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Ever wondered what twitter considers spam ? Well here is a list to start with

1. If you have followed a large amount of users in a short amount of time;
2. If you have followed and unfollowed people in a short time period, particularly by automated means (aggressive follower churn)
3. If you repeatedly follow and unfollow people, whether to build followers or to garner more attention for your profile
4. If you have a small number of followers compared to the amount of people you are following
5. If your updates consist mainly of links, and not personal updates
6. If a large number of people are blocking you
7. The number of spam complaints that have been filed against you
8. If you post duplicate content over multiple accounts or multiple duplicate updates on one account
9. If you post multiple unrelated updates to a topic using hashtags
10. If you post multiple unrelated updates to a trending or popular topic
11. If you send large numbers of duplicate @replies
12. If you send large numbers of unsolicited @replies in an attempt to spam a service or link
13. If you repost other user’s content without attribution.
14. If you have attempted to “sell” followers, particularly through tactics considered aggressive following or follower churn.
15. Using or promoting third-party sites that claim to get you more followers (such as follower trains, sites promising “more followers fast,” or any other site that offers to automatically add followers to your account).

By www.shakthisoft.net

Travis Megale is happily employed. A regular Facebook user, he knows how to use the site appropriately and what NOT to say or post. Unfortunately, many Facebook members do not. Job termination due to behavior on Facebook seems to increasingly be in the headlines. A recent survey from email security firm Proofpoint finds seven percent of organizations have fired an employee because of activity on social media sites. Another 20 percent said employees have been disciplined over social media activity. It's statistics like this that inspired Megale to launch his Facebook group "Fired because of Facebook."

"I'm a high school teacher so I have to be very mindful of what I post and I set up the group as a bit of heads up to my colleagues," said Megale. "People I had worked with in the past had made comments and posted pictures that could have easily resulted in their termination had they been seen by the wrong people. My hope is that the page will save a few people from making a silly, yet costly, Facebook mistake."

See also: Social media risks: The basics

In an effort to create awareness , the group invites members who have lost their job because of something they did on Facebook to tell their story. And tales of woe about a Facebook flub that lead to a lost job are revealed regularly. Recent examples posted on the group's Wall just in the past three days include one member who said "Fired for posting "F*** them nuggets" on a friend's page. I was a manager at McDonalds for 3 years. Gone!" Another poster writes: "Fired for not being 'the caliber of person that we like to hire. What you act like in your personal life reflects negatively on us as a company.'" (Related: 10 security reasons to quit Facebook)

While it may not make a fired employee feel much better about losing their job, there are reasons for an organization to monitor employee social media behavior and take action against things they deem problematic. It's often reputation and security concerns that an organization is concerned about when it comes to social networks, some of these include brand image and employee safety. (Also see: Keeping your company image safe on social media)

What are some of the red flag behaviors an employer might look for in their employees' online profiles? Here are ten mistakes users make on sites like Facebook and Twitter that could lead to unemployment.

Posting negative comments about your job or your company:

This might seem obvious - but for many people it's not. Some Facebook members feel the need to vent to friends and family about their job, or their coworkers, and are under the impression their profile is private. But this isn't always the case, especially if a user has failed to make their settings private, points out Tom Eston, host of the web site socialmediasecurity.com. Users need to be more mindful not only about privacy settings, but about keeping work-related rants to themselves.

"Just don't do it," said Eston. "Often someone will post something and then think, days later, maybe I shouldn't have done that. You can't blame the social network for that. People need to take more personal responsibility for what they post."

Even if you have your privacy settings locked down, remember that Facebook redesigns can cause settings to default back to public, making the content available for everyone to see until the user goes in and resets it. This was the case with a teacher from Cohassett, Massachusetts who was fired from her job in August after posting on Facebook that she wasn't looking forward to another year in the district. June Talvitie-Siple, who also had called the students 'germ bags' in another update, did not realize her settings were public after a recent Facebook change. She serves as a good reminder to check your privacy settings regularly.

Then there are those who are just plain forgetful. Like a woman who sounded off on her boss in a post that has now become internet legend. Unfortunately, that boss was also a Facebook friend who could easily view her profile.

The woman updated her status to read: OMG I HATE MY JOB!! My boss is a total pervvy (sic) w**ker, always making me do s**t stuff just to p**s me off!! W**ker!"

The boss responded: "I guess you forgot about adding me on here? " and ended with "Don't bother coming in tomorrow. And yes, I'm serious."

Defending your employer in an online dispute:

Just the opposite of flub number one, this can still be an offense, even if you have your company's best intentions in mind.

That's because even if you think what your saying is OK, you're not a public relations professional, and what you post could either be wrong, or even damaging to the company. Networking giant Cisco Systems specifically spells out in its social media policy that employees should not engage in any online debate about the company without specific permission.

"When an employee sees something negative about the company, they will sometimes want to defend their employer, who they are perfectly happy with," explained Christopher Burgess, senior security advisor for Cisco. "You can't do that in 140 characters in Twitter. What we've told folks is: Let PR do that."

Discussing private and/or security-related company matters:

So your company is about to acquire another and there is speculation about layoffs? Keep it to yourself. Posting this information on Facebook or Twitter is almost as bad as talking to the press about it. Even if you think you're just telling confidantes, there is no way of knowing where that information goes next, said Eston.

"Even if it's just a general context, certain information that might be confidential to a company should never be discussed."

Disguising your identity and pretending to be someone else:

You always want to be honest about who you are. Back to the point about talking about your company: Burgess says Cisco policy also forbids employees from disguising their name or identity in order to engage in debate about the company.

"The policy clearly states that it is unacceptable to use an alias," he said. "Employees should always state their relationship with the company from the outset."

Offering up too much information about your personal life and recreational activities:

Eston, who used to work in security for a large bank remembers a time when TMI on Twitter not only lost a job for someone, it prevented them from being hired at all.

The bank was conducting a background check on a job candidate, and found some less than desirable information.

"She had tweeted about how she hoped she would be able to get by a drug test, and her Twitter profile picture was her smoking a joint."

Posting questionable pictures:

Perhaps the most high-profile example of this is the case involving Patriots cheerleader Caitlyn Davis. Davis was fired from the team after Facebook pictures depicted her brandishing a Sharpie over an apparently unconscious man whose skin was covered in drawings and graffiti, among them two swastikas.

While the pictures and personal information you're posting might not be so egregious, it's probably a good idea to stay away from risqué photos as well as comments about your personal life that could cause an employer to pause and make a negative judgment about you. When using social networks, you want to put your best foot forward. Next time you post something ask yourself if it is something any one can see.

Copyright © 2010 CSO.

 

By Joan Goodchild, CSO

Via  www.pcworld.com

Travis Megale is happily employed. A regular Facebook user, he knows how to use the site appropriately and what NOT to say or post. Unfortunately, many Facebook members do not. Job termination due to behavior on Facebook seems to increasingly be in the headlines. A recent survey from email security firm Proofpoint finds seven percent of organizations have fired an employee because of activity on social media sites. Another 20 percent said employees have been disciplined over social media activity. It's statistics like this that inspired Megale to launch his Facebook group "Fired because of Facebook."

"I'm a high school teacher so I have to be very mindful of what I post and I set up the group as a bit of heads up to my colleagues," said Megale. "People I had worked with in the past had made comments and posted pictures that could have easily resulted in their termination had they been seen by the wrong people. My hope is that the page will save a few people from making a silly, yet costly, Facebook mistake."

See also: Social media risks: The basics

In an effort to create awareness , the group invites members who have lost their job because of something they did on Facebook to tell their story. And tales of woe about a Facebook flub that lead to a lost job are revealed regularly. Recent examples posted on the group's Wall just in the past three days include one member who said "Fired for posting "F*** them nuggets" on a friend's page. I was a manager at McDonalds for 3 years. Gone!" Another poster writes: "Fired for not being 'the caliber of person that we like to hire. What you act like in your personal life reflects negatively on us as a company.'" (Related: 10 security reasons to quit Facebook)

While it may not make a fired employee feel much better about losing their job, there are reasons for an organization to monitor employee social media behavior and take action against things they deem problematic. It's often reputation and security concerns that an organization is concerned about when it comes to social networks, some of these include brand image and employee safety. (Also see: Keeping your company image safe on social media)

What are some of the red flag behaviors an employer might look for in their employees' online profiles? Here are ten mistakes users make on sites like Facebook and Twitter that could lead to unemployment.

Posting negative comments about your job or your company:

This might seem obvious - but for many people it's not. Some Facebook members feel the need to vent to friends and family about their job, or their coworkers, and are under the impression their profile is private. But this isn't always the case, especially if a user has failed to make their settings private, points out Tom Eston, host of the web site socialmediasecurity.com. Users need to be more mindful not only about privacy settings, but about keeping work-related rants to themselves.

"Just don't do it," said Eston. "Often someone will post something and then think, days later, maybe I shouldn't have done that. You can't blame the social network for that. People need to take more personal responsibility for what they post."

Even if you have your privacy settings locked down, remember that Facebook redesigns can cause settings to default back to public, making the content available for everyone to see until the user goes in and resets it. This was the case with a teacher from Cohassett, Massachusetts who was fired from her job in August after posting on Facebook that she wasn't looking forward to another year in the district. June Talvitie-Siple, who also had called the students 'germ bags' in another update, did not realize her settings were public after a recent Facebook change. She serves as a good reminder to check your privacy settings regularly.

Then there are those who are just plain forgetful. Like a woman who sounded off on her boss in a post that has now become internet legend. Unfortunately, that boss was also a Facebook friend who could easily view her profile.

The woman updated her status to read: OMG I HATE MY JOB!! My boss is a total pervvy (sic) w**ker, always making me do s**t stuff just to p**s me off!! W**ker!"

The boss responded: "I guess you forgot about adding me on here? " and ended with "Don't bother coming in tomorrow. And yes, I'm serious."

Defending your employer in an online dispute:

Just the opposite of flub number one, this can still be an offense, even if you have your company's best intentions in mind.

That's because even if you think what your saying is OK, you're not a public relations professional, and what you post could either be wrong, or even damaging to the company. Networking giant Cisco Systems specifically spells out in its social media policy that employees should not engage in any online debate about the company without specific permission.

"When an employee sees something negative about the company, they will sometimes want to defend their employer, who they are perfectly happy with," explained Christopher Burgess, senior security advisor for Cisco. "You can't do that in 140 characters in Twitter. What we've told folks is: Let PR do that."

Discussing private and/or security-related company matters:

So your company is about to acquire another and there is speculation about layoffs? Keep it to yourself. Posting this information on Facebook or Twitter is almost as bad as talking to the press about it. Even if you think you're just telling confidantes, there is no way of knowing where that information goes next, said Eston.

"Even if it's just a general context, certain information that might be confidential to a company should never be discussed."

Disguising your identity and pretending to be someone else:

You always want to be honest about who you are. Back to the point about talking about your company: Burgess says Cisco policy also forbids employees from disguising their name or identity in order to engage in debate about the company.

"The policy clearly states that it is unacceptable to use an alias," he said. "Employees should always state their relationship with the company from the outset."

Offering up too much information about your personal life and recreational activities:

Eston, who used to work in security for a large bank remembers a time when TMI on Twitter not only lost a job for someone, it prevented them from being hired at all.

The bank was conducting a background check on a job candidate, and found some less than desirable information.

"She had tweeted about how she hoped she would be able to get by a drug test, and her Twitter profile picture was her smoking a joint."

Posting questionable pictures:

Perhaps the most high-profile example of this is the case involving Patriots cheerleader Caitlyn Davis. Davis was fired from the team after Facebook pictures depicted her brandishing a Sharpie over an apparently unconscious man whose skin was covered in drawings and graffiti, among them two swastikas.

While the pictures and personal information you're posting might not be so egregious, it's probably a good idea to stay away from risqué photos as well as comments about your personal life that could cause an employer to pause and make a negative judgment about you. When using social networks, you want to put your best foot forward. Next time you post something ask yourself if it is something any one can see.

Copyright © 2010 CSO.

 

By Joan Goodchild, CSO

Via  www.pcworld.com

Microsoft Windows 7 is already a much more responsive operating system than its predecessors, but there are tweaks and changes you can make to speed up Windows 7 even more. By reading this list and implementing some of the suggestions, you can increase performance in a very short period of time. If you have any further suggestions on how to improve the speed of a Windows 7 PC, please let us know in the comments section so that we can keep updating this list.

1. Boost your RAM
Windows 7 is very efficient at using your memory and adding another stick of RAM can give a big performance boost at very little cost. 4GB is plenty for most 64-bit users, and 3GB is a sensible limit for 32-bit users (mainly due to the memory limitations which you can read about here).
If you do more intensive work such as CAD or video editing then added even more than 4GB RAM may be a sensible idea. However it should be noted that simply adding lots of extra memory will not continue to improve overall performance, the bottleneck depends on other components (such as your CPU and hard drive).

2. Switch to SSD
Using a Solid State Drive is going to provide a performance boost in almost all Windows 7 applications, especially when it comes to boot times. SSD’s have no moving parts and therefore are silent and more energy efficient, with the benefit of much faster access times.
The current generation of mechanical hard drives will be obsolete in the coming years, but for the time being SSDs are quite expensive. If you have the money and a high end system to improve upon, this would be an excellent choice.

3. Install the Correct Version of Windows 7
If you have a high end PC with over 3GB of ram then you should be using the 64-bit version of Windows in most cases. Limitations of 32-bit hardware/software will prevent the use of all the memory a little past the 3GB mark, so you could be wasting the potential of your RAM.
There are many other reasons to choose between 32-bit and 64-bit Windows 7, which are covered in more detail in this article. If you have 64-bit hardware then you may as well make the most of it.

4. Keep your System Drivers Updated
Updating your main system drivers (graphics card, chipset, audio, etc...) will make sure you get the most from any performance enhancements and bug fixes. Graphics card drivers can sometimes provide large boosts to game performance. As Windows 7 is relatively new, driver improvements will be frequent.
Windows Update will provide periodic driver updates for many hardware items, but it is worth bookmarking your graphics driver download page as this will be updated much more frequently and provides the largest potential for a boost in performance.

5. Use Windows ReadyBoost
ReadyBoost is a way of using fast memory drives/cards to provide a high-speed system cache, boosting the performance of your applications without adding any additional physical RAM. ReadyBoost compatible devices have much faster read and write access times than hard disks, and are therefore able to provide speedy buffers for random I/O operations.
This is no substitute for adding more memory to your system, but the ReadyBoost cache can sometimes make a significant difference to application performance. If you have a spare memory stick with suitable performance then this is an easy way to boost system speed. You can read the walkthrough here.

6. Disable Unwanted Startup Applications
Many applications bundle small utilities and unneeded software to your Windows 7 startup list. Often these are just useless tray icons which aren’t necessary and simply slow down your system. Use this guide to prevent these from loading at startup as you may notice a big improvement in boot speed and general usage. Run “msconfig” and view the startup tab to view and change your startup list.
Ideally you should disable any startup entries by uninstalling or configuring the software correctly, as you may find some entries re-appear next time you manually load that application.

7. Disable Unwanted Services
Very similar to the startup items tip, there are some Windows services that are added by 3rd party application that you may not use, as well as some default Windows services that may not be required. Disabling services requires some deeper knowledge, so only change these entries if you are confident in doing so.
Run “services.msc” to view and change the list of services that start on boot, setting ones that aren’t used to “manual start” can improve boot time. There is a full guide on how to do this here.
Black Viper has an excellent list of services which you may not need: http://www.blackviper.com/Windows_7/servicecfg.htm

8. Defrag your System
Windows 7 includes a perfectly functional file defragmentation tool which you can run on an automatic or manual basis to improve access performance. This works by physically re-organising the contents of the disk in to a more logical manor. For example, the data blocks making up a single file will be arranged in the most optimal way (close together). This generally only applies to mechanical drives, so defragging an SSD is not recommended (not least because it could reduce the lifespan of these type of drives).
By default an automatic defrag runs once a week, early in the morning. You should either make sure this is a time when your PC is on but not used heavily, or run it manually every couple of weeks. You can read this guide to see how to run Defrag.

9. Use Automatic Logon
If you are the only person with access to your PC and feel you don’t need to secure it with a password then you can use automatic logon to save a few seconds. This will boot right to your desktop without any need to enter a password and wait for loading. Please be aware that anyone could use your computer by doing this, so consider the security aspect first.
There is a full walkthrough on how to enable this on your system here.

10. Clean up Old Files
Windows 7 has a system cleanup tool which you can use to recover free space on your hard drive. This is an easy way to remove temporary files, old installation data and log files which accumulate over time. You can read the guide on how to run this here.
There are also some free 3rd party utilities that can clean other types of data. One recommended choice would be CCleaner as this is highly unlikely to do any harm to your system, but provides a quick and easy way to clean temp files from a wide range of 3rd party programs.

11. Uninstall Unnecessary Software
If you had Windows 7 pre-installed on a new PC there is a good chance that you had several useless applications bundled with the operating system. If you aren’t going to use them, then you may as well remove them. Common examples are ISP trials , toolbar applications (Yahoo, Google), time limited shareware software (often DVD burner or Photo applications such as Sonic, Roxio and Corel).
Users can take a look at the system tray to see if there is any software running in the background that you rarely or never use. Uninstalling this clutter has the potential to speed up your system if it has processes that run in the background.
You can load up the “add/remove programs” tool and browse the list to see which applications are never used. If you are unlikely to use them again in the future, uninstall it and save some disk space. If you are unsure how to do this, please follow our uninstallation guide.

12. Change Windows 7 visual effects
Windows 7 includes additional eye-candy in the form of shadows, window transparency and other extras. Adding these graphical features does require a small amount of extra power, which most modern computers can handle easily. However, older PCs may wish to turn off some effects to improve overall performance.
This guide shows you how you can change the options manually or allow Windows to adjust the settings based on your hardware specifications. If you are trying to gain the maximum possible performance then you can disable all these visual effects.

13. Make use of Keyboard Shortcuts
Using keyboard shortcuts won’t speed up Window 7 per-se, however it will speed up your interaction with the OS which has the same overall effect.
We have compiled a list which includes lots of handy shortcut keys for things, some of which you will no doubt already know about (such as CTRL+C for “copy” and Windows Key + R for “run”), but there are lots of new additions to Windows 7.

14. Disable Search Indexing
This is a feature whereby Windows 7 will scan your hard drive and create an index of many of the files, e-mails and media items on your PC. When you want to perform a search, this will greatly speed up the result retrieval in most cases. However, building and updating this index can slow your PC down when it is in progress.
If you know that you are unlikely to ever use the search feature or want advanced control over your file searches then you may as well disable the index. This will prevent extra hard drive activity during day to day computing. You can read this guide to find out more.
Most users will not want to disable search indexing as it will also take out the start menu search box - this tip is mainly for those wishing to gain every ounce of extra performance.

15. Disable Gadgets
Windows 7 uses customisable gadgets which you can place anywhere on the desktop, unlike the sidebar previously seen in Windows Vista. Some of these gadgets are quite active and take up a small portion of system resources to display and update. Turning off all gadgets will speed up your system that little bit more.
You can close all of the gadgets so that none display, of if you wish to go a step further, the entire Windows 7 gadgets platform can be disabled by following this article.

16. Choose High Performance Power Plan
This tip relates more to mobile computing (i.e. laptops, netbooks and tablet PCs), as the power options can change when you are using battery or mains power. Often it makes sense to choose an energy-saving plan (hence lower performance) when you are using your device on the move, however you should make sure that you are running a high-performance plan when running from mains power.
Advanced power plan settings allow you to adjust a wide range of hardware power-saving/performance features. You can even change the min/max CPU usage, which can have a huge performance hit when set incorrectly. This article shows you how to alter the power plan settings.

17. Use Hibernate/Sleep Mode
Effective use of the hibernation and sleep modes will allow you to resume working on your PC very quickly, instead of having to wait for Windows 7 to boot up again. The hibernate feature will save your current system memory to disk and power down the machine, which means that your last session is resumed within moments of powering the machine back up. This is a great way to keep documents and other work open if you will be continuing work on them the next day. You can find out how to enable hibernation mode on your PC here.
Sleep mode does not power down your machine, but it puts the computer hardware into a low-power state. If you are going to leave your machine for a few hours, this is a good way to maintain and quickly resume your system state without power your machine down. You can put Windows 7 in to sleep mode automatically (by configuring this in your power plan), or manually by clicking on the corresponding option on the shutdown menu.

18. Use an efficient Anti-Virus package
Anti-Virus and Anti-Malware packages can contribute the performance drag of a PC, which some users dislike enough to go without real-time security software (although this is strongly not recommended for most users!). A good way to achieve a sensible balance between protection and speed is to use an efficient anti-virus package that has a low resource footprint.
You can use the AV Comparatives website to view benchmarks and performance testing on all of the major anti-virus applications. This should help you choose a security package that performs well and suits your system power. We also have a listing of free anti-virus packages for Windows 7 that may be of use.

19. Run periodic Anti-Spyware scans
Although many tech-savvy readers will have some sort of anti-malware scanner on their computer, it is worth reiterating this for those that don’t yet use it. I wouldn’t recommend relying on this software, but it can be a useful tool if you unintentionally end up installing spyware software (often in the form of near-useless free downloads).
MBAM is one of the more highly rated applications, and it’s worth running once in a while to see if anything prompts further investigation.

 

By Ian

http://www.w7forums.com

Microsoft’s General Manager of Windows Commercial Product Marketing, Rich Reynolds, has let slip that the company is planning to release Windows 7 SP1 in the first quarter of 2011.

Microsoft officials have previously said that the final version of Windows 7 SP1 would be ready in the “first half” of 2011. In a blog post, entiled Windows 7 Momentum and Customer Guidance, Reynolds states that the company recently delivered the Release Candidate build “with the final version available in first quarter of calendar year 2011.” Microsoft’s official service packs website still features the text “first half of 2011.”

SP1 will include RemoteFX which provides rich 3-D graphical experience for remote users. The service pack also will include a series of incremental updates, previously released on Windows Update for both Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1.

RemoteFX is a new enhancement to RDP’s graphical remoting capabilities. The idea behind RemoteFX is to allow for a full remote experiences including multiple displays, Aero and multimedia streaming to all types of client devices including low cost thin clients. RemoteFX achieves this by using a technique known as host-based rendering. This technique allows for the final screen image to be rendered locally on the remote PC after being compressed and sent down to that remote host. The enhancements are expected to greatly improve video streaming across remote sessions which is currently one of the major drawbacks of virtualized computing.

Windows 7 recently celebrated its first birthday after selling over 240 million licenses in the first year of sales.

 

By Tom Warren

www.winrumors.com

I wanted to follow up on our last post about Windows activation – a friend of mine had posted on Facebook about seeing a notification from Windows that he might be a “victim of counterfeit software”. Following his status update, someone else commented on his post and said that he didn’t understand how anyone could be a “victim” of counterfeit software. Let’s talk about what that means, because it’s really an important topic to consider. It’s critical that you to know what to look for when purchasing genuine Windows so you can avoid the risks of counterfeit software.

I’ll give you a scenario. Say that my friend “Mark” (not his real name, but we’ll use it for this scenario) wants to buy Windows 7 for his PC, and he’s trying to find a good deal. He happens to find an online classified ad or auction site offering it for a lower price than the one he’s seen in the stores, so he purchases it, and installs it when it arrives. So what might happen next? Well, Mark might notice that something doesn't look right about the packaging – maybe there are typos on the box, or the box itself doesn’t look as nice as the ones he’d seen in the stores. Or the product key that came with the installation CD doesn't work when Mark tries to activate Windows, or once it’s installed on his PC, it fails genuine validation. The counterfeit copy of Windows that Mark just installed could potentially contain viruses, spyware, and other malicious software, putting him at risk of losing his personal files and data, and even poses the risk of identity theft. Mark has now paid money for counterfeit software that provides none of the benefits of genuine software, including support from Microsoft and its authorized partners at a time that he probably needs it the most. I'd say that's a pretty compelling reason to avoid being a victim of counterfeit software.

So, how can you avoid Mark’s mistakes and better protect yourself from the risks of counterfeit software?

• Buy only genuine software from trustworthy sources. The best way to purchase genuine Microsoft software is directly from the Microsoft Store or from an authorized Microsoft reseller. To locate a reputable reseller, you can use local resources such as a Chamber of Commerce, the Better Business Bureau, and consumer publications.
• Learn how to spot the fake. Microsoft’s How to Tell website contains plenty of information about how to determine whether the Microsoft software you’re purchasing is genuine, including pre-purchase checklists to use when you go shopping. You’ll also find plenty of visual examples of counterfeit software as well as anti-piracy features included in genuine Microsoft software that you’ll want to be familiar with, such as Certificates of Authenticity (COAs), installation media, and product packaging.
• Take action. If you’ve mistakenly purchased counterfeit software, you can file a piracy report online or call Microsoft’s anti-piracy hotline at (800) RU-LEGIT. By reporting piracy, you can help Microsoft take action against software pirates and help others avoid being the victims of counterfeit software.

Until next time!

by Jodi Kogan

http://windowsteamblog.com

Designers, are you guilty of creating information-overload homepages or building the "unwelcome screen?" The experts are here to save you.

 

Flash is cool, right? And that lovely welcome screen and information-rich homepage your client wanted are just perfect. Or are they? We talked to six top designers and creative directors about their Web design pet peeves. What makes these pros cringe might surprise you.

1. Putting your brilliant design first.

"Whether or not the site is designed elegantly, what really matters to me is whether the navigation is intuitive, and whether the information is organized well. Design, for as much time as we spend on it, if it's all about the visual elements, that can quickly get someone out of that site. I always try to focus on making sure the information makes sense before putting mouse on screen. Plan ahead. Get the answers before laying anything down. Get together with your project manager and design team, and get all the info from the client before start designing. It's also important to get the navigation in front of people to make sure everyone can get that information quickly. Be constantly testing. Only then should you build the beautiful elements, the design of the site, around that. If that's not there the site can be considered a failure. "

— Andres Orrego, associate creative director of Chowder Inc. in New York

2. Going overboard with Flash.

"Flash is certainly a pet peeve. It has its place, for sure, but since the dot.com bust we've come a long way. Today our customers want to be found – they expect to be found – but what does that mean for us? We need to set the stage for search engine optimization, so we need to stay away from Flash. When I see a site overly done, you ask yourself, does it really make sense for you to do that in Flash? No."

— Antonio Navarrete, president and creative director of SilentBlast in Toronto

3. The unwelcoming welcome screen.

"I hate everything about welcome screens. By clicking a link, I've already said that I want to go to visit your site, so there is no need to show me a 'welcome' screen with a quote. In fact, it is almost insulting to call it a 'welcome screen' – I'd almost respect it more if it was called a here-is-an-ad-so-we-can-make-money screen.  As it is, this intermediate screen just delays users from accessing your content and gives them an opportunity to leave before they ever arrive."

- Andrew Cafourek, co-founder and digital lead of A022 Digital in New York

4. The boggling homepage.

"People who are using your site, buying from your site, are not going to stay there or buy from you due to your awesome design. Most homepages are completely overwhelming. There is so much there – people try to communicate everything to everyone, and the real content gets lost. That's a design disaster. It should tell people in three to five seconds who you are and what you do. That's it. We have a design philosophy that we take from architecture: form follows function. When you are building a building, you want right angles and perfectly usable space. If you go to our homepage, you will see cleanliness and simplicity. I say this left and right, and my designers say it left and right: Websites have to breathe."

- Martin Russell, creative director of The Ocean Agency in Chicago

5. Worshipping the fold.

"There's been this maintained notion that everything has to be above a certain pixel dimension, and that everything below that gets lost. I don't think that's where we're at anymore. People do scroll. They like portals. So especially with making BarackObama.com, that was something we stayed away from: We knew people would scroll, and we really wanted to keep more information on the homepage, make it a portal, and allow for more content to be available on the portal page.  I think the key to making it work is making sure you present something and design with the pixel dimension in mind. On another site I did, there's type interacting with an image makes you aware that there's more going on below. Especially when you're on blogs, they become very blah-y, and there's no contrast in post styles. They don't keep a variation that keeps readers interested. Variation in consistency lets you forget the fold."

- Scott Thomas, a.k.a. @SimpleScott

6. Not addressing the user's real need.

"Many companies organize the site around their own internal categories, which is different from what the audience is actually looking for. In other words, they'll build a site around products, because they’re thinking they have to sell the product and the product needs to be front and center.  But when you think about it, you have to reverse it and first ask what need are you solving, and then present the product. I think there's internal anxiety to make sure things get covered as a checklist, versus really stepping back and understanding what the users need. You have to have the perspective of an audience that may not know your brand, and there's very often a complete absence of making people aware of your brand is, and why it’s relevant."

- Sean Ketchem, strategy director of communication of MetaDesign in San Francisco

7. Hiding who you are.

"Transparency on the Web is the hottest and the biggest thing as far as getting people to purchase or relate to your services. Our portfolio page was always No. 1 for the seven years we've been in business. But then we created videos of each one of our employees talking about what they do and why they love it. That page is now No. 1. By far, the people behind the process, behind the product, are extremely important. We've had clients say 'we went with you because we got to kind of meet everybody before we even walked in the door.' The buying process starts with a relationship. That process can start with a video and tell you personally what I do rather than just a photo and a title. Really show them rather than tell them."

- Martin Russell, creative director of The Ocean Agency in Chicago

By Christine Lagorio and Eric Markowitz 

http://www.inc.com

Last week, we saw the re-emergence of another new trojan that is disguising itself as Microsoft’s no-cost antimalware program Microsoft Security Essentials. This imposter is known in the technical world of antimalware combat as “Win32/FakePAV”. FakePAV is a rogue that displays messages that imitate Microsoft Security Essentials threat reports in order to entice the user into downloading and paying for a rogue security scanner. The rogue persistently terminates numerous processes such as Windows Registry Editor, Internet Explorer, Windows Restore and other utilities and applications.

This fake software is distributed by a tactic commonly described as a “drive-by download” and shows up as a hotfix.exe or as an mstsc.exe file. Additionally, after the fake Microsoft Security Essentials software reports it cannot clean the claimed malware infection, it offers to install additional antimalware rogues (with names such as AntiSpySafeguard, Major Defense Kit, Peak Protection, Pest Detector and Red Cross). Lastly, this fake program will try to scare you into purchasing a product.

Before we get to the detailed view of how this trojan works, we want the message to be very clear: This software is a fake. Do not be fooled by this scam. This malware can potentially cause consumers and small business owners harm. Microsoft Security Essentials can be downloaded and used at no cost by users running genuine Windows (Download here: http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/). So anything mimicking Microsoft Security Essentials but asking for any sort of payment is clearly up to no good.

If you have not already updated your security software please do so. Making sure your security software is up-to-date and has the latest definitions is the best way to prevent infections.

And now onto a detailed look at FakePAV. While different FakePAV distributions have different payloads, here is how the current one imitating Microsoft Security Essentials works:

1. It modifies the system so that it runs when Windows starts

2. When you go to execute something it’s watching for, it opens the alert window claiming the program is infected and blocks it from running.

3. You can expand it out for “additional details”

4. If you click “Clean computer” or “Apply actions”, it simulates an attempt to clean the claimed infection

5. You’ll then get an ‘unable to clean’ alert and be instructed to click ‘Scan Online’

6. Clicking this, a list of antimalware programs appears, including several fake removal tools, and you’d need to click Start Scan

7. Once the simulated scan completes, it will claim a solution was found and list products that can ‘clean’ the system (the listed products are fake removal tools).

8. Clicking ‘Free install’ on one of those downloads will download its installer and start installing

If you believe your machine has become infected, we encourage you to use Microsoft Security Essentials to check your PC for malware and to help remove them from your system. You can also find out how to get virus-related assistance at no charge from Microsoft here: http://www.microsoft.com/protect/support/default.mspx.

For more information on this FakePAV please visit our encyclopedia entry at http://www.microsoft.com/security/portal/Threat/Encyclopedia/Entry.aspx?Name=Rogue%3aWin32%2fFakePAV. It contains a lot of information that may help answer questions about this rogue.

And remember: Microsoft does not charge for Microsoft Security Essentials. You can find the legitimate version of Microsoft Security Essentials at http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials.

 

By Eric Foster, www.windowsteamblog.com

Attacks on the Mac are now significant enough to warrant Apple users investing in an antivirus product, security company Panda Security said as it launched a new product that offers such protection.

Marketing spin to harvest the Apple economy or justified caution? Panda points to the numbers. There are now 5,000 "strains" of malware that target the Mac and the company says it is seeing 500 new Mac-specific samples appearing every month.

In 2009, 34 vulnerabilities were detected in Apple's OS X, which had risen to 175 so far for 2010, with a 20-year total of 170,000 macros "viruses" affecting the platform.

To be clear, such security threats relate only to Apple desktop and laptop computers and not iPads of iPhones, which are only vulnerable if they have been "jailbroken" or if, somehow, a rogue app breaks through the approval process.

Security companies eyeing the affluent Apple users is nothing new and every notable antivirus company now has a Mac product, driven in part by the somewhat larger user base in the US.

Questions remain about the scale of the threat, however.

Relative to Windows, the comparison is no contest. New Windows malware threats outnumber Apple ones by between 100-1 and 500-1 depending on who you ask, and that ignores the vastly greater sophistication they exhibit.

Many of the software vulnerabilities Panda notes were cross-platform browser flaws, and not specific to the Mac. As to the 170,000 macro viruses, while threatening in a general sense, such malware is so obsolete on the PC that vendors don't even bother to count them.

The argument rests on the number of new malware threats now being seen and their complexity. So far, the evidence suggests that while the odd Trojan is now appearing, Mac malware is still a low-key threat.

"We have always held the theory that when Apple reaches a more significant market share, around 15 percent worldwide (which given its current rapid growth will be achieved shortly), hackers will begin to target attacks against this platform," claimed Panda vice president, Ivan Fermon.

"We would even say that today, the Windows operating system is more secure than Mac, simply because Microsoft has been working proactively on security for many years," he added.

There are few reliable figures about Apple's market share and those that do exist tend to relate only to the US and the consumer market. With desktop computers waning in significance, the chances of Apple taking 15 percent of sales seems extremely remote. This scale matters because it is what drives criminal interest.

Given the small but plausible nature of the threat, there is an argument that Apple itself should offer a security program as part of its offering, instead of leaving it up to third parties. It's what Microsoft ended up doing, retro-fitting a firewall to XP and more recently giving away a free antivirus program, Security Essentials.

Ironically, the reason Microsoft avoided doing such a thing in the first place was worry over antitrust probes which would have viewed such a move as anticompetitive. This free-market ethos woefully misunderstood the nature of the threat and the world is still cleaning up the mess today.

For the record, Panda antivirus for Mac offers realtime protection, file scanning and the ability to probe iPhones and iPads to ensure they are not harboring malware even if that malware can't hurt those devices.

Panda also points out that antivirus products on Macs stop Windows malware being passed on (as attachments) to PC users although it seems unlikely many people will want to buy protection for other users who probably have their own security anway.

Mac users interested in Panda Security for Mac can buy a one-year license for the software for £42 (approx $66). This is higher than a Windows user would pay for equivalent protection but that is the case with all Mac software. Development costs are higher for a smaller number of users.

 

By John E Dunn, Techworld.com

via

http://www.pcworld.com

Since the introduction of Apple's popular iPhone, the smartphone market has become increasingly competitive. As a result of this increased competition, the consumer has benefited, with an array of smartphone options available to the general public, each with its own potential advantages and disadvantages over the competition. Three of the more popular smartphones, Apple's iPhone 3GS, RIM's BlackBerry Storm and RIM's BlackBerry Bold each boasts an impressive array of features worthy of consideration.

• Network

RIM's BlackBerry Storm is offered exclusively on the Verizon Wireless Network in the United States. RIM's BlackBerry Bold and Apple's iPhone 3GS are exclusive to AT&T. Choosing one of these three smartphone will largely depend on your preference of carrier and geographic location as each network's coverage varies throughout the United States. Although these exclusivity deals have a specific time frame, it is not uncommon for a carrier to offer a device exclusively for as long as it is available.

• Battery Life

RIM's BlackBerry Bold offers users 4.3 hours of talk time and 10.5 days of standby time. The BlackBerry Storm, by comparison, offers an impressive 5.5 hours of talk time and 15 days of standby. Apple's iPhone 3GS falls somewhere between, offering roughly 5 hours of talk time when using the 3G network and 12.5 days of standby battery life. Both BlackBerry models have user-replaceable batteries, the iPhone does not.

 

• User Interface

The BlackBerry Bold boasts a full QWERTY keyboard and trackball, situated directly below the screen. Apple's iPhone 3GS and BlackBerry Storm each rely on a touchscreen interface for most functions, although the Storm uses actual buttons to place and end a call and the iPhone has a single "home" button. Both the iPhone and Storm allow users a full QWERTY keyboard through the touchscreen interface which actively learns the user's typing habits and adjusts accordingly.

 

• Camera

Apple's iPhone 3GS recently improved upon the original iPhone's passable camera, increasing the megapixel resolution to 3. However, Apple recently included its proprietary "tap to focus" technology, which significantly improves picture quality. BlackBerry Storm's camera has a slightly higher resolution of 3.2 megapixels and utilizes auto-focus and image stabilization technology. BlackBerry Bold is easily the weakest in terms of resolution with only 2 megapixels of resolution.

 

• Storage

Apple's iPhone 3GS is easily the best option as far as storage, as it is available with up to 32 Gigabytes of storage space for applications, music, movies and more. BlackBerry Storm has 1GB of memory built in, but is packaged with an 8 GB micro SD card and supports up to 16GB. BlackBerry bold also has 1 GB of on board memory and can accept up to 16 GB of micro SD memory.

 By Vincent Healy, www.ehow.com

Today’s an exciting day! We are announcing that more than 240 million licenses of Windows 7 have been sold. Windows 7 is the fastest selling operating system in history. As of September, Windows 7 was running on 93% of new consumer PCs and has over 17% global OS market share (according to Net Applications as of October 1st). There is an amazing array of great PCs out on the market today. Six months after launch, 100% (over 18,000) of our OEM partners were selling Windows 7 PCs versus 70% for Windows Vista PCs at a comparable time period.

 

Read More at Microsoft Windows Team Blog

While checking for updates, you receive the following error message: An error occurred while checking for new updates for your computer. Error(s) found: Code 80072EE2 or WindowsUpdate_80072efd 0x80072efd

There are some reasons why Windows Update error:

• Applications or processes that interfere with Internet communications
• Resource issues on your computer
• High Internet activity
• Recoverable database errors
• Windows Update Servers may be busy

If you tried exiting Windows Update, waiting 10 to 15 minutes, and then starting Windows Update again, or if you allowed Windows Automatic Updates to install updates during its 24-hour time cycle, and the error message still persists, use the following methods to resolve the issue.

 

• Verify Internet connectivity
• Make sure that Windows Firewall is turned on, and temporarily disable third-party firewalls
• Temporarily disable third-party antivirus software
• Disable software accelerator programs
• Add the Windows Update Web site and the Microsoft Update Web site to the Trusted Sites list
• Make sure that you have the latest Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) update installed

If this method did not work for you, and you are comfortable with advanced troubleshooting, let's continue to the "Advanced troubleshooting" section.

Method A : Remove entries for Windows Update and Microsoft Update from the hosts file

Some programs may modify the hosts file to control DNS name resolution. Sometimes, an entry for the Windows Update Web site or for the Microsoft Update Web site may exist in the hosts file.
To remove entries from the hosts file, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. Copy and then paste (or type) the following command in the Run box, and then press ENTER:

   notepad %windir%\system32\drivers\etc\hosts

   Note If you are prompted to select a program to open the hosts file, click Notepad, click to select the Always use the selected program option, and then click OK.

3. In Notepad, remove or remark any lines in the hosts file that contain entries for Windows Update so that they are not read when the file is accessed. To do this, put the number sign (#) in front of any line that contains "microsoft" and "update." For example, add the number sign (#) to the beginning of the following entries:
   • # 64.4.21.125 http://update.microsoft.com
   • # 64.4.21.125 http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com
   • # http://update.microsoft.com
4. On the File menu, click Save.
5. Exit Notepad.
6. Restart the computer.
   Note If you do not want to restart the computer, you can also flush the DNS resolver cache. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. Click Start, and then click Run.
   2. Type cmd in the Run box, and then press ENTER.
   3. At the command prompt, type ipconfig /flushdns, and then press ENTER.

Method B: Remove the proxy server entry from the WinHTTP proxy configuration

 

for Windows 7

To remove the proxy server entry from the WinHTTP proxy configuration for Windows 7, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then type cmd in the Start programs and files box.
2. Right-click cmd.exe in the Programs list, and then click Run as administrator.
   Note If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or click Continue.
3. Type the following command and then press Enter:

   netsh winhttp show proxy

   Note The proxy setting is listed next to Proxy Server. If there is no proxy server, Direct Access <no proxy server> is shown in the Command Prompt window.

4. To remove the listed proxy setting, type the following command and then press Enter:

   netsh winhttp reset proxy

5. Click Start, click All Programs, click Windows Update, and then try to download and install updates again.

 

for Windows Vista

To remove the proxy server entry from the WinHTTP proxy configuration for Windows Vista, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then type cmd in the Start Search box.
2. Right-click cmd.exe in the Programs list, and then click Run as administrator.
   Note If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or click Continue.
3. Type the following command and then press Enter:

   netsh winhttp show proxy

   Note The proxy setting is listed next to Proxy Server. If there is no proxy server, Direct Access <no proxy server> is shown in the Command Prompt window.

4. To remove the listed proxy setting, type the following command and then press Enter:

   netsh winhttp reset proxy

5. Click Start, click All Programs, click Windows Update, and then try to download and install updates again.

If you are not comfortable with advanced troubleshooting, unfortunately this content is unable to help you any further. For your next steps, you might want to ask someone for help, or you might want to contact Support. To do this, please visit the following Microsoft Web site: Microsoft Support

I hope, this article may helps your problem

 

By Heri Gunawan

www.compu-tech18.blogspot.com

The final version of Windows Live Essentials 2011 is now available to download. The all-in-one bundle of mail client, instant messenger, movie editor, blog editor, and more, runs on Windows Vista and Windows 7—Windows XP users need not apply.

We've already had a detailed look at Messenger and Live Mesh (which at the time was called Live Sync). The positives are much the same now as they were then; Messenger's social integration works well, its Facebook chat is useful, and its tabbed chats extremely welcome, if overdue.

Unfortunately, criticisms leveled at those products in the beta are just as valid in the final version.

Messenger has lost widely-used features like one-way webcam chats, the ability to hide that you have a webcam installed (especially popular among teenagers and children, who might want to use their camera but don't want to advertise that they have one), and the ability to have nicknames. Microsoft claims that the webcam features were ditched as part of the development of HD video calling. I don't doubt that HD video calling works, but I don't have the hardware to use it; nor does anyone on my contact list (though Microsoft's HD webcam does look appealing). As such, it seems a bitter pill to swallow. The distaste is exacerbated by the fact that the new video calling appears to place considerably greater demands on my processor than the old webcam feature, enough to cause noticeable slow-downs.

The loss of nicknames is a result of the social integration. Facebook and LinkedIn, in particular, use real names; the abandonment of nicknames and use of real names within Messenger is a reflection of this. It's a move that has been unpopular with many long-time Messenger users; the ability to create "screen names" is a long-standing feature of instant messaging, and its removal, especially for those not interested in social networking features, is felt to be something of a privacy violation.

The system can be subverted easily enough, of course; there's nothing to compel the use of an accurate and honest first name/last name pair.

Live Mesh is still a confused and confusing mix of peer-to-peer sync, cloud sync, and remote desktop access. Though the cloud storage, now 5GB, is branded "SkyDrive," it still doesn't integrate with the "real" 25GB SkyDrive service. Since that SkyDrive underpins new features like large Hotmail photo galleries and photo integration with Windows Live Photo Gallery, this is disappointing. Perhaps we must wait for Essentials 2012.

Windows Live Photo Gallery has a range of desirable new features. Face recognition and geotagging are both welcome additions (although the geotagging is broken). Also useful is a tool named "Photo Fuse," that can take the best parts of several pictures to construct a composite—to allow creation of group photos where everyone has their eyes open, say. With the 30,000 photos I have in my collection, it is a little sluggish, however, which detracts somewhat from the experience.

Photo Fuse is ideal for those annoying group photos

I was also disappointed to see that the Bing Bar remains an apparently mandatory part of the Windows Live Essentials install process. The Bing Bar may be useful. Honestly, I don't know. Because what I do know is this: it doesn't look right (it doesn't fit in with the styling of Internet Explorer 8, and looks even more out of the place in the Internet Explorer 9 beta), and it makes my browser awfully slow. So slow, in fact, that Internet Explorer 9 warns me about it:

Dear right hand, please meet left hand

Internet Explorer 9 may be in beta, but it offers the diagnostic tools; why couldn't whoever wrote the Bing Bar use them and discover that there is a problem with its performance?

Update: Ah, it turns out that the Bing Bar isn't mandatory after all, it just doesn't get uninstalled with the rest of the suite. When I removed the beta to install the final version, it didn't remove the Bing Bar. If the installer finds the Bing Bar is already installed, it gives no choice but to upgrade it. If, however, it's not installed at all, it is optional as it should be.

The aim of the Windows Live Essentials is to provide value to Windows in a manner that's both decoupled from the operating systems' release schedule, and unlikely to receive antitrust attention. They certainly do that. Not everyone will use every tool (I've never used Movie Maker or Family Safety, for example), but it will be a rare person indeed for whom the suite offers nothing of value. Though some decisions are maddening, the 2011 version is certainly an upgrade on last year's offering.

One of Microsoft's ambitions with the Windows Live Essentials was for OEMs to preinstall them. This is, in a sense, the perfect outcome for Redmond: such a move leaves them bundled, as if they were built-in, while still sidestepping legal issues. Dell has been bundling versions of the software since 2009, and has duly announced that the 2011 iteration will ship on new systems from later this year. Though I'd blow away most bundled software that OEMs preinstall, the Windows Live Essentials are well worth keeping.

 

By Peter Bright

http://www.arstechnica.com

This month the NPD Group didn't share the specific sales numbers for video game hardware or software, leaving it up to Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft to reveal specifics for themselves. So far, only Microsoft has made its numbers public, and sales were very good.

"Xbox 360 enters the holiday season with four consecutive months as the #1 console in the US, with 484,000 units sold during the month, up 37 percent from last September, a stark comparison to the other console platforms," Microsoft stated. It also revealed that Halo: Reach sold 3.3 million units in its first month.

The NPD Group, in its now-truncated report, also praised Microsoft's performance. "Xbox 360 hardware sales were up versus last year, and this month marks the best month of unit sales for the platform yet in 2010, which says a lot considering sales are up 34 percent on a year-to-date basis," NPD analyst Anita Frazier wrote.

Microsoft also had the best-selling accessory with the 1,600-point card sold at retail, although it was pointed out that all three PlayStation Move SKUs made it onto the top ten chart for accessories.

Now that the NPD Group releases such ambiguous and, frankly, unsatisfying reports, the big three can either step up and share their sales or keep them from the press. Microsoft couldn't wait to trumpet its sales, while both Sony and Nintendo kept silent. You can take that a few different ways, but both companies said a lot by choosing to keep their mouths shut.

By Ben Kuchera

http://www.arstechnica.com

Twitter has established itself as a means of broadcasting information to wide group of people all at once. But, for those times where you want to talk more intimately, Twitter also has the ability to send a Direct Message (DM) that is private between the two parties. Well, it's supposed to be private, but the reality is perhaps not as secretive as one might expect.

Every 140-character nugget of wisdom you tweet will be fed to anyone who follows your Twitter account, and is also publicly searchable by default. So, if you tweet "Getting sushi for lunch today, who's in?" your Twitter followers will instantly see the message in their Twitter feed, and anyone else that searches based on keywords like "sushi" or "lunch" might also uncover your tweet.

However, if you want to go out for sushi for lunch with your best friend, and you don't necessarily want the rest of the world to know about, or feel as if they have been invited by proxy to join the party, you probably shouldn't sent the tweet to the whole Twitterverse. Instead, send your friend a DM.

In order to send someone a Direct Message, that person must be following your Twitter account. That way you can't go randomly DM'ing people you don't even know, or who don't want to be burdened with your Twitter spam. As long as the two Twitter accounts follow each other, though, the two parties can communicate back and forth via Twitter DMs that are only viewable by the recipient and don't enter the main Twitter feed.

But, it turns out that doesn't mean DMs are entirely private. While the DMs are ostensibly private, the reality is that any apps that have been approved to access your Twitter account can also see those "private" messages.

There are only two types of account access authorizations: read-only, or read-and-write. In either case, the fact that the app has been granted permission to access the account at all means that all Twitter messages, including DMs are accessible to the app. In the event of read-and-write approval, the app could also delete your messages, or send messages out on your behalf.

Perhaps you should think twice next time before blindly approving some random app to access your Twitter feed. You can find out which apps have access to your Twitter messages by logging in to your account on the Twitter site. Click on Settings, then Connections. The fine print for each entry displays the type of access authorized (read-only or read-and-write), and a link is provided to "Revoke Access" for any that seem shady or unwarranted.

It may be a tad paranoid to worry about whether the admin of a given app is abusing the privilege you have granted and is sifting through your private DMs. But, just to be safe you should exercise some discretion with the apps you grant that authority to, and remember that your DMs may not be as private as you might think.

By Tony Bradley, www.PCWorld.com

Microsoft is launching its new mobile operating system, Windows Phone 7, this morning. Here's a live feed from the press conference in New York:

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer kicks the show off. "I've been looking forward to this day for some time," he says. "We really have built with our partners a different kind of phone."

"We focused in on the way real people really want to use their phones on the go. We want to let you get in, out and back to life," he says. "We set out to build a phone that was thoroughly modern."

Ballmer emphasizes that the phone will be personalizable -- "wonderfully mine." It will feature "my pictures, my friends, my activities, my world and my avatar at the end of the day."

There will be nine different models available, from LG, Samsung, HTC and Dell. Over 60 mobile operators around the world will offer these in 30 countries. AT&T and T-Mobile are on the list in the U.S.

Ralph De La Vega from AT&T takes the stage. He talks about how AT&T and Microsoft have a long history of working together, and launched some of the first Windows Mobile phones. "We have more smartphone customers than any other U.S. carrier and also the widest choice (of phones)," he says.

Models include:

• LG Quantum. It features a Qwerty keyboard and 16 GB onboard storage. $199.99.
• HTC Surround. This media and gaming device includes a 5 megapixel camera and two Dolby surround sound speakers that slide up. $199.99.
• Samsung Focus. It has "the best looking screen on any Windows phone," says De La Vega. It's also thin. $199.99.

All of the phones have at a 1 GHz processor.

Microsoft Vice President Joe Belfiore is doing a demonstration. He's talking about how Windows Phone 7 has a "smart design" that makes using it "faster and simpler." The phone "anticipates in as many places as possible what you want and need," he says.

The phones have "hubs" for common tasks such as photos or music and video. The home screen is easily customizable.

He shows off a camera. You can easily snap a picture and then upload it to Facebook. Every picture you take can be automatically uploaded the minute you take it, if you want.

Email features a version of Microsoft Outlook that looks similar to what you see on a PC. The Contact list is integrated with a mapping feature. You can get movie times, stock quotes with one click.

The phone features a voice recognition program called TellMe, but it didn't work during the demo.

We're going through some of the hubs now:

• People. It includes a "recent" feature that's like speed dial -- it calls up the information on people you contact most. "You can post something on your wife's Facebook wall" with just a few clicks, he says.
• Pictures. The phone automatically shares albums on Facebook.
• Office. The first thing you see is OneNote, because note-taking on the phone is important. It includes a to-do list. There's SharePoint for server documents shared between co-workers.
• Music and Video. On the left, this hub features access to a Zune library. Right next to that is a history of music and videos you've been listening to and watching. If you have a ZunePass subscription, you can access "millions and millions of tracks just by hitting the search button."
• Games. The Windows phone will be the only one that works with XBox Live. It includes multiplayer gaming features. Electronic Arts is a partner.

One feature that is missing on the phone is copy and paste. It's coming in 2011, Belfiore says.

That's a wrap. We'll have more details and a first look on Windows Phone 7 in a bit -- stay tuned.

By Ed Baig, USA TODAY

Browser security is similar in some respects to the MPG of your car; everyone might say it’s very important but the real value often doesn’t hit home until gas prices jump or budgets are tight.  Similarly, consumers often only realize the importance of having a trusted, secure browser after they have been on the receiving end of some malicious act; at this point the damage may have already been done.

Hence browser developers must be vigilant and work hard to protect customers from attacks.  The work of external organizations such as Online Trust Alliance (OTA) is also important in this effort.  OTA is a non profit that contributes to the safety of products by facilitating collaboration on subjects pertinent to security, promoting practices that enhance product security, and contributing to public policy in online services.  OTA also recognizes work done to improve the security of products.

Internet Explorer 8 is humbled to be recognized as the recipient of 2010 Excellence in Online Trust Award by (OTA) on September 23.  This award represents a strong commitment by Microsoft and Internet Explorer to follow the OTA principles.

The Internet Explorer team has worked hard to create a browser that helps keep you safe online.  The technologies present in IE8 that facilitate a safer browsing experience include:

• SmartScreen Filter which provides industry leading malware and phishing protection
• Features that help prevent online threats such as clickjacking, cross-site script attacks, and domain spoofing
• Helping IE customers manage their privacy through InPrivate Browsing and InPrivate Filtering

The results of this work are self-evident.  Back in July we announced that we had already blocked 1 billion attempts to download malware.  Over the course of IE 9 Beta new security features will be introduced, such as the download reputation notification that warns users about higher risk downloads.

If you’re using an earlier version of Internet Explorer you should download Internet Explorer 9.  With IE9 now in Beta, you can benefit from enhanced security features as well as from an all-round fast experience with our new clean UI that puts the focus on your sites.

 

by James Pratt 

www.windowsteamblog.com

Facebook is no longer the province of Gen-Y’ers. Your boss, associates, and most of your high school graduating class are probably there, too.

As the 400,222nd user on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=400222, I’ve become much more active in the last year. Here are 20 tips I’ve learned that will help you make the most of your “Facebook Experience.”

One of the beauties of the Facebook environment is that you get what my friend Allen Gunn has referred to as an “ambient knowledge” of the status of your friends, through their “status updates.” You may also use Facebook to post or trade notes, connect with others, share interesting items from your web searches, and generally keep abreast of new developments in your friends’ lives. Facebook is particularly good for finding people with whom you haven’t connected in a long time. I’ve found long lost elementary and middle school friends here, and some of them are now turning into business associates and partners.

Any working woman knows the benefits of an expanded network. Facebook is a great tool because it has birthday reminders, the ability to “group” friends, and e-mail facilities. Your Facebook profile is a public way to share who you are. Use it wisely!

Tip 1: Log In

You’ll have to log in if you want to be a part of Facebook. Choose an e-mail address that you regularly check and a password that you’ll remember. Next, organize your profile, edit your “Info” section and then connect to, or “add as friend,” people who already are on Facebook.

Tip 2: Keep Your Information Private

Once you’re logged in, go to the top right: Settings (next to Logout) and change your PRIVACY Settings, particularly your Profile (your “presence” on Facebook) http://www.facebook.com/privacy/?view=profile as well as your News Feed and Wall http://www.facebook.com/privacy/?view=feeds

You may specify what you’d like to share on publicly-available “feeds” (on your friend’s homepages) here.

Tip 3: Update Your Info

Edit your Education Info and/or Work Info as you like. You may also use a little box under your picture for your motto, your business information, a quote, or something creative.

Tip 4: Smile!

Your Profile Picture is the way you show who you are. Most people either display just their own face (better), or a picture with their family (a little more difficult to see).

Tip 5: Find People You Know

To find people you know, go to http://www.facebook.com/srch.php and do a search by a person’s name or e-mail address, a classmate search, or a company name search. Once you get some search results, review them. If you click “Add as Friend,” they will get a notification and either Confirm or Ignore your request to add them.

Alternatively, “Send a message” to that person without adding them to your “Friends List.”  They’ll receive your message in their Facebook e-mail inbox.

Tip 6: Find More Friends

There is a “Friend Finder” to help you find people you e-mail if you use gmail, hotmail, yahoo, or other web-based mail services.  http://www.facebook.com/findfriends.php?ref=sb

Tip 7: Your “Wall” Is Public. Use it!

The “Wall” is a publicly available location where people post things like notes, images, videos, and your status update. Other people may post to your wall and you may post to others’ walls.

Tip 8: Share Your Photos

You can easily upload photos using your “Photos” tab.

Tip 9: Use Your Status Update Wisely

Your status update is the box “What are you doing right now?” It may be used for many things besides sharing what you are doing. Use it to share links, ask questions, or post photos or videos. Use www.tinyurl.com if you’d like to take a long website link and make it shorter.

Tip 10: Specify, Specify, Specify

If you are using your social network for procuring products and services or marketing your own, consider putting your keywords and phrases into your “Info” tab, under the “Personal Information” section. Then, these will appear in the general Facebook Search function. When someone types your particular key phrases into the Facebook Search function, your listing will appear. For example, one of my key phrases is “minority women in business.”

Tip 11: Control Your “News Feed”

You may edit the stories that appear on your Facebook homepage by editing your News Feed. Go to “Home” and scroll all the way to the bottom. Find “Options for News Feed” and click on it. Use the slider to specify what types of stories you’d like: events, groups, photos, notes, relationships, friends, wall posts, profiles, status, posts, and videos.

Tip 12: Customize Your Homepage

If you find that your Facebook homepage is being dominated by certain people, control if you want “More” or “Less” about that particular friend. On your “Home” page, a little to the right of an item within your “News Feed,” move your mouse around until you see “Options” and then click the pencil or the word “Options” to specify “More About…” or “Less About…” that particular friend.

Tip 13: Control E-mail Notifications

If you find that you are receiving too much e-mail from Facebook, based on activity on your profile, edit your e-mail notifications. Go to “Settings” (top right, in between your name and “Logout”) From the dropdown menu, choose “Account Settings.” Go to “Notifications.” This is where you may specify what types of e-mail you allow Facebook to send you.

Tip 14: Organize Your “Friends” List

You have the option to group your friends into different friend lists. Click the Friends link on the top left navigation menu. On the left-hand side is a link to “Make a New List.” Give the list a name you’ll recognize, then type in the names of friends. When you receive new-friend requests, you may add them to a particular list.

Tip 15: Start or Join a Group

From the “Applications” section of your “Home” page, you have an opportunity to set up new groups. A group in Facebook is just like a group in real life—a gathering of people interested in a particular idea, issue, or cause. Use the Search bar to find thousands of different groups that have been set up for different interests. You can locate mine by searching on, “A Successful Woman.”

Tip 16: Discuss Amongst Yourselves

Within groups, you may participate, follow, or review different topics for discussion. Note that each discussion topic is also viewable in search engines, so refrain from posting private information like e-mail addresses.

Tip 17: Use Facebook for Business

The “Pages” section is a great way to promote your company or business. http://www.facebook.com/business/dashboard/?ref=sb

If you are an official representative for your company or brand, you may set up a page about your business and recruit fans to that page. It’s a nice addition to your website or blog, and you’ll have the opportunity to send messages to all fans when needed. If you are an administrator for the page, Facebook allows you to purchase advertising and view pageview statistics.

Tip 18: Facebook Knows People You May Know

When you first log on to your “Home” page, there is a little section on the bottom right-hand side that lists “People you may know.” The social search mechanism identifies potential friends for you based on your mutual friends. If you see someone you recognize and know well, consider clicking “Add as Friend.”

Tip 19: Share It

Typically, there is a “Share” button somewhere on the pages within Facebook. You can use that link to quickly post something to your own “Wall,” or to send to someone in your network via Facebook e-mail.

Tip 20: About Applications

Finally, I must include a note on applications. Applications are add-ons offered by companies and individual developers. Be CAREFUL. Use your best judgment when installing applications, as they are often big time-wasters, or involve major time commitments (I usually click IGNORE this application). Some applications share your private information on Facebook with other applications from other website developers. Be mindful of what gets posted on your profile by you and by others.

Finally, the silhouette of a head that shows up in the bottom right hand corner of your Facebook window is part of the Facebook chat bar, which allows you to participate in real-time chats with friends. You can always “Go Offline” to hide yourself from chats.

Bonus Recommendation

Fix a certain amount of time that you’ll focus on the Facebook part of your online social networking and STICK WITH THAT TIME allotment.

Here’s to the great connections you’ll make on Facebook!

 

Written by Monica S. Flores