“One” Tip For Speeding Up Windows Boot Time – Install Free Soluto Anti Frustration Software

This past Tuesday, an item posted as part of our Tech Thoughts Daily Net News column – “Five tips for speeding up Windows boot time”, written by one of my favorite tech writers Michael Kassner, struck a chord with many readers. More readers than I expected, found this item of interest.

There’s a problem with Michael’s suggestions thought – the effort required is substantial, and despite implementing each and every suggestion, you may not see any improvement in startup time.

Popular guest writer Rick Robinette, (another of my favorite tech writers),  in this review, will introduce you to a no nonsense free tool that WILL shorten your boot time. Using this great find of Rick’s, I was able to cut my boot time almost in half – down to 51 seconds!

Here’s Rick’s review:

Have you ever noticed that the longer you own your PC the longer it takes for it to startup (or boot)?

A common complaint from computer users, especially home-based users, is that their computer is slow to startup and does not boot like it did when they first purchased (and installed) it.

During the ownership of our PC we are constantly installing software, and as a result many of these software applications take a place in the startup routine of the computer.

The startup place that the apps reside is often for purposes of performing automatic updates or to provide a convenient launching point for the application (such as the system tray) or it is an application (or Windows Service) that simply runs in the background while you are performing other tasks on your PC.

I have personally witnessed another scenario where computer users attempted to remove applications from their PC only to find that residual files are left over (after the uninstall) that is still attempting to startup when the computer boots.

Over a period of time this accumulation causes the computer to startup slow and often robs the computer of system resources, resulting in increased memory and cpu (processor) usage.

If you are techie enough, you can try to dissect the numerous (yes there are more than one) startup points on your PC to regain some of the power back; however, you will soon find out it can be frustrating experience.

To help us solve this problem, I ran across a wonderful software application, called Soluto – Anti Frustration Software, that measures your startup time as soon as the Windows Logo screen is displayed.

Soluto is geared toward the non-techie type, is very appealing in appearance, and is very easy to use. Soluto is currently in beta (software testing stage); however, during my testing on my Windows 7 based PC, it performed without a hitch.

After you install Soluto, you will be prompted to reboot (restart) your computer. This is where Soluto goes to work in analyzing and actually timing how long it takes your PC to startup.

Following the analysis you will be provided with a very nice graphical interface where Soluto will help you determine what apps (and/or services) are slowing down your PC, what apps you can pause or remove (called no-brainers), what apps you can delay starting up (will eventually start when the computer is idle), and, what apps are safe to play around with and which ones are not.

If you mess up, you can return or restore an application back into the startup routine. To see a video of Soluto in action, click [ HERE ] .  Typically, most Windows services will identified by Soluto as “cannot be removed” and will even tell what purpose the service provides.

In my testing of Soluto, I went from a 2 minute and 30 second startup time, to a 1 minute and 31 second startup time by simply pausing and delaying a few apps that Soluto told me was safe to do so.

If you choose to Pause an application it means it will be removed from the boot sequence and in order to run it, you must launch it manually. Choosing to Delay an application means it will be removed from the boot sequence, and will run automatically after the boot is over, during an idle moment. Pausing an application provides value beyond the boot, and improves your ongoing PC experience, since Paused applications do not run in the background and do not occupy PC resources. Delaying an application, on the other hand, will only shorten your boot time and not improve your ongoing experience. In general, it is advisable to Pause applications that you don’t use on a daily basis, and Delay those that you do.. If you’re not sure, choose Delay. If you see that you’re barely using an application, you can always choose to Pause it later.

[ CLICK HERE TO SEE FULL SCREENSHOT ]

I can also see this app being used on my PC to help me visually detect a potential malware concern. Speaking of malware, this app must have potential… The cybercriminals are already posting “fake” Soluto programs out there. Do not fall for this tactic. Only download Soluto from their web site [ HERE ] .

Minimum requirements to run Soluto Beta:

• 512MB of Memory (RAM) and above
• 500MB of free disk space (Soluto Beta takes up approximately 20MBs; the rest is required for the proper operation of the Microsoft .NET Framework. Please see the Microsoft .Net Framework Minimal System Requirements for more information.) Operating System – Windows XP (SP2 and above) / Windows Vista / Windows 7
• Not Supported: Windows Server 2003 and 2008
• Administrator User – The application must be installed using an Administrator account.

Some of the comments we received from high level users, when we first ran this article in June of this year included:

It took 25-30 seconds off of each of my machines boot time. (Mark)

It is really an impressive and easy to use – nice looking program. (TeX)

Super program and very accurate. (Robert)

This is a guest post by Rick Robinette, who brings a background as a security/police officer professional, and as an information technology specialist to the Blogging world.

Why not pay a visit to Rick’s site at What’s On My PC. Like me, you’re sure to become a frequent visitor.

If you found this article useful, why not subscribe to this Blog via RSS, or email? It’s easy; just click on this link and you’ll never miss another Tech Thoughts article.

Tech Thoughts Daily Net News – December 16, 2010

News flash: Everything on the Internet is hackable – Military might, witty words and authority mean nothing on the Internet; only knowledge will set you apart — and above — from anyone else, and only knowledge will keep you safe.

Internet Hit by Wave of Fake PC ‘defrag’ Tools – A spate of scareware apps that trick users into buying useless hard disk repair tools appears to be part of a concerted campaign to push fake ‘defrag’ software, a security company has said. According to a GFI-Sunbelt Security blog, a new type of bogus disk software has suddenly become very common on the back of this, with a clutch of convincing examples appearing in recent weeks. Fake apps adopting this verisimilitude tactic include PCoptomizer, PCprotection Center and Privacy Corrector.

For and against: DDoS attacks as a legitimate form of protest? – For and against reasons for distributed or non-distributed denial-of-service attacks being a legitimate form of protest.

Ten tips for smartphone security – With the holiday season in full swing, more people are using their smartphone for tasks such as last minute shopping, accessing bank accounts, connecting with friends or making shopping lists on their phone. Smartphones are also expected to be one on the top gifts under the tree this season, so millions of new users will be trying out their new phones and looking for tips for getting started and staying safe.

Internet Explorer Malware Protections Ahead of Rivals, NSS Labs Contends – A new Microsoft-commissioned test by NSS Labs found IE8 and IE9 have boosted their malware protections ahead of browsers from Google, Apple and others.

The 10 most useful Gmail shortcuts – If you’re a keyboard fan, you may want to view Google’s built-in list of seventy billion Gmail shortcuts. But if you’re a keyboard fan with a lot of work to do, maybe this short list will be more helpful.

Shouldn’t You Consider a GSM-Based ATM Skimmer? – The latest and greatest in Automated Teller Machine thievery are skimmers that transmit data to the criminals directly by text message.

A Guide to Data Backup and Recovery for SMBs – Data backup and recovery are primary components of small business security. Our experts offer tips for when, what, how and where to backup your business critical information — and get it back if disaster strikes.

Company News:

 

iPad’s Top 10 Grossing Apps of 2010 – Unlike Apple’s similar list of most popular apps for iPhone and iPod, many of the year’s top-grossing iPad apps are productivity-related, suggesting that users view the tablet as more than a simple media-consumption device. Still, some games made it onto the list. Take a look at the apps iPad users are flocking to.

Google, Microsoft, Others Join Obama to Fight Phony Pharmacies – Google, Microsoft, and several other large tech companies have thrown their support behind the Obama administration’s effort to crackdown on illegal internet pharmacies

Twitter for Business: How to Create a Successful Presence – While Twitter tweets may just be 140 characters, don’t kid yourself into thinking that an effective Twitter strategy will only take a few minutes. If Twitter is not giving you the results you hoped for, it’s time to take stock. Or if you’ve yet to try Twitter, here is some practical advice for you on how to best leverage this social marketing tool to leverage your business’s message and raise your profile in the industry.

HeapLocker Tool Protects Against Heap-Spray Attacks – As attackers have focused more and more of their energies on exploiting bugs in Web applications, and specifically memory-corruption vulnerabilities, researchers have followed along, trying to find new ways to protect users from these attacks. One of the newer entrants in this field is a tool called HeapLocker, designed to prevent heap-spray attacks.

Off Topic (Sort of):

 

Espionage Act Makes Felons of Us All – If you are not “authorized” personnel, but you have read, written about, commented upon, tweeted, spread links by “liking” on Facebook, shared by email, or otherwise discussed “classified” information disclosed from WikiLeaks, you could be implicated for crimes under the U.S. Espionage Act.

Plasma vs. LCD: The State of the HDTV – Do plasma HDTVs still have better blacks? Do LCDs still have problems with motion blur? Read up on the current state of the display technology wars, from refresh rate to response times.

Top 10 Teacher’s Pets of All Time – Generally, doing well academically, getting praise from teachers, and paving the way for a college degree and a successful career are considered good things, but not when you’ve been labeled as the teacher’s pet. Check out this list for some of the biggest teacher’s pets ever conceived in film and television.

$#*! Tech CEOs Say: 2010 Edition – CEOs say the darndest things. Here are some examples.

Today’s Quote:

 

“I don’t hire people who have to be told to be nice. I hire nice people.”

–    Leona Helmsly

Today’s Free Downloads:

 

VLC Media Player – VLC Media Player is a long-time open-source favorite, and the latest version is also the first to be out of beta development. It’s not the only option for free video playback, but it’s one of the best, and the feature updates in version 1 make it well worth the upgrade.

Camfrog Video Chat – If you’re sick of hopping from one chatware program to another, looking for the perfect mix of video, audio, and text socializing, CamFrog might be what you’re looking for.

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Gmail Backup – A Free Minimalist Gmail Backup App

Gmail Backup (which migrated from a commercial application to open source, in September 2010),  is definitely without any bells and whistles, but it does what it says it will do, without any fuss or bother.

The application is designed to backup your Gmail account to a folder on your Hard Drive, and as an added bonus, you can restore back to Gmail.

Prior to using the application, it’s necessary to enable IMAP by clicking “Settings” – “Forwarding and POP/IMAP” in Gmail.

The application interface is simple and basic, as the following screen capture indicates.

For this test run, I downloaded 47,142 emails totaling 1.03 GB (that’s 6 years or so of emails), which took  about 8 hours.  The average download speed was an unimpressive 50 KB/s – sloooooow! But, that’s not related to the application – that’s a Google issue.

The application transferred this huge number of emails perfectly. I selected one at random for this test, as indicated by the arrow in the following screen shot.

Then, I opened that particular email in Thunderbird, to ensure the contents, and the attachments, were accessible.

Note: You don’t have to backup your entire Gmail account, as I did for this test. You have the option of choosing specific “from”, and “before” dates.

Gmail Backup is certainly not the most exciting application I’ve taken for a spin recently, but it’s basic functionality was impressive.

Not everyone has a need to backup their Gmail account but if you do, then Gmail Backup is a free solution that’s worth taking a look at.

Note: As with all backups, the local folder should be copied to portable media.

System requirements: Windows XP, Vista, Win 7 and a Gmail account of course.

Download at: Download.com

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Tech Thoughts Daily Net News – December 15, 2010

Quick Tips for Speeding Up Mozilla Firefox – Work more efficiently in Firefox by clearing the downloads list, removing old Java Consoles, and switching to newly opened tabs.

10 ways to keep hard drives from failing – Hardware prices have dropped considerably over the last decade, but it’s irresponsible not to care for the hardware installed on machines. This is especially true for hard drives. Hard drives are precious commodities that hold the data employees use to do their jobs, so they should be given the best of care. Inevitably, those drives will die. But you can take steps to prevent a premature hard disk death. Let’s examine 10 such steps to care for the health of your drives.

New Trojan hijacks shortcuts to ensure its execution – Contrary to the typical behavior of Trojans who try to modify registry keys or take advantage of the autorun feature to ensure they will be run, this one looks for shortcuts located on the desktop or in special folders. Then, it makes copies of itself and places them in the folders containing the linked files (often executables), renames those linked files into click_[original-file-name].exe and gives its copies the names of the originally linked files.

Microsoft delivers patches for IE, font driver; Puts Stuxnet to bed – Microsoft on Tuesday delivered a beefy set of patches addressing 40 vulnerabilities across Windows, Office, Internet Explorer, SharePoint Server and Exchange. Of the bunch, two bulletins were rated critical and 14 were important.

Fix Windows Picture and Fax Viewer–By Replacing It! – My suggested replacement: IfranView. This free image viewer/editor has been my go-to for years. It’s tiny, it loads in a flash, and it lets me crop, resize, and otherwise tweak images with ease. (When you install it, or any other image viewer, make sure to agree to it becoming the new system default for images, so those double-clicked files will open the new program and now Picture and Fax Viewer.)

Gawker Hack Exposes Ridiculous Password Habits – Wondering what kinds of passwords people use across the Web? This week’s massive Gawker hack is giving us a glimpse — and it sure isn’t a pretty picture.

Walgreen Warns Customers Email Addresses Accessed – Walgreen Co. has warned its customers they may have received unauthorized email seeking personal data after a breach of one of the company’s customer lists.

Database breach that could endanger lives – A database breach that could result in more than just identity theft is the result of a compromise of the online database of the Mesa County Sheriff’s Department (Colorado) by yet unknown individuals.

Glaring Flaws in Latest Tablet PCs – As popular and successful as tablets might be, the devices still fall short in some important ways. See what needs to be fixed.

FBI put backdoors in OpenBSD IPSEC stack? – Some serious allegations have been raised yesterday as Theo de Raadt, founder and leader of the Open BSD and OpenSSH projects, has made public a private e-mail he received from Gregory Perry, former CTO of NETSEC and current CEO of GoVirtual Education.

Company News:

 

Microsoft as the modern day Titanic; we all know how that ends – Wall Street is sounding the warning bells over Microsoft’s future, concerned that tablets are overtaking PCs and that Microsoft hasn’t acted fast enough to keep up with trends, technologies and competitors.

Next Gen iPad to Include Cameras – The next generation iPad tablet computer from Apple will include front and back-mounted cameras, sources said, a feature that had been missing in the first generation of Apple’s popular device.

Top Channel-Friendly Cloud Backup and Recovery Service Providers – It seems like everybody and their mother has jumped on the cloud backup and recovery bandwagon, and narrowing down the list when choosing a service provider can be tough. David Hill, principal at Mesabi Group, compared the industry (partly in jest) to an old Smothers Brothers routine in which the brothers proclaim that anybody can be a cowboy just by putting on the chaps. “Having the name is not necessarily having the game, but everybody talks about cloud,” Hill said.

650-700 layoffs expected at Yahoo today – There won’t be much holiday cheer at Yahoo today, if reports about a round of layoffs are true. Word is that anywhere from 650 to 700 people will lose their jobs today.

Off Topic (Sort of):

 

CHEAP CHRISTMAS PRESENTS: 15 Detroit Houses You Can Buy For Less Than $500 – Nothing can go right for Detroit. Constant housing foreclosures make this ghost town feel more abandoned everyday. It’s a shame to see so many once beautiful early-1900’s homes with boarded windows and doors. But if you’re looking for an unconventional Christmas present that’s pretty cheap too, forget eBay, go to Detroit. We compiled a list of homes in Detroit that can be yours for $500 (no, we’re not missing any zeros) or less. (submitted by Dar)

101 Way to Conserve Water in College – A lot of businesses, households and campuses have recently adopted water conservation plans to save money and protect the environment, but we still have a lot of work ahead of us. Those of us in the developed world use inordinate amounts of water for personal use, and most of it isn’t used efficiently. With each extra utensil used or toilet flushed, water is wasted, and you can imagine how much water that adds up to on a college campus. Here are 101 ways to conserve water in college, whether you’re a student, college president or professor.

Criminals find the key to car immobilisers – AFTER a 16-year decline, car theft in Germany rose in 2009, according to figures released recently by the German Insurance Association. One “white hat” hacker, who probes security systems to flag up flaws that can then be patched, thinks he knows why. Karsten Nohl of Security Research Labs in Berlin, Germany, has identified vulnerabilities in the engine immobilisers used to protect modern cars from theft. (submitted by Michael F.)

How to Buy a Digital SLR Camera – If you’re feeling limited by what your point-and-shoot camera can do, it might be time to upgrade to a Digital SLR. PJ Jacobowitz explains how to choose the best shooter to fit your needs and your budget.

Today’s Quote:

 

“The shortest verse in the Bible is ‘Jesus wept.’ The only thing wrong with it is the past tense.”

–    Randy K. Milholland

Today’s Free Downloads:

 

SmartWhois Launcher – Network information tools like SmartWhois search for and display all available information about a Web site, including who owns it, where it’s hosted, and relevant addresses, names, dates, and technical support contacts. SmartWhois Launcher from TamoSoft is a free Firefox add-on that can query SmartWhois from the browser interface.

Notepad Tabs – Notepad Tabs goes beyond single file editing. In addition to the tabbed interface thatallows you to have multiple files open, Notepad Tabs features the ability to save sets of files in groups, so you can open up several files at once.

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PandLabs 2011 Security Trends Predictions

Every year, I hold on to the belief that we’ve seen the worst that cyber-criminals can throw at us – so I’m always hopeful, that the outlook for the coming year might offer some improvement. As the years go by, inevitably it seems, my hopes have been dashed.

The Internet, despite its promises (many of which have come to pass, admittedly), has become a cesspool of cyber criminals (who continue to belittle us), scam and fraud artists, and worse. A cesspool that reeks of tainted search engine results, malware infected legitimate websites, drive-by downloads and bogus security software. And now it seems, we’re approaching the point where anarchy might well begin to rule the Internet.

The recent WikiLeaks kafuffle, with its counter play DDoS attacks pitting supporters against non-supporters, is a singular indication of how quickly the Internet can devolve into anarchy. No matter the views one may hold politically, with respect to the WikiLeaks disclosures, the use of hacktivism as a political tool is a worrisome trend.

PandaLabs, in its just released predictions covering the top security trends for 2011, is predicting an increase in the type of hacktivism the WikiLeaks conflict has pushed into the spotlight. Moreover, PandaLabs report paints a dismal picture of how the Internet threat landscape is likely to shift and change, in the coming year

According to PandaLabs, in addition to a new focus on hacktivism and cyber-war; more profit-oriented malware; social media; social engineering and malicious codes with the ability to adapt to avoid detection will be the main threats in the coming year.

Report highlights:

Continued growth of new strains of malware creation

2010 marked a turning point in the cyber war, and PandaLabs expects more of the same in 2011

Cyber-protests, or hacktivism (e.g. Anonymous), are all the rage and will continue to grow in frequency

Social engineering will increase as cyber criminals increasingly use social platforms to launch distributed attacks

Windows 7 users will become a significant target for malware in 2011

Mobile security will be a top concern for Android users

As tablets gain market share, so will their appeal to be targeted by cyber criminals

As the market share of Mac users continues to grow, so will the number of threats

HTML5 will be the perfect target since a security hole can be exploited regardless of the browser

Highly dynamic and encrypted threats are expected to increase, given the financial incentive for information on the black market

Being aware of the shape of the Internet landscape, and the changes that are occurring, or may occur in that landscape, now, more than ever, is a necessity – a prerequisite to protecting yourself and your computer from cybercriminal attack. Forewarned is forearmed, needs to be your guiding light – appropriate knowledge will act as your shield.

About PandaLabs:

Since 1990, PandaLabs, Panda Security’s malware research laboratory, has been working to detect and classify malware in order to protect consumers and companies against new Internet threats.

To do so, PandaLabs uses Collective Intelligence, a cloud-based proprietary system that leverages the knowledge gathered from Panda’s user community to automatically detect, analyze and classify the more than 63,000 new malware strains that appear every day.

This automated malware classification is complemented through the work of an international team with researchers specialized each in a specific type of malware (viruses, worms, Trojans, spyware and other attacks) to provide global coverage.

Get more information about PandaLabs and subscribe to its blog news feed here.

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Tech Thoughts Daily Net News – December 14, 2010

Five tips for speeding up Windows boot time – If you get impatient waiting for Windows to boot, you can take a few steps to speed things up. The changes I suggest are not momentous, but they will shorten the time required to boot. If that appeals to you, read on.

Google Helpers: Tweak Chrome, Gmail, and More – We’ve rounded up nine great downloads that give you power over Google, the Internet’s biggest behemoth. You’ll be able to tweak Gmail in many different ways, get Outlook and a variety of Google’s services to work well together, manage your Netflix queue from inside Google Chrome, and more. Not sure about that “Don’t be evil” motto? An alarm tells you when Google’s watching.

Video editing software – CNET editors round up a selection of Windows software designed to help you edit video and make home movies.

Google DoubleClick Found Serving Malicious Ad – Google DoubleClick was recently caught accidentally serving a malicious banner ad, underscoring the threat of malware-laced advertisements on the Web.

McDonald’s customer data compromised – If you previously elected to submit information to McDonald’s in connection with one of their websites or promotions, there is a possibility that information you provided was improperly accessed by an unauthorized third party.

Web Tools and Resources for Small Business – These three Web tools let you find where your small business website, or your competitor’s, ranks in overall traffic, design a website for free or create affordable legal documents.

Multiple vulnerabilities in RealPlayer – Multiple vulnerabilities have been reported in RealPlayer, which can be exploited by malicious people to compromise a user’s system, according to Secunia. Users should upgrade to RealPlayer 14.0.0 or later.

Gawker hacked: Just the latest sign that Web going Wild West – Gawker over the weekend confirmed that it has its commenting accounts have been hacked. Anyone that has left a Gawker comment needs to change passwords pronto. The Gawker attack by itself isn’t a huge development. But when you put the Gawker hack in context of recent events—notably the targeting of sites like Visa, Mastercard and PayPal over the Wikileaks flap—the picture gets ugly in a hurry.

Company News:

 

Dell Streak with Android 2.2 Delivers Uneven Experience – Early criticism of the Dell Streak tablet/smartphone largely focused on Android 1.6, but now that it is updated with Android 2.2, we turn a fresh eye to it. Apps run quickly with the Streak’s Snapdragon 1GHz processor and the device’s hardware feels very solid and well put-together. The size of the device, however, may hit a sour spot with users who feel it’s a bit too big to use as a smartphone, but a bit too small to serve as a tablet.

Tablet Wars of 2011: The Battle Looms – The iPad rules the tablet world right now, but an Android army has begun its attack. Soon to join the fray are even more tablets, equipped with the Windows, WebOS, and Sugar operating systems. Here’s what to expect in the year ahead.

Best Smartphones by Carrier – Thinking of getting a new phone? Check out the best mobile phones for AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, and Verizon.

Off Topic (Sort of):

 

BUSTED: This Popular “Independent” Health Website is Deceiving You – In a shocking report published earlier this year, BNET exposed how WebMD’s online test for depression is rigged for profit. But that’s just the beginning. A number of questions about just how ‘independent’ a source WebMD is have since surfaced, and the answers are not what you’d expect. (submitted by Dar)

Operation Payback and hacktivism 101 – Hacktivism is the use of cyber attacks and sabotage to communicate and promote politically motivated causes. It has been around as long as the internet. Sole hacktivists have always acted in an individual manner to demonstrate their protest, using a variety of different attack methods.

Who uses Linux and Open Source in Business? – Almost everyone. Linux and open-source software has become totally mainstream in big business.

Should Small Businesses Use Twitter? – The quick answer is yes – if you see a positive return from the time and effort required to maintain a Twitter presence. Having said that, we believe the answer will be no for most small businesses.

Today’s Quote:

 

“I do not know which makes a man more conservative—to know nothing but the present, or nothing but the past.”

–    John Maynard Keynes

Today’s Free Downloads:

 

CloudMagic – This browser extension (available for Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox browser) can search your Gmail so quickly that you’ll never be able to look at Gmail’s own search tool the same way again.

Free EmailTray Helps Organize Your In-Box – EmailTray lets you read messages without having to open Outlook or Web mail.Practically the only people in the world who don’t suffer from e-mail overload are those who don’t have access to e-mail. Almost everyone else, likely including you, are overwhelmed by the sheer volume of incoming e-mail, and have trouble prioritizing the onslaught. That’s where the free EmailTray (formerly SenderOK) comes in.

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License Giveaway – iCare Data Recovery Software Worth $69.95

Software developers seem particularly generous this holiday season. From now until December 25, 2010, iCare Data Recovery Software is giving away iCare Data Recovery Software Version 4, which is regularly priced at $69.95.

I have not tested this application, but at this price you might decide that it’s worth a look. I know I’m going to take it for a spin.

Fast facts from the developer’s site:

• Never lose photos and files again
  This data recovery software is an award-winning Windows recovery software, works when other utilities have failed.
• Recover files from external drive, usb drive, hard disk drive
  Recovering files from a corrupted external drive, reformatted external drive, unreadable external drive, bad external drive (not physically damaged); Recovering files from formatted, deleted, virus attacked usb drive, hard disk drive
• Rescues lost/delete photos and files
  iCare recovery software helps you to recover digital photo, audio and video files even when they are lost, deleted or the memory card, removable media is formatted.
• Support recover files
  IDE / ATA / SATA / SCSI hard disk drives, SD Cards, CF Cards, XD Cards, CF cards, Memory Sticks, external Zip drives, FireWire and USB hard drives.
• Support RAW files
  This software has highly advanced algorithms ever designed to support file recovery from RAW file system when your drive is read 0 byte while you have tons of files in it or usually known as RAW drive.
• Very Easy to use
  With this file recovery software, you can recover your photo, RAW photos, music, video and audio files with only a few clicks.
• Windows 7 compatible data recovery software
  Supported Windows Platform: Windows 2000, XP, Vista, 7, Windows Server 2000, 2003, 2008
• Recover deleted or lost files emptied from the Recycle Bin
  iCare Data Recovery Software is able to restore deleted files that has disappeared in your recycle bin if you emptied or you used hot keys SHIFT+DEL. “Advanced File Recovery is the right module to recover your lost files. And what’s more, files deleted after format can also be restored.”
• Support FAT12, FAT16, FAT32, NTFS/NTFS5 file systems
  Recover files from most Windows file systems like FAT32, FAT 16, NTFS… And iCare Data Recovery Software can restore files when your file system becomes RAW or is marked as RAW drive and the drive became 0 byte.
• Recover office document, photo, image, video, music, email, etc.
• Get back files after a partitioning error.
  iCare Data Recovery Software is able to restore files from a partitioning error when you failed in merging partitions, disk partitioning, resizing partitions, copy partitions etc.

System requirements: Windows 2000, XP, Vista, 7, Windows Server 2000, 2003, 2008

To get iCare Data Recovery Software for free, visit the developer’s site and follow the instructions.

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Weak Password Control – A Self Inflicted Injury

Over the weekend, Gawker.com was attacked, leading to a compromise of some 1.5 million user login credentials on Gawker owned sites, including Gizmodo, and Lifehacker.

According to Gawker Media –

Our user databases appear to have been compromised. The passwords were encrypted. But simple ones may be vulnerable to a brute-force attack. You should change your Gawker password and on any other sites on which you’ve used the same passwords.

In an ironic twist to this tale of woe, it turns out that Nick Denton, the site’s founder, had not followed his own advice and in fact, used the same password for his Google Apps account, his Twitter account, and others.

So what gives? Why would someone with the supposed technical competence of Denton be so boneheaded? I suspect it’s because the reality is – he’s no different than any typical user when it comes to establishing and enforcing proper password control. A lackadaisical effort is the norm.

I understand the the dilemma. Complicated, in other words, safe passwords are hard to remember, whereas easy passwords, in other words unsafe passwords, are easy to remember. And, a single password is surely easier to remember than a series of passwords, simple or not. No surprise then, that most computer users’ employ a single, easy to remember, and consequently – unsafe password.

So what’s a user to do to avoid this critical security lapse? Well, you could follow the most common advice you’re likely to find when it comes to password control, and install a “password safe” – an application designed to store and retrieve password.

The Internet is full of advice that on the face of it seems reasonable, responsible and accurate. You know how it is – if you hear it often enough then it must be true. In my view, the password safe advice falls into this category.

Let me pose this question – you wouldn’t hang your keys outside your front door, would you? Of course you wouldn’t. Then why would you save passwords on the Internet, or on your computer? If there is one computer truism that is beyond dispute, it’s this – any computer application can be hacked, including password safes.

I have never saved passwords online, or on a local machine. Instead, I write my passwords down, and record them in a special book; a book which I keep ultra secure. There are some who disagree, for many reasons, with this method of password control, but I’m not about to change my mind on this issue.

I know that on the face of it, writing down your password seems counter intuitive, and flies in the face of conventional wisdom, since the issue here is one of security and safety.

But, ask yourself this question – is your home, office, wallet etc., more secure than your computer? If the answer isn’t “yes”, then you have additional issues that need to be addressed.

While it may be true that you don’t want your wife, lover, room mate, or the guy in the next office, to gain access to your written list of passwords – and writing down your passwords will always present this risk; the real risk lies in the cyber-criminal, who is perhaps, thousands of miles away.

Computer security involves a series of trade-offs – that’s just the reality of today’s Internet. And that brings us to the inescapable conclusion, that strong passwords, despite the fact that they may be impossible to remember – which means they must be written down – are considerably more secure than those that are easy to remember.

Here are some guidelines on choosing a strong password:

Make sure your password contains a minimum of 8 characters.

Use upper and lower case, punctuation marks and numbers.

Use a pass phrase (a sentence), if possible. However, not all sites allow pass phrases.

Since brute force dictionary attacks are common, keep away from single word passwords that are words in a dictionary.

Use a different password for each sign-in site. This should be easy since you are now going to write down your passwords. Right?

You are entitled, of course to disregard the advice in this article, and look at alternatives to writing down your passwords, including Password Safe, a popular free application. As well, a number of premium security applications include password managers.

Interestingly, Bruce Schneier, perhaps the best known security guru and a prime mover, some years back, behind the development of  Password Safe, is now an advocate of – you guessed it; writing down your passwords.

If you have difficulty in devising a strong password/s, take a look at Random.org’s, Random Password Generator – a very cool free password tool.

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Tech Thoughts Daily Net News – December 13, 2010

14 Ways to Make Skype Rock – In short, Skype is kind of a big deal. You know it, I know it, but… the one thing that you likely don’t know off the top of your head is all the different ways you can maximize your VoIP-chatting experience through the use of third-party Skype add-ons, software tweaks, and more!

Chrome OS puts the cloud in your hands – Google’s new notebook is running a browser-based operating system that feels stable, but is the world ready to store all of its data in the cloud?

Pirated installations of free Avast software included two in Vatican City – Here’s a rhetorical twist on the old saying, “Why steal the cow when the milk is free?” Avast Software has long provided a completely free version of Avast Antivirus. But that didn’t stop file-sharing users from pirating a license key to the Pro version a whopping 774,651 times.

Gawker wrestles with reader data breach, hacking – Gawker.com has apparently been the victim of a pair of security compromises this weekend, one of which put reader’s data at risk. The news, pop culture, and gossip site informed readers today in a blog post that its database of 1.5 million reader-commenting accounts had been compromised and urged its users to change their passwords:

New Notepads: Better, Stronger, Faster – These free replacements for Windows Notepad range from “just plain better” to “programmer’s dream.” Find the one, or several, that best fits your needs.

Who’s Using Twitter? Some Surprising Answers – Minorities and two specific income groups jump out among the microblogging service’s most active participants.

Send hilarious, personalized Santa messages with Google Voice – If you want to create a personalized message for a (younger) special someone, there’s the Google Voice-powered Send A Personalized Call From Santa. There are hundreds of options to choose from — more than enough to convince the recipient that it’s a message just for them — and most of them are hilarious. Once you’re done, you can send it as a phone call (in the US only, alas), by email, or simply grab a URL.

Google lets you filter results by reading level – Google has added a new search filter to its Advanced Search options: filter by reading level. Google has divided pages into three categories: basic, intermediate and advanced. You can select the reading level of your choice — or just turn on the option to show reading levels in results — by clicking Advanced Search and going to the “reading level” dropdown. You can even find out the reading level of an entire site by limiting your search to one domain.

Company News:

 

Rumors of Apple’s iPad 2 may dampen iPad holiday sales – The latest Apple rumor landed under the Christmas tree with a thud: Apple’s Chinese manufacturer, Foxconn, will begin shipping the next version of the iPad, dubbed iPad 2, within the next 100 days, sources told DigiTimes. This means a spring launch, which makes sense given that the original iPad debuted last spring. This rumor comes at an especially bad time for Apple. Surveys point to a very merry Christmas for tech gadgets, with the Apple iPad leading the way.

Microsoft’s voice platform to get a ‘brain’ – Company’s speech recognition team says it’s on the cusp of getting its voice platform to understand not just what you’re saying, but what you actually mean.

Apple, Google to bid for Nortel mobile – The two mobile players that have the most money to spend are named as just two of the companies expected to bid on the assets of the bankrupt Canadian telecom firm.

Blockbuster laughed at Netflix partnership offer – Netflix’s toppling of the traditional video-rental market and especially the Blockbuster chain will likely be studied by business students for years to come. It’s easy to kick Blockbuster, which filed for bankruptcy protection in September, now that they’re down, but the company’s overconfidence regarding Netflix can provide lessons today.

Off Topic (Sort of):

 

Former Wikileaks Partners Ready Rival Site – The fight against government secrecy has opened up on another front. According to a Swedish press report, a new organization, Openleaks, has been formed, one that also has the intention of leaking sensitive documents. This time, however, the documents will be sent to media sources for publication, rather than being published by Openleaks itself.

Ikea pencils: An essential tool for surgery? – Karen Eley, from the Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences at the University of Oxford, and Stephen Watt-Smith, from the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, admit they were surprised to find that the Swedish retail giant was the store of choice for sourcing pencils for the operating theatre. (submitted by Dar)

Shadow DNS is in the works: Do we need a second Internet? – In the wake of WikiLeaks troubles and battles over net neutrality, one of the founders of The Pirate Bay proposes a parallel Internet. Do you think we need one?

Hunters Say Recent SPAlaska Episode Proves Sarah Palin Doesn’t Know Squat About Hunting – It turns out there’s a lot more to hunting than buying a gun, aiming it at a living thing, and pulling the trigger—at least, according to The Awl’s Abe Sauer. Yesterday, he published a piece that claims the latest episode of Sarah Palin’s Alaska, in which Palin and her father go caribou hunting, “absolutely exposes Palin as a charade” who doesn’t truly know the first thing about the sport. (submitted by Dar)

Today’s Quote:

 

“In the eyes of posterity it will inevitably seem that, in safeguarding our freedom, we destroyed it. The vast clandestine apparatus we built up to prove our enemies’ resources and intentions only served in the end to confuse our own purposes; that practice of deceiving others for the good of the state led infallibly to our deceiving ourselves; and that vast army of clandestine personnel built up to execute these purposes were soon caught up in the web of their own sick fantasies, with disastrous consequences for them and us”. (submitted by Dar)

–    Malcom Muggeridge – May 1966

Today’s Free Downloads:

 

Cryptainer LE – Cryptainer LE encrypts your data and stores it in a large password-protected file that mounts as a virtual drive. You can use the virtual drive as just as you would any other drive under Windows: drag and drop, copy, delete, move, and so on.

Xirrus Wi-Fi Inspector – Xirrus Wi-Fi Inspector finds nearby Wi-Fi networks, gives an extraordinary amount of information about each, manages your Wi-Fi connections, and monitors and reports on network speed and performance. For each network that it finds, Xirrus Wi-Fi Inspector tells you whether it’s encrypted or not and if so, what encryption it uses; the signal strength; manufacturer of the router; what channel and frequency it uses; and whether it’s an access point or a peer-to-peer connection–and more as well.

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PC Tools Internet Security 2011, Ten License Giveaway! – Reminder

As part of Tech Thoughts “Stay Safe on the Internet focus”, PC Tools has generously provided us with 10 free licenses for their award winning flagship product, PC Tools Internet Security 2011, (retail value $59.95 ).

To enter the contest to win a free license, simply read the review here, and add a comment at the end of the article. On December 17, 2010, (just in time for Christmas), all comments will be added to the online List Randomizer, and the first 10 names that come up, will win a free license (installable on up to 3 PCs), for this award winning application.

As with previous giveaways, you don’t need to write a paragraph – “enter me”, or something similar, is enough. There’s no need for me to acknowledge your entry, but rest assured, if you comment – you’re in.

Good luck!

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