Scareware Mimics Microsoft Security Essentials

In PCMag's testing Microsoft Security Essentials 1.0 didn't rate as well as the best free antivirus products. Microsoft says that's OK, because their real aim is to get free antivirus into the hands of users around the world who have no protection at all. That's fine, but what if that copy of Microsoft Security Essentials is a total impostor?

Researchers at CyberDefender recently discovered a rogue antivirus threat that does a really impressive imitation of Microsoft Security Essentials. Click on the image above to see the impostor and the real McCoy. Can you tell which is which?

Here's a clue. If you were searching for "Dancing with the Stars" and later found Microsoft Security Essentials apparently running, you're looking at the fake. I know. In reality you'd be suspicious because you never installed the product, but not everyone is as discerning as you are. (OK, the lower image is the real one).

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Dell's Convertible Inspiron Laptop is Also Genius

We're used to seeing convertible notebooks that turn into tablets, but this latest creation from Dell is like nothing we've seen before.

This is the Inspiron Duo. It's a 10-inch netbook that turns into a 10-inch tablet. However, the way the display swivels around is pretty different to what we're used to because it actually rotates inside the frame of the display's bezel.

Dell showed off the unique netbook at IDF yesterday, the slim Duo is powered by a dual core Intel Atom processor and runs Windows 7 Premium. The company revealed the netbook by introducing it as a Windows 7 tablet and gave a fairly run-of-the-mill media tablet demo by showing off music, photos and movies. However, they then shocked the audience by splitting it open to reveal that it was actually a laptop.

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Hackers Create 57,000 Malicious Pages Each Week

Hackers create 57,000 new web pages every week in a bid to infect web users with malicious software, says PandaLabs.

The research arm of security firm Panda Security revealed that on average 375 keywords or brands are hijacked every week and used in the URLs of these malicious web pages.

Furthermore, 65 percent of these fake websites are designed to look like they belong to banks while 27 percent hope to fool web users into thinking they're part of online auction sites including eBay.

PandaLabs also said 2.3 percent of the remaining hoax websites were posing at sites from other financial institutions (such as investment funds or stockbrokers), while 1.9 percent were created to look like government organizations.

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How To Fix Windows XP Freezes

You are about to complete your work but before hitting the save button your computer freezes and nothing else you can do but to reboot and loose your unsaved documents

Listed below are common causes of computer freezes and its recommended solution.


RAM (Memory)

• All memory is being used by an application, so it takes time to process succeeding instructions. This is common on low memory system.
• Faulty RAM

Recommended solution:

• Terminate some of running applications to free some memory.
• Test the RAM, use MEMTEST tool.
• Replacement

Video

• This usually causes freeze when there is a demand of video acceleration such as games, video (movie or editing), or graphics designing.
• Faulty GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) will surely cause freezes. Windows 7 and Broken Video Card is one sample of a broken video card.

Recommended solution:

• Visual check is needed, check GPU’s capacitors, chips, etc this part get busted over time.
• Update the driver when needed.
• Replacement

Device Drivers (incompatible device driver)

• This is common issue. Especially for GPU drivers and will definitely cause computer freezes when not corrected.
• Outdated drivers. It is known that latest driver may not be the best for you, it depend on your requirements. If your driver is not giving you problem then why update? Updates are needed if you’re installing new application and need feature from latest driver.

Recommended solution

• Update Windows XP drivers as much as possible. Manufacturer's support/download site is the best option but if you get tired of searching then use a tool for search, download and install it for you.
• Read driver's release notes before installation.
  

Bad Motherboard

• Motherboard is considered one of the last parts of a computer to be replaced because replacing it is like buying new unit.
  

Recommended solution:

• When you start encountering problem to your computer and you’ve isolated that none of your peripherals is causing it then it the time to consider the motherboard. Visual inspection is needed. Check bloated capacitors and chips or see if the whole board is bent which usually happen on old computers.
• Send it to repair shop for troubleshooting.
• Replacement.

Hard drive (HDD)

• When you start experiencing slow access to your files, slow boot and freezes.
• Knocking sounds from inside the computer.

Recommended solution:

• Perform scandisk (chkdsk /r /f) to recover files on bad sectors.
• Perform disk clean up to delete temporary and unwanted files.
• Perform disk defragmentation.
• Replacement

Software

• Software conflict such as antivirus, firewall, anti-malware, and other tools.

Recommended solution:

• Uninstallation of latest software installation.
• Updating the software.
• Uninstallation of unnecessary application.

Windows Registry

• As being the database of all setup and configuration of windows machine when messed up will give unwanted result.

Recommended solution

• Keep it clean, use registry cleaning tool. I use ccleaner for that which is impressive and most of all free!