High Speed Google Search is Here

Google Instant Filters Your Google Search Results As You Type

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

Mozilla patches DLL load hijacking vulnerability

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

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

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

Windows 7 Calculator Tips and Tricks

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

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

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

The New Chrome Browser is Here

A Newer, Shinier Google Chrome 6 Browser Arrives

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

Apple's Ping dinged by spam

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

SuperSite for Windows: Apple iTunes 10 - A Review

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

Password Protection: How to Create Strong Passwords

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

Hotmail Now Supports Push Email and Other Features

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

What I Use–Part 1

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

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

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

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

Utilities

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

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

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

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

I will continue this series next week.

Apple’s Big Day

New iPods abound including multitouch nano at Apple event

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

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

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

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

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

Windows 7 Family Pack to make a comeback in October

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

FilerFrog adds loads of useful actions to your Windows context menu

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

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.