks usually only available in for-pay PDF tools. As a PDF reader, it's lighting fast.

Free WiFi Coming to Starbucks

Starbucks To Offer Free Wi-Fi at 6,700 U.S. Sites

Starbucks will be serving up a hot new treat: free Wi-Fi service at more than 6,700 locations. The move comes six months after Starbucks' competitor McDonald's began offering free Wi-Fi at 11,500 U.S. locations, along with a revamped coffee lineup. Starbucks also said customers will get free access to online content through its Wi-Fi.

Microsoft's Kinect for Xbox 360 at a glance

Kinect, which was formerly known by its code name Project Natal, is a motion control system that sits between the user and their Xbox and TV. The special sauce of the system is that it can both sense motion in 3D using 3D depth sensors and recognize user's speech, via a multi-array microphone. That means that it can react both to what a user does with any part of their body, and to their spoken commands. As a result, users can activate Kinect by waving their hand, and get things like game and movie playback to stop, pause, or resume with nothing more than a voice command.

FIFA World Cup 2010—3D, HDTV, Cell Phone & Web Viewer's Guide

We've compiled the best ways for all you soccer (football) fanatics to watch, listen or track all of the FIFA World Cup 2010 action—whether you're watching online, on your TV, using your phone, or something else.

12 Tips to Speed Up Windows 7 Tips, Solutions & How Tos

Sure, Windows 7 is much faster than slowpoke Vista, but there's still room for improvement. Here are a dozen tricks to that can make Windows 7 faster.

How To Permanently Delete Your Account on Popular Websites

We all have an increasing number of sites and online services we’re members of, and sometimes it all gets a little overwhelming. At times, we just need to delete our memberships to some sites, either in an effort to simplify our lives or just because we’ve grown tired of a particular site or service. What we often don’t realize when signing up for all these accounts, though, is how difficult it can be to permanently delete our accounts when we’ve had enough. Some require complicated, multi-step processes that can stretch over the course of days (or weeks). Others take less time, but still require multiple steps by the user.

Hackers Get Personal Data from 114,000 iPad Users

AT&T Web site exposes data of 114,000 iPad users

A group of hackers exploited a hole in an AT&T Web site to get e-mail addresses of about 114,000 iPad users, including what appears to be top officials in government, finance, media, technology, and military. The leak could have affected all iPad 3G subscribers in the U.S., according to Gawker, which broke the story on Wednesday. Among the iPad users who appeared to have been affected were White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, journalist Diane Sawyer, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, movie producer Harvey Weinstein, and New York Times CEO Janet Robinson.

Suicide, stupidity, and the iPhone

iPhones are made in a Chinese factory where conditions are so bleak workers throw themselves out the window in despair. In central Africa, the mining of coltan, tungsten, and other minerals crucial to the manufacture of cell phones has fueled a series of bloody civil wars. And did I mention that smartphone users kill themselves and others by driving while talking and texting, and even those who don't risk shortening their attention span to that of a mosquito?

Microsoft Offers Web-based Office Applications for Free

Microsoft has quietly launched the beta version of its own free online suite of office programs. Called “Office Web Apps” it offers free online versions of Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint and Microsoft OneNote. Even better they are giving users 25 GB of free online storage to store their documents on Microsoft’s SkyDrive service.

What’s the Difference Between Viruses, Trojans, Worms, and Other Malware?

How much do you really know about viruses, spyware, scareware, trojans, and worms? Here's a helpful guide to understanding all the different types of malware.

Little-known beta apps enhance Gmail's usability

While there's much to like about Gmail, there's also much that's missing — such as multiple signatures, hierarchical tags, and the ability to embed pictures as part of your mail. You might be surprised to learn that Gmail actually does support those features, and about 50 more, in a beta program called Gmail Labs.

Google’s New Search and OneNote Make Their Web Debuts

Google's new search index Caffeine goes live

Google has finally released the awaited update to its search indexing technology, providing a jolt of Caffeine to the search industry. The company announced the release of its Caffeine indexing technology--which it has been testing for almost a year--in a blog post late Tuesday evening. "Caffeine provides 50 percent fresher results for web searches than our last index, and it's the largest collection of web content we've offered."

The OneNote Web App is Here

Like its Word, Excel, and PowerPoint counterparts, the OneNote Web App extends your Microsoft Office 2010 experience to the Web browser, where you can work with your notes, files, and documents in a central location that you can access from anywhere. You can use the OneNote Web App with a free Windows Live (a.k.a. SkyDrive) account or on a SharePoint 2010 site in your organization.

Lightroom 3 gets new core, features

Adobe Systems plans to release Photoshop Lightroom 3 late Monday, swapping in a new engine and bolting some significant new photography extras onto a user interface that largely remains the same.

Fixing the Internet would be easy -- if we tried

There's no escaping the fact that the Internet is a dangerous place, rife with malware and security holes that expose individuals and businesses to millions of dollars in losses to cyber criminals every day. Making the Internet safer should be a high priority throughout the world. Moreover, it wouldn't even be all that difficult, if the right people were to gather in a room to tackle the problem

SUPERAntiSpyware Portable Scanner

SuperAntiSpyware is a program that augments anti-virus programs like Microsoft Security Essentials. It is free and works very well. I’ve used it in my computer for some time. This new version works on a USB stick so I no longer have to have the program running in my Startup, saving memory. Give it a try.

Apple Unveils the New iPhone 4

iPhone 4 unveiled: gets HD video, LED flash, dual cameras

During a keynote address at WWDC today, Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced the next revision of the company's iconic iPhone hardware. Dubbed "iPhone 4," Jobs called the new iPhone model "the biggest leap since the original iPhone." He said that the new device has over 100 new features, but he detailed just eight of them during his presentation.

Adobe Warns of Critical Risks for Flash & Acrobat

Trouble's looming out there, says Adobe, in the form of a critical vulnerability that can cause your computer to crash or allow an attacker to take control of your system. The Adobe warning comes as no surprise. Symantec recently predicted that Adobe software, especially Acrobat Reader and Flash, will take top spot as a target for cybercriminals.

Panda adds heft to its Cloud AV

Exclusively available today from CNET Download.com, Cloud Antivirus 1.1 now more closely resembles a traditional antivirus program, at least in features offered, and includes a behavioral blocking engine that can protect users against generic nonbrowser exploits, new configuration options, and default deactivation of autorun in Windows.

How-To Photograph Tips: Summer Edition Round-Up

It’s finally summertime! So it’s time to break out that dusty digital SLR or point-and-shoot camera and hit the outdoors. There are plenty of lovely subjects to photograph outside, but sometimes there are some summery weather aspects that actually get in the way (i.e. bright sunlight). Here’s a round-up of some of our past how-to guides that could help while on your vacation photo shoots or at that Fourth of July barbecue.

Wallpaper Master - Freeware! Keeping your desktop fresh everyday.

Wallpaper Master is a powerful and highly customizable desktop wallpaper manager and cycler. It will automatically change your background wallpaper with a huge range of options, and is great for indexing large collections of personal photos or any kind of image.

So, Who Has the Fastest Mobile Network?

The Fastest Mobile Networks 2010

This is it, the story you've been waiting for; the one that will tell you if your mobile network is delivering high-quality fast data speeds you've been craving. PCMag sent a team across the U.S. to test mobile broadband (3G and 4G) speeds in 18 cities. The results of this exhaustive report may surprise you.

Microsoft unveils Windows Live Essentials Wave 4

After unveiling what's next for the most popular Windows Live client application, Messenger, and the most popular Windows Live web service, Hotmail, Microsoft is now ready to zero in on (most of) the remaining client applications in the Windows Live Essentials suite.

Patch Tuesday heads-up: 10 bulletins, 34 flaws

Microsoft’s Patch Tuesday this month will be a big one: 10 bulletins fixing 34 vulnerabilities in Windows, Office and Internet Explorer. Three of the 10 bulletins will be rated “critical,” Microsoft’s highest severity rating.

Five small and essential apps to armor your PC

Firewalls and antivirus programs can't do all the work of safe computing — small, targeted utility apps that encrypt your files, keep your passwords safe, and clean up your PC add to your protection. I have five of these small security apps that I wouldn't want to do without. Chances are you could use them, too; if not now, then someday. What's even better — they're free.

10 useful Firefox-based apps

Here are 10 useful desktop programs that run on the open-source Web browser's native technology. All of these applications are free for you to download and use -- and only one is a Web browser.

How One Publisher is Screwing E-Book Readers

Penguin Group Declares War on Kindle Owners

Penguin Group Declares War on Kindle Owners with Bizarre Array of Exorbitant and Nonsensical Kindle Store Prices; Some Are 200-300% Higher; Many Exceed Paperback Prices.

Keep tabs on what Google knows about you

To view the information Google's servers store about you (or at least the amount the company is willing to fess up to storing), sign in to your Google account and scroll through the Google Dashboard.

New AT&T data plans for iPhones, iPads, more

AT&T has announced a new set of data plans, starting Monday, for smartphones and tablets (read: iPads) that appear to come cheaper than current plans. Although the changes might leave some people scratching their heads, I see more to like than dislike--such as iPhone tethering.

Netbooks vs. Tablets: How to Decide

Laptops and netbooks are optimized for content creation. But in any given day, content creation only takes up 25 percent of the time most people spend on computers. The other 75 percent is spent consuming content.

Best Free PDF Tools

Learn more about PDF creators and software that converts PDF files to other media. In this review, programs designed to combine merging, splitting and other capabilities in a single application are discussed under General Tools. Those designed for a more specific task are grouped under Specific Tools.

Hey Yahoo E-Mail Clients – A Surprise is Coming Your Way

Yahoo to turn subscribers' e-mail contact lists into social networking base

Over the next few weeks, its 280 million e-mail users will be able to exchange comments, pictures and news articles with others in their address books. The program won't expose a user's contact list to the public, as was done by Google through its social networking application, Buzz. But unless a user proactively opts out of the program, those Yahoo e-mail subscribers will automatically be part of a sweeping rollout of features that will incorporate the kinds of sharing done on sites such as Facebook and MySpace.

Navigate Facebook's new privacy paradigm

Once again, Facebook has changed its privacy settings. Like the last time this happened, today's improvements are still a mixed bag, but a better one: they are generally easier to use but not as simple as they could be. There are a couple of curve balls thrown in, too.

Old Computers Can Have New Uses

Windows 7 has ushered in a wave of new computer purchases, but that doesn't mean old machines should be dumped. A variety of new uses can create new life for your old machine. Creating a Windows Home Server or a software test bed are options. And, if you ever wanted to experiment with Linux, there's no better way than using an old computer.

Easy Online Backup Roundup

Backup that saves your files off-site is one cloud computing service everyone should consider. Here are a handful of our most recent online backup reviews.

Lifehacker Pack 2010: Our List of Essential Windows Downloads

We feature hundreds of different downloads every year at Lifehacker. If all you want is the best of the best, look no further than our annual Lifehacker Pack: One download that installs only our favorite, must-have Windows applications in a few clicks.