IE Users in Serious Trouble?

Millions of Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) users of all versions may have to to forego using it for now unless they want to risk personal info stored in their PCs to get stolen. It was all over the blogosphere this week that a security flaw was detected and some malicious hackers took advantage of this lapse and stole thousands of passwords saved.

Even if only online game passwords were reportedly stolesn, some experts are not discounting there could be some unreported cases that did more damage that what was expected.

The security loophole was confirmed by Microsoft in this excerpt fromtelegraph.co.uk:

The flaw allows criminal gangs to take control of people’s computers and steal their personal information when they visit websites that have been corrupted by malicious hackers. It is believed that as many 10,000 sites have been compromised since last week.

Microsoft said that it had detected attacks on machines using Internet Explorer 7, the most widely-used version of the browser, but that other versions are “potentially vulnerable”.

“We are actively investigating the vulnerability that these attacks attempt to exploit,” the firm, which also makes the Windows operating system, said in a security statement.

“We will continue to monitor the threat environment and update this advisory if this situation changes.”

Security experts are advising IE users to switch to any web browsers for the time being until they have installed the latest security patch from Microsoft. For more updates about this patch and on how to install it, just visit click this LINK.

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Google Chrome

If you have not heard the latest news this week, then you might have missed the release of Google’s new web browser, called “Google Chrome.” According to some estimates, Google Chrome has already gained 1 percent of the browser market share in its inaugural unveiling a couple of days ago. It is still way behind Microsoft’s Internet Explorer with about 70 percent of the market, and Mozilla’s FireFox which has about 20 percent of the market, but it seems to be making great strides. Apple’s Safari browser accounts for 6 percent of the remaining 10 percent.

Some of the reasons why Google Chrome seems to have received quite a good following is that it presents a sleek appearance, it groups pages into easy-to-manage "tabs" and offers several ways for people to control their Internet privacy settings.

Another reason is the name. As with any technological device or system, novelty draws in crowds, and the Google seal of approval helped to raise that awareness.

I just downloaded Google Chrome 2 days ago and from what I observed so far, it is really minimalistic or lacks some very useful features compared to FireFox. However, this can be an advantage too because it means less pressure on your processor power. If Google Chrome maintains this type of browsing, without any heavy updating in the near future, then they will most probably become the most functional lightweight mobile browser in town.

After I downloaded it, I was able to import my bookmarks from Internet Explorer and Firefox, including browsing history and other data in seconds. The installer immediately detected my local settings and loaded the installer wizard and Google Chrome itself using the local language. You can switch to English language if you like though.

Chrome also has some cosmetic differences from Internet Explorer and Firefox, like putting the movable tabs at the very top of the window. The look is very clean and sleek although the absence of a menu bar and other tool bars on top of the window is a bit disorienting at first. However, without these menus, you can have more space for viewing web pages and minimizes the distractions brought on by various buttons.

Another feature of Google Chrome that separates it from the rest is that it automatically allows you to diagnose problems with runaway plug-ins easily, because it tells you exactly which pages are consuming which resources. Had I been able to do this with Internet Explorer or Firefox, it would have saved me from hours of browser troubles.

Well, that is what I can say for now for this latest addition to our blogosphere. Just be aware that there are still some who are saying the browser is still buggy and slow at times. Try it out yourself if you want to find out.

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Testing iPhone 4S Speed from 2 Networks

Competition is expected to be the critical driver of performance and innovation in business. The benefir accrues to everyone by allowing them to choose from an array of excellent products at affordable prices. Competition also encourages the adoption of innovation as companies evolve and new ideas flourish in the marketplace.

It appears that competition is the reason right now why both Smart Communications Inc. (SMART) and GLOBE Telecoms are offering their clients the "best iPhone ever" – iPhone 4S. Among its new features are its dual core A5 processor, a 10-megapixel still camera with 1080p video capture, and its ability to connect to 4G HSPA networks.

For three years running, GLOBE has the monopoly of the lucrative iPhone market. That ended on 16 December 2011 after SMART launched their own iPhone 4S offerings. This is significant for the latter because it will be the first time that iPhones will be offered to its 47 million network users.

So what's the difference between the two network's iPhone 4S plan? The price won’t be much of a factor since the level will stabilize later or if not, the difference will be very negligible. There must be something that the consumers would like to see if ever they want to part ways with their hard-earned money.

"We invite everyone to put our phones side by side with those of the competition and see for themselves just why Smart is the best choice," said Smart chief wireless adviser Orlando Vea.

The challenge of side-by-side testing was accepted by a local blog, www.unblog.ph. A barrage of speed tests were made in different parts of Metro Manila using two units of iPhone 4S with unlimited data activated from the two networks.

The test parameters are the following:

• Speedtest iOS app is the main measurement tool.


• DL speed has more priority than UL speed. However if DL speeds are too close to call the blog looked at the UL speeds as well and Ping.


• Server was set to Hong Kong to make sure of telco neutrality in the results.


• www.unblog.ph also did some Youtube HD downloads

The result: SMART iPhone 4S performed better in all eight (8) areas in terms of DL speed. GLOBE fared better in only two (2) areas out of eight (8) in terms of UL speed.

The blog reminded its readers that the test is 100 percent conclusive since there are tons of factors that can affect mobile data speed like congestion and weather. However, if the consumers will be tied up for two years with one network, it is better to use something close to a scientific and evidence-based than nothing at all. Many consumers are well-aware that listening and watching movie stars promote products from GLOBE and SMART are not enough. Most would like to get the value for their money.

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Acer Mini Laptops – Sifting Through the Market Noise

Acer stormed out into the netbook world with quite a few netbooks to choose from. Bypassing Asus and Dell, two leading manufacturers of netbooks, Acer has made a name for themselves in the mini laptop market by providing quality, affordable, and miniature netbooks to the public. It would be impossible to try and cover all of the Acer netbooks available, but I’ll do my best to highlight the ones that I think are noteworthy in the brand and why I think they’re worth picking up.

Acer Mini Laptops

It’s so easy to get lost in the sea of specifications and gimmicks that companies toss back and forth that buying a computer goes from being a simple task to a month long excursion from store to store and from clueless employee to clueless employee. Hopefully by the end of this article you’ll have a better idea of what Acer has to offer and why they’re leading the charge with some of the best netbooks on the market today.

Branding

Before we go any further, it’s important to understand how all of these netbooks are named so that you can better remember what it is you’re looking for when you go to buy one. All of the netbooks Acer has released have been released under a subsidiary brand called “Aspire One.” Each computer we’re going to discuss has a product name or code similar to “Acer AOXXXXX,” with the “AO” being short for “Aspire One” and the “XXXXX” standing for the numbers or computer code they’ve used to identify each product. Seeing a laptop without that code from Acer probably means that it isn’t actually a netbook, but rather a full sized laptop.

Most Popular

Two releases in the Aspire One lineup have surpassed all of the others by what could be considered a landslide. The reason they’ve accelerated to the top so quickly is because of what’s inside their netbook shell. While neither computer takes leaps and bounds above any of the other products they’re competing with, each is unique in its own right and deserves a closer look. Here are our contenders.

AO532h: 

Acer-aspire-one-AO532h

Think of this as the younger sibling to the computer that’s going to follow. Featuring the standard Intel Atom 1.6GHz processor and 1GB of RAM, this little guy has all of the same features as most other netbooks on the market. It’s sleek and snappy for on the go computing and is perfect as a school or work companion to get a little extra work done without having to sit at home and fumble with a desktop or laptop.

Specifications

• 1.66 GHz Intel Atom N450 Processor
• 1GB DDR2 Memory
• 160GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
• 802.11 b/g/n Wireless Certified
• 10.1″ WSVGA Acer CrystalBrite LED Display, Intel GMA 3150 Graphics
• Windows 7 Starter
• Up to 8 Hours of Battery Life

While nothing extravagant, this computer shot to popularity because of the vibrant colors it was offered in. Many people, myself included, are pretty tired of the standard glossy black finish that most netbooks come standard with these days. The splash of color you can get with the AO532h is a nice refreshing change. But if you want to step out of the standard netbook arena altogether, it may be time to look at something a bit more powerful….

AOD255: 

Acer-aspire-one-aod255

And the AOD255 is that more powerful something. The main speed boost for this machine comes from the added dual core processor, which is a huge upgrade over the original single core Intel Atom. Most everything else is the same: 10” screen, 1GB of RAM, and a 1024×600 resolution monitor. Although the rest of the computer may seem the same, the dual core really boosts performance more than you’d expect. Everything is much snappier and you won’t be waiting around for programs to load or open.

Specifications

• 1.5GHz N550 Dual Core Processor
• 1GB DDR3 RAM
• 250GB SATA Hard Drive
• 802.11 b/g/n Wireless Certified
• Up to 8 Hours of Battery Life
• Windows 7 Starter

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