Archive for January, 2007
Free trial of Office 2007
Microsoft is offering a free download of Office 2007 with a limited lifetime for those who wish to try it out. The download is here and is good for a 60-day trial period. You’ll have to fill out forms to get it, of course.
Test RAM before installing Vista
Although Vista has been available to business for a while, the consumer release doesn’t happen until the end of this month. I think the average home PC user should hold off installing Vista for several months at least but if you can’t wait, one thing you should know is that Vista seems to be very [...]
Government Internet security site
The US government has a number of helpful Web sites concerning online security. Links to these sites are collected at this useful reference http://onguardonline.gov/index.html. The site also contains tips on security. The description for the site:
OnGuardOnline.gov provides practical tips from the federal government and the technology industry to help you be on guard against Internet [...]
Big pictures in small spaces
I am just an old geezer with bad eyes but I have been baffled by all the hype about putting TV and movies on the very small screen that comes with the latest cell phones. I kept asking myself, what’s the point? On the one hand, people are going gaga over high definition and 6-foot [...]
Missing from Internet Explorer 7
Microsoft added some new things to Internet Explorer 7, tabs being one new feature. (Other browsers already had tabs.) Microsoft also took some things away. If you used the Image Toolbar in IE6, don’t waste time looking for it in IE7. It isn’t there. Another thing that is missing is the Menu Bar but that [...]
Recover files from a damaged CD/DVD
Many PC owners use CDs or DVDs to back up data or for graphics or audio files. Sometimes the media can get scratched or otherwise damaged so that normal playback does not work. Fortunately, there is software designed to extract files from damaged media. I have not had a lot of personal experience with it [...]
Windows Vista Ultimate extras
One of the remaining mysteries about Windows Vista has been what would be included in the “extras” that Microsoft promised would be part of the most expensive version, called Vista Ultimate. Until now there haven’t been any extras but Microsoft has announced at the Consumer Electronics Show what some will be. Mary Jo Foley gives [...]
How to get computer help on the Internet
I have revised an article that I wrote a few years ago about how to find help for computer problems on the Internet. The new article can be read here.
Review of Microsoft Office 2007
Microsoft Office is a very big subject and I am not an expert on it so I normally don’t post about Office. However, the new version of Office that is going to be released on January 30 is a big revamp so the subject is of more than usual interest. Walter Mossberg has an instructive [...]
Wireless Internet security
David Pogue is a technology professional who has written computing books and has a regular NY Times column. Even he has been surprised to find out how easily someone can spy on you when you are surfing the Web at an Internet cafe. He writes about it here.
Attack of the zombie computers
I have posted a number of times about the dangers from zombie computers and botnets. The problem has reached such proportions that the NY Times has an article about the severity of the situation. The article states:
Security researchers have been concerned about botnets for some time because they automate and amplify the effects of [...]
