Computer Net Daily

Top 10 mistakes in the Apple iPhone interface

2007-07-02T01:05:00.001-05:00

I love the iPhone. It’s here to stay as my primary cell phone. But I’ve come across a bunch of things that make me think Apple rushed at the end to get this thing out there. Here’s my list of the top 10 mistakes Apple made with the iPhone interface.

read more | digg story

Apple pays $700,000 for bloggers' legal fees

2007-07-01T23:31:00.001-05:00

Bloggers and online journalists have completed their final victory lap in a protracted fight against iPod maker Apple Inc. Earlier this month, a Santa Clara County Court ordered Apple to pay the legal

read more | digg story

Norton AntiVirus is A Virus

2007-06-17T23:29:00.001-05:00

The most precompiled program in all new computers IS a virus to anyone who knows anything about computers.

read more | digg story

Top 25 Killer Apps of All Time

2006-12-20T22:40:00.000-06:00

eWeek counts down the top 35 best killer apps over the many years.

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See real-time weather on a Google map

2006-12-20T22:39:00.000-06:00

Weather junkies, your site has come in. Weather Bonk gives you not only the local forecast, but also traffic webcams, monthly averages and live conditions overlaid on a Google map.

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Google has Site Status Update Tool to Reveal Your Good or Bad Standing

2006-12-20T22:38:00.000-06:00

Very cool little tool that can only help you if you're the actual owner of the site.

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The Importance Of Performing A Regular Virus Check

2006-12-20T22:26:00.000-06:00

Everyone is bound to encounter a computer virus at some point. These nuisances can crash your computer or leave it running at a snail’s pace. There are a few powerful ones that can erase all of your data and render your machine useless. There are antivirus software packages out there, but they can’t always protect your computer. For this reason, you need to keep a vigilant watch, and never forget to run a virus check.
Norton and some antivirus software will give you automatic updates, so always remember to download these. This information is vital in keeping your computer free of viruses. Computer viruses are constantly evolving, and those people who produce them are always looking for ways to infect your computer. Those who have broadband internet service are in high risk of getting computer viruses.
If your computer does not have an antivirus software, you can find free virus check on the World-Wide-Web. There are some that will scan your computer for viruses, but most of them stop there.

A friend told me that he spent two days looking for a virus check that found the viruses and then took care of them. There are some services that will scan your computer, inform you of what you have, and then tell you that you must pay for their software before they can get rid of your computer’s viruses.

This trick is quite common, and the case is often the same with free spyware and malware scans. You should read the fine print before you put your computer through a time consuming virus check, only to be informed that you must then purchase the product.

There are some scans that offer a free trial period, and you should take advantage of their offer. You will often like their service so much that you will decide to purchase their product. This is the best way to know if a virus check is worth your money.You should also look into customer support whenever you run a virus check. You will appreciate a company that offers online support if you run into trouble. There are also some viruses that can only be removed manually. This is a lengthy and complicated procedure. When you are in this kind of predicament, it is comforting to know that help is at your fingertips.

Why Paid Web Hosting Is Better Than Free Web Hosting

2006-12-20T22:18:00.000-06:00

Of course there is an up side to going with a free web hosting service.

The obvious is it’s free. There will never be fee for your domain name. Unfortunately that’s about the only up side I can see.
The main downside to selecting a free web hosting service is the advertisements and pop-ups that are non stop. Also you URL will have their company name in it, for example username.freeserversz.com.
Free web hosting services usually allow a lower bandwidth then paid hosts. Sometimes free web hosting sites have been known to change their terms & conditions, or even cancel their free hosts and force you to either pay them or lose your site. In essence, the free host controls everything you and your website does, and this isn’t good. If you ever want to monetize your site in the future, you’ll be severely limited with what you can do. How can you monetize your site if you don’t control it?
If you are planning on using your website as a person site for family and friends, then a free web hosting is sufficient. However if you are using your website for business purposes, then like mentioned before it is highly recommended you invest in a paid web hosting service.
There is only one downside to paid hosting, they cost you money. However there are many upsides included in this investment. With paid hosting you host your own domain, so if you change the web hosting service in the future you can easily transfer the domain to your new provider with out any loss of traffic.
Paid hosting services usually offer 24/7 customer support through email, live-chat, or toll-free phone support. With paid hosting you are generally offered enough disk space and bandwidth. The internet offers free PHP scripts that you can download and easily use, even if you aren’t a computer programmer.

Published by Nemesis Web Hosting. Click here to Compare Our Plans for web hosting. "
Related Articles - internet, local news, information, political opinion,

Great Tips on How to Make Your Website

2006-12-20T22:13:00.000-06:00

I believe computers are the greatest thing ever! Don’t you just love all the things you can do with a PC or a MAC? And what matters so much is not what they can accomplish but that they can accomplish it from our homes.

I simply love the fact that I don’t have to go out to a secret government agency just because I want to get access to a computer. Today all it takes is a few hundred dollar desktop PCs and an Internet connection. There are many things you can do online and you can even make your website free of charge.

Well, maybe not absolutely free as you will have to pay for a domain name if you want it to be your own. But this expense is not that great, so it is still well worth making your website.

Have you ever thought about having your own website? If you are not sure why you might want to make your website then let me tell you a few good reasons. First of all, I suppose you just like anyone else have hundreds of photos and messages.
If you gather all the photos your relative have then you make a huge family reunion-style website and so all the members of your family could log onto it and check for updates, see all the pictures and read messages. Isn’t that a good reason to make your website?

Actually my brother recently did that and now we all log on, view pictures and sends messages. As many of our relatives live abroad or in other states, this is a good way to stay in touch with one another. A second reason why you should make your website is related to your business undertakings.

For example, if you have a home-based or personal business you can market it online through a web site. It is easy to make one and send out ads all over the Internet to initiate business. Market your business to the masses by creating your own website.

If you think your website is not profitable enough maybe because it lacks quality content. Get the right material for your website and you’ll see many new customers. It doesn’t matter if you have a website or are considering making one, you should know that this is not a difficult task.

You only have to hop online and get tips and instructions how to make your own website. Get your business growing and enhance your personal life by creating a great website of your own. This is the technology you cannot live without.

How To Build A PC

2006-12-20T22:07:00.000-06:00

It has always been my dream to build a gaming PC for my gaming needs. My brother would always say, why build a PC when you can buy one. Well, there are a few reasons why I want to do this.

It’s a little known fact, but the reason why modern desktops are so powerful is not because they need to be. Most applications, such as Internet surfing, word processing, and even watching movies, does not require all that much processing power.

What happens is that major software companies, especially Microsoft, build large inefficient operating systems that hog a whole lot of processing power, and drive up the demands. If software were designed in a reasonable fashion, our needs can probably be satisfied with 90’s technology, along with a graphics card.

The main reason behind my dream to build a PC is an exception to this rule: gaming. If you want to play the most powerful games, you need a PC that can handle them. You can build a PC for well under $1,000 that can handle the graphics and processing of inventive modern games. If you buy a PC from the big commercial PC manufacturers, it will cost you three times as much.

You will still spend as much as $1600 for a good gaming PC, if you go to one of the small independent companies that offers to build a PC for you. I just do not have that kind of money, and I don’t want to spend that much on a computer that will become obsolete in about five years.

I have a friend who has offered to help me build my own computer, but I am always unsure. Although he seems to really know what he is talking about, he is not a very practical person. His computer is always broken down and being fixed. There are moments when I think that he breaks it on purpose, just so he can fix it again.

I have no desire to build a PC that needs constant repairs. I want to own a PC that is reliable, and that requires as little maintenance as possible. However, I have heard that building a PC is a very difficult process to complete without any expert assistance. Perhaps I should just go to one of those small build a PC companies

The Doom of Operating Systems without Internet

2006-10-10T00:02:00.000-05:00

Opinion: The set of software that I use on my computer has changed quite a bit over the years. When I first started computing, I remember loading up on any and every application that I could find. Download sites were my obsession, and I could spend hours scouring these file repositories with the ultimate goal of finding great new software.

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Google & YouTube - Six reasons why this deal makes sense

2006-10-10T00:00:00.001-05:00

Good insightful article into how acquiring YouTube may actually be a stroke of genius by Google. For those feeling confused by this deal, definitely worth a read. It also takes time to jab at Yahoo and Microsoft in multiple ways.

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Check all your email-box from one central place - completely free

2006-10-10T00:00:00.000-05:00

Jump2Mail is a free web-based email retrieval application, check all your email-box from one central place - completely free, from any computer, anywhere in the world.
This multi account or multi pop webmail allows you to read all your mailboxes without limit

read more | digg story

Users drive Web 2.0 revolution

2006-10-09T23:59:00.000-05:00

Experts argue that Web 2.0 pioneers will be rewarded with greater customer loyalty

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COMPLETE LIST: AdSense tracking and analysis tools

2006-10-02T22:52:00.000-05:00

PC and MAC desktop monitors, browser extensions and widgets for tracking and analysing AdSense and Yahoo Ads data. 15 apps for every platform. Should be helpful for AdSensers who check their on-line stats 10 times a day.

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Put your best side at the top of Google

2006-10-02T22:51:00.000-05:00

"If you haven't yet popped your name into a Google search box to see what turns up, give it a try.

Others will.

A recent survey found that 77 percent of recruiters use search engines to learn more about job candidates. Will they like what they find?"

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YouTube - The Complete Profile

2006-10-02T22:50:00.001-05:00

In-depth profile on YouTube that discusses their background, history, business model, bandwidth costs, valuation & acquisition rumors, service, uploading, the directors, comedians, channels, play lists, groups and contests.

read more | digg story

Hidden Labels in Gmail

2006-10-02T22:50:00.000-05:00

A list of some of the hidden labels in gmail, that will helps you to find your emails faster

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McAfee Places Full-Page Ad in Financial Times Blasting Microsoft

2006-10-02T22:48:00.000-05:00

"McAfee Inc. has thrown down the gauntlet in its dispute with Microsoft's decision to lock down the core of their Vista operating system. The security software vendor has a full-page ad in today's Financial Times which berates Microsoft."

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City-owned Wi-Fi pushed

2006-10-02T22:36:00.000-05:00

City-owned Wi-Fi pushed
9 days ago - As The City continues closed-door negotiations with Google and Earthlink to blanket San Francisco with a wireless Internet network, an alternative notion of a city-owned Wi-Fi captured the imaginations of some supervisors.

Bay Area grabs for Wi-Fi lead

2006-10-02T22:34:00.000-05:00

Bay Area grabs for Wi-Fi lead
20 days ago - From Silicon Valley to biotech, the Bay Area can take justifiable pride in consistently being at the cutting edge of world-class technological leadership. In fact, it is our tradition for high-tech innovation combined with an inviting quality of life that enables this high-cost region to compete globally."

Google Buys Garage Where Empire Began

2006-10-02T22:26:00.000-05:00

Google Buys Garage Where Empire Began
The home where Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin first set up shop is seen in Menlo Park, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 28, 2006. Internet search leader Google Inc. has added a landmark to its rapidly expanding empire, the Silicon Valley home where co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin rented a garage eight years ago as they set out to change the world. The Mountain View-based company bought the 1,900-square-foot home in nearby Menlo Park from one of its one employees, Susan Wojcicki, who agreed to lease her garage for $1,700 per month because she wanted some help paying the mortgage. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) 1 day ago - Internet search leader Google Inc. has added a landmark to its rapidly expanding empire - the Silicon Valley home where co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin rented a garage eight years ago as they set out to change the world."

McAfee, others criticize Vista security policies

2006-10-02T22:04:00.000-05:00

McAfee, others criticize Vista security policies
San Jose Mercury News - 1 hour ago
By Sarah Jane Tribble. Computer security provider McAfee joined a chorus of complaints Monday and accused software programming giant Microsoft of abusing its monopoly by controlling what security products can run on its new operating system.
McAfee: Microsoft completely unrealistic on Vista Ars Technica
Analysis: Is Windows Vista the Death of Antivirus Producers?

Networking News US loosens grip on running of internet

2006-10-02T21:49:00.000-05:00

Networking News US loosens grip on running of internet
Guardian Unlimited - 1 hour ago
The EU yesterday hailed a decision by the US government to back down and grant full autonomy by 2009 to the not-for-profit organisation that manages internet domain names.
Internet Management Nears Independence PC World
US keeps control of ICANN until 2009 "

Playfuls.com Alleged 'Unfixable' Exploit in Firefox

2006-10-02T21:48:00.000-05:00

Playfuls.com Alleged 'Unfixable' Exploit in Firefox
BetaNews - 10 hours ago
By Scott M. Fulton, III, BetaNews. An overflow of stories concerning an alleged Firefox 1.5 exploit hit the Web over the weekend, emerging from an underground users' conference in San Diego.
Mozilla Investigates New Firefox Flaw PC World
Critical Firefox flaw exposed TG Daily"

Free Software - Developer tools

2006-09-18T10:17:00.000-05:00

Developer tools

SharpDevelop Open Source IDE for the .NET Framework. Utilizes the multiple programming languages and Windows forms
Download Page

Notepad ++ Open Source programmers notepad for Windows
Download Page

CodeBlocks Open Source C++ IDE for Windows, can use the Visual Studiops Toolkit 2003 or MingW
Download Page

Free Software - IRC Chat

2006-09-18T10:14:00.000-05:00

IRC

X-Chat 2 IRC client.

Download Page

Free Software - FTP / SFTP

2006-09-18T10:10:00.000-05:00

FTP / SFTP

Filezilla Excellent FTP program.

Download Page

Free Software - Graphics / Photo Editing

2006-09-18T10:00:00.000-05:00

Graphics / Photo Editing

GIMPShop Photo editing application that rivals Photoshop in features.
Download Page

Paint.net Graphics editor with a very nice interface.
Download Page

Inkscape Vector graphics application.
Download Page

Free Software - Sound Recording

2006-09-18T09:57:00.000-05:00

Sound Recording

Audacity Simple sound recording tool.

Download Page

2006-09-18T09:54:00.000-05:00

DVD Ripping

DVD to MPEG-4 ripper/converter.
Download Page

Free Software - Podcasting

2006-09-18T09:51:00.000-05:00

Podcasting

Juice Solid podcasting client.
Download Page

Free Software - DVD Ripping / Video Conversion

2006-09-18T09:46:00.000-05:00

DVD Ripping / Video Conversion

Media Coder Great tool for ripping CDs, DVDs, etc and converting between tons of video formats.

Download Page

Free Software - Video Playback

2006-09-18T09:35:00.000-05:00

Video Playback

Media Player Classic Compact, but powerful media player. Plays anything under the sun. No install necessary.
Download Page

VLC Plays more video files than most players: Quicktime, AVI, DIVX, OGG, and more. Pretty good interface.
Download Page

MPlayer Similar to VLC-- plays loads of video formats.
Download Page

Free Software - Peer-to-Peer Filesharing

2006-09-18T09:24:00.000-05:00

Peer-to-Peer Filesharing

Cabos A simple, easy to use filesharing program. Gnutella network.
Download Page

Gnucleus A very good Gnutella search and download filesharing program.
Download Page

BitTorrent Download large files from multiple people simultaneously.
Download Page

Azureus A more complicated BitTorrent client. So many features you'll lose your mind.
Download Page

Free Software - Internet TV / Video Podcasting

2006-09-18T09:19:00.000-05:00

Internet TV / Video Podcasting

Democracy Player Subscribe to internet TV channels (video RSS feeds), download and watch all in one app. Built-in Channel Guide and torrent support.

Download Page

Free Software - FeedReader

2006-09-18T08:57:00.000-05:00

RSS

FeedReader Simple,
lightweight aggregator.

Download Page

Free Software - Mozilla Thunderbird

2006-09-18T08:49:00.000-05:00

Email Mozilla Thunderbird

Powerful spam filtering, solid interface, and all the features you need.
Download Page

Free Software - IM - Instant Messaging

2006-09-18T08:43:00.000-05:00

IM - Instant Messaging

Gaim

Connect to multiple IM accounts simultaneously in a single app, including: AOL IM, MSN, and Jabber.
Download Page

Free Software - Web Browsing

2006-09-18T08:34:00.000-05:00

Mozilla Firefox

The premier free, open-source browser. Tabs, pop-up blocking, themes, and extensions. Considered by many to be the world's best browser.
Download Page

Types of Computer Infection

2006-09-04T23:50:00.000-05:00

Since computers are an essential aspect of modern life, looking set to become yet further embroiled in our every day movements, their day to day reliability is fundamental.

Unfortunately there are people who seek to disrupt the use of computers with a variety of programs that are able to infect computers and subsequently damage them in some way.

These malicious programs range in effect from the mildly irritating to severely damaging. Computer operation is interfered with, data is deleted, recorded or corrupted, movement of the infection often rapidly spreading by the use of the internet.

Assaults on our computers often display the weaknesses in our security. Attacks such as these also highlight the degree to which we have all become interconnected and more sophisticated technologically.

Of the wide variety of computer infections in existence four characteristic varieties occur:

- Trojan horse: a computer program that masquerades as being able to perform a certain (usually benign or useful) task but that actually performs a different and damaging action e.g. erasing your hard drive or allowing open access to your computer. Once you click to use the program it downloads and your computer is suddenly infected.

- Viruses: these software programs attach themselves to specific programs. When these particular programs run, so does the virus, the result typically that your computer has been damaged in some way.

- E-mail viruses: these viruses are transported between computers via e-mail messages. Replication is achieved usually by this virus automatically e-mailing its self to most if not all of the e-mail addresses on the host computer.

- Worms: computer networks and the particular weak spots in their defenses are exploited by this electronic infection in order to propagate its self. A copy of this worm is able to scan the whole network for other computers with similar security holes through which it can then move to another computer for duplication.

Amongst the many cases of highly successful electronic infections a few notable ones have occurred. One of the best known was:

Code Red worm. This worm was released to devastating effect on the 19th of July 2001. In the space of 9 hours the worm duplicated its self onto new computers over 250,000 times. This worm replicated its self during the initial 20 days of each month, replaced infected servers with web pages displaying "Hacked by Chinese", and continuously targeted the White House Web server aiming to slow it or shut their website down. After a computer had become infected a wait of about an hour occurred, after which 100 connections would be attempted to port number 80 of the www.whitehouse.gov website (IP number 198.137.240.91). The US government responded by modifying the IP address and spreading the word about the Code Red worm. As with many infections, strains have appeared over time. Since this is a well known infection it has been monitored very closely with patches being freely available on the internet with which to combat the new strains.

Other major malicious programs from the past have been the "Slammer worm" from January 2003, "Mydoom worm" (January 2004), the "ILOVEYOU" (2000) and "Melissa" viruses.

So as not to become yet another statistic during the next major computer infection outbreak what is imperative is that you frequently update your computer with the latest antivirus tools and patches, read about current threats and follow basic preventative protocol regarding the opening of attachments and downloading of files.

If your computer does become infected the most important aspect to focus in on first is to target it specifically so that it is unable to spread to any more computers.

Article Source: http://www.dailynewarticles.com

Is information on virus data recovery required? If so, visit http://www.easydatarecovery.info/Got-Virus.php for more information.

Your Computer May Be Infected. Here's how to check..

2006-09-04T23:31:00.000-05:00

A recent research revealed that 80% of the computers today is infected with these dangerous spyware and most of the users are not aware of it. (Your computer could be infected by now too.) The most dangerous fact is, even though the anti-virus software is running, these software can even pass it and take over your PC.

Have you experienced any of the following?

* Awesome popups come out of nowhere, when browsing the web

* Home page reset to some other site

How can this happen?

- The components installed when viewing certain sites, starts up and running as soon as it's finished installing (or after the page is completely loaded) and with every windows startup since then. Their job is to collect information and report (or transfer) it to an external computer.

What is deceptive software?

(Reference: www.microsoft.com)

Spyware and unauthorized adware are two examples of "deceptive" software. Deceptive software includes programs which take over your home page or search page without first getting your permission. There are a number of ways deceptive software can get on your

system. A common trick is to covertly install the software during the installation of other software you want such as a music or video file sharing program.

Whenever you are installing something on your computer, make sure you carefully read all disclosures, including the license agreement and privacy statement. Sometimes the inclusion of adware in a given software installation is documented, but it may appear at the end of

a license agreement or privacy statement.

Sometimes deceptive software gets silently installed on your system without any warning at all. If you use Internet Explorer as your Web browser, this can happen if your Internet Explorer security setting is set to its lowest value. Make sure to keep this setting at the medium level or higher. Doing so will help you control what is being installed on your computer.

Have you ever had an experience where you were repeatedly asked to accept a download even after you said "no"? Creators of deceptive software often use such tricks to get you to load their software. If this happens to you, do not click "yes". Instead, try to close the Web page that first asked you to accept the download by hitting the "X" in the corner of the window. Alternatively, quit Internet Explorer and restart it to begin browsing the Internet again. If you visit a Web page that continually displays these tricky pop-up windows, that Web site may not be worthy of your trust.

Your computer may be infected by now, but you may not know. Just have a checkup with a software specifically designed for it, to know the current status of your computer. You must clean infections once you find it but the game is not over yet. The spyware might reinfect

your PC. So it's highly recommended that you run a firewall on your system after the clean up. This will allow you to monitor every single communication occurs with your computer and block the ones which you feel unnecessary. The firewall acts as a barrier between your PC and the external world (Internet/Network).

A good spyware detector recommended by most people is, http://adwarechecker.cjb.net and it shows you all the infections and potential dangers in great detail. It's free to scan but not to clean. It's a good idea to have a scan even if you have no idea of cleaning, since you know the status of your PC in great detail. It also gives the advantage of giving a try to clean it out, provided that the infections are minor and you (or a friend) have a fair knowledge on registry settings, cookies etc. and how to modify them.

You must run a firewall. In many new operating systems(eg. Windows XP), there is a built-in firewall. Google search on how to activate it. Others may try one at http://www.download.com

You may have a question by now. What is the purpose of these spyware? Even though we cannot give an explicit and clear cut answer, we can safely state that every thing boils down to the urge of more profits. How? The spyware collects all your personal information and transfer it to an external computer. The information is reviewed by a software in the receiving computer and then delivered targeted popup ads to the infected PC. There are many things that spyware does in addition to this.

If you have some technical knowledge on your PC, here's a technical explanation on what trouble does the spyware cause.

1. An extra process is running to monitor and log your activities in your PC.

2. Constant transfer is taking place between your PC and the spyware server. (This is a two-way transfer)

Firstly, the extra process in itself is an unneeded process and it contributes to slow down your PC. Second point is the most harmful. It transfers logged info to the external PC (spyware writer's PC). Then the external PC transfers targeted popups to the infected PC. This, in addition to slowing down your PC because of these extra processes, it also slows down the internet connection, as the bandwidth is shared. In short, PC with a spyware is like a dumping

ground for snakes. Once its there up and running, it can do almost anything with your PC.

* NOTE: A useful tip - When you clean up your PC and close the door for those harmful programs with a firewall, you can block many popups. But still, there can be some popups. There are popups integrated to websites you visit, and we need to do something about

them. There are many popup blockers available on the net, but I highly recommend installing the Google toolbar, which has a quality pop-up blocker with some other great features, and has many customization options. Get it from http://toolbar.google.com

The most risk is for people who use Internet Explorer, as it is the most popular web browser and that very fact has drawn more attention of many malicious software developers. You and I, and many people reading this article want to make our PCs good and clean. So please spread the instructions found in this message. Please advise about this to your friends. Or more simply, just pass this message on via email, 'as is'.

Happy surfing...

-----

By: Fahad Hassen - hfahadh @ yahoo.co.uk

(Undergraduate at Staff. University UK, Computing & IT)

10 PROVEN TIPS TO SURVIVE A COMPUTER CRASH

2006-09-04T23:26:00.000-05:00

By Eve Abbott, excerpted from her new book, How to Do Space Age Work with a Stone Age Brain TM

COMPUTER CRASH
Do these words strike fear into you? If not, maybe they should! A computer crash is at best time consuming and expensive, and at worst a genuine business disaster. Here are things you can do now to prevent a crash and/or insure a smooth recovery whether you use your computer at work or for your personal life-or both, like me!

The first rule in minimizing computer disasters is backup. The second rule in easier data recovery is BackUp. The third rule in computer organizing is BACKUP. I am astounded at the number of people (in large and small businesses) who do not back up their work regularly. Without good backups, you risk losing everything if your hard drive goes belly-up.

Start by setting all of your programs to save automatically after 2 minutes. This will protect your work against temporary freeze-ups and unplanned shutdowns.

Second, plug your computer, monitor, and other electronic equipment into a UPS Battery Backup unit to protect it from power surges and outages. A unit like this one will give you 5 minutes to save your work and shut down your computer normally if the power goes out.

Then-BACK UP! (If you're not sure what the best way to back up is, keep reading.)

I bought a brand new Hewlett Packard Pavilion XP system and began to back up weekly. Seven months later, I returned from making a cup of tea to hear my computer going click-click-click loudly. My hard drive had just crashed for no reason at all. As is often the case, I lost everything on it.

I felt confident because I had my data backed up by copying my entire working C-drive onto a CD-but even with backups, and even if your computer is still under warranty, let's get realistic about how much time and money a crash can end up costing you.

It took four days for me to get the special shipping box HP sent me to return the computer. They replaced the hard drive, and it was returned within 10 business days at no charge for repair and shipping. This still adds up to three weeks without my computer.

First, I rented a laptop and spent hours installing the programs I normally use. Laptop rental cost me $250.00 for one month, with a $500 refundable deposit. I could have rented a desktop system for a little less per month, but I would have had to wait a week to get the computer. It was great to have the laptop to use until my repaired computer arrived. But, I had to go through the same restoration process again when it was returned with a new hard drive. More time lost and more frustration, too.

Second, I spent hours importing my data from backup CDs. I still lost almost a week's worth of data (Quicken entries, Word documents, calendar and contact information) because that's how long I go between backups.

Third, I spent hours recreating the custom settings on my software. Fourth, I had to install some smaller programs that I'd forgotten I would need.

THE DAMAGE:
Sometimes data can be recovered from a dead drive, depending on what has caused the crash. Professional data recovery services charge from $500 to $1500 to get your data back, and you have to pay whether or not they recover anything.

You can find more information about data recovery services at http://www.drlabs.com/pricing.html and http://www.dtidata.com/data_recovery.asp.

I paid $1,000.00 in computer consultant fees to get the laptop set up, and my computer taken apart and set up again to get it running A-OK. That's apart from data recovery costs, which my backups saved me from having to pay.

The grand total: $1,250.00 and 7 days in lost time.
Pretty expensive considering that I had all my current data backed up onto CDs.

BACKUP OPTIONS

There are many ways to back up information. Diskette, CD, Zip drive, External hard drive and Web (on-line). I will not discuss tape drive backups simply because tape media is unreliable and awkward compared to newer technologies. If you have more than one computer, you can back up from one to another via network drives-but that only protects you in the event that disaster strikes one machine at a time.

There are four questions you need to ask yourself regarding your back-ups:

1) How critical is your data? (My business and life are on my hard drive = critical)
2) Do you add or process high volumes of information?
3) In what time frame do you add enough to make it a real loss? (day, week, per project)
4) Do you work with very large files of any type?
The more information you process or add to your computer hard drive, the more often you need to back up. For high volume or crucial files you need to backup daily.

Diskette:
There is the small file backup onto diskette. For example, you just entered a lot of Quicken data and you don't want to take a chance on losing it but you don't want to do a full back up, or you have a single Word file, just pop it on a diskette. Remember to label any and all backup media with contents and date.

ZIP drives and disks:
ZIP drives and disks can work well for back ups of larger projects. I had a client who was an author and she kept one ZIP disk for each of her books, which contained every file related to the book - not just the text. If you are satisfied using a ZIP drive and disks for your data storage - don't change to another media. Note: many more people have CDs than zips, so if you need to share data you may need to switch to CDs.

CD:
In the same way you archive paper every year after taxes (along with a backup of your accounting program and data), consider backing up entire projects onto CD when you're finished. This keeps the data available and safe, without cluttering your hard drive. You can file a project closeout CD with the matching archived paper files. Or keep a variety of backups in a CD organizer (date labeled) divided up into Projects, Backups and Programs.

The backup CDs I use are 'data only' to safeguard important information in case a problem develops in between system backups. If you are going to archive (e.g., taxes) and may not access the backup for a long time - go with CDs. CDs are more stable, and you are less likely to run into trouble with irretrievable data. Always use premium brand-name CDs (or other media). Discount media is more likely to fail.

Disk 'Cloning':
For $70 or less, you can back up your entire drive (operating system, programs and data) using "disk cloning" software (Norton Ghost, Paragon Drive Backup, or PowerQuest Drive Image. You can store this "image" of your drive on removable media like CDs and ZIP disks, on tape, or on an external hard drive.

You'll still have to spend a lot of time doing the backups and most people will end up with a set of at least 10 CDs for each backup, since the copy of your drive will take up about 50% of the storage space as your drive itself. (That's not the size of your whole drive, just the part you have filled up.)

You can get more information about disk cloning software at:
http://www.powerquest.com/driveimage/
http://www.symantec.com/sabu/ghost/ghost_personal/
http://www.acronis.com/products/trueimage/
http://www.drive-backup.com/

Web:
There are on-line services (e.g., www.connected.com) which will automatically back up your computer (either totally or just the changed files). This backup and restore option is limited only by the speed of your connection to the internet. Some people leave their computer on all night to do the backups. The reverse process will be more complicated, because you cannot restore directly from the web. Many information technology and graphics professionals use web services because of the massive files they process each day.

Your backup files are stored on their server. This is good because it is off-site in case of disaster recovery. Unfortunately, your data is only as secure as the server it is on. I don't use this option, because I don't think there is any function on the internet that is as secure as doing it myself and keeping control over all the data at all times. If you don't use massive files, you don't need it.

External Hard Drive (XHD):
I chose this option after my crash disaster because I can recreate my entire system without the wasted time of restoring my operating system and settings, downloading programs and data from backups, and resetting application customizations, etc.

An external hard drive ($200) with 'disk cloning' software lets you put your entire drive onto your backups. If you don't use the ghosting software you can only put programs, and data backups onto the external hard drive, not the operating system itself. The ghosting software will enable you to make a 'boot disk' just for restoring from the external hard drive to your main computer.

This option will allow you to completely restore your computer, if necessary (with no hard drive damage). Or, install a new hard drive on your computer and then restore immediately.

Just plug the external hard drive into the computer and start the backup, which verifies the data. Then, you unplug the external hard drive. This takes about fifteen minutes total for my backups. After backing up, I store the XHD in the trunk of my car (in a laptop case for protection). Even if the house burns down I still have my entire computer capability just outside in my car.

First, put an XHD ghost of just your operating system and programs with all the custom settings. Second, do a ghost of your entire system (operating system, programs and data). Third, do regular working drive data backups. Make sure any programs you ever use are in the second XHD backup, and/or in your working hard drive for your 'regular maintenance' backups.

I can get a new computer, copy everything I need and get to work. One possible downside to this; if you have to 'recover' on a new computer with a new system (different configuration and drivers), you will have trouble using the restored system until you reload the correct drivers and eliminate the 'old' ones.

Backup, BackUp, BACKUP!
So, how can you combine these different backup choices to work in your particular situation?
Take the simplest method that will safeguard your information. If all you need is a diskette file box for backups - great!

I use the XHD once a week for a programs and data backup. In between I use diskettes or CDs, depending on the size of the files and how long I want to maintain them. There is enough room on my XHD to put 4 total system-program-data backups of my entire XP system into it. Once, you've done an operating system backup, unless you change your configurations or programs, you don't need to do it again. For regular maintenance, do your working 'data' drive.

If you do nothing, you are guaranteed to have a disaster sooner or later. Choose what works best for you and set a reminder to BACKUP as often as you need to stay sane when it does happen.

For more time saving tips go to http://www.organize.com
Copyright 2005 Eve Abbott. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Copyright, Eve Abbott All Rights Reserved. The Organizer Extraordinaire's new book "How to Do Space Age Work with a Stone Age Brain" TM is available online at http://www.organize.com Sign up for more time-saving tips. Enjoy free brain quizzes to help you work at your personal best! Eve’s guide is the first book to offer easy, online assessments that will help you make your own personal organizing solutions match your individual work style.

Written by: Eve Abbott, the Organizer Extraordinaire

10 Easy Steps to Speed Up Your Computer - Without Upgrading

2006-09-04T22:56:00.001-05:00

It seems that the longer you own your computer, the slower it gets! A lot of people will keep their computer until it gets so slow that they feel they need a newer, faster model. Some feel like the reason it is getting slower is because it is getting older, when that is just not the case. Your computer should run just as fast as the day you brought it home – if you follow these 10 Easy Steps to Speed Up Your Computer.

1. Empty the Temp directory regularly. After a short while, the temp directory fills up with hundreds of temp files that always get scanned over when Windows starts up and when programs launch. This slows everything down immensely.

Rule of thumb for Temp Files: If you don’t have any programs open (and nothing minimized in the bar below), then you shouldn’t have ANY temp files in your temp directory. If you do, delete them.

To delete Temp files, make sure NO programs are open, and…

a. In Windows 95, 98 or Me, go to C:WindowsTemp and delete everything inside the Temp folder.

b. In Windows 2000 or XP, it is a little trickier. First, make sure that you can see hidden folders. Double-click My Computer. Click on the Tools pull-down menu, and then on Folder Options. Click on the View tab. Scroll down and click on Show Hidden Files and Folders. Click Ok. Now you can go to the C:Documents and SettingsAdministratorLocal SettingsTemp folder. Delete everything here.

2. Empty the Temporary Internet Files regularly. To empty Temporary Internet Files, go to your Control Panel and double-click the Internet Options icon. Choose to Delete Cookies, and to Delete Files. This will clear all of your Temporary Internet Files.

3. Check your hard disks for problems.

a. For Windows 95, 98, or Me, double-click My Computer. Right-click the C-drive and click on Properties. Click on the Tools tab and choose to check the computer for problems. If you choose to do a Thorough Scan, this will do the hardware check for physical disk damage or sector damage. Choose to fix any errors it finds.

b. For Windows 2000 and XP, double-click My Computer. Right-click the C-drive and click Properties. Click on the Tools tab and choose to check the computer for problems. Click on Check Now. You will then have two check boxes. The top option is for the file check, and the second option is for the hardware (physical disk) check. Check either one, or both. At least check the top one. Hit ok, and reboot. This may take some time, but let it run.

4. An even more thorough disk check, would be to use a 3rd party utility. One of my favorites is TuneUp Utilities 2004. It does cost $39.99, but they do offer a FREE download trial of 15 days. This program does a really good job of fixing software and physical hard drive problems. It also tunes up your system for increased speed, and streamlines your operating system for peak performance. Download it HERE... http://www.lapeertechgroup.com/downloads.asp

5. Or, you can do a few of the performance tweaks yourself, if you have Windows XP. By default, EVERYTHING is turned on in Windows XP. It isn’t very streamlined for performance, but rather for appearance. You can turn off a few of the unnecessary features, and Windows will still work just fine, and maybe a little faster.

To do this, right-click on My Computer and click on Properties. Click on the Advanced tab. Under the Performance section, click on the Settings button. On the Visual Effects tab, you will see a list of check boxes. By default, these are all on. You really don’t need any of them for Windows to run. Go through the check boxes one by one, and determine which ones you can and can’t live without.

6. Turn off Active Desktop. Active Desktop turns your desktop into a web page, and allows you to have things like a real-time calendar, and up-to-the-minute weather or stocks. These are nice, but really slow down your computer. And even if you don’t use Active Desktop for anything, just having it active can cause a performance decrease. Turn it off.

a. In Windows 95, 98 and Me, right-click on the desktop and in the pop-up menu, choose Active Desktop. Inside that option, uncheck Active Desktop. If there is no check next to it, then it isn’t on. Don’t choose it. Instead, just click the desktop again to get out of the menu.

b. In Windows 2000, right-click on the desktop and in the pop-up menu, choose Active Desktop. Inside that option, uncheck Show Web Content. Again, if there is no check next to it, then it is not on. Do not check it.

c. In Windows XP, right-click on the desktop and in the pop-up menu, choose Properties. On the Desktop tab, choose Customize Desktop. Now, on the Web tab, make sure that there are no websites chosen here. If there aren’t any, then Active Desktop is not on. Cancel and go back to the desktop.

7. Install and run a good AntiVirus program to keep out viruses that can take over your system. One of my favorites is AVG. It is not only a really good AntiVirus program, but it is also FREE! If you don’t have any AntiVirus software on your computer, get AVG AntiVirus NOW by downloading HERE... http://www.lapeertechgroup.com/downloads.asp

8. Get rid of Spyware. A lot of computer users have Spyware and don’t even know they have it, much less how to get rid of it. If your computer has been taking you to websites that you don’t want to go to, or if you get pop-ups when you aren’t even on the Internet, or if your computer has been running extremely slowly lately, for no reason, you probably have Spyware.

On all of the computers that I setup, I install two different AntiSpyware programs: AdAware SE and SpyBot. These two programs are highly recommended by TechTV (G4) and other computer authorities (including my own research on Spyware) and work very well together. They compliment each other and catch Spyware that the other misses, but together, do a very good job.

Get SpyBot HERE... http://www.lapeertechgroup.com/downloads.asp. Download all updates and run the Immunize option a couple of times.

AdAware SE does a good job when you keep up on the updates and manually scan your system with AdAware. Get it HERE... http://www.lapeertechgroup.com/downloads.asp

In some cases, when the Spyware has become too entwined into your system, even a computer repair technician can’t get rid of the Spyware. At this point, it is better to just backup only what you need and have the operating system reinstalled. Believe me, when your computer gets to this point, you don’t want to just put a “band-aid” on it. Just start from scratch with a clean system. It’s the best way to go.

9. Streamline MSCONFIG. One thing that really causes a HUGE performance decrease is to have unnecessary programs running in the background. Some of these programs can be seen in your System Tray (located next to the clock). These are tiny programs that are robbing you of memory and processing power. Some of them you need, while most you don’t. Some of the programs you DON’T need are printer icons, CD burning icons, shortcuts to programs (such as video settings), AOL, any Instant Messaging Programs, etc. Just because these programs aren’t always running, doesn’t mean that you still can’t print, burn CDs or Instant Message. They can all be run from a shortcut.

You can use a utility, called MSCONFIG, to turn OFF unnecessary Start Up items.

a. In Windows 98, Me, and XP, click on StartRun and type msconfig. Click on the Startup tab. This is a list of everything that is running in the background, some of which show up in the System Tray. Now, be careful, some of these you do need. Some items to keep are Ctfmon.exe (XP), Scan Registry (Win98, Me), Task Monitor (Win98, Me), System Tray (Win98, Me), LoadPowerProfile (Win98, Me), Rundll.32, any AntiVirus programs (such as McAfee, Norton, or AVG). Others, you can uncheck, such as NeroCheck, ypager, qttask, AOL, and any other Instant Messaging programs, or printing programs. Remember, if something doesn’t work, because you turned it off, it can always be turned back on. You just have to reboot every time you make a change here. But, as you uncheck the unnecessary programs that run in the background, you will see that Windows loads much faster, that there are less icons in the System Tray, and that your system is much more “snappy” and quick to respond.

b. In Windows 2000, MSCONFIG wasn’t supplied. You actually have to download and run an MSCONFIG utility. Download the MSCONFIG utility HERE... http://www.perfectdrivers.com/howto/msconfig.html.

After you reboot, you will have a window that says that the configuration utility was edited. Just check not to show that in the future, a check box at the bottom. This just means that there was a change made to the MSCONFIG.

10. Defragment your hard drives. NOTE: to efficiently defragment a hard drive, it likes to have 25% free space. It can still do the defragmentation with only 15% free space, but it takes quite a bit longer. If you can, delete any unnecessary files before deframenting your drives.

a. To defragment your hard drives (in any Windows operating system), double-click on My Computer. Right-click on the c-drive and click on Properties. Click on the Tools tab and choose the bottom button, to Defragment Now…

Good luck. I hope this article has helped you. If you live in the Lapeer County, MI area, and would like a Professional professionally TuneUp your computer(s) in your home or business, please contact Lapeer Tech Group at (810) 793-1093, or visit our website at www.LapeerTechGroup.com

About the Author

I have worked in the IT field since 1989 and hold several Microsoft certifications. I am a network administrator and owner and operator of Lapeer Tech Group, located in Columbiaville, Michigan (just outside of Lapeer). During these years, I have supported both Macs and PCs, am an accomplished graphic and web designer, and have had the opportunity to support 2nd and 3rd level enterprise networks for GM, EDS, Delphi and Delco.

Written by: Jim Shutes

Free Software - AVG Anti-Virus

2006-09-04T20:44:00.000-05:00

AVG Free Edition is the well-known anti-virus protection tool. AVG Free is available free-of-charge to home users for the life of the product! Rapid virus database updates are available for the lifetime of the product, thereby providing the high-level of detection capability that millions of users around the world trust to protect their computers. AVG Free is easy-to-use and will not slow your system down (low system resource requirements).

Download AVG Free Edition 7.1.405

Free Software - XP Tweak Mechanic

2006-08-30T08:18:00.000-05:00

XP Tweak Mechanic is the best tools designed to improve the performance of your windows XP operating system by speeding up the startup process and making the process of shutdown faster. This powerful software includes a lot of features such as internet speed booster, mouse smart-up, faster boot, faster shutdown, improve menu speed, improved defrag support, cleanup, auto end tasks feature and scanning of protected files.

Software Review - KH Blocker

2006-08-30T07:46:00.000-05:00

KH Blocker helps to protect your computer from malicious websites, protecting against: spyware, viruses, etc before they get a chance to install themselves. KH Blocker ensures the websites they come from are blocked, preventing the installation of malicious software. KH Blocker has a built in update feature, helping you keep up-to-date and blocking the latest malicious websites. You can set KH Blocker to update daily at any set time. Best of all, KH Blocker is free with no spyware.KH Blocker blocks:* Web Advertisements;* Pop ups;* Viruses, Spyware, Trojans, and Malware;* Hit Counters;* Tracking Cookies (Data mines);New to KH Blocker 2.0* Self-Update - You never need to download KH Blocker again, this new feature downloads, and updates KH Blocker with one click.* New Layout - As you can tell with the screenshot, KH Blocker has a new layout, making it easier to use.* Removed unnecessary code, making KH Blocker run faster!What´s New? 2.1.1* Fixed Self-Updater bug,* Changed title caption to: KH Blocker 2.1* Fix about window freeze.Blocks over 9 thousand malicious websites ... you can never be too safe.

Free Software - Downlad Manager

2006-08-30T07:33:00.000-05:00

Free Download Manager (FDM) is a full-featured download accelerator and manager. It is absolutely free! Using this software product you can easily download a list of files and whole web sites from any remote server via HTTP, HTTPS and FTP. With FDM the downloading process will be as easy as never before!

Windows Vista Pre-RC1 Screenshots!!

2006-08-30T00:38:00.000-05:00

I just finished installing Windows Vista Pre-RC1 and decided to take a couple screenshots so that everyone can check it out. (Read Full Article For All 16 Pictures)

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Software Review - RegCure

2006-08-27T23:11:00.000-05:00

RegCure, the Advanced Registry Cleaner. Windows Errors Have Met Their Match! Developed to utilize the most current technology in registry cleaning, RegCure is the most advanced prevention and maintenance tool available. Offering the most comprehensive feature set on the market and free customer support, RegCure is the PC fix preferred by PC users. Optimum Maintenance for Optimum Performance. RegCure uses the most sophisticated technology available to analyze your registry for missing, obsolete, and corrupt entries. Compatible with all Microsoft products and third party applications, RegCure seeks out
those remnants left behind from failed installations, incomplete un-installations, disabled drivers, and spyware applications.

REGCURE FEATURE LIST
- Automatic/Manual Removal
- Shows scan progress
- Back-up Registry
- Built in scheduler
- Compress or Defrag Registry
- Manage/Cleanup Startup Programs
- Scans for Invalid Program shortcuts
- Removes Duplicate files
- Deletes empty registry Keys
- Checks invalid Class Keys
- Checks Shell Extension
- Checks invalid Help Files
- Checks Invalid CLSID/Typelib/Interface Entries
- Checks Invalid Shared known DLL's
- Checks invalid Paths
- Checks Application Path Keys/Orphan References
- Checks Invalid Fonts
- Checks Invalid File Types//Extensions/Entries
- Startup manager

Automatic Repair:
RegCure offers you the ability to perform an automatic repair of detected items after a scan.

Backup and Restore:
An automatic backup is created every time you use RegCure. You can restore any items any time for peace of mind.

Startup Management:
RegCure offers quick and easy access to all the programs that are launched when you start your computer. You can enable and disable applications in the Manage Startup list with a few simple clicks.

FREE DOWNLOAD:
RegCure Scans your computer for FREE, and instantly reports on critical errors impairing your PC's normal operation.

Download Free Scan Visit Website

Google: Website Tools for Webmasters

2006-08-27T00:35:00.000-05:00

We've also put together a comprehensive webmaster help center to answer more of your questions, such as:

* What are Google's webmaster guidelines?
* How can I improve my site's ranking?
* Why doesn't my site show up for a specific keyword?
* My URL changed, so how can I get Google to index my new site?

read more

New Virus Can Attack AMD Processors

2006-08-27T00:29:00.000-05:00

Security researchers at Symantec have discovered a new proof of concept virus that targets AMD processors rather than operating systems. Running at the processor level, the virus can evade kernel protection. The last large scale outbreak of a chip level threat dates back to 1998's CIH/Chernobyl, which embedded itself into the flash-BIOS.

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See where the Internet lives

2006-08-27T00:10:00.000-05:00

Take a tour of the data warehouse for the web - Equinix is responsible for holding massive amounts of data, including storage for popular sites like MySpace.com. Take a tour of the facilities, and see how much energy it takes to keep the Web alive.

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32 GB flash drives within a year.

2006-08-27T00:07:00.000-05:00

It reads data about 300% faster and writes 150% faster. I long for the day when the only moving part in my computer is a fan.

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HUMAN Einstein Robot - So REAL its Completely Lifelike!

2006-08-27T00:01:00.000-05:00

The facial expressions and eye movements are indistinguishable from the Human Einstein
You will not forget this video = EVER

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Google to launch instant messaging service

2006-08-25T22:41:00.000-05:00

Google Inc. will continue expanding beyond its core search engine and push further into Web portal territory when it launches on Wednesday an instant messaging (IM) service with voice communications capabilities. More...

FCC reveals "Toshiba 1089," and it's looking a whole lot like a Zune

2006-08-25T21:46:00.000-05:00

Well, here's a bit of a surprise: a wireless PMP just showed up on the FCC, featuring a 30GB HDD, FM tuner and a strangely familiar 3-inch screen. And it ain't being manufactured by Microsoft.

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The police thought I was a terrorist because I carried a PSP!

2006-08-25T21:38:00.000-05:00

While sitting in my parked car in the streets of Washington D.C., I never would have thought that 10 minutes into a game of Tekken, I'd be standing outside of my car, handcuffed, and treated like a terrorist. Was this a breach of my rights, actual security measures?

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Judge Rules that 16 year old Spammer Must Stay in His Room

2006-08-25T21:37:00.000-05:00

Yesterday the 'Boy Spammer' David Lennon, who was 16 when he electronically snubbed his former bosses, has been told by a judge that as punishment for his crimes he can't leave his house between the hours of 12.30am and 7am on weekdays, and between 12.30am and 10am on weekends, for two months.

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How Liquid-cooled PCs Work

2006-08-25T21:36:00.000-05:00

Whether you're using a desktop or laptop computer, there's a good chance that if you stop what you're doing and listen carefully, you'll hear the whirring of a small fan. If your computer has a high-end video card and lots of processing power and generates too much heat, liquid cooling could be a better solution.

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Windows To Go Virtual After Vista

2006-08-25T21:35:00.000-05:00

Vista will be the last version of Windows that exists in its current, monolithic form, according to Gartner. Microsoft will be forced to migrate Windows to a modular architecture tied together through hardware-supported virtualisation. Gartner expects a significant update to Vista in late 2008 or 2009 that will add virtualisation.

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MIT laptop gets a new name and a look at the final enhanced specs

2006-08-25T21:33:00.000-05:00

Scheduled for testing next month, MIT's much-anticipated laptop has climbed in cost to $140 dollars. Yet the increased cost has allowed for some improved features such as an 8" sun readable display with an astounding 1200x1900 resolution.

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Find free wifi hotspots and free wireless news at AnchorFree

2006-08-24T23:49:00.000-05:00

Find free wifi hotspots and free wireless news at AnchorFree

Dvorak: Google's Free Municipal Wi-Fi May Start Revolution

2006-08-24T16:52:00.001-05:00

Google has been toying with the idea of implementing free municipal Wi-Fi. I've always believed that it began as a whim, but became a subtle threat aimed at the major carriers who are saber-rattling over tiered service, threatening to charge Google (GOOG) more for its supposed free ride on their networks...

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Man Blames Dell Laptop for House Fire

2006-08-24T16:52:00.000-05:00

A Florida man has leaped onto the Dell laptop explosion bandwagon by claiming his house was burnt to a crisp because a Dell laptop ignited his couch on fire.

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The Future of Robots

2006-08-24T16:51:00.000-05:00

"Futurist Ray Kurzweil explains how the boundary between man and machine is quickly disappearing. PLUS: A gallery of today's most mind-blowing 'bots"

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Segways Banned From British Streets, Sidewalks, Roads

2006-08-24T16:49:00.001-05:00

It was supposed to launch a revolution in personal transport but has been stopped in its tracks by a strict interpretation of a 170-year-old law.

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What Do They Know About You?

2006-08-24T16:48:00.001-05:00

America's top four Internet companies -- Google, Yahoo, AOL and Microsoft -- promise they will protect the personal information of people who use their online services to search, shop and socialize. But a close read of their privacy policies reveals as much exposure as protection.

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Blogging for Dollars

2006-08-24T16:48:00.000-05:00

With Internet-like speed, blogs have gone from self-indulgent hobbies to flourishing businesses. Real businesses, with real revenue streams from real advertisers, not overhyped next big things. Some of the most popular blogs, long the bane of the mainstream media, are now themselves becoming mainstream.

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Call users from your Gmail

2006-08-24T16:47:00.000-05:00

A new feature for Gmail being rolled out right now allows you to call contacts from within your Gmail account. Currently you must be signed into the Google Talk application for it to show up, but hopefully soon the feature will be available to users who don't have the instant messenger installed.

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AT&T sues over unauthorized access to customer data

2006-08-24T16:46:00.002-05:00

"On Wednesday, the company's services division filed a lawsuit in U.S district court in San Antonio to block 25 unnamed "John Doe" defendants who have allegedly pretended to be customers to gain access to account information."

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Dark Days at Dell

2006-08-24T16:46:00.001-05:00

For company founder and Chairman Michael Dell and Chief Executive Kevin Rollins, this summer has been one mishap after another: a massive recall of potentially self-igniting laptop batteries, a dismal earnings report, and an announcement that the computer maker is under Securities & Exchange Commission scrutiny for the way it counts revenues.

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Judge adds US$25 million to patent infringement judgment against Microsoft

2006-08-24T16:46:00.000-05:00

Last April, Microsoft and AutoDesk lost a patent infringement suit to a Michigan-based software company known as z4. z4 alleged that the companies copied its product activation technology in Microsoft Office, Windows XP, and Autocad software.

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Google can make - or break - your company

2006-08-24T16:45:00.000-05:00

Best ways to deal with the online Goliath.

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Microsoft in Buying Mood: Spending Spree Takes Aim at Smaller Companies

2006-08-24T16:44:00.000-05:00

Microsoft went on a buying spree in its recently completed fiscal year, acquiring -- 23 companies, compared with nine the year before. But the company is focusing on much smaller deals. It spent slightly less than $650 million on 23 acquisitions last year. By comparison, the company spent more than $2 billion on three companies alone in 2003.

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Watch your favourite TV channels in your browser - FREE

2006-08-24T16:43:00.000-05:00

Watch more than 150 TV channels for free. Here is a collection of more than 150 free legal channels that you can watch from your browser. Includes HBO, ESPN, Playboy TV, Bloomberg, ABC News, AL Jazeera, E-Music, Deejay TV, Deluxe Music, Fashion TV, Horror Channel, Comedy Channel, Sci-Fi Channel, Lifestyle Network, 16 Adult channels and a lot more.

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Google Says Googling Is Inappropriate

2006-08-20T12:09:00.000-05:00

Recently, the Washington Post received a letter, on paper, hand-addressed, and in the mail, from Google attorneys asking the newspaper to avoid using Google as a verb. Perhaps paper makes a demand seem more serious than email. The Post responded, only slightly mocking in tone, snickering at the legal use of the word "hottie." [Read...]

MySpace Goes To The Movies

2006-08-20T11:47:00.000-05:00

It isn't just for promoting films anymore; News Corp and Fox Interactive Media plan to offer movie downloads on its websites like MySpace and IGN. [Read...]

Rumors: Next iPod to have downloadable games

2006-08-20T10:11:00.001-05:00

According to MacRumors.com, 'Digital River may produce electronic game content for distribution to the next generation of iPods.' Sounds good to me..

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Self-healing chips

2006-08-20T10:11:00.000-05:00

IBM has come up with a chip that can repair itself if it blows a fuse.

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New Record for World's Fastest Transistor Set at 110 GHz

2006-08-20T10:09:00.000-05:00

"According to Professor Peter Ashburn who undertook this research in collaboration with STC Microelectronics, the researchers used a standard silicon bipolar technique with fluorine implants to deliver a record fT of 110 GHz which is twice as fast as the current record."

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Laptop Screens Torture End Users

2006-08-20T09:44:00.000-05:00

Well while many companies are working on the problem, so far the answers haven
â??t been too good. The problem comes from the fact that the light transmitted through the LCD is frankly not bright compared to even five per cent of light reflected from the sun off the surface of the screen.

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US govt researches next-generation Internet

2006-08-20T09:43:00.002-05:00

The US government department that created the Internet is working on a new network that will be able to configure itself, intelligently cache and route data, and allow for fast and reliable sharing of data, all while maintaining military-grade security.

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Google Coy Over Use of Facial-Recognition Technology

2006-08-20T09:43:00.001-05:00

"Don't think Google will just use facial-recognition technology it acquired from its purchase of Neven Vision for Picasa. That's not Google's modus operandi. That's not Google's modus operandi. If it can, Google will employ Neven Vision's technology in its online search engines to improve the way to find photographs on the Web."

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Irish Man Invents Free Energy Device - Prove Him Wong.

2006-08-20T09:43:00.000-05:00

Steorn's technology is based on the interaction of magnetic fields and allows the production of clean, free and constant energy. The technology can be applied to virtually all devices requiring energy, from cellular phones to cars.

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The Real Impact Of Open Source...

2006-08-20T09:41:00.001-05:00

"...the use of open source is increasing at a such a rate that it represents the most significant all-encompassing and long-term trend that the software industry has seen since the early 1980s."

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Dell & Sony knew about battery problem 10 months ago

2006-08-20T09:41:00.000-05:00

Dell and Sony knew about and discussed manufacturing problems with Sony-made Lithium-Ion batteries as long as ten months ago, but held off on issuing a recall until those flaws were clearly linked to catastrophic failures causing those batteries to catch fire.

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Chairman insists that Dell's troubles are short-term setbacks

2006-08-20T09:40:00.000-05:00

"You would have thought, in view of the week's events, that Michael Dell would show up at a greet-the-folks gathering here Friday looking like some whiter shade of pale."

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Putting Google-Fi to the Test

2006-08-19T09:42:00.000-05:00

Google launched its citywide Wi-Fi service here this week, and Wired News decided to put it to the test. Our first stop: Off the freeway at the southwest end of town, and the coverage was not bad.

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802.11n Delay = Death of Wi-Fi?

2006-08-19T03:16:00.000-05:00

Ratification of the 802.11n Wi-Fi standard has been pushed back again. Is that a big deal? I would argue, the delay could push Wi-Fi out of mainstream use...
more

Tuesday August 15, 2006 9:57AM PDT

Dell orders about 2 million AMD PCs

2006-08-19T03:02:00.000-05:00

"Dell has ordered between 1 million and 1.2 million desktop computers with Advanced Micro Devices processors and about 800,000 notebooks, Bank of America financial analyst Sumit Dhanda said in a report Thursday."

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Ouch!!! "Google" is the Number One Search Query on AOL

2006-08-19T03:00:00.000-05:00

That so many customers would use one search engine to find another is among the odd truths being mined from AOL's public release of search data. For better or worse, the data offer the first widespread public glimpse of how people search the Internet, of what they are interested in.

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Sony Transparent TV

2006-08-19T02:55:00.000-05:00

No kidding! This â??transparentâ?? TV really exists, and itâ??s from Sony. Look at the screen, itâ??s like floatingâ?¦and the speakers, freaking awesome!

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Free Alternative Software for Microsoft Office

2006-08-19T02:27:00.000-05:00

OpenOffice

OpenOffice is a multi-platform office productivity suite. It includes the key desktop applications, such as a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation manager, and drawing program, with a user interface and feature set similar to other office suites. Sophisticated and flexible, OpenOffice.org also works transparently with a variety of file formats, including those of Microsoft Office.
The suite covers pretty much everything you need with a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation software, equation editor and a drawing program. It opens most major formats such as MS Office almost flawlessly, has comprehensive help, and spellchecking in 15 languages.

Free Alternative Software for Web Browsers

2006-08-19T01:03:00.000-05:00

FireFox

Mozilla Firefox is a fast, full-featured browser that makes browsing more efficient than ever before. Firefox includes pop-up blocking; a tab-browsing mode that lets you open several pages in a single window; integrated Google searching; simplified privacy controls that let you cover your tracks more effectively; a streamlined browser window that shows you more of the page than any other browser; and a number of additional features that work with you to help you get the most out of your time online.

Netscape

In addition to high-speed browsing and instant-messaging capabilities, Netscape features one-click searching from the address bar; Quick Launch, which reduces the browser start-up time; Click-to-Search, which allows users to select a word within a Web page and search; improved instant messaging, including support for buddy icons, file transfers, and buddy alerts; and tabbed browsing, which allows users to view multiple Web pages in a single browser window.

Netscape 7.2 offers improved pop-up blocking and enhanced security. New features include extended address-bar searching, enhanced tabbed browsing, improved downloading, and new printing options.

Opera

Opera is an Internet browser with a pop-up blocker, multiple-window navigation, mouse gestures, keyboard shortcuts, an e-mail client with a spam filter, and integrated search for user security and speed. The cross-platform browser includes a multitude of other functions, such as IRC-compatible chat, support for RSS newsfeeds, a password manager, and one-click customization and privacy-protection settings. Mouse gestures and keyboard shortcuts allow for accelerated Web navigation while the Fast Forward and Rewind buttons ease browsing. Users can run multiple windows as well as personalize the user interface with one-click skins. The browser also contains special elements for users with disabilities, drag-and-drop support, a notes function, user profiles, and a host of other features. Opera supports the latest in security and provides password and cookie managers.

m9P Surfer

m9P Surfer is a very fast light weight web browser developed by mental9Production! This web surfer is extremely small in size (less than 260K), thus, consumes very little system resources, and it is very fast. Having many of the options and functionalities expected from a modern web browser, m9P Surfer provides complete internet surfing capabilities.

An interesting feature of m9P Surfer is that it will automatically detect your Internet Explorer Favorites and integrate them into its Favorites menu. By that, you will not loose any previously added Favorites. Support for Netscape Favorites is also included.

Note that this internet surfer was not designed as a replacement for either of the great browsers such as IE or Netscape. Being so light weight, m9P Surfer can be considered as an alternative solution for users who want their computers to remain efficient and optimized to run other application, while also browsing the web.

Free Alternative Software for Microsoft Mail

2006-08-19T00:44:00.000-05:00

Thunderbird

Thunderbird makes emailing safer, faster, and easier than ever before with the industry's best implementations of features such as intelligent spam filters, built-in RSS reader, quick search, and much more.

Thunderbird provides the most effective tools for detecting junk mail. Tools analyze your e-mail and identify those that are most likely to be junk.

View your e-mail the way you want it. Access your e-mail with Thunderbird's new three-column view. Customize your toolbar, change its look with themes, and use Mail Views to quickly sort through your e-mail.

Thunderbird gives you IMAP/POP support, a built-in RSS reader, support for HTML mail, powerful quick search, saved search folders, advanced message filtering, message grouping, labels, return receipts, smart address book LDAP address completion, import tools, and the ability to manage multiple e-mail and newsgroup accounts.

YPOPs

YPOPs! is an application that provides POP3 access to Yahoo! Mail.

Yahoo! Mail disabled free access to its POP3 service in 2002. This application emulates a POP3 server and enables popular email clients like Outlook, Netscape, Eudora, Mozilla, etc., to download email from Yahoo! accounts. This does not go against the license agreements of Yahoo! Mail and is completely legitimate.

Computer Net Daily

Top 10 mistakes in the Apple iPhone interface

Apple pays $700,000 for bloggers' legal fees

Norton AntiVirus is A Virus

Top 25 Killer Apps of All Time

See real-time weather on a Google map

Google has Site Status Update Tool to Reveal Your Good or Bad Standing

The Importance Of Performing A Regular Virus Check

Why Paid Web Hosting Is Better Than Free Web Hosting

Great Tips on How to Make Your Website

How To Build A PC

The Doom of Operating Systems without Internet

Google & YouTube - Six reasons why this deal makes sense

Check all your email-box from one central place - completely free

Users drive Web 2.0 revolution

COMPLETE LIST: AdSense tracking and analysis tools

Put your best side at the top of Google

YouTube - The Complete Profile

Hidden Labels in Gmail

McAfee Places Full-Page Ad in Financial Times Blasting Microsoft

City-owned Wi-Fi pushed

Bay Area grabs for Wi-Fi lead

Google Buys Garage Where Empire Began

McAfee, others criticize Vista security policies

Networking News US loosens grip on running of internet

Playfuls.com Alleged 'Unfixable' Exploit in Firefox

Free Software - Developer tools

Free Software - IRC Chat

Free Software - FTP / SFTP

Free Software - Graphics / Photo Editing

Free Software - Sound Recording

Free Software - Podcasting

Free Software - DVD Ripping / Video Conversion

Free Software - Video Playback

Free Software - Peer-to-Peer Filesharing

Free Software - Internet TV / Video Podcasting

Free Software - FeedReader

Free Software - Mozilla Thunderbird

Free Software - IM - Instant Messaging

Gaim

Free Software - Web Browsing

Mozilla Firefox

Types of Computer Infection

Your Computer May Be Infected. Here's how to check..

10 PROVEN TIPS TO SURVIVE A COMPUTER CRASH

10 Easy Steps to Speed Up Your Computer - Without Upgrading

Free Software - AVG Anti-Virus

Free Software - XP Tweak Mechanic

Software Review - KH Blocker

Free Software - Downlad Manager

Windows Vista Pre-RC1 Screenshots!!

Software Review - RegCure

Google: Website Tools for Webmasters

New Virus Can Attack AMD Processors

See where the Internet lives

32 GB flash drives within a year.

*HUMAN* Einstein Robot - So REAL its Completely Lifelike!

Google to launch instant messaging service

FCC reveals "Toshiba 1089," and it's looking a whole lot like a Zune

The police thought I was a terrorist because I carried a PSP!

Judge Rules that 16 year old Spammer Must Stay in His Room

How Liquid-cooled PCs Work

Windows To Go Virtual After Vista

MIT laptop gets a new name and a look at the final enhanced specs

Find free wifi hotspots and free wireless news at AnchorFree

Dvorak: Google's Free Municipal Wi-Fi May Start Revolution

Man Blames Dell Laptop for House Fire

The Future of Robots

Segways Banned From British Streets, Sidewalks, Roads

What Do They Know About You?

Blogging for Dollars

Call users from your Gmail

AT&T sues over unauthorized access to customer data

Dark Days at Dell

Judge adds US$25 million to patent infringement judgment against Microsoft

Google can make - or break - your company

Microsoft in Buying Mood: Spending Spree Takes Aim at Smaller Companies

Watch your favourite TV channels in your browser - FREE

Google Says Googling Is Inappropriate

MySpace Goes To The Movies

HUMAN Einstein Robot - So REAL its Completely Lifelike!