Google Announces PC Operating System to Compete with Windows …

Google is releasing a lightweight, open-source PC-operating system later this year, the company announced Tuesday night, a move that threatens the very heart of Microsoft, long seen as Google’s biggest rival.

Chrome OS is intended to be a very lightweight, quick-starting operating system whose central focus is supporting Google’s Chrome browser. Applications will run mostly inside the browser, making the web — not the desktop — into the computer’s default operating system.

It’s a sign that Google truly believes in the age of cloud computing — where the usefulness of a computer is in its connection to the net where data is stored remotely and information processing happens in a dance between a browser and remote servers.

The Linux-based OS is the second for Google, following on Android, another open-source OS that intended for small devices such as mobile phones. Chrome OS will first be on netbooks — the popular lightweight and inexpensive notebook computers — in the second half of 2010, the company said in a blog post. Desktops will come later.

The code itself will be released under an unspecified open-source license at the end of the year.

The announcement included some not so veiled jabs at Microsoft.

People want to get to their email instantly, without wasting time waiting for their computers to boot and browsers to start up. They want their computers to always run as fast as when they first bought them. [...] Even more importantly, they don’t want to spend hours configuring their computers to work with every new piece of hardware, or have to worry about constant software updates.

Google has already laid the ground work for a web OS by revolutionizing webmail with Gmail’s speed, features and capacity (now over 7GB). It followed that with free online word processing and spreadsheet software. Add in its online photo sharing services, and the myriad other online applications from Facebook to customized radio station Pandora, and most common uses of a computer can be done through a browser.

With Tuesday’s announcement, Google is going after Microsoft’s most lucrative and dominant business — the operating system.

Google is implicitly making the argument that there’s no need to pay the premium for a Microsoft OS, when there is lighter, faster and free. And Google is arguing, rather persuasively, that the Web and modern, standards-based browsers like Chrome, Safari, Opera and Firefox are where innovative third-party development is taking place these days.

Speed, simplicity and security are the key aspects of Google Chrome OS. We’re designing the OS to be fast and lightweight, to start up and get you onto the web in a few seconds. The user interface is minimal to stay out of your way, and most of the user experience takes place on the web. And as we did for the Google Chrome browser, we are going back to the basics and completely redesigning the underlying security architecture of the OS so that users don’t have to deal with viruses, malware and security updates. It should just work.

More to the point, more web usage equals more money for Google, which basically makes more money the more people use the web — thanks to its dominant ad platform that brought in more than $5 billion in revenue in the first three months of 2009.

Microsoft has been looking forward to the fall release of Windows 7, its successor to the not-well received Vista. Windows 7 beta releases have gotten good reviews. It’s a bit more complicated in the enterprise space, where IT departments are slow to migrate to anything, but for the average consumer the question now becomes, why ever pay again for a Microsoft operating system, unless you are a gamer or run custom, legacy software?

If indeed Google puts out a fast, easy to use operating system that lets netbooks soar and free users from constant software patches, Microsoft will find it very hard to explain to consumers why they should continue to use its software, other than just out of a foolish consistency.

Don’t be evil, Google’s unofficial motto, has long been understood as code for “Don’t be Microsoft.” Perhaps, it ought now it to be augmented with the commandment, “Leave no Microsoft product unchallenged.

from Wired …

Njoy ..

Pirated Windows 7 Builds Botnet with Trojan

Attackers pushing pirated, malware-laced copies of Microsoft's upcoming Windows 7 operating system have been actively trying to build a botnet.

According to researchers at Damballa, attackers hid a Trojan inside of pirated copies of the operating system and began circulating them on BitTorrent sites. Damballa reported that it shut down the botnet's command and control server May 10, but by that time infection rates had risen as high as 552 users per hour.

"Since the pirated package was released on April 24th, my best guess is that this botnet probably had at least 27,000 successful installs prior to our takedown of its CnC [command and control] on May 10th," said Tripp Cox, vice president of engineering at Damballa.

Targeting users through pirated software is nothing new for hackers. Earlier in 2008, for example, attackers sought to build a Mac botnet on the backs of users of pirated versions of iWork '09 and the Mac version of Adobe Photoshop CS4.

Even aside from the malware threat, piracy is big business. A joint report by the BSA and IDC estimated software companies experienced $50 billion in losses in 2008 due to piracy.

In the case of Windows 7 RC, pirated copies were leaked on BitTorrent sites with a Trojan horse that, once downloaded, attempts to install a bundle of other malware on the infected machine. Blocking infections is tricky, as many anti-virus tools do not yet support Windows 7 and the operating system is infected before the tools can even be installed, according to Damballa.

"We continue to see new installs happening at a rate of about 1,600 per day with broad geographic distribution," Cox said. "Since our takedown, any new installs of this pirated distribution of Windows 7 RC are inaccessible by the botmaster. The old installs are accessible. The countries with the largest percentage of installs are the U.S. (10 percent), Netherlands (7 percent) and Italy (7 percent)."

from EWeek ..

Njoy !!!

The Best Firewall for FREE !!! … just for today …

 

Online Armor - is a Personal Firewall to protect your money, identity and your Data. Whether you’re browsing , Transacting or receiving Email; Online Armor can protect you. This award winning software is easy to use right of the box.

The powerful “HIPS” functions, which is designed to stop all unrecognized programs from running on your computer, makes it possible to protect yourself against new threats and attacks.

In standard mode, most decisions are made completely automatically based on Online Armor’s whitelist - users never need answer a complex firewall prompt again.

Online Armor protects your passwords and private information from being stolen by blocking keyloggers as they try to activate. Online Armors behaviour detection ensures that even specially created or new keyloggers are detected and prevented.

The version given in GOTD is a full paid version which has following features … which are way more then any other firewall gives you for free !!!

• Keylogger Detection
• Mail Filter
• Web Filter
• Spam Shield
• Cookie Cutter
• Trusted Sites
• Untrusted Sites
• Prevent Spyware
• Remove Spyware
• Settings Monitor
• IE Extensions
• DNS Checker
• Hosts Checker
• Simple to Use
• Firewall
• Easy to Use Firewall
• Powerful Windows Firewall
• Firewall Leak Tests
• Run as Limited User
• Worm Protection
• Termination Protection
• Spyware Prevention Tips
• Spyware Prevention With Online Armor
• Trojan Protection
• How to Block Dangerous Sites
• Lightweight Security for
  Windows
• Spyware Removal Tips
• Autoruns Management
• Online Armor Test Results

ONLINE ARMOR had also been reviewed by many other people and nearly all of them found this firewall , perhaps the best in its category … some reviews are …

Matousec … an independent software testing company ..

Scot Finnie’s … Scot’s News letter …

CNET …

 

and just for today … my favorite site … Give away of the day .. is giving it away for free with 1 year subscription … perhaps it is one of the best giveaway by GOTD …

you can download online armor from here … GOTD site …

Njoy …

Hiding Identity under the Onion … How To of TOR software

 

Just like i said before … Tor is really good application … in this post i will show how this thing works and anonymize our identity on internet !!!

first all you need is to download the TOR from TOR project website … i chose , the 2nd option, “ Tor Browser Bundle for Windows (Contains Tor, Vidalia, Torbutton, Polipo, and Firefox) “ … its 0.2.1.14-rc … they says its UNSTABLE so … may give unexpected results or may be it will not make you much “anonymous” around the internet but i really don’t know the actual reason .. sigh … i use this version because , NO NEED TO INSTALL or SETUP anything and its PORTABLE …

once you download it , extract it on a usb drive ( if you are planning to use it on any other pc )or in any folder of computer ( to use only in that machine ) …

now , simply double click on that Vidalia icon … it will run the script and automatically

once connected to Tor network , it will launch Tor’s old buddy …. the Firefox … you can make sure that you are connected by viewing , the Vidalia control panel , which shows CONNECTED TO THE TOR NETWORK message with green onion …

 

 

as it will launch FF, you will see the welcome message just like above ( ofcouse IP will be different ) … just remember to NOT TO CLOSE FIREFOX , because it will automatically exit TOR … ( i think you can change that option ) …

 

 

the thing is , i was using google’s chrome too , now see when is check the website … www.whatismyip.com …

 

 

the chrome shows my real IP , but the TORed firefox shows the IP that others will SEE when i use TOR … hmm …thats TORrific .. right ??

and if you ever wonder what is the route to that IP from ur IP , and how you are anonymized … just try to see the routing path of TOR … it shows TOR NETWORK MAP … as you know TOR uses onion routing , so after passing through these much number of nodes … its really hard to find your real IP ( that’s the best part ) … !!!

and the thing is , i am sitting in public library which has restricted access to sites and can’t access to youtube ( no offence ) … but i really like to watch cartoons on it … so before i can’t use it because it has been blocked by firewall and filters … but now ?? … nothing is between me and my favorite show ( expect my g/f .. hehehe ) …

so that is the way how can you anonymize your identity on internet using tor … but you need to remember that TOR is all free , open to public and non profit thing , so may be you won’t feel glitch when you surf the internet , but you will feel a bit leggy performance when you watch video on youtube …and about security , TOR CAN NOT secure your connection outside the TOR network , means hacker sitting at the end of exit node can intercept / sniff your packets and crack your password  ( for security, TOR recommends SSL connection between End to End Connection )…  also , many times the search results are different then what you expected or language is different … this is because , now you have IP of another geographic location , the search engine  thinks you are from that place so it will display results according to it ( its good if you surf porn sites a lot , because they will not get your real location ….. huh, wait a minute … do you really want it  ??? ) …

 

Njoy …

Windows 7 RC goes public …

 

Just like they have said in their windows blog … the Latest Operating System from microsoft … Windows 7 … is available to public … but this time , its Release Candidate version …. v. 7100 … which means , its better then beta … and most of this will come as it is in final version of windows 7 ….

This RC version is available to download till JULY,and  will expire on 1st of June 2010 … to download it you need to have account with any of microsoft services … and product key will be given at time of downloading …

 

Njoy …

Antivirus that lives in the Cloud …

 

Now a days , everything seem to be adopting itself for cloud computing … the latest edition is an antivirus by PANDA ANTIVIRUS … they call its Cloud Antivirus … which according to panda , lives in the cloud and , consumes least memory … yet provides the best protection against everything threat that internet posses to average joe !!! … But still its in BETA … and so only time can say who much successful it will be in reality … but good thing is , panda thinks to keep it free even after releasing its final version … at present its available only for XP and Vista ( too bad for me , as user of 7 and Jaunty Jackalope ) … but they are planning to release version for windows 7 too

till then , read this article from my favorite site about cloud antivirus …

With threats like Conficker fresh in the public's mind, security remains a top concern for Windows users. Panda Security, publishers of Panda Internet Security and Panda Antivirus, is set to take antivirus where it hasn't been yet: into the clouds. Panda Cloud Antivirus beta bets that nearly three years of development can pay off into a better protection system for users. To that end, Panda's willing to make the client free for personal use--even after it leaves beta testing.

 

the program uses Panda's proprietary cloud computing technology, which they call Collective Intelligence, to detect viruses, malware, rootkits, and heuristics. It takes advantage of "millions of users," according to Panda, to identify new malware almost in real time. Panda says that Collective Intelligence can classify new malware in under six minutes, and that it handles more than 50,000 new samples per day. The Cloud Antivirus works by classifying threats into executables that must be scanned immediately, and non-executables that are checked at a lower priority--usually when the computer is idle.

In exchange for using consumer data to build the Collective Intelligence database, Panda decided to offer the Panda Cloud Antivirus for free, said Pedro Bustamante, senior research adviser at Panda Security.

The new program reportedly takes up around 50 MB on the hard drive and eats around 17 MB of RAM when in use. That compares well against the industry average that Panda provided of 60 MB, and Bustamante said that they're aiming for 12 MB of RAM when in use.

Cloud computing may make sense from a system resources point of view, but what happens to system security when the computer isn't connected to the Internet? "The model we've implemented is to break down the traditional antivirus to client and server, so when the user is not connected they keep a local cache copy of Collective Intelligence, including detections for what Collective Intelligence sees is spreading through the community," he said.

Panda Cloud Antivirus is for Windows XP and Windows Vista, with planned support for Windows 7 when it's released. Bustamante added that it will stay in beta as it's being accepted by users, although they hope it will leave beta by the end of this summer.

from CNET …

Njoy …

US-CERT Advisory for Conficker worm …

 

HISTORY …

Conficker, also known as Downup, Downadup and Kido, is a computer worm that surfaced in October 2008 and targets the Microsoft Windows operating system. The worm exploits a previously patched vulnerability in the Windows Server service used by Windows 2000,Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7 Beta, and Windows Server 2008 R2 Beta . The worm has been unusually difficult for network operators and law enforcement to counter because of its combined use of advanced malware techniques.

Although the origin of the name "conficker" is not known with certainty, Internet specialists and others have speculated that it is a German portmanteau fusing the term "configure" with "ficken", the German word for "fuck !!!".  Microsoft analyst Joshua Phillips describes "conficker" as a rearrangement of portions of the domain name 'trafficconverter.biz'

Four main variants of the Conficker worm are known and have been dubbed Conficker A, B, C and D. They were discovered 21 November 2008, 29 December 2008, 20 February 2009, and 4 March 2009, respectively.

SYMPTOMS …

• Account lockout policies being reset automatically.
• Certain Microsoft Windows services such as Automatic Updates, Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS), Windows Defender and Error Reporting Services disabled.
• Domain controllers responding slowly to client requests.
• Unusual amounts of traffic on local area networks.
• Websites related to antivirus software becoming inaccessible.

EFFECTS …

Experts say it is the worst infection since 2003's SQL Slammer. Estimates of the number of computers infected range from almost 9 million PCs to 15 million computers.The initial rapid spread of the worm has been attributed to the number of Windows computers—estimated at 30%—which have yet to apply the Microsoft MS08-067 patch.

Another antivirus software vendor, Panda Security, reported that of the 2 million computers analyzed through ActiveScan, around 115,000 (6%) were infected with this malware.

Intramar, the French Navy computer network, was infected with Conficker in 15 January 2009. The network was subsequently quarantined, forcing aircraft at several airbases to be grounded because their flight plans could not be downloaded.

The U.K. Ministry of Defence reported that some of its major systems and desktops were infected. The worm has spread across administrative offices, NavyStar/N* desktops aboard various Royal Navy warships and Royal Navy submarines, and hospitals across the city of Sheffield reported infection of over 800 computers.

On 13 February 2009, the Bundeswehr reported that about one hundred of their computers were infected.

A memo from the British Director of Parliamentary ICT informed the users of the House of Commons on 24 March 2009 that it had been infected with the worm. The memo, which was subsequently leaked, called for users to avoid connecting any unauthorized equipment to the network.

IN NEWS !!!

As of 13 February 2009, Microsoft is offering a $250,000 USD reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the individuals behind the creation and/or distribution of Conficker.

On 24 March 2009, CIRA, the Canadian Internet Registration Authority, locked all previously-unregistered .ca domain names expected to be generated by Conficker C over the next 12 months.^[35]

On 31 March 2009 NASK, the Polish national registrar, locked over 150,000 .pl domains expected to be generated by Conficker C over the coming 5 weeks. NASK has also warned that worm traffic may unintentionally inflict a DDoS attack to legitimate domains which happen to be in the generated set.

Message , FROM United State Computer Emergency Readiness Team …

Conficker/Downadup worm, which can infect a Microsoft Windows system from a thumb drive, a network share, or directly across a corporate network, if the network servers are not patched with the MS08-067 patch from Microsoft.
Home users can apply a simple test for the presence of a Conficker/Downadup infection on their home computers. The presence of a Conficker/Downadup infection may be detected if a user is unable to surf to their security solution website or if they are unable to connect to the websites, by downloading detection/removal tools available free from those sites:
http://www.symantec.com/norton/theme.jsp?themeid=conficker_worm&inid=us_ghp_link_conficker_worm
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/computer/viruses/worms/conficker.mspx
http://www.mcafee.com
If a user is unable to reach any of these websites, it may indicate a Conficker/Downadup infection. The most recent variant of Conficker/Downadup interferes with queries for these sites, preventing a user from visiting them. If a Conficker/Downadup infection is suspected, the system or computer should be removed from the network or unplugged from the Internet - in the case for home users.
Instructions, support and more information on how to manually remove a Conficker/Downadup infection from a system have been published by major security vendors. Please see below for a few of those sites. Each of these vendors offers free tools that can verify the presence of a Conficker/Downadup infection and remove the worm:
Symantec:
http://www.symantec.com/business/security_response/writeup.jsp?docid=2009-011316-0247-99
Microsoft:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/962007
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/computer/viruses/worms/conficker.mspx
Microsoft PC Safety hotline at 1-866-PCSAFETY, for assistance.
US-CERT encourages users to prevent a Conficker/Downadup infection by ensuring all systems have the MS08-067 patch (seehttp://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS08-067.mspx), disabling AutoRun functionality (see http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA09-020A.html), and maintaining up-to-date anti-virus software.

 

currently this worm is set to get active at 1st April , 2009 ( TODAY !!! ) … and yet nobody knows what’s it upto … lets hope people come with some sound solution to this perhaps the most notorious virus in history of viruses !!!

 

Njoy …

parts from … US-CERT  and Wikipedia …

We will have same confusing versions of 7 too …

 

 

Like M$ offered different Versions for Vista ( for the record , 4 … home basic, home premium , business and ultimate ) … new forthcoming OS of M$ … windows 7 too will have same or may be more flavors … on 3rd of Feb. Microsoft officially announced what versions Windows 7 may be available in market.

according to them , there will be two primary versions … Home Premium and Professional … but in one question they have mentioned that … they will have other flavors too ..

PressPass: So that covers most people. What will you offer for customers at the “poles” of your worldwide market?

Ybarra: Within a customer base of over one billion, there are a lot of important customer niches, or segments, and we want to make sure we have an appropriate product for everybody. Again, for a majority of our customers the choice is really simple: Windows 7 Home Premium or Windows 7 Professional. We understand some of our customers have different needs, like enthusiasts who want every feature in Windows, for example.

For our biggest enterprise customers, we'll continue to have an Enterprise edition. And we will work to make sure there continues to be strong value in Enterprise edition for our annuity customers with Software Assurance agreements. This edition will not be available at retail or by OEMs for pre-installation on a new PC. Windows 7 Enterprise edition offers advanced data protection, lower cost compliance and IT tools to streamline PC management and help save costs, while enabling access to information from anywhere for business users.

We know emerging markets have unique needs and we will offer Windows 7 Home Basic, only in emerging markets, for customers looking for an entry-point Windows experience on a full-size value PC.

We’ll also continue to offer Windows Starter edition, which will only be offered pre-installed by an OEM. Windows Starter edition will now be available worldwide. This edition is available only in the OEM channel on new PCs limited to specific types of hardware.

And certainly there is also a small set of customers who want everything Windows 7 has to offer. So we will continue to have Windows 7 Ultimate edition to meet that specialized need. Windows 7 Ultimate edition is designed for PC enthusiasts who “want it all” and customers who want the security features such as BitLocker found in Windows 7 Enterprise edition.

 

I just don’t understand … why they can’t simply offer one basic version for less $$$ and then offer different paid upgrades like aero theme or bit locker for extra $$$ … or just two versions one for home users and another for professionals just like XP ?? … but if they do this , then how they gonna make more $$$ by confusing people and make them buy something that they really don’t want !!!

 

Njoy …

“Fix It” … from Microsoft

 

It has been always difficult to find help using standard help documents that we get with our Windows … right ?? … even sometimes it is more difficult to find help document on M$ website too … so most of time people like me prefer to ask google then microsoft .. right ??

Over the past six weeks, Microsoft has quietly added a "Fix it" button to a few of the thousands of help documents on its Web site. When clicked, the computer then takes all the recommended steps automatically.

"If we know what those 15 steps are why shouldn't we just script it," said Lori Brownell, Microsoft's general manager of product quality and online support

The "Fix it" option is still fairly rare, showing up in around 100 different help documents. The effort is growing rapidly, though, up from just four such fixes when the program quietly began in December.

Microsoft continues to offer users the option of doing things on their own if they either don't trust Microsoft or just like being in control.

"We're not trying to hide anything," she said.

The first fixes included a number of common issues, including restoring a missing Internet Explorer icon to the desktop, how to enable the DVD library in Vista's Windows Media Center as well as what to do when encountering the error message in Street & Trips 2008 that "Construction information for routes could not be downloaded"

For now, Microsoft is having to go back and search its archives to see which of its problem solving tips can be automated. Eventually, it hopes to create the automated fixes at the same time the help articles are created.

Where it can, Microsoft is also adding the "Fix it" option into the error reporting tool built into Windows. Initially, all users could do when a program crashed was send a report to Microsoft. More recently, the system has started checking to see if there is any information on the issue. Next up, said Brownell, is offering the option to have the issue solved automatically.

another one example can be action center of windows 7 … which pinpoints and fixes issues that it can fix regarding security and maintenance issues with operating system.

Njoy …

Windows Essentials …. Essential tools for free

 

 

 

If you are an internet savvy … then these tools are perhaps the most required items in your arsenal of internet essentials … just one download and you will get messenger , mail client , offline blog-writer together ….

Microsoft just released newer version of essential series which makes its performance far more batter then its pervious versions … it contains tools that we need very frequently … such as …

Photo Gallery …  to edit  photos and even share them instantly …

Movie Maker …  the same old movie maker and editor but very new look and easy to follow online sharing …

Family Safety … a safety program , which helps user to prevent his/her family from harm of internet … and its highly customizable yet very simple to use …

Writer … all in one required blog writer … if you are into blogging then this is the best of the best tool for offline writing and then publishing them later on … it has all tools that are required for average blog writer like me … ( for example , can you believe that i’m using live writer right now to write this blog ?? ) … the great thing is , it downloads your blog theme too so you can have “feel” of your blog in real time !!! … more over it supports almost all blogging sites such as live or blogger or wordpress or livejournal … and many more …

Mail … its that again old offline mail client that we used to use … outlook express in older windows and windows mail in vista … its Live Mail … same like them , but with more sexy look and better performance … i don’t even need to setup my google account manually for this software … just put you email address and it will be configured automatically !!!

Messenger … its that live messenger that we use … i’m not much into chatting so …………. really can’t write much about its features … :D …

Toolbar … well its also one of the required essential for internet … its all in one toolbar has everything that we need while we surf …

 

Most good thing is … this all is just free to download and use …

i hope you will like it …

Njoy …

WINDOWS 7 for DOWNLOAD

Microsoft’s well praised baby …… Windows 7 will be available for download publically by today on 9th of January … obviously it’s a BETA edition … but according to reviews this new OS will be Rocking …

From Official Windows 7 Blog …

On January 9th, the Windows 7 Beta will be available for Windows enthusiasts to download via the Windows 7 page on Windows.com. The Windows 7 Beta is going to be available download-only (we’re not sending out physical media) and available for a limited time to the first 2.5 million people who download the beta.

The Windows 7 Beta will be available in English, German, Japanese, Arabic, and Hindi, and each language will be available in 32-bit and 64-bit versions (except Hindi which will only be available in 32-bit). Because the Windows 7 Beta will be offered download-only, it will be provided to you as an ISO image (an .iso file) that you download. After downloading either the 32-bit or 64-bit ISO image of the Windows 7 Beta, you will be required to burn the ISO image to a DVD to install Windows 7. So you want to be sure you have a DVD burner before spending the time downloading the ISO image.

To burn the ISO image of the Windows 7 Beta to DVD, if your PC comes with Nero or Roxio products – you should be able to burn the ISO image to DVD. If you don’t already have DVD burning software on your PC, you can also check out ImgBurn which is free and can be downloaded here.

The Windows 7 Beta only supports Windows Vista SP1 to Windows 7 upgrades. So if you intend to do an upgrade – be sure it is on a PC running Windows Vista with Service Pack 1. We are not yet announcing anything regarding finalized upgrade paths for Windows 7.

The Windows 7 Beta will be only available in one edition, which is roughly equivalent the Ultimate edition of Windows Vista.

Also, another important thing to keep in mind is that the Windows 7 Beta will expire on August 1st, 2009.

I also need to emphasize that this is a beta of an unreleased operating system. Be sure to backup all your important data. As much as the Windows 7 Beta completely rocks, part of the beta process is discovering bugs and reporting those bugs. Some of those bugs could possibly lead to data loss. I tend to be a risk-taker myself and have gone all-out with the Windows 7 Beta by putting it on almost all my PCs both at work and at home, but not everyone should do this. I recommend using Windows Vista’s Backup and Restore features to ensure your information is backed up before trying out the Windows 7 Beta. Click here for several methods of backing up your data in Windows Vista.

Just can’t wait to have my own copy …

Njoy …

XP Vs Vista Vs Vienna... Ultimate Windows Comparison

If you have seen snapshots of all new windows 7 .. a.k.a. windows Vienna ... you will see that , still its in pre-beta phase , but looks sexy ;) .... but like any average windows user , i was just curious to see if there is any sort of comparison is available to check with other operating systems like windows XP and Vista ... because , my WOW experience was pretty bad ... its extremely resource hungry OS , by all means ... either by use of RAM or by use of Processor or by use of HDD installation space ... so on this blog i found very brief comparison of all three OSes ... XP , Vista and Windows 7 (Vienna) ...

There are 23 tests in all, most of which are self explanatory:

1. Install OS - Time it takes to install the OS
2. Boot up - Average boot time to usable desktop
3. Shut down - Average shut down time
4. Move 100MB files - Move 100MB of JPEG files from one hard drive to another
5. Move 2.5GB files - Move 2.5GB of mixed size files (ranging from 1MB to 100MB) from one hard drive to another
6. Network transfer 100MB files - Move 100MB of JPEG files from test machine to NAS device
7. Network transfer 2.5GB files - Move 2.5GB of mixed size files (ranging from 1MB to 100MB) from test machine to NAS device
8. Move 100MB files under load - Move 100MB of JPEG files from one hard drive to another while ripping DVD to .ISO file
9. Move 2.5GB files under load - Move 2.5GB of mixed size files (ranging from 1MB to 100MB) from one hard drive to another while ripping DVD to .ISO file
10. Network transfer 100MB files under load - Move 100MB of JPEG files from test machine to NAS device while ripping DVD to .ISO file
11. Network transfer 2.5GB files under load - Move 2.5GB of mixed size files (ranging from 1MB to 100MB) from test machine to NAS device while ripping DVD to .ISO file
12. Compress 100MB files - Using built-in ZIP compression
13. Compress 1GB files - Using built-in ZIP compression
14. Extract 100MB files - Using built-in ZIP compression
15. Extract 1GB files - Using built-in ZIP compression
16. Install Office 2007 - Ultimate version, from DVD
17. Open 10 page Word doc - Text only
18. Open 100 page Word doc - Text and images only
19. Open simple Excel doc - Basic formatting
20. Open complex Excel doc - Including formula and charts
21. Burn DVD - Win 7 beta 1 .ISO to disc using CDBurnerXP
22. Open 10 page PDF - Text only, using latest Adobe Reader 8
23. Open 100 page PDF - Text and images, using latest Adobe Reader 8

for these tests they have used two different PC configurations ...

• An AMD Phenom 9700 2.4GHz system fitted with an ATI Radeon 3850 and 4GB of RAM
• An Intel Pentium Dual Core E2200 2.2GHz fitted with an NVIDIA GeForce 8400 GS and 1GB of RAM

and the results were much similar that Microsoft had promised when they announced their new OS project ...





I would surely try to get "hands on" experience with Windows 7 by myself .... lets see ....

Njoy ....

Acrobat Replacement ...

This is the cheaper replacement of the famous pdf maker software ... Adobe Acrobat ... its Primo PDF ... but the problem is its just a PDF maker not PDF viewer ... so we can't see PDF files , we can just create it ... to view PDF files then we need some other software ... for example Foxit reader !!! Both apps are free and by combining them two , i have replaced requirement of Adobe Acrobat for my system...

More about Primo ...

PrimoPDF converts just about any file type to a PDF, using the source program the file was created with and its print command. Two new changes make the program easier to use and more useful. The interface redesign is definitely easier to navigate, and users can now choose to email the PDF instantly after its creation.

The conversion process from whatever document is on your screen to PDF is quick and efficient. Other features include a security feature, which allows the user to wrap the PDF in 40-bit or 128-bit encryption, PDF merging, and password protection. The user also can restrict editing of the new PDF, leaving comments and making other changes.

More about Foxit Reader ...

Its Incredibly small , the download size of Foxit Reader is just a fraction of Acrobat Reader 20 M size. Its Breezing-fast, When you run Foxit Reader, it launches instantly without any delay. You are not forced to view an annoying splash window displaying company logo, author names, etc. Good Annotation tool , Foxit Reader allows you to draw graphics, highlight text, type text and make notes on a PDF document and then print out or save the annotated document. Save fillable forms after filling them out so you can continue anytime. Good text converter, You may convert the whole PDF document into a simple text file. High security and privacy: Foxit Reader highly respects the security and privacy of users and will never connect to the Internet without users' permission while other PDF readers often silently connect.

Njoy ...

IE 7 Emergency ??

Its been not a new thing that we get time to time updates for various softwares that we use and even for our operating systems from their makes , microsoft or apple for example ... and being good computer user we keep automatic update feature "ON" so our operating system gets updated automatically ... right ?? ...

Well , its about a patch for internet explorer 7 that microsoft released just in an overnight !!! the IE7 vulnerability was such a critical that they had to act fast .. according to microsoft , the systems with OS, XP, Vista , server 2003 , server 2008 were effected.

Once exploited the IE , it downloads trojan that modify files and steals personal informations , it also downloads melicious files that infect user's PC.

So if you still haven't downloaded the patch , then its time ....

Njoy ....

Toad ... for windows !!!

Being the best DBMS software of the world Oracle is the most complex and perhaps the most difficult system to work with ... and i realized that when i took database design course for my fall '08 semester ....

Well one of the reasons why i felt Oracle difficult is may be because of lacking so called "computer science" background of mine , ( still i don't know why , i always loved database compared to programming ) ... but when our professor told us that if we do our final project using Oracle as DBMS , we will get extra credit , i jumped in !!! .... before that i had tried SQL Server 2000 , ( and now its 2008 version is already in market ) so i was a bit of lacking knowledge about complexity of Oracle ...

The main problem i faced with Oracle was , there is no GUI at all !!! ... being windows user that made my life miserable at first because , we just can't move a single step without help of Mr. Mouse !! right ??? and i guess Oracle , doesn't even know what mouse is for !! so it took me a while for getting things done .. another thing that always confused me was after defining tables , how do we know primary key or foreign key of the table ?? , and i still don't know how to do that in Oracle ....

And some day , i came to know this software ... Tool for Application Developer a.k.a TOAD ... actually there are bunch of other software are available just for getting things done with Database development and administration. i found TOAD quite handy tool for my works with Oracle , we can access database directly from TOAD with our Oracle login , and so we can do all the boring command line stuff with fully functional GUI !!! ... it has every thing that we ever need to work with any DBMS , weather its Oracle or SQL server or MYSQL or DB2 or anything ...


Njoy ...

Tune up your Windows ...

Not just another optimizer that we find on internet here and there ... this one is good one ... TuneUp Utilities 2008: The complete Windows optimization package.The Highlights: Boosts system performance by de-fragmenting hard drives; Identifies and deletes non-required files; Deactivates unused Windows functions; Effortlessly solves common computer and display problems; Offers more than 400 options to customize Windows; Analyzes the file system and corrects errors; Performs maintenance functions with a single click.



Temp file management, registry cleaners and start-up program controls are the bread-and-butter of these utilities, and these basics work in TuneUp more quickly and easily than most. However, the app also sports great add-on tools you don't usually see in a utility program. It offers a variety of Internet and program-acceleration tweaks as well as Windows performance enhancers. The crash-preventing MemOptimizer, a file shredder, deleted file recovery, and a respectable uninstall utility round out the suite. You even can automate maintenance tasks with the scheduler or tweak Windows' appearance with the styler tool. The built-in RescueCenter can restore all changes completely or one by one.







Between the guts of steel and the stylish, logically arranged interface, TuneUp Utilities suits all users--from complete beginners who will appreciate the one-click optimization to more daring users who will experiment with all the settings.

Njoy...

Web Browsers .... the new battlefront of hackers !!!

Attacks on operating systems may be decreasing since last year, but attacks on applications, incidents of malware, and unwanted software are rising and account for 90 percent of vulnerabilities, according to the Microsoft Security Intelligence Report, released Saturday. Microsoft said 30 percent of the malware was Trojan-based, and China accounted for 50 percent of browser based attacks, while the U.S. was second at 23 percent.


The amount of malware and unwanted software removed from computers increased 43 percent in the first half of the year, according to the 150-page report, now in its fifth installment. Thirty percent of that malware was Trojan-based, usually in the form of a computer worm or virus disguised as another application that erases data, corrupts files, and reinstalls itself after being disabled. China had the highest percentage of browser-based attacks at 50 percent, with the United States following with 23 percent. China's infection rate of 6.6 percent, a 41 percent increase from the second half of 2007, was a bit lower than industry experts expected.

Microsoft suggests consumers and businesses check for and apply software updates on a continuing basis, enable firewalls, and install antivirus and anti-spyware programs that add another layer of protection.The software giant also suggests that consumers refrain from opening links and attachments in e-mails and instant messages -- even if they are from a trusted source -- without first considering the harm that opening may cause.

njoy ...

Eyecandy cursor for Desktop !!

Sick of looking at that same old cursor? Replace your plain old cursor with animated 3D pointers that look good and can be set to perform tricks, like dotting the screen with color when you click or leaving trails of bubbles in its wake.

CursorFX includes a number of nifty cursor options, and more await in Stardock's online user gallery. We love that your cursor changes over before you even close the program.

You can tweak the custom cursor's look and feel and can easily turn the cursor off if you need a reminder of what you've left behind. CursorFX integrates into the Mouse panel, takes only about 1MB of RAM, and does not slow the cursor's movement. This free application is a must-have for upgrading Vista or XP's look.

Njoy ....

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Converting Ordinary FlashDrive into Smart Drive !!

Flash Drives / Pen Drives / USB Drives , are quite common in use today for easy transferring data to any place ... they gives us access to out files any time , any where ... right ?? During recent time , some smart guys have designed " Smart Drives " which not only carries data but it also carries bunch of software within that USB drive ... imagine that you are forced to work on some junk computer that even don't have required software for your work , or your favorite browser application or any AV installed !!! or just for sake of security you don't want to use browser of that unknown computer ... in this case these Smart Drives becomes very handy ,right ?? most of them use " U3 technology " .... hell, now a days even smarter drives are in market which uses "biometric ID system" , means you need to scan you finger before you access them !!! ( you can assume that in near future, they are gonna introduce face recognition technology in these drives too !!! )

But still these "smart drivers" are bit costlier then ordinary usb drives ... and perhaps it is the only drawback of them ... now you will ask me , " Why ordinary USB can't be U3 smart drive ? " right ?? ... answer is , U3 smart drives are smart because of embedded hardware chip like of CMOS , which ordinary usb drives doesn't have ...





Well, some good guys ( who believes in free software distribution systems ) developed one software, Portable Apps ,which basically can install applications to even ordinary usb drives and make them works same as smart drive ( ahh , please skip that biomatric part ... ) ... this software comes with plenty of useful stuffs like , open office, firefox , thunder bird, pidgin , an antivirus .... in short all opensource and free applications ( and that makes this application free !! )

Give it a try , i am sure you will not be disappointed ...

Njoy ...

Subsubstitute of MS Office !!!

If you are not knowing Microsoft's super famous product MS Office ... then i think you are from the planets of Wookiees ... ( hell , even they must be knowing it !!! ) ...

Actually , its about one the rival application that has got a bit of fame from its first release , its Open Office from Sun !!! ... like we know , its an open source project started by Sun microsystems ... which was originally known as Star Office , a product from German company brought by Sun during end of millennium ...





Open Office , supports all file formats created by MS Office , like .doc , .xls , .ppt etc ... which we use most of the time ... and moreover its all Freeeeee !! , thats the key point to its success , because everybody likes free ... right ??

Recently they have release Open Office 3 ... the latest beta of OO, and like expected from sun .... it supports all extensions created by MS Office 2008 , like .docx and .xlsx .... as it was major hit , the office download site got crashed right on the first day of beta release !!! ... and still its down ( ahh ... but still you can download it ) ...
If you are into search of Open Source software or something that is simply free and yet as powerful as MS Office .. then this is worth trying....

njoy ....