Google Voice Makes Small Business Sound Bigger

Google Voice has been the subject of controversy and making headlines for all the wrong reasons since availability was expanded earlier this year. On the other hand, even with limited availability Google Voice has reached almost 1.5 million users, and half of them reportedly use the service daily.

Google VoiceThe reason for its popularity isn't hard to see. Google Voice provides a plethora of call handling features at a price that can't be beat--free. For small and medium businesses, Google Voice is an opportunity to use advanced call management features typically reserved for expensive voice solutions in larger enterprises.

Large companies have IP-PBX's and dedicated voice administrators to manage it, or they have made the move to unified communications and have a voice environment built around Microsoft or Cisco or some other unified communications vendor. Small and medium businesses don't have the financial or personnel resources for those solutions though. Let's look at how smaller businesses can put Google Voice to work.

Simultaneous Ring

Google Voice allows you to have an incoming call to the Google Voice number simultaneously ring on multiple phones. On an individual basis, calls could ring an office desk phone and a mobile phone at the same time to ensure important calls reach you no matter where you are.

Businesses can put this feature to use though as a form of departmental call routing. You can use a Google Voice number for a department, such as sales, or customer service, and have the Google Voice number simultaneously ring the desk phones of all of the people in the department so that customers get an efficient response.

Custom Call Greeting and Routing

You can set up Groups in Google Voice and establish unique call management options for each group. A sales department can use this function to set up different groups for each salesperson. Incoming calls that are associated with a sales person's group can be routed to go only to the designated user's desk and mobile phone, and if the call goes to voicemail it can have a custom message from the individual sales person rather than a generic greeting.

Using a Google Voice number in this way, all customers can dial one number to reach the sales department, but existing customers will be routed to their designated sales person, while calls from new and potential customers would be managed using the default settings to simultaneously ring the whole department.

Voicemail by Email

When a new voicemail is received in Google Voice can send the voicemail to an email address and/or transcribe the audio into the text of an email message. You can configure Google Voice to deliver the voicemail messages to an email group or distribution list address so that all of the members of the department will receive the voicemail.

Having the voicemail sent to email at all will help ensure it is not overlooked entirely, and distributing the message to a group can improve the efficiency with which the department responds to customer inquiries and lead to significantly higher customer satisfaction.

Call screening

You can configure Google Voice to announce incoming calls to you before you decide whether or not you want to accept the call. When the phone rings and you answer you are not connected immediately with the caller. Google Voice will identify the source of the call at which point you can choose whether to accept it or pass it to voicemail.

This function can be used by an individual or a team to reduce wasted time and improve productivity. If you are in the middle of a project, important calls can still be taken, while other calls can be sent to voicemail so that you can stay focused on more productive tasks.

Google recently announced a new option, a sort of Google Voice Lite, that allows you to use some Google Voice features while maintaining your existing number, but the functions I listed above require the standard Google Voice account. Google Voice is not available to the general public just yet, but if you know a friend or a friend that has Google Voice you might be able to get an invite.

For more real-world tech solutions for small and midsized businesses--including cloud services, virtualization, and complete network overhauls--check out PC World's Tech Audit. (Choi)

Sumber : PCworld.com

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iPhone Halloween Costumes

What would possess someone to dress up like their favorite piece of technology? It's not like an evil spirit or seductive she-devil where you can act out certain personality traits. The iPhone, in the end, has no real personality; it's just a fancy piece of plastic with lights and buttons. Isn't it? I put this question to Sally Foster, a former psychology professor and dean of San Elijo Campus at MiraCosta College in California.

"In general, people choose Halloween costumes more with their subconscious minds, much like we select our mates," Foster says. "A shy person picks something cool because they want to be cool. If, on the other hand, someone hated technology . . . they'd dress up as a malfunctioning, or archaic piece of equipment." I guess that accounts for this guy who dressed up as the Windows Blue Screen of Death.

Bottom line, Foster says that says since technology is so much a part of our lives, it is not at all surprising to see many technology-inspired costumes.

There you have it: In a sense, you are what you dress up as -- even if you don't realize it. So the big question is: What kind of iPhone are you?

Eco Friendly

Philip Elmer-DeWitt spotted this eco-conscious iPhone evangelist in New York. The Apple-themed crusader was reminding us to think about the planet by recycling old devices. (Click on image to enlarge)

The Chick Magnet

iPhone lover was dressed to impress by turning himself into his MySpace Mobile page, displayed on an iPhone. (Click on image to enlarge)

The Fit iPhone

RunKeeper iPhone application, decided to run the 2009 Boston Marathon dressed as an iPhone. Of course, Jacobs' costume displayed his very own RunKeeper app. RunKeeper is a GPS-based fitness application for the iPhone 3G and 3GS that has a variety of cool features to help you track your workout. (Click on image to enlarge)

The Handyman

a realistic-looking iPhone costume without strapping a 42-inch LCD TV to himself (more on that later). Instead, Laborie created this costume with several criteria: Keep the cost under $50, build the costume using common or easily accessible tools, and keep the time investment down to about ten hours. (Click on image to enlarge)

The result is a sandwich-board style costume made of wood, plexiglass, foam pipe insulation, glue, tape, paint, clothespins, paper, and Styrofoam. The realistic front uses Christmas lights to illuminate the iPhone icons. See Laborie's blog for step-by-step instructions showing how he put the costume together. You can also download several image files from the blog to help you create your own iPhone costume.

The Real iPhone Costume

Ideal Case is selling a demon-style silicone iPhone case that glows in the dark. The case is available in many different colors including yellow, green and orange. Pick up your own demon case online for $17.99. (Click on image to enlarge)

If you need more information, you can also check out this overly thorough review of the demon iPhone case on YouTube.

an app for that. (Click on image to enlarge)

If you want to take this underachievement to the next level, you could use iPhone image files, and glue some printed icons onto your construction paper. It would take you less time than drawing them, and would probably create a better overall look.

iPhone Couple

travelmatt, just a few days before Halloween 2008. (Click on image to enlarge)

As far as construction goes, this iPhone costume is pretty good, but leaves a little to be desired. The icons look nice, but the iPhone itself is shaped more like the mythical iPhone Nano than the authentic Jesus phone. That being said, the earbuds were something I hadn't seen before. Nice touch, you two. (Choi)

Sumber : Yahoo.com

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Apple Update iTunes, Blokir Sinkronisasi Palm Lagi

SAN FRANSISCO - Persaingan Apple dan Palm masih terus berlangsung dan masih berputar pada masalah sinkronisasi iTunes. Apple baru saja merilis versi terbaru peranti lunak iTunes 9.0.2 untuk memblokir kemampuan Pre besutan Palm dalam sinkronisasi file media ke iTunes.

Awal bulan lalu, Palm mengaktifkan kembali fungsi sinkronisasi iTunes Apple bagi para pemilik ponsel cerdas Pre. Palm tidak berhenti berusaha agar pengguna handsetnya bisa melakukan sinkronisasi dengan iTunes dengan merilis webOS 1.2.1.

Hal ini semakin membuat Apple gerah. Pasalnya, telah berulang kali Palm mengabaikan protes keras Apple yang tidak setuju layanan mereka digunakan oleh para pengguna Pre. Itu sebabnya, Apple pun tak kalah garang berusaha memblokir akses sinkronisasi Pre dengan iTunes.

Menanggapi hal ini, Dan Moren dari MacWorld memberikan komentarnya soal pertarungan antara kedua perusahaan teknologi ini dan membandingkannya dengan sebuah drama spionase perang dingin.

"Permainan kucing dan tikus di antara kedua perusahaan ini mengingatkan saya akan cerita film klasik tentang spionase berjudul John Le Carre Cold War. Film tersebut sungguh membosankan dan terus berputar pada perang pengembangan peranti lunak."

Moren bahkan menggambarkan Palm sebagai perusahaan 'pemalas' dan menyarankan agar mereka merancang peranti lunak dan layanan mereka sendiri. (Choi)

Sumber : Okezone.com

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Belum Meluncur, Windows 7 Bajakan Marak di India

NEW DELHI - Meski Microsoft masih mempersiapkan diri untuk meluncurkan Windows 7 namun versi bajakan dari software terbaru itu sudah mulai marak di India.

Microsoft berencana untuk menggelontorkan Windows 7 di India pekan depan. Sayangnya peluncuran ini harus dinodai oleh maraknya software bajakan ini yang telah diperjualbelikan di tokotoko komputer di India.

Para penjuala software Windows 7 bajakan itu secara terang-terangan memajang software ilegal itu di toko mereka. Bahkan para pembeli tidak diharuskan untuk memasukkan kode khusus untuk mengaktifkan software tersebut. Padahal seharusnya setiap software dilengkapi dengan 16 karakter huruf dan angka untuk mengaktifkannya secara legal.

Menurut pemilik toko komputer di India tersebut, mereka telah menjual Windows 7 sejak beberapa hari lalu dengan harga sekira 50 rupee untuk satu unit CD software.

Diketahui, para pengguna internet di India tidak hanya menyukai membeli Windows 7 secara ilegal atau bajakan tapi mereka juga lebih suka mendownloadnya melalui internet. Beberapa situs popular yang menyediakan layanan download Windows 7 adalah torrentz.com, torrentscan.com, isohunt.com, dan torrent-finder.com.

Hal yang sama juga sempat terjadi di China. Sebelum meluncur di China dua pekan lalu, sofware Windows 7 bajakan cukup marak beredar di China. Bahkan beberapa orang berhasil ditangkap karena tertangkap tangan mendistribusikan software baru besutan Microsoft tersebut. (Choi)

Sumber : Okezone.com

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Samsung dan Microsoft Komitmen Green Computers

SAN FRANSISCO - Samsung dan Microsoft sepakat bekerja sama untuk mendukung aksi komputer 'hijau' agar memberikan efisiensi penggunaan energi.

Kedua perusahaan menyatakan komitmennya untuk berkolaborasi memberikan efisiensi energi pada penggunaan komputer di dunia. Bahkan Samsung dan Microsoft akan mendorong pengguna PC agar mau membeli produk-produk komputer yang hemat energi.

Samsyng berharap dengan kerja sama ini kedua perusahaan dapat menghemat konsumsi energi komputer yang digunakan pengguna secara substansial, dengan kolaborasi sistem operasi Windows 7 dan Samsung 40 nanometer class DDR 3 DRAM.

Pada awal September, Samsug berinisiatif untuk melakukan kampanye 'hemat energi tambah kecepatan' melalui DDR3 DRAM 40 nm berukuran 2GB.

Samsung DDR3 40 nm diklaim Samsung sebagai memori dan server komputer yang tergolong palling ramah lingkungan untuk digunakan oleh para konsumen di seluruh dunia.

Perangkat ini mampu menghemat energi hingga 60 persen melebihi DDR2 60nm. Samsung DDR3 tersedia mulai dari kapasitas 1GB sampai 4 GB dan didesain sedemikian rupa agar kompatibel dengan sistem operasi apa saja, termasuk Windows 7.

Samsung juga mengumumkan bahwa komputer perusahaan mereka akan mulai migrasi ke software baru pada tahun 2010. (Choi)

Sumber : Okezone.com

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Kenali Ciri-Ciri Email Pembawa Virus Facebook

Jakarta - Sebuah virus komputer yang memanfaatkan popularitas Facebook menyebar via email. Untuk mengindarinya, simak ciri-ciri email pembawa virus tersebut dalam lanjutan analisa Vaksincom soal virus Facebook berikut ini:

Untuk menyebarkan dirinya virus Facebook akan mengirimkan email ke semua alamat email yang telah diperolehnya dengan melampirkan sebuah attachment dalam bentuk ZIP. Bagi Anda yang mempunyai account Facebook harap berhati-hati jika menerima email yang seolah-olah berasal dari Admin Facebook karena kemungkinan email itu berisi virus.

Email yang akan dikirimkan akan mempunyai ciri-ciri sebagai berikut:

From : The Facebook Team"
Subject : Facebook Password Reset Confirmation.
Attachment : Facebook_Password_xxx.zip (Facebook_Password_xxx.exe)
Message :

Hey [nama penerima email],

Because of the measures taken to provide safety to our clients, your password has been changed.

You can find your new password in attached document.

Thanks,
The Facebook Team

Catatan: xxx adalah karakter acak

Jika kita telurusi dengan menggunakan bantuan sebuah tools monitoring jaringan seperti etherial atau wireshark maka dapat dilihat dengan jelas bahwa komputer yang telah terinfeksi virus berusaha untuk mengirimkan email ke sejumlah alamat yang telah ditemukan dengan menyertakan sebuah file attachment yang berisi virus.

Selain mengirimkan email yang seolah-olah datang dari Admin Facebook, ia juga akan menjadikan komputer yang terinfeksi sebagai server spam dengan mengirimkan email ke sejumlah alamat email yang didapat.

Mengundang Antispyware palsu “Security Tools”

Aksi lain yang akan dilakukan oleh virus Facebook adalah akan mendownload dan menginstal sebuah program antispyware palsu dengan nama “Security Tools”. Antispyware palsu ini akan memberikan informasi palsu dengan menampilkan sederetan nama virus/trojan yang berhasil di deteksi, informasi palsu ini biasanya akan ditampilkan secara terus-menerus pada waktu yang telah ditentukan.

Jika user mencoba untuk melakukan aksi pembersihan dengan menggunakan software palsu tersebut maka ia akan menampilkan layar agar user melakukan pembelian software tersebut, jika muncul hal ini sebaiknya Anda abaikan saja karena anda tidak akan mendapatkan software antispyware tersebut.

Antispyware ini akan secara membuat beberapa file berikut agar dirinya tetap aktif:

* C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\47543326
* C:\Documents and Settings\Elvina\Desktop\security tools.lnk
* C:\Windows\temp\_ex-08.exe
* C:\Documents and Settings\Elvina\Start Menu\Programs\security tools.lnk


Sebagai pendukung agar dirinya tetap aktif, ia akan membuat beberapa string pada registry berikut:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
47543326= C:\DOCUME~1\ALLUSE~1\APPLIC~1\47543326\47543326.exe
PromoReg = C:\WINDOWS\Temp\_ex-08.exe

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\47543326

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Network
UID = %user%_00127065

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
Rlist

Aksi yang dilakukan oleh antispyware “Security Tools”


* Menampilkan pesan notifikasi bahwa komputer telah terinfeksi virus/spyware
* Menampilkan konfirmasi update database Antispyware Security Tools
* Restart komputer pada waktu yang teah ditetukan dengan menampilkan layar “Blue Sreen” seolah-olah terjadi error pada system/hardware komputer yang telah terinfeksi.
* Mengganti walpaper/desktop Windows
(Choi)

Sumber : Detikinet.com

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Proxy Pro 7 Kompatibel dengan Windows 7

BOSTON - Proxy Network mengumumkan generasi terbaru dari software remote desktop besutan mereka, Proxy Pro 7. Peranti lunak baru ini juga mendukung sistem operasi Windows 7 versi 32-bit dan 64-bit.

"Semua konsumen dan partner di seluruh dunia sangat senang dengan kehadiran Windows 7. Kami bekerja keras untuk menghadirkan Proxy pro 7 sebagai satu solusi remote desktop, dengan kontrol remote penuh dan kapabilitas managemen remote yang pas dengan Windows 7."

Selain itu, Proxy Pro 7 juga mendukung sistem operasi lainnya seperti, Macintosh dan Linux. Targetnya, software ini mampu berjalan pada server dengan standar VNC, tapi tidak membutuhkan software tambahan untuk mendukung akses remote dari PROXY Pro 7.0.

"Proxy Pro adalah pilihan yang lebih disukai oleh ratusan sekolah, perguruan tinggi dan organisasi pendidikan lainnya. Sekarang, dengan dukungan Macintosh dan Linux, kita dapat membantu mereka memperluas jangkauan mereka ke seluruh masyarakat, baik di kampus dan di rumah," kata Nicole Omsted, Senior Sales Manager untuk Proxy Networks.

Menggunakan Proxy Pro 7 mempunyai tools yang sangat mudah digunakan bagi pengguna, dan dapat meng-instal secara otomatis dan gampang. (Choi)

Sumber : Okezone.com

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Aplikasi Android Bisa Dibawa ke Medan Perang

CALIFORNIA - Militer Amerika kini bisa memanfaatkan kecanggihan Google Android di ponsel maupun di laptop, meski saat keadaan perang, baik untuk mengenali musuh maupun menghindar dari bahaya di lokasi perang.

Sebuah perusahaan pengembang aplikasi Raytheon berhasil membuat aplikasi yang dapat menambah kemampuan intelejensi tentara di medan perang. Aplikasi tersebut bernama Raytheon Android Tactical System (RATS).

"Software ini telah dirilis sejak beberapa minggu lalu. Saat ini kami sedang dalam pembicaraan dengan pihak militer Amerika untuk membahas kemungkinan aplikasi ini digunakan oleh mereka," ujar Raytheon VP of Business development untuk solusi pertahanan dan misi masyarakat, Mark Bigham.

Untuk menggunakan RATS, pengguna harus memiliki akun pribadi berupa password dan nama. Setelah mengakses jaringan RATS anggota tentara diperbolehkan menggunakan semua fitur yang ada dalam aplikasi RATS seperti penggunaan peta, berkomunikasi dengan tentara lain, mencari jejak tentara yang hilang, mengambil dan mengirim foto keadaan lokasi perang, bahkan menonton video streaming untuk mengetahui keadaan lokasi sasaran.

Bigham mengatakan, aplikasi ini secara tidak langsung akan menghilangkan kesenjangan teknologi di kalangan militer. Oleh karena itu aplikasi ini disematkan di ponsel berbasis Android agar bisa terjangkau oleh kalangan militer, selain karena sistemnya yang terbuka, SDK yang standar dan kelengkapan fitur Android seperti akselerometer, GPS, dan layar sentuh.

Kemampuan RATS ini juga dibantu dengan jaringan Distributed Common Ground server, jaringan intelejen militer Amerika. Teknologi ini memungkinkan sharing informasi secara real-time antarmiliter dan juga analis intelijen militer.

RATS berjalan di perangkat dengan kemampuan 3G. Jika tidak ada 3G maka RATS dapat dihubungkan dengan radio militer lewat bantuan kabel USB. (Choi)

Sumber : Okezone.com

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Is Your Windows 7 Install Illegal?

Microsoft issued a friendly reminder in a blog post earlier this week that if you installed Windows 7 on a blank hard drive using an upgrade disc, your Windows installation is illegal. Well, maybe... but I'll get to that in a second.

Redmond's post was a response to a host of blogs and other Web sites that explain how you can perform a clean install of the new OS on any hard drive using the Windows 7 upgrade disc instead of purchasing a full version of the new operating system. That's a tricky move since it will save you at least eighty bucks, but Microsoft says it's a no-no.

How to Be a Pirate Customer

When you use a piece of software on your computer you are required to abide by its end-user license agreement (EULA). You know what the EULA is don't you? It's that big chunk of text you see above the "I Accept" button you see when you're installing new software.

Anyway, part of Microsoft's EULA for upgrade discs says that you must own a full version of a previous version of Windows if you want to use the Windows 7 upgrade disc. So, if you do a fresh install of Windows 7 using the upgrade disc, and you don't own a previous version of Windows, congratulations: you're a pirate customer.

Who doesn't have a copy of Windows?

But do you really need to hack Windows 7? If you've owned a computer in the last 8 years, then chances are you've got a copy of Windows XP or Vista lying around somewhere. Not to mention that computers typically come with the OS pre-installed, so how did you end up with a blank hard drive in the first place?

But let's say you built your own computer, picked up a Linux-based system on the cheap or your first attempt at a Windows 7 upgrade failed and your hard drive is now blank. You still may not be eligible to use the upgrade disc.

Imagine, for example, you've got a two-year old Sony Vaio that came with Windows Vista preinstalled, but you just picked up a brand new laptop running Ubuntu. If your plan is to use your old Vista discs from Sony as a way to upgrade your laptop to Windows 7 on the Linux system, you're on your way to piracy. Not to mention the fact that most manufacturers tweak the included Windows discs to work only with the computer brand they were intended for.

The funny thing is, as I understand it, you can't just own a previous copy of Windows. You also have to have that older copy of Windows installed on the computer you're upgrading to Windows 7. So if you wiped your hard drive by accident while trying to upgrade to Windows 7, technically you have to install XP or Vista first, before upgrading. It's so easy to end up a pirate isn't it?

Piracy or not, I'd be surprised if the upgrade disc hack becomes a particularly widespread problem. It's just so much simpler--not to mention more common--to pick up a computer with Windows already installed on it. (Choi)

Sumber : pcworld.com

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Migrate to Windows 7 Slowly, Part 4: Installing Your Apps

Now that you've got Windows 7 up and running on your newly partitioned, dual-boot PC, it's time for the next big step in any OS migration: reinstalling your software.

I've always hated this part, as it involves digging out CDs, downloading apps from lots of different sites, and then manually installing everything. Takes forever.

Thankfully, I've found salvation in the form of Ninite, a new service that automatically downloads and installs popular software.

All you do is scroll through Ninite's list of 70-odd apps, check-marking the ones you want. The service offers the most current versions of nearly every popular mainstream program, including Firefox, Skype, OpenOffice, iTunes, Picasa, Steam, and Revo Uninstaller.

Once you've made your picks, click Get Installer to download a small executable file. When you're ready, run that file and sit back while Ninite goes to work.

How long does it take? That depends on how many programs you've selected. I chose a baker's dozen (including the trial version of Office 2007 Standard, which I already own--now I just have to type in the security key), and I'd swear Ninite was done in all of 10 minutes.

I'll bet the service saved me a couple hours of manual labor. It worked flawlessly, and it installed 90 percent of the programs I use regularly. Awesome. Just awesome. And did I mention Ninite is free?

* See more like this:
* installation,
* web services,
* Windows 7

(Choi)

Sumber : pcworld.com

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Burn CDs, DVDs, and Blu-Ray with Freebie Astroburn Lite

So you've got a bunch of files on your hard disk, and you want to burn them to a CD. You can stick in a blank CD and trust to Window's built-in file burning utility to do it, or you can get a specific program to help you. One such is Astroburn Lite, the freeware version of Astroburn.

Astroburn Lite is... light. While some programs present a simple front end and then reveal depth as you drill through option and setting dialogs, Astroburn Lite is pretty much "What You See Is What You Get." The only "Options" are the language (and there's a huge list) and the visual skin, and your only real choice of operations is "Burn files" or "Burn a .iso image".

Using Astroburn Lite is simple. You can either select files manually (you can Ctrl-click in the dialog box to select multiple files and folders in one go) or you can drag-and-drop files and folders into the window. You can also rearrange and rename what you've dragged, so your burned disk does not have to have the same structure as your source data. Once you're happy with the layout, you simply hit "Start Burn," and it's off! It can burn any file type on your hard drive to writeable CDs, DVD, or Blu-Ray disks.

It's a good thing Astroburn Lite is so simple, because the "Help" function takes you to a Web site which contains the help for the full Astroburn program, which has a somewhat different interface. The help page is also heavily bedecked with advertising, though fortunately not to the point where it's impossible to read the actual help.

That's pretty much it. If your burning needs are either infrequent, or simply very straightforward, Astroburn Lite will do the job with simplicity. It also burns to Blu-Ray, a feature lacking in many other free programs, such as DeepBurner Free.

Note: Astroburn Lite's installer will ask if you want to install their browser toolbar, change your default search engine, or change your home page. These are all selected by default; odds are good you will want to deselect them. (Choi)

Sumber : pcworld.com

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Five Things You Should Know About Windows 7 Security

Microsoft says Windows 7 is the most secure version of the Windows operating system ever developed. Big deal, right? I am pretty sure that Microsoft has made that claim for every new version of Microsoft Windows in the past 15 years, and that it is a valid claim.

What else would you expect? Is Microsoft going to come out with a new operating system and make it less secure than its predecessor? I think not. Still, while the marketing around Windows 7 security may be part hyperbole, there are actually a number of significant security improvements to be aware of, especially for Windows XP users making (or considering) the transition to Windows 7. Many of these security updates existed in Windows Vista as well, so Vista users should already be familiar with them.

1. Protecting the Core

The kernel is the heart of the operating system, which also makes it a prime target for malware and other attacks. Basically, if an attacker can access or manipulate the operating system kernel they can execute malicious code at a level that is undetectable by other applications or even by the operating system itself. Microsoft developed kernel-mode protection to protect the kernel and ensure there is no unauthorized access.

In addition to protecting the kernel, Microsoft has made some other fundamental improvements since Windows XP to protect the operating system. Many attacks rely on the attacker being able to know where a specific function or command resides within memory, or the ability to perform attacks on files that are supposed to contain only data.

Address Space Layer Randomization (ASLR) keeps attackers guessing about where to attack by randomizing the memory locations of key operating system functions. Microsoft also developed Data Execution Prevention (DEP) to prevent files that are supposed to contain data or that are stored in an area reserved for data from executing code of any type.

2. Safer Web Browsing

Windows 7 comes with the latest and greatest version of Internet Explorer, IE8. You can download and use IE8 with other versions of Windows, so its not specific to Windows 7, but it does contain some security enhancements worth nothing.

First, InPrivate Browsing provides the ability to surf the Web...in private as the name implies. When you launch an InPrivate Browsing window Internet Explorer does not save any information related to your Web surfing. That means that there is no cache containing information you typed, and no history of the sites you visited. This is especially useful if you are using IE8 on a shared or public computer, like at a library.

The other IE8 security improvement is Protected Mode. Protected Mode relies on security components in Windows 7 to ensure that malicious or unauthorized code is not allowed to run within the browser. Protected Mode prevents things like drive-by downloads that install malicious software on your system just by visiting a compromised web site.

3. Protection We Love to Hate

User Account Control (UAC) is the poster child for everything we love to hate about Windows Vista. With Windows 7, UAC is still there, but Microsoft has added a slider that enables you to control the level of protection--and therefore the amount of pop-ups asking for permission to access or execute files--UAC provides.

The pop-ups are just a small, but visible, aspect of what UAC does. Many users simply disabled UAC altogether in Windows Vista, but that also turns off Protected Mode IE and some other operating system protection. The slider in Windows 7 is set to the same protection as Windows Vista by default, but you can customize the setting in the Control Panel.

4. Security Tools and Apps

Because of the kernel-mode protection and the changes Microsoft made regarding how, or if, applications are allowed to interact with the core functionality of the operating system, older antivirus and other security software is not compatible with Windows 7.

Vendors like McAfee, Symantec, Trend Micro, and others offer Windows7 compatible versions of their security software products, but Microsoft also provides free security tools to protect you if you don't want to invest the additional money.

The Windows Firewall and Windows Defender antispyware tools are included with the base installation of Windows 7. You can also download and install Microsoft Security Essentials, a free antivirus product released recently by Microsoft.

5. Monitor the Action Center

The Security Center that Windows XP users are familiar with has been replaced by the Windows Action Center. The Action Center is a more comprehensive console for monitoring the Windows 7 system, including security.

The security section of the Action Center provides at-a-glance status regarding the security of your Windows 7 system. It includes information about firewall, spyware, and virus protection, as well as the state of Windows Updates, Internet security settings, and UAC.

There are plenty of good reasons to make the switch to Windows 7. If you are still running Windows XP, security is arguably the best reason to embrace the new operating system. It may or may not be the greatest operating system ever, but it is definitely the most secure Windows operating system ever. (Choi)

Sumber : pcworld.com

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Gateway Buka Toko Pertama di Indonesia

Gateway hari ini membuka Gateway Showroon pertama di Indonesia. Bertempat di Ratu Plaza, Jakarta Selatan, Gateway Showroom menghadirkan jajaran lengkap produk Gateway terbaru, baik dari seri-seri sebelumnya yang telah dirilis di Indonesia dan seri-seri yang belum dirilis di Indonesia. Ada dua seri yang sampai saat ini belum dirilis secara resmi di Indonesia, yaitu seri gaming dan juga seri All-in-one PC.

Gateway bediri pada tahun 1985 di Iowa, Amerika Serikat. Pada tahun 2007, Gateway diakuisisi oleh Acer. Gateway terkenal sebagai pembuat produk notebook dan desktop yang mengutamakan style dan ekslusivitas desain.

Gateway ID58 series merupakan salah satu bukti kalau Gateway sangat mengedepankan style pada produknya. Notebook ini dirancang ekslusif oleh Pininfarina, rumah desain ternama asal Italia yang menghasilkan desain mobil sport seperti Ferrari, Maserati, Jaguar, dan Alfa Romeo. ID58 series juga tersedia di showroom ini.

Gateway seri FX6830 merupakan salah satu desktop gaming yang hadir di showroom ini. Didukung oleh 2 pilihan generasi terbaru Intel Core i7-680 (8MB L2 cache, 2.8 GHz, 1333 Mhz FSB) dan Intel Core i5-570 (8MB L2 cache, 1.66 Ghz, 1333Mhz FSB). FX6830 juga telah dilengkapi dengan Windows 7 Home Premium.

Gateway tidak hanya menampilkan desktop gaming pada showroomnya, notebook gaming pun ikut mereka bawa serta. Notebook Gateway seri P-79 FX didukung oleh teknologi Intel Centrino 2 dengan feature Intel Core 2 Quad processor Q9000 (6MB L2 cache, 2.0 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB, 45W), Windows 7 Home Premium, 17 inci WXGA, dan NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260 M (1024 MB dari GDDR3 VRAM).

Gateway menawarkan dua seri All-in-one PC di showroom ini, yaitu ZX6810 dan ZX4830. Kedua produk tersebut telah dilengkapi kemampuan multi-touch screen dan Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit. Selain itu, Gateway juga membawa netbook LT20 series dan notebook NV series (NV44 dan NV48) EC series (EC18, EC38, EC58).

Dengan dibukanya showroom pertama ini, dipastikan Anda akan semakin mudah menemukan produk Gateway. Selama ini, bila ada yang tertarik untuk membeli produk Gateway, mereka harus mencarinya di Best Denki dan 26 outles Oke Shop. Untuk lokasi lain atau daerah lain, Gateway berjanji untuk segera membuka showroom-showroom lainnya dalam waktu dekat ini. (Choi)

Sumber : Chip.com

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Norton 360 Versi 4.0 Sudah Masuk Dalam Masa Beta

Symantec Corp. hari ini mengumumkan kehadirdan Norton 360 versi 4.0 beta. Tidak jauh berbeda dari Norton Internet Security 2010 dan Norton AntiVirus 2010, versi terbaru Norton 360 ini telah menggunakan teknologi “Quorum”. Norton 360 Beta juga telah dirancang agar dapat berjalan baik dengan Windows 7.

Norton 360 Beta mendapatkan beberapa feature-feature tambahan, seperti Norton Insight, tool recovery, dan upgrade baru dari Norton Identity Safe. Norton 360 versi beta ini juga telah dilengkapi oleh teknologi SONAR 2 yang diklaim mampu mendeteksi lebih baik lagi ancaman-ancaman baru.

Norton 360 beta juga dapat menampilkan Norton Safe Web, sebuah layanan rating website yang tugasnya menandai hasil pencarian di Google, Yahoo! dan Bing dengan rating keamanan.

Selama ini, produk keluaran Norton dikenal memberatkan dan memperlambat kerja komputer. Norton berhasil membuktikan kalau anggapan tersebut sudah mulai tidak tepat. Produk sebelumnya, Norton 360 versi 3.0 sudah berjalan ringan di komputer.

Diperkenalkan bulan lalu dengan produk-produk Norton 2010, nama sandi “Quorom” menggunakan atribut-atribut file unik seperti usia, sumber download, signature digital dan tingkat penyebaran, untuk mengukur reputasinya. Quorum juga mengupdate reputasi suatu file ketika file tersebut berubah seiring waktu. Sejak dirilis, model perlindungan tersebut saat ini berhasil melacak 70 juta file unik, dengan memanfaatkan masukan dari lebih dari 35 juta anggota Norton Community Watch yang anonim. Selain itu, teknologi tersebut saat ini mengidentifikasi satu juta file baru setiap minggu.
Versi beta tersebut saat ini tersedia untuk didownload di: www.norton.com/n360v4beta. Penguji produk Norton dianjurkan untuk turut memberi masukan dan mendiskusikan pengalaman mereka mengenai produk ini di Norton Public Beta Forum online. (Choi)

Sumber : Chip.com

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