Tech Thoughts Daily Net News – October 21, 2009

Microsoft Security Essentials praised by expert – Microsoft Security Essentials, a free anti-malware security product, is better than many other paid-for solutions, a researcher has said.

Internet Browsing Inside a Sandbox: Spyware Infested Websites – Just landing on an infected site can infest your computer with trojans, keyloggers and other vile malware without you realizing it. The scary thing is that you don’t have to click on anything on the page to get infected. You don’t have to interact with the page in anyway. Just visiting the page for few seconds is all that is required.

Three software freebies worth $1,089 – Nothing thrills me like getting something for nothing. Today I’ve rounded up three software freebies that have a combined value of $1,089. Seriously! Take a look.

Tools for Your Virtual Office – Hassle-Free PC blogger Rick Broida tells you how to add highlighter effects to screen shots, get digital scans of paper documents, and send and receive faxes without a fax machine.

Get to Know Windows 7’s Home-Networking Features – Windows 7 is packed with features that make home networking easier and more fun than before. Here’s how to get started with file sharing, media streaming, and more.

Useful Web Services and a Firefox Tool – Get price comparisons in Firefox, send large files via Yahoo, grab a reference guide and turn yourself into a Simpsons’ character.

Five ways to select text with your mouse – Dragging through text to select it can be imprecise and tedious. These mouse tricks offer a more efficient way to select text in your Word documents.

10+ things you should know about troubleshooting a slow PC – System slowdowns have numerous causes, but this list will point you to common issues to check before you suggest to management that it’s time for an upgrade. Format: PDF

Balloon Boy TV Circus Exploited By Hackers – Malicious hackers are poisoning search engines to entrap computer users hunting for the latest news on the Falcon Heene case.

Mozilla Re-enables Microsoft Add-on for Firefox – In light of security concerns, Mozilla opted to block Microsoft’s .NET Framework Assistant add-on for users of Mozilla’s Firefox browser last week. Now, after receiving additional information from Microsoft, the company has re-enabled the add-on.

Rogue security programs are ‘ongoing threat’ – Symantec’s report on rogue security software noted that 250 rogue security programs launched some 43 million attempts to prompt user installation between July 2008 and June 2009.

Off Topic:

Windows: Start to Seven – Nearly a quarter-century has passed since Microsoft launched its first graphical user interface operating system. When Windows 7 is released this week, it will be the 29th version of the Windows operating system. Vista didn’t rock the computing world, but it wasn’t Microsoft’s first failure. Here’s a look at the highs and lows of Windows long history.

The Biggest Myths About Swine Flu – Believing these swine flu rumors may make you sick. Learn the truth about these 7 common misperceptions.

Include a subliminal message in a PowerPoint presentation – This technique won’t send your audience to the snack bar for a soda, but it can be fun.

‘Yuppie flu’ found to be real; infects 1 million people – Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, the “yuppie flu” which bosses and some family members insist is imaginary, is likely a viral infection.

Color-changing roof tiles can absorb, reflect heat with the seasons – MIT researchers have developed roof tiles that change color based on the temperature, turning white when it’s hot to deflect heat and turning black when it’s cold to absorb it.

Scientists discover 32 planets outside solar system – what if there’s another Earth?

Today’s Quote:

“It is wise to remember that you are one of those who can be fooled some of the time”.

– Lawrence J. Peters

Today’s Free Downloads:

Ad-Aware Free – Ad-Aware Free has long been one of the most popular spyware killers on the planet, and with good reason. It’s simple to use, does an excellent job of detecting and killing spyware, and stays out of your way as much as possible.

Microsoft Security Essentials – Standalone antivirus product Microsoft Security Essentials has caused a stir, as might be expected when the words “Microsoft” and “free” are involved. Security Essentials holds its own as a free standalone antivirus app.

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