From Maximum PC:

"Internet Explorer 9 is finally available in final form to the general public, and we’re pleased to say that it represents a big leap forward for Microsoft’s web browser. We know that many of you Maximum PC reader’s have gotten turned off to IE in recent years (and understandably so) but Internet Explorer is suddenly a lot more competitive, and worth a look.
We recommend you try it for yourself (sorry XP users, Vista and Windows 7 only), but in case you’re still on the fence, we’ve prepared a visual guide to our 10 favorite new features in Internet Explorer 9."

Notice the phrase in RED above. This is good news for those of us still using XP. This means no more pressure to upgrade IE. I do recommend that XP users upgrade to IE8 if you are not already there. IE8 is much more stable and reliable that IE7, for those of you who may be using IE7.

For those of us who have W7 machines, I would suggest you wait a while, at least 3 months, before installing IE9. Give it a chance to stabilize.

The 10 Best New Features In Internet Explorer 9

Microsoft's Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool

It is that time of the month again. Served up with the usual Tuesday Windows updates was the March 2011 version of Microsoft's MSRT or MRT for short. If you have installed the March updates, then you now already have the March MRT tool available to you. In the pictures below note the :"March 2011" in the application banner (top of the windows).

 You may click on any of the 3 photos below to view a larger version.

 

Microsoft Launches IE6 Deathwatch

There was a time not too long ago when I held on to IE6, figuring I'd go with it until its end, but I threw in the towel and upgraded to IE7, which was really horrible, and then IE8, and IE8 seemed to be a reliable product with enhanced features vs. IE6.

That being said, however, I never use IE at all unless I am forced to do so. Firefox is still my favorite browser. I really thought Google's Chrome would be the ultimate browser, but when I tried it, release after release, and saw that Google apparently refuses to include a most basic feature - a Bookmarks list on the left side of the screen - I abandoned it. So for me it's Firefox.

However, I know that there are some of you who are planning to stay with Windows XP and IE6 until the end, which is still 2014. To you I say GOOD FOR YOU! Do it! I still run XP on all but two of my machines, which have Windows 7.

Perhaps the most important line in today's PC World article is this: "Microsoft has promised to support IE6 until April 2014."

Microsoft Launches IE6 Deathwatch

 

I'm starting to get the iPad itch! How to justify yet another expensive toy?

This review comes from PCMag.com.

Apple iPad 2 Hands On: Faster, Thinner Than the Original

Rogue Gallery

A link I saw on Kim Komando's web site pointed me to what I consider a valuable resource. In the past I had recommended Bharath's Security Blog as a web site to visit to check on rogue programs, but Bharath has not been updating lately, so I was very happy to see that Lavasoft has taken up the effort to keep us informed on the latest rogue programs. 


I was particularly interested because Lavasoft used to make a fine adware detection and removal program called Ad-Aware. It was always on my list of baseline security programs. However, at some point Lavasoft decided to abandon that small and simple program in favor of a much larger all-in-one security package. I thought, this morning, I would check out their free offering, but when I saw the download file size of 117MB I quickly decided against it. Having discovered Microsoft Security Essentials, the last thing I need is yet another anti-virus program in an all-too-big "Internet Security" bundle.


Anyway, Lavasoft's Rogue Gallery looks good and I recommend it to you as a reference site worth bookmarking.

Lavasoft's Rogue Gallery

A Parent’s Struggle With a Child’s iPad Addiction

This is from David Pogue's blog. He is with the New York Times.

"I think my 6-year-old is addicted to the iPad.

He asks for it constantly. He wants to use it in the car. He wants to use it at every unscheduled moment at home.

He brings it to the dinner table.

When I tell him it’s time to shut off the iPad and head up to bed, or put his shoes on, or head out to the bus, he doesn’t hear me the first three times I ask. Sometimes, he gets bizarrely upset when I say I have to take it away now — out-of-character upset. That’s what makes me think he’s addicted."

More............

Xoom Vs. iPad: The Real Tablet Wars Begin

From PC World:

Motorola couldn't have chosen a worse time to start selling the Xoom, the first real Apple iPad competitor. Just as the Xoom went on sale on Verizon, Apple dropped an iBomb in the shape of a press invitation next week to the unveiling of the next generation iPad (let's call it the iPad 2).

But even with the iPad 2 looming, Motorola's Xoom will have to go head to head with the original iPad. If you can't hold on a bit longer without a tablet, here's how the Xoom and iPad stack up against each other.

Xoom Vs. iPad: The Real Tablet Wars Begin

A Patrol for the Web’s Playgrounds

From the New York Times:

A company’s nationwide network of moderators aims to keep Web sites free of cyberbullies.

A Patrol for the Web’s Playgrounds

Tell us how you really feel!

This comes from the Call That Girl blog:

Reasons why we do not recommend AVG 2011

"…Or any of their products for that matter. Put simply, viruses, spyware, and malware get right through most antivirus programs. And AVG 2011 is no exception, it’s one of the free products that we see most often when we remote into a computer that has viruses on it. Not only is AVG 2011 a bad and heavily bogged down product, but it is just not worth the download, free or paid. (And in our opinion AVG 8.0 used to be one of the best). But just like with Norton (we consider AVG Norton’s little brother) or Symantec products, they both took a once good product, weighed it down, and ultimately just ended up ruining it. Sometimes it’s just right to leave things well enough alone."

 Your humble PC Doc, me, agrees 100%. I strongly recommend Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) for all, although there was a time, pre-MSE, when I was AVG Free's number one fan!

Spybot Time

A quick reminder that the MVPS HOSTS file for February is available now.

http://msmvps.com/blogs/hostsnews/archive/2011/02/18/1788355.aspx

The Tablets of MWC 2011: Watch Your Back Apple

Yesterday I wrote about how the world of tablets is expanding. Here's some data to back that up - from PCWorld.

"Mobile World Congress 2011 was the launchpad for tablets from tech heavyweights LG, Samsung, HTC, Toshiba, Acer, and ViewSonic. Here is a roundup of what debuted.

Apple sold over 14 million iPads so far, a huge head start on these tablets introduced or first demoed at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week. The iPad is attacked from all sides: smaller screens, more multimedia blitz or port bonanzas. Can these upcoming tablets show Apple who has the last word in the tablet wars?"

Top 10 MWC Tablets Challenging The iPad

What a tough time to feel a need to buy a new laptop. The world of tablets is expanding every day with new brands and models, all claiming to be one better than the other guy. I'd love to have a tablet, but just can't justify the extra expense at this time.

Most netbooks (like the ASUS 1215n which I own) are cheaper than a tablet. Most notebooks (laptops) are priced the same or higher than most tablets, so the tablet fits right there in the middle between the two.

If however, you feel the need for a new laptop, you might find some useful information in this PC World article.

When Should You Buy a New Laptop?

E-cycling begins with you

This is a good site if you want to recycle some computer components. Tip: In using the site I found that I had success by clicking on a state name on the map. The "Pick Your State" drop down menu at the bottom of the page didn't work for me.

http://www.ecyclingcentral.com/

IBM's Watson Ties for Lead on Jeopardy Despite Some Missteps

From maximumpc.com:

"As fans of technology, it was easy rooting for IBM's Watson supercomputer in last night's first of a three-day Jeopardy segment pitting man versus machine. Watson's going up against two former Jeopardy champions, Ken Jennings, who in 2004 won 74 games in a row earning over $3 million including tournaments, and Brad Rutter, Jeopardy's biggest money winner of all time with over $3.2 million. Tough competition, but in the opening round, Watson held its own."

More........

Netbooks Lose Status as Tablets Like the iPad Rise

Anyone want to buy a good used Netbook?! :-) This comes from the New York Times.

"Remember the Last Big Thing in computing? You’ll be forgiven for having forgotten it was the netbook — a small notebook computer with a slender price tag, about $300.

Today, tablets are all the rage, including the iPad from Apple and a host of new entries starting to come from rivals like Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Research In Motion and Samsung. But less than two years ago, in 2009, netbooks were seen as the earth-shaking force in the industry, potentially changing the economics of the business and undermining the technology leaders, Intel and Microsoft.

Things didn’t work out that way. Netbook sales were meteoric in 2009, jumping eightfold in the United States, to 7.5 million devices, and tripling worldwide to 34 million. Yet the torrid growth stalled last year."

More...........

XP Desktop Resurrected

Okay, I did it. I have moved into our new home in Acton and I decided to see if I could get my old faithful IBM desktop to come alive after a rather longer than planned hiatus due to the sluggish real estate market, but that's another story.

My good old desktop, running Windows XP SP3 is alive and well. I have committed to it as my main computer, so my laptop usage is limited to web browsing and web mail, whereas my desktop at home has my Outlook and other serious software applications.

I have decided that I see no reason why this machine, and XP on my other machines, should not be able to carry me through to 2014, the announced termination of support date for XP. For those of you who have also made that commitment, good for us all. I do have a Windows 7 laptop. I need that for supporting customers with W7. Otherwise, XP on my desktop is it!

I have yet to come to grips with what to do about my investment in a beautiful Apple MacBook Pro 17. It is truly a great machine, but you know, it just ain't XP.

This evening I downloaded another 9 important XP updates. Included among them was MSRT. I shall now run MRT and call it a day.

PRIVACY: Remove your data from public directories

This comes to us from the Kim Komando web site, a site worth checking daily for tips.

"Whether you like it or not, your information is available publicly. And this information is freely available online. Marketers and advertisers have teams dedicated to finding this information. They use it so they can sell you thing you likely don’t want.

There are many online directories. Some of these compile listed phone numbers. Others might also include your address. And still others serve up more personal information as sales leads. They scour public records for your information.

Public information can include records from courts, real estate registrations and voter registration. It can also include hunting permits and marriage or driver's licenses.

However, online directories aren't out to get you. In fact, they typically offer a way to opt out of their listings. But you have to find the exit.

I've already done some searching for you. Here are the opt-out pages for a few major directory sites:

555-1212.com
www.555-1212.com
Look near the bottom of the list on this page. Click on Opt-out or Change Request Policy for further instructions.

Anywho
www.anywho.com
Remove your phone number online or by mail.

Acxiom.com
www.acxiom.com
You can opt out of both ad tracking and the online directory from this page. Opting out of the directory requires that you fill out and mail in a form.

Network Advertising Initiative
www.networkadvertising.org
This site lets you opt out of a long list of advertising databases and trackers. Simply select all the sites you wish to opt out from. Then click Submit.

Intelius
www.intelius.com
You must fax documents proving your identity to remove listings. Detailed instructions are in the section labeled, "How to Remove your Information."


US Search
www.ussearch.comYou'll have to mail in a form to turn on PrivacyLock and block your listing."

Today Show January 1994...What is the Internet?!

How far we have come in just 17 years!

Blue screen of death and what it means

Today's blog post comes from the "Call That Girl" blog.

"So you get the “blue screen” or “blue screen of death”…what do you do now?

If you call someone, you may get this answer, “It’s your hard drive”

Or is it…???

I’ve troubleshooted many of these errors. Sometimes simple troubleshooting is all you need to do. Sometimes it’s a bad Windows update or a software glitch that caused the blue screen to happen. 2 calls this week in the shop proved that it was a Windows problem and we quickly resolved it by doing some magic in the shop, cost to the client? An easy $40 fix. Didn’t take much more than 30 minutes for us to repair it.

Here are a few tips for you to try yourself at home before bringing it into our shop.

• Start by turning off your computer
• Then unplug all your cords including monitor
• Let the computer sit for 20 minutes
• After 20 minutes, only plug in the power for the computer and monitor and turn it back on
• If it turns on and goes to the Windows start up screen, you may have a bad keyboard, mouse or USB external port issue
• Once it comes back on, if all seems ok…turn it back off
• Plug back in the keyboard and mouse. Turn it on again

If it blue screens, it’s more than likely your mouse or USB port. If the end of your mouse has a circular end, it’s probably not the issue. If it has a 1/2″ thin metal end, it’s a USB mouse and could be the issue. Try another mouse if you have one.

If your computer turns on fine again, then test your USB plug-ins. (camera, webcam, printer, etc) If then all seems ok, go in and back up your information/data right away.

Again….if anything at this point fails, it could be a hard drive or a software issue. I don’t always think it’s a bad drive if it blue screens. Sometimes your computer just has a bump in the road and needs to be “reset”.

The troubleshooting tricks above often help figure out what may be causing the issue."

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