http://news.cnet.com/8300-13554_3-33.html Defensive Computing en-us Michael Horowitz takes on digital safety 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved Wed, 12 Nov 2008 11:42:00 PST Fixing bugs in the Flash Player yet again http://news.cnet.com/8301-13554_3-10095208-33.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=DefensiveComputing Last month Adobe released version 10 of their free Flash Player plugin for web browsers. If you've installed version 10, then you're done. You are not missing any patches and can stop reading now.

If you're not sure which version of Flash is installed, Adobe has a ...

]]> http://news.cnet.com/8301-13554_3-10095208-33.html Wed, 12 Nov 2008 11:42:00 PST Michael Horowitz Getting more battery power for your computer http://news.cnet.com/8301-13554_3-10094334-33.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=DefensiveComputing James Kendrick, one of the bloggers at jkontherun.com, recently wrote: "Mobile computer users will tell you that the number one need they have is for sufficient battery power." There are a few ways laptop computer users can get more battery power for their computers:
  1. Buy a larger battery designed
...

]]> http://news.cnet.com/8301-13554_3-10094334-33.html Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:07:00 PST Michael Horowitz Get an MSI Wind Netbook for only $349 http://news.cnet.com/8301-13554_3-10093232-33.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=DefensiveComputing The MSI Wind has been around a long time by Netbook computer standards and generally gets good reviews. Laptop magazine, for example, loved it. Back in July, CNET gave it 3.5 stars out of 5.

The model CNET reviewed was, at the time, $479. It ran Windows XP, came ...

]]> http://news.cnet.com/8301-13554_3-10093232-33.html Mon, 10 Nov 2008 17:32:00 PST Michael Horowitz Not interested in a Netbook computer? Consider the Honda Fit http://news.cnet.com/8301-13554_3-10092055-33.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=DefensiveComputing Netbook computers are small and underpowered, making them a turn-off for many. But consider the Honda Fit, which was raved about in The Wall Street Journal on Saturday.

The Fit is a small, cheap, underpowered 5 door hatchback. Yet, Jeff Sabatini in the Journal said, "The Fit truly offers everything ...

]]> http://news.cnet.com/8301-13554_3-10092055-33.html Sun, 09 Nov 2008 09:18:00 PST Michael Horowitz Beware emails linking to blogspot.com http://news.cnet.com/8301-13554_3-10089934-33.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=DefensiveComputing I'm seeing a new pattern of malicious emails in my inbox. The body of the email message is nothing but a link to a blog at blogspot.com. The subject is a single word such as: Hey, Ave or Hallo.

One message linked to   uyxmwrmxaxquiuxti.blogspot.com.

My ...

]]> http://news.cnet.com/8301-13554_3-10089934-33.html Sat, 08 Nov 2008 15:40:00 PST Michael Horowitz When Word documents break http://news.cnet.com/8301-13554_3-10088016-33.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=DefensiveComputing On November 6th, an article appeared in the New York Times that all Word users should review.

The question in the Q and A column was Is it possible to extract the content from a corrupted Microsoft Word 2003 file that won't open? Turns out there are a number ...

]]> http://news.cnet.com/8301-13554_3-10088016-33.html Sat, 08 Nov 2008 05:54:00 PST Michael Horowitz More about printer ink rip-offs http://news.cnet.com/8301-13554_3-10084935-33.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=DefensiveComputing The latest shout about how printers prematurely warn they're out of ink came this week from PC World magazine.

The basic premise isn't news, but the article is nonetheless a useful read.

For one thing, the author calculated the cost of a gallon of black ink at $4,...

]]> http://news.cnet.com/8301-13554_3-10084935-33.html Fri, 07 Nov 2008 05:48:00 PST Michael Horowitz Some computers are too important to be networked http://news.cnet.com/8301-13554_3-10084502-33.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=DefensiveComputing There is a common defensive computing thread in two recent stories.

In the first story, Newsweek reports that both presidential candidates had their campaign computers hacked from afar. As they put it:

The computer systems of both the Obama and McCain campaigns were victims of a sophisticated cyberattack by an ...

]]> http://news.cnet.com/8301-13554_3-10084502-33.html Thu, 06 Nov 2008 17:23:00 PST Michael Horowitz Where's Vista? http://news.cnet.com/8301-13554_3-10084049-33.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=DefensiveComputing I've stated before on this blog that I think Netbooks will be very popular. The 25 best selling laptop computers at Amazon.com bears out this prediction. But, perhaps the most shocking thing about the list is how few computers have Windows Vista installed.

The top 10 consist of ...

]]> http://news.cnet.com/8301-13554_3-10084049-33.html Thu, 06 Nov 2008 12:35:00 PST Michael Horowitz Choosing a Netbook--a picture can be worth a thousand words http://news.cnet.com/8301-13554_3-10079387-33.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=DefensiveComputing If you are in the market for a Netbook computer there are many decisions to be made. The pictures here may help with a couple of them. Shown below are an Acer Aspire One and an Asus Eee PC 1000.

The Acer Aspire One (left) and the Asus Eee PC (right)

The machines are as different as any two Netbooks can be. The Acer runs Windows XP, the Asus runs Linux. The Asus has an SSD, the Acer a traditional hard disk. The Asus supports Wi-Fi N, the Acer doesn't. The smaller Acer machine has a weaker battery and was significantly cheaper.

But the picture above points out other differences (see a larger version of the picture).

The smaller Acer has a 9-inch screen, the larger Asus is 10 inches (approximately). Measuring the other sides of the triangle, the Acer screen is (approximately) 7.5 by 4.5 inches, whereas the Asus screen is 8.5 by 5 inches. Both screens have the all-but standard Netbook resolution of 1024 x 600, which means that everything is just a bit bigger and easier to see on the Asus machine.

...]]> http://news.cnet.com/8301-13554_3-10079387-33.html Thu, 30 Oct 2008 14:18:00 PDT Michael Horowitz