Desi Tech Talk

Common Passwords to avoid

2010-07-29T10:15:00.001+05:30

See your friend on the Bing Map

2010-06-15T11:31:00.001+05:30

Bing Maps has created a new application which meshes together Microsoft’s online mapping, location and search tool with Facebook. The tool called, My Friends is now available in Bing Maps gallery. The application is designed to get the user’s Facebook friends and display it on Bing Maps. This tool lets you view all of your friends right in Bing Maps, all you need is to connect the new application by log in via Facebook.

Blogger Labels: friend,Microsoft,location,tool,Facebook,Friends,gallery,user

MS Download Manager

2010-05-22T09:35:00.001+05:30

Image via CrunchBase

The Microsoft Download Manager enables you to download files from the Internet in a more reliable and faster way than using a browser alone. Using the Download Manager makes it easier to download large files such as an application or multimedia files. The Download Manager has been specifically designed to manage file downloads from supporting Microsoft Web sites in a secure and reliable way. Once started, the Download Manager displays an easy¬-to-use interface that shows the status of downloads and enables you to resume downloads if they have failed. The Microsoft Download Manager currently supports downloads from Web addresses starting with http://.

Blogger Labels: Download,Manager,Microsoft,files,Internet,multimedia,Once,interface,status,supports,downloads

Pakistan block Facebook

2010-05-20T06:59:00.001+05:30

Image via Wikipedia

Pakistan has blocked Facebook over "Draw Mohammed" Day. The Facebook page at the center of the dispute -- "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day!" -- encourages users to post images of the prophet on May 20 to protest threats made by a radical Muslim group against the creators of South Park for depicting Muhammad in a bear suit.

Blogger Labels: Pakistan,Facebook,Draw,Everybody,images,prophet,threats,Muslim,South,Park,Muhammad,users,creators

MS Office 2010 Trial extend

2010-05-18T09:56:00.001+05:30

Image via CrunchBase

By default, you can use the Microsoft Office 2010 Beta for free for 30 days. Using the Office 2010 Trial Extender you can change the trial length from 30 to 180 (total) days.

Go to the Office 2010 Trial Extender home page. Locate the download link and download the file. Office 2010 Trial Extender requires the Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 in order to run.
When your 30 day trial is up, run the Office 2010 Trial Extender. Just click the Rearm button.
Now your Trial will be extended for another 30 Days
You can extend another 4 times after that
Hopefully you have saved enough money to buy the copy now

Blogger Labels: Microsoft,Office,Beta,Trial,Extender,length,Locate,Framework,Just,Rearm,times,money,download

Docs.com

2010-04-28T09:32:00.001+05:30

Sharing documents online has been a difficult task and you either need to upload it online or sent as an attachment. Microsoft has announced a new service called Docs.com which allows you to create or upload documents, spreadsheets and presentations online and then share it with your Facebook friends. You can login with your Facebook ID and then share the docs. The shared docs are available to all your friends or you can selectively share them.

How To: Clean Up Your Facebook Profile

2010-04-09T12:46:00.000+05:30

How To: Clean Up Your Facebook Profile

Improve privacy in Firefox

2010-04-09T11:10:00.001+05:30

If you’re one of those people who is very particular about protecting your privacy you might find many sites on the web today very intrusive. There are some basic steps that a lot of users might be familiar with, like clearing your cookies and browsing history frequently. Here are some advanced tips on how you can improve your privacy if you use Mozilla’s Firefox web browser to surf the web.

Blogger Labels: Improve,privacy,Firefox,steps,history,Here,tips,Mozilla,surf,users

1. Clear a particular URL from your browsing history

Firefox tries to help out users by preserving their browsing history and offering to fill out the address of a previously browsed website as you begin to type it in the address bar. However, if you visit a specific site and don’t want your parents, spouse, boy/girlfriend etc, to find out that you visited it, you can delete just that site from the Firefox’s history.

Using Windows

Start to type out the URL, and when Firefox pops up that site in the list of sites, select it by moving your cursor over it (but don’t click) – and click the Delete key on your keyboard. NOTE: the Delete key is not the Backspace key – make sure to use the right one.

Using OS X

Start to type out the URL, and when Firefox pops up that site in the list of sites, select it by moving your cursor over it (but don’t click) – hold down the Shift key and click the Delete button on your keyboard.

2. Set smart cookie settings

There are a number of websites that don’t allow you a normal browsing experience without having your browser accept all cookies. If you are not a fan of cookies and want to browse this website there’s a nice solution to the problem. You can, of course, manually erase all the cookies after you are done browsing such a website. A smarter way to achieve this might be to use Firefox’s built in setting that deletes all cookies when you close your web browser.

Using Windows

If you are using Firefox 3.6 on Windows you need to go to Tools -> Options in the application’s menu.

Click on the Privacy tab. Set Firefox will: to Use custom settings for history.

Set the cookies bit to Keep until: I close Firefox

Using OS X

Select Firefox and then Preferences

Select the Privacy tab. Set Firefox will: to Use custom settings for history

Make sure Accept third-party cookies is checked, and then select I close Firefox from the Keep until: menu.

3. Clear History Automatically

Like in the previous tip, you can have Firefox clear your history every time you close the browser. This is a particularly good thing to set on a publicly used computer.

Using Windows

To set this navigate to Tools -> Options in the application’s menu

Click on the Privacy tab. Under the section titled Private Data you will find a checkbox with the words Clear history when I Firefox closes.

You can also fine tune this option by clicking on the Settings button next to it. Here you can set what private data you want cleared. You can set Firefox to clear your saved passwords, browsing history, cookies, cache, and more.

Using OS X

Select Firefox and then Preferences

Select the Privacy tab. Make sure the box next to Clear history when Firefox closes is checked

You can further secure Firefox by determining what other data should be deleted when you close Firefox by clicking the Settings button. This will bring up a window with many choices.

4. Use Master Password

If you have set Firefox to save the passwords you use to login into your web accounts and want to maintain some degree of privacy while using them, Firefox allows you to set a master password which allows these passwords to be used.

Using Windows

· To set this navigate to Tools -> Options in the application’s menu

· Click on the Security tab and select Use a master password

· Enter your master password in both of the provided fields. Click OK when you’re done. Henceforth Firefox will ask you for this master password once for each browsing session for the saved passwords to be used.

Using OS X

Select Firefox and then Preferences

Select the Security tab and place a check in the box next to Use master password.

Now enter your password in both the spaces provided. Click OK. For each Firefox session going forward, you’ll need to enter your master password before you’re able to enter a user/pass on a web site.

Microsoft Security Bulletin Advance Notification for April 2010

2010-04-09T11:05:00.000+05:30

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms10-apr.mspx

Microsoft announced earlier today that they will be releasing a total of 11 bulletins

Hacker Bypasses Windows 7 Anti-Exploit Features In IE 8 Hack - DarkReading

2010-03-26T09:54:00.000+05:30

Hacker Bypasses Windows 7 Anti-Exploit Features In IE 8 Hack - DarkReading

Gmail security enhanced

2010-03-25T11:46:00.001+05:30

Image via Wikipedia

Google on Wednesday introduced a new security feature for its Gmail users that provides notification of unusual account activity.

Blogger Labels: Gmail,Google,notification,account,users

5 great time-waster games

2010-03-23T09:29:00.000+05:30

5 great time-waster games

Freezer Freaks: 5 Weird Things I Freeze To Save Money

2010-03-23T09:18:00.000+05:30

Freezer Freaks: 5 Weird Things I Freeze To Save Money

AutoRun Vaccine

2010-03-07T11:59:00.001+05:30

AutoRun Vaccine AutoRun Vaccine

What is it?

It is a program to enable or disable the AutoRun feature of Windows. You can read more about AutoRun here.

Why do I need it?

Many trojans today take advantage of AutoRun to infect USB devices to spread or re-infect your computer. The AutoRun Vaccine stops this from working.

Works with Windows2K/XP/Vista/7 32 and 64bit

Blogger Labels: AutoRun,Vaccine,Many,advantage,devices,computer,Works,Vista

AutoRun Vaccine

Google Phone in India

2010-03-06T18:42:00.001+05:30

Google is planning to launch a “mini” version of the Nexus One phone in India that may not have all the features but it would certainly be less-expensive than the US model.

This was revealed by Ankit from CNBC-TV 18 after an “editorial meet” with Google India head Shailesh Rao. Ankit wrote:

Nexus One will not come to India in its US avatar, the India specific Google Phone may be a stripped down version and priced lower!

There’s no talk of pricing but Google is clearly planning to target a bigger market for their smartphone in India.

Blogger Labels: Google,India,version,Nexus,features,Ankit,CNBC,editorial,Shailesh

Apple iPad

2010-01-30T11:15:00.001+05:30

Apple has just unveiled it’s long anticipated tablet device, named the iPad. iPads will start shipping in about 60 days. Here’s the rundown on it:

1/2″ thick
a featherweight 1.5lbs
9.7″ IPS display
full multitouch touch-screen
Comes in 3 storage sizes: 16GB ($499), 32GB ($599) and 64GB ($699)
WiFi 802.11n & Bluetooth 2.1+EDR. Some models will have 3G. Monthly data contracts available with AT&T. 3G models cost $130 more than WiFi-only models.
10 hrs battery life, 1 month in standby
view in any direction – landscape or portrait and from any side.

The iPad is geared to be a Web surfing and multimedia device, so it can handle photos, iTunes, movies, TV, e-mail, and even video games. There is on-screen soft keyboard for those apps that need it. Unfortunately, like the iPhone, there is no Adobe Flash.

The iPad can run any app that runs on the iPhone and Apple has also updated the iPhone SDK so that apps can be developed for this sized display. Another key feature is the iBooks app that works with the newly created iBook Store, although Apple only has agreements with 5 publishers so far.

Blogger Labels: Apple,tablet,Here,storage,WiFi,Bluetooth,Some,data,cost,battery,life,direction,portrait,multimedia,keyboard,Adobe,Flash,Another,sizes,photos,agreements,iPad,apps

Hindi Movies on You Tube

2010-01-30T10:23:00.001+05:30

Image by net_efekt via Flickr

Some great news for movie buffs.

You can watch some of the popular Bollywood movies on YouTube for free using this page. These are full-length videos so you can just connect your computer to the TV screen, grab a snack and watch movies from the couch with your family.

The collection is currently limited to Hindi movies from film producers like Shemaroo Entertainment, Rajshri and UltraHindi.

Blogger Labels: Hindi,Movies,Tube,Some,news,movie,Bollywood,YouTube,length,computer,snack,collection,Shemaroo,Entertainment,Rajshri,UltraHindi,producers

High Speed Wireless Broadband in India- Plans and Comparison

2010-01-18T18:40:00.001+05:30

Initially Broadband in India was termed as anything above the speed of 256Kbps, but now things are changing, we have now broadband plans of 16Mbps and more. Wireless broadband connections are also becoming better in India when compared to previously available speeds of 150Kbps. Most of the mobile operators and ISPs have now high speed USB based modems which can get you a speed upto 3.1 Mbps. Here we are comparing the different plans and coverage of high speed Wireless Internet in India.

The major high speed wireless broadband service providers in India are Reliance Netconnect, Tata Indicom Photon+, Virgin Mobile, BSNL and MTS. Below are the comparative chart of all the ISPs. Please note that we have not compared all the plans available.

ISP Name	Max Download Speed	Max Upload Speed	Cost of Device	Coverage (high Speed)	Cost of 2GB Plan	Cost of 5GB Plan	Cost of 10GB Plan	Cost of 15GB Plan	Unlimited plan	Other Features Offered
Tata Indicom Photon +	3.1 Mbps	1.8 Mbps	3600/-	70 Cities	750/-	950/-	1100/-	1500/-	NA	Photon TV
Virgin Mobile VFlash	3.1 Mbps	1.8 Mbps	3499/-	NA	750/-	—-	1100/-	—-	NA	vFlash TV coverage
Reliance Netconnect	3.1 Mbps	1.8 Mbps	3500/-	38 Cities	750/-	1099/-	1250/-	1750/-	NA
BSNL EVDO	2.4 Mbps	–	3500/-	NA	—-	—-	—-	—-	650/-
MTS MBlaze	3.1Mbps	1.8Mbps	3499/-	19 Cities	—-	899/-	1200/-	1500/-	NA

When it comes to the price of USB modems, almost all the ISPs are having the same price of 3500/- although Tata Photon the costliest one. Coverage wise, Tata Photon emerges the clear winner although we are not sure about the BSNL EVDO coverage.

When it comes to data plans, BSNL is the clear winner here with 650/- for unlimited coverage, but speed of the Internet is 2.4 Mbps when compared to 3.1 Mbps offered by others.

If you are a frequent traveler, we would suggest you to take Tata Photon+ as it has the best coverage in India. There are no roaming changes for all the connections listed above.

Blogger Labels: High,Broadband,India,Plans,Comparison,Most,ISPs,Mbps,Here,coverage,Internet,Reliance,Netconnect,Tata,Indicom,Photon,Virgin,Mobile,BSNL,Name,Download,Upload,Cost,Device,Plan,Features,VFlash,EVDO,MBlaze,winner,data,traveler,operators,providers,modems

Simple Google Hack Gives You Free Access to Online Newspaper Articles

2010-01-18T18:22:00.001+05:30

Online newspaper sites like the Financial Times require users to sign-in if they want to read more than one article on their site. The New York Times too had such a restriction in place earlier but they seem to have dropped that requirement now.

The Wall Street Journal, on the other hand, is a subscription-based site. They do offer free access to some of news stories but all the premium content is behind a pay-wall and therefore available only to paid subscribers.

Since these newspaper websites are part of the "First Click Free" program, someone visiting them via Google search can read the first page of the story without registering or subscribing. The first click is therefore "free" but the user will have to sign-in or register to read further.

First Click Free & Google Visitors

However, due to a possible bug in the implementation, the registration prompt gets bypassed for Google visitors giving them free access to all the news articles -- even the premium content meant for subscribers.

It works like this. You first copy the web address of any news article that is behind the registration firewall and paste that URL into the Google Search box. Now click the first Google result and you’ll be able to read the full text of the corresponding story without registering or subscribing

Blogger Labels: Simple,Google,Hack,Free,Online,Newspaper,Financial,Times,article,York,restriction,requirement,Wall,Street,Journal,subscription,news,Click,user,Visitors,implementation,registration,Search,result,text,Articles,users,subscribers

Careful about Haiti email scams

2010-01-16T11:44:00.001+05:30

More than 400 Internet addresses related to Haiti have been registered since the devastating quake. The names reference Haiti and words such as "earthquake," "help," "aid," "victims" and "survivors." Many of the web addresses will likely prove legitimate, but many more will be bogus and associated with web sites that host malicious software.

Blogger Labels: Careful,Haiti,Internet,reference,words,earthquake,victims,Many,host,scams

Cloud computing may backfire

2009-12-23T13:19:00.001+05:30

Tech prognosticator Mark Anderson says the tendency to rely on cloud computing may backfire in some high-profile way in the coming year. "It could be a service-outage-type catastrophe or a security-based catastrophe," he says. "It will be the kind of disaster that makes you say, if you're a [CIO]: 'That's why I didn't get involved with the cloud.'"

Cloud computing Relevant Products/Services enthusiasts be warned. Next year, computing services handled remotely and delivered via the Internet may undergo some kind of "catastrophe" that alerts companies and consumers to the risks of relying on the so-called cloud Relevant Products/Services, says Mark Anderson, chief executive of Strategic News Service, an industry newsletter circulated to senior executives at technology Relevant Products/Services companies including Intel, Dell Relevant Products/Services, and Microsoft Relevant Products/Services.

A growing number of businesses and individuals are handing storage Relevant Products/Services and various other tasks to outside providers, from photographers archiving pictures with Yahoo!'s Flickr to companies turning over complicated computing operations to Amazon. Tech prognosticator Anderson suggests that the tendency could backfire in some high-profile way in the coming year. "It could either be a service Relevant Products/Services-outage-type catastrophe or a security Relevant Products/Services-based catastrophe," he says. "In either case, it will be big enough. It will be the kind of disaster that makes you say, if you're a [Chief Information Officer]: 'That's why I didn't get involved with the cloud.'"

The warning on cloud computing is one of a handful of predictions from Anderson, who in December makes forecasts for the coming year. He also says computing wars will intensify in hardware Relevant Products/Services and operating systems, especially in the mobile arena. Growth in netbooks and smartphones and increased reliance on cloud computing will continue to transform personal computing from the market dominated by Microsoft's Windows Relevant Products/Services and to a lesser extent Apple's Mac. "The desktop Relevant Products/Services will seem like a calm island that is surrounded by chaos, where all these opportunities are with no clear winners," he says.

Anderson is particularly bearish when it comes to the cloud. "My hunch is that there will never really be a secure Relevant Products/Services cloud," he says. Businesses will view cloud services more suspiciously and consumers will refuse to use them for anything important, he says.

Cloud computing experts note that high-profile security breaches have already occurred. "Clouds don't make applications fail-safe," says Chris Hoff, director of cloud and virtualization Relevant Products/Services services at Cisco Systems. He points to Magnolia, the social bookmarking service that crashed and lost all its data Relevant Products/Services earlier this year. "There will be other events like these in 2010, as there were in 2009 and 2008," Hoff says.

Still, many companies will conclude that the benefits of network Relevant Products/Services-delivered outweigh the risks. "Even if there is an outage, it won't affect adoptions," says Rich Mogull, an analyst at Securosis, a security research firm. "Providers who compete with the vendor [that) goes down will come around and tell everyone how they're different. There will be some pullback but no dramatic change in adoption of the cloud."

Also on the horizon for the coming year, Microsoft will face multiple operating system challenges, including competition from a resurgent Mac OS, Google's Chrome OS, mobile operating systems from Android, Nokia's Symbian mobile OS, and others. "Two years ago it would have seemed like Windows had this all locked up forever, and now tell me who will win on all those hardware platforms," Anderson says.

Netbooks will gain in popularity and within a couple years will become the biggest segment of the personal computing market, Anderson contends. As netbooks and smartphones and Web tablets take hold, content in all forms will continue to break free from long-held restrictions, becoming substantially more mobile-friendly than ever. First-run TV shows and movies will be as readily available on handheld phones as they have been elsewhere -- for a price.

Apple's iTunes, which sells not only music and TV shows, but also mobile applications, has proven Relevant Products/Services that people are willing to pay for content on their phones, Anderson says. "They'll pay a small amount of money, but they'll happily pay," he says. "Some things will be free, but increasingly they won't be."

Online Content Will Finally Earn Cash

The willingness to pay for mobile content, in turn, will drive adoption of small payments, or micropayments, for content, Anderson says. Those over 35 who perceive value to content will be willing to pay. Those under 35, who are accustomed to getting content for free, won't, he believes. As consumers age, Anderson predicts their attitudes will change.

News media will also become increasingly willing to charge for content online. In recent months, News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch has said the company will start charging for content on its newspaper sites. "I hate to say it, but Rupert is right," Anderson says. "People who have things of value in the media business damn well better charge for them."

And while software giant Microsoft will continue to dominate on the desktop, Anderson believes the company will lose relevance in the consumer electronics and mobile markets -- except in the gaming arena. "It's time to say it: Microsoft has lost its play for consumers," Anderson says. "This is mostly about the phone."

The most important mobile players will be Apple, Nokia's Symbian, and Google's Android. Microsoft is going to have difficulty finding new revenue streams, Anderson holds. "It doesn't mean its going to stop growing, but it does mean that its growth is going to be pretty moderate and then it may taper off," Anderson says.

How accurate are Anderson's prognostications? Last year he predicted that voice-activated applications would come to smart phones, harnessing computing in the cloud. He forecast that the wireless industry would settle on a technology standard known as LTE, or Long-Term Evolution, for its next-generation technology. And mobile applications such as those on Apple's iPhone, he said, would catch on like wildfire.

Blogger Labels: Cloud,Tech,Mark,Anderson,tendency,catastrophe,disaster,Relevant,Products,Services,Internet,consumers,Strategic,News,Service,industry,newsletter,technology,Intel,Dell,Microsoft,individuals,storage,tasks,pictures,Yahoo,Flickr,Amazon,Chief,Information,Officer,December,arena,Growth,reliance,extent,Apple,island,chaos,Clouds,Chris,Hoff,director,Cisco,Magnolia,data,events,Still,benefits,Rich,Mogull,analyst,Securosis,vendor,adoption,Also,horizon,system,competition,Google,Chrome,Android,Nokia,Symbian,Netbooks,segment,tablets,restrictions,music,money,Some,Online,Content,Earn,Cash,payments,Corp,Rupert,Murdoch,newspaper,People,relevance,consumer,players,Last,Long,Term,Evolution,generation,enthusiasts,providers,operations,predictions,systems,winners,adoptions,platforms,attitudes,prognosticator,outage,didn,hardware,smartphones,desktop

Cloud computing may backfire

2009-12-23T13:18:00.001+05:30

Online Content Will Finally Earn Cash

Google takes another step towards competing with Microsoft office

2009-12-23T13:13:00.001+05:30

Google reportedly will pay about $25 million for DocVerse, whose Microsoft Office plug-in enables document sharing similar to Google Docs. DocVerse would complement Google's acquisition of Appjet and may give Google two Microsoft veterans. Microsoft is already moving to counter Google Docs with new features in Microsoft Office 2010.

Google is moving in on yet another acquisition. This time the search giant reportedly has its eye on a plug-in that lets people collaborate around Microsoft Relevant Products/Services Office documents.

According to published reports, Google is acquiring a San Francisco-based startup called DocVerse for about $25 million. The acquisition could undergird Google's recent Appjet purchase. Appjet is the maker of Etherpad, which also offers Microsoft Office collaboration Relevant Products/Services capabilities.

DocVerse officially launched on Oct. 28 to serve the 600 million Office users looking for a better way to edit and share Microsoft documents. DocVerse is a plug-in for Microsoft Office that turns the suite of productivity Relevant Products/Services applications into web-enabled collaboration tools and allows real-time sharing and simultaneous group editing of documents.

Grabbing MS Talent?

With DocVerse, Google would not only pick up a product to help its users bridge the Office gap. It could also pick up two Microsoft veterans, Shan Sinha and Alex DeNeui.

The duo founded DocVerse in 2007 to eliminate the constant back-and-forth e-mail attachments required to share and edit Word, PowerPoint and Excel documents. Sinha oversaw Microsoft's product strategy for the $1.6 billion SharePoint business and $3 billion SQL Server business while DeNeui oversaw Microsoft's SQL Server web strategy.

Sinha is no stranger to entrepreneurship. He cofounded two venture-backed startups, one of which has already been acquired. He also has fund-raising skills. DocVerse raised its first round of investment in 2008, $1.3 million from Baseline Ventures, Naval Ravikant, and Harrison Metal Capital.

DeNeui also brings experience to the startup. Before his tenure with Microsoft, he founded a Kleiner Perkins-backed enterprise Relevant Products/Services software company delivering IT Relevant Products/Services automation Relevant Products/Services services. It's not clear whether the duo will join Google or move on to another startup if their company is acquired.

Microsoft Fights Back with Office 2010

Greg Sterling, principal analyst at Sterling Market Intelligence, called the reported acquisition "interesting." Although DocVerse was founded by ex-Microsoft talent, he said, the application's philosophy, with its cloud Relevant Products/Services and collaboration capabilities, is very much consistent with Google Wave and Google's efforts with its Apps and Docs suites.

"This also seems like a tool that will make Google Docs and Apps more useful in recognition of the fact that most people for the foreseeable future are going to be using Microsoft Office," Sterling said. "Yet this speeds the transition to the cloud and provides a bridge of sorts between Microsoft Office and Google Docs."

Of course, Microsoft is also moving into the cloud with its Office 2010, which will combat Google Docs. Microsoft released the beta version of Office 2010 in November with hopes that millions of people would download and test the product and offer feedback.

Microsoft is rolling out several new features in Office 2010 to sharpen its chances against an aggressive Google. One key new offering is the Outlook Social Connector, which brings communications Relevant Products/Services history, business collaboration, and social-network Relevant Products/Services feeds directly into Outlook, with support Relevant Products/Services for Windows Relevant Products/Services Live and SharePoint server Relevant Products/Services.

Blogger Labels: Google,Microsoft,office,DocVerse,Docs,acquisition,Appjet,features,Relevant,Products,Services,documents,reports,Francisco,maker,Etherpad,collaboration,suite,tools,Talent,product,bridge,Shan,Sinha,Alex,DeNeui,Word,PowerPoint,Excel,strategy,SharePoint,Server,stranger,entrepreneurship,investment,Baseline,Naval,Ravikant,Harrison,Metal,Capital,tenure,Kleiner,Perkins,enterprise,automation,Back,Greg,analyst,Market,Intelligence,Although,philosophy,Wave,efforts,Apps,tool,recognition,fact,transition,version,November,feedback,chances,Outlook,Social,Connector,communications,history,Live,users,attachments,skills,suites,million,veterans,billion

FIVE RULES FOR MEN TO FOLLOW TO A HAPPY LIFE:

2009-12-21T10:16:00.001+05:30

1. It’s important to have a woman, who helps at home,
Who cooks from time to time, cleans up and has a job.
2. It's important to have a woman, who can make you
Laugh.
3. It's important to have a woman, who you can trust
And who doesn't lie to you.
4. It's important to have a woman, who is good in bed
And who likes to be with you.
5. Its very, very important that these four women
Do not know each other.

Blogger Labels: FIVE,RULES,LIFE,woman,Laugh

Complete BlackBerry Device Management Utility

2009-12-15T18:17:00.001+05:30

BlackBerry Master Control Program (MCP) is a power tool for management of BlackBerry devices designed for basic, moderate and advanced users. With MCP you can easily load/save/erase any module you want, take screenshots of your device, turn the radio on or off, synchronize the time on your device to your PC, reset to factory settings (remove IT policies), perform a handheld wipe, factory reset, load, save and erase modules and many more features.

The Operating System Management page allows you to completely manage and optimize any OS you want to install on your device.

Features of MCP

Manages multiple USB Devices.
Performs ALL Java Loader commands and ALL Java Loader options – 100% – graphically.
Upgrade/Downgrade to any device OS that is installed on your computer – without having to uninstall other OS’s.
Relocates OS files to the same locations as CrackMem, so you can switch between MCP or CrackMem at will.
MCP is available via Windows Control Panel after installation.
Easy to access shortcuts to the most common BlackBerry tools.
Available in PortableApps and Stand Alone version.
Backup & Restore 3rd Party Apps
Create ALX/JAD files

This tool is also available in portable version, so that carry in USB drives.

Blogger Labels: Complete,BlackBerry,Device,Management,Master,Control,Program,tool,devices,module,radio,factory,features,System,Java,Loader,commands,Upgrade,Downgrade,computer,files,CrackMem,Panel,installation,Easy,tools,Available,PortableApps,Stand,version,Backup,Apps,Create,users,policies,modules,options,locations

Online File Scanning

2009-12-15T17:55:00.001+05:30

Although the safest way to protect from viruses is to install a antivirus software on your PC, sometimes you would want to cross check your downloaded files with online virus scan. We have covered online antivirus tools like Virus Total and NoVirus Thanks. Here is another tool called Filterbit which can scan your files online using different antivirus tools. Filterbit can also scan, analyze and individually identify multiple files contained within a file archive such as Winzip, WinRar, PKZip and other types.

Filterbit uses antivirus scan provided by AVG, Kaspersky, ClamWin, CA, McAfee VirusScan, Norman and others. You need to upload your files for scanning and Filterbit facilitates rapid detection of viruses, trojans, worms and other malware that may be contained within your uploaded files.

Blogger Labels: Online,File,Although,files,virus,tools,Total,NoVirus,Thanks,Here,tool,Filterbit,archive,Winzip,WinRar,PKZip,Kaspersky,ClamWin,McAfee,VirusScan,Norman,detection,viruses,antivirus

Online Security

2009-12-15T11:42:00.001+05:30

Today, you need to worry about security for your PC in a whole different way. Spyware, adware, viruses and trojans are lurking online, waiting to infect your computer.
Here is a list of top 10 security threats that you should be aware of, for preventing any such attacks to your PC.
SOCIAL ENGINEERING

The number one threat to your computers security is you! Use common sense.
Dont take programs from strangers, dont go to crackz and torrents web sites, and if your security software pops up a warning, READ IT before you click.
IDENTITY THEFT

Its not just about your computer when they use your credit cards, divert your paycheck, and change your vehicle registration. A full-powered security suite should block all computer-related avenues for identity theft.
SPYWARE/TROJANS

Spyware spies on everything you do and steals private infor-mation.
Trojan horse programs pretend to be useful but can turn your computer into a spam-spewing zombie.
Antispyware plus anti-malware should keep out these threats.
VIRUSES

A computer virus is a dangerous computer program with the characteristic feature of being able to generate copies of itself, and thereby spreading.
Additionally most computer viruses have a destructive payload that is activated under certain conditions.
Modern antivirus programs like Kaspersky and NOD32 are quite good in preventing viruses.
ADWARE

Simple adware pops up ads that get in your face while browsing net can destroy your computer.
Most of the adwares records your online activity, phones numbers, contacts and produces ads for you when you go online..
Up-to-date antispyware is the solution.
WEB EXPLOITS

Some Web sites include malicious code to exploit vulnerabilities in your browser or operating system.
Just visiting the site can infect or damage your system if the vulnerability hasnt been patched, so keep Automatic Updates always on.
HACKER ATTACK

A hacker is a person who accesses computer files without authorisation, often destroying vast amounts of data.
Expert hackers dont have times to attack each computers individually.
They might broadcast a network virus or release a Trojan, but a personal attack is highly unlikely.
Your security suites, firewall and malware protection should keep you
WIRELESS ATTACK

These attacks attempt to penetrate a network by using wireless or evading WLAN access control measures, like AP MAC filters and 802.1X port access controls.
If youre not careful, anybody in range can mooch bandwidth from your wireless network and can rum-mage through your files, because they are inside your network.
Your routers WPA/WEP encryption can stop the mooching but you have to use it.
PHISHING MAIL

Phishing attacks use both social engineering and technical subterfuge to steal consumers' personal identity data and financial account credentials.
Phishing messages pretend to be from eBay, PayPal, your bank, or the like.
If you log in to their fake sites, they steal your username and password and youre sunk. However, both IE7 and Firefox 2 have phishing detection built in.
SPAM MAIL

Spam by e-mail is a type of spam that involves sending identical or nearly identical messages to thousands (or millions) of recipients.
Addresses of recipients are often harvested from Usenet postings or web pages, obtained from databases, or simply guessed by using common names and domains.
By definition, spam is sent without the permission of the recipients.

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Anti-forensics tool promises to inhibit popular law enforcement software

2009-12-15T11:07:00.001+05:30

By Tim Wilson
DarkReading

A pair of hackers says it has developed a defense for a popular computer forensics tool used by many law enforcement agencies.

The anti-forensics tool, which is called DECAF, is designed to obstruct Computer Online Forensic Evidence Extractor (COFEE), a cybercrime forensics tool that is broadly distributed by Microsoft for use by law enforcement agencies.

"DECAF provides real-time monitoring for COFEE signatures on USB devices and running applications," the hackers say on their Website. "Upon finding the presence of COFEE, DECAF performs numerous user-defined processes, including COFEE log clearing, ejecting USB devices, drive-by dropper, and an extensive list of Lockdown Mode settings. The Lockdown mode gives the user an automated approach to locking down the machine at the first sign of unusual law enforcement activity.

"DECAF is highly configurable, giving the user complete control to on-the-fly scenarios," the Website continues. "In a moment's notice, almost every piece of hardware can be disabled, and predefined files can be deleted in the background. DECAF also gives the user an opportunity to simulate COFEE's presence by sending the application into a 'Spill the cofee' type mode. Simulation gives the user an opportunity to test his or her configuration before going live."

The two hackers plan to enhance DECAF over time, the Website says. "Future versions will have text message and email triggers, so in case the computer needs to enter into lockdown mode, the user can do it remotely," the site says. "It will also have notification services where in the case of an emergency, someone can be notified. DECAF's next release is going to be available in a more lightweight version and/or a Windows service."

One of the hackers attempted to explain the rationale for DECAF. "We want to promote a healthy, unrestricted free flow of Internet traffic and show why law enforcement should not solely rely on Microsoft to automate their intelligent evidence finding," the hacker told a reporter in an article published by The Register.

Some of the source code for COFEE was reportedly leaked to the Web last month, and experts expressed concern that hackers would reverse-engineer the tool and develop defenses against it.

DECAF is free, but users who want to download it must agree to a license stating they will not use it for illegal purposes.

Hotmail Stolen Password Review

2009-10-08T08:23:00.001+05:30

IDG reports that security researcher Bogdan Calin analyzed the 10,000 stolen Windows Live Hotmail usernames and passwords that were leaked late last week and found that users are still using simple, common and downright stupid passwords.

Passwords that used simple number sequences such as 123456789 made up half of the top 10 most common passwords. The other half of the list is made up of names alejandra, alberto, and alejandro, which lead Calin to believe that the passwords were stolen by a phishing kit targeting Latinos.

Security sites recommend that passwords should contain a combination of letters, numbers and other characters. Calin found that just 6 percent of the Hotmail passwords met such standards of complexity, but more than 60 percent were either lower case letters only, or numbers.

Interestingly, the longest password Calin found was "lafaroleratropezoooooooooooooo".

The top 10 passwords were:

1. 123456

2. 123456789

3. alejandra

4. 111111

5. alberto

6. tequiero

7. alejandro

8. 12345678

9. 1234567

10. estrella

Source : computerworld.com

Blogger Labels: Hotmail,Stolen,Password,Review,reports,researcher,Bogdan,Calin,Live,Passwords,Latinos,combination,numbers,characters,Source,users,sequences,alejandra,alberto,alejandro

Wall worm attacks Facebook users

2009-09-26T08:40:00.001+05:30

There are reports of a worm spreading on Facebook, hijacking wall posts and threatening to compromise users' computer security.

The worm is similar to one that infected accounts on microblogging site Twitter earlier this week, according to reports on the US-based social media blog Mashable.

Users can be vulnerable if they click a link in their news feed which appears to be from a friend.

The text before the link reads: "lmao! i cant stop laughing at you in this pic, when did you do this?"

Blogger Labels: Wall,worm,Facebook,reports,computer,Twitter,Mashable,news,friend,text,cant,users

Wii price drop

2009-09-25T07:23:00.001+05:30

Nintendo today announced that beginning Sunday, September 27, the Wii drops by $50 to $199.99. Nintendo won't be messing with the bundle, however, with the package still including the Wii Remote controller (sorry, no Wii MotionPlus), Nunchuk controller and Wii Sports.

Blogger Labels: Nintendo,September,bundle,Remote,controller,MotionPlus,Nunchuk,Sports

Google announces Push Email support for mobiles

2009-09-24T07:53:00.001+05:30

Google has announced that push Gmail support for Google Sync.

Announced last year, Google Sync lets you synchronize your Gmail contacts and your Google calendars with your iPhone, S60 devices and of course, Windows Mobile devices. Yesterday, Google announced another feature for Sync that a lot of people are likely to jump at: Push Gmail support.

Those of you panicking about having to Sync your contacts and calendars too, don't need to worry. You can pick and choose what you want to synchronize so if you just want you mail, that's totally okay.

Blogger Labels: Google,Push,Email,Gmail,Sync,contacts,devices,Mobile,calendars

Facebook Grows Rich

2009-09-17T07:50:00.001+05:30

The world's largest social networking site just got bigger with the announcement it has 300 million active monthly users from around the globe.

Facebook also revealed that it had started making money ahead of schedule.
The company had not expected to start turning a profit until sometime in 2010.
"This is important to us because it sets Facebook up to be a strong independent service for the long term," said Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.
"We are succeeding at building Facebook in a sustainable way. We are just getting started on our goal of connecting everyone.
"We face a lot of fun and important challenges that require rethinking the current systems for enabling information flow across the web," Mr. Zuckerberg said in a blog post.
'Milestones'
The news that Facebook had passed these two benchmarks was made at TechCrunch 50 in San Francisco, a conference for start ups.
Facebook hit the 250 million user mark back in July. It is estimated that the site is gaining about five million new users a week, or 50 million in the last 75 days.

More than 70% of users are outside the United States
"Passing these milestones to me means we can continue to fund our development and our innovation and be self sustaining as we grow this network," Mike Schroepfer, Facebook's vice-president of engineering, told BBC News.
"We think 300 million is a just a step on the way to get as much of the entire world on the social network communicating with the friends and family and the people they want to communicate with."
"That Facebook is able to continue this growth and build a "cash-flow positive" business is an impressive feat," said Nick O'Neill of AllFacebook.com.
"If the company can cover the cost of scaling to one billion users and still manage to break even, there's no doubt that the company will have a great opportunity to rake in billions," added Mr. O'Neill.
Facebook's Mr. Schroepfer said the company had worked hard to get more money flowing in than out.
"The growth of the network has certainly helped us go cash-positive and the engineering team has done a lot of innovation on our ad products, as our business is primarily advertising-funded.
"As more and more of the world gets on the network, people and advertisers realize the power of sharing information, whether it's about a movie preview or a car," said Mr. Schroepfer.
Look out Twitter, said Ben Parr, who is associate editor at the social media blog Mashable.com.
"If Facebook continues to open up its platform and adopt Twitter's best features, it could spell trouble for the Twitterverse. The world's largest social network is on the warpath," warned Mr. Parr

Blogger Labels: Facebook,Rich,world,announcement,globe,money,Mark,Zuckerberg,goal,news,TechCrunch,Francisco,conference,user,development,innovation,self,Mike,Schroepfer,president,friends,growth,cash,feat,Nick,Neill,AllFacebook,cost,team,products,movie,preview,Look,Twitter,Parr,Mashable,platform,features,Twitterverse,users,systems,benchmarks,million,blog

Lenovo Touch screen Laptops

2009-09-17T07:45:00.001+05:30

Lenovo has introduced two new PCs featuring touch screens that can be controlled with up to four fingers simultaneously.

The ThinkPad T400s is a laptop; the X200 is a tablet. They're designed to take advantage of the touch screen features found in the upcoming Windows 7 operating system. Also included is SimpleTap, a system for controlling the PCs' hardware settings via the touch screen.

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Lenvo on Tuesday unveiled two new computers with multi-touch capabilities that let users employ four fingers on the screen.

The new PCs are the ThinkPad T400s laptop and the X200 tablet PC.

Lenovo ThinkPad T400s laptop
(click image to enlarge)
Lenovo also unveiled SimpleTap, a feature that lets users access hardware functions such as adjusting screen brightness or locking the screen.

Both the T400s and X200 are available now. They will leverage Windows 7's touch capabilities when that operating system hits the shelves.

More Details on Multi-Touch

ThinkPad T400s laptops are aimed at engineering and design professionals. Its multi-touch capabilities will allow for up to four fingers to be used at time, letting two people collaborate on the computer by touching the screen together, Lenovo said.

Lenovo ThinkPad X200 tablet
(click image to enlarge)
The ThinkPad X200 tablet already supports one-finger touch, and multi-touch will let users use more gestures, such as pinching, tapping and flicking to go through documents or Web sites instead of using a mouse. This closely resembles the way the iPhone works.

"On a tablet form factor, where you can work on a flat surface, four-finger touch may actually make more sense, because that makes it easier to collaborate," Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group, told TechNewsWorld.

Lenovo optimized the firmware for both devices to compensate for less precise taps on the screen such as when users are closing windows or navigating the Start menu, for example.

Why Multi-Touch?

"We're introducing multi-touch now because this is the time for multi-touch PCs," Lenovo spokesperson Kristy Fair said. "People are more familiar with touch screens, and touch is becoming part of life now," she told TechNewsWorld. "Also, the cost of displays has come down, and they offer better features and functionalities."

"Granted, users have to put the mouse down, but this can cut the completion time for a visual product from days to hours," Enderle said. "For large objects or for folks who can manipulate several things at once, true multi-touch is a powerful tool."

He expects other vendors to move to multi-touch and, later, to go beyond four-finger touch.

Both the T400s and X200 run Windows Vista now. Users can upgrade to Windows 7 when it is available on Oct. 22, Fair said.

On SimpleTap

Both devices feature SimpleTap, a technology that gives users access to hardware-based functions. Users double tap the screen anywhere to launch SimpleTap. This then opens up a grid of tiles. SimpleTap's grid tiles offer hardware-based functions such as turning on or off the wireless radio or microphone, previewing scenes in the camera, adjusting the volume or screen brightness, or putting the device in sleep mode. To exit SimpleTap, users tap the screen once.

"SimpleTap's a nice differentiator which allows touch to be more aggressively used to launch applications," Enderle said. "I expect it to become more widely adopted over time."

Tech Specs

The T400s has an Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) Core 2 duo SP9400 processor running at 2.4 GHz, or an SP9600s running at 2.53 GHz. It comes preloaded with Windows Vista or an XP Professional downgrade. It also has various office and other applications preloaded.

It has Intel Turbo memory; a 14-inch WXGA display with a resolution of 1,440 x 900 pixels, and is optimized for voice over IP (VoIP), with a 2 MP camera, improved speakers and dual digital microphones.

The T400s supports WWAN, WiMax, WLAN and Bluetooth . It has one standard USB 2.0 port, one powered USB 2.0 port and one eSATA/USB 2.0 combination port. For security, it has an integrated fingerprint reader.

The T-400s' screen has anti-fingerprint coating. It is available at US$1,999.

Lenovo's ThinkPad X200 tablet offers a choice of three Intel Core Duo processors, rated at 1.6 GHz, 1.86 GHz and 2.13 GHz. It runs Windows XP Tablet Edition 2005 or various flavors of Windows Vista.

It supports Intel WiMax/Wi-Fi and Intel Wireless Wi-Fi cards. It also supports gigabit Ethernet, integrated WWAN with GPS, and Bluetooth. Weight with an eight-cell battery is 3.88 pounds. The tablet comes with Acrobat reader; antivirus software and other applications preloaded.

Users who work out of doors can get an optional super-bright screen for the X200. "I think this feature will be a requirement in all laptops before too long," Enderle said. "People like to work outside and generally can't with the vast majority of products."

The X200 is priced at $1,654 with the multitouch screen and at $1,704 with both the multitouch screen and the super-bright outdoor screen

Blogger Labels: Lenovo,Laptops,ThinkPad,laptop,tablet,advantage,features,system,Also,SimpleTap,European,Real,Although,Internet,population,Online,expansion,mode,Download,image,Both,leverage,Details,Multi,computer,supports,documents,factor,Enderle,analyst,Group,TechNewsWorld,devices,Start,menu,example,spokesperson,Fair,People,life,cost,completion,visual,product,objects,folks,tool,Vista,technology,grid,tiles,radio,Tech,Specs,Intel,Nasdaq,INTC,processor,Professional,office,Turbo,memory,WXGA,VoIP,WWAN,WiMax,WLAN,Bluetooth,port,combination,reader,Edition,Wi-Fi,Ethernet,cell,battery,Acrobat,requirement,products,users,retailers,options,computers,vendors,speakers,doors,touch screens,four,hardware,mouse,camera,fingerprint

Cell Phones cause cancer

2009-09-17T07:33:00.001+05:30

A recent article at PC Magazine asks, is your cell phone melting your brain? For years, cell phone users have been hammered with talk that radiation stemming from the device and its antennae could possibly cause brain tumors. And for a while the threats of mutation and cancer have been somewhat minimal. However now a group of researchers in Scandinavia and Israel suggest that--while its too soon to know if users are at risk--there's enough evidence to warrant further investigations into the matter.

Dariusz Leszcynski, a research professor at the University of Finland, said that it's premature to say that mobile phones are safe. "In my opinion, the current safety standards are not sufficiently supported by science because of very limited research on human volunteers," he told a Senate Appropriations committee. He also added that the United States needs to dump more funds into cell phone safety research.

Another researcher, Dr. Siegal Sadetzki of Tel Aviv University, has studied the effects of cell phones on humans for over ten years. During that time, she has found a connection between heavy cell phone users and cancer. However, Sadetzki said that her results are not conclusive, and that additional research is still required. The problem, she claimed, is that humans have not used cell phones long enough to "draw any concrete conclusions." With cell phone usage booming in the late 90s and rapidly increasing each year, researchers simply need more time to test and gather data.

PC Magazine said that the US government is currently working on a long-term study of cell phone safety, however the results will not be ready until 2013 or 2014. With that said, who needs drugs when iPhones and Blackberrys will scramble our brains for us? By the time researchers figure it out, the general population will be mutants.

Blogger Labels: Cell,cancer,article,Magazine,brain,radiation,threats,mutation,Scandinavia,Israel,Dariusz,Leszcynski,professor,Finland,opinion,science,human,Senate,Appropriations,committee,needs,Another,researcher,Siegal,Sadetzki,Aviv,connection,results,usage,data,government,Blackberrys,brains,population,users,antennae,tumors,investigations,humans,conclusions,researchers

Fast Flip for Google News

2009-09-16T07:34:00.001+05:30

Google is testing a service that will let newshounds read Web pages of magazines and newspapers like they were flipping through an old-fashioned paper copy.

Fast Flip is being tested in partnership with 36 publishers, including The New York Times, Newsweek, and Salon.com, which will get a portion of the revenue from ads that Google plans to sell alongside Fast Flip pages.

Fast Flip gives publishers more of what they want: a chance to share in the ad revenue generated by Google News combined with the spotlight and traffic that comes along with inclusion in Google News

But Fast Flip requires publishers to showcase more of their content than a simple Google News listing requires, which could allow readers to completely skip clicking through after getting the gist of the story from the first few paragraphs

Blogger Labels: Fast,Flip,Google,News,newspapers,paper,partnership,York,Times,Newsweek,Salon,portion,plans,traffic,inclusion,showcase,gist,magazines,readers,paragraphs,publishers

Facebook Lite

2009-09-11T19:03:00.001+05:30

Facebook has just launched a new version of the site, called Lite, to give users a simplified, faster-loading experience than the traditional www.facebook.com. The company has said it’s intended to help new users, especially people with with poor internet connections, have a better experience than they have had so far. The app is only live in the US and India, according to Facebook developer Blake Ross, but a worldwide rollout doesn’t seem too far away.

As anyone who has tried to access Facebook on a slow connection already knows, features like photos can take forever to load, or even not load at all.

But more generally, the design aesthetic of Lite is appealing. The news feed includes a simple top toolbar, just items from your friends and a few obvious buttons for posting updates or media. The profile page is similarly bare. However, there’s no bottom toolbar for any third-party apps. There are currently only a few crucial in-house apps available. Facebook’s own Photo and Video apps are located within the profile page, while Events is available in the top toolbar.

Blogger Labels: Facebook,Lite,version,India,Blake,Ross,connection,features,news,items,friends,bottom,Photo,Video,Events,users,photos,toolbar,apps

WD announces 640GB Laptop HDD

2009-09-11T09:19:00.001+05:30

Western Digital has announced that it has commenced volume shipments of its 9.5 mm high, 2.5-inch notebook hard drive with 640 GB capacity. The WD Scorpio Blue 640 GB hard drives utilize 320 GB-per-platter technology and are designed for mainstream notebook computers.

Blogger Labels: Laptop,Western,Digital,notebook,Scorpio,Blue,platter,technology,shipments,computers

Samsung's Mobile App Store

2009-09-11T09:09:00.001+05:30

Samsung will roll out the app store in the UK, France and Italy first, according to reports. It will then launch the store in another 30 countries over the coming months.

The apps will reportedly be written for Samsung's Omnia smartphones. Users will initially be able to select from about 300 apps, including games and e-readers. This will increase to about 2,000 by the end of the year.

Omnia owners will have to download a software upgrade to access the apps on the site.

Samsung unveiled updates to its Omnia handset line at the CommunicAsia information and communication technologies expo held in Singapore in June. These included the Omnia II and the OmniaPRO B7610.

Blogger Labels: Samsung,Mobile,France,reports,Omnia,handset,CommunicAsia,communication,June,OmniaPRO,Users,readers,owners,technologies,apps

Monopoly running on Google Maps

2009-09-11T08:51:00.001+05:30

Google Maps is becoming a Monopoly -- a Monopoly board game, to be exact. On Wednesday, Hasbro and Google launched Monopoly City Streets, a free, online version of what the game maker describes as "the world's most popular board game." Monopoly City Streets runs on top of Google Maps, and is also available using the open-source Open Street Map.

The online, massive multiplayer game is available only for a limited run of four months, as part of a promotion for Monopoly City, a new board game from Hasbro where a 3-D city is built from more than 80 3-D buildings.

'The Richest Property Magnate'

In the various Monopoly incarnations, the object is always the same: Make the most money in real estate through strategic use of properties to become, as Hasbro described, "the richest property magnate in existence."

In Monopoly City Streets, gamers can buy streets and place properties -- including houses, castles and skyscrapers -- anywhere in the world on Google Maps, and they play remotely against other participants. According to news reports Relevant Products/Services, the starting price for London's Downing Street is $231,000, and Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., begins at $2 million.

Each player starts by creating a profile at www.monopolycitystreets.com, and they get $3 million in play money. As with the classic board game, a player earns rent from streets and properties owned. Rent is reportedly $50,000 a day for a house and $100 million for a skyscraper.

However, at the beginning of Launch Day -- 09/09/09 -- the site was down, possibly due to over-popularity.

After buying a street, a player can acquire and set up houses, skyscrapers, hotels and other buildings. Players can increase property values by adding schools or even wind farms, or trash an opponent's holdings by setting up prisons or sewage plants through the use of chance cards. A prison or similar eyesore can only be bulldozed away, again via chance cards.

'Most Interesting Mashup Ever'

The game retains the "dealing and negotiating elements" of classic Monopoly, said Senior Marketing Manager Sarah Hoskin, adding that it brings "new creativity" that extends beyond the classic game's famous "green houses and red hotels."

The online game will be available in English, French, Spanish, Dutch and German.

Will Hasbro's online Monopoly lead to Google Maps being used for other games? Michael Gartenberg, a vice president at Interpret, doesn't think so.

While this may be the "most interesting mashup ever," he said, it feels "more experimental than anything else," more of a "one-off concept" than the beginning of a new gaming platform.

Mashups for Google Maps add a layer of data and functionality on top of the maps, such as showing all pizza parlors in a given neighborhood.

Blogger Labels: Google,Hasbro,version,maker,world,Open,Street,promotion,Richest,Magnate,Make,money,estate,existence,news,reports,Relevant,Products,Services,London,Pennsylvania,Avenue,Washington,player,Rent,Launch,Players,opponent,holdings,sewage,plants,prison,Most,Mashup,Senior,Manager,Sarah,Hoskin,English,French,Spanish,Dutch,German,Michael,Gartenberg,president,Interpret,concept,platform,Mashups,layer,data,Streets,incarnations,castles,participants,prisons,online,skyscrapers,million,hotels,cards

AMD's second generation ultrathin platform is here.

2009-09-11T08:41:00.001+05:30

Along with the new Vision branding initiative, AMD today also launched its new ultrathin mobile platform – codenamed Congo.

AMD had already decided that it wasn't going to partake in a war against Intel for the netbook market by creating an Atom competitor, but instead would make chips that were for similar form factors (small notebooks) but with more processing power (along with heftier power requirements).

The new Congo platform is composed of a low profile, energy-efficient Athlon Neo dual-core and integrated graphics on par with the previous generation's discrete part.

Pat Moorhead, VP of Advanced Marketing at AMD, explains Congo in simple terms as how it relates to the company's previous efforts: "It's real easy to describe the 2nd generation ultrathin design: Take the 1st generation, give it a second CPU core and take nearly the performance of the first generation’s discrete card, shrink it and place it into the chipset decreasing energy consumption."

The result is hardware fit for small form factor notebooks with some decent multimedia muscle too.

Blogger Labels: generation,platform,Along,Vision,initiative,Congo,Intel,Atom,competitor,requirements,energy,Athlon,Moorhead,efforts,Take,performance,card,consumption,result,factor,multimedia,muscle,factors,notebooks,ultrathin

Windows 7 not affected by latest flaw

2009-09-10T10:38:00.001+05:30

Microsoft issued a formal security advisory late Tuesday on a reported zero-day flaw in Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. However, the software maker also said that the flaw does not affect the final version of Windows 7, contrary to earlier reports.

"Microsoft is investigating new public reports of a possible vulnerability in Microsoft Server Message Block (SMB) implementation," Microsoft said in the advisory. "We are not aware of attacks that try to use the reported vulnerabilities or of customer impact at this time."
The flaw could allow an attacker to gain control of a system, although Microsoft said that "most attempts to exploit this vulnerability will cause an affected system to stop responding and restart."
The software maker said it is working with security software partners to provide information that can be used to create protections. Once its investigation is wrapped up, Microsoft said it will take action, which could include releasing a patch during its next monthly cycle or doing an "out-of-band" release, if necessary. Tuesday was Microsoft's monthly release for patches, which included five critical Windows updates addressing eight vulnerabilities.
The software maker said the latest issue affects the "release candidate" version of Windows 7, but not the final version that was completed in July. Also, the recently completed Windows Server 2008 R2 is not vulnerable, Microsoft said, nor are the earlier Windows XP and Windows 2000 operating systems.
Microsoft is already dealing with a separate, still unpatched flaw reported last week. Attacks have already been seen based on that vulnerability. Microsoft has taken issue with the fact that that flaw, like the latest one, was reported publicly as opposed to being privately disclosed to Microsoft, giving the company time to patch it.
During her years at CNET News, Ina Fried has changed beats several times, changed genders once, and covered both of the Pirates of Silicon Valley. These days, most of her attention is focused on Microsoft

Blogger Labels: flaw,Microsoft,zero,Vista,Server,maker,version,reports,Message,Block,implementation,customer,impact,attacker,system,partners,Once,investigation,action,patch,cycle,band,candidate,Also,fact,CNET,News,times,Silicon,Valley,attention,protections,patches,systems,genders,software,vulnerabilities

Intel i7 & i5 explained

2009-09-10T10:32:00.001+05:30

Intel's two new Core i7 CPUs (860 and 870) are mid-range counterparts to its top-of-the-line Core i7 900-series chips, and initial tests (using Intel's new DP55KG motherboard) indicate their performance follows suit. Our early tests also show the new entry-level Core i5 750 is the one to watch when it comes to best bang for your buck.

Intel's full processor breakdown--including the axing of its Core i7 940 processor--includes some potentially confusing differences between the chips. So here's what you need to know.

The existing Core i7 900-series processor lineup, codenamed Bloomfield, now features three separate products: 3.33-GHz Core i7 975, 3.06-GHz Core i7 950, and 2.66-GHz Core i7-920 processors. Between the Core i7-950 and Core i7-920 processors sit the new "Lynnfield" 2.93-GHz Core i7 870 and 2.8-GHz Core i7 860 processors. The brand-new, 2.66-GHz Core i5 750 CPU is a Lynnfield chip as well, but we'll get to that odd duckling further below.

Technology Differences
Intel took a big leap forward in the design department when it launched Core i7 900-series processors last November. Just a few of these included a new triple-channel memory controller integrated into the chip, a new QuickPath Interconnect system to replace (and improve upon) the front-side bus architecture of old, and the return of hyperthreading that split the chip's four physical cores into eight virtual cores for increased system performance. As the Core i7 900-series chips were based on a new Intel X58 chipset and LGA1366 socket, aspiring upgraders had to invest in new motherboards to reap the benefits of the Core i7 900-series platform.

That part still rings true for the new Core i7 800-series and Core i5 CPUs--all three run on Intel's latest P55 chipset and LGA1156 socket, which necessitates a new motherboard purchase for use. What's changed, however, is that the Core i7 800-series and Core i5 CPUs each adopt different permutations of the fanciest of the Core i7 900-series' features.

All three chips have dropped down from a QuickPath Interconnect and triple-channel memory controller to a Direct Media Interface and dual-channel memory controller. But don't freak out; This is more a loss of future-proofing than anything else given the minute performance differences between current dual- and triple-channel memory configurations.

An integrated PCI Express graphics controller on the Lynnfield CPUs can either deliver 16 lanes of bandwidth to a single PCI Express 2.0 videocard or split this connection into two x8 lanes for an SLI or CrossFire setup. Although it's a cut from the full 32 lanes (for a dual 16x or quad-8x configuration) provided by Core i7's X58 chipset, the bandwidth reduction should only affect those crazy enough to SLI or CrossFire dual-GPU videocards on a Lynnfield setup.

Turbo Boost: Automatic Overclocking

The new Core i7 800-series CPUs and the Core i5 750 still support the same automatic overclocking functionality, or Turbo Boost, as the Core i7 900-series processors. However, this feature has been jacked up on the newer chips. Core i7 900-series CPUs will only increase their multipliers to a maximum of two additional steps according to system demands (effectively taking a 3.33-GHz processor to 3.6-GHz depending on how many cores are in use). The new Lynnfield processors are able to jump up five multiplier steps for the 800-series chips (taking a 2.93-GHz processor to 3.6-GHz) and four for the Core i5 750 (2.66-GHz to a maximum 3.2-GHz).

Performance
Both Core i7 800-series processors support hyperthreading the same as their Core i7 900-series brethren. The Core i5 750 does not-its four physical cores are all that will appear in your operating system's task manager. Even so, the CPU's noteworthy performance makes it an excellent value for its roughly $200 price. We only saw a performance difference of 5 percent between the Core i5 750 and the roughly $555 Core i7 870 (based on WorldBench 6 testing of the two CPUs on identical system builds). In fact, the Core i5 750's score of 127 falls right around the scores set by competing Value and Power PCs that use Core i7 920 processors.

Test Bed: Intel DP55KG Motherboard, 4GB DDR3 1333 RAM, ATI Radeon HD 4890 graphics, 2x Seagate ST3750630AS hard disks (Raid 0), Windows Vista Ultimate 64 bit Service Pack 2

So where does that leave the Core i7 870? Given that its price is almost identical to that of the high-end 3.06-GHz Core i7 950 CPU, a processor that natively runs faster than the 2.93-GHz Core i7 870, it's difficult to see the compelling reason to pick up this chip. The Turbo Boost feature of the Core i7 870 does ultimately beat the speeds of the Core i7-950's, but for the enthusiast market, the increased memory support and bandwidth for multi-GPU setups might not be worth giving up. The Core i7 860 is more reasonably priced at $285, provided you can make sufficient use of its hyperthreading functionality.

It remains to be seen just how far the Core i7 800-series CPUs will overclock compared to the Core i7 900-series chips-the lower power draws of the 800-series processors could make quite a difference in this area. As for the Core i5 750, this chip looks to be a solid winner for those looking to dip their toes into the Nehalem platform without breaking the bank-given Intel's dramatic price points, that's always a strong possibility.

Blogger Labels: Intel,CPUs,series,performance,processor,Bloomfield,features,products,Lynnfield,Technology,department,November,Just,memory,controller,QuickPath,Interconnect,system,architecture,socket,benefits,platform,rings,Direct,Interface,connection,CrossFire,setup,Although,quad,configuration,reduction,Turbo,Boost,Automatic,steps,demands,Both,task,manager,difference,WorldBench,fact,Value,Power,Test,Motherboard,Radeon,Seagate,Raid,Vista,Ultimate,Service,Pack,Given,enthusiast,worth,area,winner,Nehalem,counterparts,differences,permutations,lanes,disks,setups,three,processors,triple,four,chipset,graphics,bandwidth

ASUS: low cost Dual screen ebook reader

2009-09-10T10:29:00.001+05:30

Asus is reportedly working on its own entry into the e-book reader market: a dual-screened reader that will open like an actual book. Details are sparse at this time, but one of the more intriguing aspects of the story involves the device's supposed price point. Asus reportedly intends to target the price of $165, significantly undercutting the kings of the market, Amazon and Sony.

Blogger Labels: ASUS,cost,Dual,reader,Details,Amazon,Sony,aspects

Microsoft: Windows 7 better then Linux

2009-09-10T09:31:00.001+05:30

Many companies across many industries partake in some form of evangelism (though some would call it propaganda) for its products. Some of the best evangelism starts at the retail level, where employees can 'inform' the buying consumer while trying to sell a life-saving in-store warranty policy.

A Best Buy employee, who happens to also be an overclock.net forum poster, recently partook in a Microsoft ExpertZone training exercise (with the incentive to be able to buy Windows 7 for $10) encountered materials from Microsoft that push certain superiorities that Windows 7 possess over Linux. While some points were valid, others were untrue.

One of the slides that Microsoft used (above) is fairly misleading, as World of Warcraft is supported in Linux through WINE. Windows Live Essentials are indeed a Windows-only product, but there are many other free alternatives. Video chat is also supported well on Linux through Skype and Pidgin. See here a mirror of the original thread.

It seems that Microsoft is trying to fight off Linux machines that are sold through Best Buy, which if any, are netbooks only. We can't imagine that there will be many customers who will wander into Best Buy without a clue of which operating system he or she should go with – the new and shiny Windows 7 or the mysterious, counter-culture Linux

Blogger Labels: Microsoft,Linux,Many,propaganda,products,Some,employees,consumer,life,policy,Best,employee,forum,poster,incentive,World,Warcraft,WINE,Live,Essentials,product,Video,Skype,Pidgin,machines,customers,clue,system,culture,industries,evangelism

How to add email accounts to Outlook 2007

2009-09-02T15:06:00.001+05:30

Steps involved to setup an Email account in Microsoft Outlook 2007

1) Start MS Outlook

2) Go to tools and then select Account Options ( Fig 1)

3) then select new ( fig2)

4) then choose MS exchange , pop3, IMAP etc from the menu presented ( fig 3) and click next

5) enter your details and click next (fig 4)

6) Outlook will test / check the user ID and password, as well as search its database for the correct mail settings, for the account you have specified ( Fig 5)

7) If all goes well you should see the screen below ( Fig 6 ) then just click FINISH and you ready to send and receive mails

Blogger Labels: Outlook,Steps,setup,Email,account,Microsoft

http://linkscanner.avg.com/

2009-08-21T10:03:00.001+05:30

AVG Link Scanner – FREEWARE

Start using it now

Stay one step ahead of the Data Snatchers

Data Snatchers hide in even the most trusted websites, to steal your personal information: credit card details, private files & your identity.

The Data Snatchers move fast - a page that was safe yesterday may not be safe today - and your antivirus and firewall won't help you.

Blogger Labels: Stay,Data,Snatchers,card,files

web-based malware surge

2009-08-17T15:31:00.001+05:30

In its second quarterly report on IT security threats of 2008, software-as-a-service (SaaS) specialist ScanSafe reported that web-based malware had surged by over a third when compared to the first quarter of the year.

Technorati Tags: web malware surge

ESET SysInspector

2009-08-15T05:39:00.001+05:30

ESET SysInspector is a free, state of the art diagnostic tool for Windows systems. It is also an integral part of ESET Smart Security 4 and ESET NOD32 Antivirus 4. It peers into your operating system and captures details such as running processes, registry content, startup items and network connections. Once a snapshot of the system is made, ESET SysInspector applies heuristics to assign a risk level for each object logged. Its intuitive graphical user interface enables the user to easily slice through the large volume of data using a slider to select objects of a particular color coded risk level for closer examination. ESET SysInspector is a convenient utility for the tool box of every IT expert and first responder.

Key Features:

Ability to generate and save a detailed log to be used by an IT expert or uploaded to an online forum for diagnosis
Option to exclude private, personal information from being saved in logs
Integrated Anti-Stealth technology allows discovering hidden objects (e.g. rootkits) in MBR, registry entries, drivers, services and processes
Ability to compare two existing logs for differences makes it easy to detect changes over time
Log entries are assigned a color code risk level for easy filtering
Intuitive hierarchical navigation of logs
Fast and compact single file executable, ideal for first responders to run from a USB drive without lengthy installation

Technorati Tags: ESET SysInspector free windows system utility

Revo Uninstaller

2009-08-14T08:42:00.001+05:30

Revo Uninstaller is a freeware innovative uninstall utility much faster than Windows Add/Remove applet. With its advanced and fast algorithm, Revo Uninstaller scans before and after you uninstall an application. After the program's regular uninstaller runs, you can remove additional unnecessary files, folders and registry keys that are usually left over on your computer. Even if you have a broken installation, Revo Uninstaller scans for an application's data on your hard disk drives and in the Windows registry and shows all found files, folders and registry items so you can delete them.

Version 1.83 improves listing of installed programs and uninstall algorithms.

http://www.revouninstaller.com/

Technorati Tags: Uninstaller installer free revo tech windows

Windows Recovery Console usage

2009-08-14T08:31:00.001+05:30

Windows Recovery Console is one option which is very useful to repair installation or operating system errors and to remove virus, spyware etc. This is a tutorial about how to use recovery console explaining important and useful commands along with how to restore the registry. You can even install and run the recovery console from the hard disk.

No operating system is immune to damage, and Microsoft OSes are certainly no exception, viruses, spyware and A broken Windows installation doesn’t necessarily mean a reinstall is required.

Thankfully, Windows OS make recovery possible in a few easy steps. If your OS refuses to start up or run properly, or if the OS choice does not appear, for example, you can fix it in a matter of minutes. All you need is your bootable Windows CD.

We suggest you do a dry run of the Windows Recovery Console and familiarize yourself with it after reading this, so you don’t feel lost when you do try a recovery. The process is easy if you have some knowledge of DOS.

Bringing Up The Console

Set your first boot device to CD-ROM and boot using your Windows boot CD. When you see “Press any key to boot from CD”, do so.
Next, choose the repair or recovery option by pressing [R]. If you have more than one installation of Windows, they will appear in the choices menu, so be aware of where the copy of Windows you wish to repair is installed, so you can choose it correctly.
- You need to enter the Administrator password in order to “log on” to the Windows installation in question. (Bear in mind that if you type a wrong password thrice in succession, the computer restarts.)
- You will see a command prompt that says “X:\WINDOWS”, where X is the partition where you installed the operating system (“C” in most cases).
- You can now access the troubleshooting / repair commands. Type “help” and press [Enter] to see a list of available commands. There are several powerful commands available, and we will explain the more important of these.
fixboot And fixmbr

When you are installing a new OS, or have accidentally deleted system files from your boot drive, these two commands come to your rescue.
- The “fixboot” command rewrites the boot sector code onto the chosen partition. The syntax for this command is “fixboot <drive letter>”.
- The “fixmbr” command repairs the boot record of the boot partition. The master boot record can be damaged by a virus or a faulty installation of a second OS. Just use the “fixmbr” command to repair your boot record and have Windows working again!
If neither of the above commands can get your Windows installation started, the next step will be to try the “bootcfg” command. Type “bootcnf /rebuild” for the recovery console to display all available Windows partitions. Choose the one you want to add to the boot menu.

chkdsk

The Check Disk (chkdsk) command scans a partition for errors and tries a data recovery if possible. If a bad sector is encountered, the Check Disk tool marks them as bad such that data will not be written to it. If Windows refuses to start and you suspect a failing hard disk (screech-ng noises, sudden hangs, etc.), use this command to check the status of your hard disk. The syntax is “chkdsk X”, where X is the drive letter assigned to the partition in question.

Restoring The Registry

Windows XP or Vista stores its Registry information in two files named “software” and “system” in the Windows\system32\config folder. Soon after installation, a copy of these files is stored in the Windows\repair folder.

In the event of Windows not starting up at all, a sure-shot way of getting it up and running is to replace the existing “software” and “system” files in the Windows\ system32\config with the files from the Windows\repair folder.

Note that none of your programs or drivers will work, you need to reinstall each of them. While it may seem like a tedious job, it sure is quicker and easier than a full-fledged reinstall and data backup.

To do this,
- Go to “C:\Windows” prompt, type “attrib -h -s \system32\config\system” and press [Enter];
- Next,type “attrib -s -h \system32\config\software” and press [Enter]. This is to remove the “system” and “hidden” attributes of the files.
- You can now copy the files from the repair folder by typing “copy \repair\system\system32\ config”, pressing [Enter], then typing “copy \repair\software\system32\config” and pressing [Enter].
- When you’re prompted to proceed with an overwrite, press [Y]

Technorati Tags: Windows recovery console how to errors booting problem fixes

Free Ashampoo Burning Studio 2009

2009-08-14T08:19:00.001+05:30

Follow these steps..

Go to the Computerbild.de promotional page
Click on Download button to download setup installer for Ashampoo Burning Studio 2009 Advanced
After that, Run the downloaded file to install Ashampoo Burning Studio 2009 Advanced. Both English or German language is available.
During installation wizard to select additional tasks, Check the box for Get full version key (recommended, remove shareware restrictions!) option.
After installation is completed, a registration page to request for a free full version key without limitations for the Ashampoo Burning Studio 2009 Advanced program. Or go directly to the registration page the following URL:

http://www2.ashampoo.com/webcache/html/1/trial_step_1_5497_1_USD.htm(German)
http://www2.ashampoo.com/webcache/html/1/trial_step_1_5497_2_USD.htm(English)
http://www2.ashampoo.com/webcache/html/1/trial_step_1_5497_5_USD.htm(Dutch)
http://www2.ashampoo.com/webcache/html/1/trial_step_1_5497_4_USD.htm(Frech)
Enter e-mail address and then click on Send.
An e-mail with a confirmation link will be sent to registered mailbox.
Click on the activation link (between >> Anfang des Links << and >> Ende des Links <<)
Another email from Ashampoo <MrReg@ashampoo.com> titled Ihre Registrierung – Ashampoo® Burning Studio 2009 Advanced (F_cbo_de) (Deutsch) will be sent to user’s Inbox with genuine valid activation code for Ashampoo Burning Studio 2009 Advanced.
Run Ashampoo Burning Studio 2009 Advanced, select Enter Key on startup splash dialog box, and then enter the activation key into the Registration text box.
Click Registry to activate the full version of Ashampoo Burning Studio 2009 Advanced.

Technorati Tags: Ashampoo Free CD DVd Burning studio 2009

Microsoft banned from selling Word in US - Telegraph

2009-08-13T11:46:00.000+05:30

Microsoft banned from selling Word in US - Telegraph

25 Hidden Applications in Windows XP

2009-08-12T08:28:00.001+05:30

1) Character Map = charmap.exe (very useful for finding unusual characters)

2) Disk Cleanup = cleanmgr.exe

3) Clipboard Viewer = clipbrd.exe (views contents of Windows clipboard)

4) Dr Watson = drwtsn32.exe (Troubleshooting tool)

5) DirectX diagnosis = dxdiag.exe (Diagnose & test DirectX, video & sound cards)

6) Private character editor = eudcedit.exe (allows creation or modification of characters)

7) IExpress Wizard = iexpress.exe (Create self-extracting / self-installing package)

8) Microsoft Synchronization Manager = mobsync.exe (appears to allow synchronization of files on the network for when working offline. Apparently undocumented).

9) Windows Media Player 5.1 = mplay32.exe (Retro version of Media Player, very basic).

10) ODBC Data Source Administrator = odbcad32.exe (something to do with databases)

11) Object Packager = packager.exe (to do with packaging objects for insertion in files, appears to have comprehensive help files).

12) System Monitor = perfmon.exe (very useful, highly configurable tool, tells you everything you ever wanted to know about any aspect of PC performance, for uber-geeks only )

13) Program Manager = progman.exe (Legacy Windows 3.x desktop shell).

14) Remote Access phone book = rasphone.exe (documentation is virtually non-existant).

15) Registry Editor = regedt32.exe [also regedit.exe] (for hacking the Windows Registry).

16) Network shared folder wizard = shrpubw.exe (creates shared folders on network).

17) File siganture verification tool = sigverif.exe

18) Volume Contro = sndvol32.exe (I’ve included this for those people that lose it from the System Notification area).

19) System Configuration Editor = sysedit.exe (modify System.ini & Win.ini just like in Win98! ).

20) Syskey = syskey.exe (Secures XP Account database - use with care, it’s virtually undocumented but it appears to encrypt all passwords, I’m not sure of the full implications).

21) Microsoft Telnet Client = telnet.exe

22) Driver Verifier Manager = verifier.exe (seems to be a utility for monitoring the actions of drivers, might be useful for people having driver problems. Undocumented).

23) Windows for Workgroups Chat = winchat.exe (appears to be an old NT utility to allow chat sessions over a LAN, help files available).

24) System configuration = msconfig.exe (can use to control starup programs)

25) gpedit.msc used to manage group policies, and permissions

Technorati Tags: windows xp hidden desi programs

Home

2009-08-12T07:34:00.000+05:30

Home: "ItsHidden.com is the ultimate FREE surfing privacy service on the Internet with huge capacity and no complicated software to install, you already have everything you need on your computer right now!"

7.6 mag. earthquake hits Indian Ocean, tsunami warning issued

2009-08-11T17:58:00.000+05:30

7.6 mag. earthquake hits Indian Ocean, tsunami warning issued

Computer Security Test

2009-07-22T18:05:00.001+05:30

These are not virus or malware scanners but various ways of testing your current security software

Blogger Labels: Computer,Test,virus

Virus Test

The Eicar Virus is a harmless virus that contains a string of characters that will be recognized by all Anti-Virus or Anti-Malware vendors. By downloading it your a/v should detect it and attempt to quarantine it. It can be downloaded in various formats (.txt, .zip) and is available here:

Eicar.org

The file will test that your antivirus is functioning properly.

Trojan simulator is similar but installs a process and a registry auto start entry that your av package should detect:

Trojan Simulator

Firewall Testing

Inbound

A firewall should be able to block incoming attacks from Trojans or hackers. To test this ability it is good to see which ports are hidden on your computer or “stealthed”.

A good website to test your stealthed ports is GRC Shields Up! Follow the link below then click on shields up and follow the simple instructions.

GRC Shields UP!

For a firewall to be effective it needs to stop malware from contacting the internet. Malware may connect to upload stolen info, download more malicious software or serve you adverts.

Outbound

To test whether your firewall will allow leaks in different ways you can use the software from Comodo on this page:

Firewall leak testing tools from Comodo

This software when run will try and communicate with the internet in various sneaky ways to try and bypass your firewall. A good firewall should stop these methods. Don’t let your A/V block the file, as it may be detected as a potentially unwanted program but isn’t a virus.

Popups, as well as being really annoying can serve you malware. To test your Browsers Popup stopping ability then try these links:

Popup Stopper Test

Online Popup Blocker Tests

Online Phishing Sites Testing

PhishTank has a list of recently submitted phishes (website forgeries designed to scam in some way). The confidently brave or secure can check out these by surfing to these links… But be wary of clicking on these sites as they can often serve viruses. If a phish is detected then your security software’s phishing protection should warn you. Firefox and Internet Explorer in built phishing filters should also provide protection or warnings.

Phish tank.com

Conficker Test

To test whether you have the conficker worm, this website will load an image from some of the websites that the conficker worm attempts to block. The site explains itself better than I can but essentially if you are missing the images you could be infected.

Conficker Eye Chart

Browser Security Testing

Browsers have various security issues and to test your browser then surf here:

Browser Security Test

You may only have vulnerabilities if you are not running the latest version of your browser.

Test Your Email Spam Filter

This website will send you a number of emails designed to test your email software’s spam filtering abilities in a variety of ways:

www.nospamtoday.com

Nmap 5.0 released

2009-07-17T09:46:00.001+05:30

Nmap Team is proud to announce the release of Nmap 5.00, This is the first major release since 4.50 in 2007, and includes about 600 significant changes since then! They consider this the most important Nmap release since 1997

Windows Live Tags: Nmap,Team,improvements

Become a Gmail Ninja

2009-07-11T15:28:00.001+05:30

Learn tips and tricks to save time, increase your productivity, and manage your email efficiently. Start with the tips that are right for you, based on how much email you get each day.

Blogger Labels: Become,Gmail,Ninja,Learn,tips,tricks,Start

http://www.google.com/mail/help/tips.html#green

VLC 1.0 – Best Media Player.

2009-07-11T14:56:00.001+05:30

The player that plays it all – VLC Media Player got an upgrade today. Version 1.0, code named 'Golden eye' adds many more reasons to try out VLC, if you haven't done that already. VLC 1.0 adds support for even more formats - AES3, Dolby Digital Plus, TrueHD, Blu-Ray Linear PCM, Real Video 3.0 and 4.0, incorporates a number of bug fixes, supports MTP devices in Linux and AirTunes streaming. Some of the other noteworthy features are Live recording, Instant pausing, Frame-by-Frame support, Finer speed controls, Video scaling in full screen and Zipped file playback capability.
VLC is a free download available for Windows, Linux and Mac

Blogger Labels: Best,Player,plays,Version,code,Golden eye,haven,Dolby,Digital,Plus,TrueHD,Linear,Real,Video,supports,devices,Linux,AirTunes,Some,features,Live,Instant,Frame,Finer

Turn off Admin Share

2009-07-09T07:50:00.001+05:30

By default, Windows shares your all drives (C: shared as C$, D: as D$ and so on) so that you can access them over the network using your administrator password. However, if you’re the paranoid kind or need to share your admin password with your colleagues from time to time, you might want to turn off admin shares.

You can do this using the Sharing tab under the drive’s properties, but the shares are enabled again after you restart. For the permanent solutions, open the Registry Editor

( Start > Run > “regedit” > [Enter] ) and navigate to

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanManServer\Parameters.

Right-click in the right-hand pane and select New > DWORD value. Call this DWORD “AutoShareWks”, and assign it a value of 0 (which it should be by default).

Restart your PC for the change to take effect.

Blogger Labels: Turn,Admin,Share,administrator,password,colleagues,Registry,Editor,Start,Enter,HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE,SYSTEM,CurrentControlSet,Services,LanManServer,pane,DWORD,Call,AutoShareWks,Restart,solutions,Parameters

Kaspersky Upgraded

2009-07-02T08:49:00.001+05:30

Kaspersky Lab has released the latest version of Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 and Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2010. Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 provides a safe and secure Internet experience and Anti-Virus 2010 offers PC security system, offering protection from a range of IT threats. The Internet security suite has all the features and technologies of Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2010.

Blogger Labels: Kaspersky,version,Internet,Anti,Virus,system,protection,threats,suite,features,technologies

Now send file attachments up to 25mb with Gmail

2009-07-02T07:48:00.001+05:30

The attachment size limit sees a new upgrade. All Gmail users should see an increase of 5 MB from the previous 20 MB limit of email attachments.

Blogger Labels: attachment,size,Gmail,attachments,users

Microsoft Security Essentials

2009-06-24T07:56:00.001+05:30

Microsoft's free anti-malware now officially known as Microsoft Security Essentials, beta is available for download now.

Also according to ZDNet, you'll need to be in the U.S., Israel, or Brazil to try out the beta, and like most early downloads from Microsoft

Blogger Labels: Microsoft,Essentials,Also,ZDNet,Israel,Brazil,beta

http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/

ATM Security Advise Message : Enter PIN In Reverse to Call Police

2009-06-23T08:17:00.001+05:30

Summary:
Message claims that if you are forced by robbers to withdraw money from an ATM, you can secretly alert police by entering your PIN in reverse

Blogger Labels:

Technorati Tags: Advise,Message,Enter,Reverse,Call,Police,money,robbers

(Full commentary below).
Status:
False - This technology exists but is not yet in general use.
Example 1:(Submitted, September 2006)

Subject: Reverse pin number to call police
I just found out that should you ever be forced to withdraw monies from an ATM machine, you can notify the police by entering your Pin # in reverse. The machine will still give you the monies you requested, but unknown to the robber, etc, the police will be immediately dispatched to help you. The broadcast stated that this method of calling the police is very seldom used because people don't know it exists. It might mean the difference between life & death. Hopefully, none of you will have to use this, but I wanted to pass it along just in case you hadn't heard of it. Please pass it along to everyone possible.

Example 2:(Submitted, June 2009)

Subject: ATM USE: This is a useful TIP ...
In the spite of armed robbery, here is something you may really need.
WHEN A THIEF FORCES YOU TO TAKE MONEY FROM THE ATM, DO NOT ARGUE OR RESIST, YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW WHAT HE OR SHE MIGHT DO TO YOU.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO IS TO PUNCH YOUR PIN IN THE REVERSE, I.E IF YOUR PIN IS 1254, YOU PUNCH 4521.
THE MOMENT YOU PUNCH IN THE REVERSE, THE MONEY WILL COME OUT BUT WILL BE STUCK INTO THE MACHINE HALF WAY OUT AND IT WILL ALERT POLICE WITHOUT THE NOTICE OF THE THIEF.
EVERY ATM HAS IT, IT IS SPECIALLY MADE TO SIGNIFY DANGER AND HELP.
NOT EVERYONE IS AWARE OF THIS.
FORWARD THIS TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND THOSE YOU CARE FOR.

Commentary:
This email forward claims that if criminals force you to withdraw money from an ATM, entering your PIN in reverse will automatically alert police.
The technology that makes this possible does exist. However, so far, banks have not implemented it. Thus, at the time of writing, if you are forced to withdraw money against your will, the chance that the ATM you are using will have the reverse pin technology installed is virtually nil.

If you are forced by robbers to withdraw money from an ATM, entering your PIN in reverse will NOT alert police

Back in 1994, Joseph Zingher from Chicago began developing ATM software that would silently call police if a PIN was entered in reverse. Since then, Zingher has spent years trying to sell the idea to banks in the United States without success. Several US states have explored the idea, but it is yet to be implemented. In 2004, the US state of Illinois passed legislation requesting that banks install reverse-pin safety technology in their ATMs. However, banks were not legally required to do so, and displayed little interest in using the system. In 2009, another bill was put forward in Illinois that would make implementation of the safety PIN mandatory for banks in that state. According to information published on the Illinois General Assembly website the bill was "Re-referred to Assignments" in March 2009.
Zingher and others continue to push for the implementation of reverse pin or similar consumer safety systems at ATMs. The concept is sound, and such technology may well increase ATM security, discourage forced withdrawal crime and possibly even save lives, if it was widely used.
That said, many people have raised doubts about the effectiveness of such a system. Commentators have suggested that the system would fail if a customer's PIN was the same backwards as it was forwards, such as the number "4334" or if the PIN was four identical digits such as "8888". However, Zingher maintains that customers with such PIN's would be protected using alternative methods such as the "Inside-OutPIN and the Plus-1PIN". Others have noted, that even if an ATM sent a silent alarm indicating that a robbery was in progress, the criminals would likely have well and truly fled the scene by the time police arrived. Some banking spokespeople have criticized the proposed system, suggesting that if it was made mandatory, criminals as well as customers would know about it and it would therefore do little to deter criminals. They have also suggested that a panicked victim of a violent ATM robbery might have trouble correctly entering a PIN in reverse and thereby risk further antagonizing the criminals when the ATM displayed an error message and no money was dispensed. Furthermore, they point out that people regularly make mistakes when entering their PIN's and this could lead to false alarms that would waste the time of police. However, Zingher scoffs at such concerns and maintains that his system would significantly increase customer safety and reduce ATM crime.
In an increasingly security conscious consumer market, it may not be too long before banks decide that such technology is financially viable or legislation forces them to act.
Until then however, forwarding this message is ill advised. Since it is extremely unlikely to work, the "advice" in this message could actually be dangerous. Forcing a victim to withdraw money from an ATM is a high-risk, violent crime. If a victim enters a reverse pin at an ATM that does not have the safety PIN system installed, he or she will receive an error message and no money will be dispensed. This delay could antagonize the criminal and increase the risk of violent retaliation.
Moreover, if banks were to install a safety PIN system, they would provide information to their customers explaining the new system and how to use it. The message claims that the system is seldom used because "people don't know it exists". However, it is absurd to suggest that a bank would go to the considerable expense of implementing a safety PIN system and then not bother to tell their customers about it.
The original version of the message (Example 1 above) mentioned a "broadcast" as the source of the information. This may refer to a September 2006 WOAI San Antonio News story on the subject. The video cited the case of a San Antonio man who was forced to withdraw money from several ATMs and explained the concept of reverse-pin technology as a means of countering such crimes. However, the story very clearly stated that such technology is not yet being used.
An updated version of the message (Example 2 above) strays even further from the truth. Like the earlier version, this later variant also falsely claims that all ATM's already have the reverse PIN technology implemented. However, it also makes the claim that, if a victim of ATM bandits did enter his or her PIN in reverse, the money would get stuck coming out while the machine secretly alerted police. To my knowledge, this stuck money "feature" has never been part of the Safety PIN proposal and it is very unlikely that it would be included in any working version of the system. In fact, such a feature could considerably heighten the danger to the victim. If the money did become stuck during the transaction, the robber would then suspect that the victim had entered the PIN in reverse thereby alerting police and may then take violent retaliatory action against the victim.
To reiterate, although such technology exists, and legislation in some jurisdictions may eventually force their banks to begin using it, the system is NOT currently in use. Entering your PIN in reverse at an ATM will NOT call police and will only result in an "incorrect PIN" error message. Thus, this email contains dangerous misinformation and it should not be forwarded. If and when banks begin to install reverse PIN technology at ATMs it is sure to be well publicized. If your own bank begins using such a system, it will almost certainly let you know about it directly.

courtesy - http://www.hoax-slayer.com

A better way to work with email messages and content

2009-06-19T07:19:00.001+05:30

Postbox works behind the scenes to catalog everything in your email. We mean everything: every bit of text, every contact, address and link. Every picture, document and attachment. It’s all in the catalog and it’s all searchable.

Just click the Images tab to see a thumbnail gallery of every picture from every message, or the Attachments tab to browse through documents, files and more. And since Postbox does all of its cataloging on your own computer, the privacy and confidentiality of your email information is preserved.

Tajik Jimmy is the new Susan Boyle | Net Effect

2009-06-12T18:14:00.001+05:30

Remove autorun.inf after a virus clean up

2009-06-10T08:31:00.001+05:30

Did you ever clean up a system and realised that when you click on a drive icon the drive does not open ? well it could be because a rouge autorun.inf file in the root directory of the drive could be the problem. It could be a Hard Drive ( Internal / External) or a Pen Drive

To clean it just follow the simple steps below

Click start and then run
Type “cmd” without the quote symbols to open up the command prompt.
then type “c:\” without the quote symbols :-) or any other drive letter you need to
Then type “attrib -s -h -r autorun.inf “ without the quote symbols
This will remove the system and hidden property of the file
Then type “del autorun.inf” without the quote symbols
Now restart your PC / eject and reinsert your Pen Drive and you should be good to go

Blogger Labels: Remove,virus,system,icon,directory,Hard,Drive,Internal,External,steps,Click,Type,symbols,letter,autorun

iPhone 3.0

2009-06-09T09:56:00.001+05:30

In case you missed it, the iPhone 3.0 software will be available worldwide on June 17th (today for developers). It will be free for iPhone owners and $9.95 for Touch. There are also some new features unveiled at WWDC.

What's new: MMS will be available from 29 carriers at launch, but it won't be coming to AT&T until "later this summer" (WEAK!), tethering is official for 22 carriers (no AT&T at launch naturally), Safari handles JavaScript 3x faster along with HTTP streaming audio & video, auto-fill, and HTML 5 support. There are also 30 languages total available in 3.0—including Hebrew, Arabic, Thai, Greek, and Korean.

Blogger Labels: June,features,WWDC,WEAK,Safari,JavaScript,auto,HTML,Hebrew,Arabic,Thai,Greek,Korean,owners,carriers,languages

Download YouTube Video’s as MP3, WMV, AVI,MOV, WAV for FREE!

2009-06-08T12:06:00.000+05:30

http://www.farkie.com/

What is Farkie?

Farkie is the ultimate online application for downloading youtube videos, myspace playlists, movies, audio, images, javascript, ajax, objects, applications, flash, links and many other things.

Spiff SMART Monitor & Spiff SMART Monitor Enterprise

2009-06-07T12:12:00.001+05:30

http://spiffprime.com/smartmonitor/smartmonitor.aspx

Spiff SMART Monitor is an application that monitors a computer, its network and its hard drives for failure and pre-failure notices.
Standard version features
► .NET application, tested on XP, 2003 Server, Vista, and Windows 7.
► Simple to install, just enter the email address or addresses that emails will be sent to, SMART monitor will query the DNS server configured on any network adapter, and send an email directly to an email server for the email's domain. If reporting to an enterprise version, just enter the machine name of any enterprise instance, if there are multiple servers it should report to, it will discover them by itself.
► Monitor runs as a service, and will send email alerts if a user is logged in or not.
► If the graphical user interface is running, will alert with sound and visual indicators.
► Checks every 1 minute to 4 hours.
► Monitors CPU percentage available for any number of processors and cores.
► Monitors available RAM percentage.
► Monitors multiple thermal zones and raises alarms on their passive and critical trip points.
► Monitors multiple fans for their health status.
► Pings any connected network adapter gateways.
► Detects network media disconnection or failure.
► Monitors network bandwidth percentage available on connected adapters, bridges, and virtual devices.
► Monitors free disk space available.
► Ping additional IP addresses, check the loading of web site URLs, ensure that processes are running.
► Monitors S.M.A.R.T. disk drive attributes for multiple drives, alarms on drive manufaturer determined conditions. By definition, when a S.M.A.R.T. attribute goes into a Pre-Failure alarm, it indicates failure within 24 hours. If you don't monitor S.M.A.R.T. all the time you don't benefit from hard drive failure prediction built into your hard drives.
► Displays operating system version, 32 bit or 64 bit architecture, service pack and drive model and serial numbers.
Enterprise version features
► All the standard features, plus the following features.
► Monitors multiple machines, the standard version will report to the enterprise version.
► Monitors for complete failure or network failure of a machine that prevents the standard version from sending an alarm.
► Multiple enterprise versions can run at the same time to provide redundancy, the standard version will report to each of them independently.
► All versions will automatically discover which enterprise versions they should report to, by communicating with any single enterprise instance this allows Enterprise version topology to change without having to manually configure all the machines reporting to them.
► Enterprise versions will send emails from the service even if the user interface is not running.
► Enterprise versions can selectivly forward all history, advisory, or pre-failure alarms to another set of enterprise instances to consolidate reporting of several disconnected networks, divisions, or facilities.
► Can monitor a couple thousand machines before selective forwarding needs to be used.
► Single TCP socket used for communications.
All versions will communicate over IPv4 if available, or use IPv6 if IPv4 is not available.
► Enterprise versions can securely reboot remote machines, a machine will only accept a reboot command from a machine it reports to, and then will ask that machine to verify that it should reboot.
► Provides for WMI reporting from machines without having to open RPC on a machine's firewall.

Background Wallpaper Switcher

2009-06-07T11:27:00.001+05:30

John’s Background Switcher

I can’t stand plain, boring backgrounds. John’s Background Switcher (or JBS for short) periodically changes the background image on your computer (like every hour or every day) to something interesting. You can specify which pictures to choose from:

Individual pictures on your computer.
Folders containing pictures on your computer such as ‘My Pictures’.
Flickr photo sharing - selecting pictures by person, tags, sets or just plain random. You never know what you’re going to get next!
Phanfare web albums - keep up to date with your friends and family.
smugmug photo galleries - yours, your friends, anybody’s!
Picasa Web Albums - choose from specific albums or any search text.
Facebook - your friends photos on your desktop!
Yahoo! image search - the internet is your oyster!
Any Media RSS feed - choose pictures from sites like DeviantArt, Photobucket, LOLCats and Zooomr amongst many others!

KillCopy

2009-06-06T07:38:00.000+05:30

Program for copy files by network. Can also copy files on local drives - sometimes it can speed up copy of large files by 2-3 times. User-frendly skin based interface. Build-in explorer shell make is very simple in use. You can download any files and directories by pressing right button and choosing KillCopy to.. to change target directory. KillCopy can shutdown system after copy completes, can play sound and ask user to open target directory. KillCopy can copy files to some targets simultaniously. Also you can start KillCopy from command line.

mobile elbow !

2009-06-06T07:33:00.000+05:30

You may not have heard of cubital tunnel syndrome, but you can probably imagine what causes "cell phone elbow." Doctors compare keeping your elbow bent for long periods of time on cell calls to "stepping on a garden hose," and note that numbness, tingling, or aching in the forearm or hand are an early warning you should invest in a hands-free calling solution.

Hack a PC Now!

2009-05-31T11:39:00.001+05:30

May 28, 2009: Expanding on a hacker analysis tool (COFEE, or Computer Online Forensic Evidence Extractor) Microsoft developed for the police and military two years ago, there's now a similar tool that enables a non-hacker to analyze wireless network activity, and determine which targets can be attacked with a variety of hacker tools and weapons. DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) has several teams (including one from the navy and another from the air force) developing versions of this cyberattack system.

The navy and air force involvement makes sense because both services have been developing similar tools for electronic warfare, particularly for aircraft. These systems tend to be largely automatic, as pilots, or even weapons officers in the back seat of a fighter, don't have a lot of time to work a screen full of options. It's different with penetrating or disrupting Internet type wireless networks. These would be encountered by ground troops, both in combat, or on patrol. The cyberattack system has to be simple enough for a soldier to learn how to use it with minimal (a few hours) instruction, but flexible and powerful enough for a more experience operator to get the most out of it.

This concept was first tested two years ago, when Microsoft Corporation quietly introduced a powerful tool for getting past security on laptops and PCs running the Windows operations system (which about 90 percent do). The device was a USB thumb drive called COFEE. When you capture an enemy computer, you plug in COFEE and then use over a hundred software tools to quickly get whatever information is on the machine. COFEE can quickly reveal passwords, decrypt files, reveal recent Internet activity and much more. A lot of this can be done without COFEE, but with the Microsoft device, intelligence collection is a lot faster.

Microsoft has distributed thousands of COFEE devices to police and military intelligence personnel in the United States, and some foreign countries. COFEE was developed mainly to assist the investigation of Internet based crime. But military intelligence operators find it very useful in uncovering enemy plans quickly, so additional raids can be quickly made. Islamic terrorists love their laptops, and never go killing without them. The success and popularity of COFFEE got the ball rolling on similar tools for other aspects of Cyber War.

Ref: http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htiw/articles/20090528.aspx

You Tube comments full of Malware links

2009-05-23T07:04:00.004+05:30

Cyber Criminals are targeting people who are searching YouTube for pornography. In the comments each malicious link is accompanied by a few search terms. Some common keywords we have seen are Adalt (sic), Tit s, Latina, Kinky, Girl, Porn, Sex, and the names of various pornography stars.

The links then take you to a Malware site, where any click on invites you to download a special Flash player which contains the Malware code!

- Info courtsey Pandalabs blog

China has developed its own operating system for cyber war with U.S.

2009-05-14T12:50:00.001+05:30

A leading cyber security specialist said last week that China has developed its own ultra-secure operating system for a strategic edge in its cyber warfare with U.S. computer
systems.

Kevin G. Coleman, a specialist with the Technolytics Institute and consultant to the office of the Director of National Intelligence, said in congressional testimony that the United States is woefully unprepared to counter cyber attacks on its electronic infrastructures.

Part of the cyber arms race includes China’s creation of Kylin, a new \"hardened\" operating system. It began converting systems to it in 2007, according to the current edition of East-Asia-Intel.com.

Computer Mouse + Taxidermied Mouse = Mouse Mouse! - Neatorama

2009-04-27T10:09:00.001+05:30

Free Webroot Firewall

2009-04-24T09:30:00.000+05:30

http://www.webroot.com/forms/wdfformhdlr.php?formname=desktopfirewall

Bill Gates Using Linux

2009-04-20T13:47:00.001+05:30

New PSP Design Concept

2009-04-18T14:19:00.001+05:30

Lego phone

2009-04-16T09:32:00.001+05:30

Most Common Passwords

2009-04-16T08:45:00.001+05:30

Most people are clueless as to how accounts are hacked and their passwords reflect that. If you find anything in common with the most common passwords below you have a weak password. This is to help people choose a strong password and possibly help site admins understand the risks.
Most Common Passwords

1. 123456, 123, 123123, 01234, 2468, 987654, etc
2. 123abc, abc123, 246abc
3. First Name
4. Favorite Band
5. Favorite Song
6. first letter of given name then surname
7. qwerty, asdf, and other keyboard rolls
8. Favorite cartoon or movie character
9. Favorite sport, or sports star
10. Country of origin
11. City of origin
12. All numbers
13. Some word in the dictionary
14. Combining 2 dictionary words
15. any of the above spelled backwards
16. aaa, eee, llll, 999999, and other repeat combinations

Common Extensions

Some sites force you to have passwords with both numbers and letters. For example bob\'s password is football, and the site asks him to add some numbers to it to make it valid. Here\'s what people usually add.

1. Their year of birth / marriage / graduation (or expected grad) from HS or college
2. 007
3. 0 - 9
4. 69
5. 000, 111, 4444 or other long combinations
6. 123456, 123, 123123, 01234 and other retarded combinations

Years are usually added in different ways: football85, football1985, football04 instead of football4. There\'s also the possibility of sub-connections like football_04 and football-84. Many sites require both numbers and letters so these are a more likely occurance since people tend to want to have the same pass for everything.
My opinion on an Ideal password

Mixed numbers and letters over 8 characters long. Memorize it once, use it forever.
How long it takes to hack a password

If they have hacked and downloaded the entire database it\'s 10000 times faster than if they send requests guessing your passwords on certain websites. Most decent comps can check easily thousands possibilities per second. Most decent sites have captchas now which prevent brute force guesses.
Words in the Dictionary

If they steal a sites database you can get hacked fast, even if you use foreign words. The open office english spellcheck has around 70,000 words. Apps like passwordspro on my 2 Ghz cpu can check around 4,000,000 md5 possibilities a second, allowing to to breeze through several dictionaries, including possible variations like all uppercase/lowercase and backwards words. The latest nvidia cards with a coda gpu brute forcer can easily exceed 200 million md5s a second.
Numbers

If you have an all numbers password it\'s much faster to crack than if it were mixed. Instead of having a massive array of words in memory and selecting an index from it, or even worse reading from disk every few seconds in a buffer, having a number just requires the computer to do what computers do fastest, count. At 2 Ghz my comp can check every number up to 14 million in 2 minute for salted md5s, making it possible to have a weak 8 character password. Adding 0s to the front of the number can help, but not really. A second pass with any number of 0s can be done afterwards. Maybe if you made it your zipcode+your best friends number or something VERY long it would be strong enough.
All Random letters

Every possible combination of 3 letter words is only around 17000 while every possible 4 letter word combination is 456976. It grows exponentially every time you increase just one letter. Most sites recommend 8 characters or more for a strong password. Adding just 1 character to your password helps expontentially. No dictionary words!

Folding@home - Main

2009-04-07T13:23:00.001+05:30

I work for you. You’re paranoid. - istartedsomething

2009-03-29T18:58:00.001+05:30

New Mobile Shell 3.0 - Video - HTC

2009-03-29T11:49:00.001+05:30

Download YouTube Videos

2009-03-27T07:26:00.001+05:30

The easiest way -- and, if you\'re worried about copyright issues, the most assuredly legal way -- to download a YouTube video is to do it through YouTube itself. Realizing that many YouTube users want to take their viewing experience away from the site and have more ways to share with other people, YouTube is testing an option that gives video owners the ability to make their content downloadable. Using Creative Commons licensing, owners can offer videos for free or predetermined prices and allow viewers to purchase their videos. This helps creators get credit for their work no matter how people share the files [source: YouTube]. It\'s similar in nature to the music section of MySpace, which lets artists choose whether or not listeners can download their tracks for free, purchase tracks straight from the artist\'s profile page or simply listen off of the site. YouTube is currently beta testing this option with many universities, including Stanford; Duke; the University of California, Berkeley and the University of California, Los Angeles, but the option to download right off of the site will most likely become standard sometime in the near future.

Most versions of the RealPlayer software let you download YouTube videos straight from the page. If you have RealPlayer, you\'ve probably noticed that any time you watch a YouTube video and move your mouse within the frame, a small bar pops up that says \"Download This Video.\" This saves the video into your RealPlayer library and lets you organize it with your other saved videos, but you\'ll have to upgrade, and therefore pay, for versions that allow you to burn files onto DVD.

If you don\'t have any software that lets you rip the video from the site, Web sites such as KeepVid.com or SaveVid.com will let you do it. Once you\'ve loaded the software, all you have to do is paste the video\'s URL into a bar and click \"Download.\" When you do, you\'ll have the option of choosing a low-quality Flash video (.flv) or a higher-quality MP4 (.mp4). If you choose the Flash format, you\'ll need to convert the downloaded video into another format that\'s watchable on either QuickTime or Windows Media Player. If you run a Web search for FLV converter, you should come up with any number of acceptable programs. Choose the one that works best for your operating system, and then simply use the software to open up the Flash file and convert it into any popular video format -- the most common types are AVI, MPEG and WMV.

Hackers can read keystrokes via laptop vibration

2009-03-25T08:08:00.001+05:30

A security specialist and \"hardware hacker\" named Andrea Barisani and Daniele Bianco, respectively, have demonstrated an $80 device they\'ve cobbled together than can read which letters are being typed by measuring the vibration of a laptop. The system uses a laser beam and photo diode to shine and read the reflections of light trained on the laptop. They found that each key on the keyboard creates a unique vibration signature.

Save paper & ink printing only what you want « PrintWhatYouLike.com

2009-03-23T20:40:00.001+05:30

Save Money. Save the Environment.
Tired of printing web pages only to find your printout is full of ads, empty space and other junk you don\'t want?

PrintWhatYouLike is a free online editor that lets you format any web page for printing in seconds!

usb mini fridge

2009-03-23T19:05:00.001+05:30

Minority Report - Soon to be a realty

2009-03-19T15:08:00.000+05:30

Windows Live: Hotmail Finally Enables POP3 Worldwide

2009-03-14T09:38:00.001+05:30

POP server: pop3.live.com (Port 995)
POP SSL required? Yes
User name: Your Windows Live ID, for example yourname@hotmail.com
Password: The password you usually use to sign in to Hotmail or Windows Live
SMTP server: smtp.live.com (Port 25)
Authentication required? Yes (this matches your POP username and password)
TLS/SSL required? Yes

Automatically Duplicating Keys from Photos

2009-03-13T18:27:00.001+05:30

UC San Diego computer scientists have built a software program that can perform key duplication without having the key. Instead, the computer scientists only need a photograph of the key. [...]

In one demonstration of the new software system, the computer scientists took pictures of common residential house keys with a cell phone camera, fed the image into their software which then produced the information needed to create identical copies. In another example, they used a five inch telephoto lens to capture images from the roof of a campus building and duplicate keys sitting on a café table more than 200 feet away. [...]

“If you go onto a photo-sharing site such as Flickr, you will find many photos of people’s keys that can be used to easily make duplicates. While people generally blur out the numbers on their credit cards and driver’s licenses before putting those photos on-line, they don’t realize that they should take the same precautions with their keys” said Savage.

Browser Wars: An Exhaustive Look at the Web Browsers of Today and Tomorrow

2009-03-07T07:37:00.001+05:30

Hard Disks will crash

2009-03-05T08:21:00.002+05:30

Today’s hard disks should provide many years of trouble-free service. They
rarely fail, butwhen they do the results can be catastrophic. Therefore it pays
to be aware of potential problems before they become a real threat.

1) Back up data regularly. Store backup sets in a fireproof safe, and off-site
wherever possible.

2) Use anti-virus software and maintain regular updates.

3) To help safeguard against boot sector infections, disable the “boot from
floppy” option in the system BIOS.

4) Store important files in a single location such as the My Documents folder.
Then use subfolders to help organise data by project or category. Old data
can be moved across to a specially created Archives folder.

5) Windows users should maintain an up-to-date Emergency Repair Disk.

6) Format windows volumes as NTFS. The NTFS format includes transaction logging
capabilities to help prevent data errors.

7) users to report any unusual noises immediately. Tapping, clicking
or humming sounds are early signs of disk or controller failure.

8) Avoid excessive heat. The latest hard drives spin almost twice as fast as
their older counterparts, so make sure the system fan is up to the task.
Consider fitting an additional fan.

9) Store an emergency installation of the OS on a different drive.

10) For optimal server setup, use mirrored boot drives with all data maintained
on a hardware RAID5 system. Depending on the nature of the data
involved, consider RAID 5+0 for increased speed.

Video Tutorial - The Easy Way To Clone Computers Across The Network | Megaleecher.Net

2009-03-04T23:17:00.001+05:30

Filesystem Basics - Linux Config Wiki

2009-03-04T19:49:00.001+05:30

10 Big Lessons from Little Kids

2009-03-04T16:38:00.001+05:30

You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance.”

- Franklin P. Jones

Have you ever watched a child completely engrossed in a project? They have the unusual ability to be serious about what they’re doing without taking it too seriously. You can do the same with your life. You can live every day with more focus, and every week with more motivation.

Here’s what every child knows that you may have forgotten. See if you can apply some of these lessons to your adult life.

1. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Even when there’s not a prize in the bottom of the box.

Studies show that children who eat breakfast do better in school. It doesn’t take much further thought to know that adults will feel better and perform better at work as well. Researchers believe that eating first thing in the morning may help to stabilize blood sugar levels, which regulate appetite and energy. They suggest people who eat breakfast are less likely to be hungry during the rest of the day and are, therefore, less likely to overeat. So, tomorrow morning, remember that eating a healthy breakfast is the best way to start off your day, and be good to yourself by eating a healthy one.

2. Homework blows. Bring work home with you and it’ll ruin your night. And your marriage. And your family. And your life.

Don’t bring work home. If you are overloaded and don’t have enough time at work to do what is expected, talk to your supervisor to resolve the problem. Home should be your relaxation zone, not another workplace. Make sure you separate work and leisure time in your head – so that work doesn’t spill over into your fun. Even simple things like changing out of your work clothes and having a shower when you get home, or going to the gym after work can help you shake off the working day.

3. The only way to know how something works is to completely disassemble it. (This is still good advice when tackling a complex problem. Your plasma TV? Not so much).

Hard problem? Break it down! Writing a book seems daunting, so start by doing an essay. If an essay is too much, start by writing a paragraph summary. The important thing is to have something done right away. Once you have something, you can judge it more accurately and understand the problem better. It’s also much easier to improve something that already exists than to work at a blank page. If your paragraph goes well, then maybe it can grow into an essay and then into a book, little by little, a perfectly reasonable piece of writing all the way through.

4. There’s a reason they don’t give credit cards to 8-year-olds. You’re supposed to save up money before you buy a new toy.

Managing your money is an important life skill that few of us were ever taught. But it’s never too late to learn. Taking control of your money means knowing where it’s going. It’s all too easy to let your money fritter away without any real sense of what you’re spending. The key is to sit down and work it out. It’s a good idea to write down your spending, then you can review it and see where you could manage money better.

5. Asking questions is how you figure things out. Lots and lots of questions.

Why are taller buildings better? What is the purpose of curbs? Ask anything that comes to mind, and ponder the possible answers. Our brains are wired to be curious. As we grow up and “mature” many of us stifle or deny our natural curiosity. Let yourself be curious! Wonder to yourself about why things are happening. Ask someone in the know. The best way to exercise our curiosity is by asking “Why?” Make it a new habit to ask “why?” at least 10 times a day. Your brain will be happier and you will be amazed at how many opportunities and solutions will show up in your life and work.

6. The coolest adults were the ones who took the time to listen to you. You still want to grow up to be a cool adult, right?

When you’re feeling stressed, have had a particularly difficult day, or are facing a crisis, the ear of a supportive friend can be a lifeline to peace. A genuinely good listener is actually more rare than one would think, and also more valuable. Sometimes people feign listening, but they’re really just waiting for their friend to stop talking so they can say whatever they’ve been mentally rehearsing while they’ve been pretending to listen. People can usually sense this, and it doesn’t feel good. Learn how to be a truly supportive listener, and you may find yourself surrounded by others who are able to do the same.

7. Your body was designed for throwing baseballs, shooting hoops, and jumping off diving boards and stuff. In the secret language of children, the word “fitness” doesn’t exist. It’s called “having fun.”

Everything can be a game. Why slog through the same workout routines in boredom, when you can add a little fun? Make up rules, shoot for personal records, regain your competitive spirit. No fear, no self-doubts, no negative self talk, no self-criticism, no worries, no destructive anxieties or thoughts of failure. To a child, he/she can do anything. And do you know what? They’re right.

8. Playtime is important and laughter feels good.

We get so caught up in work, chores and a host of “have-to’s” that we forget to take time for ourselves. Not only does relaxing and regrouping make life worthwhile, it has real health benefits. Most of all, it will help you stay consistent and motivated. Kids also seem to inherently know that laughter can ease blood pressure, help your brain function, give you energy, and help you reach your goals. Smiling and enjoying yourself can be serious help.

9. Too much of anything will give you a tummy ache. Like, say, bourbon.

Those who over-exercise will burn themselves out. Those who site sedately all day suffer from atrophy. A boy who studies all the time has no friends. Another who only makes friends fails in his examinations. Staying too long under the sun can result in heatstroke and sunburn. Not going out at all makes the skin pale and pallid. Sharpening at all will render the knife useless. Being extreme is always the cause of pain. Moderation, then is the key of life. It is the way to live our lives as it is meant to be lived.

10. Try to be the friend you were when you were 12: fun-loving and loyal, with no strings attached.

The quality that tops the list in survey after survey of what people appreciate most about their friends is loyalty — support that you always give to someone because of your feelings of duty and love towards them. The famous maxim that “a friend in need is a friend indeed” is not the entire story of loyalty, however. A friend in triumph may be even harder to find. It takes twenty-four-karat loyalty for a friend to soar alongside us when we are flying high rather than to bring us down to earth. Loyal friends not only lend a hand when you’re in need; they applaud your successes and cheer you on without envy when you prosper. Be loyal.

When you act more like a kid, suddenly the world opens up, and you start enjoying yourself again!

Automatically optimize your hard disk

2009-03-04T16:21:00.001+05:30

We generally use windows defragmenter to optimize our hard drives but with a little change in registry settings, windows will automatically optimize the location of files in your hard drive when the pc is idle. Here’s the trick

a) Go to start and open run, type regedit and enter to open registry settings.

b) When regedit is opened browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\ OptimalLayout

c) There you will find a string called EnableAutoLayout, change its data value to 1. If the string is not present the create it and set its data value to 1.

Now exit regedit and reboot your PC and its done

Facebook users targeted by rogue application | Security - CNET News

2009-03-04T12:32:00.001+05:30

Facebook users targeted by rogue application
by Steven Musil

A new piece of malware making the rounds on Facebook falsely warns users that their friends have had problems viewing their profiles, posing a potential threat to users\' personal information.

The rogue application, dubbed \"Error Check System,\" displays an error message in the notifications section that reads \"(Friend\'s name) has faced some errors when checking your profile View The Errors Message.\"

But the warnings are fake and a viral attempt to spread the application and recruit more Facebook users, according to Graham Cluley, a senior technology consultant with Sophos. While saying that there is no evidence of personal information theft, Cluley noted in a blog posting that utilizing an error message about the recipient\'s profile was \"sneaky.\"

\"This is an important reminder to all Facebook users that they must exercise caution about which third-party applications they install on their profile, and everyone should remember that Facebook does not approve applications before they are made available on their site,\" Cluley wrote. \"You really are putting your trust in complete strangers when you add that next application to your Facebook profile.\"

However, non-Facebook members are at risk as well. A Web search of \"Error Check System\" will yield a link to a site that contains code that will initiate a fake virus scan and try to fool users into installing malware disguised as antivirus software, Cluley wrote in a second blog. Sophos identified the malware as Sus/FakeAV-A and Troj/FakeAV-LL.

\"The worry is that in many people\'s rush to find out more about the suspicious application\'s behaviour on Facebook they may well run straight into a scareware author\'s trap,\" Cluley wrote. However, he noted, \"Is it possible that the original Facebook application was actually a red herring, and the real dangerous payload came from people Googling for information?\"

Facebook users already infected by the application can uninstall it by using the Edit tab in the Applications section of their Facebook profile.

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