 | | | Vol. 2, # 2 - Jan 14, 2010 - Issue # 18 | |  | Windows 7 was the Real Star of Microsoft's Show at CES |
| - Editor's Corner
- Windows 7 was the Real Star of Microsoft's Show at CES
- Follow-up: Let's see some I.D.
- Quotes of the Week
- Cool Tools
- News, Hints, Tips and Tricks
- What to expect from Windows 7 SP1
- First USB 3.0 laptops ship
- Windows Live gives you 25x more document storage than Google
- Xbox Live for your phone
- How to: Using the New Windows 7 Features
- How to control what programs a user can run
- Windows 7 and Vista Security
- Adobe vulnerabilities are most important focus this Patch Tuesday
- Question Corner
- Secondary user can't get to encrypted files
- Windows 7 Configuration and Troubleshooting
- Change advanced indexing options
- How to disable and re-enable hibernation
- Fav Links
- This Week's Links We Like. Tips, Hints And Fun Stuff
- Product of the Week
- Award Winning Your Uninstaller! 2010 "ALL New" Version Just Released
|
 | Kiss Your Antivirus Bloatware Goodbye
We asked users of antivirus products what they didn't like about their AV software. They told us they are resource hogs and slowed their computer down. They told us that scan times took way too long, and that the AV software nagged them. In short, old-style AV software takes too much Memory and CPU. Time to switch to VIPRE! It gives you malware protection that combines antivirus, antispyware, anti-rootkit and other technologies into a seamless, tightly-integrated product.
Even if you run "free" antivirus software, it hijacks 20% of your PC, so it's really not free at all! Get VIPRE now and see how fast your PC can really be:
http://www.win7news.net/100114-VIPRE
 | |
| Editor's Corner | |
Windows 7 was the Real Star of Microsoft's Show at CES
Each January, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is held in Las Vegas to give vendors a chance to show off their new products and give attendees a peek at what they'll be bringing out in the upcoming year. In the middle of an economic downturn, this year's CES was a smaller event than usual, at least square footage-wise. The whole thing fit into the Las Vegas Convention Center; usually it spills over into the Sands Expo.
http://www.win7news.net/100114-CES-2010
There were rumors flying, back in the summer, that Apple might be planning to exhibit at this year's CES (which seemed to be based mainly on the fact that the company announced they wouldn't be at MacWorld 2010, also held in January). However, it didn't happen. Apple likes to be the center of attention - and that's hard to do at a show the size of CES, even when it's a down-sized version. Instead, the company has scheduled a "media event" all its own on January 26th or 27th (depending on which news report you read) where they plan to make a "major product announcement." Most tech pundits expect it to be their long-rumored tablet device.
But then, some tech pundits also reported that Steve Ballmer would, in his keynote speech at CES, be unveiling the Courier. That's the dual screen booklet-style tablet device from Microsoft that has been churning around in the rumor mills for the last few months:
http://www.win7news.net/100114-Secret-Tablet
Steve did indeed show off a trio of tablets - with most of the attention going to the HP Slate - but they were all more conventional single screen devices and they were running Windows 7, not a special more limited function operating system as the Courier reportedly will do.
http://www.win7news.net/100114-Slate-Device
I have mixed feelings about the Courier concept, anyway. It has a big helping of the "cool" factor, and that attracts me to it. It would be awesome for reading e-books, and for those times when I need to draw diagrams, something that's extremely difficult with a mouse or trackball and next to impossible with a laptop touchpad or J mouse. However, I don't think I can live without a keyboard. I've been touch typing for a long time and it is by far the fastest way for me to enter text.
It would be possible - although I haven't seen this in any of the "leaked" Tablet photos - to turn one of the screens into a virtual keyboard, but I'm not sure how pleasant that experience would be. Another possibility that I wasn't even aware of when I first started commenting on the Courier would be to use something like the Swype technology that my Omnia II smart phone uses for text entry. It's not touch typing, but it is orders of magnitude faster than a traditional on-screen keyboard. With something like that, I might be able to get along without a physical keyboard. That's also something I would need to see on a regular slate-style tablet like the HP before I would consider buying one.
Even though they didn't unveil the Courier at CES, Microsoft certainly had a big presence there. Steve's keynote kicked off the first day, and the Microsoft booth was one of the biggest on the convention center floor. They also had a prime location, right inside the entrance to the central hall, so it was hard to miss. They were displaying lots of new netbooks and PCs, and of course Windows 7 was the star of the show. Touch screens were all over the place, with computer makers eager to take advantage of the multi-touch support in Windows 7. We've had only a few choices in the touch screen arena up until now, with HP being the major player with their TouchSmart all-in-ones and tablets, but it looks as if other vendors are going to be trying hard to catch up in the coming year.
Of course, Windows 7 wasn't limited to Microsoft's section of the CES showroom. There were many other hardware vendors who were showing off their Windows 7 powered devices. And those who came hoping to see the Courier did get to see a dual screen tablet, made by MSI. It didn't have a name, but it did have two 10 inch displays and was running Windows 7 (there was also a non-working 7 inch model on display).
http://www.win7news.net/100114-Dual-Screen-Tablet
I - and others - have recently speculated that the netbook craze may be coming to an end, but apparently CES exhibitors didn't get that memo. There were plenty of the tiny systems on display, but perhaps the most interesting was one that seems at first glance like a study in contradictions. A gaming netbook? Who would've thought? Serious gamers might smirk at the thought of playing on such low powered computers, but Alienware introduced the M11x, which is billed as the world's first gaming netbook. It's an 11 inch model that weighs less than 4 pounds, but can play Modern Warfare 2 and other popular PC games and it's generated a lot of interest.
http://www.win7news.net/100114-Alienware
And for those for whom one operating system isn't enough, Lenovo demonstrated an interesting concept: a hybrid mobile device. It's a Windows 7 laptop, but you can actually detach the display to create a tablet-style device - that runs Linux on a Snapdragon processor (the same 1 GHz processor that powers some of the latest HTC phones).
http://www.win7news.net/100114-Lenovo-U1-Hybrid
One big disappointment for Microsoft fans was the complete lack of mention of the "other" Windows 7 - Windows Mobile 7. Those who have been eagerly awaiting the next version of WinMo, now branded "Windows Phone," received another blow when BSN reported this week that Windows Mobile 7 has been "definitely delayed until 2011." Of course, there has been no official confirmation of that at the time of this writing, and just a few days before, the London Mirror reported that an LG representative let it slip that WM7 will be out this year. Who should we believe? At the moment, we're pinning our hopes on the World Mobile Congress in Barcelona, Spain next month. According to some reports, that's where WM7 will make its debut:
http://www.win7news.net/100114-Windows-Mobile7
Meanwhile, Microsoft did reveal another upgrade to WM 6.5 that's designed to make it more touch-friendly. This one is v. 6.4.3 and you can see a video of it at
http://www.win7news.net/100114-Windows-Mobile
Putting the smart phone market aside for the moment, Microsoft did show off some other interesting technologies at CES, for your car and your home. MyFord Touch is a new, touch-capable version of the Microsoft SYNC system that includes a web browser and lets you play video files (but only when the car is parked).
http://www.win7news.net/100114-MyFord-Touch
Home-oriented offerings from Microsoft include Project Natal for the Xbox 360, a motion control system that aims to outdo the Wii, and Mediaroom 2.0, which is a platform for TV providers to use to deliver content over a cloud infrastructure.
http://www.win7news.net/100114-Mediaroom
All in all, then, it was a mixed bag from Microsoft this year in Las Vegas. There were some disappointments, but there were some very neat new products and technologies, too. We can expect to hear more about them as 2010 progresses. In the meantime, if only based on its presence on so many computers, Windows 7 can safely be considered to be one of the stars of this year's show. Tell us what you think. Which of the technologies from CES excites you most? Would you buy a dual screen tablet? Are you longing to hear more about WM7? Does CES disprove the theory that netbooks are on the way out? We invite you to discuss these topics in our forum at
http://www.win7news.net/100114-Forum-Discussion
Follow-up: Let's see some I.D.
In last week's editorial, I took up the subject of user authentication, which has long been dependent on passwords - but is that going to change? Readers chimed in with their own thoughts about passwords and other forms of user authentication. One mentioned using computers' and phones' built in web cams, along with facial recognition software, to identify users. Although there have been recent announcements of the development of facial recognition software with 95-100% accuracy, existing systems aren't capable of that level and are often defeated by simple changes in lighting and pose.
It seems quite a few readers are using password management software of some sort, with several different products mentioned. Others have their own methods, encrypting their password lists, storing them on external media, etc. It would be ideal if we could, as one reader suggested, focus on punishing the hackers instead of developing stronger protections. I think that's an unrealistic expectation, though. Too often hackers operate from somewhere outside the jurisdiction of law enforcement in the victim's location. Even when that's not the case, harsh penalties have never completely stopped any other type of crime. I think we have to do both: step up penalties and ways to track down the bad guys while at the same time protecting ourselves.
One reader brought up an issue that is an annoyance to many of us: sites that generate a password for you and don't allow you to change it to something of your own choosing. Sure, their intent is to ensure that you use a secure password, but it's likely you'll never be able to memorize their randomly generated combination of numbers and letters. Equally annoying are those sites that allow you to select your own password but limit the number of characters, making it impossible to create a super strong password.
Obviously, the authentication problem is a long way from being solved, but at least we have more options today than ever before. Thank you to all who participated in this discussion!
'Til next week,
Deb Shinder, Editor
feedback@win7news.net
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Quotes of the Week
"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it." - William Arthur Ward
"I never teach my pupils. I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn." - Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955)
"It is not necessary to understand things in order to argue about them." - Pierre Beaumarchais (1732 - 1977) |
| | Kiss Your Antivirus Bloatware Goodbye
We asked users of antivirus products what they didn't like about their AV software. They told us they are resource hogs and slowed their computer down. They told us that scan times took way too long, and that the AV software nagged them. In short, old-style AV software takes too much Memory and CPU. Time to switch to VIPRE! It gives you malware protection that combines antivirus, antispyware, anti-rootkit and other technologies into a seamless, tightly-integrated product.
Even if you run "free" antivirus software, it hijacks 20% of your PC, so it's really not free at all! Get VIPRE now and see how fast your PC can really be:
http://www.win7news.net/100114-VIPRE
| |
| Cool Tools |
| News, Hints, Tips and Tricks | |
What to expect from Windows 7 SP1
Early adopters have mostly good things to say about Windows 7, which hit the retail shelves in October. But there are some folks who have a hard and fast rule: they don't upgrade their operating systems until the first service pack comes out. It used to make sense, and even though Win7 was in many ways far more "finished" in beta than Vista SP1, old habits die hard. So Microsoft is surely hard at work on the service pack. What can we expect when it shows up? PCWorld speculates in this article:
http://www.win7news.net/100114-Windows7-SP1
First USB 3.0 laptops ship
Speaking of Windows 7 SP1, to me one of the most exciting features that it's expected to add is support for USB 3.0, which will increase the data transfer speed over the current USB 2.0 standard by a factor of ten. It's been in the works since 2007, and now it looks like it's finally going to become a reality. This week, HP started shipping Envy 15 laptops that have USB 3.0 ports.
http://www.win7news.net/100114-HP-Laptop-USB3
This new "superspeed" version of USB has a theoretical throughput rate of 4 Gbps, in comparison with the 480 Mbps maximum speed of USB 2.0. You can find out more about it here:
http://www.win7news.net/100114-USB3
Windows Live gives you 25x more document storage than Google
This week, Google announced that they are giving Google Docs users the ability to upload and store files on their server. You can 1 GB of space free, and after that it costs 25 cents per gigabyte per year.
http://www.win7news.net/100114-GoogleDocs
Microsoft is not impressed. They pointed out in a note to reporters and bloggers that Windows Live has been providing users with 25 GB of storage space on Windows Live for more than a year. Microsoft will also be coming out with a free web based version of Office apps later this year.
http://www.win7news.net/100114-MS-Cloud-Storage
Xbox Live for your phone
If you're a dedicated gamer, and you don't want to spring for one of those Alienware "gaming netbooks," here's another way you can keep on playing when you're on the go. Microsoft has announced that Xbox Live is coming to a mobile phone near you - if it's a Windows Mobile phone, that is. For some reason, there was no mention of support for the iPhone or Android. Read more here:
http://www.win7news.net/100114-Xbox-Live
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| How to: Using the New Windows 7 Features | |
How to control what programs a user can run
This feature is part of the Parental Controls options, and it's useful for blocking access to certain applications for certain users, such as your children. Here's how you do it: - Log on as an administrator
- Click Start | Control Panel and make sure you're in Category view
- In the User Accounts and Family Safety category, click Parental Controls
- In the Parental Controls dialog box, choose a user account that you want to control
- Under Parental Controls, click "On, enforce current settings"
- Click "Allow and Block Specific Programs"
- In the list of applications, put check marks in front of the executables that you don't want the user to be able to run (If the program you want to block isn't listed, click the Browse button and add a program to the list)
- Click OK
Now when the user tries to run the blocked program(s), a message will appear, notifying him/her that Parental Controls has blocked the program. |
| Windows 7 and Vista Security | |
Adobe vulnerabilities are most important focus this Patch Tuesday
This month it wasn't Microsoft's security bulletins that were getting the most attention on Patch Tuesday, but rather fixes for Adobe Acrobat and Reader vulnerabilities that are rated as more important than the lone Microsoft security update that was issued this month. The good news is that Adobe has introduced a new update process that is more user-friendly, although some security conscious folks have already become so frustrated with the previous update process that they switched to different PDF readers. Read more here:
http://www.win7news.net/100114-Critical-Adobe-Updates
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| Question Corner | |
Secondary user can't get to encrypted files
QUESTION:
I am the administrator on my family's Windows 7 computer. My two daughters have accounts and one daughter forgot her password so I was able to make her a new password as administrator. Now she can log on but can't get to some files that she had encrypted with EFS. Is there any way to fix this? - Mom the Admin
ANSWER:
The problem is that if you, as the computer administrator, create or change the password of another user, the user can no longer access the master key that's used to decrypt the user's personal encryption certificate. The hash used to encrypt the certificate includes the original password. If your daughter can remember her old password, and change it back to that one, she may be able to access the encrypted files. If she has a password reset disk created with the old password, she can use that to change her password - but I'm guessing she didn't or you would not have had to reset her password for her. |
| Windows 7 Configuration and Troubleshooting | |
Change advanced indexing options
Windows 7 indexes the files on your computer so searches can be performed more quickly. By default, certain files are indexed, including those in the libraries. You may want to add other folders to the indexing, though - or you might want some folders not to be indexed. Find out how to change the advanced indexing options to suit your preferences:
http://www.win7news.net/100114-Advanced-Indexing
How to disable and re-enable hibernation
The hibernation feature in Vista and Windows 7 is handy, but it can also take up quite a bit of space on your hard drive (approximately equal to the amount of RAM you have). If you have one of the new laptops with a small SSD hard drive, every bit of storage space counts, so you might decide to disable hibernation so you can recover this space. KB article 920730 tells you how, and also how to re-enable it if you need to.
http://www.win7news.net/100114-Windows-Hibernation
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| Fav Links | |
This Week's Links We Like. Tips, Hints And Fun Stuff
Disclaimer: VistaNews does not assume and cannot be responsible for any liability related to you clicking any of these linked Web sites. |
| Product of the Week | |
Award Winning Your Uninstaller! 2010 "ALL New" Version Just Released
Do you have programs you just can't seem to get rid of? You've probably encountered some stubborn programs that just won't uninstall at all or uninstall completely, right? And, more often than not, when you use the Windows Add/Remove Program utility, there are remnants or "artifacts" of the program left behind in the system registry and on your hard drive that are no longer needed. These useless items will bog your PC down and, over time, it will get slower and slower lugging around this useless baggage - unexpected errors and frequent crashes may also occur because of this! Your Uninstaller! has built-in system tools like Uninstaller, Startup Manager, Internet Traces Eraser, StartMenu Manager, and Disk Cleaner all designed to keep your PC clean and in proper operating order. Win7News readers can download this award winning product fully functional trial version or buy it with a special $10.00 off coupon. This is a"must have" utility for all Windows users.
http://www.win7news.net/100114-YourUninstaller
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Thanks for understanding that we need to prevent the nasties.