Also notes other problems, including crashing Windows Live Mail
August 28, 2008 (Computerworld) Microsoft Corp. yesterday warned users of Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) that they won't be able to uninstall either the service pack or Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) under some circumstances.
The warning was reminiscent of one Microsoft made in May, when Windows XP SP3 had just been made available for downloading. At the time, the company told users they wouldn't be able to downgrade from IE7 to the older IE6 browser without uninstalling the service pack.
In a post to the IE blog today, Jane Maliouta, a Microsoft program manager, spelled out the newest situation, which affects users who downloaded and installed IE8 Beta 1 prior to updating Windows XP to SP3. If those users then upgrade IE8 to Beta 2, which Microsoft unveiled today, they will be stuck with both IE8 and Windows XP SP3.
A warning dialog will appear to alert users. "If you chose to continue, Windows XP SP3 and IE8 Beta 2 will become permanent," Maliouta said. "You will still be able to upgrade to later IE8 builds as they become available, but you won't be able to uninstall them."
She recommended that users instead first uninstall Windows XP SP3, then uninstall IE8 Beta 1; they should then reinstall XP SP3 and follow that by installing IE8 Beta 2.
It's unclear how many users the warning is aimed at. Although users running Windows XP and IE8 Beta 1 could manually download and install Service Pack 3 from Microsoft's site, the company set its Windows Update service so that it didn't offer SP3 to systems with IE8 Beta 1.
Windows XP users who do have the first beta already on their machines will be offered the update to Beta 2 via Windows Update if they have Automatic Updates enabled, Maliouta continued. "A prompt in your Windows task bar will alert you when IE8 Beta 2 is ready for installation," she said.
Windows Vista users, however, will not see IE8 Beta 2 in Windows Update because update apparently cannot sniff out instances of IE8 Beta 1 and uninstall them automatically. Instead, users must remove Beta 1 manually, said Maliouta.
Several additional updates are required before installing IE8 Beta 2 on Vista, including one that, if omitted, blocks its installation entirely. That fix, a revised version of a Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) prerequisite that earlier this year sent machines into an endless series of reboots, is also necessary for IE8 Beta 2; users with SP1 will, of course, already have it in place, but those running pre-SP1 versions of Vista must still install it.
Microsoft also spelled out a long list of IE8 Beta 2 known issues and compatibility problems in release notes it posted on its support site Wednesday.
Ironically, of the nine applications called out as incompatible with the new IE8, the only two that will lock up and crash are Microsoft's.
Visual Studio .Net Version 7, said Microsoft, will crash on a PC that also contains IE8 Beta 2. "No workaround is currently available," Microsoft said in the release notes.
The other Microsoft incompatible application is Windows Live Mail, formerly called Windows Live Desktop, and the desktop mail client meant to replace Outlook Express and Windows Mail. "If you install Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2, Windows Live Mail will crash when you create or reply to an e-mail message," Microsoft warned.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Laptop Repair
Laptops are very convenient but sometimes there size and portability can lead to damages.
For instance, accidentally dropping your laptop while it's charging can easily lead to a busted jack. If memory cards or usb devices are plugged into the laptop, they can easily get stuck or break off in the ports - causing functionality loss.
Older batteries can lose their charge forever; ac adapters can easily be lost while traveling with your laptop. Save money and time by replacing lost parts.
The staff at Friendly Computers can help you with those common laptop problems. Find a store near you or call 1-888-PCFRIEND.
Vista Tweeks
Despite the harsh comments on Vista, people are still using the new operating system. Below are some tweeks to personalize Vista so it can better work for you.
If you've installed the new Vista OS, chances are good that you're looking in every nook and cranny for all of the hidden tricks to using its new features. Of course, there are literally hundreds of new features and hidden tricks in Vista. It would be impossible to uncover or reveal, all of these hidden tricks in one article. But I’ve chosen a few that I think will be helpful to you as you begin to get accustomed to using the new Windows Vista operating system. Let’s take a look.
In the article, Customizing Vista's Taskbar and Start Menu, I showed you how to put the main area of the Start Menu to much better use by configuring it as a launching area for all the programs you use most often. However, Windows Vista provides you with an even better way to quickly access your favorite applications--you can assign them to special [Windows] key combinations.
To take advantage of this hidden trick, all you have to do is add the shortcuts to your favorite applications to the Quick Launch toolbar, which you can do with a simple drag and drop operation. You can have up to 10 shortcuts on the Quick Launch toolbar to use with the [Windows] key. By default, the Show Desktop and the Switch Between Windows/Flip 3D shortcuts are already on the Quick Launch toolbar, so with the idea that you’d leave them there, you can add up to 8 additional shortcuts.
Moving left to right, the first shortcut on the Quick Launch toolbar is automatically assigned to [Windows]+1, the second shortcut to [Windows]+2 and so on. The tenth shortcut on the Quick Launch toolbar is automatically assigned to [Windows]+0. By unlocking the Taskbar (via a simple right-click on the Taskbar and clicking Lock the Taskbar) and expanding the Quick Launch toolbar, as shown in Figure A, you can use drag and drop to arrange the shortcuts in any order that you want.
Once you memorize which numeric [Windows] keys are assigned to which application shortcuts; you can resize the Quick Launch toolbar to its default size and relock the Taskbar, as shown in Figure B. This lets you use the all the space on the Taskbar as you normally would and still be able to launch any of your applications with a simple [Windows] keystroke.
Here are a couple of other handy [Windows] key shortcuts:
[Windows]+T: Cycles through programs using the Live Taskbar feature.
[Windows]+[Spacebar]: Brings the Windows Sidebar to the foreground.
If you’re using Windows Explorer to work with your files and folders, you’ve probably already discovered the new Views menu. You just click the arrow next to the Views icon on the toolbar to bring up the Views menu, as shown in Figure C, and then drag the slider up or down to change the size and appearance of the file and folder icons.
While clicking the icon and dragging the slider is simple enough there is an easier way. Simply hold down the [Ctrl] key and scroll your mouse wheel up and down to resize the icons from Tiles to Extra Large Icons.
Using the [Ctrl] key and the mouse wheel combination also works on the Desktop. While the Desktop is selected, just hold down the [Ctrl] key and scroll your mouse wheel up and down to resize the icons from a microscopic 16 x 16 all the way up to huge 256 x 256 renditions.
As you can see in Figure D, the Menu Bar in Windows Explorer is no longer visible. However, it's still there, as shown in Figure E. Just press [Alt] key to toggle the Menu Bar on and off.
If you’d rather have the Menu Bar visible all of the time, just click the arrow next to the Organize icon on the toolbar, open the Layout submenu and select Menu Bar, as shown in Figure F.
The Menu Bar is no longer visible in Internet Explorer 7 either; however, you can use the same trick--just press the [Alt] key to toggle the Menu Bar on and off. If you want the Menu Bar visible all of the time, pull down the View menu, open the Toolbars submenu, and select Menu Bar.
Have you ever wanted to obtain a copy of the path of a file nested deep down in your hard drive’s organization structure? If so, you know the drill, launch Windows Explorer, traverse the directory to the file, select the contents of the address bar, copy the path, paste it in Notepad, and then type the filename itself.
Fortunately, with Windows Vista, you no longer have to perform such acrobatics just to get the path to a file. All you have to do is hold down the [Shift] key, right-click on the file or folder, and select the new command titled Copy as Path, as shown in Figure G. When you do, the path to the file or folder is copied to the Clipboard and you can simply paste it anywhere you want.
I’ll cover more hidden tricks in upcoming editions of the Windows Vista Report. In the meantime, please drop by the discussion area and let us know if you have discovered any cool tricks in Windows Vista.
Access the article and other great information here
If you've installed the new Vista OS, chances are good that you're looking in every nook and cranny for all of the hidden tricks to using its new features. Of course, there are literally hundreds of new features and hidden tricks in Vista. It would be impossible to uncover or reveal, all of these hidden tricks in one article. But I’ve chosen a few that I think will be helpful to you as you begin to get accustomed to using the new Windows Vista operating system. Let’s take a look.
Launching your favorite applications with the [Windows] key
In the article, Customizing Vista's Taskbar and Start Menu, I showed you how to put the main area of the Start Menu to much better use by configuring it as a launching area for all the programs you use most often. However, Windows Vista provides you with an even better way to quickly access your favorite applications--you can assign them to special [Windows] key combinations.
To take advantage of this hidden trick, all you have to do is add the shortcuts to your favorite applications to the Quick Launch toolbar, which you can do with a simple drag and drop operation. You can have up to 10 shortcuts on the Quick Launch toolbar to use with the [Windows] key. By default, the Show Desktop and the Switch Between Windows/Flip 3D shortcuts are already on the Quick Launch toolbar, so with the idea that you’d leave them there, you can add up to 8 additional shortcuts.
Moving left to right, the first shortcut on the Quick Launch toolbar is automatically assigned to [Windows]+1, the second shortcut to [Windows]+2 and so on. The tenth shortcut on the Quick Launch toolbar is automatically assigned to [Windows]+0. By unlocking the Taskbar (via a simple right-click on the Taskbar and clicking Lock the Taskbar) and expanding the Quick Launch toolbar, as shown in Figure A, you can use drag and drop to arrange the shortcuts in any order that you want.
| Figure A |
 |
| In this Quick Launch toolbar arrangement, [Windows]+6 launches Notepad while [Windows]+0 launches the new Windows Vista Snipping Tool. |
Once you memorize which numeric [Windows] keys are assigned to which application shortcuts; you can resize the Quick Launch toolbar to its default size and relock the Taskbar, as shown in Figure B. This lets you use the all the space on the Taskbar as you normally would and still be able to launch any of your applications with a simple [Windows] keystroke.
| Figure B |
 |
| You can resize the Quick Launch toolbar so that it doesn’t take space away from the Taskbar, yet still access the shortcuts via the [Windows] key combinations. |
Other Win Key combinations
Here are a couple of other handy [Windows] key shortcuts:
Using the mouse wheel to change the icon views
If you’re using Windows Explorer to work with your files and folders, you’ve probably already discovered the new Views menu. You just click the arrow next to the Views icon on the toolbar to bring up the Views menu, as shown in Figure C, and then drag the slider up or down to change the size and appearance of the file and folder icons.
| Figure C |
 |
| The slider on the Views menu has seven settings that range from Extra Large Icons to Tiles. |
While clicking the icon and dragging the slider is simple enough there is an easier way. Simply hold down the [Ctrl] key and scroll your mouse wheel up and down to resize the icons from Tiles to Extra Large Icons.
Using the [Ctrl] key and the mouse wheel combination also works on the Desktop. While the Desktop is selected, just hold down the [Ctrl] key and scroll your mouse wheel up and down to resize the icons from a microscopic 16 x 16 all the way up to huge 256 x 256 renditions.
Reveal the Menu Bar in Windows Explorer
As you can see in Figure D, the Menu Bar in Windows Explorer is no longer visible. However, it's still there, as shown in Figure E. Just press [Alt] key to toggle the Menu Bar on and off.
| Figure D |
 |
| The Menu Bar no longer appears in Windows Explorer default layout configuration. |
| Figure E |
 |
| Pressing the [Alt] key temporarily brings the Menu Bar back into the layout. |
If you’d rather have the Menu Bar visible all of the time, just click the arrow next to the Organize icon on the toolbar, open the Layout submenu and select Menu Bar, as shown in Figure F.
| Figure F |
 |
| You can make the Menu Bar visible all of the time from the Layout menu. |
The Menu Bar is no longer visible in Internet Explorer 7 either; however, you can use the same trick--just press the [Alt] key to toggle the Menu Bar on and off. If you want the Menu Bar visible all of the time, pull down the View menu, open the Toolbars submenu, and select Menu Bar.
Instantly copy a path to the Clipboard
Have you ever wanted to obtain a copy of the path of a file nested deep down in your hard drive’s organization structure? If so, you know the drill, launch Windows Explorer, traverse the directory to the file, select the contents of the address bar, copy the path, paste it in Notepad, and then type the filename itself.
Fortunately, with Windows Vista, you no longer have to perform such acrobatics just to get the path to a file. All you have to do is hold down the [Shift] key, right-click on the file or folder, and select the new command titled Copy as Path, as shown in Figure G. When you do, the path to the file or folder is copied to the Clipboard and you can simply paste it anywhere you want.
| Figure G |
 |
| The Copy as Path command saves a lot of time and effort when it comes to getting path listings. |
Conclusion
I’ll cover more hidden tricks in upcoming editions of the Windows Vista Report. In the meantime, please drop by the discussion area and let us know if you have discovered any cool tricks in Windows Vista.
Access the article and other great information here
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Researcher mines blogs, social networks to access bank accounts
Family names, other data posted on sites like MySpace, Facebook used to reset passwords
By Heather Havenstein
August 25, 2008 (Computerworld) A recent Google search of MySpace Inc.'s popular social networking site for several variations of terms describing a person's maternal grandparents returned more than 11,000 search results.
The search by security researcher and author Herbert Thompson illustrates the growing security threat posed by the massive amount of personal information posted on social networks, forums, blogs and other Web 2.0 destinations. Thompson sent the search results to Computerworld.
Posting seemingly innocuous information -- like a mother's maiden name or a pet's name -- could help a crook access personal data stored by banks, financial services firms and other companies, Thompson said. Many companies typically ask for such information from clients to reset a password on an account, he noted.
Thompson, who is founder and chief security strategist at People Security, a New York-based IT security consulting firm, described how easily personal information posted on a blog or social network could be used to break into a bank account in an article published in Scientific American this month.
With her permission, Thompson accessed a friend's bank account in an hour and a half after mining her personal blog personal for details like her birth date, birthplace, father's middle name and pet's name. He used the data to reset her e-mail password and gain access to an e-mail from her bank with instructions on how to reset her account password.
Thompson said in an interview that cybercriminals are increasingly mining personal data splashed throughout the Web 2.0 world. He noted that the questions that banks have long used to reset or recover passwords were typically seen as difficult for thieves to answer. Now, however, the answers to the questions are often readily available to crooks because so many people are now blogging about their personal lives or are creating personal profiles that are rife with this type of information, he noted.
As proof, Thompson pointed to the fact that thieves on underground forums typically charge 10 to 12 times more for stolen credit card numbers with the mother's maiden name or a pet's name of the owner than for the credit card alone.
"You may not think twice about posting your grandfather's name, but you've just released your mother's maiden name," he said. "There are a lot of places where you can claim to forget other questions, and the site will default to mother's maiden name. If I give you the log-in to one account, I've essentially given you a fish. If I give you the answer to people's password-recovery questions, I've taught you to fish. You can pillage their accounts."
The problem with the type of information that is posted in blogs and social networks can be compounded by the fact that "the Web -- especially Web 2.0, is very sticky," he added. Many archive sites contain snapshots of data long after the primary data has been removed. In addition, thieves can supplement information from Web 2.0 sites with public data from state motor vehicle departments or from sites containing home-ownership records, he noted.
To offset this problem, Thompson advised that people find out from their banks or financial services firms what information they use to reset passwords. Then, they can backtrack to see if any of the information about them required to answer those questions could be found on the Web, he added. If so, he advised online users to change the password-recovery answers or question.
"Most people are likely to find some scary mismatches -- that information is publicly available through some state or other government department, or it is something they have freely disclosed online. See if you are comfortable with your bank-account access … riding on those pieces of information."
Access the full article here.
By Heather Havenstein
August 25, 2008 (Computerworld) A recent Google search of MySpace Inc.'s popular social networking site for several variations of terms describing a person's maternal grandparents returned more than 11,000 search results.
The search by security researcher and author Herbert Thompson illustrates the growing security threat posed by the massive amount of personal information posted on social networks, forums, blogs and other Web 2.0 destinations. Thompson sent the search results to Computerworld.
Posting seemingly innocuous information -- like a mother's maiden name or a pet's name -- could help a crook access personal data stored by banks, financial services firms and other companies, Thompson said. Many companies typically ask for such information from clients to reset a password on an account, he noted.
Thompson, who is founder and chief security strategist at People Security, a New York-based IT security consulting firm, described how easily personal information posted on a blog or social network could be used to break into a bank account in an article published in Scientific American this month.
With her permission, Thompson accessed a friend's bank account in an hour and a half after mining her personal blog personal for details like her birth date, birthplace, father's middle name and pet's name. He used the data to reset her e-mail password and gain access to an e-mail from her bank with instructions on how to reset her account password.
Thompson said in an interview that cybercriminals are increasingly mining personal data splashed throughout the Web 2.0 world. He noted that the questions that banks have long used to reset or recover passwords were typically seen as difficult for thieves to answer. Now, however, the answers to the questions are often readily available to crooks because so many people are now blogging about their personal lives or are creating personal profiles that are rife with this type of information, he noted.
As proof, Thompson pointed to the fact that thieves on underground forums typically charge 10 to 12 times more for stolen credit card numbers with the mother's maiden name or a pet's name of the owner than for the credit card alone.
"You may not think twice about posting your grandfather's name, but you've just released your mother's maiden name," he said. "There are a lot of places where you can claim to forget other questions, and the site will default to mother's maiden name. If I give you the log-in to one account, I've essentially given you a fish. If I give you the answer to people's password-recovery questions, I've taught you to fish. You can pillage their accounts."
The problem with the type of information that is posted in blogs and social networks can be compounded by the fact that "the Web -- especially Web 2.0, is very sticky," he added. Many archive sites contain snapshots of data long after the primary data has been removed. In addition, thieves can supplement information from Web 2.0 sites with public data from state motor vehicle departments or from sites containing home-ownership records, he noted.
To offset this problem, Thompson advised that people find out from their banks or financial services firms what information they use to reset passwords. Then, they can backtrack to see if any of the information about them required to answer those questions could be found on the Web, he added. If so, he advised online users to change the password-recovery answers or question.
"Most people are likely to find some scary mismatches -- that information is publicly available through some state or other government department, or it is something they have freely disclosed online. See if you are comfortable with your bank-account access … riding on those pieces of information."
Access the full article here.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Opinion: Windows' days may be numbered
August 11, 2008 (Computerworld) Could Microsoft be switching away from Windows?
Some very interesting documents have been leaking out of Microsoft. They clearly indicate, believe it or not, that Microsoft is considering shifting its users from Windows to a new operating system: Midori.
And, when I say "new," I mean new. This isn't the kind of lip-service change that we saw with David Cutler and NT or Jim Allchin and Vista. Midori, under Eric Rudder, senior vice president for technical strategy, isn't a cosmetic change; it's a completely new operating system.
Midori is being designed from the ground up to be a distributed operating system running on top of multiple hardware systems and virtual machines. That's one heck of a change from what has always been a single-user operating system designed for a stand-alone PC.
That design is a big reason why Windows is the insecure mess that has kept Symantec, McAfee and dozens of other anti-malware companies in business for decades. Despite that, Microsoft has never dared to change Windows too much, because it has been a cash cow. Now, things seem to be changing.
No one would dare let me enter the halls of the Microsoft campus, so I can only imagine that Midori started as a skunkworks project. Its purpose was probably to try out some ideas. That kind of project gets started all the time in major technology companies. Most of them amount to little. Why would Midori take on a life of its own?
I think it's because Vista's dismal market performance really shocked Microsoft. The company has had plenty of other failures — Microsoft Bob quickly comes to mind — but Vista is a failure of epic proportions. The reason both Mac OS and Linux are gaining ground on Windows is that people are rejecting Vista (much as I'd like to give the credit to their advantages).
Now, you may not believe that the Linux desktop or the Mac is really taking market share from Windows, but they are. In the U.K., Linux was preinstalled on 2.9% of all PCs sold in June. Meanwhile, 14% of all PCs sold in the U.S. are Macs. People are no longer mindlessly buying Windows systems, and Microsoft knows that.
The company has tried to con — uh, convince — people that Vista really is a good operating system, with its painful Mojave Experiment Web site. The site crashed Safari on my MacBook Pro and wouldn't render on Firefox on my openSUSE Linux PC. When I finally did get it to show up on an XP SP3 system, I was told it was my fault that I was having trouble with Vista. That's a surefire way to make me want to buy Vista.
Windows has had a long run, too long really. It can't be twisted into an operating system that can handle a world where processing power may be on the desktop or in a cloud, and where networking is a given. Microsoft needs something different.
But can it be serious about dropping Windows? I think it is. Vista has been a wake-up call that the company can't simply keep reinventing the same old thing. At the same time, Microsoft knows, of course, that it can't afford to alienate its customers, so the plan is to include Windows legacy support by way of virtualization. This path should enable Microsoft to provide the outstanding legacy application support it will need to keep end users happy.
Having said all this, do I think Microsoft will actually follow through? Not for a while, if at all. I can't see Midori coming out before 2013. The real question is, will Steve Ballmer make it happen? I can't see it. I can't hold the word vision and Ballmer in my head at the same time. If Microsoft changes management, Midori will turn into reality. If he stays in charge, we'll be seeing Windows 7 SP1 or, as I prefer to think of it, Vista SP4.
Access the article here.
Some very interesting documents have been leaking out of Microsoft. They clearly indicate, believe it or not, that Microsoft is considering shifting its users from Windows to a new operating system: Midori.
And, when I say "new," I mean new. This isn't the kind of lip-service change that we saw with David Cutler and NT or Jim Allchin and Vista. Midori, under Eric Rudder, senior vice president for technical strategy, isn't a cosmetic change; it's a completely new operating system.
Midori is being designed from the ground up to be a distributed operating system running on top of multiple hardware systems and virtual machines. That's one heck of a change from what has always been a single-user operating system designed for a stand-alone PC.
That design is a big reason why Windows is the insecure mess that has kept Symantec, McAfee and dozens of other anti-malware companies in business for decades. Despite that, Microsoft has never dared to change Windows too much, because it has been a cash cow. Now, things seem to be changing.
No one would dare let me enter the halls of the Microsoft campus, so I can only imagine that Midori started as a skunkworks project. Its purpose was probably to try out some ideas. That kind of project gets started all the time in major technology companies. Most of them amount to little. Why would Midori take on a life of its own?
I think it's because Vista's dismal market performance really shocked Microsoft. The company has had plenty of other failures — Microsoft Bob quickly comes to mind — but Vista is a failure of epic proportions. The reason both Mac OS and Linux are gaining ground on Windows is that people are rejecting Vista (much as I'd like to give the credit to their advantages).
Now, you may not believe that the Linux desktop or the Mac is really taking market share from Windows, but they are. In the U.K., Linux was preinstalled on 2.9% of all PCs sold in June. Meanwhile, 14% of all PCs sold in the U.S. are Macs. People are no longer mindlessly buying Windows systems, and Microsoft knows that.
The company has tried to con — uh, convince — people that Vista really is a good operating system, with its painful Mojave Experiment Web site. The site crashed Safari on my MacBook Pro and wouldn't render on Firefox on my openSUSE Linux PC. When I finally did get it to show up on an XP SP3 system, I was told it was my fault that I was having trouble with Vista. That's a surefire way to make me want to buy Vista.
Windows has had a long run, too long really. It can't be twisted into an operating system that can handle a world where processing power may be on the desktop or in a cloud, and where networking is a given. Microsoft needs something different.
But can it be serious about dropping Windows? I think it is. Vista has been a wake-up call that the company can't simply keep reinventing the same old thing. At the same time, Microsoft knows, of course, that it can't afford to alienate its customers, so the plan is to include Windows legacy support by way of virtualization. This path should enable Microsoft to provide the outstanding legacy application support it will need to keep end users happy.
Having said all this, do I think Microsoft will actually follow through? Not for a while, if at all. I can't see Midori coming out before 2013. The real question is, will Steve Ballmer make it happen? I can't see it. I can't hold the word vision and Ballmer in my head at the same time. If Microsoft changes management, Midori will turn into reality. If he stays in charge, we'll be seeing Windows 7 SP1 or, as I prefer to think of it, Vista SP4.
Access the article here.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Intel's Core 2 Extreme Mobile Chips: A New Speed King
Intel's newest chips take "Extreme" to the extreme, with game-friendly features and superior power.
Darren Gladstone, PC World
Aug 20, 2008 6:00 pm
How do you define "Extreme"? How about as a high-velocity, quad-core processor packed into a mobile platform? That's what Intel announced this afternoon at the Intel Developers Forum. Heretofore known as Core 2 Extreme, the cat (or chips) are now officially out of the bag.
In July, the first Core 2 Duo Extreme Mobile X9100--a Penryn dual-core CPU--to show up at our labs debuted inside Micro Express's JFL9290 laptop. The PC World Test Center is still putting that machine through its paces (you can check out our assessment of its little brother, the Micro Express JFL9226, in the meantime), but the initial numbers are impressive. It dominated our WorldBench 6 tests, notching a score of 115 and posting decent frame rates in Doom 3 (47 frames per second at 1024 by 768 resolution, with antialiasing) courtesy of a 256MB nVidia GeForce 9600M GT GPU. The real speed king, though, is the QX9300 (a Penryn Quad Core)--and it's now out the door, launching this week.
Here's the breakdown on what they offer. The X9100 has a 3.06-GHz frequency, two cores, and a 6MB cache running at 44 watts. The QX9300 has four cores running at 2.53 GHz, with a 12MB cache at 45 watts.
The new chip's focus on gaming capability shows up in many ways, starting with the way it emphasizes design choices for dual discrete graphics cards in the system. Another example is the chip's automatic overclocking of RAM (and DDR3 memory). And don't forget Intel's claims of improved I/O read times with the upcoming X18-M and X-25M SATA Mainstream SSDs.
Of course, being "Extreme" means doing extreme things like building overclocking into the BIOS. Good luck if you're foolhardy enough to try and reach the 4-GHz threshold. (One notebook on display at the IDF show, from Flextronics, managed to hit that number, but only thanks to a specially crafted cooling docking station created by CoolIt Systems.) Still, being able to crank your 3.06-GHz CPU up to 3.59 GHz is feasible with the easy-to-use Intel Extreme Tuning Utility, which works inside of the OS. Just make sure to park your tweaked-out laptop on an ice cube or something to keep it cool. (Disclaimer: Overclock at your own risk! Besides voiding warranties, such fate-tempting behavior puts you at risk of corrupting data, burning out the CPU, or worse.)
Intel clearly takes its thermals very seriously. Utilities are available that constantly monitor your hardware...and the chip maker emphasizes that special options such as CoolIt's MTEC Docking Station are all but essential for hitting the performance ceiling without going splat.
How likely are you to buy that extra-hardcore docking station? And how much will it cost you? Those are good questions, and they should be answered when the base launches in January of 2009--just in time for you to see an even beefier Core i7-based Extreme Edition notebook next year.
Photos & Article Credit of PCWorld. Access the article here
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Dell Earth
Since 1991, Dell has always seemed to keep the environment in mind when manufacturing products. Now they seem to be 'going green' more than ever. The Dell Earth website provides consumers with information about there promises to the environment. Below are a few excerpts from the site.
You and Dell
Recycle or Donate
Wondering what to do with your old computer equipment? Dell is here to make it simple for you. We offer a variety of convenient, environmentally sound programs to help you dispose of your old computer equipment. We also continue to lead the industry by offering free consumer recycling of Dell products worldwide.
Dell offers several options for recycling or donation of any make or model of computer, monitor, printer or peripheral device. With little effort, you can help others in need or just help keep environmentally sensitive materials out of our landfills. Find out how you can make a difference.
Plant a Tree For Me
We make it easy and convenient to offset the CO2 emissions related to the use of your PCs and electronics. Efforts such as reforestation are natural ways to counter the impact of CO2 in the atmosphere. Simply add the 'Plant a Tree for Me' option to your cart while configuring your new purchase and you can help us all breathe a little easier.
Share an Idea
Dell's IdeaStorm is an online community that allows you to share ideas and interact with other customers and Dell experts. You can suggest new products or services you'd like to see Dell develop or tell the world how you feel about major trends in technology and society. There's even a community dedicated to your Environmental Ideas.
Environmental Tips
Advances in technology continually offer new ways to help each of us protect the environment. For example, telecommuting saves car trips and reduces CO2 emissions. All electronics consume energy and need to be both used and disposed of responsibly.
Dell is committed to doing its part. Here are some simple steps you can take to make the most of technology while helping to protect our environment:
1. Be Energy Smart
Set the Power Options on your computer to switch to sleep mode when it's not active. You can find the power options settings in your PC's Control Panel. When you're going to be away from your PC for more than a few minutes, set it to stand-by mode and turn off the monitor.
2. Go Flat
Flat panel monitors use less energy than traditional CRT monitors. In fact, every flat panel monitor we sell meets the EPA's new stricter Energy Star 4.0 guidelines. And skip the screen savers. They contribute to energy waste by preventing a monitor from entering stand-by mode.
3. Print Wisely
Print only what you need and use recycled content paper whenever possible. Most printers today have a two-sided printing option which can dramatically reduce your paper consumption. Be sure to recycle used ink and toner cartridges. Dell includes a prepaid envelope in every ink and toner cartridge sold. Simply drop it in any mailbox and we'll take care of the rest.
4. Reuse and Recycle
Dell offers an array of convenient options to recycle or donate your used technology. From free recycling on all Dell consumer products to donation programs that benefit the people in your own community, we make it easy to be green.
5. Offset the Rest
Once you've reduced your energy use where you can, support carbon offset projects such as reforestation that counter CO2 emissions. Dell has partnered with The Conservation Fund and Carbonfund.org Foundation, two nonprofit organizations dedicated to reducing carbon emissions and the effects of climate change. Learn more about what you can do today.
You and Dell
Recycle or Donate
Wondering what to do with your old computer equipment? Dell is here to make it simple for you. We offer a variety of convenient, environmentally sound programs to help you dispose of your old computer equipment. We also continue to lead the industry by offering free consumer recycling of Dell products worldwide.
Dell offers several options for recycling or donation of any make or model of computer, monitor, printer or peripheral device. With little effort, you can help others in need or just help keep environmentally sensitive materials out of our landfills. Find out how you can make a difference.
Plant a Tree For Me
We make it easy and convenient to offset the CO2 emissions related to the use of your PCs and electronics. Efforts such as reforestation are natural ways to counter the impact of CO2 in the atmosphere. Simply add the 'Plant a Tree for Me' option to your cart while configuring your new purchase and you can help us all breathe a little easier.
Share an Idea
Dell's IdeaStorm is an online community that allows you to share ideas and interact with other customers and Dell experts. You can suggest new products or services you'd like to see Dell develop or tell the world how you feel about major trends in technology and society. There's even a community dedicated to your Environmental Ideas.
Environmental Tips
Advances in technology continually offer new ways to help each of us protect the environment. For example, telecommuting saves car trips and reduces CO2 emissions. All electronics consume energy and need to be both used and disposed of responsibly.
Dell is committed to doing its part. Here are some simple steps you can take to make the most of technology while helping to protect our environment:
1. Be Energy Smart
Set the Power Options on your computer to switch to sleep mode when it's not active. You can find the power options settings in your PC's Control Panel. When you're going to be away from your PC for more than a few minutes, set it to stand-by mode and turn off the monitor.
2. Go Flat
Flat panel monitors use less energy than traditional CRT monitors. In fact, every flat panel monitor we sell meets the EPA's new stricter Energy Star 4.0 guidelines. And skip the screen savers. They contribute to energy waste by preventing a monitor from entering stand-by mode.
3. Print Wisely
Print only what you need and use recycled content paper whenever possible. Most printers today have a two-sided printing option which can dramatically reduce your paper consumption. Be sure to recycle used ink and toner cartridges. Dell includes a prepaid envelope in every ink and toner cartridge sold. Simply drop it in any mailbox and we'll take care of the rest.
4. Reuse and Recycle
Dell offers an array of convenient options to recycle or donate your used technology. From free recycling on all Dell consumer products to donation programs that benefit the people in your own community, we make it easy to be green.
5. Offset the Rest
Once you've reduced your energy use where you can, support carbon offset projects such as reforestation that counter CO2 emissions. Dell has partnered with The Conservation Fund and Carbonfund.org Foundation, two nonprofit organizations dedicated to reducing carbon emissions and the effects of climate change. Learn more about what you can do today.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Upgrade Your Notebook Without Going Over the Line
Below is a very informative article to help our customers make the best decision when upgrading a laptop.
Our tests reveal the optimal configuration for your laptop.
Brian Nadel, Computerworld.com
Jul 4, 2008 10:15 am
Buying a notebook computer can be an exercise in limitless possibilities, whether you're buying for yourself or for 250 users in your organization. That's because most laptop vendors offer a dizzying array of configurations.
Some people simplify matters by overspending, wagering that loading the laptop with unnecessary power is better than getting shortchanged on performance. Others underspend, assuming that it's better to save money than to pay for unneeded power.
Such uninformed decision-making, however, often leads to either underpowered or overpriced laptops. But who has time to test the major configuration choices to find out which offers the best balance of performance, price and battery life?
Well, I did.
To find today's notebook configuration sweet spot, I used a typical laptop to examine performance with six different levels of system memory, ranging from 512MB to 4GB. I also examined whether to use a traditional hard-disk drive (HDD) or a solid-state storage device (SSD) that uses flash memory.
I looked at the impact of these choices on both system performance and battery life. (See "How we tested" for details.)
Along the way, I learned several things about the trade-offs between performance, battery life and price. Here's what I discovered.
How Much RAM Is Enough?
The first part of the laptop configuration conundrum is how much RAM to add to use. My tests found, not surprisingly, that adding more RAM leads to better performance. However, I also found the point at which adding RAM stops being cost effective and actually eats into the system's battery life.
Adding RAM is effective because it enables more of the system's operations to be done in the notebook's system memory. That, in turn, means less reliance on slower virtual memory, which uses the laptop's physical storage to simulate RAM when there is more data than the regular RAM can handle.
In my tests, filling the memory slots with 4GB increased memory performance -- how long it takes for data to go in and out of memory -- by about 7% and increased overall system performance by 15% compared with the test laptop's base configuration.
The biggest improvement, from a percentage point of view, occurred when increasing memory from 512MB to 1GB, but there was also a significant increase between 1GB and 1.5GB.
However, upgrading memory is effective only up to a point. That's because at some point the added memory isn't needed, and as a result, it sits idle and doesn't help with performance. That unneeded RAM does, however, draw power from the laptop's battery.
Benchmark tests on our test Windows XP laptop found the cutoff point to be at about 1.5GB of RAM. After that, adding more RAM resulted in smaller and smaller performance boosts.
In fact, the last gigabyte of RAM added, which brought the total to 4GB, increased overall performance by less than 1% and lowered battery life by 15 minutes. Most people will not find this to be an acceptable trade-off.
These tests were run on a Windows XP machine. (Read more about why I used a Windows XP laptop in "How we tested.") Given the higher resource demands of Windows Vista, it is reasonable to assume that the peak benefit in terms of adding RAM to a Vista system would occur at about 2GB.
Solid-State or Hard Disk Storage?
Deploying the right amount of RAM can lead to both improved performance and decreased battery life. However, replacing a magnetic hard drive with a flash-memory-based SSD drive is a "two-fer" gain that both increases performance and extends battery life. There are, however, other trade-offs to be aware of.
My test laptop had a 60GB hard drive that spins at 5,400 rpm. Note that this speed, while not as fast as most hard drives found on desktop computers, is by far the most common type of disk found on laptops, largely because faster hard drives demand more battery power.
In my tests, switching from a traditional 60GB hard drive to a 32GB Samsung flash drive boosted storage performance, or the notebook's ability to find and retrieve data, by 50% while using 38% less power.
All told, the system delivered an extra 20 or 25 minutes of battery life when using the flash drive than it did with a traditional mechanical hard drive. Overall system performance increased by 10%.
At a more micro level, another test, the HD Tach benchmark, found that the SSD drive read data 45% faster than the hard drive. In addition, the flash drive's random access time, which measures the lag the drive incurs to find the needed data, was just 0.3 milliseconds, a fraction of the hard drive's 17.9-millisecond access time.
Those performance results are not surprising, given that hard disk drives are largely mechanical, with spinning disks and read-write heads that locate information. In contrast, solid-state flash memory chips have no moving parts and can find and transfer data much more quickly than a hard drive's spinning disk. Another advantage is that SSD drives are nearly indestructible and are perfectly quiet.
In fact, the only time the hard drive excelled was in burst data transfers, in which, for brief periods, large amounts of data are transferred at once. The magnetic drive was more than twice as fast as the SSD at bursting data. This is a result of the hard drive using the newer SATA interface, which is capable of 150Mbit/sec. throughput and bursts of 600Mbit/sec. In contrast, the SSD uses the older IDE interface, which runs at a maximum of 133Mbit/sec.
A more serious trade-off of SSDs, however, is that they are currently very expensive. Our 32GB test unit, for instance, cost $520, compared with about $75 for a traditional hard drive. And these new drives don't have nearly as much available storage capacity as traditional hard drives -- for most users, 32GB is just not enough space, especially at the price. That's changing -- Samsung reportedly will introduce a 256GB SSD this fall -- but prices likely will remain very high.
Adding It Up
Overall, we were able to improve our test laptop's performance by more than 30% while extending battery life slightly by picking the right components.
There are, of course, some caveats for these results. These were not meant to be comprehensive tests using all possible configurations and all possible applications.
In the final analysis, we all use our notebooks differently -- tasks like checking e-mail and writing documents with Microsoft Word, for instance, are not as demanding as editing video or performing complicated simulations. As a result, the right notebook configuration for you will depend both on what you plan to use it for and the size of your budget.
Still, for general use with Windows XP, my tests found that the best balance between performance and battery life was to have 1.5GB or 2GB of system memory. If you're using Vista, which is more resource-intensive, start with at least 2GB and work up from there.
Also, flash storage drives provide better performance and longer battery life than traditional magnetic hard drives do. And, because they have no moving parts, they're more durable. However, they are expensive and currently offer limited storage capacity. That means most users will go with traditional hard drives -- until prices drop and capacities increase.
The bottom line: Many people believe that you can't have both better performance and longer battery life. My tests found that just isn't true. In fact, finding the configuration that provides the best performance often also provides optimal battery life.
How We Tested
To find out how system memory and hard-drive choices affect performance and battery life, I used a Fujitsu LifeBook T2010 system. The 3.6-pound tablet has a 1.2-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and uses Microsoft's Windows XP Tablet Edition, which is a variation of XP Professional.
I used Windows XP instead of Windows Vista because XP is still the most common operating system on laptops even though Microsoft is phasing it out. And, from a more practical point of view, not all the system benchmark tests I used support Vista. As I mentioned above, Vista's system requirements are higher than those of XP, so if you buy a Vista laptop, plan accordingly.
I used 512MB, 1GB and 2GB RAM modules to vary the amount of system memory from 512MB to 4GB. I tested with both a 60GB Fujitsu MHW2060 hard drive, which has a single disk that spins at 5,400 rpm, and a Samsung 32GB SSD storage module.
The variable I didn't control was graphics memory. The T2010 uses an Intel GMA X3100 graphics processor that automatically apportions system memory to create the images shown on the display. With higher RAM levels, the system allocates more system memory -- up to 384MB -- to graphics. The good news is that, with the same amount of RAM and software running, the graphics chip consistently uses the same amount of memory, so the comparisons are accurate.
To measure battery life, I fully charged the system's 5,800-milli-amp hour battery and, using my lab's Wi-Fi network, I set Internet Explorer to a Web radio station, which provides a constant and repeatable battery drain. With Battery Monitor software running, I unplugged the system and let it run down with the screen and audio adjusted to three-fourths of full brightness and volume. After the system ran out of power, I restarted it and checked Battery Monitor's Log file to find the start and end time of each run. I rounded each result off to the closest five-minute interval.
To measure the notebook's battery life and speed at the different configurations, I used several programs, each of which is downloadable:
• Futuremark's PCMark 05 exercised the system with simulated activities either individually or several at once. It showed not only an overall performance score, but results for memory and hard drive.
• CPUID's CPU-Z confirmed each configuration prior to testing.
• Simpli Software's HD Tach delivered average and burst throughput scores for a hard drive as well as access time.
• Finally, PassMark's BatteryMon gauged power use and helped with battery testing.
Test result numbers are particular to the specific testing software. However, higher scores translate into better performance.
-- Access the article here.
Our tests reveal the optimal configuration for your laptop.
Brian Nadel, Computerworld.com
Jul 4, 2008 10:15 am
Buying a notebook computer can be an exercise in limitless possibilities, whether you're buying for yourself or for 250 users in your organization. That's because most laptop vendors offer a dizzying array of configurations.
Some people simplify matters by overspending, wagering that loading the laptop with unnecessary power is better than getting shortchanged on performance. Others underspend, assuming that it's better to save money than to pay for unneeded power.
Such uninformed decision-making, however, often leads to either underpowered or overpriced laptops. But who has time to test the major configuration choices to find out which offers the best balance of performance, price and battery life?
Well, I did.
To find today's notebook configuration sweet spot, I used a typical laptop to examine performance with six different levels of system memory, ranging from 512MB to 4GB. I also examined whether to use a traditional hard-disk drive (HDD) or a solid-state storage device (SSD) that uses flash memory.
I looked at the impact of these choices on both system performance and battery life. (See "How we tested" for details.)
Along the way, I learned several things about the trade-offs between performance, battery life and price. Here's what I discovered.
How Much RAM Is Enough?
The first part of the laptop configuration conundrum is how much RAM to add to use. My tests found, not surprisingly, that adding more RAM leads to better performance. However, I also found the point at which adding RAM stops being cost effective and actually eats into the system's battery life.
Adding RAM is effective because it enables more of the system's operations to be done in the notebook's system memory. That, in turn, means less reliance on slower virtual memory, which uses the laptop's physical storage to simulate RAM when there is more data than the regular RAM can handle.
In my tests, filling the memory slots with 4GB increased memory performance -- how long it takes for data to go in and out of memory -- by about 7% and increased overall system performance by 15% compared with the test laptop's base configuration.
The biggest improvement, from a percentage point of view, occurred when increasing memory from 512MB to 1GB, but there was also a significant increase between 1GB and 1.5GB.
However, upgrading memory is effective only up to a point. That's because at some point the added memory isn't needed, and as a result, it sits idle and doesn't help with performance. That unneeded RAM does, however, draw power from the laptop's battery.
Benchmark tests on our test Windows XP laptop found the cutoff point to be at about 1.5GB of RAM. After that, adding more RAM resulted in smaller and smaller performance boosts.
In fact, the last gigabyte of RAM added, which brought the total to 4GB, increased overall performance by less than 1% and lowered battery life by 15 minutes. Most people will not find this to be an acceptable trade-off.
These tests were run on a Windows XP machine. (Read more about why I used a Windows XP laptop in "How we tested.") Given the higher resource demands of Windows Vista, it is reasonable to assume that the peak benefit in terms of adding RAM to a Vista system would occur at about 2GB.
Solid-State or Hard Disk Storage?
Deploying the right amount of RAM can lead to both improved performance and decreased battery life. However, replacing a magnetic hard drive with a flash-memory-based SSD drive is a "two-fer" gain that both increases performance and extends battery life. There are, however, other trade-offs to be aware of.
My test laptop had a 60GB hard drive that spins at 5,400 rpm. Note that this speed, while not as fast as most hard drives found on desktop computers, is by far the most common type of disk found on laptops, largely because faster hard drives demand more battery power.
In my tests, switching from a traditional 60GB hard drive to a 32GB Samsung flash drive boosted storage performance, or the notebook's ability to find and retrieve data, by 50% while using 38% less power.
All told, the system delivered an extra 20 or 25 minutes of battery life when using the flash drive than it did with a traditional mechanical hard drive. Overall system performance increased by 10%.
At a more micro level, another test, the HD Tach benchmark, found that the SSD drive read data 45% faster than the hard drive. In addition, the flash drive's random access time, which measures the lag the drive incurs to find the needed data, was just 0.3 milliseconds, a fraction of the hard drive's 17.9-millisecond access time.
Those performance results are not surprising, given that hard disk drives are largely mechanical, with spinning disks and read-write heads that locate information. In contrast, solid-state flash memory chips have no moving parts and can find and transfer data much more quickly than a hard drive's spinning disk. Another advantage is that SSD drives are nearly indestructible and are perfectly quiet.
In fact, the only time the hard drive excelled was in burst data transfers, in which, for brief periods, large amounts of data are transferred at once. The magnetic drive was more than twice as fast as the SSD at bursting data. This is a result of the hard drive using the newer SATA interface, which is capable of 150Mbit/sec. throughput and bursts of 600Mbit/sec. In contrast, the SSD uses the older IDE interface, which runs at a maximum of 133Mbit/sec.
A more serious trade-off of SSDs, however, is that they are currently very expensive. Our 32GB test unit, for instance, cost $520, compared with about $75 for a traditional hard drive. And these new drives don't have nearly as much available storage capacity as traditional hard drives -- for most users, 32GB is just not enough space, especially at the price. That's changing -- Samsung reportedly will introduce a 256GB SSD this fall -- but prices likely will remain very high.
Adding It Up
Overall, we were able to improve our test laptop's performance by more than 30% while extending battery life slightly by picking the right components.
There are, of course, some caveats for these results. These were not meant to be comprehensive tests using all possible configurations and all possible applications.
In the final analysis, we all use our notebooks differently -- tasks like checking e-mail and writing documents with Microsoft Word, for instance, are not as demanding as editing video or performing complicated simulations. As a result, the right notebook configuration for you will depend both on what you plan to use it for and the size of your budget.
Still, for general use with Windows XP, my tests found that the best balance between performance and battery life was to have 1.5GB or 2GB of system memory. If you're using Vista, which is more resource-intensive, start with at least 2GB and work up from there.
Also, flash storage drives provide better performance and longer battery life than traditional magnetic hard drives do. And, because they have no moving parts, they're more durable. However, they are expensive and currently offer limited storage capacity. That means most users will go with traditional hard drives -- until prices drop and capacities increase.
The bottom line: Many people believe that you can't have both better performance and longer battery life. My tests found that just isn't true. In fact, finding the configuration that provides the best performance often also provides optimal battery life.
How We Tested
To find out how system memory and hard-drive choices affect performance and battery life, I used a Fujitsu LifeBook T2010 system. The 3.6-pound tablet has a 1.2-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and uses Microsoft's Windows XP Tablet Edition, which is a variation of XP Professional.
I used Windows XP instead of Windows Vista because XP is still the most common operating system on laptops even though Microsoft is phasing it out. And, from a more practical point of view, not all the system benchmark tests I used support Vista. As I mentioned above, Vista's system requirements are higher than those of XP, so if you buy a Vista laptop, plan accordingly.
I used 512MB, 1GB and 2GB RAM modules to vary the amount of system memory from 512MB to 4GB. I tested with both a 60GB Fujitsu MHW2060 hard drive, which has a single disk that spins at 5,400 rpm, and a Samsung 32GB SSD storage module.
The variable I didn't control was graphics memory. The T2010 uses an Intel GMA X3100 graphics processor that automatically apportions system memory to create the images shown on the display. With higher RAM levels, the system allocates more system memory -- up to 384MB -- to graphics. The good news is that, with the same amount of RAM and software running, the graphics chip consistently uses the same amount of memory, so the comparisons are accurate.
To measure battery life, I fully charged the system's 5,800-milli-amp hour battery and, using my lab's Wi-Fi network, I set Internet Explorer to a Web radio station, which provides a constant and repeatable battery drain. With Battery Monitor software running, I unplugged the system and let it run down with the screen and audio adjusted to three-fourths of full brightness and volume. After the system ran out of power, I restarted it and checked Battery Monitor's Log file to find the start and end time of each run. I rounded each result off to the closest five-minute interval.
To measure the notebook's battery life and speed at the different configurations, I used several programs, each of which is downloadable:
• Futuremark's PCMark 05 exercised the system with simulated activities either individually or several at once. It showed not only an overall performance score, but results for memory and hard drive.
• CPUID's CPU-Z confirmed each configuration prior to testing.
• Simpli Software's HD Tach delivered average and burst throughput scores for a hard drive as well as access time.
• Finally, PassMark's BatteryMon gauged power use and helped with battery testing.
Test result numbers are particular to the specific testing software. However, higher scores translate into better performance.
-- Access the article here.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Latest Security Threats
The staff at Friendly Computers always urges customers to protect their computers from viruses and other malicious attacks. Many computer problems can be prevented by maintaining security.
Below is a list of recent threats, provided by Trend Micro, to help our customers properly protect their machines. The list provides the name, risk level and date.
Malware:
WORM_SOHANAD.DR Low Aug 8, 2008
WORM_SILLYFDC.AV Low Aug 8, 2008
TROJ_DLOAD.IR Low Aug 8, 2008
TROJ_KILLAV.UI Low Aug 8, 2008
TROJ_RENOS.ADX Low Aug 5, 2008
TROJ_AGENT.AVSZ Low Aug 5, 2008
TROJ_CHEPVIL.RAR Low Aug 5, 2008
TROJ_CHEPVIL.C Low Aug 5, 2008
TROJ_NUWAR.DDI Low Aug 3, 2008
TROJ_DLOADR.HM Low Aug 3, 2008
Spyware:
TSPY_SILENTBAN.D Low Aug 10, 2008
TSPY_ONLINEG.FELL Low Aug 5, 2008
TSPY_ONLINEG.CRJ Low Aug 5, 2008
TSPY_ONLINEG.SXF Low Aug 5, 2008
TSPY_ONLINEG.PZU Low Aug 4, 2008
TSPY_LINEAGE.CFV Low Aug 4, 2008
TSPY_ONLING.JA Low Aug 4, 2008
TSPY_ONLINEG.JBR Low Aug 4, 2008
TSPY_ONLINEG.MFN Low Aug 4, 2008
TSPY_GAMEOL.QM Low Aug 3, 2008
Access the list anytime here.
Other ways to keep computers safe include installing updates and performing regular scans for both viruses and software.
Machine running poorly? It may be a virus victim. Friendly Computers is #1 in the nation for computer repair. Call 1-888-PCFRIEND or find a store near you.
Below is a list of recent threats, provided by Trend Micro, to help our customers properly protect their machines. The list provides the name, risk level and date.
Malware:
WORM_SOHANAD.DR Low Aug 8, 2008
WORM_SILLYFDC.AV Low Aug 8, 2008
TROJ_DLOAD.IR Low Aug 8, 2008
TROJ_KILLAV.UI Low Aug 8, 2008
TROJ_RENOS.ADX Low Aug 5, 2008
TROJ_AGENT.AVSZ Low Aug 5, 2008
TROJ_CHEPVIL.RAR Low Aug 5, 2008
TROJ_CHEPVIL.C Low Aug 5, 2008
TROJ_NUWAR.DDI Low Aug 3, 2008
TROJ_DLOADR.HM Low Aug 3, 2008
Spyware:
TSPY_SILENTBAN.D Low Aug 10, 2008
TSPY_ONLINEG.FELL Low Aug 5, 2008
TSPY_ONLINEG.CRJ Low Aug 5, 2008
TSPY_ONLINEG.SXF Low Aug 5, 2008
TSPY_ONLINEG.PZU Low Aug 4, 2008
TSPY_LINEAGE.CFV Low Aug 4, 2008
TSPY_ONLING.JA Low Aug 4, 2008
TSPY_ONLINEG.JBR Low Aug 4, 2008
TSPY_ONLINEG.MFN Low Aug 4, 2008
TSPY_GAMEOL.QM Low Aug 3, 2008
Access the list anytime here.
Other ways to keep computers safe include installing updates and performing regular scans for both viruses and software.
Machine running poorly? It may be a virus victim. Friendly Computers is #1 in the nation for computer repair. Call 1-888-PCFRIEND or find a store near you.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
New Software Designed To Keep Kids Safe On The Internet
Friendly Computers in the news! Read below.
New Software Designed To Keep Kids Safe On The Internet
Posted: Aug 12, 2008 11:59 AM
Updated: Aug 12, 2008 11:59 AM
KENNEWICK, Wash. - Parents concerned about their kids and internet, now have some new ways to keep them safe.
Child safety advocates claim over 35 million kids have access to the internet. It's easy to for kids to accidently find things they shouldn't see. So computer specialists at Friendly Computers in Kennewick are trying to get the word out about "purpledude.com, and the new DreamWorks Shrek internet browser.
"The software will help the parents to understand what the kids are trying to do and help them, and direct them in the right ways without allowing them open access to the internet," said Richard Pierson, Friendly Computers.
The "Purple Dude" tracks where kids go online, and gives them fun places to go. The Shrek browser filters what sites children can log on to. It also gives kids a fun way to search the internet.
For a link to learn more about these software programs, just click on the "On Air Links" tab.
-- Access the article here.
Want to download Purple Dude software? Click here!
New Software Designed To Keep Kids Safe On The Internet
Posted: Aug 12, 2008 11:59 AM
Updated: Aug 12, 2008 11:59 AM
KENNEWICK, Wash. - Parents concerned about their kids and internet, now have some new ways to keep them safe.
Child safety advocates claim over 35 million kids have access to the internet. It's easy to for kids to accidently find things they shouldn't see. So computer specialists at Friendly Computers in Kennewick are trying to get the word out about "purpledude.com, and the new DreamWorks Shrek internet browser.
"The software will help the parents to understand what the kids are trying to do and help them, and direct them in the right ways without allowing them open access to the internet," said Richard Pierson, Friendly Computers.
The "Purple Dude" tracks where kids go online, and gives them fun places to go. The Shrek browser filters what sites children can log on to. It also gives kids a fun way to search the internet.
For a link to learn more about these software programs, just click on the "On Air Links" tab.
-- Access the article here.
Want to download Purple Dude software? Click here!
Monday, August 11, 2008
Singing the New-PC Blues
Although buying a computer can be exciting, sometimes the setup is stressful.
Setting up a new system is a major hassle--and the Web doesn't provide much help.
Stephen Manes, PC World
Jul 30, 2008 8:00 am
It's so painful to move your life from one Windows machine to another that I tend to buy PCs only when I have to. But as I mentioned last month, Microsoft's abandonment of Windows XP sent me scrambling to find a replacement for my superannuated but still functioning subnotebook. I kept hoping that some undiscovered Web magic might somehow make the process easier this time. But, as my latest go-round shows, once you're done shopping, the Web doesn't really help you much.
Web deals aren't always best: With so many online stores refusing to publish telephone contacts, I had dropped my old habit of picking up the handset to get better deals. This time was different. When I went to configure my new Sony laptop online, I found a "Fresh Start" option that would minimize crapware and save me $25, but the only mention of XP was a little display ad with a phone number.
When I called, the salesperson explained how to get the XP "downgrade" discs: I would have to pay $100 to "upgrade" to Vista Business ("upgrade to downgrade"--that's a concept the late George Carlin would have savored). Then the rep started offering me better deals than I could find on Sony's site. First was an offer of $100 off the machine's Web-posted price. I took him up on a different deal that ended up saving me $150 on the laptop with a three-year accidental-damage warranty, provided that I also bought two accessories, including a spare battery I wanted anyway. So much for thinking that Web prices are set in stone.
Web specs aren't always right: The other accessory I ordered was a spare "compact" AC adapter that the company's Web site listed at 0.51 pounds. That's really its weight--if you don't count the quarter-pounder AC cord. And Sony's site listed my machine's built-in Webcam at 1.3 megapixels. The true count? One full megapixel less, a measly 640 by 480 dots. I knew the correct spec beforehand from reviewing a similar machine, but how are ordinary customers expected to react when they encounter avoidable mistakes like these two?
Web support isn't always supportive: Before installing XP, I made a DVD backup of the default setup in case something went amiss or--horrors!--I might want to restore Vista someday. Then I noticed that Sony recommended I create "recovery" discs via a different process. Web support was silent about the difference, so I ended up babysitting the laptop for several hours to make both. Which one might work when I need it to? My voice-of-experience bet: Neither.
Web upgrades are always tiresome: After taking a couple more hours to install XP, I wasted more time downloading and installing the inevitable updates. Next I discovered that some essential drivers were missing. Unfortunately, Sony's Web site didn't offer them until I pretended I had a different (but similar) model. Then came the finding, installation, and Web upgrading of all my old software. And after all that, I still had to fritter away more hours doping out why the new machine couldn't see the other ones on my home network and vice versa. The problem? An idiotically overprotective Norton Internet Security default configuration.
In the business world, when you get a new PC, a paid expert handles all this stuff for you. In the Mac world, you can hook two systems together and make the new one work almost exactly as the old one did in maybe half an hour. In the world of Windows "personal" computers, you get to be your own expert and waste at least a day of your personal time.
How soon might your wonderful new machine pay that back? The fourteenth of never.
Access the full article here.
Need help setting up a new computer? The staff atFriendly Computers can help you set up the new system. We offer friendly service and a guarantee on our work. Call 1-888-PCFRIEND or click here.
Setting up a new system is a major hassle--and the Web doesn't provide much help.
Stephen Manes, PC World
Jul 30, 2008 8:00 am
It's so painful to move your life from one Windows machine to another that I tend to buy PCs only when I have to. But as I mentioned last month, Microsoft's abandonment of Windows XP sent me scrambling to find a replacement for my superannuated but still functioning subnotebook. I kept hoping that some undiscovered Web magic might somehow make the process easier this time. But, as my latest go-round shows, once you're done shopping, the Web doesn't really help you much.
Web deals aren't always best: With so many online stores refusing to publish telephone contacts, I had dropped my old habit of picking up the handset to get better deals. This time was different. When I went to configure my new Sony laptop online, I found a "Fresh Start" option that would minimize crapware and save me $25, but the only mention of XP was a little display ad with a phone number.
When I called, the salesperson explained how to get the XP "downgrade" discs: I would have to pay $100 to "upgrade" to Vista Business ("upgrade to downgrade"--that's a concept the late George Carlin would have savored). Then the rep started offering me better deals than I could find on Sony's site. First was an offer of $100 off the machine's Web-posted price. I took him up on a different deal that ended up saving me $150 on the laptop with a three-year accidental-damage warranty, provided that I also bought two accessories, including a spare battery I wanted anyway. So much for thinking that Web prices are set in stone.
Web specs aren't always right: The other accessory I ordered was a spare "compact" AC adapter that the company's Web site listed at 0.51 pounds. That's really its weight--if you don't count the quarter-pounder AC cord. And Sony's site listed my machine's built-in Webcam at 1.3 megapixels. The true count? One full megapixel less, a measly 640 by 480 dots. I knew the correct spec beforehand from reviewing a similar machine, but how are ordinary customers expected to react when they encounter avoidable mistakes like these two?
Web support isn't always supportive: Before installing XP, I made a DVD backup of the default setup in case something went amiss or--horrors!--I might want to restore Vista someday. Then I noticed that Sony recommended I create "recovery" discs via a different process. Web support was silent about the difference, so I ended up babysitting the laptop for several hours to make both. Which one might work when I need it to? My voice-of-experience bet: Neither.
Web upgrades are always tiresome: After taking a couple more hours to install XP, I wasted more time downloading and installing the inevitable updates. Next I discovered that some essential drivers were missing. Unfortunately, Sony's Web site didn't offer them until I pretended I had a different (but similar) model. Then came the finding, installation, and Web upgrading of all my old software. And after all that, I still had to fritter away more hours doping out why the new machine couldn't see the other ones on my home network and vice versa. The problem? An idiotically overprotective Norton Internet Security default configuration.
In the business world, when you get a new PC, a paid expert handles all this stuff for you. In the Mac world, you can hook two systems together and make the new one work almost exactly as the old one did in maybe half an hour. In the world of Windows "personal" computers, you get to be your own expert and waste at least a day of your personal time.
How soon might your wonderful new machine pay that back? The fourteenth of never.
Access the full article here.
Need help setting up a new computer? The staff atFriendly Computers can help you set up the new system. We offer friendly service and a guarantee on our work. Call 1-888-PCFRIEND or click here.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Friendly Rebrands Computer Renaissance
Friendly Rebrands Computer Renaissance
By Alan Wolf -- TWICE, 7/21/2008
LAS VEGAS — Friendly Computers, the family-run PC sales and service franchise business, has begun re-branding the 58 Computer Renaissance stores it acquired last December.
Once completed, there will be some 70 Friendly Computers storefronts nationwide, up from the 13 locations it operated prior to the buyout.
The company, founded in a Brigham Young University dorm room in 1992 by operations VP Steve Ward, also maintains about 60 home-based computer repair franchises around the country, giving Friendly a presence in 39 states and online.
As part of its growth strategy, and fueled by the addition of the Computer Renaissance stores, Friendly Computers will eventually shift to a brick-and-mortar business model that emphasizes product sales as well as service. For the immediate future, however, the company will offer franchisees both options, allowing home-based franchise units to leverage the stores' greater inventory and resources.
Ultimately, president Bryan Ward (Steve's brother) believes the business can expand its nationwide network to 500 locations by 2013.
The trick, he said, is remaining true to the company's core brand values of friendly, personalized customer service; good value; and strong community relations, which help differentiate it from larger big-box specialty chains.
"We're changing the face of the computer industry from geek to chic," Bryan said. "Consumers and businesses are fed up with long hold times, pricey service calls, deficient equipment and downright ineffective resolutions to computer problems.
"As our footprint expands across the United States, businesses and households in every corner of the country will have a better answer to their computer needs."
To that end, the company offers what it describes as a comprehensive suite of service offerings from certified technicians, including hardware installation and repairs, wired and wireless networking, data backup and recovery, virus and spyware removal and prevention, computer optimization, and custom-built desktops and notebooks. Rates are $88 per hour on average, which it claims is nearly half the price of its big-box competitors, and customer calls are answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week by people rather than voice prompts, the company said.
"Our competitive advantage is our customer service, and we take great pride in making sure that will never change," said brother Steve, who has embraced the company's "customer first" motto from day one.
After founding the business in 1992, Steve moved the operation to a Las Vegas garage and brought in brothers Bryan, Michael and Timothy, along with their dad Verlan. The family later opened its first flagship store in Las Vegas, which is still in operation, and brought in franchise development veteran Don Ziegler as marketing and franchise sales director.
Today, following the demise of CompUSA, Friendly Computers says it is the largest on-site and retail computer repair chain in the country. Sales have increased at an annual rate of nearly 40 percent for the past three years, with 20 percent of its revenue derived from servicing computers that were purchased from big-box chains or direct from the manufacturer and are still under warranty.
Service callbacks are down 32 percent year-to-date to a rate of 2.9 percent, and earlier this year Friendly established its own extended-warranty program through an agreement with Warrantech.
As part of its ethos of serving the community, Friendly offers a number of unique programs including:
free online child monitoring software to help safeguard kids against Internet predators and adult content. The program, dubbed Purple Dude Internet Watch after the company's logo, is available at www.purpledude.com and allows parents to identify Web sites their children have visited and programs they accessed;
providing free laptops with voice activation software to disabled U.S. military veterans through the non-profit Soldiers' Angels support group; and
offering steep discounts to veterans interested in opening their own Friendly Computers franchise.
-- Access the article here.
By Alan Wolf -- TWICE, 7/21/2008
LAS VEGAS — Friendly Computers, the family-run PC sales and service franchise business, has begun re-branding the 58 Computer Renaissance stores it acquired last December.
Once completed, there will be some 70 Friendly Computers storefronts nationwide, up from the 13 locations it operated prior to the buyout.
The company, founded in a Brigham Young University dorm room in 1992 by operations VP Steve Ward, also maintains about 60 home-based computer repair franchises around the country, giving Friendly a presence in 39 states and online.
As part of its growth strategy, and fueled by the addition of the Computer Renaissance stores, Friendly Computers will eventually shift to a brick-and-mortar business model that emphasizes product sales as well as service. For the immediate future, however, the company will offer franchisees both options, allowing home-based franchise units to leverage the stores' greater inventory and resources.
Ultimately, president Bryan Ward (Steve's brother) believes the business can expand its nationwide network to 500 locations by 2013.
The trick, he said, is remaining true to the company's core brand values of friendly, personalized customer service; good value; and strong community relations, which help differentiate it from larger big-box specialty chains.
"We're changing the face of the computer industry from geek to chic," Bryan said. "Consumers and businesses are fed up with long hold times, pricey service calls, deficient equipment and downright ineffective resolutions to computer problems.
"As our footprint expands across the United States, businesses and households in every corner of the country will have a better answer to their computer needs."
To that end, the company offers what it describes as a comprehensive suite of service offerings from certified technicians, including hardware installation and repairs, wired and wireless networking, data backup and recovery, virus and spyware removal and prevention, computer optimization, and custom-built desktops and notebooks. Rates are $88 per hour on average, which it claims is nearly half the price of its big-box competitors, and customer calls are answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week by people rather than voice prompts, the company said.
"Our competitive advantage is our customer service, and we take great pride in making sure that will never change," said brother Steve, who has embraced the company's "customer first" motto from day one.
After founding the business in 1992, Steve moved the operation to a Las Vegas garage and brought in brothers Bryan, Michael and Timothy, along with their dad Verlan. The family later opened its first flagship store in Las Vegas, which is still in operation, and brought in franchise development veteran Don Ziegler as marketing and franchise sales director.
Today, following the demise of CompUSA, Friendly Computers says it is the largest on-site and retail computer repair chain in the country. Sales have increased at an annual rate of nearly 40 percent for the past three years, with 20 percent of its revenue derived from servicing computers that were purchased from big-box chains or direct from the manufacturer and are still under warranty.
Service callbacks are down 32 percent year-to-date to a rate of 2.9 percent, and earlier this year Friendly established its own extended-warranty program through an agreement with Warrantech.
As part of its ethos of serving the community, Friendly offers a number of unique programs including:
free online child monitoring software to help safeguard kids against Internet predators and adult content. The program, dubbed Purple Dude Internet Watch after the company's logo, is available at www.purpledude.com and allows parents to identify Web sites their children have visited and programs they accessed;
providing free laptops with voice activation software to disabled U.S. military veterans through the non-profit Soldiers' Angels support group; and
offering steep discounts to veterans interested in opening their own Friendly Computers franchise.
-- Access the article here.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Could 64-bit Windows finally be taking off?
64-bit machines have been around for quite sometime. Now they are growing faster than ever, and may be the new up-and-coming trend.
Could 64-bit Windows finally be taking off?
Posted by Ina Fried
If you build it, it appears they will come, eventually.
Such is the case with 64-bit computing. Advanced Micro Devices launched 64-bit chips for the desktop back in 2003, hoping the fact that it was there and didn't cost extra would convince consumers.
"Our industry, right now, is hungry for another round of innovation," AMD chief Hector Ruiz told the crowd at the San Francisco launch in September 2003. Not that hungry, apparently.
Of course, the hardware wasn't much use without a 64-bit operating system. After several fits and starts, Microsoft finally released a 64-bit version of Windows XP in the fall of 2005.
Still, several factors have held up adoption of 64-bit computing, long after the operating system was available. First of all, there wasn't a lot of need for it. The primary advantage of 64-bit computing is the ability to use more than 4GB of RAM, and until very recently most PC buyers had little need for that much memory. Also, to connect to a computer running 64-bit Windows, printers, scanners, and other peripherals need to have a special 64-bit driver.
But it appears the benefits are starting to outweigh the drawbacks.
In a blog post this week, Microsoft's Chris Flores noted that 20 percent of new Windows Vista PCs in the U.S. that connected to Windows Update in June were running a 64-bit version of the OS, compared with 3 percent of new computers in March.
"Put more simply, usage of 64-bit Windows Vista is growing much more rapidly than 32-bit," he said. "Based on current trends, this growth will accelerate as the retail channel shifts to supplying a rapidly increasing assortment of 64-bit desktops and laptops."
The trend is also evident by looking at the kinds of systems being sold at retailers. In its circular this Sunday most of the desktops and half of the dozen notebook models being advertised by Office Depot had the 64-bit version of Windows pre-installed.
The mix was similar in Circuit City's advertisement, with nearly all of the desktops and many of the notebooks running 64-bit Windows
Gateway, for example, is shifting to an entirely 64-bit Windows lineup on its desktops, starting with the back-to-school shopping season.
It's a dramatic shift even from last quarter, in which only about 5 percent of its total desktop and notebook models had a 64-bit OS installed. For the third quarter, 95 percent of desktop models and 30 percent of notebook systems will have a 64-bit OS.
Among the factors leading to the shift are the fact that 64-bit machines, unlike their 32-bit brethren, can directly address more than 4GB of memory. Also, more 64-bit software is finally coming to market, as evidenced by last week's release of a 64-bit optimized version of Adobe Lightroom.
IDC analyst Richard Shim said he expects even more computers will start shipping preloaded with 64-bit Windows toward the end of this year. "64-bit versions of Windows will begin to find their way into high-end gaming notebooks, which increasingly are being used as high-end notebook workstations as opposed to strictly gaming systems," he said.
Could 64-bit Windows finally be taking off?
Posted by Ina Fried
If you build it, it appears they will come, eventually.
Such is the case with 64-bit computing. Advanced Micro Devices launched 64-bit chips for the desktop back in 2003, hoping the fact that it was there and didn't cost extra would convince consumers.
"Our industry, right now, is hungry for another round of innovation," AMD chief Hector Ruiz told the crowd at the San Francisco launch in September 2003. Not that hungry, apparently.
Of course, the hardware wasn't much use without a 64-bit operating system. After several fits and starts, Microsoft finally released a 64-bit version of Windows XP in the fall of 2005.
Still, several factors have held up adoption of 64-bit computing, long after the operating system was available. First of all, there wasn't a lot of need for it. The primary advantage of 64-bit computing is the ability to use more than 4GB of RAM, and until very recently most PC buyers had little need for that much memory. Also, to connect to a computer running 64-bit Windows, printers, scanners, and other peripherals need to have a special 64-bit driver.
But it appears the benefits are starting to outweigh the drawbacks.
In a blog post this week, Microsoft's Chris Flores noted that 20 percent of new Windows Vista PCs in the U.S. that connected to Windows Update in June were running a 64-bit version of the OS, compared with 3 percent of new computers in March.
"Put more simply, usage of 64-bit Windows Vista is growing much more rapidly than 32-bit," he said. "Based on current trends, this growth will accelerate as the retail channel shifts to supplying a rapidly increasing assortment of 64-bit desktops and laptops."
The trend is also evident by looking at the kinds of systems being sold at retailers. In its circular this Sunday most of the desktops and half of the dozen notebook models being advertised by Office Depot had the 64-bit version of Windows pre-installed.
The mix was similar in Circuit City's advertisement, with nearly all of the desktops and many of the notebooks running 64-bit Windows
Gateway, for example, is shifting to an entirely 64-bit Windows lineup on its desktops, starting with the back-to-school shopping season.
It's a dramatic shift even from last quarter, in which only about 5 percent of its total desktop and notebook models had a 64-bit OS installed. For the third quarter, 95 percent of desktop models and 30 percent of notebook systems will have a 64-bit OS.
Among the factors leading to the shift are the fact that 64-bit machines, unlike their 32-bit brethren, can directly address more than 4GB of memory. Also, more 64-bit software is finally coming to market, as evidenced by last week's release of a 64-bit optimized version of Adobe Lightroom.
IDC analyst Richard Shim said he expects even more computers will start shipping preloaded with 64-bit Windows toward the end of this year. "64-bit versions of Windows will begin to find their way into high-end gaming notebooks, which increasingly are being used as high-end notebook workstations as opposed to strictly gaming systems," he said.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Rebuilding, Refurbishing Another Way to Save
Recently a blog was posted under Sun-Sentinel, Consumer Talk with Daniel Vasquez, on the importance of saving green by refurbishing old machines. Read more below.
Posted by Daniel Vasquez at 9:00:17 AM
Having car engine troubles? Want a new car? Put your wallet away and consider rebuilding that engine.
Or maybe your computer is old, slow and and filled with viruses. Before you toss it for a newer model, consider refurbishing.
There are a growing number of companies sprouting up that help consumers save money by breathing new life into old expensive items and allowing them hold onto them longer.
Instead of paying thousands - maybe tens of thousands - on a new car, the Engine Repair Council and the Car Care Council both recommend rebuilding your engine if that is your main problem. In many cases, a rebuilt engine works better than the original and is more environmentally friendly.
Companies like FriendlyComputers.com and Computer Renaissance (www.Compren.com)can also keep your old computer running longer. They can do whatever it takes to make it run like new or even better and can do the work at your home or business. That will give you more time to save up for a new one.
Have you found ways to keep your favorite belongings in good shape so you don't have to buy new? Would love to hear about it.
--- Read more here.
Posted by Daniel Vasquez at 9:00:17 AM
Having car engine troubles? Want a new car? Put your wallet away and consider rebuilding that engine.
Or maybe your computer is old, slow and and filled with viruses. Before you toss it for a newer model, consider refurbishing.
There are a growing number of companies sprouting up that help consumers save money by breathing new life into old expensive items and allowing them hold onto them longer.
Instead of paying thousands - maybe tens of thousands - on a new car, the Engine Repair Council and the Car Care Council both recommend rebuilding your engine if that is your main problem. In many cases, a rebuilt engine works better than the original and is more environmentally friendly.
Companies like FriendlyComputers.com and Computer Renaissance (www.Compren.com)can also keep your old computer running longer. They can do whatever it takes to make it run like new or even better and can do the work at your home or business. That will give you more time to save up for a new one.
Have you found ways to keep your favorite belongings in good shape so you don't have to buy new? Would love to hear about it.
--- Read more here.
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