We all hear the word Cloud every now and then but I am sure many of us aren’t exactly very sure about The Cloud and Cloud Computing . So first of all, it is important to understand, what is the cloud? Cloud is just a metaphor for internet, when we say cloud, we are just referring to internet only and simply the services we use using internet – through our web browsers. Our current model: You own your PC, laptop, phone, netbook, etc. and...
Whether you're upgrading or repairing your computer, at some point in time you'll be faced with the task of reinstalling your operating system, especially in the Windows world. As I can personally attest, most of the frustration with starting fresh comes from losing your installed programs and customized settings with them. Sure, you can create tweaked installation discs to automate the process and have all your drivers, programs and settings already in place. The problem is...
Microsoft’s Kinect has been awarded The National Parenting Center’s 2011 Seal of Approval recommending it for age 6 and up. The National Parenting Center was founded in July of 1989 with the intention of providing the most comprehensive and responsible parenting advice to parents everywhere. Unless you live in a cave it is pretty hard to avoid the crush of media coverage for Microsoft’s newest baby, the Kinect for Xbox. Hype can be a blessing or a c...
Hi folks, I hope you’re enjoying the weekend. I just became aware of this and thought you should also although there’s no fix for it at present. XP and Vista appear to be vulnerable while Windows 7 does not. Microsoft Security Advisory (2490606) Vulnerability in Graphics Rendering Engine Could Allow Remote Code Execution Published: January 04, 2011 | Updated: January 05, 2011 Version: 1.1 General Information Executive Summary Microsoft i...
How secure is your wireless network? Are your neighbors eavesdropping on your Internet connection (are you sure)? Have you ever used your laptop or netbook to connect to an unknown network in order to get on the Internet? If you've answered "Yes" to any of these questions, you are putting yourself at a huge security risk. So, what steps can you take to better protect yourself, your personal information, and your PC? Here's a list of 10 things yo...
Microsoft has a huge line up of paid software (thanks, Captain Obvious), but it also has lots of high quality software that are available for free to use. Here is my list of top five must have free software from Microsoft. 1. Microsoft Security Essentials : It is a free security suite ( Genuine Windows validation required ) developed by Microsoft to protect your Windows based computer from viruses, spyware and other malicious software. It is available to download fro...
Just a quick warning! Microsoft is today warning users of fake security alerts arriving via email. Microsoft is reminding users that it never sends out security alerts with attachments via email and that you should never open such an email if it arrives in your inbox . Microsoft Email Security Updates are a Scam Cyber-criminals have been sending a so-called Microsoft updates that are actually viruses. This scam in particular takes advantage of Microsoft's well-established ...
Magazines really hate it when you let your subscription lapse. The time between receiving your first issue and receiving your first renewal notice can be amazingly short. If you like the magazine that's not a problem; you can renew any time and simply extend your subscription. Not all security software subscriptions work the same way, though. In particular, if you renew your Kaspersky subscription too early you can incur a significant loss. I'm bringing this t...
This is a “Special Request” dedicated to TheAVMan for all the folks on Stardock sites using Windows 7 phones. How to download updates link: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsphone/en-us/howto/wp7/basics/how-do-i-update-my-phone-software.aspx And a special little present - a link to the apps for your phone: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsphone/en-us/apps/default.aspx Microsoft has finally gone official on its website and declared t...
“Gimme!” or, “Poof Goes My New Year's Savings Resolution”. I love the idea of tablets . I always have. Here's my Plan A (and I bet Lightstar 's too!) : The Asus Eee Slider: It's a smallish, thin, quickly accessible portable computer with (hopefully) a low performance overhead. One of my biggest gripes with tablets is the size of my thumbs. Well, more accurately the size of the software keyboard keys and how they relate to ...
Everyone makes New Year's resolutions (yep, I've heard the one about 1920 x 1080p). This one should bring peace of mind to WC'ers with children aged 6–12. Bringing this to you makes me feel better about being a grandparent, and yes...talk to your children about it for your grandchildren. You might be accused of being a “helicopter grandparent”, but don't forget, helicopters are for rescue, too. Ask Kids is a search engine designed exclusively fo...
First, you've undoubtedly noticed Reporter Winky . My special thanks to Xiandi for allowing me to use her art in my posts. On my last post I showed how to create a Windows 7 themepack. But what if you want to use the wallpapers of any themepack separately? Well if you are using 7-Zip as your extraction utility, it shouldn’t be a problem! Simply right click on the themepack file and select “Extract”. But if you are not using ...
Well, the holidays are over, the tinsel, decorations and trees are coming down, the wrapping paper saved or disposed of....but you have memories: The children, grandchildren, loved ones, friends, festive meals, dancing, great parties, etc. After you've processed and fixed up your images, you can burn a disk, put them on Skydrive, file them away... OR You can make your own .themepack and you can make a desktop theme with rotating wallpapers, special sounds, fa...
So why is Doc telling us about a Trojan-Virus for a phone so few have? The reason is that Sydneysiders PM'd me with this story and by doing so in her usual, understated Ozzie way, dropped a bomb with a sputtering fuse right in my lap(top). The implications are quite unpleasant for us all. First some background. A virus infecting mobile phones using Google's Android operating system has emerged in China that can allow a hacker to gain access t...
Windows (ALL current editions) is vulnerable to a hack through it’s MIME HTML handling protocol. This vulnerability would allow malicious code to be run through Internet Explorer and through Opera . This is a variant of XSS (Cross Site Scripting). Firefox requires an add-on to read and write MHTML files. In it’s default configuration it is not vulnerable, Safari and Chrome are not either. Microsoft recommended that users lock down the MHTML protocol handler by runni...