Fix Shutdown Problems in Vista!
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In the Patch Tuesday update, Microsoft quietly released the patch to fix Windows Vista machine shut problems. This patch should of came sooner.
Update for Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista
Install this update to resolve a set of known application compatibility issues with Windows Server 2008. After you install this item, you may have to restart your computer.
This was not a critical update and it seems to resolve so many issues with compatibility. One thing it seemed to fix on my system has been the shutdown time. It is now quite fast, it would normally take me 2 to 3 mins to shutdown, now it does it in less than a Minute. So if you’ve not installed this update please install it soon. I would like to know if people are seeing the same thing I am. I’ve found a great resource on fixing it if you are still having problem, it talks about how to check your system performance. Although this is been doing it lately with these programs not loaded or even running, they still seem to cause problems so now I get the feeling it has to do with legacy programs. This should fix most of the problem with older programs.
Google let your work from home with Task Lists!!
Comments OffAs the day go by we have all have tasks, and that means we have to keep a way to remember them. Google decided to add that to there Google Mail. Pcworld said it the right way:
[Via Pcworld]
Rumor is that Itunes will Remove DRM!
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A report from last week brought to AppleInsider’s attention by French technology site ElectronLibre asserts that it’s now “clear” Apple will spark new interest in its music store by removing DRM from tracks published by Sony, Universal and Warner on December 9th.[Via Apple Insider]
Although, this is somewhat unlikely I’ve got my own theories on this. You see If Apple did this tomorrow that would be a BIG deal, due to the fact that Microsoft will be releasing there patches on the same day. I find it would be a momentous occasion.
Are you patched, Secunia Says NO
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Think you’ve got nothing to worry about, according to Secunia 98% of computers are not fully patched and are vulnerable to some kinda of attack.
If you have a system that is off of the Net you could use the Clone of Autopatcher Program to do it for you. You also need to update all your secondary programs such as Audacity, Open Office, and other programs that you use weekly.
Jeff Dunham and “Walter” interview
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Although people don’t know this guy if you live outside of he US. I saw this on a HULU and couldn’t resist he is the Funniest comedian I’ve seen in a while. I absolutely love “Walter” and “Peanut“, Jeff Dunham is starting to make it on the rise. I would love to see him come to Hulu.
Viacom and ATT layoff some people. (12,850 People)
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Today, we are announcing a company-wide restructuring plan that includes staffing reductions in all divisions. This will result in a reduction of our worldwide workforce of approximately 7 percent, or about 850 positions. We are also suspending salary increases for the Company’s senior level management in 2009. In addition, after a comprehensive review of our operations, we will write down certain programming and other assets. These three actions will bring us significant cost savings and other efficiencies.
[via Gawker]
AT&T Inc. joined the recession’s parade of layoffs Thursday by announcing plans to cut 12,000 jobs, about 4 percent of its work force.
[Via Associated Press]
So in all today total that is 12,850 people who are going to be laid off. This is another set of layoffs but isn’t the last to see the whole list of of Layoffs in the Tech industry that I’ve talked about please click this link. You may find some usefull tidbits if you search my blog enough, I’ve got some great tips on getting hired and what you should do to be prepared.
Is this Windows 7?
Comments OffAs you can see that looks to be the final release of the start screen. In the past they haven’t change the start screen, it looks to be really polished and ready for use with Windows 7. If anything, I think the boot screen will be permanent and definitely not temporary. On a Side note, I found this video as well:
I also found one more little Video that looks to be promising, it’s called Windows 7 Super bar. This little Video looks convincingly like this will be kept in Windows 7 but you know how Microsoft is on beta’s. Any how, Here’s this one:
Windows 7 Super Bar from Paul Jenkins on Vimeo.
Hello Twitter, Goodbye Pounce!
In a move that feels more like a cruel prank than a financial strategy, Six Apart has purchased Pownce–only to shut the company down. The blogging company acquired the micro-blogging site for an undisclosed sum before announcing that it would shut Pownce in a mere two weeks.
[via PcMag]
Although if Six Apart was smart they should of tried to Monitize the service but I guess they just wasted there money in buying Pounce. They wanted something else from the company that owned Pounce but not sure what.
Vista To release Service Pack 2 in April 2009
Podcasters are in up in arms over Ustream.tv
REVISED:
Some program Vulnebilities Detected!!
Comments OffJust got done looking at some of my security sites and according to SecuriTeam there are are several programs that have vulnerabilities. here are the Ones that I’ve found:
Google chrome is vulnerable to URI Obfuscation vulnerability.
An attacker can easily perform malicious redirection by manipulating the browser functionality. The link can not be traversed properly in status address bar.This could facilitate the impersonation of legitimate web sites in order to steal sensitive information from unsuspecting users. The URI specified with @ character with or without NULL character causes the vulnerability.iPhone Configuration Web Utility for Windows Directory Traversal
iPhone Configuration Web Utility lets “you easily create, sign and distribute configuration profiles using a web browser”. A vulnerability in iPhone Configuration Web Utility allows remote attackers to access files that reside outside the bounding root directory of the program’s files folder.Streamripper Multiple Buffer Overflows
Streamripper “records Shoutcast and Live365 MP3 streams to a hard disk, creating separate files for each track. Runs under Unix and Windows.” Secunia Research has discovered some vulnerabilities in Streamripper, which can be exploited by malicious people to compromise a user’s system.
Microsoft kills a fake antivirus tool from 994,061 computers!
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According to Arstechnica and I’ll quote:Win32/FakeSecSen has gone by various names, including Micro Antivirus 2009, MS Antivirus, Spyware Preventer, Vista Antivirus 2008, Advanced Antivirus, System Antivirus 2008, Ultimate Antivirus 2008, Windows Antivirus, XPert Antivirus, Power Antivirus, and Ultra Antivirus 2009. Furthermore, it is skinnable, so each of these variants has a different GUI, although the basic functionality is the same: bother users with warnings of malware until they pay up.The Microsoft Malware Protection Center recently released some data on how the removal tool performed this month: FakeSecSen was removed from 994,061 machines. That number isn’t the highest Microsoft has recorded before, and the number of removals depends on which malware Microsoft adds each month and how widespread it is.
[via Arstechnica]
This seemed to of happened this month with the usual Windows update. If you haven’t updated your system just yet you should. This troublesome fake virus seems to have been killed from several systems. This could effectively make it harder for these guys who ever designed this program to make money. I hope microsoft does even more virus removals in next month. If you still want to try to get rid of these viruses don’t forget to check out my tips on Virus removal.
Citigroup bank might be saved through the recession.
Comments OffAccording to reports from ABC News, Citibank is having a hard time and might need to be assisted by the government.
The company has seen its shares lose 60 percent of their value in the past week, reflecting a crisis of confidence among skittish investors. They are worried all the risky debt on Citigroup’s balance sheet will turn into losses as the economy worsens and the markets stay turbulent — losses that could be nearly impossible to reverse.
[via ABC News]
Although this is somewhat expected, I don’t think we can afford to pay the debt of a bank. We are all having to deal with this recession. I don’t know how they can afford to pay for Citigroup and expect this to help bolster the economy. I guess only time will tell!!!
Google SearchWiki dies after two days!!
Comments OffAccording to Techcrunch Google Pulls the Google SearchWiki. Unsure as to way but here’s what they said:
Users are reporting that the recent changes to Google’s search engine, called SearchWiki, have simply disappeared from the site. It’s certainly gone from my account.
[via TechCrunch]
I’ve got my theory on this, and it’s quite a good theory. I think it was a making search results come up wrong or not at all. The last two days they’ve had that going my page views have drop BIG time. According to my Stats I’ve had 236 Unique Visits for Thursday, and 232 Wednesday. My Friday stats show that I only got 185 Unique Visits, dropping 40 to 50 people. My stats for today which is incomplete shows that I’ve only gotten 136 unique visits. Although that is complete you can see where I dropped drastically. I think Google was getting yelled at by websites due to the stats dropping. I am guessing people could tell if they wanted to go to a site just by reading the comments. This will hurt every site, including TechCrunch. I will say this is only a theory and this might or might not be the case.
Google Creates the ultimate Search Wiki!!
Comments OffGoogle has started to do let people rate the searches and help find the better articles. Google is calling it Searchwiki. Here is a screen shot:
Some other Websites talking about this are:
These are just a few but I wanted to let you see what other websites are talking about this new feature. I do want to hear what you think about all this and what is likely to come later on?
Vista has a new Vulnebility!
Comments OffAccording to Techworld.com, Vista has a new Vulnerability that could let a hacker infect a Vista machine with a rootkit. The talk from them is quite intriguing. I will quote it to better let you know what the Vulnerability is:
The vulnerability could allow a hacker to install a rootkit, a small piece of malicious software that is very difficult to detect and remove from a computer, Unterleitner said.
Phion notified Microsoft about the problem on 22 October. Microsoft indicated to Phion that it would issue a patch with Vista’s next service pack. Microsoft released a beta version of Vista’s second service pack to testers last month. Vista’s Service Pack 2 is due for release by June 2009.
[via Techworld.com]
The way they could do this is through the Device IO Control which in turn could corrupt the Kernel of Windows Vista. Now we all know that Microsoft will release a patch quicker than 6 months away. According to this article, people are already looking for the exploit and want to know more about it. I would be willing to bet they will have a patch out sooner than later. Probably January or Febuary, which will be a big deal because no one will expect it. I would also imagine hackers will start trying to figure out how they could install software as quick as possible before Microsoft pushes out the patch. So what can you do to protect yourself, Get a firewall, a Antivirus and learn how to protect yourself to prevent yourself from getting a computer virus.
Did the Xbox Experience break netflix on Demand activation?
Comments OffAlthough this is just a few that talks about the experience and Netflix problems there are going to be more tonight when people start to come home from work wanting this service. I would bet over 100$ it will probably go down because to many request to sign up!! I hope they have the IT guys ready for this tonight or it will be a long night!!
Memorex releases a cheaper Blue Ray player than a PlayStation 3.
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According to there website It can do this:
* Progressive scan Blu-ray Disc player 1080p capability for higher definition video content
* Full HD 1080p, DVD up-conversion up to 1080p (480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p), 24p, 60p video frame rate
* Multi-channel audio content (supports more advanced Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD)
* BD-ROM, DVD-ROM, DVD, DVD-R/-RW, DVD+R/+RW, DVD-R DL, DVD+R DL, CD-ROM, CD, CD-R/-RW
* 16:9 / 4:3 picture select
* On-screen graphical user interface
* Slow motion function (2x – 4x – 8x)
* RW/FF play function (2x – 4x – 8x – 16x)
* VFD display
Is Vista just Windows 7?
Comments OffNow I know Vista isn’t what people expected and that it had high expectations when they first released it. I think that is due to the fact Microsoft tried so hard to make Vista seem more than it actually was. Now According to Ina Fried from CNET her post was about Windows 7: A better Vista?. In her post she talked about the features of Windows 7, and how Windows 7 is almost like Vista. I tend to agree because of the look from screenshots I’ve seen to make me think it will be Version 2 of Vista. I don’t think it is anything that will change from Vista to Windows 7. It will however be more ready to boot up and shutdown that is according to what Microsoft said to Ina.
Reports are coming in that WPA is no longer secure!
Comments OffAccording to a media reports, Erik Tews and Martin Beck claim that they have found a way to unlock the Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) key, used by WPA, to read data sent from a wireless router to laptop computers. According to the researchers, the key can be cracked in 12-15 minutes.
[via Sophos]
According to Sophos, they are claim that people can now watch what you are doing on a Wireless router to a laptop. Although this isn’t to be unexpected this is a very serious out come. It is now easier to watch what people are doing online. So does that mean people can see everything you do? Not necessary. According to some people this is harder than it seems, most of the websites you visit are not encrypted, but websites that use the “https” protocol are more safer to use online. You should be safe if you are buying things online as long as you are sure it is secure. Some other steps to take to help make it harder to unencrypte your wireless single is to use Roboform promotion codes you will get for 10% or 20% off the purchase price!!
Alien Ware Extreme Gaming Notebook M17 17 Inch
Looks like they are out of stock on this Laptop but they do have Alienware M17x-2857DSB 17-Inch Laptop (Black) which looks to be an upgraded version of this one!!!
- Windows Vista® Home Premium (32- and 64-bit)(default)
- Windows Vista® Ultimate (32- and 64-bit)
- Intel® Core™2 Duo Or Quad and Extreme Processors (12MB Cache, 1066MHz FSB)
Intel® PM45 + ICH9M-E Chipset up to 4 GB
ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 3870 (Also Comes with CrossfireX Enabled) - Dual Harddrive In Raid 0 Config or you can have a single hard drive
- 5400 RPM – Up to 1TB (2 x 500GB)
- 7200 RPM – Up to 640GB (2 x 320GB)
So I saw this and had to tell people this is a sweet laptop for people who like to go and play games in a large group. You would be able to play for hours on end, all you would need is an power cord. I would love one of these to try out. If you want to go check it out or buy it. Here’s the Alienware M17x-2857DSB 17-Inch Laptop (Black).
Find Other Alienware Products
Windows update is getting a revision!
Comments Off“Over the next couple of months, we’ll be rolling out another infrastructure update to the Windows Update agent (client code),” said an unidentified Microsoft employee on the Windows Update team’s official blog. “This update makes it possible for users to install more than 80 updates at the same time.”
[via Computer World]
Now if your like me and have several computers who need to be updated at a given schedule, you sometimes worry about these updates that come along that might just break your system. I have been using a program call Offline Updater, which does what Autopatcher does really nicely. So why is Microsoft sending out this patch? Two reasons, one they want you to be able to update your operating System without hurting your system integrity.
Now lets talk about the integrity of having to reboot your system. You see, every time you reboot the system, it causes the system hardware some strain. It is something like having starting up a car, sooner or later you will have the starter go out, because of to much start up.
Time to Change your clocks.
Time to change those clocks of ours
Beginning in 2007, Daylight Saving Time is extended one month and the schedule for the states of the United States that adopt daylight saving time will be:
2 a.m. on the Second Sunday in March
to
2 a.m. on the First Sunday of November.
So that saying goes it “Fall back, Spring Forward“ So now here are some great programs to better help you get your computer clock up to snuff:
Worldtimeclock Atomic Clock Sync Program – It is a free program for you to use with your Windows. Although you have to make sure your selected the right timezone once it is installed all you will need in an internet connection to sync your windows time with the atomic clock.
The Magazine Time, plans to elimate 600 jobs in the near future!
Comments OffAccording to Time Inc. Editor in Chief John Huey is planning on Laying off over 600 jobs:
Time Inc., the world’s largest magazine publisher, plans to cut 6 percent of its work force — more than 600 positions — and will revamp the organization in a way that could radically alter the culture at the company.
[via Nytimes.com]
With the way the economy is, we have more and more people who are having trouble with Layoffs. I got a list of companies right now who is laying people off. If you want to check it out just CLICK HERE.
Now let’s talk about the bigger picture, people are worried and want to get through this with out getting hit hard. So what is true hardship, that comes when you least expect it and want it. I’ve come to the conclusion that it will happen in the best of times. You see most people don’t know what hardship is until it hits them in the square on the head.
Windows 7 Milestone 1 Leaked!
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Many people have been wanting a copy of this so called elusive copy from PDC to test out and see where Microsoft is going. Most developers are wanting to start to get into the stage of figuring out how they can get a step ahead of everyone else. That being said, people have started to leak the Windows 7 on the Torrent sites.
We must assume Microsoft expected this and kinda wanted this to happen because when they gave this out they didn’t make it have any major copy protection. Although we must not forget that there will be fakes out there and people are downloading this at a tramendous rate. Most people will download it in under a day if you let it go!! I have not downloaded it because I am trying to get into the beta team for Windows 7 and don’t want to be to critical on the system.
Micrsoft TerraServer, What are they doing today?
Comments OffJust found this great way to get an aerial view of Los Angeles, Although the photos are old photos they still give you a sense of the area. For example this one:
Corpus Christi, Texas, United States 1/15/1995
As you can see you can get a good look around the US. If you want to check out your local area or maybe you know you Latitude and Longitude of where you live. You can also enter that too and see it in the past. It at least brings back memories for me. For example, the Twin Towers, they still have that photo. You could also look at the White House before 9/11 also. Go check out the Micrsoft Terraserver and go have some fun looking at old pictures.
Help stop those slow boot up!!
Comments OffI was searching for a program to help boot up my system a lot quicker. I came across this little program call Startup Delayer. In a nutshell, it allows you to pick which programs to start up first and then lets you decide how many minutes between each program that is asking to load.
In the best way possible you can download this program and use it for yourself. Although they seem to be having a little server problem right now. Go download Startup Delayer, and decide for yourself.
Is Hulu the “salad course”?
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As I’ve been watching Hulu the last few months. I’ve come to think that Hulu isn’t offering us the viewers the chance of a full course meals. They seem to like to stop after the first 2-3 seasons on most of the shows. I recently contacted Hulu about the Naruto episodes and here’s what they had to say about it:
Thanks for the email. On background, sometime in the coming weeks, Hulu
will get the remaining episodes of Naruto Season 1, and we'll also get
episodes from Season 2-3 in the future as well.
Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks.
Brandon Boone
So why does Hulu do this? I have a theory and this is one that most people will agree on. My theory is that the distributors are trying to entice us into buying the rest of the seasons from someplace, like Amazon or Itunes. Now I am going to have to say this is really stupid way of business and will sooner or later create even more of a demand to download these shows illegally. In the past people have always looked for the cheap way to watch there favorite shows.
5 ways to improve your chance of getting hired.
Having seen the economy this week, I’ve come to the conclusion that it is time to redo all the important essentials and get all my ducks in the order as they say. I’ve been thinking of how best to be ready in case the dreaded day comes when my employer no longer needs my assistance and what could I do to be prepared.
- Get Someone to Critique your Resume — This is the most important step because this is the first place employers look when they want to hire someone. So how do you get it critiqued? Here are some good links to help you start off with: Careerbuilder Critique, Mind of Root Peer Critique(Last until Oct 30, 2008).
- Have your Resume Ready to upload to Resume sites – You should always register at all the important resume sites just in case. The Sites that I recommend are : Monster, Career Builder, Hot jobs, Dice, US jobs, Best Jobs USA, Computer Jobs, and Nation Job.
- Use your website as a place to put your Resume – Have your resume available in case some contacts you and tells you they know someone who is looking to hire people. Have this resume hidden and only give it out to people you know. This is also known as networking.
Sneak Peak : A Knight In Shining Armor Review
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So I just got done watching this on Hulu. I thought it was intriguing and somewhat like they did with the first show. Here’s a Small Synopsis of this show:
Mike Traceur has a past and people know who he is but He doesn’t so in the effort to throw people off the trail. Carrie Rivai decides the only way to get people to leave him alone is to kill him. So the FBI does a stunt and kills Mike Tracer. Now Mike has to figure out his new name and reconnect with his old flame. Which is Sarah Graiman, Who he asked her to marry to him and yet he does not remember it. In the end, Mike Traceur will be known as Micheal Knight and thus doing a return to the old. What is old is new again. I think this plot with Sara and Him will be quite intriguing but I don’t like how they had to bring in the Knight name again, Although It was something that was bound to happen.
