Microsoft rolls out long, long-awaited Windows update to disable AutoRun for USB drives
It's already changed the behavior in Windows 7, and Microsoft has now finally rolled out an update for earlier versions of Windows that prevents a program from executing automatically when a USB drive is plugged into a PC. That behavior has been blamed for the spread of malware in recent years -- including the infamous Conficker worm -- and Microsoft had actually already made it possible to disabl
IPv4 & IPv6: A Short Guide
The Internet has run out of Internet addresses… sort of. Perhaps you’ve heard the news: the last blocks of IPv4 Internet addresses have been allocated. The fundamental underlying technology that has powered Internet Protocol addresses (ever seen a number like 99.48.227.227 on the web? That’s an IP address) since the Internet’s inception will soon be exhausted.A new technology will take its pl
Windows Phone 7 can now act as a WiFi remote control for iTunes
Got iTunes? Got a Windows Phone 7 device? Then you'll probably want to check out the new Remote app in the Marketplace. It promises to make the two sing in perfect harmony by making them talk over a WiFi connection. There's a basic set of iTunes controls at your WP7 phone's disposal, including volume, starting /stopping music, and searching by album, artist, and song, and a corresponding piece of
Windows Home Server Is Dead, Long Live Windows Home Server?
Windows Home Server is easily one of the best products to ever come out of Redmond. It brings most of the functionality of a full-fledged server without any of the hassle. OEMs like HP and Acer quickly jumped on the platform a few years ago and outed fantastic products lines centered around WHS that allowed nearly any consumer to set up a comprehensive back-up solution, media vault, and network-at
VisionTek Killer HD 5770 combo NIC / GPU hikes frame rates, lowers ping times for $200
Mama always said that one was never enough, and just five months after revealing its first NIC / GPU combo card to us at Computex, Bigfoot Networks has taken the wraps off of its second. This go 'round, the outfit is partnering with VisionTek to produce the VisionTek Killer HD 5770, a single PCIe card that combines an AMD Radeon HD 5770 GPU (with 1GB of GDDR5 memory) and a Killer E2100 networking
9 Notable Tech Flops That Live in Infamy
video Not every gadget is destined for greatness. Despite the hype before launch, or the promise of how a shiny new device will change your life, there are some gizmos that just don’t cut it.We’ve taken a look back at nine failed tech “innovations” that flopped fantastically in their time — in fact, one didn’t even make it to launch.Have a look through our gallery, complete with archived video footage o
Microsoft: Windows 8 Is 2 Years Away
In a blog post on its Dutch website, Microsoft said that the next version of Windows, Windows 8, is in the works, but that the new operating system will not hit the market for about two years.The news came at the bottom of a post commemorating Windows 7’s one-year anniversary and suggests a substantially later deployment date than the one detailed in a leaked slide deck about the forthcoming produ
Blio for Windows review, now available for download
Last week we brought you news that KNF-B was prepping for a September 28 launch of its Blio e-reader software, and according to our date books, the time has come! The free PC software (Windows XP, Vista and 7 are all supported) can be downloaded now at the source link below; the iPhone app should be hitting the App Store very soon, however. We've been using the program for the last few days to,
DEADF007 - Is Stuxnet The Secret Weapon To Attack Iran's Nukes; Is A Virus About To Revolutionize Modern Warfare?
One of the most interesting stories in the last few days, has little to do with finance and economics (at least right now), but arguably very much to do with geopolitics. A fascinating report which cites computer security experts claims that the recent uber-cryptic malware worm Stuxnet is nothing less than a weapon designed to infiltrate industrial systems, and based on attack patterns, the ultima
Dell lays down the law: no more Windows XP shipments after October 22nd
Microsoft already informed its most moneyed partners that no more systems could leave their labs after October 22nd with Windows XP, but given that the proverbial boy has cried wolf before, we were inclined to think that we'd eventually face yet another push back. We guess there's still a few ticks of the clock left between now and that fateful day, but there seems to be little hope for XP to live
Android-booting Acer Aspire One D255 extensively demoed, yet far from loved on video
Acer's just told us that it has "no imminent plans" to bring the dual-booting Android and Windows XP Aspire One D255 stateside, and after seeing an in-depth video (no, really it's 14 minutes long!) of the 10-inch netbook in action we can't say we're all that upset about the news. Yep, the NetbookNews team snatched up a light blue version of the new netbook in Taipei, and though they were impresse
Internet Explorer 9 Beta launching September 15th, might enter a beauty pageant
Once again, the whispers were true. Microsoft has proudly announced on this fine day that September 15th will mark the official launch of the Internet Explorer 9 Beta, but details beyond that are scant. We do know that the Big M will hold a gala in San Francisco to celebrate "The Beauty of the Web," and once it hits the tubes, you'll need either Vista or Windows 7 to use it (sorry, XP loyalists).
10 Cool Tech Toys for Kids
Kids today have been born into a digital world and it’s something that is reflected in their toys.While you may have played Hungry Hungry Hippos or had to pretend to burp your baby doll, today’s toys are much more sophisticated and tech savvy, and even a little creepy. We’ve found 10 of the hottest tech-related or tech-integrated toys.Let us know your favorites, or if you’d buy them for your kids,
T-Mobile webConnect Rocket 2.0 USB WWAN modem now on sale
Timely, no? In concert with its HSPA+ expansion, T-Mobile USA has decided to come clean with that webConnect Rocket 2.0 that we peeked a few weeks ago courtesy of a leaked presentation slide. Said device isn't drastically different than the original, offering a mildly overhauled design and "a new rotating swivel USB form factor." The bigger news is the expanded platform support, with this bugger n
Prediction: This Statement Is Going To Come Back To Bite Microsoft In The Ass
“It looks like the iPhone 4 might be their Vista, and I’m okay with that.“ That was Microsoft COO Kevin Turner during his keynote speech at the company’s Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) in Washington today. I’m going to go out on a (not very big) limb and predict that this comment is going to come back to bite Microsoft in the ass. Microsoft has a long, illustrious history of putting its foot i
Microsoft to Allow Windows XP Downgrades Until 2020
Windows XP is dead, Windows XP will live forever! Windows 7 Professional buyers will continue to have an option to downgrade two gens to Windows XP for the next 10 years, according to Microsoft. More »
Microsoft says 74 percent of work PCs still use Windows XP, extends downgrade rights
The latest Microsoft operating system may be selling seven copies a second, but it's no match for the behemoth Windows XP, still the most popular OS in the world despite recent nefarious attempts (we kid) to invoke spontaneous shutdowns, slow hard drives and trigger blue screens. In fact, a Microsoft exec admitted today that practically three-quarters of business computers still run the nine-year-
eType Auto-Completes Your Writing. Everywhere.
It’s safe to assume that there’s no Web user out there that hasn’t experienced auto-complete. Whether on Google site search and toolbars, Facebook search, or on ecommerce sites like Amazon, auto-complete has become a de-facto usability feature. Its ubiquity means that there’s a very shallow learning curve for users to get accustomed to it when used outside of the browser setting, and that’s exa
Safari 5 Announced, Then Pulled
A press release announcing the release of Safari 5 hit the wires and was pulled shortly thereafter — indicating that although we didn’t hear anything about it in today’s WWDC keynote, the next version of Apple’s WebKit-based browser should be available in the extremely near future.UPDATE: — Safari 5 is now officially available.We don’t see Safari 5 available via System Update yet which, combined
Microsoft updating Live app suite, declares Windows 'better than Mac for photos, hands down'
Looks like it's blowhard season up in Redmond these days, as the latest word from Microsoft on its Live Essentials suite of apps has been accompanied by the brash pronouncement that it's now markedly superior to Apple's efforts in Mac OS X -- at least when it comes to photos. This verdict was delivered by Brian Hall, General Manager for Windows Live, and is backed by a laundry list of new feature
New Type of Phishing Attack Goes After Your Browser Tabs
video Aza Raskin, the creative lead for Firefox, has just posted about a new type of potential phishing attack, dubbed “tabnabbing.” Raskin has a proof-of-concept and an explanation for how this type of attack could work.Tabnabbing operates in reverse of most phishing attacks in that it doesn’t ask users to click on a obfuscated link but instead loads a fake page in one of the open tabs in your browser
Resurrecting User Interface Prototypes
Every user interface designer is familiar with this procedure to some extent: creating a prototype and evaluating it with potential users to understand how the user interface should look and behave. Users will tell you what nags them and should therefore be improved before you code. So, at the beginning of any UI design process, you can expect your prototype to have to be modified in order to
How Does Lady Gaga Make Money On YouTube? Find Out At TechCrunch Disrupt.
Have you seen Lady Gaga’s new music video with Beyonce, launched on Vevo and YouTube last month? The one that mixes busty blonde babes with Wonder Bread, Miracle Whip, Virgin Mobile, and a host of other brands? Troy Carter, Gaga’s manager who helped put together this video, will be speaking at TechCrunch Disrupt next month. Carter will join Google President and head of Business Development Nikesh
McAfee patches customers' hearts with subscription extension, reimbursement for PC repairs
McAfee's little issue with a security update that sent Windows XP computers far and wide to a screeching halt was fairly unprecedented as far as anti-virus software goes, and it looks like the company is now taking some considerable steps to make up for the mess it created. Not only is it handing out a free two-year subscription extension to all affected customers, but it will soon be starting a p
CTL 2go Convertible Classmate PC NL2 now available for the kids
We may have dropped the Convertible Classmate PC on its head back at its CeBIT launch, but obviously that didn't throw the little netbook off its educational course. Intel along with its hardware partners are now officially launching the improved and re-ruggedized netverible, and here in the US, CTL's added the kiddie laptop to its lineup. The $499 2go Convertible Classmate PC NL2, which is confi
Masochist Runs Windows XP On an iPad
First there was Windows 95 on an iPad. People cringed, but apparently they did not cringe enough, as someone else has managed to get Windows XP up and running on an iPad. Macheads, avert thy eyes! More »
The User’s Manifesto: In Defense Of Hacking, Modding, And Jailbreaking
There’s a trend that’s been disturbing me lately. When the topic of modding or jailbreaking comes up — say, in the wake of the iPad announcement, or Sony’s restrictive PS3 update — there is an outcry. Who am I to tell Apple what’s best for their devices? How can I in good conscience urge others to void their warranties or break license agreements? And why should anyone care when only a small prop