Archive for October, 2009
Review of anti-malware program AVG 9.0
In the past I have often recommended the free anti-malware program AVG. In version 8, it became a drag on resources and its record for catching malware was so-so. So I switched to Avira.
Now AVG has a new free version 9.0 and reviews indicate that performance is improved but not outstanding. Notably, they say [...]
Eric Schmidt predicts the future
Leading figures in technology have a certain credibility when predicting the future development of the industry. However, technology has a habit of surprising everyone and even Bill Gates has trouble. (He said spam would be gone by 2006.) So we listen when Google CEO Eric Schmidt makes predictions but we don’t bet the farm on [...]
Helping the elderly get connected
Although seniors have an increasing presence on the Internet, the elderly face certain psychological and conceptual barriers according to a report at Science Daily. A recent study urges designers to consider those barriers when developing new products:
While more older adults than ever are using cell phones and computers, a technology gap still exists that threatens [...]
Microsoft patches patched
Some of the Microsoft security patches from the October patch Tuesday were buggy. Microsoft issued some fixes yesterday. So you may need to check Microsoft Update. Details at InfoWorld.
Google Android GPS
Among its many activities, Google has developed an operating system for small devices like phones. It is called Android and has growing usage. For example, Motorola has a phone coming out called the “Droid”. Google’s platform is free, which gives Microsoft and others who charge some competition.
Now Google is adding a free navigation service [...]
A new kind of memory
A type of computer technology called phase-change memory has been known about for some time but had not advanced to a possible practical state until recently. Intel has been involved with developing the technology. An advantage of phase-change memory is that it can be miniaturized to smaller dimensions than current flash memory. CNET reports on [...]
List of best products of 2009
I don’t always agree with the selections but PC World has compiled a list of what the editors consider the best products of 2009. It is described:
PC World looked at many outstanding hardware, software, sites, and services this year, evaluating each one on its design, functionality, performance, and impact. Here is the cream of the [...]
Searching for music
It’s been hard to keep up with Google announcements this week. Here’s another one. Google is introducing a music search feature:
Every day we get millions of search queries about music. You want to know more about your favorite artists, find that new album or iconic song or figure out the name of that tune stuck [...]
Malware bot attacking Facebook
Gregg Keizer at Computerworld reports:
A massive bot-based attack has been hitting Facebook users, with nearly three-quarters of a million users receiving fake password reset messages, according to security researchers.
The attack, which began Monday afternoon, according to e-mail security vendor Cloudmark, targets Facebook users with a spoofed message that claims recipients’ Facebook passwords have been reset [...]
More bad news on infected sites
The number of Web sites hosting dangerous links and scripts keeps growing. ZDNet reports:
More than 640,000 websites and about 5.8 million pages are infected with malware, according to Dasient, which was founded by former Googlers to offer services to help websites stay malware-free and off blacklists.
Google search adds similar images
Doing an image search for pictures? Find one you like and now you can search for similar images at Google image search. The Official Google Blog describes the new feature:
Today, we’re happy to announce that Similar Images is graduating from Google Labs and becoming a permanent feature in Google Images. You can try it [...]