“A customer may purchase a netbook thinking they would use it primarily for e-mail. Over time, they find they are using that netbook as their primary everyday PC,” wrote Brandon LeBlanc of Microsoft in a blog.

Source: Information Week

After you do a clean install of Windows, you go to the Device Manager and discover the dreaded question mark next to an “Unknown Device”. You could just download the driver for this device, but you don’t know what it is! This is where PCIDatabase.com comes in handy.
PCIDatabase.com is website to help you identify unknown PCI devices without using any special software.
Read the rest of this entry »

The release-to-manufacturing version of Windows 7 has been cracked according to various tech sites.

Crackers obtained a copy of the disc that contain Windows 7 Ultimate OEM version from Lenovo. Then, they were able to extract the system-locked pre-installation product key and the OEM certificate.

After getting those information, they tweaked the values found in the Software Licensing Description Table.

This is not just exclusive to the Lenovo brand. Dell, HP, and MSI are the other brands that can be cracked as well.

Source: PCWorld

Microsoft has issued patches today for Internet Explorer and Visual Studio.

The flaws in Internet Explorer running on XP, Vista, and 2000 are rated as critical while computer with Windows Server operating systems have a rating of moderate.

Users are advised to patch their machines as soon as possible.

Vulnerable ActiveX controls triggered the IE flaws. The flaws let an attcker run a command or download malware on a vulnerable PC when a user view a malicious webpage.

Source: PCWorld

The following is a paid review. However, it completely of my own opinion and is not influenced by being paid.

In this article I will be reviewing some remote support software called “Instant Housecall”. Instant Housecall aims to be a complete support package for computer techs who provide remote support.
Read the rest of this entry »

A database update to antivirus software AVG over the weekend caused the software to quarantine the popular Apple store software iTunes. It viewed the iTunes’ library files as a Trojan virus.

“Unfortunately, a recent virus database update resulted in iTunes being detected as a Trojan by AVG security products. We can confirm that it was a false alarm. AVG immediately released a new virus database update (definition file 270.13.29/2260) that corrected this issue,” the company wrote in response to complaints on Apple’s support forums and its own official forums.

Source: AppleInsider

Microsoft will issue out-of-band security patches next tuesday according to various tech sites. This is the third time in 25 months that the company has made this kind of action.

The patches will fix Internet Explorer and Visual Studio. The patch for IE is rated is critical while the other is rated as important. “While this release is to address a single, overall issue, in order to provide the broadest protections possible to customers, we’ll be releasing two separate security bulletins,” said a spokesperson of Microsoft.

Both patches need computers to be rebooted after intalling them.

Source: The Register

A blog entry was posted at Sophos about two emails that the author of the post received that contain a link to a rapidshare file.

The links point to malware according to Romana Ward of Sophos. She points out that while the first URL was already taken down, the other one is still active as of July 20.

Also, she notes that the email was sent by the malware, not through spam since the To: address list of the emails includes the sender’s friends and relatives.

Source: Sophos

A phishing campaign about the popular massive multi-player online role-playing game called World of Warcraft has been detected by Sophos.

The email states that the account of the reader has violated the EULA and Terms of Service of the game due to evidence that the account is being sold or traded.

A link is included in the email that asks the reader to verify his or her WoW account but the link actually points to a different site than the one that is typed in the email.

Source: Sophos

HP is not providing free upgrades to Windows 7 to the models that contain Windows Vista Home basic. This includes Compaq Presario CQ60-419WM which will be sold at Wal-Mart for $298. The laptop has a large screen and a fast processor.

Microsoft has an upgrade path from Vista Home Basic to some Windows  7 versions but HP decided that it will not offer those options.

Therefore, those who buy these kind of laptops has to pay a minimum of $120 to upgrade to Windows 7.

Source: PC World