March 12, 2010
SECURITY POSTSCRIPT
Take a minute to make sure your security software is running. If you’ve switched to Microsoft Security Essentials, look for the reassuring checkmark down by the clock.
Two people reported problems with MSE in the last couple of days – no icon visible and an error message when they tried to launch the program from the Start menu. It has to be related to the upgrade released a couple of days ago but I can’t find any other reports and my own experiences installing the upgrade on 10 or 15 computers so far have all been straightforward […] continued
March 10, 2010
MICROSOFT SECURITY ESSENTIALS UPGRADE
Microsoft has rolled out a minor upgrade to its free security program, Microsoft Security Essentials. A few days ago I began running into computers with an MSE icon by the clock that had an exclamation point in it. Take a look at your icon! If it looks like the picture on the left, double-click on it to start the program.
It takes a single click to install the upgrade. The process takes 2-3 minutes – it only seems like a long time if you’re staring at the screen impatiently drumming your fingers.
Microsoft has released […] continued
March 8, 2010
iPAD ASPECT RATIO
Apple has a new TV ad for the iPad that appears to be deliberately deceptive.
One of the strangest choices for the Apple iPad was its shape – nearly square, like an iPod or an old-fashioned TV, instead of widescreen, taller and narrower, like an iPhone or a widescreen TV. The proportions of an old TV or CRT monitor are 4:3 – almost square. A new widescreen TV or monitor is proportioned like a movie screen, usually 16:9. The screen on the iPhone is not quite true widescreen (it’s somewhere in between 4:3 and 16:9), but one […] continued
March 7, 2010
OFFICE 2010 TECHNOLOGY GUARANTEE
Microsoft Office 2010 will be available to consumers on June 15. There are new features focused on increasing the integration with online file storage and collaboration – plus a major redesign of Outlook, adding everything from a ribbon bar across the top to social networking links. There are some nice new things, although I haven’t seen anything yet that strikes me as a game-changer.
Starting now, if you buy Office 2007 or buy a new computer with Office 2007, you’ll get a free upgrade to Office 2010 when it’s released. The deal requires the usual work of filling […] continued
March 5, 2010
DELL LATITUDE 13
Dell has added the Latitude 13 to its business notebook lineup, with a design that is identical in virtually every respect to the Vostro V13 introduced in December. The “Latitude” brand name is used by Dell to indicate that the notebook includes features for management by large companies. Here’s the description of the added features distinguishing the Latitude 13 from the Vostro V13:
The Latitude 13 adds features such as remote manageability and desktop virtualization through certification from Citrix and VMware to deliver a full PC experience to users in non-standard computing environments such as
[…] continued
March 4, 2010
BRUCEB ON VACATION 03/04-03/07
Look, you don’t think I enjoy this, do you? The constant grind of shuffling from airport to airport, renting cars and climbing on shuttle buses, desperately drinking coffee to wake up before dragging myself out to yet another ski slope.
But when the economy is dragging, I consider it my civic duty to step up and provide whatever stimulus I can to local economies. What can I tell you? I’m a giver.
Don’t panic.
- I’ll be available by email each afternoon and evening, and by phone any time for emergencies. I’ll be able to provide remote
[…] continued
March 2, 2010
INFORMATION LITERACY POSTSCRIPT
March 2, 2010
INFORMATION LITERACY
Technology has left everyone feeling a bit adrift. Everyone fears that they don’t have basic skills that other people seem to have mastered – whether it’s finding files on a computer or locating information online, running programs or using handheld devices. Some people are ahead of the curve, some are behind, but almost no one feels confident. It’s hard to step back and realize how much you’ve learned about computers and the Internet in the last ten years.
Here’s an anecdote about a mistake. I don’t mention it to make fun of the people involved. We’re all fighting […] continued
March 1, 2010
TALES OF WOE: HARDWARE DEPT.
When you tell me about certain kinds of computer problems, I sometimes begin weeping uncontrollably, or excuse myself from the room for a few minutes while I gobble down powerful antidepressants. Let me give you another example to show you why.
A law firm wrestled with a new Dell Optiplex 760 for months, starting almost immediately after it was purchased – erratic lockups with no obvious cause and no pattern.
At some point the computer refused to restart, with a message on a black screen that there was no boot device to be found. It wasn’t consistent – […] continued
February 26, 2010
GROOVESHARK – MALWARE WARNING
Be careful out there!
I went to Grooveshark tonight to listen to some music. (Here’s what I wrote about Grooveshark recently. For obvious reasons, I’m not going to link directly to the site tonight.)
Within a few seconds, the Internet Explorer window vanished and was replaced by a typical malware window claiming that my computer was infected with terrible diseases.
The malware came from a poisoned advertisement. Web sites that display advertising don’t put the ads there individually. Instead, they sign up with an ad network that’s responsible for supplying the ads to fill a space […] continued
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