Archive for March, 2007
Alternative search engines
Although Google and Yahoo are the most utilized search engines, there are many others. A list of 100 alternative search engines is kept and updated monthly at this site. Some are general and some are specialized, like this one for finding sounds.
Dell makes Linux an option
One of the big obstacles for anyone in the general public who wanted to try Linux was that they had to install it themselves. Until the anti-trust ruling, Microsoft forced major computer manufacturers to install only Windows. You couldn’t even buy a blank system from Dell, for example. You had to buy a system with [...]
New security exploit in Internet Explorer
ZDNet is reporting a new zero-day security problem for fully patched Windows XP SP2 systems. Microsoft has just published a security advisory that says:
Microsoft is investigating new public reports of targeted attacks exploiting a vulnerability in the way Microsoft Windows handles animated cursor (.ani) files. In order for this attack to be carried out, [...]
Apple Boot Camp now runs Windows Vista
The Apple software called Boot Camp that allows Windows to be run on an Apple Intel machine in a dual-boot configuration has been updated to run Vista. According to ComputerWorld:
Boot Camp 1.2 is now compatible with the 32-bit version of Vista, said Apple. Other improvements to the dual-boot utility include updated drivers for the Mac’s [...]
Record security breach at retailer TJX
ComputerWorld reports that the retailer TJX has owned up to losing 45.6 million credit card records to a break-in at its systems. The data loss took place over a period of 18 months and involves hundreds of thousands of individuals.
In its filing, TJX confirmed that its systems were first accessed illegally in July 2005 [...]
Microsoft Office 2007 has new file formats
There are many changes in the latest release of Microsoft Office. The interface is quite different and there are new file formats. The new formats are not compatible with older versions of Office so PC users who do not install Office 2007 are going to need to download converters. To install the converters in an [...]
Vista upgrade problems
Ii may be beating a dead horse but here is some more evidence that home PC users are likely to be better off if they postpone switching to Vista until they buy a new system with Vista pre-installed. And even then, there may be problems with peripherals and older software. Adrian Kingsley-Hughes writes about the [...]
Oldies but goodies
The latest version of an application is not always the best. In their attempt to get people to keep buying new versions of an application, software companies often load up applications with added features that are not needed or that even cause problems. More than once, I have seen a program made worse [...]
Format C:
Every since DOS, there have been stories of the newbie who used the command “format C:” while actually operating from the C: drive. There are also stories of viruses containing the command. I never tried it to see if it worked but some brave souls have tried formatting the C: drive right from the Windows [...]
Ergonomic mouse replacement
Continuing the discussion of solutions for alleviating the physical stress of using a mouse, I will mention a replacement for the mouse reviewed at ExtremeTech called the Trackbar Emotion. This device is intended to completely replace the mouse. The review says:
The Trackbar Emotion offers an alternative and ergonomic solution over the traditional mouse. Whether or [...]
Ergonomic mice
Instead of applying the software approach mentioned in the previous post, those wishing to ease the stress of using a computer can consider specially designed mice. ExtremeTech reviews the Zero Tension Mouse and some other ergonomically designed input devices. About the mouse, the review says:
We really only used the mouse for two weeks, and that [...]
