Rescue Your PC With Free Kaspersky Rescue Disk 10

Much of today’s malware is expert at hiding or camouflaging itself – making it both hard to detect, and obviously more difficult to remove. But, if you can get to malware before it has a chance to run live within the installed operating system – you have a real chance of detecting and eradicating the varmint.

This is where a Rescue Disk (Live CD), which I like to think of as the “SWAT Team” of antimalware solutions – comes into play. More often than not, a Live CD can help you kill malware DEAD!

It’s important to know though, not all antimalware Live CDs are in fact, “Rescue Disks”. And, not all “Rescue Disks” are in fact – antimalware Live CDs.

Kaspersky Rescue Disk 10, by far and away my antimalware tool of choice,  combines the best of both genres. Not only is is superb at identifying and removing malware but, with it’s onboard tool kit it, definitely qualifies as a Rescue Disk.

Note: Kaspersky Rescue Disk 10, is designed to scan, and disinfect, both 32 bit and 64 bit machines. As well, Kaspersky Rescue Disk 10 can be run from a USB device.

The following is a quick walkthrough using Kaspersky Rescue Disk 10 in both malware scanning and “tool kit” capacities.

Kaspersky Rescue Disk 10 is available for download as an ISO file only, which means – you must burn the ISO image file to a CD/DVD, and then boot the application from your CD/DVD drive. If you’re unsure as to how to setup your machine to boot from your CD/DVD drive, PC Support at About.com has an easy to follow tutorial – How To Boot From a CD, DVD, or BD Disc.

If you don’t know how to burn an ISO image, you’ll find instructions below.

At boot-up, Kaspersky Rescue Disk 10 runs through a fairly large number of routines so be patient until the main menu screen appears.

From the menu screen, run the update task which will update the anti-virus databases. Following which, you can then go to “Scan your computer” or….

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…….. you can choose to configure the scan settings to your specific requirements.

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As the application is scanning, you will be reminded of both the percentage of objects scanned and, an estimated time to completion.

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The bonus features bolted on to Kaspersky Rescue Disk 10 include:

Konqueror Web Browser

The Konqueror web browser integrated into Kaspersky Rescue Disk can view websites and save the pages you have visited. You can view all visited pages after exiting Kaspersky Rescue Disk. By default, the Kaspersky Lab website is displayed in the browser.

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Integrated File Manager and Registry Editor

The Integrated file manager will allow you to access the Hard Drive/s. As a last resort (if it comes to that),  you will be able to save your important files (any file for that matter), using this tool.

As well, using the Registry Editor, you will be able to view and change settings in your system registry,

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Kaspersky Rescue Disk 10 is an extremely powerful tool, with many more capabilities than I’ve been able to cover in this short review. I’m more than a little surprised that it can be downloaded at no cost. A serious computer user would do well to have this application ready to go when faced with one of those –  O No!!, moments.

To read a blow-by-blow description of Kaspersky Rescue Disk vs. Malware, checkout guest writer Mark Schneider’s – A Lesson In Malware Removal Using Kaspersky Rescue Disk, here on this site.

System requirements: Windows XP (Service Pack 2 or higher), Vista, Windows 7  (32/64 bit support for all).

Download the ISO image file at: Kaspersky

If you’re unsure as to how to burn an ISO image file to a CD/DVD in order to create a bootable disk, here’s an easy method. In this illustration I’m using a freeware application CDBurner XP.

1)  Activate  CDBurner XP.

2)  Insert a blank CD/DVD into the CD/DVD drive.

3)  Click on “Burn ISO image”, which will open the write screen.

4)  Select kav_rescue_10.iso which will reside in the location in which you saved the file.

5)  Click on “Burn disc”

6)  Sit back and relax until the job is complete (2/3 minutes).

Tech Thoughts Daily Net News – February 14, 2012

Mozilla Issues Critical Update for Firefox 10 – Barely two weeks after being released, Mozilla is already updating Firefox 10. Firefox 10.0.1 was released late Friday with no advance notice from Mozilla. That’s not exactly a good way to handle the first update for an enterprise release IMHO. The 10.0.1 update however isn’t just a quick fix for a minor bug though. The fix is for a critical flaw that Mozilla obviously felt needed to be patched ASAP.

Five data recovery apps that could make you a hero – When you get a panicked call from someone whose hard disk has crashed (with precious files that weren’t backed up), one of these apps might save the day.

How much online privacy do you really have? Less than you think – An independent group called PrivacyChoice has undertaken the formidable effort of assigning a numeric score to popular websites, measuring their published policies and how much tracking they allow. The results are eye-opening.

Plex Media Server for Windows – Plex Media Server for Windows (free) changes this situation in a fundamental way, turning a home PC into a streaming media center that’s just as slick, appealing, and versatile as commercial services. Overall, Plex is a great way to share media over a home network and spice up the delivery and selection process.

Whitney Houston death video leads to scams – Facebook users are lured in by messages posted on their friends’ walls saying “I Cried watching this video. RIP Whitney Houston” and offering a link to a “Whitney Houston Death Video Exclusive”. Clicking on the link takes the users to a Facebook page that contains another link to the video, which then leads them to a survey scam site via a number of redirections.

Online Dating Sites Getting Around With Customers Data – Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the privacy watchdogs over at the Electronic Frontier Foundation have put together a guide for those tempted to dance the algorithm electric. Their findings: online dating services may be getting around with your personal data.

Best practices for online banking security – There are two common misconceptions about online banking security which are holding financial institutions back from offering their customers the best services possible. One typical misconception in online banking is that security begins and ends with securely authenticating account access.

A Social Network Exclusively for Small Business – Network with other small business owners, plus we’ve got two other Web tools and resources to help you run your small business. Best of all they’re free.

Prediction: Handful of Malicious Networks Will Spawn Most Attacks In 2012 – A shadowy web of malicious networks, or “malnets” will be the source of two thirds of online attacks in 2012, according to a report from the security firm Blue Coat.

Company News:

XConnect Revenue and Usage Surged in 2011, with Next Spurt Likely to Come from Video Communications – XConnect, the leader in federation-based IP voice and video interconnection and ENUM-registry services, said today it saw revenue and multimedia network traffic surge in 2011, with demand for video communications services poised to become the next engine of growth and new mobile opportunities on the road map. In 2011, XConnect launched the Video Interconnection Exchange (VIE), the world’s first neutral federation for video communications. The company has since established strategic alliances with such video ecosystem players as BCS Global and IPV to expand the video community, making video calling as easy as voice calling.

Citrix releases open source cloud platform – Today Citrix announced the availability of Citrix CloudStack 3, the first release of the open source cloud platform under the Citrix brand. CloudStack is already the world’s most successful platform for public clouds, powering over $1B in revenue for more than 85 large scale production clouds, including some of the biggest brands in the industry. With the new CloudStack 3 release, Citrix brings the power of true Amazon-style clouds to customers of all sizes.

Mozilla’s Windows 8 Firefox Plans Include Metro Browser – Mozilla’s plans for Firefox on Windows 8 include both a classic and Metro version, the better to port the browser onto a variety of devices running the operating system.

Kaspersky Lab unveils virtualization security solution – Kaspersky Lab announced Kaspersky Security for Virtualization, focused on protecting evolving corporate IT infrastructures from malware and cybercriminals. The solution integrates with VMware vShield Endpoint Security, providing protection for virtual data centers, virtualized servers and desktops. It automatically detects every virtual machine on the network, delivering files to the Kaspersky Lab client for real-time anti-malware scans.

Off Topic (Sort of):

Humor: Brain-Dead Teen, Only Capable Of Rolling Eyes And Texting, To Be Euthanized – The parents of 13-year old Caitlin Teagart have decided to end her life, saying she can now do nothing but lay on the couch and whine about things being “gay”. (recommended by Michael F.)

Piracy Driven by Overseas Film Release Lag Time, Researchers Say – Online piracy gets a lot of headlines and prompts crackdowns from content creators. But researchers say a bigger sales foe may be the lag time between when a movie is released in the U.S. and when it is available overseas.

Sony Shows Power Outlets That Can Control Electricity by User, Device, or Source – Sony is developing electric wall sockets and plugs that can control power consumption by appliance, user or original power source.

Frontier Justice – In 1881 a federal trial judge in the Territory of New Mexico, presiding at Taos in an adobe stable used as a temporary courtroom, passed sentence on murderer José Gonzales. We don’t know the details of Gonzales’ crime, but it must have been extraordinary — here’s the sentence: (recommended by Michael F.)

Today’s Quote:

“Use what talents you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best.”

–     Henry Van Dyke

Today’s Free Downloads:

PicPick 3.1.2 – PicPick is an all-in-one graphic program that provides full-featured screen capture tool, intuitive image editor, color picker, color palette, pixel ruler, protractor, crosshair and even whiteboard.

PCWorld’s Favorite Downloads of 2011 – These programs and services are the ones we reviewed for PCWorld Downloads and also kept using for our own productivity and enjoyment. Perhaps you started using them this year, too…and if not, well, a shiny new year is right around the corner.

Giveaway: Advanced SystemCare 5 PRO – Valentine’s Day Feb 14, 0:00 – Feb 14, 24:00 PST (24 Hours Only)

IObit has been offering a comprehensive PC care utility (Advanced SystemCare), that takes a one-click approach to help protect, repair, and optimize your computer, since 2006. IObit continues this strong tradition with Advanced SystemCare 5 PRO, which will be available for download on Valentines Day.

Heads up: The free offer is available starting at 12 am PST, February 14, and will last 24 hours only.

Visiting the download site prior to, will generate the following notice.

Regular readers will know, that I have tested and recommended previous versions of both the free, and pro versions of Advanced SystemCare. While I haven’t yet had a chance to comprehensively test Advanced SystemCare 5 PRO, I have little doubt this version continues to provide a super convenient solution for PC maintenance and protection.

I did however, start it up – perform a quick scan – and was not surprised to see the “Poor” PC Health notice, since this particular test platform is scheduled for an OS reinstall later in the week.

Advanced SystemCare 5 PRO integrates IObit’s latest Toolbox, which has more than 20 dedicated smart tools for everyday PC maintenance – including tools for system cleaning, optimizing and repairing, tools for security enhancement, and tools for full control over the system.

Fast facts:

Keeps your PC running at peak performance – Fully optimizes Windows for ultimate system performance and top Internet speed by unleashing the built-in power of your system, based on how you use your PC and your network configuration. It turns your PC into a business PC, a productive workstation, an entertainment center, a game machine, or a scientific computing PC.

Defends PC security with extra protection – Detects and analyzes Windows security environment. Scans and removes spyware and adware using up-to-date definition files in order to prevent spyware, hackers and hijackers from installing malicious programs on your computer. Erases and updates your PC’s activity histories.

One click to solve as many as 10 common PC problems – Advanced SystemCare 5 inherits the ease-of-use from previous versions, with more powerful capabilities. With one click, it scans and repairs ten PC problems and protects your PC from hidden security threats.

Real-time optimization with ActiveBoost function – ActiveBoost, technology that actively runs in the background intelligently managing system resources in real-time, constantly detecting inactive resources and optimizing CPU and RAM usage.

More than 20 dedicated smart tools for everyday PC maintenance – Advanced SystemCare 5 integrates IObit’s latest Toolbox which has more than 20 dedicated smart tools for everyday PC maintenance or advanced needs, including tools for system cleaning, optimizing and repairing, tools for security enhancement, and tools for full control over the system.

Cloud technology to keep database up-to-date – The new “Cloud” technology ensures the database is kept updated at all times so that you can benefit from the latest definitions and configurations.

Boost your PC for working and gaming – You now have two Turbo Boost options, Work Mode and Game Mode. In addition, you can now adjust the configuration of each mode from the main screen.

Next-generation registry deep clean and optimizer – Safely cleans registry junk, compacts registry bloats and defragments the whole registry for maximum performance. Finds and fixes the registry errors that other utilities miss with “Deep Scan” technology.

Automatically works in the background – This powerful utility works continuously, automatically and quietly in the background on your PC. You can set it as your schedule or just let it work automatically when your PC is idle.

Powerful hard drive defragmentation – Fast, powerfully and incredibly effective Disk Defrag function to defragment hard drives – up to 10 times faster than other defragmentation tools.

Bottom line: As well as keeping your machine physically clean, it’s always good practice to keep your computer’s operating system and subsystems clean, so that you can get maximum performance from your machine. This application can certainly help you do just that.

System requirements: Windows 8, Windows 7 (32-bit and 64-bit), Vista (32-bit and 64-bit), XP (32-bit and 64-bit).

Download: You may download a fully licensed free version of Advanced SystemCare 5 PRO, starting at 12 am PST, February 14, 2012 at: iobit’s Valentines Day Giveaway

Update: February 14, 2012.

Unless you’re prepared for a very long wait for a response from IObit’s mail server, you might be better off avoiding this offer.

Tech Thoughts Daily Net News – February 13, 2012

Microsoft Online Store in India Hacked, Passwords Stored in the Clear – Those visiting the Microsoft Online Store in India this morning were greeted with the haunting image of Guy Fawkes warning them that this “unsafe system would be baptized”. A hacker group known as the Evil Shadow Team has taken responsibility for the attack, and has even released proof that passwords stored on the server were not encrypted.

Google Wallet Suspends Prepaid Credit Card Functions – Google has suspended prepaid capabilities on credit cards linked to its mobile wallet after a security flaw was exposed. Saturday’s move comes following the airing on the Internet of a flaw in the wallet’s design that could allow an unauthorized user of a phone to tap into an existing balance on a card by reconfiguring the wallet’s settings.

6 Ways to Defend Against Drive-by Downloads – These stealthy downloads are particularly dangerous: As their name suggests, they automatically install software on end users’ computers without them knowing.

How to Reset Your Windows Password – Here’s our guide to resetting your Windows password if you don’t have access to a previously created password-reset disk. However, if you don’t have a password-reset disk and you need to reset your Windows password, I suggest using the following Sticky Keys trick.

Format FAT32 drives beyond 32GB limit – With the help of a special utility application, you can indeed format a FAT32 drive beyond the 32GB size limit.

Five pieces of scamware to watch out for – From fake antivirus apps to uninvited toolbars, scamware can bog down your users’ PCs — and sometimes do a whole lot worse.

Top apps for removing crapware – Get rid of that unwelcome crapware by running one of these safe, easy-to-use tools.

10 ways to get the most out of Evernote – Evernote’s flexibility and convenience have millions of users hooked. Here are some of the best ways to put this note-taking tool to good use.

Create or Improve Your Own Websites Using These Great Tools – More than ever before, it is easy to create content online and get your message out into the world. Many tools let you create beautiful websites, both personal and business-oriented, without writing a single line of code. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned Web developer, here are some of the best tools and services available for putting your content online today.

How to Set Up a Wireless Router – Setting up your new wireless router is simple as long as you have a PC with a wireless network adapter and an active high-speed Internet connection. Here’s a quick guide to getting your wireless router running smoothly.

Best Hosted Mobile Stores for Less Than $30 – A hosted ecommerce store can help you optimize for any computing trend — including mobile commerce. We look at five hosted ecommerce software services priced $30 per month or less.

Don’t blame Motorola for not wiping returned Xooms – Consumers must take responsibility for protecting their personal data and stop relying on manufacturers or retailers to wipe returned devices.

Company News:

Mozilla’s plan for 2012: break the ecosystem lock – Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon–all are targets for Mozilla’s plan to use Web apps to free people from ecosystem lock-in. Also: new Firefox features aplenty.

Sprint, T-Mobile Ask FCC for More Information on Verizon’s Spectrum Plans – Verizon Wireless was surely hoping its deal with Comcast and three other cable companies would proceed quietly—the mirror opposite of what happened when AT&T tried to buy T-Mobile in 2011. But, no such luck. Sprint, T-Mobile, DirectTV, the Rural Telecommunications Group and the Rural Cellular Association believe that too little information about the deal has been released and are calling on the Federal Communications Commission to halt its review until details of the agreement have been made clear.

Apple Files Another US Patent Suit Against Samsung – Apple wants a federal judge to halt sales of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus smartphone, specifically targeting Ice Cream Sandwich as infringing on Apple patents.

Off Topic (Sort of):

Online Dating Sites: Seek Love, Find Privacy Violations – The Electronic Frontier Foundation evaluates privacy efforts from online dating sites and finds little substance.

Litigation lunacy: Silicon Valley’s lost its mind – The dreary details differ, but the same theme informs–we’re good, they’re bad, and dear judge: would you please kneecap these guys for us?

Google Earth: Power Tips and Tricks – Here’s your chance to discover a new dimension to Google Earth: Find out how to create your own maps, scroll through historic imagery, or fly across the globe.

Reddit bans sexually suggestive images of children – In response a great deal of criticism and controversy, Reddit has decided to ban the posting of sexually suggestive or exploitive images of minors.

Today’s Quote:

“When a true genius appears in this world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him.”

–     Jonathan Swift

Today’s Free Downloads:

Tweaking.com – Windows Repair 1.6.4 – Tweaking.com – Windows Repair is an all-in-one repair tool to help fix a large majority of known Windows problems including registry errors and file permissions as well as issues with Internet Explorer, Windows Update, Windows Firewall and more.

Kaspersky TDSSKiller 2.7.11.0 – Kaspersky Lab has developed the TDSSKiller utility that allows removing rootkits. A rootkit for Windows systems is a program that penetrates into the system and intercepts the system functions (Windows API).

Tech Thoughts Daily Net News – February 12, 2012

How to Set Up a New PC the Right Way – The way you set up your new PC now will have a lasting impact on your experience over time. Do it haphazardly, and your experience will be plagued by disorder and regret. Do it thoughtfully, though, by following the course of action we prescribe on the following pages, and you will have a machine that’s primed and ready to meet your every need from the start.

Know Your Enemies Online – Anyone who makes a habit of wandering around in cyberspace should print this TrendLabs infographic, posted Wednesday, and keep it close at hand. This colorful web poster contains info on Internet bad guys, and helps people avoid getting scammed, hacked, or hurt by malware

Unsubscribe from junk mail – Tired of getting unsolicited fliers, pamphlets, and magazines in the mail? This app makes unsubscribing as easy as taking a picture.

Buying a tablet on a budget: Android or iPad? – Apple’s iPad may be more expensive than Android tablets. And it may offer less internal memory, but the wide array of apps and resale value of the device may make it a smarter purchase, says CNET’s Maggie Reardon.

The Best PC Games – In the hunt for a few hot PC games? Check out these ten titles. They’re what you need to play right now.

Study Finds BitTorrent Does Not Hurt U.S. Box Office Numbers – Researchers from the University of Minnesota and Wellesley College recently got together to answer one simple question: does BitTorrent hurt U.S. box office numbers? According to this study, the answer is a resounding ‘no,’ much to the chagrin of the movie industry. The study did find a correlation in the data, but it amounts to Hollywood throwing away money.

Mozilla reveals the beginning of a New Tab revamp for Firefox – Chrome’s got it. Internet Explorer’s got it. Safari’s got it. And Opera was the first to debut it. Finally, and currently available in the developer’s Aurora build, Firefox users will be able to get a personalized New Tab experience.

Windows on ARM vs. iPad: the New Mac/PC War? – Years ago, we thought this battle was over, and we thought Microsoft won. But Apple changed the PC game with the iPad, and now Windows is roaring back. The Mac/PC battle has entered a new phase.

More women sexting than last year – A study by Harlequin–yes, the romantic-book people–says more women are sending naughty texts (shocking) and that 27 percent have sent a nude picture via e-mail or text.

Company News:

Apple Patent Reveals Plans for 3D on Steroids – The tech would combine 3D simulation for handheld devices with eye-tracking techniques.

Windows 8 Wireless Networking Secrets Revealed – Microsoft released details on wireless networking in Windows 8 and it’s looking as if there are some revolutionary capabilities.

Analysts: 9-Inch Kindle Fire This Summer – Amazon is too busy raking in all that Kindle cash to offer any clues about a larger successor to the Kindle Fire, but most industry watchers are convinced that such a device is coming. Following a DigiTimes report in December, Pacific Crest analysts have raised sales expectations for Amazon in expectation of a 9-inch Fire successor this summer.

Apple seeks U.S. ban on Galaxy Nexus – Company requests ban on sales in the U.S. of the Samsung-made showcase for Google’s heavily touted Ice Cream Sandwich version of the Android operating system, saying it violates four Apple patents.

Off Topic (Sort of):

Western Memories – Ever wonder just who all those minor characters were who populated western after western with few lines and a familiar face? Well, this clip has pictures and names — so after 50 or so years — say “Howdy” to some of those general store, saloon keeper, blacksmith mini-heroes from your youth.

The History of the Car Stereo – We’ve been listening to music in the car for almost eight decades. From simple AM radio to high-end digital audio setups, we take a look back.

How big is Wal-Mart? – This should boggle your mind. Wal-Mart gets bigger and our choice gets smaller.

Seven Ways to Stop Piracy WITHOUT DRM – It’s a fact of life: Pirates be pirating. Last year, UK Interactive Entertainment estimated a 4:1 ratio of pirated games against those that were legally purchased. What do those numbers mean?

Today’s Quote:

“If you think education is difficult, try being stupid!”

–    Anonymous

Today’s Free Downloads:

WinHTTrack 3.44-5 – WinHTTrack is a free and easy-to-use offline browser utility. It allows you to download a site from the Internet to a local directory, building recursively all directories, getting HTML, images, and other files from the server to your computer.

NetBalancer Free 5.02 – Browse and do any internet activity comfortably even when your download manager or torrent client downloads huge files from internet – just lower their network priority with NetBalancer.

Disable Hidden File Extensions, Or Not?

In the world of technology, the accelerating rate of change is so fast, the environmental changes so rapid, that looking back just 3 years, for example, is akin to looking back into ancient history.

Even so, there are some characteristics of computing where the old truism “the more things change the more they stay the same”, are entirely relevant – and, the fundamentals of system security is a singular example.

One of the principals of system security – one which is rarely referred to is – the need to understand file extensions – and, more particularly – why it is file extensions should NOT be hidden.

Dave Brooks, a highly competent computer pro, and a popular guest writer here, addressed this issue in a guest post (ahem), 3 years ago. This article is every bit as important today, as it was when it was first posted. Perhaps, even more so.

Here’s what Dave had to say:

One of Bill’s security recommendations (among the many that he tries to pound into the heads of his readers), is to disable the hiding of file extensions for known file types.

I will explain why this is important and how it can protect you. This can get a bit complicated for the novice user, so I’ll try to make it easy to understand.

Firsts things first. What is a file extension? File extensions tell the operating system what type of file it is dealing with, which in turn determines what application is opened when you double click the file.

Adobe PDF documents have a PDF extension, MP3 audio files have the MP3 extension, video files use a number of extensions such as AVI, MPE, MPEG, WMV, and so on. Windows keeps track of what file extensions should be opened with which application, if you rename a file and delete its extension, Windows no longer knows what type of file it is and will not be able to open it.

When working with Windows, almost all files have an extension, this is the 3 or 4 characters after the LAST “.” (dot or period) in the file name. Why is the word LAST in upper case? Because file names can have more than one “.” in them, and this is where your ability to see these extensions can save you.

For example, consider this file named “Invoice.doc”. For many people they would immediately know this is a standard Microsoft Word document. If your PC is set to hide known file extensions then your computer would display the file in a Windows Explorer window, or email attachment, as “Invoice”, hiding the 3 digit extension.

The problem here is, a Trojan can come in as an email attachment as a compressed file, or an executable called Invoice.doc.exe. Remember, only the digits after the LAST “.” are important to the file type, so even though you see Invoice.doc, the file actually has an exe extension, making it an exe or program.

If you have your PC set to hide extension, you would see the file name as “Invoice.doc”, even though the actual extension (which is hidden by Windows) is exe. Another trick is to give the file an icon that makes it look like it’s a Word document to fool unsuspecting users even more.

So you can see, if you disable hidden extensions, you will be able to see the actual file extension, not the one the Trojan wants you to see, and you will be able to better determine if the file is in fact what it is claiming to be.

To unhide these hidden extensions;

1. Go to start>Control Panel

2. Click on >Folder Options

3. Now go to >View tab> Then uncheck the box “Hide extensions for known file types” >click Apply>then OK. That’s it done.

Now you can see the file extensions on all file types.

 

Note: If you come across a file type (extension) that you don’t recognize, the website FILExt will tell you. Simply enter the “.abc” and FILExt will tell you the program that created it and, recommend how to open it.

Bio: Dave Brooks is a professional Computer Technician from New Hampshire, USA. Dave has now become a regular guest writer who’s last article “Let’s Talk About Backups” was a huge hit.

Drop by Dave’s site at Tech-N-Go, and checkout the Security Alerts.

Tech Thoughts Daily Net News – February 11, 2012

Malware Removal Guide for Windows – This guide will help you clean your computer of malware. If you think your computer is infected with a virus or some other malicious software, you may want to use this guide.

How to Run Android Apps on Your PC – The BlueStacks Android App Player lets you run Android apps on your PC. We explain how to install it, how to transfer apps from your Android smartphone, and how to run them on a Windows system.

An awesome tool for customizing the Windows 7 Logon screen wallpaper – Greg Shultz shows you how to use the free Windows 7 Logon Background Changer to customize your user experience.

iCalcy – The iPhone Calculator for Windows – Looking for a replacement for the Windows calculator? Well, I found one, called iCalcy, that looks just like the calculator that you will find on the iPhone (iPod). Best part of this is that you can carry this one around on your flash drive.

CIA website brought down – were Anonymous attackers responsible? – The CIA’s website was brought down for some hours last night by what appears to have been an internet distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack.

How to Unblock Blocked Websites – Governments, schools, and businesses sometimes block websites in an attempt to reduce distractions, conserve bandwidth, or censor content. If you’re willing to risk circumventing such limitations, here’s how to do it.

Chrome 17, faster than ever, more secure than ever – Google’s popular Chrome Web browser just keeps getting faster and more secure with every release.

Tor anonymity project looks to help Iranians sidestep Net ban – Tor’s “obfsproxy” technology would make encrypted data look innocuous and let it dodge government censors. That could help citizens in Iran reach blocked sites as antigovernment protests reportedly loom.

Does Apple lull Mac owners into a false sense of security? – Is Apple recklessly lulling Mac OS X owners into a false sense of security, or is the company right to downplay the risks from threats? PC Pro’s Davey Winder believes the company is using hyperbole to cover up the fact that the platform is under attack and that users are at risk.

Company News:

MasterCard and Silver Tail Systems combat online fraud – By combining Silver Tail Systems’ technology with MasterCard’s payments experience and insights, merchants will be better equipped to spot malware or robotic (“bots”) activity originating from personal computers or smart phones attacking their online payments systems.

Eolas loses landmark Web patent case – The idea that someone could actually own a patent on the Web may sounds ridiculous to you. Alas, in these days of intellectual property (IP) lawsuits, it isn’t only possible, it’s actually happened. For years, Eolas has been successfully suing major companies like Microsoft for violation of its Web patents. So when Eolas went after Amazon, Google, Yahoo and other Internet powers for running Website with “interactive” features such as streaming video it was no laughing matter. But, in a victory against software patents, a jury in the U.S. District Court in East Texas, ruled against Eolas.

Google: Bug Bounty Program Has Made Users Safer – In the 15 months since Google began offering rewards to researchers who report vulnerabilities in its Web applications, the company has paid out more than $400,000 in bug bounties. That’s a lot of money, even for Google, and the company is counting the program as a huge success.

Facebook admits it needs to fight scams more efficiently – Facebook has changed its stance when it comes to removing scams and hoaxes. The social networking giant is working on a system to keep track of the offending images that keep going viral.

Why BlackBerry, RIM Are Losing Juice in the Enterprise – Research In Motion and the company’s ubiquitous BlackBerry devices were the enterprise’s favorite product. RIM also had success providing much-needed services. But nowadays, it can’t get any love.

Off Topic (Sort of):

20 Common Grammar Mistakes That (Almost) Everyone Makes – Below are 20 common grammar mistakes I see routinely, not only in editorial queries and submissions, but in print: in HR manuals, blogs, magazines, newspapers, trade journals, and even best selling novels. If it makes you feel any better, I’ve made each of these mistakes a hundred times, and I know some of the best authors in history have lived to see these very toadstools appear in print. Let’s hope you can learn from some of their more famous mistakes.

Is it Okay to Use an HDTV as a Computer Monitor? – Imagining running your computer through a big 32-inch monitor is pretty exciting, but it’s not necessarily all it’s cracked up to be. Consider two key points to help you make your choice: what you use your computer for and the video outputs available on your computer. Let’s start by taking a look at your primary usage.

VIDEO: Boston Police hits back at Anonymous with sarcasm – Anonymous is proud of saying that an idea can’t be arrested or killed, but it seems like the Boston Police Department has thought of one way of fighting back: sarcasm.

Today’s Quote:

A classic is something that everybody wants to have read and nobody wants to read.

–     Mark Twain

Today’s Free Downloads:

Intel Chipset Device Software – Run this easy to use Intel Driver Update Utility and it will “automatically” tell you if you need to update your chipset INF file, and if so, will prompt you to install and you are done. This will save you a lot of time not only on your chipset download but the most common files needed for your system.

NirLauncher 1.11.44 – NirLauncher is a package of more than 100 portable freeware utilities for Windows, all of them developed for NirSoft Web site during the last few years.

Fusion 2.2 – The program allows merging several images of the same scene in one. You can merge photos taken with the same exposure or images taken with different exposures.

Crave World Clock – 20 Free Licenses Giveaway

“Young men know the rules, but old men know the exceptions.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes.

So, being a grumpy “old man”, from time to time I make an exception to the rule that I don’t get involved in software license giveaways. And, this is one of those “relax the rule” times – with good reason.

Manoj Shinde, the developer of DiskAnalyzer Pro, and currently the principal of Reflection Software Solutions based in Aurangabad, India – recently offered to provide 20 free licenses for his company’s, Crave World Clock, to Tech Thoughts readers. I accepted Manoj’s offer gratefully.

Reflection Software describes Crave World Clock as follows:

Crave World Clock is a must-have world clock software for people who need to keep track of current time in different cities and time zones around the world. The current time can be displayed on a real world map along with day and night effects.

You can add cities of your choice on the world map. You can set the world clock as your desktop wallpaper or use it as a screensaver. You can add analog clock and digital clock on your desktop to keep track of time for multiple cities.

So, how would you benefit from installing Crave World Clock on your system? It’s fair to acknowledge that perhaps you wouldn’t – but, if the global business environment is the place where you hang your hat – like I do – Crave World Clock offers a number of features which could make your life just a little easier.

Click on graphic to expand.

Let me give you a simple personal example – it’s not at all unusual for me to speak directly with developers, software vendors, or service providers by telephone or Skype – from such diverse places as China, Romania, Croatia, India, America, Australia, Turkey……. Since global business operates 24/7, it’s obviously important to be aware of local times, and Crave World Clock has made that just a little easier for me.

As the “fact facts” below indicate – the application offers much more than simple acting as a global local time reminder.

Fast facts:

Set world clock with real world map as desktop wallpaper – The real world map with multiple city time displayed on it can be used as a desktop wallpaper while the software will be minimized to system tray. So you can easily track current time for multiple cities right on your desktop without much interference in your work.

Use world clock with current time as your desktop screensaver – Crave World Clock can be used as a desktop screensaver. So when your PC is idle, it will display world map with current time for selected cities, day / night effects . It will be updated every minute to reflect current time.

Place analog and digital clocks on your desktop for multiple cities – You can add multiple analog or digital clocks on your desktop to see current time for the cities of your choice. You can choose a clock theme for the clock from a pre-defined list of stunning clock themes.

Add reminders regarding your “things to do” for different time zones – Use the reminder tool to get notifications (with sound) about your phone calls, follow ups or things to do related with cities around the world.

Quickly find time for any city with Time Finder tool – You can use the time finder tool which you can access with a shortcut key to quickly find current time for any city or country. Just type in the city or country name then current date/time will be displayed for that city.

Multi-year calendar view at a glance – This tool displays calendar for a year at a glance so you need not browse through months to refer to future dates or dates falling in other months.

Quick access to International dialing codes – If you frequently need to make international calls then you can refer to international dialing codes list for all countries available with a shortcut key.

System requirements: Windows XP, Vista, Win 7

You can download Crave World Clock software and try the full version free for 14 days.

Download at: Reflection Software Solutions

Purchase: $14 USD.

Giveaway procedure:

To enter the giveaway contest to win a free license, simply add a comment at the end of this article. On February 17, 2012, all comments will be added to the online List Randomizer, and the first 20 names that come up, will win a free license for Crave World Clock.

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.

If you’re a lucky winner, the developer will contact you directly and provide you with the free license.

Good luck!

Looking For The Best? – Find It Fast With FindTheBest.com

There’s an old expression that goes something like this – quality never costs as much money as it saves. Just an old expression? Or, is there some truth hidden away in this?

More often than one might expect – quality doesn’t necessarily equate with high cost. In fact, the relationship between cost and quality could be tenuous at best. Cost effectiveness – it seems to me, is the more important issue to consider when making a major purchase.

But, how do you know if your hard-earned dollars are being spent in the most cost effective manner. One obvious answer can be be summed up in just 8 letters – research.

Back in the day, Consumers Report was my reference point in developing the most cost effective approach to spending the “big bucks”. As an aid in cutting  through the chaff; avoiding being influenced by market manipulators (read – advertising); and, as a product feature comparison tool – Consumers Report, could be relied upon.

In the Internet age though, I’ve left the “paper in hand” scene far behind – and until recently, I’ve Googled madly to dig up product comparisons. Not quite as easy as it sounds – separating the wheat from the chaff, in search results, tends to be time consuming and, not without some degree of frustration.

I finally realized (I can be a slow learner sometimes    ), that there had to be a better way than trying to write the perfect Google search string in order to obtain the most effective results. And, lucky for people like me – there is a better way – product review and comparison sites.

One such site which I was introduced to recently is – FindTheBest.com. A site that’s a major step up above the average, in my estimation.

Click on graphic to expand.

FindTheBest lays out products in a fully comprehensive manner, allowing for feature and price comparison in a side by side format – leading to a fast and highly efficient search. A feature and price comparison, makes the job that much simpler.

Here’s an example: Tablet Computers filtered by price. You’ll notice that the same search can also be filtered by – Screen Size, Battery Life, and Internal Storage.

The same search – this time filtered by Battery Life.

The overall inclusiveness of the site is overwhelming and in a short review, such as this one, I couldn’t begin to cover all the possible benefits. I suggest instead, that you pay a visit to FindTheBest.com. I’m sure you’ll be every bit as impressed as I was. You might consider Bookmarking the site for future reference.

Tech Thoughts Daily Net News – February 10, 2012

The 50 Best Free iPhone Apps – I’m an Android guy, but if you are one of the countless iPhone fans out there, you owe it to yourself to check out this roundup. Yes, you could wander through the App Store, weed through countless uninformed user reviews, and make your own decision about what apps are best, but we have done the hard work for you here. Our resident iPhone expert, Jill Duffy, has PCMag’s picks.

Do Not Track Plus – There’s a war on the Web for your personal data, and Abine’s new Do Not Track Plus browser add-on hands you the Internet equivalent of a neutron bomb.

Free Image-editing Software for SMBs – We look at five open source image-editing programs you can use to tweak your small business website graphics and product shots. And they’re all free.

5 Tips to Make Your Facebook Timeline Amazing – Facebook Timeline is coming. It’s just a matter of, well, time. Here are five tips to make your Timeline pop (plus a bonus tip in case you don’t like Timeline).

20 Popular Ubuntu Linux Apps You May Want to Try – Gaming accounted for many of the top apps last month, but there were a few business-oriented gems as well, according to a new report.

Chrome 17 tweaks speed, download security – Small but important security changes arrive in Chrome 17 stable, along with a slight expansion of the browser’s precognitive superpower.

Windows 8 bundled Metro apps revealed – Now due on February 29, the next Windows 8 beta will offer several built-in Metro apps, including Music, Video, Mail, Messaging, and SkyDrive.

Microsoft Ruining Valentine’s Day with Nine Security Bulletins – Microsoft shared its Patch Tuesday preview, revealing that there are nine security bulletins on the agenda for next week.

Active mobile botnet enslaves thousands of Android devices – A trojanized Android application for configuring phone settings has been enslaving the devices of the customers of China’s two largest mobile carriers into a botnet numbering hundreds of thousands of compromised devices, says Symantec researchers

Best File-Syncing Services – Dropbox and other files-syncing and -sharing services have drastically changed the way we use our computers, allowing us to access important files at any time from any location. Here are some of the best services available.

Google Wallet PIN Cracked in Seconds [Video] – This is a nasty bit of news for Google, credit card companies, and consumers alike. Joshua Rubin, a researcher at zvelo, has been digging into Google Wallet’s encryption methods and wrote a program that can decrypt your Google Wallet PIN in seconds.

Company News:

No more Kodak moments – In a drastic bid to cut costs, bankrupted Eastman Kodak Co plans to stop making cameras in the first half of 2012. After making cameras for more than 120 years — dominating the market at one point, and even bringing photos back from the first Moon landing — the company will now focus on printers and will license its brand name to other manufacturers.

Google’s GDrive Reportedly To Launch As Dropbox-rival ‘Drive’ – A news report says the new product will be free to consumers up to a certain size limit, and would also be folded into Google Apps for enterprise.

Raspberry Pi: Britain’s £16 computer (and what powers it) – Measuring just 85mm by 54mm and costing $25 (£16), the Raspberry Pi packs a punch. “It can do anything a PC can,” says engineer Eben Upton, one of six Cambridge-based creators. At its heart is a Broadcom system-on-a-chip, and with 128MB of RAM it can run a full version of Linux-based system Fedora 15 as powerfully as a Pentium II machine.

Amazon Attacks Apple: You Get Three Kindle Products for Price of iPad 2 – Amazon has released a new advertisement that takes a shot at the price of Apple’s iPad, emphasizing the lower cost of the Kindle e-reader and Android-based Kindle Fire tablet computer.

Off Topic (Sort of):

Meet Li-Fi, The LED-Based Alternative To Household Wi-Fi – Detailed look at potential of Li-Fi, a magical concept. One that promises to let you stream a movie from a lamp, communicate underwater by torchlight, download music from an illuminated billboard. It’s Wi-Fi, but not as you know it

Facebook Parenting: For the troubled teen – My daughter thought it would be funny/rebellious/cool to post on her Facebook wall just how upset she was and how unfair her life here is; how we work her too hard with chores, never pay her for chores, and just in general make her life difficult. She chose to share this with the entire world on Facebook and block her parent’s from seeing it. Well, umm… she failed. As of the end of this video, she won’t have to worry anymore about posting inappropriate things on Facebook… (recommended by Michael F.)

W3C co-chair: Apple, Google power causing Open Web crisis – Apple and Google dominate mobile browsing so much that the Web is being infected with proprietary technologies again, just like the bad days of IE6, Daniel Glazman says.

We Need to Regulate Facebook – Facebook, Google, Twitter, and every other data-sucking Web giant should be forced to reveal exactly what data they collect about us — before it’s too late.

Read FBI background report on Apple co-founder Steve Jobs – Turns out that the FBI did a background check on Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in 1991, when he was considered for an appointment on George H.W. Bush’s President’s Export Council. According to the report, which the bureau published today, Jobs’ past drug use raised some questions, as did his lack of support for his eldest child, who was born out of wedlock.

Today’s Quote:

Sometimes I lie awake at night, and I ask, “Where have I gone wrong? Then a voice says to me, “This is going to take more than one night.”

–     Charles M. Schulz

Today’s Free Downloads:

Adobe Muse 0.8 Build 755 Beta 6 – Create websites as easily as you create layouts for print. You can design and publish original HTML pages to the latest web standards without writing code. Now in beta, Muse makes it a snap to produce unique, professional websites. (Registration required).

Windows 7 Codec Pack 3.8.0 – The Windows 7 Codec Pack supports almost every compression and file type used by modern video and audio files. The package is easy to install, while also offering advanced settings to the high end user: For simple installation select “Easy Installation”. For advanced installation options select “Expert Installation”.