Microsoft has now started to promote a new product called Microsoft Security Essentials a product that was beta under the name Windows Live One-Care.  This program is simply a great antivirus protection suite(antispyware, antimalware, etc), and by great I mean it meets all of the criteria necessary:  free, effective, low impact on system resources, and is non-invasive .  For the last few years I have recommended that people choose AVG free edition (free.avg.com) or Avast free edition - in addition to these tools I would recommend a variety of free anit-spyware(malware programs) – including spybot, malwarebytes, etc.  This entire process has always rubbed me the wrong way since I think a large number of home users have either left Microsoft or are considering leaving it because they have to navigate through this process.  Think of it from the consumer’s perspective, “You mean this new 500$ computer I need to buy a 80$ antivirus (yearly) program to make it work?  What else do I need to buy?”  Although the antivirus and malware market has been lucrative for 3rd party companies the truth is that the emergence of this multi-billion dollar industry has hurt Microsoft’s reputation as countless users grow frustrated with their machines due to computer Malware and Viruses.

Imagine buying a new computer from Bestbuy today and feeling confident ignoring all the sales on extra anitvirus software packages and instead just use Microsoft’s free product (That works well, I cannot stress enough how frustrating it is to see how bad some anti-viral software is – for example Norton Antivirus could be the worst I give it 2 out 10 in my book – practically worthless).

The only flaws in this system is that Mircosoft Security Essentials does not come pre-installed on Computers and is not included on the Windows 7 Media DVD, this means you must first download and install it.

Download Location for Microsoft Security Essentials : http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/

Screen Shot of Essentials Running on Windows 7
This could be a move in the right direction for Microsoft – If consumers gain the confidence that buying a Windows machine is safe and relatively stable from most Malware and Viruses this could help increase Windows 7 sales worldwide.  Also with Security Essentials backwards support for Windows XP systems – Microsoft is moving in the right direction with improving its standing from the home consumer standpoint.  From an enterprise perspective having an effective working free antiviral software solution supported by Microsoft – equals a lot less hassle and money when it comes to supporting a large number of machines.

It will be interesting to see what happens down the road with Apple whose security model as been effectively “security by obsecurity”.  With Apple market share increasing steadily and with most projections having them continue in this direction how they handle security in the future will be interesting. In my experience Unix based Apple machines are still way more secure and resistent to malware infections than PC’s and because of this currently offer a safer, more stable platform.  If Apple continues to grow at its current rate it will be interesting to see if they will remain this secure over the next decade.

Click here to view current OS market share: http://marketshare.hitslink.com/os-market-share.aspx?qprid=11

Notice that Microsoft still holds 90% of the World’s market share = Apple’s model of security by being obscure will still work for the near future.

Apple Security Flaws?

http://www.pcworld.com/article/172197

/vista_windows_7_are_more_secure_than_snow_leopard.html

http://news.cnet.com/2100-7349_3-6178131.html

http://www.securitymanagement.com/news/leopard-killed-first-hacker-competition

Microsoft has not been very good at making headlines as of late.  In fact they are so bad at marketing and promoting that I almost completely forgot about the new Office Live Online offered for free.  I decided to reactivate my old hotmail account, jamesroodhouse@hotmail.com, and then give the online office a try.  In short I must admit I am surprised,  Office Live via Skydrive is superior to Google docs and may be superior to zoho.com.  Yes that is right the online functionality of the Microsoft Office suite online is much greater than that offered by Google Docs and probably all other competitors.  Microsoft still has limited some of the functionality on the web versions of Office but no where near so as Google Docs.

How so,  first off importing docs with existing complicated formatting, lets say a resume or a multi-sheet excel spreadsheet imports almost perfectly in this online version of Office (And terribly in Google Docs).  Secondly and most importantly the feature set included in the online version of Office dwarfs that of Google,  if one were a college student or taking a class you could easily type all papers easily and efficiently with this version.  Like Google Docs you get a free 2 gigabyte drive to store your docs on and it is easy to review and share docs.

So if you have a Hotmail account give the new office online a try, it works on macs, pcs, and machines running linux.  To Access the tools login to Windows LIve and click on the Office tab.  (If you are logged into Hotmail look under the section where it says MORE and select Office Live)

Microsoft might be entering this arena late in the game compared to its competitors – but has delivered on a superior product.

Here is screenshot of Word Online Running.

Recently, actually very recently as in last night and today I noticed that the DNS servers for my home service provider were down(ISP Mediacom).  Mediacom does a good job with internet service in this area but they have had a little trouble from time to time.   After a couple of quick network tests I determined that the problem is with my ISP’s DNS servers.  This is not the first time I have noticed that their DNS servers have been comprimised so I decided to look for an alternative solution.  For most users simply wait and your ISP will promptly fix this issues but for those of you who are a little more hyper like myself and want a fix that will work without calling tech support, read on.

First off for those reading this who are not familiar with the functions of a DNS server (Domain Name Servers) here it is in a nutshell.

Computers like numbers and not names, therefore when you tell your computer to visit www.yahoo.com a DNS server translates this name into a number (IP Address) which your computer likes.

Okay so maybe I overly simplified a bit but this at least gives the basic premise.

So if you can visit Yahoo by clicking on this  http://www.yahoo.com then your DNS servers are working perfectly.

If you cannot visit Yahoo by the using a domain name but can visit by using this link http://69.147.114.224 then you have a DNS issue.

Google now offers free dns servers that work regardless of you ISP (in most cases) and are fast and efficient.  Also they are easy to remember

Google Free DNS Servers

8.8.8.8

8.8.4.4

To fix a pesky home internet connection or for another useful tool to help troubleshoot overall Network (Specifically DNS server issues) it is nice to have these free servers available.

If you suspect that you may have trouble with DNS, simply edit your Network Configuration leaving DHCP intact but clicking the box to fill out manually DNS servers.

Here is how it may look on a windows machine:

Or better yet simply change your DNS settings on your home wireless router and all computer connecting to it will use the new DNS server.

Look for the WAN connection under your wireless routers setup utility.

If you are a network administrator and maintain your own DNS and DHCP services, having google’s DNS servers listed as a secondary or even thrid option in DHCP is also a good way to provide a little extra if something ever goes amiss.

The early ASUS Eeepc 900 Series machines run noticeably better with the latest BIOS update.  Better battery performance, lower heat on the unit, better overall system stability.  Changing the BIOS can be tricky on these machines if you have installed Windows Vista, Windows 7 or even XP Pro as you need to install the ACPI driver before you can use the automated BIOS updated. I had lots of trouble locating the ACPI driver that worked on this model so I decided to post it on the web.

ACPI Driver for EEEPC 900 (Zip File)

To use this driver for Windows Vista and Windows 7 you will need to change the setup program to compatibility mode of Windows XP SP3 or SP2.

ASUS BIOS Update Utility EEEPC 900 Series (Zip File)

This update utility will also work in Windows Vista and Windows 7 but you will need to run this also in compatibility mode XP SP3 or SP2.

I was at Sam’s Club the other day and saw a Demo HD television playing the Blue Ray movie “TinkerBelle’s Lost Treasure”.  Although I was not impressed with the movie I was completely impressed with the picture quality of a Blue Ray playing at full 1920 x 1080 playback.  Having lots of old computers and computer parts in my home along with a newer HD Samsung television I decided to try and build a HTPC that could playback Blue-Ray’s in full capacity, hold my personal media collection and stream Netflix Movies at the highest quality settings possible.

To work with I have an older Dell Dimension computer that has the Intel 915 Chipset and Pentium 4 hyperthreaded processor set at 3 ghz.  With this Intel Chipset upgrading the processor to Dual Core or Core 2 Duo was not possible so I am sticking with the Pentium 4.  After reading review after review of Video cards I came to the conclusion that the ATI 4670 Graphics board was the best fit – having 300 stream processors, an HDMI output and full digital audio.  This card also is capable of off loading the CPU intensive task of decoding Blue-Rays and providing a full 1920 x 1080 resolution on my Samsung HDTV.  If you had a more robust processor you could probably get away with using the ATI 4350 which costs only around 40$, in my case I needed a step up to make up for my aging system.  There seems to be some disagreement on the internet as to whether a Pentium 4 can handle Blue_Ray playback,  I can say from experience it can handle it perfectly if you are using it in conjunction with a robust video card (pci-e).  For the Operating System I went with Windows 7 Pro as this OS offers great performance, slick interface, and is fully compatible with the ATI graphics Card.

75.00$ on new egg  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125277&cm_re=ati_4670-_-14-125-277-_-Product

For Memory I eeeked out having 2 gigs of total RAM at 800 mhz – in addition I added a 2 gig flash drive to the back of the machine and dedicated it to Windows Ready Boost for faster caching.

For the Blue Ray Drive I purchased a 67.99$ unit on Newegg.com.  This drive comes with PowerDVD version 8 with Full HD and Blue-Ray playback capability.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106326&cm_re=lite_on_blue_ray-_-27-106-326-_-Product

One tricky element or having a working HTPC in the house is configuring a remote to use the machine.  Here I suggest two options: a friend of mine showed me a Iphone Ipod application called Air Mouse.  This easy app lets you control the HTPC with an IPOD or IPHONE and works well.  Since I use this HTPC to surf the web I decided to also try a extended range wireless keyboard and trackpad.

I chose this Adesso model off of newegg and have been very happy with its function.  Works from easily 35-40 feet away from the television – responsive, small, easy to type.  The only downside was it was a little pricey at $85.99.  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823166047&cm_re=addesso_wireless_keyboard-_-23-166-047-_-Product

Just a note: watch out for cheap wireless keyboards and mice from Logitech (and other brands), if you check the range on most models available at retail stores like Wal-Mart it maxes out at around 5-6 feet.  In my opinion a wireless keyboard with a six foot maximum radius is worthless.

Finally Adding a wireless pci card (could use a USB one as well) this unit connects to my Home Network.  With the Network Connection and adjusting the visual settings on Windows 7 for best look on a televsion (larger icons, text, ect) everything is set.  Honestly the frequently used feature of the HTPC is streaming Netflix – using this computer to stream netflix results in a much clearer and contrasted image than streaming from Xbox or Playstation 3.  With a $8.99 a month subscription you get unlimited movie streaming which equals 70,000 available movies and television programs – A Super Redbox in the home.

For Storage I installed an Internal 1000 Gigabyte RE3 Western Digital Sata drive.  This is a server class drive (5 year warranty) that is fast, reliable and not too expensive.  Again at newegg http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136313 159$.  With a sizzable collection of children’s television shows and movies stored on DVD – I simply copied all of them onto this massive hard drive making it an all in one media center.

Main uses of the HTPC

Stream Netflix (This is outstanding)
Play Blue-Ray movies in full 1920×1080 resolution
Stream Digital Music from Pandora.com or Playlist.com
Play MP3/Music Collection
Store and Display family photos
Run Boxee - Vast collection of online video streams