'Tis the Season (Again!) for Online Shopping

	FORUMS | BLOG | RSS | MY PROFILE | PRIVACY

Vol. 9, #101 - Dec 8, 2009 - Issue #409  'Tis the Season (Again!) for Online Shopping Editor's Corner 'Tis the Season (Again!) for Online Shopping Follow-up: Chrome OS Quotes of the Week Cool Tools Tools We Think You Shouldn't Be Without News, Hints, Tips and Tricks Yahoo and Microsoft finalize Partnership Bing puts bling in maps feature Microsoft tries again to placate the EU and other browser makes Banned in Boston - and everywhere else How To: Using XP Features Get rid of the Automatic Updates restart dialog box XP Security News On the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me ... XP Question Corner My computer's clock is losing time XP Configuration and Troubleshooting My Documents opens when you start the computer Fav Links This Week's Links We Like. Tips, Hints And Fun Stuff Product of the Week Total Video Converter: An All-In-One Video And Audio Conversion Tool. Shop Online Securely, Protected By VIPRE Protect yourself from cyber thieves during this online shopping season. VIPRE protects you against today's highly complex malware threats including viruses, adware, spyware and rootkits. And it does not hog your PC resources like many traditional (free) antivirus products. Make online purchases with confidence, Get VIPRE! http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091208-VIPRE  Editor's Corner 'Tis the Season (Again!) for Online Shopping Once upon a time, the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas meant numerous exhausting trips to the stores and malls. It meant fighting the crowds (sometimes literally) to snag that last Cabbage Patch Kid or Hello Kitty for the little ones in our lives, or that on-sale cashmere sweater for mom, or that very cool big boy toy for the hubby (Dad was easy: socks and ties). Today, it's possible to get all of your gift-giving taken care of without ever leaving the house. Online shopping has morphed from a niche market utilized only by techies to a mainstream activity that's engaged in by almost everyone who has computer access. The U.S. Census Bureau reported that even in this less-than-stellar economic climate, e-commerce sales for the first quarter of 2009 totaled more than $30 billion: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091208-Sales-Dip The fear of conducting financial transactions over the 'Net has faded as more and more people do their banking online and pay their regular bills online. People have come to realize that although there's a risk associated with transmitting your credit card information through the web, there's also a risk associated with giving your card to a store or restaurant employee, who disappears with it into a back room. Even if you never let go of your card, it's not necessarily safe - just witness the many incidences where people became victims of identity theft just by using their debit cards at an ATM - which had been rigged to copy the information: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091208-ATM-Identity-Theft Sometimes, shopping online is the only way to get what you want. I searched in vain at local outlets for something that had been common when I was young but seems to have disappeared, at least around here: so-called "ice tea spoons." These are spoons with normal sized bowls but longer than usual handles, for stirring sugar that's added to sweetened tea. Then I looked on Amazon, and sure enough, I found them there - a box of 12 for only 9.29: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091208-Iced-Teaspoon This year, because of the recession, it may be even harder to find what you want in the stores because they're carrying low inventories. Even if you see it advertised, it may be sold out by the time you get there. I've been waiting for months for the release of the Omnia II smart phone by Verizon. It finally happened last Wednesday, but I had a busy week and wasn't able to get over to the Verizon Store until Saturday. I was ready to buy, but they had none left in stock. I had them check several other stores in neighboring cities and came up empty there, too. I ended up having to order the phone over the Internet, even though I was really eager to get it and willing to pay the extra $20 to have it that day. Oh, well - it's supposed to be delivered to my door next Tuesday and I saved a few bucks. In fact, saving money is the biggest reason that many of my friends are giving for doing more of their shopping online this year. One reason buying online costs you less is because many online retailers don't charge sales taxes on your purchases. What you might not know is that your state probably requires you to pay a "use tax" on those out-of-state purchases. Almost nobody does, and most people don't even know how to go about it, but the law is there: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091208-Tax-Free-Online Since that isn't working so well, it's likely that sooner or later, online retailers will be required to collect sales taxes just like your local stores do. In fact, as the article above notes, New York state has already passed a law requiring them to collect sales taxes from customers who live in New York. It's under appeal now. Of course, we already pay sales taxes on some online purchases. When I buy from Dell, sales tax gets added onto my purchase since I'm in Texas and so are they. In fact, the company doesn't have to be headquartered in your state. If the company has any physical presence in your state, it's supposed to charge you sales taxes. Even if you give the government its due, though, it's likely that you'll save money by buying online. Because many online retailers don't have the overhead of "bricks and mortar" stores and sales people, they can set their prices lower. When it comes to things like computer components, I can almost always get a better price at NewEgg or Amazon than at my local Fry's. I don't expect to ever completely stop frequenting the physical retail stores, though. There are two reasons: sometimes I need something right now, not a few days or even one day later. And sometimes I really need to see and/or touch the product before I buy it. There are times when I don't even know the name of the item I want. Sure, I could go to the B&M store and find it, find out its name and then come home and buy it online, but chances are - unless it's really a big ticket item - if I make the trek to the store, I'll just go ahead and get it there. Black Friday is one day that I stay as far away from the stores as possible. If I must shop on that day, online is definitely my preferred way to do it. I guess I'm not the only one who feels that way. According to the Oregon Business Report, overall spending was up by half a percentage point this year on Black Friday ($54 million more than last year) - but online spending was up 17% over the same period last year. On the other hand, those statistics show that shoppers spent about 14% less per transaction this year than last year: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091208-Retail-Trends "Cyber Monday" is the Monday after the traditional Black Friday weekend. It was created in 2005 by the National Retail Federation. The premise at that time was that many people only had high speed Internet access at work, so they did their online shopping on the first work day following Thanksgiving. This year's Cyber Monday sales were up (11% over last year) but that's only one measure of its popularity. Many people were "cyber window shopping" - surfing the e-commerce sites without necessarily making purchases. In fact, the Cyber Monday traffic was so heavy that, according to Ben Rushlo, director of competitive research at Keynote Systems (a mobile Internet test and measurement company), "More users, shopping online, brought sites that were relatively stable on Black Friday to their knees on Cyber Monday. In every vertical Keynote measures (Apparel, Books & Music and Electronics) at least one site had what would be classified as a 'meltdown.' In total, six of the measured sites crumbled during some part of the day (some for the entire day). Another 9 sites had major slowdowns or periods of instability during the day on Monday." Which brings us to a potential problem with online shopping. As crowded as the B&M stores might get during the holiday shopping season, it's highly unlikely that they will be shut down completely by the crowds. You'll usually be able to squeeze in. But if an Internet site gets overwhelmed, it can crash the servers - and it's disconcerting, at the least, if that happens when you're right in the middle of a credit card transaction. Still, according to Ben, the large sites such as Wal-Mart, Sears, Best Buy and NewEgg performed fine on Cyber Monday. Most of the sites that experienced problems were apparently apparel outlets - perhaps indicating that shoppers are being more pragmatic this year and buying clothes rather than trinkets. Maybe these sites were just caught by surprise when their popularity exceeded their bandwidth. Tell us what you think about online shopping. Are you doing more of it this year? Do you find it a blessing to be able to sit at home at your computer in your pajamas and do your Christmas shopping? Or do you think it takes away something from the spirit of the season, not to be out there among the crowds, putting your life on the line for the sake of the best sales? How much money do you estimate you save (including cost of gas/transportation and the value of your time traveling to and from the mall) by buying online? Do you pay the use taxes on your purchases? Do you think online purchases should be subject to sales taxes like local purchases? Is the trend toward buying online harming your local economy by taking sales away from the businesses in your neighborhood? We invite you to join the discussion in our forum at http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091208-Forum-Discussion Follow-up: Chrome OS In last week's editorial, I took a quick peek at the new (beta) Google Chrome operating system and some of its features and - in my opinion - where it's lacking. A number of readers had something to say on the subject, too, and the article obviously inspired some lively discussion on the forum (which was, after all, the point). Based on the forum posts, many of you still aren't ready to accept an OS that lives in the cloud, and that was one of the points I was trying to make in the original piece. There are security issues, there are trust issues, there are control issues - and there are even economic issues. Thanks to Dumbo469 and mattern1974 for pointing out something that those of us in the urban/suburban U.S. with low priced unlimited data plans sometimes forget: that not everybody has such access and bandwidth limitations make cloud based computing an expensive proposition for many folks in other countries or in rural parts of ours, even if the OS and hardware are free. For those who decided that I "asked the wrong questions," please feel free to ask your own. There are no "official" forum questions - my thoughts on the editorial subjects are my own, just as yours are yours. They're designed to serve as a taking-off point to get people thinking and talking - no more and no less. to respond to another criticism, the article in no way attempted to conclude what Chrome is or isn't. In fact it said, more than once, that the current iteration is a beta and "we'll have to wait a little longer to find out exactly how Chrome shakes out." SMF likens the Chrome OS to mainframe computing, giving the IT department complete control over everything and taking all decisions out of the hands of users. This is actually a very good analogy - but I would comment that there is a reason that companies moved from the mainframe model to the PC model in the first place, and those are the same reasons that I don't believe Chrome (or other similar "operating systems") will take over the corporate desktop anytime soon, either. Even with the advent of terminal services and low-cost "thin clients" years ago, most businesses are still full of full-fledged PCs for all but the most basic tasks. As always, thanks to all of you for participating! 'Til next week, Deb Shinder, Editor feedback@wxpnews.com PS: Did you know this newsletter has a sister publication called Win7News? You can subscribe here, and tell your friends: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091208-Win7News And for IT pros, there's our "big sister," WServer News, at http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091208-WServerNews Join the WXPnews Fan Page on Facebook! http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091208-WXPNews-on-Facebook Quotes of the Week "Why do you have to be a non-conformist like everybody else?" - James Thurber (1894 - 1961) "If you are not criticized, you may not be doing much." - Donald Rumsfeld (1932 - ) All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them. - Galileo Galilei (1564 - 1642) Own a Single-user VIPRE? Upgrade Now To Home Site License For Just $19.95 You run VIPRE and love it. But what about the other PC's at the house? We have a special, limited time upgrade offer. You can upgrade now and just pay the difference (20 bucks) between the Single License and the Unlimited Home Site License (UHSL). But wait, it gets better. Your UHSL starts fresh and you get a new 12 month subscription! Do the math. Wait and pay 30 bucks later, or buy the upgrade now and get a whole year for 20 bucks. A no-brainer! Remember this is for a limited time only, get that upgrade now! Click here to learn more and order: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091208-UHSL-Upgrade  Cool Tools Tools We Think You Shouldn't Be Without ADVERTISEMENT What was that password again? Organize password and order info with RoboForm. Saves me a ton of time and hassle! Secure password storage: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091208-RoboForm Moving to Windows7 from XP? Did you know that scenario is NOT supported by MS? Keep your apps without reinstalling: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091208-PCmover Search for a driver and you get a ton of Driver Software offers instead. But how do you know which one is good? Try Driver Genius 9.0. Free scan. http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091208-Driver-Genius Backups? Why back up when you can sync? Simply replicate every piece of data to another drive in real-time. Set it and forget it. http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091208-GoodSync PC Tune-Up: 4 Easy Steps That Eliminate Frustrating Slow Computer Problems: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091208-PC-Tune-Up Improve your English writing skills with WhiteSmoke a smarter solution for high quality writing. Download the free trial version here. http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091208-WhiteSmoke  News, Hints, Tips and Tricks Yahoo and Microsoft finalize Partnership It's been a long time in the making, but last Friday Microsoft and Yahoo announced that they've finally reached an agreement on partnering up on Internet search, with Yahoo using the Bing search engine on its own site and will handle web advertising sales, to the benefit of both companies (and to provide stiffer competition to Google's dominance of that space). Read more here: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091208-Yahoo-MS-Search-Deal Bing puts bling in maps feature Last week, Microsoft released a beta of their new Silverlight version of Bing Maps and it's cool. The Streetside view is like Google's street view - but better. The images are higher resolution and look really great. I like the enhanced bird's eye view, too. Photosynth is now integrated into the Maps feature, as well - and be sure to check out the "mapplications" gallery. Read more about it and see samples (and a link to try it out yourself) here: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091208-Bing-Maps Microsoft tries again to placate the EU and other browser makes Remember when the EU and makers of other web browsers complained about Microsoft including Internet Explorer in the operating system? So Microsoft offered to release a European version of Windows 7 with no browser and they complained about that. So then Microsoft offered to include a "ballot" from which computer users could pick a browser when they installed the operating system. Well, they were upset then that the ballot listed browsers in alphabetical order, giving Apple Safari an unfair advantage. So now Microsoft has agreed to a ballot screen that randomly lists the top fair browsers. But wait a minute - isn't that unfair to the makers of browser number six? I guess we'll have to wait and see. http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091208-Browser-Exclusivity Banned in Boston - and everywhere else Xbox Live is an online multi-player gaming service operating by Microsoft for users of its Xbox game console. But if you use a pirated copy of the game software - or if you cheat by using a exploit in the code - your Xbox can be banned permanently from participating in the online games. If you're thinking of buying a used Xbox system on eBay or some other venue, be aware of this if you want to play games online. Read more here: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091208-Pirated-Games  How To: Using XP Features Get rid of the Automatic Updates restart dialog box After XP downloads and installs automatic updates, it wants to restart. A dialog box pops up, asking if you want to restart your computer now. But if you're busy working on your machine, you might not want to restart just yet. You can select to "Restart later" but then you'll just have to go through the same thing again - and again, until you give in and reboot. However, you can temporarily get rid of the message. Here's how: Click Start | Run Type cmd to open a command window At the command prompt, type net stop "automatic updates" This stops the message from popping up again. It only stops the service until you reboot, then the service will start again on its own.  XP Security News On the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me ... Fixes for twelve security vulnerabilities. Patch Tuesday comes this week, and Microsoft has announced plans to offer six updates to patch twelve vulnerabilities, including a critical vulnerability in Internet Explorer that can affect all current versions of Windows. Half of the updates to be released are classified as "critical." You can read more about them here: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091208-IE-Hole  XP Question Corner My computer's clock is losing time QUESTION: Okay, I've had this happen with a watch before but not a computer. Lately it seems like the clock is running slow, that is, I'll set the time and then a day later, it's fallen behind. I don't know if this is a hardware or software problem. Can you help? - Victor L. ANSWER: There is a known issue whereby XP may display the wrong time or appear to be losing time. This can be a problem with the time server that the XP machine contacts over the Internet to get the right time, or it can be a problem with your system itself. First make sure you have the "Automatically synchronize with an Internet time server" option checked on the Internet Time tab when you double click the clock in the system tray. If that's already okay, try this: Log in as administrator Click Start | Run and type cmd to open a command window At the command prompt, type these commands, in this order: net stop w32time w32tm /unregister w32tm /register net start w32time Reboot the operating system Another cause can be a CMOS battery that is dying. You'll need to open the case and replace it.  XP Configuration and Troubleshooting My Documents opens when you start the computer If the My Documents folder opens every time you start your XP computer, you can stop this behavior by editing the registry. For step-by-step instructions, see KB article 555294. As always when working with the registry, be sure to back it up before you make changes. http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091208-My-Documents  Fav Links This Week's Links We Like. Tips, Hints And Fun Stuff Disclaimer: WXPNews does not assume and cannot be responsible for any liability related to you clicking any of these linked Web sites. Autocomplete Me: weird Google results http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091208-Auto-Complete Mystery Google: you get the results for the last search before yours (Warning: results are unpredictable) http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091208-Mystery-Missions Would you turn your boss in for software piracy? http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091208-Software-Piracy Stereogram in motion http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091208-Stereogram 10 fastest aircraft (great videos for aviation aficionados) http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091208-Fastest-Aircraft Earth's weather like you have never seen it before: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091208-Weather A B-29 R/C airplane, powered by four 80cc engines and a wingspan of 21 feet, drops an X-1 rocket plane to re-create the first supersonic flight ever: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091208-Rocket-Airplane Surprised Kitty - aka "Cutest Video on the Internet" http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091208-Kitty Driving and computing just got a little easier. Check out the product images! http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091208-Driving-n-Computing  Product of the Week Total Video Converter: An All-In-One Video And Audio Conversion Tool. This utility is a powerful yet simple to use all-in-one video conversion utility. Easily converts video and audio between almost any format with speed and quality for use with your iPhone, iPod, Zune, PSP etc. Sports a very user-friendly interface and makes converting video format as easy as ABC. It extracts audio tracks from movie and video files so you can move them to your favorite video capable mobile device. WXPNews readers download the trial version or buy it now at a great price here. http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091208-Video-Converter  About WXPnews What Our Lawyers Make Us Say These documents are provided for informational purposes only. The information contained in this document represents the current view of Sunbelt Software on the issues discussed as of the date of publication. Because Sunbelt must respond to changes in market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Sunbelt and Sunbelt cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information presented after the date of publication. INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND FREEDOM FROM INFRINGEMENT. This newsletter and website and may contain links to other websites with whom we have a business relationship. Sunbelt Software does not review or screen these sites, and we are not responsible or liable for their privacy or data security practices, or the content of these sites. Additionally, if you register with any of these sites, any information that you provide in the process of registration, such as your email address, credit card number or other personally identifiable information, will be transferred to these sites. For these reasons, you should be careful to review any privacy and data security policies posted on any of these sites before providing information to them. The user assumes the entire risk as to the accuracy and the use of this document. This document may be copied and distributed subject to the following conditions: 1) All text must be copied without modification and all pages must be included; 2) All copies must contain Sunbelt's copyright notice and any other notices provided therein; and 3) This document may not be distributed for profit. All trademarks acknowledged. Copyright Sunbelt Software, Inc. 1996-2009. WXPnews Archives Looking for a past issue? Missing an issue? Accidently deleted an issue? Trying to find that article that pointed you to that cool site? All our newsletters are archived and are searchable: http://www.wxpnews.com/archives.cfm About Your Subscription to WXPnews This is a posting from WXPnews. You are subscribed as charles@cpedley.com. To manage your profile, please visit our site by clicking on the following link: http://www.wxpnews.com/profile.cfm?wxp=3UDXV2 If you have feedback or wish to write to the editor, write to us at feedback@wxpnews.com Sunbelt Software 33 North Garden Avenue Clearwater, Florida USA 33755

Gizmo's Best-ever Freeware"

---

Best Free MP3 Tag Editor Posted: 02 Dec 2009 02:10 PM PST What's the best free mp3 tag editor? Our editor JoJo believes he's found the answer.

Best Free Software to Cut, Split or Merge Audio Files Posted: 02 Dec 2009 02:09 PM PST Joining and splitting videos and mp3 files can be a pain but with these free tools it's a piece of cake.

You are subscribed to email updates from Gizmo's Best-ever Freeware To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Gizmo's Best-ever Freeware"

---

Free Audio and Video Converter Impresses Posted: 30 Nov 2009 07:04 PM PST Most powerful audiovisual format conversion programs are quite hard to use but this one is different. This freebie allows you to convert and do basic editing on a wide range of of sound and video formats with remarkable ease. Just the thing for getting stuff onto your iPod, iPhone, PS3 or other digital media device. It's so refreshing to see a product where somebody has actually thought about how the product will be used. Sadly, I don't see it all that often.

Desktop Earth - The Earth on Your Desktop in Real Time! Posted: 30 Nov 2009 04:55 PM PST After doing a Windows 7 installation on a neighbor's PC I kept getting calls that they weren't satisfied with any of the standard Win7 wallpapers. I then remembered a terrific free wallpaper that uses changing images of the planet Earth. I wasn't sure whether it would work on Windows 7 but guess what? It not only works but I'm no longer getting any more dissatisfied calls from my neighbors. In fact they love this wallpaper and I suspect you will too.

You are subscribed to email updates from Gizmo's Best-ever Freeware To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Windows 7: Whose Idea Was It, Really?

Editor's Corner Windows 7: Whose Idea Was It, Really? Follow-up: There's no place like a HomeGroup Quotes of the Week Cool Tools News, Hints, Tips and Tricks Getting rid of a dual boot configuration Windows 7 market share surpasses Mac's Office 2010 will ship in June More competition for the Kindle: B&N's Nook E-Reader How to: Using the New Windows 7 Features How to find out if your Windows 7 computer is ready for digital cable Windows 7 and Vista Security November security update may cause Windows 7 "black screen of death" Question Corner Help - installing XP killed Windows 7 Windows 7 Configuration and Troubleshooting How to add or edit words in the speech dictionary Change default photo editor in Windows 7 Fav Links This Week's Links We Like. Tips, Hints And Fun Stuff Product of the Week Acoustica CD-DVD Label Maker

Kiss Your Antivirus Bloatware Goodbye We asked users of antivirus products what they didn't like about their AV software. They told us they are resource hogs and slowed their computer down. They told us that scan times took way too long, and that the AV software nagged them. In short, old-style AV software takes too much Memory and CPU. Time to switch to VIPRE! It gives you malware protection that combines antivirus, antispyware, anti-rootkit and other technologies into a seamless, tightly-integrated product. Even if you run "free" antivirus software, it hijacks 20% of your PC, so it's really not free at all! Get VIPRE now and see how fast your PC can really be: http://www.win7news.net/091203-VIPRE Editor's Corner Windows 7: Whose Idea Was It, Really? You've probably already seen at least a few of those commercials that make up Microsoft's latest marketing campaign, where every computer user and his dog claims that "Windows 7 was my idea." Here is an interesting analysis of the last few years in computer advertising, starting with Apple's "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" commercials and ending with these latest Windows 7 spots: http://www.win7news.net/091203-Windows-7-Idea I agree with the author that these are some of the best Windows commercials yet. The Kylie ads were cute and sweet and probably resulted in a spike in the sales of Win7 computers to grandmas the world over, but the "my idea" commercials don't rely on gimmicks. They get out there and address the Elephant in the Room: the public perception that Vista was a big failure. They show how Windows 7 is different. And instead of claiming the credit for that themselves, they make the customers and their ideas the "hero" of the piece. Most Windows users have plenty of ideas about how the operating system could be made to work better for our purposes. How many times have you said, "Why couldn't they have done it this way instead" or "Why didn't they include the ability to do that?" The HomeGroup feature was obviously a response to all those folks who complained that setting up a simple local area network was too complicated. Faster boot time came from all the frustrated Vista users who complained about having to sit around waiting for their computers to start up. The Libraries concept is an attempt to make it easier for users to find their files, in recognition of the fact that storage may be spread across different local hard drives, external drives, and network drives. I know there were several new features that appeared in Win7 that I had been saying for years needed to be included in Windows, from something as simple as the persistent Sticky Notes to something as complex as a better way to do remote access securely (DirectAccess). Then there are those features that I had never thought about before - but find incredibly handy now - such as the ability to resize my windows by dragging them to the top or sides of the screen (Aero Snap). Sure, some of the new features are mostly aesthetic - like the transparent nature of the taskbar. And the reason for some changes might not be readily apparently; for example, I've heard some people complain that the new taskbar was made taller "for no reason." Actually there is a practical reason: to accommodate the touch screen interface that's supported by Windows 7. Now here's one of "my ideas": allow the taskbar to be "shrunk" to a lesser height (or width if you have it placed vertically) for those who don't have touch screens and want to eke out every bit of screen real estate. Currently, even if I select to use small icons, I can't make my taskbar only the height or width of those small icons. Even though I might think I can improve on it, obviously there was a great deal of thought that went into the design of the new taskbar. For a bit of a "behind the scenes" look at how it was engineered, see this blog post from the Windows 7 team: http://www.win7news.net/091203-Windows-7-Taskbar Here's one that was "my" idea: BitLocker to Go - although the name wasn't. When Vista came out with BitLocker, I thought it was a great feature but way too limited. Why could you only encrypt one partition, the one on which the operating system was installed? They listened to me (and a whole bunch of other people) and fixed that with Vista Service Pack 1. Now you could encrypt other volumes on the internal hard drives, but you still couldn't encrypt removable drives. It seemed to me that removable drives were the ones that were most in need of protection - especially small sized (but fairly high capacity) flash drives that are so easily lost or stolen. You put your slide show on it and plug it into the classroom computer to give your talk - and leave it behind when the presentation is ove . You slip it into a purse or pocket and forget it's there until days later - and then it's nowhere to be found. You have it sticking in your laptop's USB port at a conference, and someone swipes it when you turn around to greet an old friend. And it was absolutely my idea to include QAM support in Windows Media Center and increase the number of tuners we could use. But even though I'm pretty happy with the way Microsoft implemented so many of "my" ideas in Windows 7, I still have lots more that I'm hoping they'll pick up - either in Windows 8 or better, in Windows 7 Service Pack 1. My first request is a simple one: build in support for different wallpapers on different monitors. Using multiple monitors is no longer something that only ubergeeks do - it's gone mainstream now that most video cards have at least two ports, good monitors have come down in price, and Windows 7 makes it easier than ever to set up an extended desktop. But we still have to settle for a repetition of the same picture background on every monitor unless we install a third party program such as DisplayFusion. In fact, why doesn't Microsoft just buy that program from Binary Fortress and also incorporate its other multiple monitor features, such as the ability to put a taskbar on each monitor? Meanwhile, if you don't want to wait for Microsoft to add those features, you can download the program here (the basic version with multiple wallpapers is free; for multiple taskbars, you'll need the Pro version for $25): http://www.win7news.net/091203-Multi-Monitor-Taskbar While we're on the subject of backgrounds, how about a GUI dialog box to change the background image on the logon screen? I'm sorry but that blue background with the leaves and bird just doesn't do it for me - especially for my work computer. I want something that's more professional looking. Again, I can install a third party program - or I can edit the registry to change it, but why not just go ahead and make it easy? Of course, businesses could always lock down that option with Group Policy if they don't want users customizing their logon screens. Meanwhile, find the registry editing instructions here: http://www.win7news.net/091203-Logon-Background-Image We have good multi-touch support now with Windows 7, and it can change the way we interact with our computers. In fact, after using the TouchSmart for a while, I find myself trying to perform actions by touching the screen on my primary workstation - which unfortunately doesn't work, since the monitor isn't a touchscreen model. However, the touch screen doesn't replace the mouse; it merely supplements it. Some things are still more easily done with the pointing device or keyboard. The next step: really good voice support. I don't want a "Star Trek" computer that I have to talk to for everything (and I'm not sure I want my computer talking back to me) but there are times and circumstances when voice command and dictation are extremely convenient options. Speech recognition is definitely improved in Windows 7, but dictation transcription still isn't quite there yet (at least for those of us with Texas accents). I look forward to a time when I can incorporate keyboard and mouse input, touch, and voice all into my computing experience, seamlessly. There are many more changes I would like to be able to brag are "my idea" when Windows 8 comes out. How about you? Tell us your ideas for making Windows 7 better - especially the "little things" that sometimes make a ton of difference in usability (and we're talking here about new innovations - not suggestions to "go back to the way XP did it"). What do you think of the "my idea" ad campaign? Is it effective or ho-hum? How does it stack up against the Kylie ads, the Laptop Hunters ads, the "coolness campaign," even the Seinfeld commercials (surely there was somebody, somewhere, who liked those)? We invite you to discuss both topics - the feature set and the marketing tactics - on our forum at http://www.win7news.net/091203-Forum-Discussion Follow-up: There's no place like a HomeGroup In last week's editorial, we explored the new HomeGroup networking feature in Windows 7, and readers brought their own experiences - and their questions - to the forum. RBumpus is concerned about how the new file/media sharing model with affect those who have deployed Windows Home Server. First, maybe I didn't make it clear but you don't have to use HomeGroup on your home network; it's just another option. The old options to join a workgroup or domain are still there. Next, Windows 7 and Windows Home Server work fine together. If you have Win7 computers on your network, you'll need to install WHS Power Pack 3, which adds support for Windows 7 libraries, enhanced search (Windows Search 4), full image backups of Win7 machines, and enhancements for Media Center. The Power Pack totally integrates WHS and Win7. Read more about it here: http://www.win7news.net/091203-Power-Pack-3 For the reader who is unable to get networking to work with Windows 7, there were no details given but a common problem is not having network discovery turned on. You do this through the Network and Sharing Center in Control Panel. Another common obstacle is firewall settings. Some readers have complained that HomeGroup shares are seen by everyone and that it needs to be more secure. As I explained in the original article, the HomeGroup concept is based on the assumption that there is a high level of trust among the members of a household, and by default it's only media (music, pictures, videos) that are shared through the HomeGroup - items that usually are not considered sensitive or confidential. You can belong to a HomeGroup and still share other files the old way, assigning permissions for specific users. One reader mentioned problems using NAS with a HomeGroup. Network Attached Storage is not a typical home setup and not something HomeGroup was designed to handle. You should configure your network as a workgroup or domain, as you did with Vista and XP, if you have business-oriented devices and/or sophisticated security requirements. Although I have set up and tested HomeGroups, my production Win7 machines are networked through my domain like previous clients. And in fact, I've had zero problems joining any of the Win7 computers to the domain (which was not always the case with XP machines). It's obvious, based on readers' input, that Windows 7 networking works like a dream for some users, and for others, not so much (something I've found to be true of networking in general for lo, these many years that I've been involved with it - regardless of whether the systems were running Windows 3.11, 9x, 2000, XP, Vista, Win7, UNIX, Linux or Mac). I've spent many hours of my life troubleshooting network connections and usually it comes down to one small configuration or a physical layer problem (a bad cable has been the culprit more than once). Recently I've seen a number of cases where Win7 machines weren't able to connect to old wireless access points or wireless routers that don't support strong security. When the WAP was replaced with a more recent one, connectivity was simple. As always, thank you to all of those who participated in the discussion. 'Til next week, Deb Shinder, Editor feedback@win7news.net PS: Did you know this newsletter has a sister publication for XP users called WXPnews? You can subscribe here, and tell your friends: http://www.win7news.net/091203-WXPNews And for IT pros, there's our "big sister," WServer News, at http://www.win7news.net/091203-WServerNews Join the Win7News fan page on Facebook! http://www.win7news.net/091203-Win7News-on-Facebook Quotes of the Week "Imagination rules the world." - Napoleon Bonaparte "Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do, and they will surprise you with their ingenuity." - George S. Patton "The most basic question is not what is best, but who shall decide what is best." - Thomas Sowell Own a Single-user VIPRE? Upgrade Now To Home Site License For Just $19.95 You run VIPRE and love it. But what about the other PC's at the house? We have a special, limited time upgrade offer. You can upgrade now and just pay the difference (20 bucks) between the Single License and the Unlimited Home Site License (UHSL). But wait, it gets better. Your UHSL starts fresh and you get a new 12 month subscription! Do the math. Wait and pay 30 bucks later, or buy the upgrade now and get a whole year for 20 bucks. A no-brainer! Remember this is for a limited time only, get that upgrade now! Click here to learn more and order: http://www.win7news.net/091203-UHSL-Upgrade You on Facebook? So is VIPRE! http://www.win7news.net/091203-VIPRE-on-Facebook Cool Tools ADVERTISEMENT Do a search for a driver and you get a ton of Driver Software offers instead. But how do you know which one is good? Try Driver Genius 9.0. Free scan. http://www.win7news.net/091203-Driver-Genius ExpertPDF 6.0: View, Create, edit and convert any PDF document. Discount for Win7News readers! http://www.win7news.net/091203-Expert-PDF What was that password again? Organize password and order info with RoboForm. Saves me a ton of time and hassle! Secure password storage: http://www.win7news.net/091203-RoboForm WhiteSmoke 2009 is an innovative proofreading and editing tool with a single aim - to help you write better. http://www.win7news.net/091203-WhiteSmoke Advanced Vista Optimizer does a great job tweaking Vista for Max performance. http://www.win7news.net/091203-Vista-Optimizer Backups? Why back up when you can sync? Simply replicate every piece of data to another drive in real-time. Set it and forget it. http://www.win7news.net/091203-GoodSync Your Uninstaller! 2008 takes the place of the clunky Windows Control Panel "Add/Remove Programs" and offers many other useful functions http://www.win7news.net/091203-Your-Uninstaller Kill the background tasks belonging to (legitimate) software that run all day. Why? To get your speed back! But which ones can I kill? Try this: http://www.win7news.net/091203-Ultimate-Troubleshooter News, Hints, Tips and Tricks Getting rid of a dual boot configuration Many folks took the cautious route and installed Windows 7 in a dual boot configuration with XP or Vista. This gave them the opportunity to try out the new OS with a "security blanket" - the old operating system was still there to boot into if they decided they didn't like the new one. Well, now many of those people have decided to make a full commitment to Windows 7, and want to know how to get rid of the old OS so they can free up some space. Here is Part 1 of an article that tells you how to go about it: http://www.win7news.net/091203-Remove-Dual-Boot Windows 7 market share surpasses Mac's A month after its release, Windows 7 passed all versions of Mac OS X in market share, up to 5.07% as compared to Mac's 5.00% for the week of November 15-21. Of course, if you compared it to Apple's latest version only (Snow Leopard), Windows 7 would be way out ahead. Windows 7 sales have been good, even in a bad economy, and its share has steadily increased since its release. According to Steve Ballmer, Windows 7 has sold twice as many copies as any other Microsoft OS in the same time span. Read more here: http://www.win7news.net/091203-OS-Market-Share Office 2010 will ship in June Microsoft has announced an approximate ship date for the next version of Office. Although a public beta is already available, the final release will come in June, and we can expect six versions to choose from (including the free Starter edition). See this article: http://www.win7news.net/091203-Office-2010 More competition for the Kindle: B&N's Nook E-Reader Amazon's Kindle brought ebooks to the masses, but many of us who otherwise like the idea were put off by the high price, proprietary format and sparse feature set (for example, the monochrome display). Now Barnes & Noble is taking a stab at the e-Reader market with its new "Nook," which makes several improvements on the Kindle with a color display and, reportedly, SD card storage. You may have to wait until after Christmas to get it, and the price is still a bit high at $249, but we expect that more competition will eventually lead to lower prices. Meanwhile, I'm not the Nook is the device that will convince me to spring for an e-Reader, but we're getting closer. Check it out here: http://www.win7news.net/091203-Virtual-E-reader How to: Using the New Windows 7 Features How to find out if your Windows 7 computer is ready for digital cable Back in the October 1 edition, we told you about the announcement at CEDIA EXPO that Windows 7 computers will be able to use CableCARD digital tuners without buying a special computer that supports CableCARD in the BIOS. Now you can find out if your computer has the specs to do it. Here's how: Open Windows Media Center Scroll down to Extras and click on the Extras Gallery In the Showcase section, you should see the Digital Cable Advisor tool (looks like a coax cable connector). If you don't see it there, go to Media Center Settings | General and ensure that automatic downloads are enabled Click the Advisor tool's icon and you'll see the "Welcome to the Digital Cable Advisor" screen. Click the Install button and confirm that you want to download the file Accept the license terms and click Yes at the UAC prompt. Wait for the installation Click Next to analyze your system, agree to the terms again (!) and click Next again. Then click "Start Test" When the analysis is complete, click Next If your system passes, click Update System Settings and click Yes at another UAC prompt Read the recommendations, and click Done. Now your system is ready to use a CableCARD. The next step is to buy a CableCARD tuner and rent a CableCARD from your cable company. Then you can watch and record encrypted HD content via Windows Media Center. Windows 7 and Vista Security November security update may cause Windows 7 "black screen of death" Some Windows 7 computers, along with Vista, XP and even Windows 2000 and NT machines, have recently been displaying a black screen after logon that seems to be related to a November security update. The screen is all black except for an Explorer window, which may or may not be minimized. You can find out more here: http://www.win7news.net/091203-Black-Screen I haven't seen this on any of my machines, and according to reports, the cases are scattered. Please post to the forum if you encounter this, and let us know whether (and how) you were able to fix it. Question Corner Help - installing XP killed Windows 7 QUESTION: Now I've done it. I got a new computer that has Windows 7 on it and I like it. But I need to be able to use XP sometimes because of a program that won't install on Windows 7. So I installed XP on a separate partition to dual boot. But now I only get the option to boot to XP, Windows 7 isn't there. The Windows 7 partition and its files seem to be there but it's not on the menu so I can't boot into it. Can you help me undo what I've done? - Sonny L. ANSWER: If you install Windows 7 on a machine that already has XP installed, Windows 7 will recognize the older OS and give you the option of "Previous version of Windows" along with Windows 7 in the boot menu. But it doesn't work the other way around. When you install XP after Windows 7, XP doesn't recognize the new OS. It overwrites the boot menu and all you see there is XP. Luckily, this can be fixed. Here's how: Go ahead and boot into XP and open a command window. Put your Windows 7 DVD in the DVD drive. At the command prompt, type d:\boot\ bootsec.exe /nt60 all (assuming your DVD drive is drive D; substitute the correct drive letter). Now when you reboot, you'll see the Windows 7 menu - without XP. Boot into Windows 7 and open an administrative command window (Go to All Programs | Accessories, right click Command Prompt and choose Run as Administrator). At the command prompt, type: bcdedit /create {ntldr} -d "Windows XP" (include the quotation marks). If you don't like editing the Windows 7 boot menu from the command prompt, instead you can use a boot-editing utility such as EasyBCD, which you can download here: http://www.win7news.net/091203-EasyBCD Windows 7 Configuration and Troubleshooting How to add or edit words in the speech dictionary You can add, edit or delete words from the speech dictionary in Windows 7 to make it easier for the speech recognition software to recognize the words that you often use. You can also prevent a word from being dictated. This is useful if speech recognition often mistakes a word you say for something else that you never use. Find out how to modify the speech dictionary here: http://www.win7news.net/091203-Speech-Dictionary Change default photo editor in Windows 7 If you upgrade Vista to Windows 7 and you had Windows Photo Gallery set as the default photo editor, you may get an error message in Windows 7 when you right click a photo and try to edit it. You need to change the default photo editor (you can download Windows Live Photo Gallery, or set another program as the default; Windows 7 does not include Photo Gallery built in as Vista did). Find out more here: http://www.win7news.net/091203-Picture-Right-Click Fav Links This Week's Links We Like. Tips, Hints And Fun Stuff Disclaimer: VistaNews does not assume and cannot be responsible for any liability related to you clicking any of these linked Web sites. You've heard of LOLcats. How about LOLdogs? http://www.win7news.net/091203-LOL-Dogs Tallest Scrabble tile stack created in one minute http://www.win7news.net/091203-Scrabble-Tower Great satellite photos http://www.win7news.net/091203-Satellite-Pics Ice skating chimpanzee http://www.win7news.net/091203-Chimp Surprised kitten http://www.win7news.net/091203-Kitty Rare white alligators found in swamp (well, where else do you find 'gators?) http://www.win7news.net/091203-White-Gators Eagle Owl in flight at 1000 frames-per-second: http://www.win7news.net/091203-Eagle-vs-Owl Earth's weather like you have never seen it before: http://www.win7news.net/091203-Earths-Weather Amazing Christmas display with 176 channels and 45,000 lights! The show is so popular that it requires a crew of 3 people to manage the traffic. http://www.win7news.net/091203-Christmas-Lights Product of the Week Acoustica CD-DVD Label Maker Create custom CD/DVD labels and jewel cases/boxes Use your creativity to easily produce your own CD/DVD labels and CD jewel cases with the ultimate in ease and flexibility! If you're sick of guessing which songs are on which CD, get the CD label software that automatically puts your track list on your CD/DVD label! Chock full of custom art for holidays and special occasions like Christmas, Valentines, birthdays, vacations, weddings and more! Automatically imports your track information from Acoustica MP3 CD Burner, iTunes, WinAmp, Easy CD Creator or any other popular playlist or previously burnt CD! Print on standard paper, stock sticker labels, CD jewel case templates or print directly on a CD or DVD*! Automatically import your iTunes play lists! Version 3 now supports HP LightScribe direct labeling drives! Use your Win7News instant discount or download the trial here. http://www.win7news.net/091203-Acoustica-Label-Maker

Has the Shine Worn Off the Idea of a Chrome OS?

	FORUMS | BLOG | RSS | MY PROFILE | PRIVACY

Vol. 9, #100 - Dec 1, 2009 - Issue #408  Has the Shine Worn Off the Idea of a Chrome OS? Editor's Corner Has the Shine Worn Off the Idea of a Chrome OS? Follow-up: Giving thanks for technology Quotes of the Week Cool Tools Tools We Think You Shouldn't Be Without News, Hints, Tips and Tricks Another Mobile Internet Device (MID) running Windows XP Microsoft ordered to stop selling XP in China New Natal technology could someday replace remote controls How much sensitive information is stored on your phone? How To: Using XP Features How to restart Explorer.exe XP Security News Safari for Windows: update to fix security flaws XP Question Corner How do I print or save just part of a web page? XP Configuration and Troubleshooting Change the listening port for Remote Desktop Manage remote access to the registry on an XP computer Fav Links This Week's Links We Like. Tips, Hints And Fun Stuff Product of the Week All Office Converter Platinum Kiss Your Antivirus Bloatware Goodbye We asked users of antivirus products what they didn't like about their AV software. They told us they are resource hogs and slowed their computer down. They told us that scan times took way too long, and that the AV software nagged them. In short, old-style AV software takes too much Memory and CPU. Time to switch to VIPRE! It gives you malware protection that combines antivirus, antispyware, anti-rootkit and other technologies into a seamless, tightly-integrated product. Even if you run "free" antivirus software, it hijacks 20% of your PC, so it's really not free at all! Get VIPRE now and see how fast your PC can really be: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-VIPRE  Editor's Corner Has the Shine Worn Off the Idea of a Chrome OS? Google enjoyed a great deal of good publicity when they released the Chrome browser in 2008. It got good reviews and praise for its fast performance, and I know several people who swear by it as their primary web browser. Nonetheless, its market share is still relatively small, over a year later, at least in comparison to Internet Explorer and Firefox: 3.58% as of October 2009, according to the Net Applications web site: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-Browser-Market-Share Still, that's better than Opera (2.17%), which has been on the market since 1996, and it's less than one percentage point under Apple's Safari (4.42%), which has been around since 2003 and comes preinstalled on all Macs. Chrome was developed under open source licenses and thus appeals to those who don't approve of proprietary software, but it's had its share of problems, too. There was an uproar when the Terms of Service contained language granting Google a license to all content transferred with the browser (Google quickly changed to ToS). And although it's been touted as more secure, serious vulnerabilities have been found (as with all browsers). And it's been criticized for some of its security implementations: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-Chrome-Security All in all, the browser can be considered a success, having taken its place among the top five browsers - despite the fact that people aren't abandoning IE and FF in droves for it. Not long after the release of the browser, Google stirred a lot of interest by announcing that they were planning to follow it with an open source operating system: Chrome OS. The official announcement came in July 2009: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-Chrome-OS Last week, we finally got a look at the new OS - and most of the tech writers were ... a bit underwhelmed. It's not that Google didn't live up to its promises. The company said it was going to be simple, and it is. So simple that it seems to be little more than a browser itself. And that's essentially what it is: it runs on the Linux kernel, but the web browser is the OS interface. It doesn't run local applications; it's meant to be a "cloud" OS, you see. All the apps are out there on the 'Net. You're expected to store your data in the cloud, too; it doesn't support hard drives - although it will apparently allow you to store files on USB flash drives and SD cards: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-Chrome-Local-Storage The advantage of this is that, unburdened by the kind of code that makes an operating system, well, an operating system, you get faster performance - at least in theory. Read more about that here: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-Chrome-OS-Unveiling To be fair, this is just a beta. And it seems to be aimed primarily at netbooks, which are low powered machines that are suited to operating as terminals for a cloud-based experience. We'll have to wait a little longer to find out exactly how the Chrome OS shakes out. One of the biggest concerns expressed so far is that, in the words of The Observer, "The Chrome OS operating system may mean Google controls your netbook as Apple controls your iPhone." That is, all the software will come from Google and they'll control what you can or can't install and run. Of course, this limitation has been readily accepted by a few million iPhone users. However, many of us who have resisted the iPhone's siren call have done so, at least in part, because we don't like the idea of Apple having that much control over our devices. And it's possible that many computers will have a harder time accepting Google's control-freak approach when it's their computers, rather than "just" the phone, that's at issue. At any rate, it's interesting to hear the "do no evil" company being accused of threatening our freedom: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-Big-Brother The other issue, the one that the Linux lovers and Mac maniacs don't like to admit, is that when it comes to computers, most consumers just prefer Windows. That was proven by the netbook market itself. The first netbooks ran Linux. Then Windows netbooks came out. They cost a bit more, but buyers flocked to them, quickly gaining the vast majority of the market share: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-Windows-on-Netbooks Still, it's good to have options, and soon Chrome will be one of them. In fact, if you're game, you can try it out now. Google has released the code and you can install it in a VM, following the instructions here: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-Get-Chrome-OS Or if you have a Dell Mini10v, there is a compiled version available that you can run on that netbook. There is a link at the end of this article to the image file: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-Chrome-For-Dell-Mini A third option is to download a build that's "out there," compiled by someone named Hexxeh, and boot it from a USB key. This is strictly "at your own risk" (as it always is when you install beta software), but you can find the information on how to do it here: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-Chrome-OS-on-USB Meanwhile, even if the idea of working completely online does catch on, Chrome may have some competition in the "cloud OS" space. Another cloud-based OS for netbooks, named Jolicloud, also announced a pre-beta release version last week, and it has been tested with a large number of netbooks: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-Jolicloud And Microsoft, with Silverlight, can also provide a way to access complex applications through the browser - any of the top browsers, including Chrome. The latest version of Silverlight has new features that make it appealing to the enterprise, as well as consumers: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-Silverlight Maybe Google should focus on its other operating system, Android - a smart phone OS that is generating much more excitement than the Chrome OS. With the release of the Motorola Droid by Verizon in November, and with Sony Ericsson's gorgeous Experia 3 running the Rachael interface on Android, that OS is taking off and posing a real challenge to the domination of the iPhone: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-Sony-Ericsson-Android In fact, Google's co-founder recently said that Chrome and Android will probably merge somewhere down the line. Unfortunately, it sounds as if the convergence may take the wrong (in my opinion) path. One of the good things about Android is that it runs apps locally; the talk is about porting those to make them web apps, with the merged OS being more like Chrome in that it's totally dependent on the Internet connection: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-Chrome-OS-n-Android From my point of view, I don't think there's any reason for Microsoft to worry about the competition from Chrome. Those folks who want a full fledged operating system will be sticking with Windows (or OS X, or a full featured Linux distro). Chrome might take a portion of the netbook market, but I think most computer users are going to want the familiarity and continuity of having Windows on their netbooks, as they've proven when given the option of buying netbooks with other simplified versions of Linux. Most important, I don't think the average computer user is ready to live with his/her head permanently in the cloud. But hey, I could be wrong. Tell us what you think. Are you excited about the new Chrome OS, or does it seem like a ho-hum idea? Is an operating system that doesn't run local applications even deserving of the name "operating system" or is it just a web browser dressed up to look like one? Has the cloud's time come, or are you still wary of it? Given the choice and if the price were the same or close to the same, would you choose a netbook running Chrome over one with Windows or a more full fledged version of Linux? Would you be comfortable with Google controlling what apps you can run, or do you prefer the "simplification" of having those decisions made for you? We invite you to discuss this topic on our forum at http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-Forum-Discussion Follow-up: Giving thanks for technology Last week, instilled with an attitude of gratitude as Turkey Day approached, I wrote about all the technologies for which I'm thankful. Readers responded with their own lists, with some naming technologies that I never even thought of because I take them so much for granted. As Mike said, the technology for which we should be most grateful is electricity, because most of our other technologies depend on it. JonM brought up another thing that I take for granted - being able to go to a web site and see pictures of products or services that I'm interested in. Many trips to the store have been saved because I was able to see what I would be getting without even leaving the house. And that reminds me that in the early days of the Internet, everything was about text. Transmitting photos took much too long over those slow modems, and when we were paying $25/hour for a connection, it was also too costly. Now we have glorious high resolution pictures that pop up instantly in our web browsers, not to mention high def videos. The visual element is certainly one for which I'm thankful. Even more fun are the suggestions that you guys put forth for technologies we don't have yet. I love Kenneth Fleischer's idea of an in-vehicle sound system with a USB port that would let you play your music by simply inserting a flash drive. The closest thing I have to that is my GPS unit that includes music player software and has an SD card slot. It also has an audio out jack and my car stereo has a mini-plug input, so (after finally finding the right cable) I'm able to run the sound from the GPS through the car's speakers. Especially interesting were the discussions about our dependence on technology. As was pointed out, humans have always been dependent on technology; as soon as the wheel was invented, we became dependent on it. One difference, I guess, is that wheels weren't going to suddenly disappear as is possible with our electronic technology. As lzmyyl noted, it's not the dependence itself that's a problem as much as being unaware of that dependence. It's definitely important to assess where our dependencies lie and prepare, as best we can, for what to do if those technologies become temporarily or permanently unavailable. What I'm most thankful for is the ability to communicate with so many great people, so easily. And I thank Tim G. and others for their kind words. You guys are the ones who make this job a joy. Many thanks to all who participated in the discussion, and for Sallymof: next Thanksgiving, I promise I'll stick to the positive aspects of what I'm thankful for and leave the concerns about the negative side for a separate editorial. 'Til next week, Deb Shinder, Editor feedback@wxpnews.com PS: Did you know this newsletter has a sister publication called Win7News? You can subscribe here, and tell your friends: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-Win7News And for IT pros, there's our "big sister," WServer News, at http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-WServerNews Join the WXPnews Fan Page on Facebook! http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-WXPNews-on-Facebook Quotes of the Week What we anticipate seldom occurs; what we least expected generally happens. - Benjamin Disraeli (1804 - 1881) Do not bite at the bait of pleasure 'til you know there is no hook beneath it. - Thomas Jefferson (1743 - 1826) I find that a great part of the information I have was acquired by looking up something and finding something else on the way. - Franklin P. Adams (1881 - 1960) Own a Single-user VIPRE? Upgrade Now To Home Site License For Just $19.95 You run VIPRE and love it. But what about the other PC's at the house? We have a special, limited time upgrade offer. You can upgrade now and just pay the difference (20 bucks) between the Single License and the Unlimited Home Site License (UHSL). But wait, it gets better. Your UHSL starts fresh and you get a new 12 month subscription! Do the math. Wait and pay 30 bucks later, or buy the upgrade now and get a whole year for 20 bucks. A no-brainer! Remember this is for a limited time only, get that upgrade now! Click here to learn more and order: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-UHSL-Upgrade  Cool Tools Tools We Think You Shouldn't Be Without ADVERTISEMENT 20 Free PC Performance Reports. The World's Most Comprehensive PC Health Scan is Free http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-PC-Health-Scan Moving to Windows7 from XP? Did you know that senerio is NOT supported by MS? Keep your apps without reinstalling: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-PCmover Search for a driver and you get a ton of Driver Software offers instead. But how do you know which one is good? Try Driver Genius 9.0. Free scan. http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-Driver-Genius Backups? Why back up when you can sync? Simply replicate every piece of data to another drive in real-time. Set it and forget it. http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-GoodSync Spotmau PowerSuite Professional 2008: Fantastic! All the tools necessary to fix most common computer problems. Clone and backup too! http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-PowerSuite PC Tune-Up: 4 Easy Steps That Eliminate Frustrating Slow Computer Problems: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-PC-Tune-Up Improve your English writing skills with WhiteSmoke a smarter solution for high quality writing. Download the free trial version here. http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-WhiteSmoke  News, Hints, Tips and Tricks Another Mobile Internet Device (MID) running Windows XP It might be hard to find a new computer with XP installed now, but the OS is alive and well on smaller devices. Case in point: a new ViewSonic MID (Mobile Internet Device) was just unveiled running XP on a 1.1 GHz Atom processor with 1 GB of RAM. A MID occupies a space somewhere between a smart phone and a netbook. Interestingly, this one includes a TV tuner and antenna to receive digital TV broadcasts. Check it out here: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-ViewSonic Microsoft ordered to stop selling XP in China It's not always easy being a major vendor in a global marketplace. Now Microsoft has been ordered by a Chinese court to stop selling Windows XP in that country, because some of the fonts that are included in the OS allegedly infringe on another company's intellectual property. Those same fonts were also in Windows 95, 98 and 2000, but are not in Vista or Windows 7. Read more here: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-XP-in-China New Natal technology could someday replace remote controls The Wii popularized new ways of providing input to game controllers and now Microsoft is working to improve on the technology with their Natal project for the Xbox 360, but they plan to go beyond gaming and beyond hand gestures, to create a fully interactive experience that could also find its way to your computers and/or TVs. Read more about it here: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-TV-Remotes How much sensitive information is stored on your phone? If you carry a smart phone (or even just a "semi smart" model with text messaging and email), you might be surprised at how much someone could find out about you by examining the contents of your phone. "It's like a computer," says the forensics specialist in this article, but that's not quite right. The iPhone he was talking about is a computer, albeit a small one. Today's phones have faster processor, more memory and more storage space than our desktop machines had a short fifteen years ago. Raise your awareness: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-Smartphone  How To: Using XP Features How to restart Explorer.exe Sometimes Explorer.exe will shut down, leaving your XP desktop with no taskbar. That's not good. You can fix it by rebooting, but you might lose data that way, and it can take a while. You can restart Explorer.exe and get your toolbar back without rebooting. Here's how: Press CTRL + ALT + DEL to invoke Task Manager In Task Manager, click the Applications tab Click File | New Task In the "Create New Task" window, type explorer.exe Click OK This restarts the Explorer shell and you can get back to whatever you were doing.  XP Security News Safari for Windows: update to fix security flaws If you're running Apple's Safari browser on your XP computer, be sure to update to the latest version, which fixes vulnerabilities that affect XP, Vista, Windows 7, and Mac OS X. Another app that may need patching is Adobe's Photoshop 7 and 8. If you have one of these installed, get the recently released update to avoid a "moderate" security issue. Read more about both here: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-Safari-Security  XP Question Corner How do I print or save just part of a web page? QUESTION: Here is a problem I've wrestled with for years. Often I want to print an article, or just part of an article on a web page (such as one question and answer from a long Q&A article). Now so many pages have ads down one or both sides, or photos that I don't want to waste ink printing. Is there a simple way to control what part of a page I print? How about a way to save just a part of a web page as a file (not printing it)? Thanks. - Ted M. ANSWER: Printer ink doesn't come cheap, so it makes no sense to print more than you really want. There are a few ways to print just part(s) of a web page. If you just want to print a block of text, you can highlight it in IE, click the File menu, select Print and then under "Print Range," select "Selection." You can also do this with an image. For more sophisticated selection, you can use a program like Printee, which is a free download here: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-Printee That site also has a link to Klippy for IE, which lets you save clippings as digital files. Of course, if you want to save part of a page in a graphic format, you could also use the PRT SCN key to capture the page and then crop/edit it in Paint. Vista and Windows 7 include a great little tool for capturing part of a screen, called the Snipping Tool. If your XP computer happens to be a Tablet PC, you can install the Snipping Tool as part of the Experience Pack. You'll find a link to download the Pack here: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-Snipping-Tool For XP Pro or Home, you can install a similar program called Snippy, which is downloadable here: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-Snippy  XP Configuration and Troubleshooting Change the listening port for Remote Desktop Some firewalls are configured to block the default port that is used by Remote Desktop, which makes it difficult for you to connect to your Remote Desktop host computer from a network where you don't control the firewall settings. You can change the listening port to circumvent that problem, by editing the registry. To find out how, see KB article 306759 at http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-Listening-Port Manage remote access to the registry on an XP computer It's possible to access and modify the registry from another computer over the network, but by default only Administrators (and on Pro, Backup Operators) can do this. If you want to grant access to others to access the registry remotely, you'll need to following the directions in KB 314837 and create a new registry key. See: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-Registry-Remote-Access  Fav Links This Week's Links We Like. Tips, Hints And Fun Stuff Disclaimer: WXPNews does not assume and cannot be responsible for any liability related to you clicking any of these linked Web sites. Give this vacuum cleaner a medal: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-Roomba-Hero For space shuttle fans: it may be antiquated technology, but it's still fascinating http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-STS-129 Windows 7 Family Guy commercials unleashed http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-MS-Family-Guy-Ads Snow puppies http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-Snow-Dogs What would Earth be like if it had rings like Saturn? http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-Earth-Rings Surprised Kitty (aka Cutest Video on the Internet) http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-Kitty Amazing Christmas display with 176 channels and 45,000 lights! The show is so popular that it requires a crew of 3 people to manage the traffic. http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-Christmas-Lights  Product of the Week All Office Converter Platinum All Office Converter Platinum is an easy-to-use but powerful document image conversion tool that every serious Microsoft Office user should own. It supports batch conversion of documents, web and images producing high quality results for business and individuals who need to improve save huge chunks of their time. With this powerful converter, you can create PDF file from a wide range of formats and convert PDF file to other versatile formats with superior output quality. Moreover, you can convert between different office document formats and web, images. It support a wide range of file formats: Word (doc, docm, docx), Excel(xls .xlsx. xlsm),PowerPoint (ppt, pptc, pptm),PDF, XLS, RTF, TXT, HTM/HTML, Website, JPG, BMP, GIF, TIF, WMF, EMF, TGA, RLE, PNG etc. This suite contains scores of products that if purchased individually would cost hundreds of dollars. WXPNews readers can download the trial version here or but it now. http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091201-Office-Converter  About WXPnews What Our Lawyers Make Us Say These documents are provided for informational purposes only. The information contained in this document represents the current view of Sunbelt Software on the issues discussed as of the date of publication. Because Sunbelt must respond to changes in market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Sunbelt and Sunbelt cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information presented after the date of publication. INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND FREEDOM FROM INFRINGEMENT. This newsletter and website and may contain links to other websites with whom we have a business relationship. Sunbelt Software does not review or screen these sites, and we are not responsible or liable for their privacy or data security practices, or the content of these sites. Additionally, if you register with any of these sites, any information that you provide in the process of registration, such as your email address, credit card number or other personally identifiable information, will be transferred to these sites. For these reasons, you should be careful to review any privacy and data security policies posted on any of these sites before providing information to them. The user assumes the entire risk as to the accuracy and the use of this document. This document may be copied and distributed subject to the following conditions: 1) All text must be copied without modification and all pages must be included; 2) All copies must contain Sunbelt's copyright notice and any other notices provided therein; and 3) This document may not be distributed for profit. All trademarks acknowledged. Copyright Sunbelt Software, Inc. 1996-2009. WXPnews Archives Looking for a past issue? Missing an issue? Accidently deleted an issue? Trying to find that article that pointed you to that cool site? All our newsletters are archived and are searchable: http://www.wxpnews.com/archives.cfm If you have feedback or wish to write to the editor, write to us at feedback@wxpnews.com Sunbelt Software 33 North Garden Avenue Clearwater, Florida USA 33755

SuperAntiSpyware, free [DOWNLOAD DIGEST]

Trouble viewing this mail? Read it online | Manage my newsletters Downloads Digest ZDNet Member | November 27, 2009
Windows | Mac | Mobile | Most Recent | Most Popular | Top Searches
This Week's Featured Download  SuperAntiSpyware Free Edition (Windows) SuperAntiSpyware, a next generation spyware product with Multi-Dimensional Scanning and Process Interrogation Technology will detect spyware and remove over 1,000,000 pests. Repair broken Internet connections, desktops, registry editing, and task manager. Recommended Looking for a new job? Find out how much you should be asking for. IT professionals - Use the activeTechPros IT Salary Benchmark Report to check on salaries between 36 different IT job functions. * * * * * * * * * * * * Business professionals - Use the activeBizPros Salary Benchmark Wizard to check on salaries for various business job functions. Register for free access to this salary resource. More Popular Resources  Doc-Docx to Flash Converter 3000 (Windows) Doc-Docx to Flash converter 3000 is designed to batch convert Word document (including doc, docx) to Flash video (e.g. flv, swf) with ease. It can preserve original layout, text, images of your doc/docx format files.  On-screen Ruler (Windows) A semi-transparent on-screen ruler with keyboard shortcuts to help you lay out GUIs and Web pages or measure anything on your screen in 5 units. Recommended Looking for a new job? Find out how much you should be asking for. IT professionals - Use the activeTechPros IT Salary Benchmark Report to check on salaries between 36 different IT job functions. * * * * * * * * * * * * Business professionals - Use the activeBizPros Salary Benchmark Wizard to check on salaries for various business job functions. Register for free access to this salary resource.  PC Optimizer Pro (Windows) PC Optimizer Pro has the ability to scan & fix registry errors, clean tracks and internet activities, shred unwanted files, manage system start-up & safely uninstall any unwanted software.  Coupon Sherpa for iPhone (Mobile) Coupon Sherpa for iPhone provides hundreds of in-store coupons on your iPhone or iPod Touch. Save money on clothing, shoes, restaurants, electronics, travel, jewelry, sporting goods, and books.  CuteRank Free Edition (Windows) A free and smart rank checker tool for Web site owners and administrators, SEO professionals, or Blog writers to "check" and "track" their Web site ranking performance on multiple search engines including Google, Yahoo!, Bing, Ask, and AOL. TechRepublic Highlights 10 things you should do to a new PC before connecting it to the Internet Studies indicate that unsecured Windows PCs will be compromised within minutes of connecting to the Internet. This download shows you how to protect yourself before you start Web surfing. 10 mistakes new Windows administrators make If you're new to network administration or to Windows itself, a few common mistakes can trip you up. See how to avoid the problems new Windows admins often encounter. Use these four Registry tweaks to speed up Windows XP Plenty of third-party programs claim to optimize Windows, but they're simply making registry edits. Here are four tweaks you can make manually to improve the speed of Windows XP. 10+ essential (and free) Windows applications Find out which free apps George Ou installs on every new Windows computer he builds -- useful tools he says won't crash your system or gunk it up. Free TechRepublic registration is required to receive these downloads Subscribe to TechRepublic's Downloads RSS Feed ZDNet Whitepapers Readers Choice: Top 25 lightweight apps ZDNet readers rank the free, lightweight applications they simply can't live without. After tallying the suggestions in the comments and via e-mail here are the 25 most popular. 2009 Smartphone and Carrier Buying Guide The real innovation in the mobile phone world is in the area of smartphones where we see the Apple iPhone, Palm WebOS, Google Android, RIM BlackBerry, and Microsoft Windows Mobile devices taking us to places we have never been before. Here's a guide to sorting through the phones and carriers to find the best match for you.	Hot Sponsored Downloads Trend Micro AntiVirus plus AntiSpyware (64-bit) Trend Micro AntiVirus plus AntiSpyware (32-bit) Kaspersky Anti-Virus Adobe Acrobat Connect Professional GoToMeeting Top Five Downloads ThreatFire AntiVirus Free Edition 4.6 (Windows) Norton AntiVirus 2010 17.0 (Windows) Switch Sound File Converter 2.03 (Windows) Spyware Doctor 2010 7.0.0.508 (Windows) Intuit QuickBooks Simple Start 2009 R1 (Windows) New Technologies Sponsored White papers Looking for a new job? Find out how much you should be asking for. IT professionals - Use the activeTechPros IT Salary Benchmark Report to check on salaries between 36 different IT job functions. * * * * * * * * * * * * Business professionals - Use the activeBizPros Salary Benchmark Wizard to check on salaries for various business job functions. Register for free access to this salary resource. Live Webinar: Securing the Cloud Hear security experts explain recent key learnings on designing secure cloud computing applications and how to apply these to your current apps. The Impact of Messaging and Web Threats Read this Osterman Research paper to learn how organizations must implement a layered defensive strategy to protect against messaging, internal and Web-based threats and how Sunbelt Software can help. (Sunbelt Software) BPM and SOA: Better together This IBM-sponsored white paper explains how the standards-based modeling, monitoring, connectivity, and process integration tools that comprise IBM's Process Integration suite are allowing companies to implement process automation components with greater speed and agility than ever before. Technology Brief: Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Learn about an integrated approach to application and server provisioning that reduces total cost and complexity, plus boosts application availability. More white papers: Most popular papers Recently added papers Most popular papers by industry TechRepublic Pro Downloads IT Professional's Guide to Policies and Procedures, 4th Edition Whether you're creating policies for management, training, personnel, support, privacy, Internet/e-mail usage, security, or inventory, you'll meet the needs of your entire enterprise with this one single download! Windows 7: An IT Pro's Overview The release of Windows 7 is a significant event for most IT pros. This comprehensive overview of the new tools and features will tell you what you can expect from the new OS and help you make a decision about a possible upgrade. 101 Microsoft Windows XP Tips, Tweaks, and Hacks Keep Windows XP running at peak performance with these tips, tweaks and hacks! These tips will help you achieve better performance, troubleshoot problems, and properly configure your Windows XP system. View More TechRepublic Downloads Join Tech Republic Pro

Technologies For Which I'm Thankful

	FORUMS | BLOG | RSS | MY PROFILE | PRIVACY

Vol. 9, #98 - Nov 24, 2009 - Issue #406  Technologies For Which I'm Thankful Editor's Corner Technologies For Which I'm Thankful Follow-up: Fighting or switching Black Friday specials Quotes of the Week Definition of the Day Cool Tools Tools We Think You Shouldn't Be Without News, Hints, Tips and Tricks Office 2010: It's Out There Meanwhile, private testing begins for Office "Starter" What's coming in IE 9? Will it Run on XP? Windows 8: Coming in 2012? Microsoft and NASA sponsor web site to help with Mars research How To: Using XP Features How to defrag all hard drives XP Security News Older versions of IE are vulnerable to attack XP Question Corner What's a good program for taking pictures of myself with a web cam? XP Configuration and Troubleshooting "Work offline" option is unexpected enabled Troubleshooting hibernation and standby problems Fav Links This Week's Links We Like. Tips, Hints And Fun Stuff Kiss Your Antivirus Bloatware Goodbye We asked users of antivirus products what they didn't like about their AV software. They told us they are resource hogs and slowed their computer down. They told us that scan times took way too long, and that the AV software nagged them. In short, old-style AV software takes too much Memory and CPU. Time to switch to VIPRE! It gives you malware protection that combines antivirus, antispyware, anti-rootkit and other technologies into a seamless, tightly-integrated product. Even if you run "free" antivirus software, it hijacks 20% of your PC, so it's really not free at all! Get VIPRE now and see how fast your PC can really be: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091124-VIPRE  Editor's Corner Own a Single-user VIPRE? Upgrade Now To Home Site License For Just $19.95 You run VIPRE and love it. But what about the other PC's at the house? We have a special, limited time upgrade offer. You can upgrade now and just pay the difference (20 bucks) between the Single License and the Unlimited Home Site License (UHSL). But wait, it gets better. Your UHSL starts fresh and you get a new 12 month subscription! Do the math. Wait and pay 30 bucks later, or buy the upgrade now and get a whole year for 20 bucks. A no-brainer! Remember this is for a limited time only, get that upgrade now! Click here to learn more and order: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091124-UHSL-Upgrade *Offer not valid in the UK  Cool Tools Tools We Think You Shouldn't Be Without ADVERTISEMENT PC Matic: Performance, Speed, Stability & Security The World's Most Comprehensive PC Tune Up Scan is Free http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091124-PCMatic Moving to Windows7 from XP? Did you know that scenario is NOT supported by MS? Keep your apps without reinstalling: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091124-PCmover Search for a driver and you get a ton of Driver Software offers instead. But how do you know which one is good? Try Driver Genius 9.0. Free scan. http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091124-Driver-Genius Backups? Why back up when you can sync? Simply replicate every piece of data to another drive in real-time. Set it and forget it. http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091124-GoodSync Spotmau PowerSuite Professional 2008: Fantastic! All the tools necessary to fix most common computer problems. Clone and backup too! http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091124-PowerSuite PC Tune-Up: 4 Easy Steps That Eliminate Frustrating Slow Computer Problems: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091124-PC-Tune-Up Improve your English writing skills with WhiteSmoke a smarter solution for high quality writing. Download the free trial version here. http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091124-WhiteSmoke  News, Hints, Tips and Tricks Office 2010: It's Out There If you're one of those who likes to be on the cutting edge and try out new software before it hits the shelves, here's another opportunity. Microsoft has released a public beta of Office 2010, the next version of its productivity suite. The beta was released first to MSDN and TechNet, and a few days later to the general public. It includes Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Publisher, OneNote, InfoPath, SharePoint Workspace and Office Communicator. Beta versions of Visio 2010 and Project 2010 are also available separately. Find out more and get your copy here. http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091124-Office-2010-Beta Meanwhile, private testing begins for Office "Starter" In other Office news, private previews were distributed last week for the "Starter" edition of Office 2010, which will be a free suite that will be supported by advertising (a small ad space in the lower right corner of the application window). Starter only includes Word and Excel, and they don't have all the sophisticated features that the full fledged versions have, but the apps will provide a viable option to other free word processors and spreadsheets such as Google Apps, and for many users will do everything they need and more. Read more about it here: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091124-Office-2010 What's coming in IE 9? Will it Run on XP? At this year's annual Professional Developers' Conference (PDC) last week, Microsoft officially unveiled the next version of Internet Explorer, IE 9. The stated goals are better standards compliance and faster performance (accomplished in part by taking advantage of the graphics processing unit or GPU for page rendering): http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091124-IE9 But what new features will come with the new browser? Will it run on XP? Even though Microsoft has finally started talking about it, there are still plenty of questions to be answered. Stay tuned; as many details about the new browser become available, we'll let you know. Windows 8: Coming in 2012? If you're still using Windows XP, you might be considered two generations behind when it comes to operating systems, but well before extended support for XP ends, you'll probably be able to make that three. Microsoft's current plans have Windows 8 coming out in 2012, according to a product roadmap that was shown at the PDC last week. For those who think that's rushing things, it would actually put the next OS on the same timetable Microsoft used in following Vista with Windows 7, but of course release dates are never set in stone, especially this far in advance. This article opines that the direction Microsoft decides to go with Windows 8 may be influenced by whether or not Windows XP continues to hold on to market share. Read it here: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091124-Windows-8 Microsoft and NASA sponsor web site to help with Mars research If you always wanted to be involved in the space program, here's your chance. NASA and Microsoft have partnered to create a web site where visitors are asked to count craters in photos of Mars or match locations in photos. You even get points and can earn rewards for your work. The site is based on Windows Azure, Microsoft's cloud computing platform and is hosted at Microsoft data centers. You can read more about the program here: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091124-Research-Mars  How To: Using XP Features How to defrag all hard drives The XP defragmenter will only allow you to defrag one hard drive at a time. You have to wait for one to finish and then manually do another one. Wouldn't it be nice if you could start the process (for example, at bedtime) and wake up to find all of your hard drives have been defragged? Well, you can - by creating a batch file. In notepad, create a file with a line for each partition you want to defrag. For example, if you want to defrag drives c, d and e, your file would look like this: defrag c: -f defrag d: -f defrag e: -f Save the file in the \windows directory with the name defragall.bat To run the file, you can type its name at the command line, or navigate to it in the file system and double click it. This will defrag the partitions, one after the other. The -f switch forces a defrag even if space is low.  XP Security News Older versions of IE are vulnerable to attack Many of those who use XP are still using the older version of Internet Explorer that came with the OS (IE 6) or its immediate successor (IE 7) and haven't upgraded to the latest version of the browser. If you're in that category, be aware that a new exploit has been posted by a hacker that can be used to install unauthorized software on computers running the older versions of IE. Even if you have the latest service pack (SP3), this attack can still work. You can protect against it by disabling JavaScript. Read more here: http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091124-Internet-Explorer-Attack  XP Question Corner What's a good program for taking pictures of myself with a web cam? QUESTION: I have a web cam and want to know a good program (free would be best but if not, under $40) I can use to make videos. The camera has a built in microphone so I want to be able to get the audio too, to send videos of myself talking to my grandkids. Can you help? - Susan G. ANSWER: I use a Logitech Pro 9000 web cam and have tried several different programs. I don't like the software that came with the camera, but I've had a great experience with Debut. You can make videos (with audio) with your web cam, take still snapshots, or use it to capture your computer screen (for example, if you want to record the steps you perform to use a program and send it to someone else to show them how to do it). There is a free version and also a "Plus" version that currently costs $34.20 on their web site (the usual price is $60). Note that I do not work for the company that makes it (NCH) nor have they ever given me anything to endorse their product; it's just a program that I stumbled across a year or so ago and really like because of its low cost, stability, and simplicity. I like to use it to capture the desktop, because you record the entire desktop or you can specify a rectangular area to capture. I also use it take snapshots of myself (for instance, to use as a Facebook profile) and to record short video presentations. Check it out at http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091124-Debut  XP Configuration and Troubleshooting "Work offline" option is unexpected enabled Windows XP gives you the option to work with files and programs offline when you aren't connected to the network. This is handy, but sometimes you might find the "work offline" option is enabled when you do have a network connection and don't want to work offline. If that happens to you, you may need to make some simple configuration changes. You can get the step by step instructions in KB article 913620 at http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091124-Work-Offline-Issues Troubleshooting hibernation and standby problems Windows XP supports power-saving technologies that can save on battery life and/or your electric bill, but sometimes when you put the computer into a hibernated or standby state, you might encounter problems. Or the computer may go into the low power state without a hitch, but have problems when you try to resume working. For some ideas on troubleshooting these hibernation and standby problems, see KB article 907477 at http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091124-Hibernation-Issues  Fav Links This Week's Links We Like. Tips, Hints And Fun Stuff Disclaimer: WXPNews does not assume and cannot be responsible for any liability related to you clicking any of these linked Web sites. Turkey Trivia: How much do you know about Thanksgiving and the "big bird"? http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091124-Trivia Pop some Bloons http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091124-Bloons If the earth had rings like Saturn (makes you wish it did) http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091124-Earth-Rings Cat vs. Cop: The world's most patient police officer http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091124-Cat-VS-Cop Astronomy picture of the day: Light Echoes http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091124-Picture-of-the-Day Bears playing hockey: real or Memorex? http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091124-Hockey-Bears Sign spinning samurai http://www.wxpnews.com/3UDXV2/091124-Sign-Samurai  About WXPnews What Our Lawyers Make Us Say These documents are provided for informational purposes only. The information contained in this document represents the current view of Sunbelt Software on the issues discussed as of the date of publication. Because Sunbelt must respond to changes in market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Sunbelt and Sunbelt cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information presented after the date of publication. INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND FREEDOM FROM INFRINGEMENT. This newsletter and website and may contain links to other websites with whom we have a business relationship. Sunbelt Software does not review or screen these sites, and we are not responsible or liable for their privacy or data security practices, or the content of these sites. Additionally, if you register with any of these sites, any information that you provide in the process of registration, such as your email address, credit card number or other personally identifiable information, will be transferred to these sites. For these reasons, you should be careful to review any privacy and data security policies posted on any of these sites before providing information to them. The user assumes the entire risk as to the accuracy and the use of this document. This document may be copied and distributed subject to the following conditions: 1) All text must be copied without modification and all pages must be included; 2) All copies must contain Sunbelt's copyright notice and any other notices provided therein; and 3) This document may not be distributed for profit. All trademarks acknowledged. Copyright Sunbelt Software, Inc. 1996-2009. WXPnews Archives Looking for a past issue? Missing an issue? Accidently deleted an issue? Trying to find that article that pointed you to that cool site? All our newsletters are archived and are searchable: http://www.wxpnews.com/archives.cfm If you have feedback or wish to write to the editor, write to us at feedback@wxpnews.com Sunbelt Software 33 North Garden Avenue Clearwater, Florida USA 33755

Maximum PC Load Letter #33: Wacky Game Controllers, Chrome OS, Win a Core i7 PC!

Issue 033 Ready for the Holiday season to begin? We sure are! There's a ton of new hardware that we've just reviewed in case you're thinking about building a new PC for 2010. ATI has announced their epic 5970 dual-GPU videocard, which we've benchmarked here. But not everyone can afford a $600 videocard, so we've also reviewed 8 hot new videocards from ATI's RV870 GPU line. Continuing our series of essential tips features, we've posted guides for making the most out of BitTorrent and Ubuntu . And we've also written up a really nostalgic retrospective of our 50 most memorable PC mice, keyboards, and game controllers. Definitely check that out! Finally, we've also just announced a big contest, partnering up with Ballistic Gaming PC to give away a sweet Core i7 gaming rig. Just click the image on the right to find out how to enter to win. As always, shoot me an email if you have any comments! Please Digg our stories, and be sure to become a fan of our Facebook group to quality for the Ballistic Gaming PC contest and other giveaways! We've also just launched a TechMart , where you can buy special issues of Maximum PC. Norman Chan Online Editor, Maximum PC Trackballs to Brainwaves: The 50 Most Notable PC Peripherals -- In many PC publications, it's the CPUs, video cards and other internal hardware that gets all the attention, with input devices relegated to a few pages here or there in the reviews section. But why should that be the case? Input devices are, after all, your point of connection to your machine. As keyboards, mice and game controllers have evolved over the years, so has the way we control and interact with our computers. That's why we've chosen to give them the respect they deserve-by compiling a list of 50 of the most important, memorable, or just downright wacky input devices from the past, present and future of computing. If you like this story, please help us by Digging it! 8 Things You Need to Know about Chrome OS -- Google pulled the wraps off of Chrome OS today, and while there isn't a general availability announcement today, they spoke briefly about the Chrome browser (Linux and Mac versions due this year, along with support for extensions) before diving into the nascent OS. You can expect to see Chrome ship in about a year, and showed the first glimpses of the new OS, details about the architecture, the hardware it will run on, and gave us the first hints about what the Google Cloud OS will really look like. Here's why Chrome OS won't be replacing Windows anytime soon.  ATI Radeon HD 5970: The Undisputed Performance Champ -- You can forgive AMD for stealing a line from Nvidia's playbook. From the name and marketing materials, it's not obvious that this card is a dual GPU card. One AMD chart even refers to the card as the "ATI Radeon HD 5970 GPU," much like Nvidia's 295 GTX is a dual GPU card that's sold as if it were a normal graphics card. We first take a quick look at the speeds and feeds of the new card, and then discuss additional features. We'll compare them to the Radeon HD 5870 single GPU card; there are differences in core and memory clock speeds. Then, we jump into the benchmarks, comparing the Radeon HD 5970 to four other videocards in high-resolution gaming. And if those numbers don't impress you, wait until you see how this beast performs in Crossfire for a total of four GPUs.  20 Essential Tricks and Skills Every BitTorrent User Should Know -- BitTorrent, as you're probably already aware, is a decentralized peer-to-peer file sharing protocol ideal for transferring large files (and if you didn't know that, don't worry, we also include some lightweight tips to get you started). In a nutshell, the way it works is when you're downloading a massive file -- like a Linux distribution, for example --bits and pieces of the file will be uploaded at the same time. Typically BitTorrent allows for a more efficient and faster transfer method than traditional, Direct Connect P2P software. On the following pages, we'll not only show you how to get the most out of uTorrent, but out of BitTorrent in general. We'll cover both basic and advanced tips, and then toss in some of our favorite third-party add-ons for good measure. Whether you're new to BitTorrent or a seasoned vet, there's something in this guide for you. $1500 Gaming PC Buyer's Guide -- November 2009 -- It's that time again! This month, we've priced out an amazing $1500 gaming PC. If you recall from our Dream Machine feature, the $1500 "Budget Surplus" of mid-2009 was powered by a Core i7-920 and Radeon 4870 X2. Today -- a few months later -- we're able to make a few adjustments to upgrade to a Radeon 5870-based machine. The introduction of Intel's Lynnfield processor, increasing RAM prices, and the final retail release of Windows 7 also forced us to reevaluate our spending priorities, but we're very pleased with the outcome. As gamers, this is a system we'd be proud to build ourselves, and will play any game released in the foreseeable future.  Scythe Mugen 2 Cooler GammaTech Durabook D14RM Falcon Northwest Talon Asus G51Vx-RX05 Toshiba NB205 Left 4 Dead 2 HIS Radeon HD 5770 Videocard Gigabyte 260 GTX Super OC Videocard Sapphire Radeon HD 5850 Videocard Diamond Radeon HD 5850 Videocard Asus EAH5850 Videocard Sapphire Radeon HD 5870 Videocard Gigabyte GA-P55-UD6 Motherboard Freeware Files: Widescreen Mania! Make the Most of your Monitor's Real Estate! Widescreen monitors are, in a word, awesome, and not just because they offer some kind of enhanced quality over their four-by-three ratio brethren. Depending on what you're using them for, like movie-watching, you'll simply see more of a given scene than you otherwise would on a standard display. The increased screen real estate (on the horizontal plane) also allows you to make more effective use of your desktop... provided you have the right software tools to create this enhanced productivity. In fact, one of the biggest complaints surrounding the use of widescreen monitors is just that--the elongated desktop space is just too hard to navigate, and applications frequently don't make the best use of this additional room. I can't promise that everything out-of-the-box (or out-of-the-browser window) will look great on your widescreen display. However, what I can do is offer you a suite of tools designed to make your 16-by-9 or 16-by-10 experience as great as it can be. No BS Podcast #125: Did You Hear About the Apple Tablet, Made by Apple? Google's Chrome OS press conference gave us plenty to discuss on this week's No BS Podcast. We give you a recap of what juicy nuggets were revealed, and explain why Windows won't be replaced by Chrome any time soon. We also talk about benchmarking a dual-Radeon 5970 system, comparing it to a tri-SLI GTX 285 machine that we reviewed a few months ago. Finally, we answer some listener questions and Gordon breaks not one, but four NDAs to tell us about a super secret product. IBM's Next Cell Processor is Dead in the Water Talk of the technology behind the PlayStation 3 console always turns to the Cell processor, an innovative chip architecture which, in the PS3, contains essentially 9 processors on single chip (one PowerPC chip and eight Synergistic Processing Elements, or SPEs). And up until now, there was no reason to believe Sony wouldn't once again go with a Cell processor in its PlayStation 4 console, but there now lingers some doubt if the chip truly is "dead in the water, as David Turek, IBM's VP of Deep Computing, supposedly said. New Drobos Add Drive Bay, Higher Price Data Robotics is refreshing its excellent line of Drobo automated external hard drive enclosures. The Silicon Valley startup is launching the Drobo S and DroboElite. The Drobo S is similar to the standard Drobo but offers a fifth drive bay, allowing up to two drives to fail with no data loss. The new 'S' version also packs a faster ARM chip and an eSATA port to go along with the FireWire 800 and USB 2.0 ports. Users can enable dual drive redundancy via the software control panel. Google Says It Doesn't Want to Be Utility Google has made it clear recently that it does not intend to compete with utilities. The Mountain View tech company felt the need to do so after its recent push to get the PowerMeter service up and running. Some have worried that Google might intend to take over the relationship with customers from the electric companies. PowerMeter is a service that pulls data from special "smart" home electricity meters and feeds it into a web interface where users can track their use. Google's Program Manager for Advanced Products, Ed Lu, explained that Google only wants to help consumers understand their energy usage better. He went on saying, "This is where we think we can help utilities with this particular problem." Another Day, Another Promising New Battery Technology It seems like we're constantly hearing about promising battery technologies that could ultimately lead to longer battery life, more power, and smaller units, but as of yet, that big breakthrough hasn't occurred. Maybe nanotechnology, which is the current hot topic in the battery innovations field, will prove to be different. Right at this moment, a ton of research is being put into carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for a bunch of uses, including electronics and batteries. Researchers are drawn to CNTs because, according to them, carbon nanotubes are near perfect. That has paved the way for a professor and a UC San Diego graduate student to discover a breakthrough that involves introducing purposeful defects into CNT structures. By doing so, the 'defective' CNTs actually work better for the development of super capacitors, DailyTech reports. "While batteries have large storage capacity, they take a long time to charge; while electrostatic capacitors can charge quickly but typically have limited capacity. However, super capacitors electrochemical capacitors incorporate the advantages of both," Professor Prabhakar Bandaru said.

[11/23] Rumor: Windows 8 Due in 2012 | Apple Won't Fix Smokers' Macs

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Infopackets Email Newsletter: Monday, Nov 23, 2009

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Welcome to the next edition of the Infopackets Newsletter, featuring: MS
Windows and technology news, software reviews, tech tips, weekly desktop
games, plus 2 freeware goodies daily -- now that's a mouthful! ;-)

To ensure future delivery of this email newsletter to your inbox, please
take a moment and add newsletter@mailer.infopackets.com to your address
book. Details:

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091123-00

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Is your PC Optimized?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

If your computer is slow, prone to freezing up at the worst times, or loses
data for no apparent reason, the answer is probably NO.

So what are you going to do about it?

Just keep letting it happen? The answer to that is definitely NO.

You're going to pick up Ashampoo's WinOptimizer 6, which gives your machine
a total tune-up at the click of a button.

Read our full review and get up to 60% off your own copy by following this
link:

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091123-01

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Is Maintaining Your Computer Hardware Driving YoU CrAzY?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here's a question for you:

How dedicated are you to keeping your computer in tip-top shape?

Because if you want to do this you need to maintain your drivers -- the
files which make sure your hardware works properly with Windows.

There are two options for updating your drivers.

Option 1):

(a) Make a list of every device plugged in to your computer.

(b) Next, track down the manufacturer of each piece of hardware.

(c) Now, find and visit the website of the manufacturer and hunt for the driver
update page.

(d) Check if the latest driver update is newer than the one you have.

(e) If so, download and install it -- but make sure it's the right one,
otherwise you may disable your hardware by mistake.

(f) Move on to the next component and repeat the process.

We're not going to pretend option 1 is complicated: it's a pretty simple
process ...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

But, boy-oh-boy, does it take a long time!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

... So much so that you'd probably hire an IT expert to do it if only you
could afford their steep wages.

Thank goodness there's an Option 2!

Read on to find what it is:

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091123-02

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

> How to View This Newsletter

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

This newsletter contains a synopsis of what's new at Infopackets.

There are two ways you can view our articles:

1) Use this email newsletter as your guide. Simply scroll down and click
the corresponding link to read the rest of the story online.

2) Use our main page. Note that older stories are replaced by newer stories
as our page is updated daily. If you missed an email newsletter or two, use
method #1 above ;-)

Click to visit main page now:

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091123-03 (main page)

... or continue reading below!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

> In This Issue: At a Glance

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

>>> Today's Headlines

--> Apple Refuses To Fix Smokers' Computers

--> Rumor: Microsoft's Windows 8 Due in 2012

--> On this Day in History: for Monday, Nov 23, 2009

--> Windows Game of the Week: Department 42: The Mystery of the Nine

--> Freeware Picks of the Day: 'Default Programs Editor', and 'Windows
Easy Transfer'

>>> Incase You Missed It -- Last Friday's Top Stories

--> Microsoft Office 2010 Public Beta Underway Now

--> Report: Google Readying 7-Second PC Start-Up Software

>>> Further Down ...

--> Got a Tech Question? Ask Dennis!

--> More Detail: Today's News + Synopsis and Link

--> Recommended Software: Please Support Our Site

>>> At the Very Bottom: Subscription Management

--> Link to: Archive Pages

--> Link to: Remove / Unsubscribe

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Please Support Our Newsletter

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Infopackets.com and this email newsletter are made possible by Readers
who support our efforts through Discounted Software purchases.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How You Can Help

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Helping to support Infopackets.com is easy.

1. Look for discounted, Recommended (retail) Software listed in this
newsletter.

2. Click / read the Recommended Software review online our website.

3. Choose (or not to) purchase the software after reading the review.
The software will be emailed (or shipped) to you.

Proceeds from your purchase go directly to support Infopackets.com and
our staff of writers.

Thanks for your support,

Dennis Faas
CEO | Chief Editor
www.infopackets.com

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Got a Tech Question? Ask Dennis!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Got a tech question? Email us using the link below and we'll feature the
best Questions and Answers in upcoming newsletters.

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091123-04

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Today's Headlines: With Synopsis (plus link to story)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

>>> Apple Refuses To Fix Smokers' Computers

If you run over your computer with a monster truck, stick dynamite in
the USB slot or attach it to a Slinky and roll it down the stairway,
you can reasonably expect to lose any warranty or cover care ...

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091123-05

>>> Rumor: Microsoft's Windows 8 Due in 2012

Is Microsoft already looking beyond Windows 7 to Windows 8? Well, it
can't hurt to be prepared. In a recent presentation at the Los Angeles
Professional Developers Conference, Microsoft's Steven ...

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091123-06

>>> Microsoft Office 2010 Public Beta Underway Now (20091120)

Although the next version of Microsoft's very popular Office software
isn't set to ship until the new year, the Redmond-based firm recently
unveiled a public beta allowing interested users to try new ...

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091123-07

>>> Report: Google Readying 7-Second PC Start-Up Software (20091120)

Google appears on the verge of releasing software capable of starting
up a PC as fast as a television set. The speedy start up software is
said to be linked with the Google Chrome operating system ...

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091123-08

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

> On This Day in History: Monday, Nov 23, 2009

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

On this Day in History -- November 23

Famous people born on this day:

--> 1804, Franklin Pierce, 14th President from (1853 - 1857).

--> 1887, Boris Karloff, boogey-man.

Events on this day in history:

--> 1852, Just past midnight, a sharp jolt causes Lake Merced to drop 30
feet.

--> 1863, patent granted for a process of making color photographs.

--> 1889, The first jukebox is installed, at a saloon in San Francisco.

--> 1986, Vincent Paxton, sets a new world record, by playing his guitar
for 300 consecutive hours.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Windows Game of the Week: Department 42: The Mystery of the Nine

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Join Department 42, a secret organization devoted to protecting the world
from black magic. As your first assignment, you have to track down nine
malevolent artifacts that disappeared during a mysterious fire at Grimstone
Mansion! Explore strange locations and solve clever puzzles to protect
mankind from a new nightmare and restore order before the sun rises on a
dark new age! Key Features Recover Stolen Artifacts! Cure Werewolves! 20
Challenging Puzzles! Protect The World From Black Magic! Requirements OS:
Windows XP, Vista Memory: 512 MB Microsoft DirectX (free): 9.0c CPU: P ...

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091123-09

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Freeware Picks of the Day: 'Default Programs Editor', and 'Windows Easy
Transfer'

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Default Programs Editor

Default Programs Editor is a powerful but simple file association utility
for Windows. It is a context menu editor, an autoplay editor, and default
programs association editor, essentially, it gives you the ability to edit
the settings in the Default Programs Control Panel page. It's a replacement
for the File Types dialog in Windows XP, and brings some key features of
TweakUI to Windows Vista and Windows 7.

Windows Easy Transfer

Use Windows Easy Transfer to copy your files, photos, music, e-mail, ...

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091123-10

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Subscription Management

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

To view our archive:

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091123-11

---

[12/03] Black Screen of Death Fix Available | 'Spear-Phishing' Peddlers Urge Online Privacy

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Infopackets Email Newsletter: Thursday, Dec 03, 2009

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Welcome to the next edition of the Infopackets Newsletter, featuring: MS
Windows and technology news, software reviews, tech tips, weekly desktop
games, plus 2 freeware goodies daily -- now that's a mouthful! ;-)

To ensure future delivery of this email newsletter to your inbox, please
take a moment and add newsletter@mailer.infopackets.com to your address
book. Details:

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091203-00

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Is Maintaining Your Computer Hardware Driving YoU CrAzY?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here's a question for you:

How dedicated are you to keeping your computer in tip-top shape?

Because if you want to do this you need to maintain your drivers -- the
files which make sure your hardware works properly with Windows.

There are two options for updating your drivers.

Option 1):

(a) Make a list of every device plugged in to your computer.

(b) Next, track down the manufacturer of each piece of hardware.

(c) Now, find and visit the website of the manufacturer and hunt for the driver
update page.

(d) Check if the latest driver update is newer than the one you have.

(e) If so, download and install it -- but make sure it's the right one,
otherwise you may disable your hardware by mistake.

(f) Move on to the next component and repeat the process.

We're not going to pretend option 1 is complicated: it's a pretty simple
process ...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

But, boy-oh-boy, does it take a long time!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

... So much so that you'd probably hire an IT expert to do it if only you
could afford their steep wages.

Thank goodness there's an Option 2!

Read on to find what it is:

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091203-01

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

> How to View This Newsletter

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

This newsletter contains a synopsis of what's new at Infopackets.

There are two ways you can view our articles:

1) Use this email newsletter as your guide. Simply scroll down and click
the corresponding link to read the rest of the story online.

2) Use our main page. Note that older stories are replaced by newer stories
as our page is updated daily. If you missed an email newsletter or two, use
method #1 above ;-)

Click to visit main page now:

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091203-02 (main page)

... or continue reading below!

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

> In This Issue: At a Glance

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

>>> Today's Headlines

--> Black Screen of Death Fix Available; Debate Rages On

--> Nintendo Thanksgiving Sales Drop; Developer Cites Software

--> 'Spear-Phishing' Peddlers Urge Importance of Online Privacy

--> On this Day in History: for Thursday, Dec 03, 2009

--> Windows Game of the Week: Super Collapse! Puzzle Gallery 2

--> Freeware Picks of the Day: 'Wake Up On Standby', and 'Toff'

>>> Incase You Missed It -- Yesterday's Top Stories

--> Change Cursor Direction in MS Excel 2007

--> MS Black Screen of Death Causes Stir, Issue Unresolved

>>> Further Down ...

--> Got a Tech Question? Ask Dennis!

--> More Detail: Today's News + Synopsis and Link

--> Recommended Software: Please Support Our Site

>>> At the Very Bottom: Subscription Management

--> Link to: Archive Pages

--> Link to: Remove / Unsubscribe

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Got a Tech Question? Ask Dennis!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Got a tech question? Email us using the link below and we'll feature the
best Questions and Answers in upcoming newsletters.

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091203-03

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

> " It not only cleans up the mess AFTER you've been infected ... "

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

... It also prevents your computer from being infected *in the first place!*

HoW's ThAt PoSsIbLe?

Answer:

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091203-04

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Today's Headlines: With Synopsis (plus link to story)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

>>> Black Screen of Death Fix Available; Debate Rages On

As Microsoft and independent firms alike try to find out more about the
"black screen of death" issue plaguing some users of Windows 7, the
firm which first reported the problem has earned its fair ...

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091203-05

>>> Nintendo Thanksgiving Sales Drop; Developer Cites Software

Thanksgiving weekend proved a huge success for many retailers,
particularly those with web sites -- Amazon.com and Wal-Mart.com
cleaned up on both Black Friday and Cyber Monday, as techies proved ...

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091203-06

>>> 'Spear-Phishing' Peddlers Urge Importance of Online Privacy

As hundreds of thousands of children write their letters to Santa this
holiday season, Infopackets.com weighs in on two possible phish-
friendly tools that would top the wish list of any hacker. These ...

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091203-07

>>> Change Cursor Direction in MS Excel 2007 (20091202)

One of our readers recently wrote in: Thank you for instruction on
changing the cursor direction after enter for previous Excel
spreadsheet. Can you please tell me how to do it in Windows 7? I have
...

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091203-08

>>> MS Black Screen of Death Causes Stir, Issue Unresolved (20091202)

Since its November 10 security update, reports suggest Microsoft has
received more complaints about the Black Screen of Death, than ever
before. One security firm is claiming that the update has ...

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091203-09

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

> On This Day in History: Thursday, Dec 03, 2009

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

On this Day in History -- December 03

Famous people born on this day:

--> 1729, Antonio Soler, famed late 18th century Spanish composer.

--> 1930, Andy Williams

--> 1930, Jean-Luc Godard

--> 1960, Daryl Hannah, actress.

--> 1962, Tammy Jackson forward, Houston Comets, #23.

--> 1968, Brendan Fraser, actor, "George of the Jungle".

Events on this day in history:

--> 1586, Sir Thomas Herriot introduces potatoes to England, from
Colombia.

--> 1621, Galileo invents the telescope.

--> 1829, Worlds largest bar opens.

--> 1952, First television broadcast in Hawaii.

--> 1954, Joseph McCarthy goes too far in his attacks and is condemned by
the U.S. Senate.

--> 1967, First human heart transplant performed, in Capetown, South
Africa.

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Windows Game of the Week: Super Collapse! Puzzle Gallery 2

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tackle 300 all-new puzzle challenges in this sequel to the hit brain-
bender! Can you remove all the blocks from the screen in the fewest
possible moves? The hint power-up is still on hand to help, but only those
with strategic sense and careful clicks will be labeled a Puzzle Genius!
Inspired by one of the most popular puzzlers of all time, the original game
of colored blocks and fast clicks is now the ultimate break for your brain.
Exercise your mental muscle today! Key Features 300 All-New Puzzles!
Classic Collapse Power-Ups! Special Hint Feature! Interesting And Clever
Puzzle .....

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091203-10

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Freeware Picks of the Day: 'Wake Up On Standby', and 'Toff'

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wake Up On Standby

WakeupOnStandBy will wake up your PC from stand-by or hibernation mode
programmatically. Once activated, it resides in the system and wakes it up
at a pre-defined time. It can be programmed to run a file on wake, and if
necessary sends it into stand-by mode, hibernates it or shuts it down. It
can also be used to run scheduled operations every day, or on specific
days.

Toff

This utility will be handy for people who like to leave their computer
unattended for some time before automatically turning it off (...

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091203-11

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Subscription Management

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

To view our archive:

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091203-12

---

To remove yourself from our mailing list, visit:

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091203-13

You are subscribed as: charles260.computerdoc@blogger.com

[12/08] Migrating to Win7: Mount Your XP Drive Image | Win7 Hidden Bonus

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Infopackets Email Newsletter: Tuesday, Dec 08, 2009

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Welcome to the next edition of the Infopackets Newsletter, featuring: MS
Windows and technology news, software reviews, tech tips, weekly desktop
games, plus 2 freeware goodies daily -- now that's a mouthful! ;-)

To ensure future delivery of this email newsletter to your inbox, please
take a moment and add newsletter@mailer.infopackets.com to your address
book. Details:

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091208-00

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Before you Take the Windows 7 Plunge ...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Know this:

1. If you're moving from Windows XP to Windows 7, you will need to do a
"Fresh Install" of Windows. This means that ALL your programs will need to
be reinstalled and re-setup AGAIN. If each program is configured a certain
way (example: contacts from your address book via your email program),
you will most definitely want to re-inject this data back into Windows 7
rather than re-enter it manually.

2. Using Acronis True Image 2010 can help you re-inject this data by
allowing you to search for and extract specific configuration files (example:
bookmarks, email contacts, etc) from your backup. This will SIGNIFICANTLY
reduce the time it takes to migrate from XP to Windows 7.

3. Unless you're 110% sure where all your user configuration files are
stored (in random places) on your C Drive, you *really* should backup your
entire C drive before before Windows 7 is installed. Acronis True Image
is by far the best tool to use to do this.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Save 25% Off True Image 2010 Today

Proceeds will Support Our Website

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Full details:

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091208-01

Direct Access to 25% Off Link:

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091208-02

--> Use Coupon Code: infopatih

True Image 2010 *Upgrade Only* (Discounted) Link:

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091208-03

Use Coupon Code: infopatihupg

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

> How to View This Newsletter

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

This newsletter contains a synopsis of what's new at Infopackets.

There are two ways you can view our articles:

1) Use this email newsletter as your guide. Simply scroll down and click
the corresponding link to read the rest of the story online.

2) Use our main page. Note that older stories are replaced by newer stories
as our page is updated daily. If you missed an email newsletter or two, use
method #1 above ;-)

Click to visit main page now:

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091208-04 (main page)

... or continue reading below!

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

> In This Issue: At a Glance

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

>>> Today's Headlines

--> Migrating to Win7: How to Mount Your XP Drive Image

--> Windows 7 Hidden Bonus: Ad-Hoc Networking

--> On this Day in History: for Tuesday, Dec 08, 2009

--> Windows Game of the Week: Warblade

--> Freeware Picks of the Day: 'Seadragon', and 'Win7 Security Compliance
Toolkit'

>>> Incase You Missed It -- Yesterday's Top Stories

--> Microsoft Zero Day IE8 Flaw: Patch Coming Tuesday

--> Upgrading XP to Win7: How to Make the Transition Easy

>>> Further Down ...

--> Got a Tech Question? Ask Dennis!

--> More Detail: Today's News + Synopsis and Link

--> Recommended Software: Please Support Our Site

>>> At the Very Bottom: Subscription Management

--> Link to: Archive Pages

--> Link to: Remove / Unsubscribe

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Got a Tech Question? Ask Dennis!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Got a tech question? Email us using the link below and we'll feature the
best Questions and Answers in upcoming newsletters.

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091208-05

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Today's Headlines: With Synopsis (plus link to story)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

>>> Migrating to Win7: How to Mount Your XP Drive Image

I've decided to put together step-by-step instructions on how to use
Acronis True Image 2010 to migrate from Windows XP to Windows 7. I'm
doing this for two reasons: 1. We currently have a sale on ...

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091208-06

>>> Windows 7 Hidden Bonus: Ad-Hoc Networking

A Windows blogger has discovered that a feature supposedly removed from
the starter edition of Windows 7 is in fact simply hidden. Thus, users
of the new operating system (OS) can easily access the ...

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091208-07

>>> Microsoft Zero Day IE8 Flaw: Patch Coming Tuesday (20091204)

Microsoft's next Patch Tuesday fix will solve a reported twelve
security flaws, none more important than an Internet Explorer 8
vulnerability that the software company itself has marked "critical",
...

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091208-08

>>> Upgrading XP to Win7: How to Make the Transition Easy (20091207)

Update 12:45PM EST: Note that at the very bottom of the article is the
link for the 25% discount. Sale ends December 21st. Read the full
review now or click here to get discount now. Enjoy! Acronis ...

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091208-09

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

> On This Day in History: Tuesday, Dec 08, 2009

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

On this Day in History -- December 08

Famous people born on this day:

--> 1861, William Durant, founded General Motors Corp.

--> 1865, Jean Sibelius, major Scandinavian composer.

--> 1894, James Thurber, humorist.

--> 1925, Sammy Davis Jr. entertainer.

--> 1933, Flip Wilson

--> 1953, Kim Basinger, actress.

--> 1964, Terri Hatcher, actres, "Superman" tv series.

--> 1968, Brent Price, Basketball guard, Houston Rockets, #20.

--> 1981, Brittany Spears, singer.

Events on this day in history:

--> 1886, American Federation of Labor is organized in Columbus, Ohio.

--> 1987, President Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Gorbachev sign a
treaty eliminating medium range nuclear missiles.

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Windows Game of the Week: Warblade

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Warning ! Extremely addictive. Time to say goodbye to your sparetime. Blast
aliens across 100 heart pumping levels uncovering the secrets and bonus
games along the way. Power up your profile for more bonuses and use
strategy to get to the higher ranks. Master the Time Trial and Meteor
Storms and see if you can become the next Warblade champion. Voted one of
the best online games of 2004! Key Features Classic Arcade Action 100
Levels Of Alien Blasting Uncover Secrets And Bonus Games Can You Become The
Next Warblade Champion? Requirements OS: Windows 98/Me, 2000, XP Memory:
64MB ...

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091208-10

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

> It's BETTER than Microsoft Office!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you're like 95% of people using a PC, you use MS Office. And if you're like
95% of those MS Office users, you wish there were something better.

Well now there is.

Introducing Ashampoo Office Suite --

Key Features:

--> 100% Compatible with MS Office

--> Smaller, Faster, More Efficient than MS Office!

--> WOW! ~ Uses Only 64MB disk space: only 5% the size of MS Office

--> Smaller Footprint translates to FASTER load times

--> Completely Portable: can be stored, used on USB drive: no install req'd!

--> Create Adobe Acrobat (.PDF) natively, 100% compatible, no plugin needed!

--> Full 30 Day Guarantee

Full details / review:

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091208-11

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Freeware Picks of the Day: 'Seadragon', and 'Win7 Security Compliance
Toolkit'

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Seadragon

Seadragon a nifty online viewer designed for very large images.
Seadragon.com (from Microsoft Labs) is a free web service designed to view,
zoom, pan-into, and share large images on the internet without degrading
them or otherwise making them smaller.

Win7 Security Compliance Toolkit

From Microsoft: The Windows 7 Security Compliance Management Toolkit
provides an end-to-end solution to help you plan, deploy, and monitor the
security baselines of computers running Windows 7 and BitLocker Drive
Encryption in your ...

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091208-12

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Subscription Management

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

To view our archive:

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091208-13

---

To remove yourself from our mailing list, visit:

http://go.infopackets.com/e20091208-14

You are subscribed as: charles260.computerdoc@blogger.com

Top 10 Tech #8: Browser Shootout: Firefox 3, Ie 7, And Chrome Compared

BROWSER SHOOTOUT: FIREFOX 3, IE 7, AND CHROME COMPARED

by Dennis Faas
Infopackets.com Senior Editor
http://www.infopackets.com

--

About Infopackets and our Top 10 Tech Reports

Our Top 10 Tech Reports highlight The Best of The Best Q&A (questions
and answers) from our newsletter readers -- with no frills, Simple
English, and straight to the point instruction -- while featuring the
coolest and best free resources on the web.

If you find this report useful, please be sure to pass it on to a few
friends!

--

No doubt, the most commonly used software program is the web browser
-- but which one is best? We compare and contrast key differences with
Mozilla's Firefox 3, Microsoft's Internet Explorer 7, and Google's new
Chrome web browser, while highlighting future features.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Statistics: Who's Using What?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Microsoft's Internet Explorer ("IE") is the world's leading web
browser with about 50.6% market share as of August 2008, second to
Mozilla Firefox ("Firefox") with 43.7%. The remaining shares are
divided between lesser-known web browsers, such as Mozilla, Opera, and
Safari. (Source: w3schools.org)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mozilla Firefox

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Initially released on November 9, 2004, Mozilla Firefox is a free and
open source web browser, managed by the Mozilla Corporation.

Firefox includes tabbed web browsing, a spell checker, incremental
find, live bookmarking, a download manager, and an integrated search
system that uses the user's desired search engine.

Firefox runs on various versions of Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X,
Linux, and many other Unix-like operating systems. (Source:
wikipedia.org)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Firefox 3 Versus Internet Explorer 7

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

While there is plenty of debate on the Internet concerning this issue,
most folks agree that:

1. Firefox is faster than IE 7: it starts faster and loads pages
faster.

2. Addons: There are loads of add-ons available for Firefox for a
variety of features, including ad blockers, themes, and more.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/

3. Firefox user interface is better: Firefox 3 is totally
customizeable, which means you can make it look like the old Internet
Explorer, or even the old Firefox 2.

4. Firefox has a good track record of effectively blocking popup
advertisements compared to Internet Explorer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Firefox: The Future

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mozilla's Firefox version 3.1 is expected before the end of 2008. It
doesn't look like there will be any major new features, but the
updates are expected to fix some bugs from version 3; there are also
rumours the browser will be faster. (Source: mozilla.org)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Internet Explorer 7

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Windows Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) is a web browser released by
Microsoft in October 2006 and is the default web browser used in
Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008.

New features include tabbed browsing, page zooming, an integrated
search box, a feed reader, and improved support for web standards.
Security enhancements include a phishing filter, stronger encryption
on Windows Vista, and a "Delete browsing history" button to easily
clear private data. (Source: Wikipedia.org)

Compared to Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer 7 is a closed-source
web browser, which means that it is solely developed by Microsoft.
Internet Explorer 7 is not multi-platform and can only run on
Microsoft Windows XP (Service Pack 2+), Microsoft Windows XP x64
Edition, or Vista.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Internet Explorer 6 versus Internet Explorer 7

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When it first launched, there was -- and still is -- quite a bit of
negative buzz surrounding Windows Vista because of its software and
hardware incompatibility issues, hence most users who own Windows XP
are reluctant to upgrade. Since IE6 is the stock web browser of XP, it
is still widely used amongst Internet users; in fact, it is estimated
that 1/4 of all Internet users are still using Internet Explorer 6
(24.5%) -- almost neck-in-neck with Internet Explorer 7 (26.0%).
(Source: w3schools.com, as of September 2008)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Key differences in IE 7 versus IE 6

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Menu Bar (File, Edit, View, etc) has been removed by default.

The Go To and Refresh Button have merged with the Address Bar.

Tabbed browsing -- finally!

Much Needed Security Enhancements

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Internet Explorer 8: The Future

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Internet Explorer 8, the latest edition of Microsoft's browser, is
currently in its second test edition at the time of this writing, with
the final version expected later this year. New features include
improved security scanning, smarter search suggestions and a built-in
function for viewing pages designed for earlier browsers that aren't
displaying properly.

There's also a feature for browsing without leaving any trace on your
machine, which Microsoft suggests could be used for buying gifts
online without spoiling the surprise. (That certainly makes for a more
PR-friendly explanation than kids wanting to look at nudies
undetected).

Verdict: Internet Explorer will likely be the market leader for years
to come, simply because of Microsoft's dominance. Some of the new
features in IE version 8 sound intriguing, but only time will tell if
they turn out to be effective, or useful, in day-to-day surfing. It's
also worth bearing in mind that Internet Explorer's dominance will
always make it a target for hackers, so you may need to be extra-
conscious about security.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Google Chrome: Recently Released

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Google has entered the browser market with Chrome. While it's got some
neat user features, the downsides are that some security bugs have
already been discovered, along with compatibility issues for some
websites, and some people have already raised privacy concerns.

It's tough to predict whether Google's strong reputation for simple
and effective products will be enough to make Chrome a success. It's
worth checking out, but double-check your security measures first as
hackers will no doubt be keen to earn a major scalp by attacking a
giant like Google.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Google Chrome: Key Differences

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chrome is built on the basis of Apple's Safari browser.

Speed and Security: Chrome uses multi-processing to handle user
requests, giving each element of a page own memory and process,
instead of the single-threading architecture used by today's browsers.
Multi-threading should therefore make Chrome faster and more secure.

Chrome Task Manager functions like Windows Task Manager, and allow you
to find and processes (even plug-ins) that are hogging resources or
crashing.

This one is on par with IE8 and the newest version of Firefox: a
privacy mode, where you can browse without anything from the session
being written to your computer -- no cache, no history, no cookies,
nothing. (Dubbed "porn mode" by most blogs, but with serious
applications, such as public browsing, as well.)

Extra secure: the browser includes Google's ever-growing list of
spyware and malware sites, and every tab is "sandboxed," which means
whatever happens in the tabs can't affect your computer.

PopUp Control: Every pop-up is contained in the tab in starts in,
collected as a small link on the bottom of the page.

=========================================================

If you find this report useful, please forward it to friends!

--

Get more great tips -- just like this one -- by subscribing to our
daily email newsletter. Established in 2001 and read by over 250,000
users world-wide, infopackets features the latest in headline news
based on technology, trends and the Internet.

Best of all, it's absolutely FREE!

http://www.infopackets.com/subscribe.htm

=========================================================

Copyright (c) Infopackets, Inc.

No part of this article may be copied without the express written
consent of the publisher.

Maximum PC Load Letter #32: 20 Essential Firefox Tweaks, Windows 7 Makeover!

Issue 032 Sweet, sweet, November has arrived and we're pumped for the Holiday season. In fact, we're getting in the spirit of giving by running 4 weeks of awesome contests on MaximumPC.com. This week, we're giving away a custom-engraved Zune HD portable media player. Just click the picture to your right to get all the important rules. Later this week, we'll also be announcing a HP Envy laptop giveaway, but you'll have to check back on the website for more details. I promise we won't make you write an essay or film a corny video to participate! We also have a ton of great features lined up for you. Yesterday, Firefox turned 5 years old, so we commemorated the occasion by posting our favorite and most essential Firefox tips. If you like this kind of story, expect more software tweak guides in the near future! As always, shoot me an email if you have any comments! Please digg our stories, and be sure to become a fan of our Facebook group to quality for the Zune HD contest and other giveaways! Norman Chan Online Editor, Maximum PC 20 Essential Tweaks and Tips Every Firefox User Should Know -- Firefox may be your default browser, but that doesn't mean you really use it to its full potential. Mozilla's browser (which just celebrated its 5th birthday!) is a big threat to Microsoft not because it's fast and full of unique features, but because it's also extremely customizable. Add-ons, style scripts, and hidden preferences let you personalize your Firefox experience to meet your tastes and needs. Sure, you may know about hidden easter eggs like the about:robots page, but we're going show you the 20 most essential tips, tricks, and tweaks for this super browser. If you like this story, please help us by Digging it! 7 Surprising Kick-Ass Things You Can Do with Google Sketchup -- As a part of Google's quest to be the undisputed overlords of the Internet, they've made a lot of quality services available for free. Gmail, Google maps and Google Docs are all famous examples, but one of the search giant's coolest free offerings, Sketchup, flies under a lot of peoples' radars. Sketchup is a free 3D modelling tool developed based on the philosophy that by giving people a small set of powerful, intuitive tools, you can lower the barrier of entry to 3D modelling, so that almost anyone can make quality 3D models with just a couple of sessions of practice. We've compiled a list of 7 awesome things you can do with Sketchup that you probably didn't know were possible. Did you know, for instance, that you can create a Left 4 Dead map in Sketchup? Read on to find out more! 20 Essential Tricks Every Outlook User Needs to Know -- Are you stuck using Outlook at work? We feel your pain. Compared to the alternatives, like Mozilla's light-weight and customizable Thunderbird client, Outlook is slow, bloaty, and downright unwieldy. Add to the fact that it isn't free and Outlook doesn't appear to have much going for it. But whether you use Outlook because you have to or have grown accustomed to its interface and are reluctant to switch (or maybe you just want to justify the cost of Microsoft Office), we have some tricks to help you manage your email and contacts like a pro. After all, if you're going to use Outlook, no matter what the reason, you might as well get the most out of it, and we're here to help you do just that. $1000 Budget PC Buyer's Guide - October 2009 -- It's been a while since we've posted a Parts and Price Guide on the site-okay, it's been a long time. Now we're back and better than ever, and so are the system specs we're pairing you up with this month. We're starting you off with a $1000 PC, which is a happy mid-way price point between the $700 recession special and $1500 budget surplus found in this year's Dream Machine roundup. $1000 may not seem like a steal for the truly frugal, but in a world of fluctuating economies and ever-changing technologies, getting the most "bang for your buck" is more important than getting rock bottom prices at the expense of performance. And in the time since we last posted a buyer's guide, new awesome technologies like Intel's Core i5 and ATI's Evergreen series of GPUs (which powers the Radeon 5870) have redefined our expectations of budget PC performance. With these computing advances in mind, we've carefully pieced together a sub-$1000 spec that doesn't break the bank or compromise performance. How to Build Your Own Custom Linux Distro -- Although most Linux users rely on pre-built Linux distros and customize their software configuration after installation, there is nothing quite like having a Linux distro that was custom-designed to your specifications. This allows you to get whatever you want out of the box, but in the past it was difficult to create such a distro since it involved compiling the entire operating system from source. (something firmly in the realm of advanced-to-expert-level users) OpenSuse Studio changes that. Plextor PX-B320SA Combo Drive Logitech G500 Gaming Mouse Eye-Fi Pro Velocity Micro Raptor Signature Edition Intel X-25M 160GB MLC SSD Logitech Speaker System Z520 Asus Xonar HDAV 1.3 Slim iBuypower M865TU Thermaltake ISGC-300 Lenovo IdeaPad S12 Freeware Files: Five Apps for a Windows 7 Desktop Makeover! There's nothing wrong with the Windows 7 desktop per se. But for freeware developers, that's no excuse not to tweak, hack, and otherwise modify every possible piece of your screen. And it's not that difficult to add new functionality to your desktop that doesn't otherwise exist in the operating system. The hardest part is finding software that makes a substantive change to what you already have. After all, the last thing you want to do is install a ton of different freeware apps and find your desktop in even worse shape than it was before (if you do, take a quick trip to Revo Uninstaller). The intensity of the following five free applications ranges from apps that completely revamp your desktop's look and feel to programs that add new ways for accessing common apps and folders straight off your desktop. How far you want to go with your tweaking is entirely up to you--these are just some of the more interesting tools I've come across that should go a long way toward raising your "Windows Power User" level a few notches. No BS Podcast #123: The Toledo Effect Remember, remember the fifth of November! Topics discussed this week: On a slow news week, Will fueled Gordon's rage by briefing him on the Call of Duty PC controversies, then the guy discussed Left4Dead 2 a bit more, and closed the show with an extra-long Doctor section and another vitriolic episode of Rant of the Week! Barnes and Nobles Delays Nook Reader, Citing High Demand If the Barnes and Noble Nook sounds like a great Christmas present, you might want to preorder one now. Everyone's favorite bookseller has announced that due to massive demand, Nook preorders have been pushed into December. There are also reports that Barnes and Noble stores will have no in-store Nooks until mid December. According to a Barnes and Noble spokesperson, "Nook has quickly become the fastest selling product at Barnes & Noble. In fact, there is so much consumer interest in Nook, that pre-orders have exceeded our expectations." The Nook will be selling for $259 whenever you can find one. Barnes and Noble opened their eBook store back in July and it currently offers over 700,000 titles. Microsoft to Give Away Free WiFi if You Search with Bing Microsoft's Bing and JiWire have a proposition for you. Free WiFi in exchange for using Bing. Interested? The promotion would give users free Internet access at participating hotspots if they do just one search with Bing. In conjunction with JiWire's advertising network, Microsoft will be extending the offer to various hotels and airports. The campaign was started in September at several thousand locations. It managed to attract between 30 and 40 percent of visitors to the hotspots. This is extremely high, as most ads only get interaction from 0.1 to 0.2 percent of people. Microsoft reportedly plans to continue with the promotion, which is a part of JiWire's Ads for Access campaign. The campaign allows companies to give customers something in exchange for their time. This can be taking a survey, watching a video ad, or (in this case) using the Bing search engine. AT&T Announces 3G USB Stick for Use with HSPA 7.2 AT&T plans to deploy HSPA 7.2 in six US cities by the end of the year. Today, it took a small step towards that launch by announcing a new 3G LaptopConnect device from Sierra Wireless. Compatible with HSPA 7.2 and called the AT&T USBConnect Lightning, the USB stick will become available on November 22. It will be available for free with a data plan of at least $35 a month. AT&T will be upgrading its existing 3G network to HSPA 7.2 in Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles and Miami before the end of this year, with further plans "to reach about 90 percent of its existing 3G network footprint with HSPA 7.2 by the end of 2011." Google Buys Mobile Advertising Company AdMob for $750 Million Mobile advertising is about to get a lot more Googly. Search giant Google has announced that they have purchased mobile advertiser AdMob for a healthy $750 million. Ads powered by the small startup have been seen in numerous apps on the iPhone and Android platforms. AdMob was started in 2006 by Omar Hamoui, and has grown into a major player in mobile advertising. Google points out that the mobile world is becoming as increasingly important part of our daily lives. As such, Google would like to advertise to us in that part of our lives. Google said in a blog post that app developers will enjoy better monetization of their content because of this deal. They also promise advertisers a more engaged audience.

Black Friday deals; Google Chrome OS; HTC HD2, Samsung Behold II hands-on [WEEK IN REVIEW]

Trouble viewing this mail? Read it online | Manage my newsletters | Previous Edition ZDNet Week in Review ZDNet Member | November 20, 2009
Home | News & Blogs | Videos | White Papers | Downloads | Reviews | Photo Galleries | Podcasts | RSS Feeds
Must-Read News Stories Black Friday '09: Deals, steals & specials guide Are you ready for the pre-dawn rush of Black Friday? If not, here is Andrew Nusca's ultimate cheat sheet to this year's gadget deals n' steals, newly updated with the latest store circulars. READ FULL STORY Recommended Looking for a new job? Find out how much you should be asking for. IT professionals - Use the activeTechPros IT Salary Benchmark Report to check on salaries between 36 different IT job functions. * * * * * * * * * * * * Business professionals - Use the activeBizPros Salary Benchmark Wizard to check on salaries for various business job functions. Register for free access to this salary resource. The 'Singularity' draws closer: what happens when computers are smarter than humans? SmartPlanet: Exponential growth in machine intelligence is creating new opportunities for growth and problem-solving unimaginable even a few years ago by Joe... READ FULL STORY This Week's Highlights Google's Chrome OS: Will you give up desktop apps? Google revealed a bevy of noteworthy developments for its Chrome OS, but the success or failure of the Chrome OS will ride on whether users will give up desktop applications. by Larry Dignan READ FULL STORY Hacker-proof? Inside the Chrome OS security model Got VMWare? Download and run Google Chrome OS now How Chrome OS fits in with Windows, Mac and Linux But will you give up your desktop applications? Why Chrome OS will give Microsoft a run for their money Recommended Looking for a new job? Find out how much you should be asking for. IT professionals - Use the activeTechPros IT Salary Benchmark Report to check on salaries between 36 different IT job functions. * * * * * * * * * * * * Business professionals - Use the activeBizPros Salary Benchmark Wizard to check on salaries for various business job functions. Register for free access to this salary resource. AOL: Will Armstrong get any honeymoon? AOL will lay off a third of its workforce once it is spun off as a public company. The company's ad business is a wreck. And the best thing AOL has going for it is a subscription model (read dial-up) that's also in decline. READ FULL STORY Hands-on with the HTC HD2, most impressive Windows Mobile device to date HTC has pushed Windows Mobile to the extreme with this device and it shows in an amazing product. READ FULL STORY Internet: A threat to government or the other way around? The answer is, maybe both. The Internet has plunged government institutions into a very steep learning curve, creating new frontiers that many bureaucrats believe help how they run the country. by Doug Hanchard READ FULL STORY Research paints ugly IT employment picture: Almost 2 million jobs gone in 14 years The Hackett Group reports that 300,000 IT jobs have disappeared in 2009, a spike that will translate into nearly 2 million eliminated technology positions between 2000 and 2014. by Larry Dignan READ FULL STORY CIO Sanity Savers: Five ways to become a more effective executive This episode of CIO Sanity Savers looks at some time-tested tips that leaders can use to be more effective with their time. by Larry Dignan READ FULL STORY Hands-on with the T-Mobile Samsung Behold II Google Android smartphone The Samsung Behold II launched a couple of days ago on T-Mobile USA and it's the carrier's fourth Google Android device. Here's a look at the device and its unique interface. READ FULL STORY The 'Singularity' draws closer: what happens when computers are smarter than humans? SmartPlanet: Exponential growth in machine intelligence is creating new opportunities for growth and problem-solving unimaginable even a few years ago. READ FULL STORY Photo Gallery Verizon RIM BlackBerry Curve 8530 (photos) Check out CNET's hands-on photos of Verizon's latest BlackBerry, the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8530. VIEW THE GALLERY Home energy displays show you the juice (photos) Image Gallery: A look at the T-Mobile Samsung Behold II Google Android device Garmin nuvi 1690 unboxing Spice up your power management Spiceworks teams up with Intel to release free power management software module for small and midsize businesses. by Heather Clancy READ FULL STORY Hello Salesforce Chatter, so long Yammer? Salesforce Chatter brings trusted collaboration and social networking to enterprises. Is it bye-bye time for competitors? by Jennifer Leggio READ FULL STORY Ballmer: Windows 7 sales on a roll Delivering opening remarks at Microsoft's shareholder meeting on Thursday, Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer said that Windows 7 was off to a "fantastic start." READ FULL STORY Featured TalkBack Will Microsoft's Silverlight dampen the appeal of Google's Chrome OS? I'm not one of those ready to write Windows an RIP certificate now that Google has finally taken some of the wraps off its Chrome OS. In fact, after reading through industry watchers' questions and Google's answers about it, I'm thinking that Chrome OS may not look quite so appealing... READ FULL BLOG What do you think? Post Your Thoughts in TalkBack Active TalkBack Posts Verizon to AT&T: "Our ads are true and the truth hurts" LG LFD790 Techmeme's 6 editors signals potential trouble with Google PageRank The demise of linking has forced Techmeme to add human editors because its search algorithm is no longer reliable. A watershed moment. by Tom Foremski READ FULL STORY Are animals making us sick? SmartPlanet: A new commission sets out to improve the health of all living things. by Melanie D.G. Kaplan READ FULL STORY ZDNet Reviews Amazon slashes price of Palm Pre to $79.99, Pixi to $24.99 Amazon has slashed the price of the Palm Pre to $79.99 with a two-year contract from Sprint. READ THE REVIEW ViewSonic VP2365wb Sonos ZonePlayer S5 More ZDNet Reviews Sign up for ZDNet's Product Watch Newsletter for the latest product reviews, news, and expert analysis Scientists build biggest artificial brain of all time; 1.6 billion neurons, as smart as a cat SmartPlanet: Scientists have built the biggest artificial brain of all time using a supercomputer powered by 147,456 processors, 150,000 gigabytes of memory and... READ FULL STORY	In The Blogs FCC releases broadband agenda Music, photos, and weather are beautiful, fluid experiences on the HTC HD2 Mozilla: Still too dependent on Google for revenue; Can it diversify? Conference energy levels Oracle opponent cheers delay in mySQL decision Cisco launches iPhone security app UK police make Zeus Trojan arrests How to add value, not just more tech, with Web 2.0+ How FinancialForce crushes it in SaaS accounting GIMP dropped from default Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx installation Latest SmartPlanet The English hydrogen boom New Zealand perceived as least corrupt nation in which to do business Is Los Angeles really the creative capital of the world? Report says yes China going with proprietary American personal health record St. Louis' Citygarden sculpture park revitalizes downtown, sense of civic duty SVAT CV-65 Color Outdoor Night The CV65 camera is ideal for monitoring yourchildren, your home, your retail outlet and more. The Clearvu 65 is anoutdoor color night vision camera with a resolution of 330 TV lines and with 15infrared LEDs. The LEDs allow you to see what is happening even buy it now: $98.50 Coastal Video Security Logitech Illuminated Keyboard This keyboard features adjustable backlit keys that allow you to easily see your keyboard even in dim light. The PerfectStroke key system elminates slippage and delivers fluid and natural strokes. buy it now: $75.99 Dell Panasonic VIERA / 50" Class / Enjoy brilliant images with this plasma HDTV that features progressive scan, a 16:9 aspect ratio and a 2,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. Enjoy viewing photos from your digital camera with the VIERA Image Viewer and the built-in Secure Digital media card slot buy it now: $879.99 Best Buy ? Myst Combine keen observation and logic to unlock the secrets of Myst. A complete all NEW Age to explore and uncover mysteries on Nintendo DS. Original soundtrack and sound effects that enhance the sense of realism. Newly re-mastered Video, audio and new music for buy it now: $29.99 Amazon Antec Sonata III 500 Mini III The third chapter in the Quiet Computing story written by Antec - it's everything you've come to expect from the prestigious Sonata line with even more upgrades and improvements. The Sonata III is whisper quiet when it comes to system noise while with the new buy it now: $149.99 Dell Most Rated Posts ZDNet's Ultimate Black Friday 2009: Deals, steals & specials guide Holiday Gift Guide: Best HDTVs Holiday Gift Guide: Best Blu-ray players Holiday Gift Guide: Best GPS navigation devices Recommended Downloads Looking for a new job? Find out how much you should be asking for. IT professionals - Use the activeTechPros IT Salary Benchmark Report to check on salaries between 36 different IT job functions. * * * * * * * * * * * * Business professionals - Use the activeBizPros Salary Benchmark Wizard to check on salaries for various business job functions. Register for free access to this salary resource. Live Webcast: Create a More Energy-Efficient Data Center And Save Looking to save on data center operations? Maximize energy efficiency by consolidating your distributed x86-based computers onto fewer machines. On-Demand Videocast: Solving the eDiscovery Challenge Looking for new components or capabilities for your eDiscovery solution? Learn how to best capitalize on today's technological eDiscovery innovations. Live Webcast: Reaping the Financial Rewards of a PC Refresh Your older PCs cost you more than you think. Learn how refreshing them now can increase productivity and security, plus drive down PC management costs. Free White Paper: Making The Case for Conferencing Discover how today's conferencing solutions can help your organization improve business outcomes and reduce costs in challenging economic times. More white papers: Most popular papers Recently added papers Most popular papers by industry More Popular Resources 10 seriously annoying default configurations 10 common issues you can fix with a registry hack The 10 best IT certifications The PathPing Gadget Videos and Podcasts Salesforce demos Service Cloud 2 At Dreamforce Global Gathering 2009 in San Francisco, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and Kraig Swensrud, senior vice president of product marketing, show attendees the company's new customer service software, Service Cloud 2. The new tool helps businesses connect their traditional call center techno... PLAY VIDEO Salesforce CEO chatters about new social media platform At Dreamforce Global Gathering 2009 in San Francisco, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and technology head Parker Harris show attendees Chatter, a new collaboration and social media tool built for the enterprise. Benioff says the new tool will leverage social-networking models and bring them into a se... PLAY VIDEO Adobe CTO: Flash in the future At the NewTeeVee Live conference in San Francisco, Adobe CTO Kevin Lynch talks about how the company’s Flash software is coming to new devices such as game consoles, smartphones, and TVs. Lynch says Adobe is working with chip vendors and TV manufacturers on a variety of different televisio... PLAY VIDEO NBC brings new media player features to Winter Olympics and NFL At the NewTeeVee Live conference in San Francisco, Vertigo CEO Scott Stanfield shows new HD video player features for the Winter Olympic Games, adding to its existing Sunday Night Football coverage. The new video player includes PVR features such as slow motion, fast-forward, and rewind, and give... PLAY VIDEO Play more video and audio Hot Sponsored Downloads Trend Micro AntiVirus plus AntiSpyware (64-bit) Trend Micro AntiVirus plus AntiSpyware (32-bit) GoToWebinar Adobe Acrobat Connect Professional GoToMeeting Most Popular Downloads ThreatFire AntiVirus Free Edition 4.6 (Windows) Traditional antivirus solutions cannot protect you until after they have discovered a new threat and produced a signature to counter it. ThreatFire does not rely on signatures, but instead provides behavior-based protection. It is designed to be used alongside your existing antivirus software and it fills the gap in protection... READ FULL STORY Switch Sound File Converter 2.03 (Windows) Switch can convert numerous audio file formats to mp3 and wav for free. It is light and easy to use. Just add the files you want to convert to the list, select the format you want to use, and then click the convert button. Converts a variety of audio file... READ FULL STORY Norton AntiVirus 2010 17.0 (Windows) Norton AntiVirus 2010 defends your PC against viruses, spyware, bots, worms, and more without slowing you down or getting in your way. Intelligence-driven technology identifies and targets only files at risk, for faster, less frequent scans. Vulnerability Protection prevents threats from exploiting security holes in your PC's software. Pulse Updates... READ FULL STORY Spyware Doctor 2010 7.0.0.508 (Windows) Spyware Doctor is an advanced adware and spyware removal utility that detects and cleans thousands of potential spyware, adware, trojans, keyloggers, spyware cookies, trackware, spybots and other malware from your PC. Protect your privacy and computing habits from prying eyes. READ FULL STORY Express Burn 4.27 (Windows) Express Burn you create and record MP3/WAV formats to CD in Windows for free. With Express Burn you can record a CD quickly and easily by dragging the files you want onto the Express Burn icon and clicking 'Burn'. The software then does the rest, including converting the files to... READ FULL STORY
Send us your feedback here. Sign up for more free newsletters from ZDNet! | ZDNet is a registered service mark of CBS Interactive, Inc. ZDNet 235 Second Street San Francisco, CA 94105 U.S.A.

Google Chrome OS security; Windows 7 'on a roll'; HTC HD2 hands-on [TECH UPDATE]

Trouble viewing this mail? Read it online | Manage my newsletters | Previous Edition ZDNet Tech Update Today ZDNet Member | November 20, 2009
Home | News & Blogs | Videos | White Papers | Downloads | Reviews | Photo Galleries | Podcasts | RSS Feeds
Top Editors Picks Inside the Google Chrome OS security model Google will use a combination of system hardening, process isolation, verified boot, secure auto-update and encryption that thwart malicious hackers from attacking its new Google Chrome OS. by Ryan Naraine READ FULL STORY Got VMWare? Download and run Google Chrome OS now Chrome OS will give Microsoft a run for their money But will you give up your desktop applications? Microsoft finds security hole in Google Chrome Frame Google-Microsoft rivalry on with Chrome OS Recommended Looking for a new job? Find out how much you should be asking for. IT professionals - Use the activeTechPros IT Salary Benchmark Report to check on salaries between 36 different IT job functions. * * * * * * * * * * * * Business professionals - Use the activeBizPros Salary Benchmark Wizard to check on salaries for various business job functions. Register for free access to this salary resource. Intuit grows revenue for Q1, continues push into "connected services" Intuit disappoints by missing earnings target but notes highlights as it transitions to a "connected services company." by Sam Diaz READ FULL STORY Ballmer: Windows 7 sales on a roll Delivering opening remarks at Microsoft's shareholder meeting on Thursday, Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer said that Windows 7 was off to a "fantastic start." Delivering opening remarks at Microsoft's shareholder meeting on Thursday, Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer said that Windows 7 was off to a "fantastic start." ... READ FULL STORY Dell's third quarter disappoints yet it sees IT demand improving Dell missed Wall Street targets on third quarter earnings, revenue and gross margins. But Dell does see some signs that IT demand is improving. by Larry Dignan READ FULL STORY Recommended Looking for a new job? Find out how much you should be asking for. IT professionals - Use the activeTechPros IT Salary Benchmark Report to check on salaries between 36 different IT job functions. * * * * * * * * * * * * Business professionals - Use the activeBizPros Salary Benchmark Wizard to check on salaries for various business job functions. Register for free access to this salary resource. Oracle opponent cheers delay in mySQL decision Mueller said the delay in Oracle's response means a decision on the merger won't come from the European Commission until January 27. by Dana Blankenhorn READ FULL STORY Hands-on with the HTC HD2, most impressive Windows Mobile device to date HTC has pushed Windows Mobile to the extreme with this device and it shows in an amazing product. READ FULL STORY Vizio announces Black Friday deals on its LCD HDTVs, Blu-ray player You may have noticed that Vizio hasn't been prominent in the Black Friday ads leaked online from Best Buy, Target, or Wal-Mart. But the company's got a few tricks up its sleeve this year. READ FULL STORY iTablet goes OLED, bumped until late 2010 Rumors are swirling that Apple's tablet will be pushed back to the second half of 2010 in order to accommodate an upgraded OLED screen. Would you pay twice the price for a iTablet with an OLED screen? by Jason D. O'Grady READ FULL STORY What's Happening Twitter? Slight languages changes have meaning For eons, people described Twitter as an application that asked, "What are you doing?" I've always thought that felt invasive. A subtle tweak makes the services take on a whole new attitude. READ FULL STORY Hands-on with the T-Mobile Samsung Behold II Google Android smartphone The Samsung Behold II launched a couple of days ago on T-Mobile USA and it's the carrier's fourth Google Android device. Here's a look at the device and its unique interface. READ FULL STORY Are our pet animals making us sick? SmartPlanet: There's a need to look more closely at human-animal ecosystem health. Over the last three decades, of all the emerging human diseases in the world, 75 percent are transmitted from animals to people. READ FULL STORY New Zealand perceived as least corrupt nation in which to do business Is Los Angeles really the creative capital of the world? Report says yes Which chair would you sit in to save the world from climate change? St. Louis' Citygarden sculpture park revitalizes downtown, sense of civic duty How good is your state's school system? New report assigns grades What Manhattan, Tokyo could look like after a catastrophic flood Featured TalkBack Blog iPhone - is it a good tool for traveling business people? Is the iPhone a good tool for traveling business people? by Dan Kusnetzky READ FULL BLOG What do you think? Post Your Thoughts in TalkBack Active TalkBack Posts Verizon to AT&T: "Our ads are true and the truth hurts" LG LFD790 Elsewhere on ZDNet Photo Gallery Home energy displays show you the juice (photos) There are dozens of companies preparing home energy displays to help consumers find ways to save energy, but it's hard to say which approach will stick. VIEW THE GALLERY Verizon RIM BlackBerry Curve 8530 (photos) Screenshot tour of Chrome OS (images) ZDNet Reviews Next-gen Flip mini camcorder to sport Wi-Fi; Cisco influence finally materializes Andrew Nusca : Cisco-owned Pure Digital will launch a new Wi-Fi-enabled Flip digital mini camcorder that will go on sale in the early half of 2010, according to a new report. READ THE REVIEW ViewSonic VP2365wb Sonos ZonePlayer S5 More ZDNet Reviews Sign up for ZDNet's Product Watch Newsletter for the latest product reviews, news, and expert analysis	News & Blogs Conference energy levels Spice up your power management Cisco launches iPhone security app Mozilla: Still too dependent on Google for revenue; Can it diversify? Michael Dell sticks to Windows 7 big bang theory Research paints ugly IT employment picture: Almost 2 million jobs gone in 14 years CIO Sanity Savers: Five ways to become a more effective executive Peoplesoft founder pops up at eMeter No shocker: IBM tops list of the greenest biggest computers Messing around with the DROID camera Latest SmartPlanet Start-up makes the most out of 'word of Mom' Are animals making us sick? IBM wraps up all your sustainability schemes up in one big package The English hydrogen boom New Zealand perceived as least corrupt nation in which to do business Today's Product Highlight Sony DCR-SR45 30GB Hard Drive Capture video to hard disk drive; 30 GB storage 40x optical zoom, 2000x digital zoom; Carl Zeiss ... Buy Now » $499.99 merchant rating ★★★☆☆ Most Rated Posts ZDNet Holiday Tech Gift Guide 2009 Black Friday '09: Deals, steals & specials guide Holiday Gift Guide: Top e-book readers Holiday Gift Guide: Top MP3 players Holiday Gift Guide: Best HDTVs Videos and Podcasts Salesforce demos Service Cloud 2 At Dreamforce Global Gathering 2009 in San Francisco, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and Kraig Swensrud, senior vice president of product marketing, show attendees the company's new customer service software, Service Cloud 2. PLAY VIDEO Salesforce CEO chatters about new social media platform At Dreamforce Global Gathering 2009 in San Francisco, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and technology head Parker Harris show attendees Chatter, a new collaboration and social media tool built for the enterprise. PLAY VIDEO Adobe CTO: Flash in the future At the NewTeeVee Live conference in San Francisco, Adobe CTO Kevin Lynch talks about how the company’s Flash software is coming to new devices such as game consoles, smartphones, and TVs.