Tech Thread

In all my time here I haven't seen or heard too many technology discussions. I'm not too tech savvy myself, but I dare say some of you are. As such, I decided to create this thread for more technology discussion. Don't just limit yourself to PC's but tablets, cellphones, etc. are welcome. I'll get started:

I'm currently using the latest version of Mozilla Firefox. I've been using this browser for a number of years now but I've read some good things about Google Chrome. Anybody ever use both or just using Chrome? Would enjoy some feedback if possible please. I gave up on Internet Explorer years ago.

Also, as my antivirus I'm using Microsoft Security Essentials. Now, I'm like you. Right, a free antivirus, how good could it be? Well, the past 2 years I was using BitDefender. The 2010 version was good but 2011's was bad and I still got a virus downloading music. However, my friend who fixed it told me he uses Microsoft Security Essentials and since then, I've used it with NO problems. What I love about it, or it at least makes me feel good, is the fact that almost everytime I hit update, it actually DOES. Towards the end of my old computer, I'd hit the update button (using BitDefender 2011) and it never updated. It would say things were up-to-date but I didn't buy it. I even tried to install AVG antivirus as a suggestion from another friend and it would never load onto the system (probably the virus forbidding it). Anybody else using Microsoft Security Essentials and can vouch for it or using another type of program?

Happy discussions!

Irish, I use IE8 (although Geoff condemns it). I use Defender. I also use Malaware Bits By IOBIT and Avast. I tried by others such as AVG and Norton, but they are either top-heavy or they are not compatible with other protection software.

By the way, do you download from CNET?

Oli's right, I detest Internet Explorer. The risks of using it out way any benefits (and, frankly, there are no benefits).

I did use Firefox for a while, but even that became a bit heavy. I still use it, though, for some more technical tasks when I have to work with source code. I LOVE Chrome, and it's my everyday browser. It's slim, sleek, and fast. It can take up a lot of hard drive space, though, as it caches -- one of the reasons why it's so fast.

However, I'm not sure if it's a Chrome problem or something else, but my Flash crashes on me too often -- it could be the Facebook game I play (that's when it happens mostly), but I'm not sure.

For years I paid for McAfee (because it was the only thing at the time that cured a serious virus I had). But it's very bloated and slows everything down. Norton is even worse. Like I12, I've been using MS Essentials and love it (go figure, a M$ program I like!). It doesn't slow anything down, and I have yet to run into a problem. I also run Spybot Search & Destroy in the background to prevent malware. It's also recommended.

I used to use Malware Bytes too and it's a pretty good program. I can vouch for it. I don't use it anymore. Like I said, I strictly just use Microsoft Security Essentials. How do you like Internet Explorer 8? I know they've fixed it up in years. It used to be bad which is why people changed browsers to Firefox and such. I still don't use it a lot unless I'm at work because that's all we have.

And yes, sometimes I download from CNET. If not from there, I use File Hippo.

Would you recommend a program like Spybot or Malware Bytes in addition to Microsoft Security Essentials or MS Essentials is enough on it's own?

Recently I dumped Verizon DSL for Comcast Internet. Its much faster, but I need a wireless router because of the way my house is wired and where my computer is. So, I bought a Cisco-Linksys wireless router - nothing fancy, E1200. What a piece of shit. After two weeks it lost power. It came with no SSID or password and their tech support could get me hooked up. The unit worked, but unsecured. When the power died I sent it back - cost me $10 to mail. The second unit - same thing - no SSID, no password, no security - after 10 days I lost connection. SOOOO, I went to Staples and bought a Netgear router. 10 minutes, up and working, secure, no problem. I wrote to Cisco, one week, no response. DON'T buy Cisco, Linksys.

I got introduced to computers at work in 1979, well before personal computers. The company techies hooked me up to their UNIX hosts (DEC PDP-11's), which I accessed via a 1200 baud modem on my desktop. I also wanted computing at home, so I got a Texas Instruments Silent 700 portable data terminal, which looked like a portable typewriter with "earmuffs" into which you inserted the handset from a phone. After that, I got the company to hook my home to a private local area network that improved my access speed--but all the terminals I used were dumb ones.

I worked as an executive speechwriter and I was wild for high availability computing because my clients didn't want to hear that the computer was down. I had logins on four physically separate mainframes, and when I finished a draft, I'd move it to each of the computers, character by character, as backups. I also had an incredible array of spare modems, terminals, printers and other equipment to cover me. Once, when I was writing a Congressional testimony for our CEO, I had DEC put a technician on 24-hour standby to bring up my mainframe in case of trouble. I had him come in at 3 a.m. twice to bring the mainframe up.

We got our first PCs in '87, and that's when I gave up all the mainframes. I could copy all of my work to floppy discs and bring them with me. If my PC failed, there were hundreds of others at work that I could use.

Today a cell phone has more computer power than all of NASA did in 1969 when it sent astronauts to the moon.

The Sony Playstation of today, which costs $300, has the power of a military supercomputer of 1997, which cost millions of dollars.

I love technology.

As I said, I run both... don't know for sure if it's overkill or not, but, I've never had any problems or slowdowns from those 2 I mentioned...

Didn't you work for FiOS?? I guess they don't have it down there in the sea grass yet

And next week, you can get an iPad 3 with more power than an XBOX 360... gotta love it!

FWIW, Norton has undergone a complete transformations the last 2 versions or so. Not only is not bloated anymore, it installs in literally under 30 seconds, and doesn't use any noticeable system resources. It is the complete opposite of McAfee and the Norton products of a few years ago.

I run Norton on my main desktop, Free Avast on my 2 notebooks, and MS Security Essentials on my old Windows XP desktop. I used to use Kaspersky on most of my systems, but the program has become bloated and buggy the last few years.

Good to hear (tho only like a year ago Norton was still a bloated whale)... but until I run into a problem, I'm sticking with MS Security Essentials + S&D...

I recently had to replace my Linksys router too. However, it was about 5+ years old so I'd say we got our money's worth. Never really had any problem with it too much. I've got a Belkin now and it seems to be doing the job. My problem hasn't been so much with the router but with stupid Time Warner Cables cheap equipment that breaks down every 6 months or so (sooner sometimes). I'm talking modems, DVRs, etc.

My favorite current hi-tech gadget is the Hauppauge Personal Video Recorder. It's a little box with cables that attach to your DVR, while another goes into a USB port on your computer. After you load the software, the system enables you to copy anything stored on your DVR to your computer, and to burn a DVD in either the standard 480 format or in 720 hi-definition. Really works!

I think it's always good to have a 2nd protector. Each one has its own inventory of virus definitions many of which are the same as the other. But, some are different and additional. That way your protection is likely to be more comprehensive.

By the way, I continue to use IE8. I tried IE9, but didn't like it. I've tried Chrome and Firefox too. I guess I'm not that amenable to change; I feel okay with 8.

I took your advice and downloaded MalwareBytes. However, I've never used the Pro version. Have you? If so, how much of a difference between the Pro and free versions?

Does anyone have or know much about the Boxee Box? I'm thinking about dumping cable for streaming, and they seem to claim they can deliver a lot more to your TV than other products.

I didn't recommend Malwarebytes -- I said I used Spybot - Search & Destroy which has a TSR (always running program) to help stop threats (which MWB Pro has, I believe).

I have Avast and Malaware free versions and they do just fine.

I've never used Spybot. I've used MalwareBytes and I'm comfortable with it. You ever use Malware or no?

REALLY curious about something. I cleaned my desktop computer Thursday night (virus scan and all). Downloaded MalwareBytes - free version and scanned it. Found nothing. Cleaned my laptop on Friday (which is the computer I now use strictly for downloading). Found nothing as well. Downloaded MalwareBytes Pro and scanned it. Found 2 trojan viruses. That was the only reason I was asking between the free and Pro versions.

The pro version may have an expanded inventory of virus definitions. That's why I use two or three of them. Also, periodically from CNET I download another product and run it one time then uninstall it.

I have an older laptop that I purchased maybe 4 years ago or so. I got frustrated with it because it was exceptionally slow loading anything. Before I dispose of it, I thought I'd play around with it and see if I could make it faster. It's an IBM Thinkpad and it's a Windows Vista. When I bought it they said that everything was gonna be Vista in the near future. LOL Do they even make Vista anymore?

I did computer scans, disk fragmented scans, got rid of unnecessary programs and eliminated many (all) start-up menu items. I too have Microsoft Security essentials, and I ran that a couple times. The start-ups, shut downs though are still sooooo slow. Thus far, it seems much better once it's up and running. I'm wondering if the slow start-up/shut-downs are a trait of Windows Vista. Anyone know?


TIS

TIS, the same thing happened to me. I bought a friend of mine's defective laptop cheap. A buddy fixed it up and upgraded it to Windows 7 however it ran COMPLETELY too slow for me. I was just gonna buy some more memory for the computer to speed it up. However, from another friend of mine, he said it would almost be better to buy a brand new computer because for the all money I'd have to spend buying memory to make the laptop faster, it'd almost be the same amount of money. When my tax return came in, my friend who fixed my laptop shopped for the parts I would need for a brand new desktop computer. I purchased the parts myself, he assembled it and I couldn't be HAPPIER!

I'm still doing FiOS, but they aren't going to do Fiber to the Pine Tree where I am. In fact they recently announced that they (Verizon) are not going into any new market areas (what ever that means). Verizon is partnering with their rivals - the cable companies - to provide internet/TV. Technology and business seem to clash, become friends then morph into something new. I just want to sell snow cones on the boardwalk.

Quick question. I lost the little Internet icon on the bottom right of my screen where, when I click on, I can see how good a connection I have and available connections, etc. How do I get it back to to stay at the bottom of the screen?

Thanks


TIS

Does your START button show up on the bottom? If you lost your taskbar you might try pressing the CTRL key and the ESC key at the same time.

Well, I got it back. I had all these useless windows opening at startup (a welcome from Lenovo, a fingerprint option on system and other stuff), so I went to taskbar startup and chose to not have any of these windows open. Then I lost that icon. I went back and checked more boxes and got some crap still opening, but also got my Internet icon back. Hard to tell what is unnecessary.


TIS

Yeah TIS, you just told the computer to basically run nothing when the computer boots up it sounds like. You can adjust what does and doesn't start when Windows boots up. However, some programs can be a pain the butt because when you use them once, they'll open EVERY time Windows starts even though you didn't ask them to and have to uncheck them again. It can be frustrating. What I do is basically if I know the program (like Zune, iTunes, etc) and I don't need it, I tell it not to open.

There are any number of startup managers that you can download from CNET. Try one of them.

So I just went ahead and took the free version of Malware Bytes off of my desktop and put the Pro on. I'm going to run a scan soon and see how we're looking.

I use Google Chrome but I also seem to have a problem with flash crashing that doesn't happen as often with Firefox.

Have any of you guys got the "Slow Script" running warning that pops up? I am on a Max OS X 10.4.11 (Tiger) but my wife gets that a lot while using Firefox on her Vista laptop. I use Safari & Camino on my Mac because no Firefox version supports my old Mac Tiger system. Any way - the slow script thing is a pain. I just click stop (or continue) the only options. At work I have Windows Pro SP3 and use Spybot, Windows Defender and of course our corporate staple Norton. I also have Malwarebytes free version. Also - I have found that most applications you can go to the individual properties or preferences section and click or unclick run at start up option. I'm not a computer wiz but have learned a few things the hard way.

So I ran the scan on my new desktop which I NEVER download anything on to (that's what the laptop's for and remember that had 2 viruses on it). The results are that I have 6 Trojan Clicker viruses on it! I CAN'T believe it! I have more viruses on the computer that I don't download anything onto than the one that I do download stuff onto.

I had that script error message recently. Maybe a couple of weeks ago but it seems to have gone away. I'm running Windows 7 64-bit.

I am leaning toward installing Google Chrome (I am a huge Google fan) because I feel that it will be better suited to handle all my google services (gmail, etc) than my current Firefox. My problem is that I have been using Firefox for many many years and love the add-ons that I have on it which is largely the reason I havent switched. Ive used other PC's with Chrome and noticed a difference in terms of speed/loading of the browser compared to my firefox.

Idk, right now I dont think I will change. But maybe one day when I am bored...

I am running TuneUp Utilities Pro, Malwarebytes Pro, and ESET NOD32 Antivirus Pro (best in my opinion).

With these three programs I have been able to manage my PC mroe than adequately, my computer runs in tip top shape, no viruses/malware/trojans,etc in all three years that I have had it which is great considering I am constaly streaming,downloading music and videos on it.

Note: I didnt pay for any of the aforementioned software even though I have the pro/premium versions which require payment. I used an old friend called Google to search warez sites for them and for serial numbers, etc.

A noticeable difference or minor?

I didn't pay for the MalwareBytes Pro version either but glad it found these viruses for me. I'm just highly upset that the computer is only a month old and this is the one that I don't download ANYTHING on. I had 6 trojan.clicker viruses on this and only 2 on my laptop which I do use to download items.

One thing to keep in mind is that all of these malware detection softwares have a malware inventory that you must keep up to date when prompted to do so.

Everytime I'm online I update Microsoft Security Essentials and MalwareBytes

I would say noticeable, its probably because I have a bunch of add-ons of my Firefox that causes it to not load as fast.

Nowadays you can get trojans from email messages and websites that you visit.

Do you know exactly what a trojan.clicker virus is?

Not to upset anyone, but this webpage has been blocked by my employer. They said I infected 2 computers visiting this site. They said something about the advertisements were transmitting information back to China/Russia or something. I'm wondering if that's how I got the trojan.clicker viruses on my home computer?

Which webpage?? This GBB message board??

Yeah. They blocked it. Said I infected 2 computers at work and this was the website. The only reason I'm bringing it up is because again, my desktop computer is only a month old, I never download anything to it, and I have 3 times as many trojans on it than the laptop that I do download stuff on to. So I was thinking that maybe my desktop got infected the same way as my work computers?

A Trojan-Clicker is a type of trojan that remains resident in system memory and continuously or regularly attempts to connect to specific websites. This is done to inflate the visit counters for those specific pages.

The purpose of a trojan-clicker is to either earn money for appearing to drive traffic to specific sites (fraud) or to drain the budget of a competitor (attack) by artificially inflating the referrals that are paid for.

Yeah, that's what I found out yesterday googling it but I wasn't able to find if it was harmful or not? I've since deleted said infected files but how bad is it for this to be on my computer?

Every time I access the BB Avast posts a trojan warning.

Alright, so it may not just be me then. Thanks olivant

That again? Ugh... the only ads here, besides the ones I created myself on top, are served by either Google, Amazon, or AllPosters.com (and can you really imagine if one of those three purposely did that??!).

I'm going to disable them one at a time (over time), so please tell me if you're still seeing the warnings, and from which program. (I'm not getting any at all)

First up, the header ads I made myself.

Oh-oh! I accessed the GBB while visiting my brother in law in NJ last September, and his computer immediately infected with a virus that tried to steer him to a site that offered to clean it if he entered his credit card #. To be fair, he said he'd had that virus a week or two earlier. Then we visited a friend in Nevada in October, and I accessed GBB from her computer. Same virus. Never had it on my computer.

Ok, I've got a problem. I was updated MalwareBytes Pro tonight and it looks like it went back to the free version because my real time protection isn't on. The instructions indicate that if this problem arises, I should try running it as administrator. Have you ever had this problem because I haven't and I googled how to run it as an administrator and not sure if the changes will save or not? A little confused and I'd REALLY rather not have to download it again.

If you're using Windows 7, you can run such programs "As Administrator" simply by right-clicking on its desktop shortcut (or going to the actual file in Program Files) and choosing "Advanced"

I just installed AVAST, so let's see what happens. Anyone getting any alerts since I disabled the header ads?

This is nice, in AVAST... under Real-Time Shields / Web Shield there's an ongoing Shield Traffic indicator that shows all the web traffic in your browser in real time!

A lot of it was coming from ESPN just sitting in another tab. When I went to My Yahoo, I saw it accessing my yahoo mail for updates, etc. Apparently there's A LOT of calls in the background. As I sit here with JUST the BB loaded up (and currently with the header ads disabled), there is absolutely no background activity at the moment.

If you're running AVAST, and get the alerts, you should probably check the Shield Log and see what URLs are causing the problem -- and report them here, please!

If AVAST keeps impressing me, I just may stick with it. So far I'm still also running Microsoft Security Essentials and Spybot.

PS - When I submitted that reply, googlesyndication.com and amazon-adsystem.com and other google stuff are showing up, but not as a problem.

Just a FYI, I'm currently scanning my computer with MalwareBytes and I went from having 6 infected items up to 10. They're all the same trojan.clicker viruses that I had before.

AVAST seems to be VERY conservative. I started a Full Scan an hour ago, and it only got thru 3% of my system. I stopped it for now, but it did "find" that there was a "High Threat" of a Win32:Trojan in an uninstall.exe program for a piece of software I've had for a year. Likely horse crap! MSE had no problem with the file.

I tried to open EditPad, the most basic text editor in the world next to Notepad, that I've used for YEARS, and it thought it was "suspicious"... more horse crap!

I guess it's better to be safe than sorry, but now I have to wonder how "serious" the "BB Trojan" could possibly be. A warning or alert doesn't mean it's bad, apparently. But, I'll still be looking into this. There still may be something to all this.

Anyone "infected" by the BB, what symptoms have you had besides the warnings?

I will try MalwareBytes when I get a chance

My computers been a little bit slower starting up Windows. That's about the only difference I've noticed currently.

And my computer's been a little bit slower since starting up AVAST

Any news Don?

Haven't tried it yet... too busy, and going away for a week Friday, so...

But anyone with problems should still post here with specific details to help narrow down the issues...

nope i have never had this issue, right click malwarebytes and run it as an administrator

I did, not sure if it worked. Before I did I clicked the begin trial link so all it says instead of Pro is trial. The trial version is 2 weeks long so I guess I'll find out soon enough but I did right click and ran as administrator. Only time will tell now I guess. If not, I think I'm going to have to get a different version of it

you should be fine , i wouldnt worry too much about it

Ok, cool. Thanks. I hope you're right!

Ok, so I read some of the comments that have been added to the torrent since I downloaded it and others are having the same problem as I am. I guess when you update it, it kicks you back down to a free version. If you don't ever update it though, won't it become out of date rather quickly? How else are you suppose to have the most current malware definitions to scan for?

well you can always just pay for the pro version...

well if u hack the program then worrying about it becoming the free version when you update wouldnt be an issue)

i think the free version is just as good as the pro honestly not that much of a difference

I agree. I think the feature that I like most is it's a proactive program. Basically I like the real-time protection. The pro version seems to protect your computer from becoming infected. The free version seems to be reactive in that it fixes your computer after it's already infected.

I have the free version and I get prompted for definition updates. In fact, I was just prompted that my definitions are 7 days out of date.

true, but i dont even use the real time protection because it is annoying as it is always running in the taskbar and a notification pops up when its soemthing it doesnt like even if it may be harmless,

you can always get the free version and run a full scan once a week or more often

That's what I do and will continue to do. Have you ever used Spybot?

I used Spybot way back when, I found it annoying and i think malware is much better

check it this deal you mist be interested

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...N82E16832562001

Thanks DD. I was thinking of just breaking down and buying it. Lifetime subscription for around $20 is not bad at all.

Has anyone ever used Linux? Some guys are working were telling me about it and supposedly the new Ubuntu system is suppose to be pretty nice. Was thinking of switching my laptop (aka - the download computer) to it since it runs EXTREMELY slow due to Windows 7.

I took a computer science course as a freshman in college and played with linux a bit, it is a nice os, but i am soo used to windows (even though i hate microsoft) that i stick with it

Yeah, the new system is supposedly A LOT more user friendly. I've read online that if people were thinking of switching from Windows, now's the time. It looks like a Mac almost in terms of appearance. The only problem I found with it somewhat was that some software isn't Linux compatible. I'm still thinking about it. My friend at work said he could do it to where when it boots up, I could choose whether I want to run Linux or Windows (which I think is pretty sweet!). Seriously giving it consideration.

Yeah the whole not having eveyr piece of software being Linux compatible is a big turn off for me. Your friend is talking about having your pc do a "dual boot" where you can choose the OS you want. I have been thinking of doing that for my HP Touchpad (tablet) it currently runs on its native WebOS platform which I like, but a popular online group called Cyanogenmod hacked it to where it also runs on Android and I can choose which OS I want to run when I turn it on.

The group also hacks other tablets and basically all smartphones to do bunch of cool stuff, and the best part is you can download the "roms" they make to hack your device for free.

Currently, I dont have any time to do any of this cool stuff to my devices but hopefully once I am done with school I will give it a shoot and put android on it.

Cool, let us know how it turns out DD. I'd be curious. I've got an iPhone 3GS and always wanted to jailbreak it but I'm afraid of bricking it. However, when I get the new iPhone later this year, I may do it then since if I do brick it, it won't be a big deal since it won't be the phone I use daily.

As for my computer, I think I'm going to do the dual boot up. If I don't like it, I can just use the Windows but I watched a couple of videos on youtube about it and I'm intrigued. Not having to worry about antiviruses or spywares would be AWESOME! If all goes well, I'd think about switching my desktop as well (which is the computer I use for surfing the Internet, etc).

Thanks, lets us know how the dual boot goes.

Absolutely. Probably going to have it converted Monday night so hopefully by Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest I'll have it back. Fingers crossed, I can't wait!

So I finally took your advice Geoff and downloaded Spybot Search & Destroy. I was having too many pop-ups recently. I would go to one of my torrent sites and Firefox was saying it blocked 6 pop-ups, which is WAY too many. So I downloaded Spybot with the intention of finding something and then removing the software. However, I think I may keep it after all. It found 8 things and got rid of them and now I don't have as many pop-ups being blocked which is AWESOME! I just have to get used to the interface though. Pretty ordinary compared to MalwareBytes (or at least in my opinion it is).

Well, when you're not purposely scanning, it just sits in the background and watches over everything -- no interface at all!

Nice. So will it block potentially malicious sites or things from infecting my computer before they happen? If so, that's similar to the MalwareBytes Pro version.

That I don't know, cuz it's never warned me -- I only notice it when installing/updating software, asking me to confirm the changes to the registry...

Gotcha. What does the Immunize feature mean? What's it do exactly?

Click on the Help button in that section and it'll explain it. It's for IE, which I don't use, but "it modifies Internet Explorer, through official ways, to block a lot of the bad stuff known to Spybot-S&D."

Malwarebytes for 10 bucks

http://slickdeals.net/f/4183750-Malwareb...through-4-12-12

AWESOME! Thanks for the heads up Dapper_Don. I think I'll DEFINITELY be purchasing this now that it's so reduced in price.

Just another reason I dont like Apple

Suit says Apple, publishers fixed e-book prices

By YLAN Q. MUI AND HAYLEY TSUKAYAMA

The Washington Post

The Justice Department on Wednesday accused five of the nation's largest publishing houses and Apple of fixing prices on e-books and forcing consumers to pay tens of millions of dollars more for their favorite titles.

In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in New York, the government painted a portrait of an industry desperately trying to turn a profit amid rapid changes in technology and aggressive competition from online retailers. In phone conversations, emails and dinners at exclusive New York restaurants, the companies' top executives colluded to wrest control of the market from Amazon.com and raise prices on e-books, according to the complaint.

It was this coordinated effort that raised flags for federal investigators.

"We allege that these executives knew full well what they were doing," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Sharis Pozen.

None of the firms has admitted wrongdoing, but three publishers -- Hachette, HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster -- have agreed to settle the case. Apple is contesting the charges, embarking on its most prominent fight with Washington. Macmillan and Penguin Group have declined to settle as well.

"It is also hard to settle a lawsuit when you know you have done no wrong," Macmillan chief executive John Sargent said in a prepared statement.

The scope of the Justice Department's investigation, and the fact that several firms are not backing down, are testaments to the intensity of the battle for dominance in a billion-dollar market that is expected to triple by 2015. A recent survey from the Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project found that one-fifth of all American adults have read an electronic version of a book in the past year.

The problem for publishers, however, is that consumers expect e-books to be priced substantially lower than printed ones because they are cheaper to produce and distribute. But publishers were outraged when Amazon pushed prices even lower, selling e-books for $9.99 as a way to encourage consumers to buy its Kindle e-reader.

According to the Justice Department complaint, publishers worried that this would lead to lower wholesale prices for e-books and reduce the amount that consumers would pay for any books. Ultimately, they feared that Amazon's dominance in distribution would allow it to bypass publishers altogether and sell content directly from authors.

Even as it announced its settlement with the government Wednesday, Hachette pointed to Amazon as the real industry predator.

"Amazon effectively had a monopoly on the sale of e-books and e-readers, and was selling products below cost in an effort to exclude competitors," the company said in a prepared statement. "We believe the DOJ and the state (attorneys general) have a responsibility to consumers to ensure that the market for e-books remains diverse and competitive."

But Justice said the publishers' response to Amazon's threat crossed the line. Starting around fall 2008, the suit said, they began meeting to discuss what was called "the $9.99 problem" and decided to act together to try to force Amazon to raise its prices. The opportunity presented itself in 2009 as Apple prepared to launch its iPad, according to the complaint. It wanted to create an e-book marketplace similar to iTunes but was concerned that margins were too thin.

The suit alleges that Apple decided to work with publishers to establish a new model of doing business: Instead of buying books from them at one price and selling them to readers at another, Apple would allow publishers to set the prices at up to $16.99. In exchange, Apple received 30 percent of the proceeds. The suit said the company called this the "aikido move" that would cripple Amazon.

"Yes, the customer pays a little more, but that's what you want anyway," the late Apple chief executive Steve Jobs said, according to the complaint.

All five publishers agreed to Apple's plan within two days in January 2010, Justice said. By April 2010, they had all increased the price of e-books.

"We are sending a clear message that competitors, even in rapidly evolving technology industries, cannot conspire to raise prices," said Pozen, the acting assistant attorney general.

Sargent, Macmillan's chief executive, disputed the government's characterization of the move. In a statement, he said that he made the decision to accept Apple's terms while riding an exercise bike in his basement by himself. He said his company is making less money on e-books since it switched to Apple's model.

Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr declined to comment.

Justice's proposed settlement with Hachette, HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster would end their agreements with Apple and allow retailers to set their own prices for e-books. Amazon welcomed the proposed deal as "a big win for Kindle owners." Mark Cooper, director of research for the Consumer Federation of America, said consumers should look for savings soon.

"The price went up immediately when they did their deal, so there's no reason not to expect the price will come down," he said. "The cartel will unravel."

But litigation for Apple, Macmillan and Penguin could take years.

http://www.pressherald.com/news/suit-says-apple-publishers-fixed-e-book-prices_1969-12-31.html

I just read this this morning. Really? Like they really NEED more money?

So unfortunately I can't have Linux on my laptop. My laptop's too old and the driver's on it won't recognize my wireless router. The way it was explained to me was that I needed to be hard wired into it. I could still do it with my desktop but for now I'm going to pass. I've never used it and don't wanna mess up my desktop since it's so new. Plus, I was going to use Linux to download stuff and I'd rather use the laptop for that, not the desktop.

that sucks man

Wasn't quite sure where to ask this but figured this might be a good place. It's technical advice but not really computer related.

Does anyone know where I can bring VHS videos in to transfer to DVD? I'm talking old home movies. Nobody I know has a VCR anymore, let alone both. Any suggestions? I did find some on-line in which you send in the video for them to transfer, but I am not comfortable doing that since these are family movies. Thanks in advance


TIS

I get mine converted at CVS.

The pharmacy? Really? I have a couple in my area.


TIS

I haven't jumped into the whole tablet revolution yet. However, if I decide to, which should I go with: the Kindle Fire or an iPad? I would use the tablet primarily for reading and some light browsing just to give you an idea of what I'd be using it for. Thoughts on either anyone?

i have the cancelled/popular HP Touchpad which I use for those exact same things, plus watch the occasional movie on it.

Honestly, both the Kindle Fire and iPad are execellent choices. The Kindle Fire is less expensive so theres that option. Ive read in the WSJ that Amazon will be releasing a few new Kindle Fire's later this year so if I was you I would wait till the holidays or so and check out all the new models/deals by then. Also Google (I love Google ) has announced plans to drop an inexpensive tablet as well

Thanks DD. I was leaning towards the Fire but everything has to be purchased through Amazon. I already have an iPhone and have some stuff (apps mostly) through iTunes so now I've been thinking more about getting an iPad. Plus, from all of the reviews I've read, most people say go with the iPad and the ones that say go with the Fire only say that due to its price.

So I found this little nugget to be particularly interesting. I had been contemplating on whether or not to invest money into an Apple iPad and it looks as if my decision may have already been made for me. According to this article, Apple's going to release what they call a mini iPad to crush their competitors. It's rumored the new mini iPad will have between a 7" or 8" screen (although some people feel it'll be closer to 7.5") with 8GB of memory, which is currently what the Kindle Fire has. Not only that, but Apple plans to sell them at a loss!

Apple Plans To Sell Mini iPad At A Loss to Destroy Cheap Tablet Competitors

That sounds great, but I sure hope it has more than 8GB memory! (I didn't see it mentioned in the article). My iPhone 4 has "16GB" (actually just 13.7GB after the firmware) and I've filled it up and had to delete photos and videos and unused apps. I don't often use the iPod part, but I do have 880 songs on there which isn't a super lot. I also have 100 apps installed (they add up!), so if you plan on using it for all those things, you better hope it has at least 16GB memory.

$250 sounds great, though. But then you'd have to add another data plan? Or maybe it'll be wi-fi only, which isn't as bad as it used to be, but would still be pretty annoying on car trips if you can't use it. I'll have to see the official specs when they formally announce it -- but thanks for the heads-up!

Yes, the article doesn't mention it. It may have been a different article on the same website or a different website altogether. But, again, as of now these are only rumors and that's what I've heard thus far.

I currently have an iPhone 3GS 16GB and I still have 11GB free so the 8GB may be fine with me. We'll have to see. I don't use the iPod part either. I'm unfortunately going to have to break down and buy one when my Zune finally craps.

I wonder how much a mini iPad 16GB would cost? Possibly $300?

Lately my PC has been suffering from "unexpected shutdown". It seems to happen about every two weeks. And it usually happens when I'm not working on it. The PC is about 4+ years old; a Dell Inspiron. I've added memory and there is plenty of space on the hard drive. I have Norton Security. I've never been bothered by a virus. Old age? Any thoughts.

Have you run a complete diagnostic of your antivirus? Checked for malware?

I have the same unit, same age. No problems. Maybe reinstall Windows, or download diagnostic software free at CNET.

Try this link: http://download.cnet.com/Don-t-Sleep/3000-2094_4-75179809.html?tag=mncol;8

I've had the experience the last 2-3 weeks of going off DirecTV and watching TV with an antenna like God intended. I'm amazed at the digital picture -- every bit as good as DirecTV provided, though it tends to get all pixillated occasionally. I have Netflix and the major league baseball package streaming from the internet via a Blu-ray player, and can access whatever TV episodes are on youtube. I'm not sure how it will work out when football season rolls around (DirecTV has an exclusive on the NFL package), but for the summer it's fine and DirecTV has already offered about 35% off for the first year if I re-up.

For those of you who use laptops, you might want to read this. In case you don't read it, make sure that when you use your laptop, you're dressed and not doing anything you wouldn't want others to see:

http://gov.aol.com/2012/06/05/are-hacker...test=latestnews

I hacked and installed Cyanogenmod 9 with Android on my HP Touchpad (tablet) so now I am able to dual-boot into either WebOS (native OS for Touchpad) or Android's Ice Cream Sandwich at the touch of a button. It is pretty awesome now I have acess (free) to everything available on Android and thus I have installed a few games like Sonic, GTA 3, among others plus a ton of apps like Netflix and other Android stuff. It was pretty easy to do (like 30 mins) and def worth it.

check out the video below of a guy reviewing both OS's on the Touchpad along with video of GTA 3 on it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXpK8LGQugU&feature=related

In case anybody is interested, this is the antivirus that i use I havent had a virus on my pc since I purchased it three yrs ago) and think it is the best on the market. This is an amazing deal.

ESET NOD32 Antivirus 5.0 Free after $30 Rebate + Free shipping

http://slickdeals.net/permadeal/75248/newegg-eset-nod32-antivirus-5.0-3user

I'm gonna wait until the iPad mini comes out. Rumor is it'll be in September. For anyone who has an iPad, have they or do you know anyone who's hacked it? I currently have an iPhone 3GS and am going to get the new one when it comes out this year as well (once again, the rumor is September/October). When I do get it, I was thinking of jailbreaking my 3GS.

^^idk anybody who has hacked it but I am sure you can find out how on youtube/somewhere online

Besides an ipod and itunes, i dont use/have any other apple products and am not very fond of apple to boot.

I've never tried it and have viewed some vidoes online. I'm just afraid of bricking my iPhone by doing it. Jailbreaking an item voids the warranty and I don't want to try anything until I have a new one.

My system won't let me create a new restore point whether I try to do that myself through Windows or newly installed software tries to create one. I've tried some solutions offered by the Web, but unsuccessfully. Have any of you had this problem and can you suggest a solution?

In case anybody else is interested from our prior discussions, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware with a Lifetime License is $10 for a limited time at NewEgg

$19.99 web price
$10 off w/ promo code MAL615
Final price: 9.99

Free shipping

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...N82E16832562001

Sounds like it could be a virus. Try downloading Microsoft Security Essentials or AVG. I currently use MSE. Run a scan and see if you come up with anything.

If not and just to double check, trying downloading MalwareBytes or Spybot Search and Destroy and same thing, see if it finds anything.

Thanks for the info, but it's not a virus. I already have Avast and Mal.

do u have one of those system restore cd's or no? maybe using that will work...

Is there any reason I shouldn't update from IE8 to IE 9? Does it change anything?






TIS

TIS, I thought I posted this yesterday, but it didn't take.

I recently reinstalled Windows and it automatically replaced my IE8 with 9. I haven't noticed any difference except some changes in the IE screen format.

Thanks Oli




TIS

By now you should know my take in IE-anything... NOOOOOO!!!!

But that's just my tiny little opinion, after a measly almost 30 years of computing...

I also have Firefox which, as far as format, I don't mind. However, I can never keep a connection with it. I was using it all the time but found myself constantly losing connection, and having to re-connect via troubleshooter which said I lost connection with the data point or something.

I called my cable company and via telephone they tweeked here and there. I don't have the problem with IE so I went back to IE.
Don't know if it's my internet company (RoadRunner/Time Warner) but IE works better so that's what I'll use.

TIS

I've always had IE and it works just fine.

30 years! Does that count the Commodore 64? back at ya.

Apple ][ and //e

TIS, here's some encouraging news from CNET for we IE users:

IE hangs on to more than half of browser market

Microsoft's browser took home a 54 percent slice of the market in June, leaving Firefox and Chrome each with around 20 percent, says Net Applications.

Read more: Free software downloads and software reviews - CNET Download.com http://download.cnet.com/windows/?tag=hdr;brandnav#ixzz1zaybaFWz

Thanks Oli, that's good to know.




TIS

Anyone here have more than casual info about the DNS Changer malware set to infect on Monday?

Oli,

I just became aware of this DNS Changer. I used this very quick, no downloading. Just click the first URL, where it says "English" and you'll get an immediate result.

http://www.dcwg.org/detect/

Also, here's a couple more links. I only went with the one above and have not used these:

http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2011/november/malware_110911

http://www.dcwg.org/


TIS

I'm running Windows 8 on one of my notebooks, and I don't know if people are going to like the new "Metro UI" which replaces Aero. This might be a hit on tablets, but a big fail on desktops and notebooks.

Yea, from what I have seen of Metro UI, I have zero interest. I feel like I just got Windows 7 (even though I have had it for years), and I am very happy with it.

Yeah, I agree. I have "7" on 2 other systems, and it's been flawless since installation. I don't think I'll be updating them.

I'm still trying to switch to Linux. Tired of Windows. And still waiting until the end of the year when the iPad Mini gets released.

A few years ago, I ran Linux on a system. It was too "geeky" for me.

What do you mean by "geeky"? In what way?

Have you seen Windows new "Metro" smartphone OS interface? I dont particularly like that either. The style seems to be too "flashy" and full of close interaction with social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter automatically built-in. Overall, doesnt seem very user friendly to me. I guess I am used to the huge level of customization that Android offers.

When Windows 7 came out, I was surprised that it looked great and worked awesome considering Microsoft products (I HATE Internet Explorer) till that had consistently dissapointed/were lackluster. It surprises me that a company as big as Microsoft usually strikes out with consumers when they come out with a new product.

Took a computer science course my freshman year of college where we learned Linux. I didnt particularly like it back then (wasnt as user-friendly/too techy at the time) as I was used to Windows and didnt care about using another OS. But I remember Linux did have its benefits over other operating systems.

Now I am more interested in "techy" stuff like Linux, jailbreaking/rooting operating systems to install custom Roms as I recently installed Cyanogenmod 9 Ice Cream Sandwich for my HP Touchpad. I watched a video on youtube of a guy who showed step-by-step instructions on how to do it.

I didn't find that it was a very good OS unless you were into learning all the commands and modifying stuff, etc.

I have an Android phone, and 2 Android tablets. My tablets are rooted and I've installed custom Roms on them too. I hope to have a ported Android 4.1 Jelly Bean Rom on one by next week.

As for Windows 8, I give it credit for 1 thing. It boots up ridiculously fast. I haven't timed it but I'd day under 20 seconds.

Nice, I havent rooted my Android phone yet since I like how it is now and it is still under a warranty I got for it so I dont want to void that. I have been reading the tech forums and developers plan to bring Jelly Bean over to my HP Touchpad in the future so that should be good.

Did you know you can speed up your Windows 7 boot time by eliminating the Windows logo thing (GUI) during start-up? I did it and it can speed up your start-up anywhere from 4 to 8 seconds depending on the system. It is very easy to do. Here's the steps just in case:

http://www.windows7hacker.com/index.php/...uring-start-up/

Thanks for the tip. I may try it. I read there's a registry hack to get rid of the Metro UI in Windows 8 and make it look and feel like Windows 7. I'm gonna try that too since I've about had it with Metro.

The bastards at Microsoft removed the ability to disable Metro in the latest build of Windows 8.

Luckily, a 3rd party utility called "Classic Shell" allows you to run the fully functional classic desktop after Metro loads.

I am DEF going to stay with Windows 7... maybe I will upgrade when Windows 9/10 comes out lol

Thanks for the tip DD. I think it's a little bit faster.

Seriously, if Microsoft sticks with their plans to get rid of the old Windows UI completely and force Metro onto people desktops, they're gonna have an epic fail on their hands. The vast majority of people I've seen in various forums using Windows 8 can't stand it.

If you haven't seen what this crap looks like, here it is:

^^^just HORRIBLE!

OMG, eww!

Every once in awhile I switch over to safe mode with networking. Yes, it has a different appearance, but it is soooo much faster. For what I do on the web, it is perfectly adequate. To tell you the truth, I can't see much advantage using normal web mode. I might stay on it. Anyone else agree?

You have Internet connection in safe mode? Every time I've been in it, I don't believe I do? Although I've never actually tried but I know I have to update my antivirus and malware before booting in safe mood, other wise I won't be able to update them.

I select safe mode with networking and it works like a charm, like lightening. I'm in it now.

Just because I've never done it before, in System Configuration, under the boot tab, select Safe Boot and click the Networking button?

Right.

This may be a dumb question but will surfing in safe mode prevent you from getting viruses or malware or no?

As far as I know, it's safe.

My internet access has been freezing lately. I've switched back and forth between Internet Explorer and Google Chrome. Sometimes it goes through and other times freezes. It's getting frustrating. Any suggestions?

Another problem. I have Norton Security. Occasionally I get a warning that my CPU Usage is High and it will report Comcastantispy.exe as the reason. AND when I shut down my computer I get a message that Comcastantispy.exe is causing a problem. I've searched for Comcastantispy.exe and it is not on my hard drive. WTF! Any suggestions?

First, check Add/Remove Programs and uninstall CA Real Time Protection, if present.

Then navigate to the folder: C:\Program Files\comcasttb. Run the uninstall program. Reboot your system and double check the process is no longer running (task manager). You'll need to manually remove the folder called "comcasttb".

Post back and let us know the results.

I'm finding that firewalls can play havoc with PC performance and the web especially if you have more than one. I disabled Avast's and Malaware's and I just use MS Security Essentials for real-time protection. You might uninstall Norton and reinstall.

I also did my best to clean my system of any folders and programs that I really didn't need. I still am denied web access sometimes, but I just switch over to safe mode.

Thanks Oli and Dap,

I didn't have CA protect, but I did get rid of the comcasttb. Uninstalled a few other useless things. I should only have one firewall - Norton. We'll see how it goes.

How many times do I have to DAMN those two worthless CPU-hogs of programs before people hear me??

I'm not saying Chrome is slim or anything -- well, the program is, but it stores EVERYTHING on your hard drive to keep it "fast". It normally works, until after a few months when your drive is bogged down, but, that's another story...

But c'mon... I've been in front of a computer since 1983... listen to me sometimes lol

I didnt even know that computers were around and publicly available back in the early 80s. Then again I wasnt born until 86.

I was writing programs in hexidecimal before '86. To put that in perspective, the "zeros and ones" (binary) that computers talk in, that is just ONE step up from that.

...but people still don't trust me, and keep sucking on the MicroSoft dic\\\\ never mind. *sigh* lol

I had CA once, but don't anymore. That should say something.

PC Essentials -- despite it being a MS product, I have and think is great. Because who knows more about attacks against its own product than MicroSofty? lol

BUT NORTON SUCKS THE BIG ONE! GET RID OF IT -- I CONSIDER IT WORSE THAT ANY VIRUS!! Seriously.

Did I say that outloud?

Don't hold back Geoff, let it all out. I've tried to like Chrome, but I find some of the features difficult to find or I need multiple steps to get there, where IE (for me) is more user friendly. BUT, I'm using Chrome more often because we have GMail at work and you have to go through Chrome. BUT GMail is the biggest weenie suck of all. As far as security, I've tried McAfee, Verizon Security Suite, and now Norton. One thing I like about Norton is the password vault. So what security program should I use? My Norton expires in a few months. Godfather, command me.

I've been using Microsoft Security Essentials myself MaryCas and haven't had many problems with it. I've somewhat enjoyed it. I used to have BitDefender but the last version I used (I think it was 2010) was crap compared to the year before!

I also (ironically) use MSE, with Avast on top. I do think the latter (or combo) has given me some problems now and then, but Avast updates much more often...

Anyone else who has Yahoo mail having problems getting to your mail today? As of the last hour I get this message:

Yahoo! Mail is now even faster, safer, and easier to use. Yahoo! now automatically identifies items such as words, links, people, and subjects from your email to learn what matters to you so that we can deliver exciting new product features and relevant ads.

Before you can access Yahoo! Mail, we need your consent to our new Terms of Service and the Yahoo! Mail Privacy Policy. Learn more about how we protect your privacy.


I click the "accept" and that message keeps popping up. I can't get to my mail.


TIS

I just accessed mine.

Thanks Oli, I just got mine too. I was wondering what was up.
I talked to my daughter and she too was having problems.



TIS

I think that Yahoo pushing us toward their new system, so they make it a little tougher on us to access our mail.

Oli,

Do you get all kinds of junk mail in your spam folder? Damn, I get lots of spam for viagra, dating services, along with those scam proposals from Nigeria where people want to hide their fortune in my account. It's no problem just deleting them BUT I never signed up to get anything, let alone viagra.


TIS

Yes, I do, but I don't even look at them. I just empty it periodically. I also get solicitations to chat with people which I always ignore.

I have this old Linsky's Wireless router, from way back when, stored away in my storage closet. Could it be of any use today? I don't know whether to toss it or not.



TIS

^^^sell it on ebay

Just curious if any Windows users utilize a dock? I just downloaded my first yesterday and I'm kind of digging it. For those who aren't aware see RocketDock

It's a pain.

Why do you say that olivant? I was told it eats up a lot of your systems resources.

I'm not sure how many people are aware, but if you use Java on your computer, there's a serious glitch in it and people are unknowingly downloading spyware.

Java Malware

I just found out about it today actually. However, just a few hours ago, Java has released a patch that's strongly advised to be installed. It's Version 7 Upate 7

Java Update

Just a heads up folks!

Some good news

Get Ready for E-Book Price Cuts in Near Future

Cheaper e-books from three leading publishers could return within one to three months, industry executives said Friday, in the wake of a federal judge's approval this week of the antitrust settlement between the publishers and the Justice Department.

"It could be pretty fast," said one executive, who asked not to be identified.

Under terms of the final judgment entered Friday, the three publishers that settled—Lagardère MMB.FR +0.82% SCA's Hachette Book Group, CBS Corp.'s CBS +0.84% Simon & Schuster Inc., and News Corp.'s NWSA -0.10% HarperCollins Publishers LLC—have to take steps within 10 days to let most e-book retailers, including Amazon.com Inc., AMZN +3.09% out of agreements that now prevent discounting. The retailers will be able to terminate the agreements within 30 days.

The exception to the time frame is Apple Inc. AAPL +0.62% Publishers have just seven days to exit contracts with the tech giant, which sells e-books through its iBookstore. Apple declined to comment.

The Justice Department in April filed a civil antitrust suit alleging collusion among Apple and five publishers to raise e-book prices and prevent the type of steep discounting championed by Amazon. Three of the publishers settled, while the other two—Pearson PSON.LN -0.08% PLC's Penguin Group (USA) and Macmillan, a unit of Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck GmbH, are continuing to fight the action, as is Apple.

Amazon is expected to move aggressively to reduce prices. It had sold best-sellers in e-book version at $9.99 before 2010, when the five major publishers forced it to stop discounting their titles. E-book best-seller prices rose to between $12.99 and $14.99 or higher.

"We look forward to lowering book prices," said Russ Grandinetti, Amazon's vice president of Kindle content, in an interview. "This is good news for customers and we are excited to be able to do it."

How Apple will deal with the new pricing landscape isn't clear. Apple's contracts could be terminated by next Friday—unless, that is, someone appealing the judge's decision successfully wins a stay.

Apple has said in earlier court filings that it would seek an appeal if the court approved the settlement. And on Friday, Bob Kohn, an antitrust lawyer and opponent of the settlement, filed papers with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York seeking to have the case appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Mr. Kohn also asked for the settlement to be stayed pending appeal.

"I am hopeful that Judge Denise Cote will grant my motion to stay the settlement," said Mr. Kohn. "If a district court denies a motion for a stay, the court of appeals can be asked to stay the settlement."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872...sNewsCollection

Just got a droid razr. It is awesome. Droid > iphone

^^iphone is overrated

Wayyy overrated

Well the day has come and gone with the announcement of the iPhone 5. Anybody plan on getting it? I can't wait to get it but I'm going to wait a little bit. I'm not going to get the first batch because in years past, they've been buggy/glitchy. I can't wait. I currently have the iPhone 3GS, which is being discontinued, so this will be a HUGE upgrade for me!

iPhone 5

iPhone 5 is overrated. Bunch of the new features it has have already been in a number of Android phones for over a year. But as always, the Apple fanboys will go in droves to buy the phone out of loyalty.

For those who do own an iPhone, did anyone upgrade to the ios 6 today? I did a few hours ago and have been having some problems with it. Mainly Passbook (which I've corrected since) but now with my Facebook app.

Just wondering and thanks!

iPhone owns all other phones. I won't use anything but iPhone. Can't wait for 5.

droid is better

ON the advice of someone on this board, I am using Microsoft Security Essential. 3 hours and 44 minutes later, my FULL SCAN is about 10% complete. Is this normal?

Yes, it is.

Not for me. It usually completes a scan in about an hour and 15 minutes but last night it took a little bit longer (about an hour and 30 minutes to an hour and 45 minutes). But I have it scan my computer and external hard drive and I recently added some things to my external hard drive.

It did however find 2 viruses

I always use MSE and if I do a full scan yes it takes 3/4 hours; a short scan is about 5/10 min. maybe. I don't have any complaints with MSE even if it does take a while for a full scan.



TIS

Waited 'til Saturday to order my iPhone 5 (I've had the 4 for 2 years), and the wait is 3-4 weeks.

Yes, it's not perfect, but it's a huge upgrade to the 4, and a modest upgrade to the 4S. This "war" between Apple and Android is pointless: people are mostly loyal. There's no sense in spewing crap. iPhone started the whole thing, but who cares? One year one may be ahead of the other, and the next year, the other will be ahead. Who cares??! That's how things progress and how BOTH get better and better!

But, after the whole iMaps debacle, I have NOT upgraded my 4 with iOS 6 yet. While Google Maps always had major problems, they do not compare to the MAJOR problems that Apple Maps has. I'm hoping that when I get my 5, those problems will be largely resolved or at least addressed.

I can't believe they went with Tom Tom -- what a horrid choice! But thankfully I have a Garmin GPS in my car, so I feel safe, even in Tessio's territory....

Geoff, let us know how you like it when you get it. I'm waiting until November/December to get mine. Saving up some money and also try not to buy the first batch of new technologies. Some people are complaining that their new iPhones have scratches on them when they pull them out of the box for the first time.

Personally I have an iPhone 3GS that I've had for 3 years so this will be a HUGE upgrade for me. I did update to IOS 6 and haven't used Apple's maps app yet but I hear it's horrible. That's fine. I think I only ever used Google maps once in the 3 years I've had it. But, I did hear that Google plans on releasing a map app before the end of the year.

I was reading yesterday that the argument started when Apple said they wanted voice command turn-by-turn directions as an android had. Google said no, that this was an android only feature so that's why Apple broke away and did their own thing.

Yeesh I am still unable to work my I pad. Going for a tutorial later today.

I heard that about the iPad, IOS 6 isn't working on it. I'm surprised. Apple will get it figured all out but in the meantime they're really screwing the pooch sort to speak.

this is just... silly but yet fun to watch lol

Not silly to me! ty, DZ

I just ran an MSE scan and it took over 3 hours. The length of time it takes depends on how many items you have for it to scan. Mine were over 1 million.

Got my iPad Mini today finally! I can't wait to start using it. Does anyone else plan on getting it? I'm probably going to use it primarily as a reader but it'll be nice to utilize the other features as well. I only got the Wi-fi version unfortunately. The 3G was an extra $130 plus you'd have to pay for the monthly data plan

No chance. I already own the Nexus 7 which has a better display, twice the RAM, a quad core Tegra 3 Processor, and depending on storage capacity, costs $130-$180 less.

That was really the only bad thing about the iPad mini was the price ($330!) After taxes and such it was about $350-$360

I also forgot one other big thing about the Nexus. It's rooted and unlocked. I can run any custom ROM I want, and overclock the hell out it if i want to. So far I'm at stock speed because it is already blazing fast.

You enjoy the Nexus 7? I've never tried it but looks like a neat little tablet

I'm on it right now. I use it more than my 10" tablet and PC's.

LoL. Do you have anything else synced up to it like a phone? Another great thing I love about the iPad is iCloud that can sync things between my iPhone and iPad and if I had a Mac, that too

I kinda sync some stuff. Not like the way with iTunes though. I have several free cloud storage accounts, and use them to store / swap files. I do sync my internet bookmarks between devices.

I just got a Samsung Galaxy SIII the other week really not adjusting to the phone well all the marketing trumped up that phone the battery life isn't good on it either. Verizon has gotten to greedy with their mobile data.$30.00 for 2GB a month..I can buy a clear wirless hotspot for $50.00 and then its 40gb a month no contract month to month considering I have an array of mobile devices

I plan on getting the Nexus 4 once my Motorola Atrix 4G contract expires on AT&T. No more contracts for me, there is no reason for me to pay $68/month with taxes after a 15% service discount from my compaany for only 2gb mobile data, 300 anytime minutes that rollover, 500 night and wkn minutes along with a 1000 text msgs a month. Forget loyalty to my carrier, especially when they rape you with these prices/services. I am going pre-paid.

Nexus 7 looks awesome, I saw a lady use it on the subway this week and it looks even better in person.

I actually was able to get my iPhone 5 by dumb luck last night! Originally I was going to preorder it on either Tuesday or Wednesday but I was by the AT&T store yesterday and didn't feel like making an extra trip during the week.

I waited about 20 minutes or so and the girl who put me on the waiting list said she thought they had some in stock (I had read about this online during the week that supply may have finally caught up to demand). Well, I was fortunate enough to score one! So instead of preordering the phone, I walked right out with it. The guy who helped me said if I came a couple of hours earlier I would have had to preorder it as they had none left so they must have just got a shipment of them in. I seemlessly was able to sync almost everything except voicemails from my old phone to my new one. It was AWESOME! I haven't played around with the phone much but with this and the iPad mini, I'm set for a while!

Heard rumors that Apple may release another iPad Mini in March (yes in only 5 months) with retina display. If they do that, I'll be PISSED! Other rumors have suggested that it'll be this time next year and if that's the case, I won't be as mad because I would have gotten almost a year's use out of it.

In other news, GM will be first automaker to use Apple's 'Eyes Free' Siri integration

I was wondering when something like this was going to be rolled out and it appears it'll be sooner rather than later. I'm curious to see how it performs.

Now if we could just make BACK TO THE FUTURE II a reality where we say "lights" as we walk inside our home and Siri turns them on for us. Or "TV on/off"

^another reason why I hate apple, they dont give a damm about their customers. It is all about squeezing as much profit out of the public as possible, but then again that is most corporations.

you can blame the customers just as much for falling for their scams. Every thing they put out is the same thing with one difference and people pay hundreds of dollars for it.

I will agree and disagree. I personally believe that Apple products are great and very beneficial to make our lives easier/more convenient. However, the past year or so they have been coming out with products WAY too quickly following the rest of another.

If they want to update their iPhone or iPad line yearly, I have no problem with that. Minor tweaks are appreciated (remember, just because they offer it doesn't mean you have to buy it!) I personally skipped the iPhone 4S to wait for the iPhone 5. It sucked waiting an extra year but I'm glad I didn't have to wait an additional 2 or more or bite the bullet and buy a phone I wasn't really crazy about. However, this year Apple released the iPad 3 and within 6 months, for some reason, decided to release the iPad 4. A lot of customers were upset and rightly so and for some of them (I'm not quite sure how they figured this out with the exception of you had to have purchased it through Apple itself), were able to swap out their iPad 3 for an iPad 4. I'd be upset if they release another iPad Mini in 5 months with retina display because I'd pay the extra for the retina display and the original that I bought would only be 5 months old. However, I purchased mine from Wal-Mart, not Apple direct, so I'd be screwed if they allowed people to upgrade again. But again, I have no problem with them updating their products yearly, just not every 6 months now!

WTF?

I was in the middle of updating the TV listings early afternoon yesterday when all of a sudden the computer hung up. The hard drive would not stop spinning, and the computer barely responded (it'd take minutes for a button click to register). I forced the machine off, and the same thing even after a reboot! I tried everything for about an hour then just turned it off and went for a walk.

When I got back, I turned it on and the computer acted normally. Whew! But now no internet access whatsoever. I tried every geeky thing I could for 2 hours to no avail, so I called Verizon FiOS and they tried everything they could as well, and concluded it's probably a computer issue. After watching TV a bit, I spent another few hours trying to fix it. Nothing.

I shut it down and went to bed all pissy. Wake up, turn it on for Round 3 of troubleshooting, and it's working just fine! WTF? I'm not complaining, but it has me a bit worried that maybe it's a hardware issue or something, but why would it just start working (or stop working, for that matter) all of a sudden? Sheesh.

I gotta get back into the habit of always rebooting at the start of the day, just to "refresh" the computer which gets bogged down after a few days of heavy use.

Probably not related, but for a brief time yesterday I couldn't get on the BB. I got this "CloudeFaire" message saying it was off-line. THEN, I see a "click here to go on-line (or was it live?) Anyway it worked.



TIS

Has anyone upgraded to iTunes 11.0? I just got some books that I'm trying to sync to my iPad mini but am having problems thus far. Still trying to familiarize myself with the new interface. Any help is appreciated!

Not sure about your issue (don't have books nor an iPad), but I'm trying the new iTunes right now -- and it seems ridiculously slower than the last version updating my iPhone apps, to the computer! And it was hard to find things that used to be right in your face. I'm not sure what they were smoking when they came up with this chit.

I figured it out. I had the books on a jump drive and dragged them into iTunes but for whatever reason, if the jump drive wasn't plugged in, they wouldn't sync. And yes I agree, I'm not digging the new interface either. Stuff is hidden too much.

I was having intermittent problems with my desktop; freezing, shutting down unexpectedly, Yahoo not responding on IE, sloooooow loading programs, etc. Short story; I purchased RegCure and Malware Bytes and had a four hour "Cleansing" through a tech firm. The cleansing cost $220, plus I have unlimited access to them (Advanced Tech Support) for one year; Reg Cure was about $30 and Malware is lifetime $90.

The PC runs like a deer, problems are gone. Yeah, yeah, I know I could get this and that for free, blah, blah.....but, I now have a functioning PC. For me, it was worth the money.

MalwareBytes cost you $90 for a lifetime subscription? I was always told it was between $20-$40. May I ask where you purchased it?

You purchased Malware. There's a free version at CNET along with an immense inventory of other PC fix software. I've never purchased any such software; I get it all free from CNET.

On line, I was drunk, sounded like a good deal.

I read in CIA Weekly that all that free shit is a plot by Islamic terrorists to infiltrate your PC and gain access to valuable personal data. Keep an eye on your bank accounts.

^^^CIA Weekly? I am a big CIA/intelligence community buff, where can I find this?

In the corners of your mind.

haha

Out of curiosity, anybody got the Google Nexus 4 smartphone? How about the Google Nexus 7 or Nexus 10 tablets?

I have a quick question. A few months ago a friend of mine was trying to put a Ubuntu partition onto an 8GB flash drive for me but for whatever reason he never got it working on my computer. So now I want to use the flash drive as just a basic storage device. However, when I pull up the properties it only says I have 93.9MB available on it. How can I delete the partition because it sounds like it's taking up the rest of the space on this drive?

Security vendors warn users to disable Java after zero day exploit is found

Flaw is being used by toolkits to distribute ransomware

http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news...xploit-is-found

By Lee Bell
Fri Jan 11 2013


A JAVA ZERO DAY EXPLOIT has been found in the wild and security vendors are advising users to disable Java support in their computers in order to stay safe.

Millions of computer users, whether they favour the Windows, Mac or Linux operating systems, are at risk from a recently discovered zero day vulnerability for which there is as yet no fix.

According to Trend Micro, the flaw is being used by toolkits like the Blackhole Exploit Kit (BHEK) and the Cool Exploit Kit (CEK) to distribute ransomware, particularly Reveton variants.

"Currently, we detect the exploits as JAVA_EXPLOIT.RG, with the sites that load this exploit code detected as HTML_EXPLOIT.RG. The Reveton payloads are detected as TROJ_REVETON.RG and TROJ_REVETON.RJ," Trend Micro said in a post on its blog.

Reveton is one of the most common ransomware threats in existence and works by locking users' systems and showing spoofed notifications from local police agencies. These tend to inform users that to unlock their system, they must pay a 'fine' ranging from £100 to £300.

To prevent this exploit, Trend Micro recommends that users consider whether they really need Java in their systems.

"If it is needed, users must use the security feature to disable Java content via the Java Control Panel, that shipped in the latest version of Java 7," Trend's blog post said.

"If Java content is not needed, users may opt to uninstall Java as it can pose certain security risk."

Writing in a blog post, Alien Vault's head of Labs Jaime Blasco also recommended disabling Java software.

"Right now the only way to protect your machine against this exploit is disabling the Java browser plugin," he said. "Let's see how long does it take for Oracle to release a patch."

We contacted Oracle for comment on the flaw. It said it has received a number of requests for a statement around the issue but is keeping schtum for now. If it does have something to add, it will issue a statement next week, Oracle said.

Trend Micro said that this year we will see more developments from toolkits seen using the Java flaw, especially that versions that are stealthier or more difficult to detect will emerge.

"Perhaps, this use of [a] zero-day exploit is a taste of trends to follow with regards to cyber criminal toolkits," the firm added. µ

The patch is now available. I downloaded it but I've since disabled Java in my browser. I'm not sure how often I use it, if at all.

For those who are more technologically advanced than myself, should I just uninstall Java or disabling it should be enough? Again, I'm not sure if I use it and if so, how much. What are you guys doing to protect yourself now that Java's been compromised so many times lately?

I stay off questionable websites

I have some program that seemed to install itself I think its along the same line I don't know if it came from software I bought but says "will clean registry for free" bla blah blah

right click the drive in my computer and click format



media hypes things up much more than what is needed imo, just update to the newest version and you should be good



i highly suggest NOT clicking install

Anyone here have Satellite Internet? I was curious as to how good it is; speed, reliability. Some of the carriers are expensive for what you are getting.

I'm paying almost $60 a month with Comcast and my TV bill is $90 and I don't watch much TV or many channels. I need alternative delivery of both.

Not me. I've got Time Warner Cable. I have a friend who uses AT&T in Austin and seems to like it.

Just a quick question for you guys. Is it necessary to run antivirus and spyware scans in safe mode? The only reason I'm asking is because I do and it comes up clean. However, as I'm typing this, I'm running a scan in normal mode and it's saying it found something.

I thought it was better to run it in safe mode because not all of the applications launch and it can find things that it normally wouldn't in normal mode?

I would think that the more files that are scanned, the better.

I'm gonna assume that "normal" mode will find more things -- but not all those things are necessarily "bad"

I thought this was pretty sick (see attached video)

Myo

Apparently you'll be able to control your Mac, PC, Xbox, etc view this armband that you wear. It seems like a fun idea and only costs $150. It's not suppose to ship until later in the year so I would definitely wait until others have had a chance to use it and post reviews but I must say my interest is at least peaked.

^^interesting, kind of like a xbox kinect for a pc and other devices

I used Google Glass: the future, but with monthly updates

Source: The Verge
Up close and personal with Google's visionary new computer
By Joshua Topolsky on February 22, 2013 11:39 am



Finding Glass
The Glass project was started "about three years ago" by an engineer named Babak Parviz as part of Google’s X Lab initiative, the lab also responsible for — amongst other things — self-driving cars and neural networks. Unlike those epic, sci-fi R&D projects at Google, Glass is getting real much sooner than anyone expected. The company offered developers an option to buy into an early adopter strategy called the Explorer Program during its I/O conference last year, and just this week it extended that opportunity to people in the US in a Twitter campaign which asks potential users to explain how they would put the new technology to use. Think of it as a really aggressive beta — something Google is known for.

I was about to beta test Glass myself. But first, I had questions.

Seated in a surprisingly bland room — by Google’s whimsical office standards — I find myself opposite two of the most important players in the development of Glass, product director Steve Lee and lead industrial designer Isabelle Olsson. Steve and Isabelle make for a convincing pair of spokespeople for the product. He’s excitable, bouncy even, with big bright eyes that spark up every time he makes a point about Glass. Isabelle is more reserved, but speaks with incredible fervency about the product. And she has extremely red hair. Before we can even start talking about Glass, Isabelle and I are in a heated conversation about how you define the color navy blue. She’s passionate about design — a condition that seems to be rather contagious at Google these days — and it shows.

Though the question of design is at the front of my mind, a picture of why Glass exists at all begins to emerge as we talk, and it’s clearly not about making a new fashion accessory. Steve tries to explain it to me.

"Why are we even working on Glass? We all know that people love to be connected. Families message each other all the time, sports fanatics are checking live scores for their favorite teams. If you’re a frequent traveler you have to stay up to date on flight status or if your gate changes. Technology allows us to connect in that way. A big problem right now are the distractions that technology causes. If you’re a parent — let’s say your child’s performance, watching them do a soccer game or a musical. Often friends will be holding a camera to capture that moment. Guess what? It’s gone. You just missed that amazing game." Isabelle chimes in, "Did you see that Louis C.K. stand up when he was telling parents, ‘your kids are better resolution in real life?’" Everyone laughs, but the point is made.



Human beings have developed a new problem since the advent of the iPhone and the following mobile revolution: no one is paying attention to anything they’re actually doing. Everyone seems to be looking down at something or through something. Those perfect moments watching your favorite band play or your kid’s recital are either being captured via the lens of a device that sits between you and the actual experience, or being interrupted by constant notifications. Pings from the outside world, breaking into what used to be whole, personal moments.

Steve goes on. "We wondered, what if we brought technology closer to your senses? Would that allow you to more quickly get information and connect with other people but do so in a way — with a design — that gets out of your way when you’re not interacting with technology? That’s sort of what led us to Glass." I can’t stop looking at the lens above his right eye. "It’s a new wearable technology. It’s a very ambitious way to tackle this problem, but that’s really sort of the underpinning of why we worked on Glass."

I get it. We’re all distracted. No one can pay attention. We’re missing all of life’s moments. Sure, it’s a problem, but it’s a new problem, and this isn’t the first time we’ve been distracted by a new technology. Hell, they used to think car radios would send drivers careening off of the highways. We’ll figure out how to manage our distraction, right?

Maybe, but obviously the Glass team doesn’t want to wait to find out. Isabelle tells me about the moment the concept clicked for her. "One day, I went to work — I live in SF and I have to commute to Mountain View and there are these shuttles — I went to the shuttle stop and I saw a line of not 10 people but 15 people standing in a row like this," she puts her head down and mimics someone poking at a smartphone. "I don’t want to do that, you know? I don’t want to be that person. That’s when it dawned on me that, OK, we have to make this work. It’s bold. It’s crazy. But we think that we can do something cool with it."

Bold and crazy sounds right, especially after Steve tells me that the company expects to have Glass on the market as a consumer device by the end of this year.

Google-level design
Forget about normal eyeglasses for a moment. Forget about chunky hipster glasses. Forget about John Lennon’s circle sunglasses. Forget The Boys of Summer; forget how she looks with her hair slicked back and her Wayfarers on. Pretend that stuff doesn’t exist. Just humor me.



The design of Glass is actually really beautiful. Elegant, sophisticated. They look human and a little bit alien all at once. Futuristic but not out of time — like an artifact from the 1960’s, someone trying to imagine what 2013 would be like. This is Apple-level design. No, in some ways it’s beyond what Apple has been doing recently. It’s daring, inventive, playful, and yet somehow still ultimately simple. The materials feel good in your hand and on your head, solid but surprisingly light. Comfortable. If Google keeps this up, soon we’ll be saying things like "this is Google-level design."

The system itself is made up of only a few basic pieces. The main body of Glass is a soft-touch plastic that houses the brains, battery, and counterweight (which sits behind your ear). There’s a thin metal strip that creates the arc of the glasses, with a set of rather typical pad arms and nose pads which allow the device to rest on your face.

Google is making the first version of the device in a variety of colors. If you didn’t want to get creative, those colors are: gray, orange, black, white, and light blue. I joke around with Steve and Isabelle about what I think the more creative names would be. "Is the gray one Graphite? Hold on, don’t tell me. I’m going to guess." I go down the list. "Tomato? Onyx? Powder — no Avalanche, and Seabreeze." Steve and Isabelle laugh. "That’s good," Isabelle says.

But seriously. Shale. Tangerine. Charcoal. Cotton. Sky. So close.



That conversation leads into discussion of the importance of color in a product that you wear every day. "It’s one of those things, you think like, ‘oh, whatever, it is important,’ but it’s a secondary thing. But we started to realize how people get attached to the device… a lot of it is due to the color," Isabelle tells me.

And there is something to it. When I saw the devices in the different colors, and when I tried on Tangerine and Sky, I started to get emotional about which one was more "me." It’s not like how you feel about a favorite pair of sunglasses, but it evokes a similar response. They’re supposed to feel like yours.

Isabelle came to the project and Google from Yves Behar’s design studio. She joined the Glass team when their product was little more than a bizarre pair of white eyeglass frames with comically large circuit boards glued to either side. She shows me — perhaps ironically — a Chanel box with the original prototype inside, its prism lens limply dangling from the right eye, a gray ribbon cable strewn from one side to the other. The breadboard version.

It was Isabelle’s job to make Glass into something that you could wear, even if maybe you still weren’t sure you wanted to wear it. She gets that there are still challenges.

The Explorer edition which the company will ship out has an interchangeable sunglass accessory which twists on or off easily, and I must admit makes Glass look slightly more sane. I also learn that the device actually comes apart, separating that center metal rim from the brains and lens attached on the right. The idea is that you could attach another frame fitted for Glass that would completely alter the look of the device while still allowing for the heads-up functionality. Steve and Isabelle won’t say if they’re working with partners like Ray-Ban or Tom Ford (the company that makes my glasses), but the New York Times just reported that Google is speaking to Warby Parker, and I’m inclined to believe that particular rumor. It’s obvious the company realizes the need for this thing to not just look wearable — Google needs people to want to wear it.

So yes, the Glass looks beautiful to me, but I still don’t want to wear it.



Finally I get a chance to put the device on and find out what using Glass in the real world actually feels like. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for all day. It’s really happening.

When you activate Glass, there’s supposed to be a small screen that floats in the upper right-hand of your field of vision, but I don’t see the whole thing right away. Instead I’m getting a ghost of the upper portion, and the bottom half seems to melt away at the corner of my eye.

Steve and Isabelle adjust the nose pad and suddenly I see the glowing box. Victory.

It takes a moment to adjust to this spectral screen in your vision, and it’s especially odd the first time you see it, it disappears, and you want it to reappear but don’t know how to make it happen. Luckily that really only happens once, at least for me.

Here’s what you see: the time is displayed, with a small amount of text underneath that reads "ok glass." That’s how you get Glass to wake up to your voice commands. Actually, it’s a two-step process. First you have to touch the side of the device (which is actually a touchpad), or tilt your head upward slowly, a gesture which tells Glass to wake up. Once you’ve done that, you start issuing commands by speaking "ok glass" first, or scroll through the options using your finger along the side of the device. You can scroll items by moving your finger backwards or forward along the strip, you select by tapping, and move "back" by swiping down. Most of the big interaction is done by voice, however.

The device gets data through Wi-Fi on its own, or it can tether via Bluetooth to an Android device or iPhone and use its 3G or 4G data while out and about. There’s no cellular radio in Glass, but it does have a GPS chip.

Let me start by saying that using it is actually nearly identical to what the company showed off in its newest demo video. That’s not CGI — it’s what Glass is actually like to use. It’s clean, elegant, and makes relative sense. The screen is not disruptive, you do not feel burdened by it. It is there and then it is gone. It’s not shocking. It’s not jarring. It’s just this new thing in your field of vision. And it’s actually pretty cool.

Google Glass Commercial

Thanks for the post Don Zadjali. Very surprised to hear they plan on releasing them this year! Would love to get a pair if they won't cost me an arm and a leg which I have a feeling they will. Keep us posted on any more developments on this product please!

I luv Google

TMZ had a piece today on a woman who was using Google Glass at the Academy Awards. Turns out she's the wife of Google cofounder Sergey Brin. lol

Article and video :

http://www.tmz.com/2013/02/26/google-glass-video-oscars-party/

I'm not a tech expert but just a couple questions for those in the know.

My church is having a E-waste program put on by the Boy Scouts on Saturday in which you can turn in any electronics (Stereos, laptops, etc) Anyway, I have had stored away an old Linsky's modem from when I had my dial-up. Is there any reason I'd ever use it again? I can't see saving it.

Also, how do you dispose of (properly) old VHS tapes. Would e-waste take those as well? I didn't see them on the list of things they accept. I have a lot of movies I recorded from the tv to video (editing out commercials and all)

Thanks


TIS

Out of curiosity.

Anybody here use an Android smartphone? If so, which one and on what carrier?

I use a Motorola Atrix 4G on AT&T. I plan on buying the new Google/LG Nexus 4 to use on T-Mobile when my contract is up in a few months.

I would either sell the modem or give it away. It is too old at this point (no offense) and most likely wouldnt perform well given the current level of internet speeds out there today and in the future.

Thanks DD,

I got rid of it yesterday. They took everything, even old VHS/cassette tapes, along with an old dvd player. Tjey even took my old portable stereo. Made some room in my storage area.



TIS

Btw, my next project is to purchase a dvd/vcr recorder where I can record vhs to a dvd. I have a few home movies, anniversaries, etc that where originally recorded on VHS and I'd like to transfer them. Anyone know of good deals, please let me know.

I use Privacy Mantra to delete autocomplete fields. I just ran it and looked at an autocomplete entry at one site that I go to from time to time. Privacy Mantra did not delete the autocomplete as it should have.

Are there some sites that won't let you delete your autocompletes? Any suggestions about software that will do a better job of deletions?

Which browser are you using? There should be an option to wipe all that stuff out...

IE 9.

IE is a HORRIBLE browser. Switch over to Chrome or FireFox they have a button for you to wipe that stuff off very easily. Even has a button to browse privately.

Okay, I downloaded a bunch of pics from a CD to a folder. I'm trying to send the folder (or individual pics) to someone as an e-mail attachment. However, when I select the folder as an attachment, it simply opens the folder to display all of the pics. I've also tried selecting all of the pics and attaching them, but the paste is grayed out. How do I attach them to a mail?

Has anyone ever jailbroken an IOS device? I was thinking of doing it to my iPad mini just to try it out.

^^nope, ive done it to HP Touchpad.

I would suggest checking out videos of it being done on youtube to see the complexity and get a feel if you really want to go through with it or not.

lol the seriousness just pay someone $50.00 to do it for you

...or NOT pay the $50 and just let it be. Apple isn't perfect, but, if you have a warranty, or even just enjoy trouble-free updates, then think to yourself what jailbreaking will accomplish (besides voiding what I mentioned)

I've seen videos and looks extremely easy now. I've never done it before and curious just to see how it's like.

And Geoff, I can always unjailbreak it and restore my a previous backup point or just erase everything all together and have it back to factor settings.

If this comes out, I want one!

Apple TV

Has anybody been having trouble with Firefox recently? Ever since I updated it to the latest version a few days ago, it's been loading slowly and crashing more than it has in the past. Just wondering if I'm the only one?

FF has been slow loading for me for years now, that's why I switched to Chrome long ago. Not perfect, either, but certainly infinitely faster.

If I buy one of those new HDMI laptops, can I hook it straight to a flat screen with a USB cable, then stream on it?

If so, is there a picture differential? Does the streaming look as good on the tv as it does on the laptop?

Probably a lame and dated question, but I'm a lame and dated dude .

It's been fine for me like I said until just recently. Spybot did fine something on there (I forgot the name which I know doesn't help) but it's suppose to attach to your browser and slow it down. It found 2 of them but removed them both. Since I did this it's still not running like it used to. I ever ran a Microsoft Security Essential and Malwarbytes scans and they came up with nothing.

Chrome help. I use Chrome from time to time. I imported favorites to it from IE. I use them. However, once I am at a favorites site, how do I get back to the favorites button without having to use the back arrow?

It's called bookmarks on Chrome just open a new tab and they'll be directly under the address bar. If the bar is full there's a button to the far right of the bar of two arrows click on that and the rest will come up.

Ok, I did that. However it only lists three of my bookmarks plus Chrome webstore and Google. There is an arrow button on the right which takes me to a new screen where it just lists another Chrome site. In IE, you can click on the favorites button and it will vertically list all of your favorites of which I have a ton.

Sorry then i don't know what's wrong i also have a ton of bookmarks, i just counted the top bar and it fits 12 with a further 30 or so when i click the arrows i was talking about. If you click on the three lines next to your address bar next to the star that's an alternative way to look at your bookmarks which also includes bookmark manager which may help. If not possibly something went wrong when you were importing them.

Okay, I think I got it now. Thanks.

No problem.

I imported my firefox bookmarks.
Below the adress field you should see the bookmark button. (In my case it says "Imported from Firefox).
If the bar doesn't show, you should change the settings.

This sounds SO awesome!

Wireless House Key

Don't need it now but just curious. If you get a new computer, is there an easy way to transfer your "favorites" from one computer to another?? I mean without going to each individual site one by one to add to new computer? Just wondering.



TIS

I have no idea with IE, but there's supposed to be a pretty solid importing and saving system on Chrome. I can't vouch for it because i've only used Chrome on my current pc, but i'd imagine it's pretty solid.

Well, favorites are stored in a file. Locate the file, copy it to a storage medium, and upload to the new PC.

Yesterday, I fulfilled my contract obligation with AT&T and promptly contacted them to get my unlock code to unlock my phone and then switched over to T-Mobile. It was a seamless process I must say, it was the first time I have ever unlocked a phone.

What's the difference between unlocking it and jailbreaking it?

The basic difference is that jailbreaking (this is the term used for iOS devices) is about controlling what software you can install on your iPhone , while unlocking allows you to choose what mobile phone carrier the device will work with.

Gotcha. Thanks for clearing that up for me!

Has anyone had an experience with free website hosting? I've seen ads for a couple of such services. Are they legit?

I dont have any personal experience with any but for the most part they are legit. Look up reviews on google.

In case you have trouble launching iTunes, like me, I actually found a tip on their website. Hold down Shift+Ctrl and open iTunes. This apparently starts iTunes in Safe Mode. It worked.

Do any Board members use Opera as a browser or have you used it? Any comments?

^^never used it. It's either Firefox (for its abundance of add-ons) or Chrome all the way. I keep Internet Explorer installed cause some websites wont show up correctly without it.

What is Magic Jack?

Magic Jack is a device that plugs into the USB port on your computer, it has a phone jack into which a standard phone can be plugged in. This allows an individual to make unlimited phone calls to the US and Canada. Basically it turns your computer into your telephone jack to let you make unlimited local and long distance calls for a fraction of the cost of a traditional phone service.

Just finished a system scan with Microsoft Security Essentials. It took 7 hours.

I don't know why it takes some people so long? Mine takes 2 hours, tops but that's scanning my computer AND external hard drive which has an additional 205GB.

The scanning of system for such long time seems that window is corrupt. Reinstall of window would be better option by taking just 30 minutes.

Is the S4 thay much better than the S3, or would it be best to just wait for the next big thing.

Here's specs comparison



For more detailed information, click on the link below
Difference between the Samsung Galaxy S3 and S4.com

I just downloaded the latest Chrome version. Took a couple of minutes. So far, there doesn't seem to be any change in performance.

I downloaded Chrome onto my work computer. This is really my first time having a Chrome browser to play with other than on a friend's computer. I've always used (and still do) Firefox on my personal but I want to see how Chrome compares. So far I like it but it's only been a day or so.

Hey all you tech pros. I am having a problem printing,just as of today for some reason. No matter what I try to print, from any site I get this message:

"A problem with this web page caused the internet explorer to close & reopen."

A couple times after rep-trying I'll get the page back. Any ideas? I don't print a lot, have a newer printer/computer and checking my printer settings, I can't see where there is a problem.

Any help will be appreciated.

TIS

TIS, you probably have add-ons that can play havoc with IE. Try disabling them one at a time to see if they are the problem. Have you tried rebooting? If you haven't, download Chrome and try printing from it.

Olivant is right. You should get Chrome,it is alot faster and not that many problems arise. Or at least not for me anyway.

Anyway i have no idea what's wrong bc i haven't used IE in so long, but i googled it and found this.

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/ie/fo...8f-2d9aff771acb

This issue has actually been seen on Internet Explorer 7 and 8. The most likely problem is that a folder may be missing on your computer. The missing folder is C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Temp\Low\ (If Windows is installed to an drive other than C:\ then the folder is missing from that drive.
You can fix the problem by following the methods below, start with method 1 and go to the next one if that one doesn’t work.

Method 1: Restart Internet Explorer
Close all instances of Internet Explorer and then restart Internet Explorer and attempt to print or Print Preview. Restarting Internet Explorer should recreate the folder.

If this step does not resolve the issue, continue to the next Method

Method 2: Re-create the missing folder
Follow these steps to recreate the folder:
Note: you will need to be logged in to an account with administrative priviliges.
1. Close all instances of Internet Explorer
2. Click Start, and type %Temp% in the Start Search text area and then click Temp from the list
3. Click File from the main menu, click New and select Folder
4. Type Low for the folder name and click Enter
5. Close the Windows Explorer window, launch Internet Explorer and attempt to print or Print Preview

If these steps do not resolve the issue, continue to the next Method

Method 3: Reset low integrity level on the Low folder
To reset the low integrity level on the Low folder, follow the steps below:

1. Click Start, All programs, and then click Accessories
2. Right-click Command Prompt and click Run as administrator
3. In the Command Prompt window, type or copy and paste the following and press Enter
ICACLS %temp%\Low /setintegritylevel (OI)(CI)low
4. Restart the computer and attempt to print or print preview from Internet Explorer

Maybe if you try some of that it will work, but it sounds like alot of work when you can just get Chrome or Firefox.

Thanks guys, I'll give it a try.




TIS

^^that's usually the problem.

Why people are still using IE, after all these years of me saying it's evil, I have no idea...!

First Choice: Chrome

Second Choice: Firefox

Third Choice: Safari

999th Choice: What you have now: IE. Bugged, never works right, full of problems; yet, people keep using it for some reason.

In all seriousness... you don't have to delete IE... just at least TRY something better (My Top 3 listed above). You can have more than one browser at a time, so don't worry! ...if for some reason you don't like / can't figure out a superior (and simpler!) browser, you can always go back to the dark side.... (but you shouldn't!)

Hey Geoff!!!

Actually I have both IE and Firefox. I WASusing Firefox more regularly BUT for whatever reason, I kept losing connection. I always get it back but it got to be a pain, so I'm leaning more toward IE, tho still have FF.

That being said, I notice I CAN print if I print thru FF. Thing is, I WAS printing fine (tho not often)maybe a week ago with IE.

Also, FYI, and I don't know IF this is related. I THOUGHT I had IE 8 but while checking out things yesterday, I notice I automatically get updated and now have IE10 which I never knew I had. I use to get "asked" if I wanted to upgrade Could that have changed things as far as my printer goes?

Thanks everyone!!

TIS

Ok, I downloaded Google Chrome. Although I didn't put the connection into my printer, it looks as tho I'll be able to print using Google Chrome. Two questions tho:

1. To be clear, I have IE, FF and now Google Chrome. Having all three won't affect my computer/performance?

2. I don't see as I do in IE,FF the "File, Edit, View, History options. Also, I figure out how to "bookmark" a stie, but dont' see the icon for me to check my "Bookmarks/Favorites."

Thanks

TIS

Good question I would like to know that my self. Because when I'm using chrome. I'll have Norton say High CPU Usage or some other stat. I also have IE on here but not FF. I'm not a computer expert but I know there probably is a few on here.

TIS

1) No, having multiple browsers will not affect your computers performance. Now, if you have multiple antivirus softwares, then yes, that can affect it as they may think the other one is a virus and mess with your system.

2) I'm new to Chrome myself. I know what you mean in terms of the File, Edit, View, History, Options toolbars. It looks like Chrome doesn't have many toolbars. However, to get your bookmarks:

-Go to the top right corner of the browser that has 3 lines going across (to the right of the star)
-Go down to the fourth line which should read Bookmarks
-Make show "Show Bookmarks Bar" has a check mark next to it. If not, click it.

Hope that helps!

Thanks I12. I've been browsing around and found the favorites icon, but you're right, I don't see where you can click the icon and see the list. Rather, they are on an upper bar on top of page.

Now, regarding virus protection. I have Microsoft Security essentials which, as you know is free, but I always liked it and run it regularly. BUT, I also am paying for virus protection called Webroot (Came with the computer) which I am very satisfied with. Do you think I need to drop MSE?


TIS

I don't think you need to drop MSE. Just don't run them at the same time. I used to pay for antivirus software myself but my friend who built my new computer told me to switch to MSE and that's what I've done. Been using it for about a year and a half now plus a free antimalware program such as MalwareBytes or Spybot.

TIS, drop Webroot; no need to pay for virus protection. Go to CNET. There you can download for free just about all the software thatis out there. I have Avast, IOBit, Spyware Blaster, Glary, and CCleaner and I got it all free from CNET.

In any case, as someone has already posted, multiple anti-virus softwares on a pc can conflict.

To see you bookmarks in a list just right click one of them, then go to bookmark manager.

Got it. Thanks Camarel. I've been using Chrome all day and so far so good. I still don't know where there "Tools, Edit, File" icons are though.


TIS

Next to the star the button with the 3 lines Irishman was talking about, you will find Edit and Tools. I don't think file is available on chrome though.

Oh yea!!! Got it! Thanks!!! A little different navigation than IE but like it so far.





TIS

No problem.

I've been using Google Chrome since yesterday. Haven't even used IE. I'm getting more use to it and I do like it.




TIS

Does anyone have a Mac mini or know someone who does? I'm trying to get some feedback about it. I'm thinking of buying once since it's considerably cheaper than an iMac (which is what I really want)

Was thinking of maybe upgrading my iPad mini since I knew this year they would be coming out with an iPad mini with Retina display but not for $400

iPad mini with Retina display

And here's some information about the new full sized iPad:

iPad Air

The only thing that stopped me from getting an iPad mini last year was that it didn't have retina display. I ended up getting the latest full size iPad instead, that iPad air looks pretty slick and already slimmed down quite a bit from the model I have.

How much was the full size iPad if you don't mind me asking? I only really use mine to do a little light browsing around the house when my computer isn't on or as an e-reader. It's not worth it to me to shell out the extra money for the Retina display based on my usage.

I got a 32 GB model which was about 600$. I have quite a few games and movies,so the retina display was worth it for me. For how much you use it, it's a good thing you've got a mini. The big one is a little heavy after a while, and I still use my laptop much more than my iPad.

I'm thinking of getting an IPad. Even the mini IPad doesn't seem bad. Now, if I understand correctly it's sort of like an expanded Iphone? Has apps, you can go on-line, search web, e-mail, take pictures/videos etc. Right? Plus, easier to handle when traveling. What is the downside?




TIS

Yes TIS, it's basically like a larger iPhone without the phone capabilities. Downside? The screen's not great for reading outside (which I don't do anyway so it's not a problem for me). The price tag is hefty for some. However, if you were interested in getting the original iPad mini, they've gone down in price now to $299. You can get them WiFi only (which I have) or with cellular connections but that'll run you extra every month for the plans.

Your best bet: window shop. Go into your local Best Buy/Target/Wal-Mart and try it out. See how it feels and if it's something you want to invest the money in.

Hey BBers, What can you tell me about Roku? I search on the board and it didn't come up in this thread, but JG had a few comments about movies in other threads. I have been reviewing my expenditures and I got a puke-vibe when I calculated my TV-Internet (Comcast) and cell phones (Verizon)....more than $3,600 a year! Is Roku a legitimate alternative? I don't watch a lot of network shows. Overall, I'm not a big TV viewer. I watch the Golf Channel, National Geographic, History, Animal Planet and some movie channels like Sundance, Ovation, AMC, but only to catch some of my favs like Godfather (every hear of it? ), Shawshank, Cuckoos Nest, etc., then the grandkids have to watch Sprout.

Comcast has me by the raisins. There is no competition down here South of the Pinelands. $58.95 for internet with modem ($7)
TV is 107.80 for two TVs and only one is HD. Wireless?! that's for another topic.

But basically I don't need all that other crap. Unfortunately I have to get "Digital Preferred Tier" to get the channels I watch. Is there an alternative? Is Roku robust enough?

My brother has a Roku and hates it. He can never get it to work. You might be better off getting a BluRay DVD player with WiFi and then subscribing to Netflix or now there's a Verizon/RedBox alternative.

Does anyone know an easy (uncomplicated) fix for a slow computer. My daughter's computer is real slow and I told her I'd see what I can find out. I've seen many ads both on tv and on a Google search for PC cleaning downloads/tools but am not sure what is safe to use. I don't want to mess up her computer. Any recommendations?

Thank you in advance



TIS

I would avoid the TV gimmicks. I've never tried them but I've heard they're scams and some actually infect your computer. See if there's a local computer repair shop in your area (I've seen a few in the areas I've lived in). Otherwise, and it'll be a little pricey but bring it to Geek Squad at Best Buy. Hope that helps!

I12, thanks for such a quick response. I appreciate it.



TIS

No problem and good luck!

TIS, how often do ya'll clean her PC? Don't spend any money. Go to CNET. There they have tons of software to download for free that will clean your PC. Give it a try.

I recommend Glary Utilities and Advanced System Care.

Oli,

I don't usually clean her computer. She just asked me to look at it. I wrote down those sites and assume they are safe since you've used them.



Thank you

TIS

All of my cleaning applications and anti-virus applications have been downloaded from CNET free. Plus, it has tons of apps she'll probably like. By the way, I clean my PC almost daily.

If you defrag your hard drive that can make it run a little snappier too depending on how fragmented the data on the drive is.

Thanks Giancarlo

I'll check that out as well.




TIS

How do these compare with CClearner? That's what I've been using? I saw a video for each and it looks like I'd rather download Glary Utilities as opposed to Advanced System Care.

CCleaner is the standard.

quick speedup tips:
use google chrome - i've been using it since it came out
use ccleaner regularly(i use it like once a week)
auslogics disk defrag(free version, will take a long time the first time, after that run it whenever you install something thats huge like a new game or something)
revo uninstaller free(for crapware, stuff you don't need or use)
AVG 2014 free - covers the most basic stuff- which would be about 90% of users


I avoid c-net like the plague. often they use a proprietary installer that you don't really need. you can get just about everything from that site directly from the source company/product.


I do this for a living and hate seeing people get screwed out of their hard earned dollars by companies like geek squad for simple fixes.

well I should say used too, I design and build websites now.

edit:
links
auslogics disk defrag

revo uninstaller

avg 2014 free

Thanks xs0u1x. I run CClearner, if not daily, a few times a week.

I use Chrome on my work computer but still have FireFox on my personal. I like Chrome but I don't like how all of the ads are of old searches I've performed via Google.

What's the difference between Auslogics Disk Defrag and Windows Defrag? (I use Windows)

And I've got Microsoft Security Essentials, Spybot and MalwareBytes on my computer.

I have CCleaner, but only to erase Index.dat files. It's okay, but you have to select what you want cleaned. If you don' tknow what you are doing you can erase things you shouldn't. Glary and ASC do most of the preselection for you and are more thorough. Also, they offer overwrite.

Many products are memory hogs; AVG is one. Also, some won't work if you use other anti-virus applications or they create conflicts. Again, AVG is such.

So you'd say go with Clary over CCleaner?

I'm sold on Glary, so yes. But why not use both?

auslogics uses several passes, IE. going through it more than 2-3 times. In general i've just had better results from it. MSE is good for basic stuff, pretty much the same with AVG. It will cover most home users. Running spyware and Malwarebytes IMO is really redundant and doesn't particularly do anything besides slow your system down. Since its a really common tool used by alot of people, alot of malware is written to bypass it anyways. I've come across so many customers pc's in my time that have sworn by those tools yet their pc's were so infested I would have to wipe them and start over anyways. Most of your tools that are actually worth a damn, the average user wouldn't understand how to use them.

To be honest, 90% of security on the pc is the person sitting in between the keyboard and the chair(the user).
Exercising common sense while browsing just really saves people headaches. There are other little things you can do that are more effective than running 3-4 different programs at once.


On the common sense side of things:
it's a given, but don't click on random links you don't know(I know that's hard when you have little ones around, i'll get to that later) porn sites, and warez sites,and torrents are notorious for injecting malicious apps onto your machine when you really don't know what you are looking for. I've seen people who get popups and only want it to go away, so they click on anything just to get it to go away, always a huge mistake with popups. phishing emails are a big thing too, that is, forged emails that look like they came from someone you know or is in your contacts.




small things you can do that save a whole lot of hassle and headache:
by default everybody is running an administrator account on their windows machine. when you think about it, how often are you actually installing things and uninstalling things on your computer? if like most people its not very often, and the most you do on the computer is check emails, browse the web, do family photos and maybe a spreadsheet every couple months, then the easiest thing you can do is create a guest account with limited access and use that as your primary account, and only log on as the administrator account when you actually do need to install something. if you do get infected this way, its a simple fix 99% of the time, and that's to just delete the limited profile and move on.

browsers: IE is probably the worst you can use. It doesn't matter if it works fast, looks nice, etc..most of the business world is on internet explorer so again, alot of things target internet explorer specifically. Chrome is highly customize-able. there are addons for it like adblock and ghostery that will take care of ads for you. I like firefox, but i just like chrome better lol.

Thanks for the tips xs0u1x! I'll give auslogics a try. I think you may have convinced me to uninstall Spybot. It has an .exe called TeaTimer that eats up a lot of my systems resources. GREAT idea about the guest account too. So simple yet I had never thought about that. I do get popups every once in a while but I didn't listen to some of your common sense tips

What are your thoughts on Macs? I've been debating recently about switching but a little hesitant for a few reasons (not familiar with the operating system/learning a whole new system again and the cost). iMacs are crazy expensive but a coworker of mine suggested I look into getting a mac mini which is cheaper but still a little pricey since you still have to supple the keyboard, mouse and monitor (which I have). Plus, my PC is only about a year and a half old, custom built by a friend of mine. It runs fairly well, I'm happy with it but HATE when I still get Java exploit viruses and I've already uninstalled and no longer use Java.

No problem glad I could help.

my thoughts on macs? Over priced and misleading, nicely designed though. If you have the spare cash, just don't care anymore and don't want to learn anything, go for a mac. forewarning though, as the saying goes you can't fix stupid. A person who is dumb on a windows machine is still going to be dumb on a mac(security/functionality wise, I know that sounds harsh but its the truth lol)

misleading in the sense whenever you hear "mac" and "no viruses for mac" I think.....well...that's because less than 5%(i believe thats the latest figure) of the pc market of the entire world, consists of mac's. If you look at smartphones, a large amount of people have iphones and there are exploits out the ying yang for it in the wild.

Then again, i'm a budget minded person and cost is just too much to justify for what you actually get. really, its more of a status symbol IMO. Thats not trashing all apple products, just their desktops/pc's. My son is autistic and has an IPAD for part of his therapy. I do alot of part swapping and upgrading on my own computer too, because I play alot of games on it, and you just can't do that on macs without it costing an arm and a leg(if you want to upgrade anything beyond memory or the hard drive)

as far as if you do want to make the switch to something else, I put my 65 year old mother-in-law on linux mint(every distribution of linux is free, including linux mint) and she loved it. She was ready to throw out a couple g's for a mac and I had her try it out for a couple days on her old pc and she changed her mind lol.

I appreciate the feedback about Mac's and that was one of my reasons for switching, no viruses! Although, I had heard from a friend that you can't update Mac's like you can Windows. I don't play games but if somewhere down the line, I can add more memory or the hard drive I can? I was told I would need to buy a new unit completely because you couldn't add to Mac's.

As for Linux, I was going to use it. A friend of mine was going to hook me up with Ubunto but he couldn't get it to work. Also, not a lot of programs work with Linux unfortunately I've also heard it's more for people who know coding and stuff like that.

The wife uses Mac's (and guess who paid for them ). I've messed around a little with them but i really don't see why they're so much more expensive. She's a graphics designer but i bet i could do pretty much any of the stuff she does on her Mac on my pc.

Just as xs0u1x said the percentage of people that use Mac's is so small compared to Windows so naturally the hackers target pc's with more viruses. But i've read the amount of viruses on Mac's keeps going up each year.

Just what i read though....i really don't have enough personal time on her Mac's to be any kind of authority on them. I'm happy with my PC's....you get alot more for alot less IMHO.

It used to be true that macs were better for graphics design...about 10 years ago. With hardware today, they are about even.


To reply to irishman about upgrades/updates: apple does update their security and minor stuff that they don't charge for, but they do charge for major OS upgrade versions. I think its somewhere around $30 roughly for that. the big thing they get you with is hardware. mac memory kits are pretty expensive if you want to upgrade. as well as pretty much anything else and if your mac is out of warranty forget about it.

First, thanks for your help on boosting a "slow" computer. I cleaned the disc (Disc scan), deleted cookies/files, emptied a very full trash and it runs better. For now. I'm leaving it there.

HOWEVER, here's another tech question. Long story short. I have some family movies on VHS I want to put a DVD. I am looking for a DVD/VHS player in which I can record from VHS to DVD. From my research it seems an 'external digital tuner' is necessary and some don't come with it. Also, I see some models show it has "in line recording (?). I would prefer to buy everything in one package and not have to ad any equipment. So, I need to know what exactly do I need to ask for?

Thanks



TIS

Do you have a dvd burner on your computer? its easier/cheaper if you have that.


basically you would need
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605...30125xMPALLx028

one of those, a vhs to hook into that, which would then hook into your computer. and then using the right software you would just record and then burn to dvd.

if you don't thats when it can kind of get expensive.


http://www.bestbuy.com/site/toshiba-mult...=8#tab=overview


would be your best bet.


If you don't have many tapes to do most pharmacies photo centers offer this service anywhere from $9 per tape to $19 per tape.

SsOu1X,

You know I need a new DVD player anyway and a while back I was browsing around trying to find one and wrote down model #s of a couple and guess what? The one you posted is exactly a model I made a note of AND from Best Buy. Now, with that model does it have an external digital tuner? Or is that something I'd need to buy? I'm not even familiar with what this is but in researching some models said they came without.

Thanks though. I am glad someone confirmed that that one was ok to get.

TIS

that particular model has 2-way dubbing built into it so all you would need to do is pop the vhs in, put a blank dvd in and then you're ready to rock.

xs0u1x, I tried out auslogics yesterday. It defraged my C drive but it was taking hours (like 5/6 to defreg my external hard drive and it STILL didn't finish). It took too long and I went to bed as opposed to leaving it on all night. Why was it taking so long to degrag that?

I'm ready for a bigger screen!

Rumor: Apple exploring pressure-sensitive iPhones with curved glass displays up to 5.5"

it always takes a really long time on the first run. yours must have been exceptionally fragmented if it was taking that long. i've had people come in that were so bad it would take 12+ on the first run. after you've done it and cleaned your system out thoroughly itll run almost instantly, by that I mean ~10min run time depending on the specs of your computer.

Thanks xsOu1X, That's just what I wanted to hear. If it's easy to do it's for me. Tho I can't buy it right now, I plan to very soon. I have the model #/description written down. Thanks for you help.

TIS

Btw, about a year ago I bought a new tv. I had planned to buy one with a DVD player included in the tv. Went to several places and was told they aren't making them anymore. Not sure why. Did they not go over big maybe?

Do you think I should give it another crack or no? It's an external hard drive so I'm not sure how much of a difference it'll make? I've tried it before in the past using Windows defrag but I'd always get an error message or something (it would never completely defrag it)

doesn't really matter since its an external. up to you.


TIS: the players they put in the tvs were usually cheap and would break, once they break people realized they had to send their whole tv in to get fixed not just the player lol

Ok, so I uninstalled Spybot but I still have some programs eating up some of my resources. Do you know either of them and if I need them running or not?

dwm.exe - eating up about 15K in resources (described as desktop windows manager)
explorer.exe - eating up about 18K in resources (described as Windows Explorer)

Also, why is my CPU usage so high (usually over 40%) but when I open the Windows Task Manager - just opening it, not turning anything off, it immediately drops back down below 20%?

Explorer.exe is your entire windows interface, your start button, etc...nothin you can do about that one. If you end it, your entire desktop goes blank. 18k is rather low so I wouldn't be concerned about it. On my home computer when windows is loaded, all my programs i regularly use, I'm roughly in the 4gb range of ram usage just sitting idle. then again I have 32gb of ram in my system so it doesn't make a difference to me when I have everything cranked up like that.

dwm.exe is desktop window manager, that means, all the glass effects, window animations when you open/close etc...that will go up and down depending on how much stuff you have open at once. nothing can be done about that one either. well I shouldnt say nothing, 15k (translates to roughly 15mb of ram use)is pretty low for it to use on a given system, but if its eating huge amounts of resources (like 60k plus) you can turn off windows effects like glass or whatever(I don't know what version of windows you are using).


task manager will always spike like that on your cpu usage just because its reading itself opening. so to be clearer, the act of opening up task manager uses processor resources, and thats what you are seeing in that spike, when it goes down that means the computer is done opening task manager. if you open up task manager and then open another program you'll see it spike again and go back down the same way.

xs0u1x, after I analyze my C: before defraging it, under the System Health tab it says I have 122 Registry Errors and 70 Junk Files. When I click on the link "learn more" it takes me to a website to download Boostspeed. What is it and do I really need it? Also, it that the only way to clean up these registry errors and junk files? Thanks!

Whatever app that is, there are those that will fix errors automatically - they're pretty comprehensive PC clean apps. There's a slew of free ones such as Glary Utilities and CCleaner,

I do have CCleaner already. It usually only picks up a couple of Registry Errors at a time (but I've never really messed with any of the settings because honestly I don't know what I'm doing).

Just try downloading Glary Utilites or Advanced System Care from CNET and try them.

Careful with anything to do with your systems registry. You might want to make a backup of it just in case.

Have any Board members had experience with MSOffice 2013?

I have very little. I have it on my personal PC but I use Office more on my work computer, which doesn't have the 2013 version.

Does anyone have or know anyone who has any experience with Dragon Dictation for the PC? I never really considered purchasing it but I saw a commercial last night that has it for only $60 (usually $100). Was just curious about any feedback.

i've worked a lot with the medical edition of it setting it up on doctors pc's. it's really a pain in the ass to set up correctly. and its not just the general install, its configuring the program to your liking. there are alot of profiles/configuration files you have to work with. Once you get it going though its smooth as butter.

Really it's more of a hassle in the long run unless you are handicapped and absolutely need it. they charge you out the ass for support and you are absolutely going to need it if you don't have anybody on site that actually knows what they are doing.


it's one of those things where unless you are a doctor or a lawyer and have to write a huge amount of notes all the time, or if your physically disabled, once the novelty wears off you'll find that you feel like a jackass being the only one in a room talking to himself to get the computer to do stuff lol.

LoL, thanks for the feedback xs0u1x. That was one of the things I was worried about losing was my typing skills (I can type pretty fast). I thought it would have been a little more convenient to be able to open and close programs with just my voice but I'm sure you're right, once the novelty wears off, it's not a great program unless absolutely needed - which it wouldn't be for me.

We have Charter cable. When it works, it's fast. However, I'd say that during a typical day a good 40-50% of the time it won't connect, so I have to reboot and reboot again.

Do any of you experience the same or similar problem with your internet service? We used to have Verizon and we had the same problem.

I have Time Warner and every now & then have connection problems. For the most part I'm satisfied. Only thing I don't like is their rates seem to increase a couple dollars every year. Was $5.00 more a month last year.

Btw, I read that Charter wants to buy/merge with TW? Doesn't sound like a good idea.



TIS

TIS, Charter is making a big push against Verizon and other non-cable providers. A merger may be part of the plan.

olivant, I have AT&T U-Verse here in the Pearland/Houston area. I love it. I had Time Warner Cable in New York like TIS has in California and it SUCKED! The equipment was cheap and broke down every 6 months. The workers didn't know how to fix things and didn't show any type of caring to assist. I'm glad I don't have Time Warner anymore!

In my area we have 2 options: AT&T U-Verse or Comcast. Comcast is more expensive and I've heard bad things about them (I've never had them myself). I've only had AT&T for about 5 months now but no problems. Customer friendly, quality products/service. I was in Austin last weekend and AT&T just put fiberoptics in because Google came into that market. Next will be Dallas followed by Houston but that won't be for another 2-3 years the technician said unless Google Fiber decides to come sooner (which I hope they do because then AT&T would be there the next day).

Ok my tech friends. I'll try to be very brief.

Just purchased a new printer/copier/Scanner (Epson XP 310). I got it hooked up and got the copying, printing down but am having this problem with the scanning.

I scanned picture and it scanned to my computer just fine. Printer gives me options as to (JPEG, PDF, E-Mail, WSD) I want to be able to copy/paste links to send in e-mails or post directly on sites (BB maybe), but when I right click properties I get pixels and folder path info box...... What am I not doing? I tried scanning with the JPEG and e-mail with same result. I get notice that WSD can't be found (not sure what that is).

Thanks

TIS

TIS, I don't understand what you are asking. You can get JPEG format and save that?

SC,

I save the picture with JPEG. My question is how do I transfer that picture from my computer to e-mail or say here on the BB. There is NO way to copy/paste.


TIS

You can always save the photo in a JPEG format in a designated folder on your computer and then attach it as an attachment to your email. If you wanted to post it directly here on the GBB in the "What We Look Like" subforum you can do that easily. The system will ask to "browse" your computer for where the photo is. Simply find that file (on your computer) and then click on the picture. The system will do the rest.

Thanks SC. I'll play around with it and see if I can get it. I also can put them in my Photobucket or Shutterfly account. I'll get a link to transfer pictures as well.



TIS

Can a video from Youtube or any other source be downloaded to a flash drive? I know how to embed, etc., but I just tried downloading from youtube and can't see any way to do so.

I have Firefox and have downloaded an add-on called DownloadHelper because I was having problems downloading videos too (ESPECIALLY from Youtube). But now I don't have any issues. Give it a try, I've never really had any problems with it! Good luck.

I have a download called ClipGrab that's very quick and easy to use.

I use Windows 7. Do any Board members use Windows 8? If so, what do you think about it?

Make sure your PC is protected or else ....

http://money.msn.com/top-stocks/post--heartbleed-bug-spreads-to-routers-and-other-gear

Yes, I've been reading about that. I heard that someone "accidentally" spread that virus??? Don't know details but it sounds like a really huge deal.

Oli,

FWIW In regard to you asking about Windows 8. I have Windows 7. I was at Office Depot a month or two ago looking around for a printer and told the worker that I had Windows 7. I asked about Windows 8 thinking my next computer could be an 8 and wanted the printer to be compatible. Anyway, he suggested sticking to Windows 7 and tho I don't totally understand the specifics, he said 8 had a lot of problems.

Then on the other hand what do they know. A few years back at Office Depot I got a Windows Vista which was fairly new. When I questioned him about it, he said I might as well get use to it, cause in a couple years every computer w/b Vista.


TIS

Thanks TIS.

Has anyone tried the Citrio browser?

No. How is it?

Ok guys, I need some help. Yesterday I was having problems with my external hard drive (and I don't know why). When the external isn't plugged in, the computer runs fine. When I plug it in, the computer will recognize the hard drive. But if I try to access it, it just sits there and loads (and never finishes loading so I can't access it). When I tried to run a virus scan with Microsoft Security Essentials, the program (MSE) froze and told me it wasn't responding. When I go to shut down the computer, it'll just sit at the blue screen that says "shutting down" and it never does (but when the hard drive isn't plugged in, it'll shut down just fine). I'm using Windows 7 and I have information on this hard drive that I've had since 2008 and I DON'T want to lose it. Anybody have any ideas!?

Have you tried safe mode? I don't think it's a virus, but go ahead and run another virus product.

Also, try reinstalling the ext. drive's driver.

Olivant, I was thinking today about scanning it in safe mode. There's also a computer repair shop by me that said they'd look at it and could back it up for me for $50. That's A LOT less than I was expecting and I just want the data. I could care less about the hard drive (I could get another). Again, it's from 2008 so I could probably use a new one.

Have you tried using your Windows controls like device manager or run a disk scan? You may be able to rename the drive and access it that way.

Does anyone know of a good, free program that converts MP4's and WMV's to DVD? Thanks!

TB, when I want a free application, I surf over to CNET.

I did that, Oli. Problem was, none of the ones recommended by CNET worked for me.

I'm now getting an error message that says "E:\ is not accessible. Access is denied" and I still can't access it. I ran a Malware scan in safe mode and found things but it was non-malware. I then ran a virus scan in safe mode but I don't think it recognized the drive and only scanned the C: drive without finding anything.

If the $50 isn't a big deal to you, then do it (assuming they can guarantee their work, at least!)

Especially if you cannot drag/drop your files over...

That's what I'm doing. I drop it off on Thursday and waiting to hear back from them. Hopefully they can retrieve it all!

Ok, so the place I brought my external hard drive couldn't do the data recovery. They had the same problem I had where once the hard drive was plugged in, it would basically freeze any program from working. They said I should try a place that specializes in data recovery but before I spend some money (I hear it's not cheap), can anyone think of any last ditch efforts I could try?

At this point all I can suggest is thoroughly checking CNET for software solutions.

By the way, have you tried hooking that drive up to another pc? Also, does windows explorer recognize it?

What type of solutions? What should I be looking for exactly?

Try typing in something like bad drives or drive recovery or data recovery.

Microsoft will end Windows 7 support in January. I use 7, but do any of you use 8? How is it?

I have Windows 7 also but am sure my next computer will be Windows 8 since I hear they won't be making 7 anymore.

My daughter just got a new computer that's an 8. Anyway, I have only used it a few times. It's got a totally different look with the desktop looking like an I-Phone with lots of apps. It'll take a bit to get use to but my daughter is happy with it.



TIS

Since the Windows 8.1(update 1) update, you make Windows 8 act and look more like Windows 7. You can also install a free program called "Classic Shell" which pretty much makes Windows 8 exactly like Windows 7. That's what I use since I can't stand Windows 8's user interface.

Critical and security updates will continue until 2020 though.
Windows 8 sucks on a desktop, but there are ways around it.

That's good to know. I'd be tempted to do just that when I get Windows 8. Thanks JL. Nice to see you around again. Hope all is well with you.


TIS

Great there really going to end 7? These companies are really trying to push for people to spend more $$$. They stopped making the MS Office 2010 which is better then the new one imo

Microsoft, Apple and Google: The true Mafia .

I'm still around. Hope all is well with you too.

Have any Board members had experience with free web-hosting services? Any comments appreciated.

I've been getting this message a lot lately and am not sure what to do or what it is.

"A plug-in (Shockwave) isn't responding." I see an option to "Stop shockwave" (which I do) but see no other options.

Do you know what it is and is it something I need? If so, what do I do?

Thank you


TIS

TIS, do you use Chrome? In any case, you may have installed several flash type players that conflict. You can disable the Chrome one because it's built into Chrome.

Oli,

I do have Chrome. I'll give it a try. Thanks!!


TIS

This stuff is too complicated for me. I need stuff done I call my son to hook me up literally.

What I really dislike is when they improve an app on my iPad. Then I can not use the app on my iPad any more. Because the iPad is an older version.

What do they expect I throw out a perfectly good iPad and get a newer version so I can use their improved apps?

My answer to them is fuck them and the app they rode in on.

Type about in chrome,

Click plugins , about:plugins

Adobe flash player is first on list click the expand + icon

Under flash player it sud say disable click it

Then restart chrome

Go to adobe site, and download latest flash player

After install restart chrome sud be fixed

Thanks DonMega. Now that I think about it, I remember having similar issues (a while back) after downloading/updating Adobe. AND just recently, after ignoring several notices to update Adobe,I finally did just recently and that's when these issues started. I ended up uninstalling the latest update. So far so good.

Thanks



TIS

I'm interested in starting a website; nothing fancy. Any recommendations would be appreciated. Is there a cost?

Geoff is the man to ask.

Can anyone recommend a video downloader, one that will work with videos from any site not just Youtube? I've been searching CNET, but I'd like to avail myself of one that a Board member has used successfully.

Video DownloadHelper

This is what I use olivant for Firefox and I've never had a problem with it. And it'll work on other sites, not just YouTube. Hope it helps!

Thanks.

I asked this question about a year ago and never got an answer. Someone else though recommended WIX. I looked at it and even though I haven't tried it yet, it looks manageable.

MC,

What kind of site you thinking of?



TIS

I meant to ask the same question? I started a page on wix but didn't like their setup with all the ad's on it anyone know some web hosting services that are good before I waste $$ on some shitty company

Oh What you don't care?

There gonna announce new name of windows 9 next week it so...

And show the new features

I use Windows 7 Ultimate. Has anyone had experience with Windows 8.1?

I have Windows 7. My daughter has Windows 8 (don't know if it's 8.1?) It does take getting use to. The setup is much like an Iphone. I'm guessing it'll remain that way, at least for now.




TIS

On another matter, I am fairly new to IPhone. I have an I-phone 5C. I made two short videos I wanted to send to my family. One is 1minute 44 seconds and the other 2:31. I had no problem sending via text and/or e-mail the one that is 1:44 seconds but get notification that the second is too long to send either by text or by e-mail. I hate to chop it up. Is there another way?

I have on my phone I-Cloud which I know I can store pics/videos but can I send from it? And if so, is there a length limit? Also I see an app for vimeo, tho I am not familiar with it.

Any suggestions?

Thank you

TIS

the new windows 10 looks great,

http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/windows-10-1267364/review

Oh trustedreviews got everything info wise on windows 10


http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/windows-10-release-date-features-preview-download-and-price

Does anyone use a Jet Stream box for TV rather than a cable service provider or satellite dish?

Interested to see how they rate the products

A lot of talk of these types of viewing options becoming the wave of the future and to soon place cable providers on a death watch one day.

Have any Board members had experience with VPN? Can they cause technical problems with a PC? I just checked on rental cars and now my screen includes ads (not pop ups) for rental cars. Would a VPN protect me from them?

No a VPN would change your IP adress which isn't necessary in your case.
Those are cookies which sites use to advertise based on the sites you visit. You can delete your cookies and these ads might go away for a while until you delete your cookies again. However if you have google chrome or mozilla firefox then you should download adblock. It prevents any kind of advertisement even those annoying ones that play before a video.

Edit: A vpn shouldn't cause problems, but they are primarily used by hackers and people living in countries that censor sites on the internet.

apparently the browser you use doesn't matter. I would recommend this as it blocks any kind of advertisement. https://adblockplus.org/

I was aware of it, but didn't want anymore software. Still, I tried it, it works, and I'll keep it. Thanks.

Maybe a dumb question BUT Is there any way to transfer your favorites/bookmarks to another computer? Or do you have to start again?

The screen to my laptop is creaking and doesn't feel right when I adjust it. I'm afraid it's gonna come off. Every time I get a new computer I start all over saving favorites.



TIS

Depending on which browser you are using, there SHOULD BE a place on your Bookmarks list that allows you to import and export your list.

TIS, your favorites are in a folder on your C drive. Just copy them to a flashdrive and upload them to the other

Ohhhh Yea. That makes sense.


Thanks Oli



TIS

Well, Microsoft is about to premier its Windows 10.

Wait, my daughter's new computer is a windows 8 (screen is much like an I-phone). Took a little getting use to. PLUS, I didn't even hear of windows 9. LOL What's different on 10, do you know? Technology just keeps on coming doesn't it?



TIS

Do any of ya'll access Cover32? When I do I get a virus warning whether I access it directly or through Yardbarker.

My daughter's Gateway laptop has the blue screen. Can any of you suggest a remedy other than tech help?

The infamous "blue screen of death." There's several possibilities.

The first thing I would do would plug an outside monitor to it so you can see if the issue is with the bios, the OS, a virus, or something else. If you can do that, I'd run something like malwarebytes, which is great at eliminating viruses. Run a diagnostic program. Do the appropriate fix.

Could also be a loose connection from the screen to the CPU. It's not unusual for them to come loose after a while, but before you open it up you want to make sure that the warranty has expired since doing that will invalidate it. If it has, then make sure you take the precautions against static electricity. Once it's opened, check the connections.

http://www.cnet.com/products/microsoft-windows-10/

The question that wasn't answered in the article: Free for one year, then what? An annual fee? If so, I don't like that.

We've narrowed the problem down to a problem that originated with Kaspersky install. Apparently, that's a problem alot of people are having. Now we can't get beyond the screensaver; there's no cursor in response to mouse or touchpad.

Faithful1, I'm assuming it will be a fee based service after one year. Maybe it will be a stand alone or bundled into the Office 365 product. Even if you bought a physical copy of Windows 10 it would be unsupported after a year - that's the message I'm getting from the offer. Giving the upgrade away for free is a way of getting people used to the idea of using the cloud for upgrades and purchases so eventually they can do away with selling any physical products. I've just accepted the fact that I won't "own" too many programs in the future but be subject to licensing agreements and mandatory updates that will wind up fixing one problem and creating a myriad of others.

I have a question that may be pretty elementary to techies. I receive/pay ALL my bills on line. I have security on my computer and have had no problems. I now have an I-phone and an app for my bank. Is it safe to pay bill or for that matter, just go to my accounts via my I-phone? Do I need some form of security before before I log in? Are I-phones as easily hacked as computers.


TIS

TIS, yes it is. Go to CNET and explore the various free downloads of all kinds of security software. I know it's convenient to do business over the web, but just one successful hack or other intrusion into your system .... well, you know what can happen.

Thanks Oli,

I went to my bank site and they have the extra protection system I could add to app on my phone. I still may get more tho.



TIS

Keep in mind TIS that's it's not only your phone that can be hacked, but also the institution with which you do business.

Even the Pentagon has been hacked. Nothing is hack-proof. That's why people use services like Lifelock.

Even Software Pirates Will Get Windows 10 Upgrade For Free

Microsoft continues to surprise us just when we start believing we’ve seen it all from the software giant. In a move that has literally left us bamboozled, but extremely optimistic for the company’s future, Microsoft has announced that Windows 10 will be a free upgrade for Windows 7 and Windows 8 users, licensed or not, when it launches this summer. Read on for further information.

After years of battling with software piracy – particularly pirated versions of Windows – Microsoft is willing to just roll with the trend this time around, by offering the upgrade to all qualified PCs running genuine, or non-genuine Windows 7 or Windows 8.

Windows-10-main.png

Microsoft’s Windows Chief, Terry Myerson said, “We are upgrading all qualified PCs, genuine and non-genuine, to Windows 10.” Speaking to The Verge, a Microsoft spokesperson said “Anyone with a qualified device can upgrade to Windows 10, including those with pirated copies of Windows.” This could literally mean that over a million PCs running Windows 7 or 8 will be getting free copies of the new Windows 10 OS this summer.

Microsoft, with the release of Windows XP, introduced software activation for its OS for the first time, but the security measure was conveniently countered. The activation methods, of course, continued to evolve with subsequent OS releases, but the measures were effectively deleted each time. Microsoft is finally letting users have their way, given that in 2011 former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer had said that out of ten Microsoft software users in China, only one is actually paying for it. This issue further stems to countries like India, Russia and Brazil as well.

Windows-10-devices.png

The Microsoft spokesperson further said that the company is going ahead with this move believing that with time, Windows users will realize the advantages that a properly licensed installation of Windows brings to the table. There’s also the issue where small retailers sell new PCs to users with a copy of Windows that is not genuine, which causes trouble down the road when a new version is released, but hopefully, with Windows 10, such users shouldn’t hit any sort of roadblock when the time for upgrade comes.

Windows 10 will debut this summer, When launched, the new OS will be available in 190 countries and 111 languages.

Are you excited about Windows 10? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.

Windows 10 For Phones ROM Coming To Android Devices

With Microsoft already confirming that Windows 10 will be going on sale this summer, the software giant has suggested that Xiaomi’s frontrunner Mi 4 – powered by Android – will be able to run the mobile version of the Windows 10 OS very soon. Yes, you read that right, and if you’re as surprised as the rest of us here, head over the jump for further information on Microsoft’s plans.

Part of the Windows Insider Program, Microsoft has said that it’s partnering up with Xiaomi, and is ready to test Windows 10 with power users of the Mi 4 smartphone, which by default, is an Android powered device. As such, Xiaomi has suggested that the move isn’t exactly a partnership with Microsoft per say, and is more along the lines of providing assistance to the software giant in its bid. Microsoft intends to achieve this by providing a custom ROM that Mi 4 users will be able to flash on to their phones, of course this brings in that ‘power user’ scenario, where flashing a custom ROM to a phone is a big task of its own, something a new or novice user would likely stay away from.

Windows 10 Xiaomi

There is no dual-boot option here, so users will essentially be replacing the Android OS with a Windows 10 based ROM to get a native experience on the Mi 4. Microsoft is apparently trying to test the market’s response to the OS, be it a relatively small pool of users. Microsoft said:

“This partnership will allow Xiaomi and Microsoft to get direct user feedback and continue to improve the experience for China. Microsoft is thrilled to see Xiaomi embracing Windows 10 and offering this great value to their customers. We’re excited to see the feedback we receive from this audience.”

There’s budding news that Microsoft is looking to expand this experimentation to other Android devices as well, but given the market penetration that Xiaomi currently enjoys in China, and an established user community which is quick on providing feedback on the company’s weekly software updates, Microsoft will be initiating this program with the Chinese phone maker to begin with.

Windows-10-phones-main.jpg

What’s your take on the matter? Do you believe Microsoft is taking steps in the right direction with this move? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.

eSight Glasses Help Legally Blind Mother See Her Newborn Baby For First Time




New eSight glasses have allowed a legally blind woman to see her newborn baby for the first time.

Kathy Beitz is suffering from Stargardt disease, a form of macular degeneration, which robbed her of most of her vision. Instead of seeing faces and expressions, the new mother only saw blurry, undefined, shapes.

The devices use a prescription lens frame, holding a headset. A hand controller is used to adapt a live video stream, optimizing an LED display, placed directly in front of the eyes of a user. These controls permit the operator to adjust contrast, brightness, and color of the image, in order to provide better vision.

"Crucially, eSight can adapt to any situation and maintains peripheral sight, ensuring people can use their glasses in any situation. Whether to enjoy the benefits of sight while stationary - such as while reading, watching TV, or having a conversation... eSight users take their glasses everywhere, use them in any situation, and enjoy the benefits of improved sight, however they want," eSight managers wrote on the company Web site.

Using the eSight device, users are able to zoom in on details of objects with 14 times the magnification of normal vision. This allows operators to "zoom in" on objects across the room, as if they had binoculars.


The glasses also allowed Mark Cornell, a veteran who was legally blind for 20 years, to see once again. Users must have some degree of natural vision for eSight to function, as the device does not work for those who are completely blind.

Like the eyepiece worn by Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge on Star Trek: The Next Generation, the eSight device could provide eyesight to the blind which is, in some ways, superior to natural human vision.

"Interestingly, eSight's many unique features - such as 14-times zoom, image contrast enhancement, reverse color display, etc. - enable eSight users to actually see many things that normally-sighted people cannot see," the company reported on a FAQ Web page for the product.

The eSight devices are large and bulky, and further development will be directed, partly, to creating new versions of the glasses with are less obtrusive than available today.

Currently, eSight glasses cost around $15,000, but the company offers services to assist people in affording the devices. Only around 140 people around North America currently use eSight.

"When I got to see his smile - it does, it does feel amazing. And I get to be a part of his smiles and giggles," Beitz told reporters

The full might of Nvidia's Maxwell architecture brought to bear with a titanic new GPU.





Nvidia has maxed out its Maxwell graphics architecture and this is the result: the Nvidia GeForce GTX Titan X. The most powerful consumer GPU we've ever seen.

Brilliant. That means, once again, we can trot out the familiar "fastest graphics card ever" headline, right?

Well… no. There's actually a bit of a distinction between the fastest single GPU and the fastest graphics card – the two do not necessarily mean the same thing. But we'll come to that in a bit.

What we do have here though is a brand new "ultra enthusiast," super-expensive, $999 graphics card. Think Intel Core i7-5960X Extreme Edition CPU, Apple Watch Edition or Audi R8 and you'll be on the right path.

But where the Audi really needs a race track to show its full worth, the Apple Watch Edition needs a millionaire who doesn't get out much, and the 5960X can't shine without rare complex number-crunching algorithms, the Titan X will deliver impressive gaming performance at almost any level.

Like all the other Titan cards Nvidia has released over the last three years, this is a card for gamers who want the best gaming experience possible and don't mind paying for it.

But it's also a card designed to be an object of desire. This is an aspirational piece of hardware, likely to be much wanted but less purchased by the average PC gamer.

Three years of GTX Titan cards
The Nvidia GeForce GTX Titan X is a headline-grabber, a card built to showcase the Maxwell GPU tech and hopefully convince the more money-conscious to spend their GPU upgrade cash on one of the more affordable Maxwell-powered graphics cards.

The trickle-down effect is real here, because the GTX Titan X is using the same overall GPU design. However, it's also throwing many more cores and a lot more memory at the gaming problem to deliver seriously impressive frame rates.

And the target for those metrics? Nvidia has 4K gaming at peak settings firmly in its sights for the GeForce GTX Titan X. And, for the most part, this card is very accomplished at delivering on that lofty ambition.

The beating heart of the Nvidia GeForce GTX Titan X is the brand new GM 200 GPU at its core. This is what I mean by the full power of the Maxwell architecture – it's the biggest GPU core around, packing in 50% more processing tech than the GM 204 silicon in the GTX 980.

And the Titan X is housing the full GM 200 core too.

With the first Titan card Nvidia left some of the top Kepler core on the test bench, chopping out a few SMX units here and there, and other chunks of its full core configuration, to ensure it could hit the yields necessary on its big chip. It took another year for Nvidia to release the GTX Titan Black, rocking the full implementation of the GK 110 GPU.

This time around though both Nvidia's 28nm production process and its Maxwell architecture are mature enough for it to be able to confidently produce such complex 601mm2 slices of super-powered silicon with good yields.

And boy, is it complex.

Nvidia GM 200 GPU
Nvidia GeForce GTX Titan X specifications

GPU GM - 200
Lithography - 28nm
Transistor count - 8 billion
Die size - 601mm2
SMM units - 24
CUDA cores - 3,072
Texture units - 192
ROPs - 96
Base clock - 1,000MHz
Boost clock - 1,075MHz
Memory capacity - 12,288MB GDDR5
Memory bus - 384-bit
Memory clock - 3,505MHz
TDP - 250W

That massive GPU contains a full 3,072 CUDA cores and around eight billion transistors. Putting that in context the GTX 980 has almost three billion fewer transistors while AMD's top GPU, the Hawaii XT, is rocking around two billion fewer.

Those CUDA cores are split between 24 streaming microprocessors (SMMs) with 192 texture units and an unprecedented 96 render output units (ROPs).

Chances are though there's another number which has piqued your interest surrounding the Nvidia GeForce GTX Titan X and that's the enormous 12GB frame buffer.

Running across the same aggregated 384-bit memory bus as the original Titan cards, but including Maxwell's new memory compression algorithms, its memory configuration provides a welcome level of future-proofing to Nvidia's top consumer GPU.

Those 12,288 megabytes of speedy GDDR5 memory might look like overkill right now, but back when the first Titan hit the desktop its 6GB frame buffer looked stupidly large. And now we've got Shadow of Mordor filling out around 5.7GB with its high-res texture pack running at 4K ultra settings.

The chunky frame buffer is also likely one of the reasons the green team has decided to remove double precision processing from this iteration of the GTX Titan. Previous Titans all had full double precision floating point calculation enabled, but this is the first to have that pro-level feature blocked.

Given the huge frame buffer on the GTX Titan X we'd guess there was a certain concern it might cannibalise more Quadro sales than in previous iterations. And unsurprisingly there's going to be a new GM 200 Quadro launched around the same time as this latest Titan.

However, Nvidia has also said most of the Titans doing the professional grunt work in institutions were only using single precision floating point calculations anyway. But that lack of DP does make the GTX Titan X a resolutely gaming card rather than a professional level option.

Benchmarks

DirectX 11 1600p synthetic performance

Heaven 4.0 - (Min) Avg FPS: higher is better
Nvidia GTX Titan X - (26) 58
AMD R9 295X2 - (23) 66
Nvidia GTX Titan Black - (18) 40
Palit GTX 980 - (22) 42
Sapphire R9 290X 8GB - (17) 34

DirectX 11 4K synthetic performance

Heaven 4.0 - (Min) Avg FPS: higher is better
Nvidia GTX Titan X - (15) 27
AMD R9 295X2 - (14) 30
Nvidia GTX Titan Black - (13) 20
Palit GTX 980 - (11) 20
Sapphire R9 290X 8GB - (10) 17

DirectX 11 1600p gaming performance

Bioshock Infinite - (Min) Avg FPS: higher is better
Nvidia GTX Titan X - (15) 100
AMD R9 295X2 - (20) 102
Nvidia GTX Titan Black - (9) 74
Palit GTX 980 - (16) 81
Sapphire R9 290X 8GB - (15) 59

GRID 2 - (Min) Avg FPS: higher is better
Nvidia GTX Titan X - (103) 134
AMD R9 295X2 - (99) 134
Nvidia GTX Titan Black - (69) 86
Palit GTX 980 - (86) 107
Sapphire R9 290X 8GB - (71) 90

Battlefield 4 4K
DirectX 11 4K gaming performance

Battlefield 4 Ultra - (Min) Avg FPS: higher is better
Nvidia GTX Titan X - (31) 48
AMD R9 295X2 - (13) 60
Nvidia GTX Titan Black - (18) 31
Palit GTX 980 - (24) 36
Sapphire R9 290X 8GB - (17) 30

Shadow of Mordor Ultra - (Min) Avg FPS: higher is better
Nvidia GTX Titan X - (38) 48
AMD R9 295X2 - (36) 57
Nvidia GTX Titan Black - (26) 33
Palit GTX 980 - (25) 34
Sapphire R9 290X 8GB - (18) 36

Metro Last Light - (Min) Avg FPS: higher is better
Nvidia GTX Titan X - (14) 20
AMD R9 295X2 - (12) 27
Nvidia GTX Titan Black - (7) 14
Palit GTX 980 - (13) 17
Sapphire R9 290X 8GB - (11) 14


Metro Last Light 4K

Peak temperature performance

Battlefield 4 - Degrees Centigrade: lower is better
Nvidia GTX Titan X - 83
AMD R9 295X2 - 75
Nvidia GTX Titan Black - 83
Palit GTX 980 - 76
Sapphire R9 290X 8GB - 69

Peak platform power draw

Battlefield 4 (1600p) - Watts: lower is better
Nvidia GTX Titan X - 373
AMD R9 295X2 - 681
Nvidia GTX Titan Black - 353
Palit GTX 980 - 335
Sapphire R9 290X 8GB - 361

Overclocked 4K gaming performance

Heaven 4.0 - (Min) Avg FPS: higher is better
Nvidia GTX Titan X OC - (17) 32
AMD Radeon R9 295X2 - (14) 30

Battlefield 4 - (Min) Avg FPS: higher is better
Nvidia GTX Titan X OC - (34) 55
AMD Radeon R9 295X2 - (13) 60

Shadow of Mordor - (Min) Avg FPS: higher is better
Nvidia GTX Titan X OC - (42) 56
AMD Radeon R9 295X2 - (36) 57

Metro Last Light - (Min) Avg FPS: higher is better
Nvidia GTX Titan X OC - (15) 24
AMD Radeon R9 295X2 - (12) 27

Our GPU test rig is a stock-clocked Intel Core i7-4770K on an Asus Maximus VI Hero Z97 motherboard with 8GB of 1,600MHz DDR3.

Verdict

Let's be honest, most of you reading this are not going to buy a GeForce GTX Titan X. It's simply too much money to spend on a single component for your average enthusiast.

But we're pretty sure you want one. You definitely should want one.

It's the fastest single GPU card around – an elegant, efficient package offering performance previously seen only in monstrously power-hungry dual-GPU cards.

It's the standard bearer for Nvidia's Maxwell architecture and shows just how far ahead of AMD its engineering teams are right now. Once they hit the 20nm process, the performance per Watt levels of these green cards is going to be enormous.

The only reason not to buy this powerful card is the price, but with a price this high, that's going to be a very compelling reason to a lot of people. If you're one of them, don't worry: there will surely be a more affordable GM 200-powered card rocking up before the end of the year.

the camera on the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is again refined (well, if you consider this a sort of sequel to the Galaxy S5). It's got a 16MP camera with f1.9 aperture sensor, so it'll have a very fast sensor with good ability to draw in light in darker situations.

The interface here has been well improved, as instead of a sea of icons users are greeted with fewer pictures and more words to help explain what you'll be tapping when trying to get a snap.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge review
The front facing camera is wider than before but has the same decent low light abilities, allowing you to improve your narcissism whenever you fancy. However, unlike the Galaxy S6, it seems that there's no ability to touch the heart rate sensor on the back to take a selfie... although that might just be a glitch in the software I tried.

Battery and specs

Samsung's gone big on the specs for this phone, as it's got something to really shout about with the curved screen. There's no Qualcomm chip here (at least, that's what I deduced by being told it was a '64 bit chip' for the first true 64 bit OS).

Rumour has it that this is Samsung's own-brand Exynos octacore chip running things, and backed up by 3GB of RAM it's certainly a powerful beast.

I've still yet to find out clockspeed, but under the finger it felt slick and smooth. Then again, coming from the Galaxy S5 recently anything feels fast in comparison.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge review
Like the S6 it comes without a microSD slot (or removable battery) but the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge does have the same faster RAM and memory on board, which were apparently key factors in the slowdown before.

To make up for that lack of expansion, Samsung is offering a 32GB / 64GB / 128GB to those that fancy a different package and that's combined with a lot less bloatware so the overall space you have free is much improved.

The battery life could be something of a concern here, I'll admit. While that extra 50mAh of life (ramping it up to 2600mAh) doesn't sound like much, it could be crucial to this phone lasting a day. It's got a lot of pixels to power in a very tightly packaged body... this could be disastrous if Samsung hasn't optimised it properly.

Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is one of those phones that sets a line in the sand for smartphones. It makes curved edges viable, offering them in a phone that doesn't look bonkers just for the sake of it.

It won't sell anywhere near as well as the standard S6, simply because it will very likely be more expensive and users are always reticent to try something new when there's no proven need for it, and rightly so.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge review
But this is the phone we all hanker after secretly, something that looks premium yet futuristic. And if the battery life holds up well, the combination of form and high end specs could see the Galaxy S6 Edge being something of an underground hit.

Apple Watch launches on Friday, April 24 - you can set your friend's inferior Android Wear smartwatch to that release date - and we finally know everything about what's been hiding up Tim Cook's sleeve.

Want to see it in action? Check out our hands on: Apple Watch review
It's an iPhone-compatible smartwatch officially dubbed Apple Watch, shedding the fabled iWatch moniker, as the company is focusing on its first chic wearable over geeky tech.

To that lavish point, when pre-orders begin on April 10, the price will range from $350 (£299, AU$499) for the entry-level Sport model to $17,000 (£13,500, AU$24,000) for the top-tier 18-karat gold editions.



You can read emails, summon Siri, receive calls and track fitness goals on your watch. Facebook alerts, WeChat messages and Twitter trends can also be beamed your wrist without pulling out your smartphone.

But is this really the first smartwatch that matters, like Cook says? Does its 18-hour battery life hold up? Is it water resistant? We finally have those answers one month out from the Apple Watch launch.

Cut to the chase

What is it? An iOS 8.2-friendly watch that plays nice with your iPhone
When is it out? April 24. Pre-orders begin on April 10
What will it cost? $350 (£299, AU$499) to $17,000 (£13,500, AU$24,000)
Apple Watch release date

The countdown is on for the Apple Watch release date, which has officially been set for April 24 in select countries. Pre-orders begin April 10, the same day you can try it on at the Apple Store.

Apple Watch apps
Apple Watch is officially launching on April 24 in nine countries
It'll be available in nine countries on the final Friday for April, jiving with our Apple-always-launches-on-Fridays prediction from earlier this month.

Apple Watch will launch in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong and Japan, with more countries due to get the Apple Watch at later date. Tim Cook promised. That's good news because everyone we talked to at MWC 2015 in Spain was eager to get their hands on the watch.

Apple Watch price

We finally have an answer to the question: "How much will the Apple Watch cost?" The answer: More than we were hoping to pay in some cases.

Apple Watch release date and price
Three models with very different pricing depending on your taste, budget
Only the aluminum Sport edition "starts at $349 (£299)" and that's for the smaller 38mm version. The 42mm size is slightly more at $399 (£339), revealed the Apple CEO this week.

The glossier stainless steel "Watch" collection starts at $549 (£479) and goes up to to $1099 (£949), depending on the Apple Watch size and band configuration.

The gold Watch Edition will be in limited supply at Apple Stores and cost a whopping $10,000 (£8,000) to $17,000 (£13,500, AU$24,000), confirming prior rumors that said it'd be incredibly expensive.

In-depth: Complete Apple Watch price breakdown
Apple Watch
Maybe because it takes NINE hours to make this all-metal band
Apple Watch release date, price and features

Why Apple Watch costs so much?

It's not just the notorious Apple tax pushing the price tag well beyond $349, it's the components involved. For example, the all-metal Link Bracelet has 100 components and takes an insane nine hours to cut.

Apple also recruited high-profile people throughout the watch and biometrics industries who have wound up on its Apple Watch team. That talent comes at a price.

Then there's a hidden cost. While a subsidized iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are cheaper upfront in the US, stores make up the difference with contract kickbacks. Not so with a smartwatch. Stores need a cut too.

For the sake of comparison, Android Wear's initial watches were the Samsung Gear Live at $200 (£170, AU$250) and LG G Watch at $230 (£160, AU$250). The more stylish Moto 360 is priced at $249 (£199, AU$329) and LG Watch Urbane is set to be even more expensive.

Apple is clearly aiming for luxury given the sapphire glass-protected display, an imposing digital crown, two sizes and even the 18k gold edition.

See: All 38 Apple Watch designs: Every band, case and face so far
What does Apple Watch actually do?

Apple's first wearable gadget beams messages, Facebook updates and simplified apps to our wrists, eliminating the all-too-common need to take out our devices to constantly check notifications.



There are more than a dozen ways to interact with the watch, from receiving glanceable notifications, to feeling "taptic" feedback, to calling upon Siri, according to the developers' WatchKit software.

Apple Watch can also work without an iPhone for select apps, including Apple Pay, Passbook flight check-ins, listening to music during a run and tracking fitness metrics. Oh, and for telling the time accurately too.

The 8GB of storage with some restrictions limit the amount of photos and music that can be stored directly on the smartwatch, but it's still double the space of 4GB Android Wear watches, and most content streams from the iPhone.

It's going to become especially convenient to pocket the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and even bigger 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus in your jeans, or to always stow the thin, but still 9.7-inch iPad Air 2 in a bag.

Is that phone call from a telemarketer not worth your time or an emergency from a loved one? Apple Watch makes mundane notifications easy to dismiss while keeping you in the loop with important alerts.

"Craftmanship. The perfect smartphone, with a perfect operating system, with elegant design. The best phone out there."

That was the response of someone when I asked how they thought Tim Cook would answer the question "Why does the iPhone 6 cost so much more than the rest of the competitor phones?".

I feel it would be pretty close to the mark.

It's a more in-depth answer than 'the Apple logo on the back' which a lot of people assume is the reason you've got to pay more for an iPhone. That answer would explain why Apple thinks it can charge more for the phone, but doesn't go any way to explaining what it really is that means it feels the need to raise the price so.

In fact, price is the main thing that plays on my mind whenever I use the iPhone.

However, before I give my thoughts on that, let's first take a look at what makes this phone special: an improved design, a better camera, an upgraded battery.

A faster CPU, better graphical power, stronger health sensors and a slicker and more intuitive UI. This is a big jump for Apple, and one that makes this a very impressive phone indeed.

But is that worth the extra money?

We liked

A lot of people still think it's acceptable to compare phones based on a spec sheet. It's not. It's about the experience, the relationship one has with a phone day after day, and that's something Apple has nailed year after year: the feeling you get when you first pick one up.

The design of the iPhone 6 is brilliant. It feels like a potted down version of the iPad Air, which itself was one of the best-designed bits of tech I've ever held. I'm not a fan of the plastic strips on the top and bottom of the phone - I'd have preferred these to be blocks of colour - but that aside, it feels great in the palm.

http www techradar com reviews pc mac tablets samsung galaxy tab s 1253129 review
The battery life upgrade is a real plus too. Yes, it falls a little under hard use, and after a few months of working, but the main problem with the 5S was the fact the phone would be useless by the end of the working day even when not put under a lot of strain - that problem seems to have been resolved.

The camera quietly impresses, and the new modes are helpful at times, if not always useful. While it irritates that there's no 16:9 mode for snapping, the results are still almost always something I'd want to share.

We disliked

The iPhone 6 is a sensational handset, but not flawless. There are two issues that have to be raised.

The first is the screen. It's a tricky one, as it could sound like I'm being rather hypocritical given my point about not basing a feeling about a phone on a spec sheet.

But the lower-res screen is noticeable next to most other Full HD phones in the iPhone 6's class. Sure, day to day you won't notice the fuzzier text, the slightly rougher pictures, but given you'll be paying more for an iPhone than any other device on the market (bar some hyper-powerful phablets) I can't condone Apple not working out a way to get a Full HD display on this phone.

It's not like it's new technology either: the HTC One M7 had a similarly sized display 18 months ago and it was Full HD. It looked great back then, so why has Apple not managed the same thing now?

I can't think it's to do with battery life, but if it is, then the phone should have been made thicker. 6.9mm with the rounded back feels nice in the hand, but a mm or two thicker wouldn't have gone amiss if the thing I was looking at had a better display on.

iPhone 6
And secondly, there's the issue of price. Again. The Apple iPhone 6 is still too expensive for me.

Every year I get to this point in the review of that year's iPhone and wonder: 'Am I'm missing something? Should I be giving the iPhone a pass when castigating Android or Windows Phones for the same thing?'

But I can't find a tangible reason for the extra cost. We're not talking a single pound / dollar or two, it's a big difference in price on contract. The materials used are premium, yes, but not necessarily making the best design out there.

The iCloud drive stuff is good, the operating system is sleek, but there's nothing here (beyond the phone being a very good all-rounder) that gives me a quick answer when someone asks me 'Why is the iPhone more expensive?'

To me, that's a problem and one I can't just ignore because 'people' will pay it. Were there nothing else wrong here, then perhaps it could be glossed over, giving the choice to the buyer, but as the phone isn't market leading in a number of ways, the price rankles heavily.

Verdict

When I first picked up the iPhone 6, I thought this was going to be a hard review to write. Had Apple just changed the shape but kept the same inherent problems? Was there really enough new to make it a phone that really helped the company leap forward?

The answer is: the Apple iPhone 6 is a brilliant phone. It's the first time I'd even consider using an iPhone as my daily device, thanks to the larger screen, better keyboard and most importantly upgraded battery life.

However, the price is still tremendously off-putting and the screen, while perfectly fine (and sometimes impressive) in day to day use will still irritate me, knowing that I've not got the best experience for my money.

But that's the only bugbear I have with the Apple iPhone 6. It feels amazing in the hand. Apple has somehow made a phone too thin and turned it into a positive. The operating system is smarter and more intuitive than ever, and that's without even factoring in the strong ecosystem of apps and media that Apple users get.

We'll ignore the Trojan Horsing of the U2 album for now.

I promised I wouldn't say the iPhone 6 is the best iPhone Apple has ever made, and thankfully I don't have to. I used that phrase for the 5S, as there wasn't a lot else that was worthy of a headline statement.

So while the iPhone 6 might not be the most powerful, most attractive, best at photography or best for battery life, Apple has put it all together in a way that, if you can forgive the price (and that's a big if), offers a phone that should be at the sharp end of your consideration for your next smartphone.

The 65JS9500 is nothing short of a milestone in TV picture quality. The difference its HDR technology makes to picture quality is immense - more impactful by far, in fact, than the step up from HD to UHD. What's more, while you need native HDR content to see the TV at its absolute cinematic best it still delivers superb results with current sources.

There's no hiding from the fact that native content is currently non-existent while native 4K content, too, continues to be more elusive than it ought to be by now. It's also clear that the vast majority of consumers won't be able to stretch to the 65JS9500's six grand asking price. But none of this ultimately changes the simple fact that Samsung's new flagship TV produces simply the best picture quality I've ever seen.

We liked

HDR pictures look incredible, non-HDR pictures look pretty amazing too, and the new Tizen operating system is a big improvement over Samsung's previous smart TV efforts.

We disliked

Its six grand price tag puts it beyond the reach of most consumers, there's currently no native HDR video content out there to get the best from the TV, and 4K content too is still thinner on the ground than we would have hoped.

Final verdict

Samsung's 2015 flagship TV leverages new brightness and colour technologies to take LCD picture quality to a whole new level - especially once true HDR content starts to roll into town. It's much easier to use than previous Samsung smart TVs too. I just wish more people would be able to afford it.

I recently ran across an application that allows one to use music in the background of a video or other type of presentation. Well, now I can't remember where I came across that application. It might have been CNET.

Anyone know a source for the application?

Windows 10 premiers July 29. Have any Board members had experience with its preview? What's it like?

I've been getting pop-ups to reserve my upgrade but I'm passing. I have Windows 7 and I'm "happy" with it.

Me too and I am not sure whether to download or not. I too have Windows 7 and have no problems with it. However, I assume when I get a new computer (probably soon) it'll be a Windows 10 no?



TIS

If you get a new computer with Windows 10, make sure you also get the right monitor for that operating system. You need a monitor that responds to touch, like a cell phone screen.

Oh yeah? Well when I do buy one it'll be a laptop so it should be compatible anyway right? My daughter has Windows 8 and it's desktop looks just like a cell phone. Btw, I don't remember a Windows 9. Was there a 9?

Thanks Alfa



TIS

Does anyone know if you can download Skype to an mini ipad? And if so, is it safe or any downside to doing so? Like taking too much space or whatever?? I think they may have the downloads in the Itune app but not sure.


Thanks
TIS

TIS, I think Skype portable can do so. Go to CNET and check out its free downloads.

Hey Oli, thanks I'll check it out!!



TIS

Have windows 10 on my computer now,

No faults with it so far, final release won't be long now

TIS, did you check it out yet?

Oli,

I haven't downloaded it yet BUT I can get it from the app store menu on my IPad. I did check out CNet too and I can also get it there.

Thanks for the help.


TIS

Someone tells me that this is possible but how?

Person A has unlimited data allowance (3g) on his smartphone

Person B doesnt have any data allowance .

I was told that B can use A's data allowance . (when there near each other)

Is this possible ? only thing i can think is a blue tooth connection. or some how A's phone sends wifi signals.

Will someone remind me again how to post YouTube video so the video itself is in the content. I can only get the link to show.


Ok, I got a video screen but a message saying I need plug-in.

Thanks
TIS

I have a quick iTunes question. I never use iTunes because I never had an iPod. Well, this year I'm finally getting one. However, I'm trying to get my music in order in iTunes before I do so.

Under the File tab, there's 2 options: Add File to Library and Add Folder to Library. My music is stored under the My Music file on my computer (it's a PC by the way). When I click Add Folder to Library, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Why is this!? Some music will import while others, nothing happens. The Add File to Library function has never worked for me, just the Add Folder to Library. Can anybody provide any suggestions or offer any help? I called Apple but they were useless. Basically just told me to sign up for iTunes Match.

Delete everything in iTunes , make sure you click keep files not move to recycle bin then click the SCAN BUTTON all your music in your my music folder will add automatic

Also go to windows media player that way you can get Info for your music files and they'll show in iTunes with correct names

Where's the Scan Button?

photo uploading


1. click the music icon

2. click the scan for media, all music in music folder will be added

enjoy,

you should check out apple music, it free till september just remeber to cancel your subccription the last week, otherwise itll charge you 9.99 for that month

I got it to work. I didn't realize when I importing the music, if it wasn't tagged properly, I could find it under Playlists. I just retagged it and it's right now. Thanks for the help!

I'm not sure where you got this idea, but it's nonsense.

PANASONIC VIERA TX-40CX700B - Price Cut On 4K TV


free picture upload


Been seeing this TVs advertised everywhere , just waiting on a review to be posted, looks good for its price cut thou

I think the Samsung is the best out there.

And right now you can get the 55" or the 60 - 65" at great prices.

They are LED smart HD TV's with the backlite options ( dynamic setting) its awesome.

Anyone I know, who has 3D, never uses the 3D option so I don't care not having that. As for Ultra Screen view, most networks are not even up to date on that Ultra 4k preference.

Well, I installed Windows 10 on my desktop. Bad move. I uninstalled it, and reverted to 7. Despite all the talk about faster boot, etc., 10 gave me no advantage. Plus, it cluttered up my desktop.

I've been getting that stupid notification on my toolbar for weeks. I have NO intention whatsoever of upgrading. 7 works just fine for me!

I too keep getting notifications of free Windows 10 upgrade. I'm keeping 7 too. However, I'm expecting I'll have to get a new computer in the next year, what windows are they using? 10?

Btw, for a while now I've been getting updates for Flash Player. I did an update once, about a year ago, and it messed up/slowed down my computer. I uninstalled it but still get upgrade notices. I don't really want to. How important is flash player anyway?

TIS

A lot of websites use Adobe Flash, so it's a recommended upgrade whenever a new one comes out. If you use the Chrome browser it includes a built-in version of Flash, so you may not suffer the same problems. I prefer Firefox and sometimes it runs into problems, but usually Firefox updates around the same time Flash does.

I have about 300 CDs that I'd like to put on iTunes, and there's probably at least 25 albums that I bought on iTunes or other services for which I'd like to burn backup copies. It takes a while to do these on my computer, and I'm not sure if a bulk task like this is a productive use for my hard drive. Is this a product that will do what I want to do, and especially will it be very fast compared to a general use computer?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0050XF...g=hydfbook0e-20

Thanks for any opinions!

I just recently purchased my first iPod. I have a question: once all of my music is synced onto my device, how do I add additional music to it? I put all of my music on it yesterday and added 2 new albums today but when I added the last 2 albums, everything I put on yesterday erased and only the 2 albums are on it now.

How do I fix this?

Ok my laptop just died. I'm gonna get another one tomorrow. I have Windows 7 but assume I'll have to get an 8 or 10 no? Is one any better than the other? I was Getting free windows 10 upgrade notices on my old computer but neglected to upgrade

Also, I noticed many laptops no longer have DVD drive. I assume because everything is downloadable via Internet? I have a DVD to install my printer which is fairly new. Will I be able to download on line?

It's really been a while since I had to buy new computer. Ive had this one longer than any other, over six years so it's been a while. Any advice particularly info on Windows 10, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks
TIS

TIS,

You will definitely be able to go to the site of the brand of printer and download the software and drivers.

Look it up BEFORE you buy the new laptop though.

During the next holiday sale season(President's Day) look for an inexpensive external dvd drive for under 30 bucks...just so that you have one.

In fact, unless you absolutely need to use a laptop....might wanna wait for Presidents' Day retail and online sales to buy the laptop instead of rushing out to get one.

Also gives you time to research prices and options.

Thanks Gets. I'm browsing around on line (via I pad). I see some touch screen. I assume you can still use the keyboard if you don't wanna use touchscreen. I also want a built in camera which I assume most come with these days no?

Thanks

TIS

TIS,


You're welcome.

Yes, the touchscreen is just a selling point, but can still use keyboard. Windows 10 is based on touchscreen features but most people will just be using their keyboards after a week.

Webcams are pretty much standard on laptops but CHECK in the specs that it's there and what resolution it is.

If you have the time, i.d. a few choices online that are good values and head to retail electronics store next time you're out to physically see how those models function and look in real life(including the cameras).

There's a term for doing that that escapes me now, when person examines item in person in retail store.....likes it and then finds it for better price online and buys it.

here is a CR buying guide for features to consider when buying a computer

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/computers/buying-guide.htm#memory

from Sept. 2015, so slightly outdated

Does anybody use or own a body cam?

I'm pricing some now..
They've added so many bells and whistles to the new ones....that I was told that prices have dropped for bare bones HD ones that just record to sd card.

I do not but this one looks really good.



DigiPower Police Body Camera B&H # DIDPSPC1A MFR # DPS-PC1A

Thanks ,DP. Gonna looked for refurbished or used version of that one as a new one is out of my price range. Great reviews on that model.

Yeah, I think it's 400 bucks.

They have others for a lot less.

I'm wondering if anyone else has been having problems with Windows recently? I'm running Windows 7 and have tried updating the virus definition for Microsoft Security Essentials. It's a Windows Update so when I go to install it, I continue to receive an error. Likewise, I can't even open up MSE anyone as I continue to get the error code. Is anyone else experiencing this? The error code for MSE is 0x8007002 and the Windows Update fails everytime I try to install it too (error code 80070643).

My 7 runs like a charm. I disabled MSE a year ago. I've always had Avast and Malaware and they do the job.

I've got MalwareBytes and MSE. I "think" I fixed it. I uninstalled MSE and reinstalled it. Was able to update the definitions and run a quick scan. We'll see what happens when I restart the computer.

I12,

I had (and liked) MSE on my old computer, windows 7. I never had any problem with it. I just got a new computer, (Windows 10).I heard that you can't install MSE(or it's incompatible for window 10. I've had Webroot also thru Best Buy and am very pleased with it.

Btw, I haven't had any issues with Windows 10. I thought it would be more confusing or harder to navigate but it's pretty good.


TIS

Thanks olivant and TIS. I got it working. Uninstalling and reinstalling MSE worked. TIS, I have been getting notifications to upgrade to 10 but I'm happy with 7, I don't see the point in it for me. If anything, my next computer is going to be an iMac. Been wanting to make the switch for a while now but this computer is probably 3 years old and still working (it's not a need right now). Once it becomes a need, I'll probably switch. Plus, I'd been holding out until Siri was going to be available on the Mac and I think this year it may finally be happening.

I was getting notices for "free windows 10 upgrade" on my old computer. I read comments how people had problems and were sorry they updated so I decided to keep 7 cause I was perfectly ok with it. Thankfully I have no problems with 10 on my new computer.

TIS

I had Windows 8.1 and upgraded to 10 and haven't had problems with either. I suppose that the faster the computer is the fewer the problems and I have an i5, so you'd probably want to get an i5 or i7 with a decent memory capacity.

Windows 10 is aesthetically ugly. It's cumbersome to navigate. They've ruined the user interface with something called "file explorer". Windows Media Player in Windows 10 can no longer remember to start with "no visualization" or even with "visualizations". It's horrible. And there is no roll back built into it. If you don't have a DISK with an older operating system of Microsoft on it, there is no way to get back to a more comfortable and pleasing version of Windows...Microsoft has removed all digital downloads of older versions of Windows. Horrible.

I think Bill Gates is on vacation and he's never coming back. I suspect the ineptitude and clumsiness of the latest version of Windows, which has earned the appellation "disgusting" must be the work of foreign H1B Visas with ZERO common sense, and ZERO regard for the consumer.

Do yourself a favor and stay downgraded as long as you can.

Windows 7 and 8 were the last, good, versions of Microsoft Windows. Windows 7 is better than 8 because you have cool skins that are transparent for your browser windows and media player. You also have better screen savers. Your control panel might also be far easier to navigate. The control panel in 10 is not meant to be understood by the user.

Exactly the reason I'm not upgrading. Thanks for the feedback. Windows 7 works fine for me. I don't understand why they messed it up?

I tried 10 on my desktop, but quickly reverted to 7. Don't upgrade unless you have a compelling reason to do so.

Long shot question: I have a Samsung Android phone. Does anyone know of a text blocking app that would let me block texts containing keywords, but only from a specific person? I have someone who live texts sports events that I watch slightly delayed. I don't want to block all of her texts because I'm in the group of people she might text if she's fallen and can't get up.

cleansms.net

http://androidforums.com/threads/sms-app...eywords.751583/

Thanks!

Do any Board members use Opera browser? If so, what's your opinion of it?

To anyone who has Windows 10. I find that Microsoft Edge was automatically downloaded to my computer. I don't know much about it and didn't realize I had it til recently. What's the difference, what's new or better about it and is it suppose to replace IE?

Right now I use Google Chrome and am happy with it.

Thanks


TIS

There's a critique of it over at CNET.

If you have Kaspersky anti-virus installed, you should read this from CNET:

"With Moscow-based security firm Kaspersky Lab under increasing political and technical scrutiny due to allegations of working closely with Russian intelligence, now might be the time to spy alternative antivirus software for your Windows or Android device. It's important to note that Kaspersky Lab strongly denies these claims."

I'm thinking of hosting some video conferencing for extended family over Thanksgiving. It seems like Zoom has a free service, but you have to set up a new meeting every forty minutes. They also seem to have a thirty-day free trial for their basic pay service. Is there a service out there that does a no strings service for one-time use? I'm fine paying a bit for the service.

The Zoom is really easy.

FaceTime...... but everyone involved would have to have that option.

I’d go Zoom.