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These are the top 25 most used passwords for 2012 — can you guess what they are?
Ever wonder what are the passwords people use the most? SplashData, a software company that makes password management programs and apps, has compiled its annual “Worst Passwords” list for 2012, which gives us some insights on what the most popular bad passwords used by people. The top three most used [...]
Read More »[Windows] SmartPower will automatically shutdown or hibernate your PC after completion of a download or task
Those who like to keep their computers on during the night downloading files as they sleep face a problem: when they wake up, they (typically) find that the computer has completed downloading the file a long time back and has stayed on doing nothing during the night, thus wasting both [...]
[Windows] Browser Repair Tool repairs your browser and network settings after malware infection
Often when your computer is infected with malware, you will find that it has made changes to your browser settings. These may range from comparatively harmless changes to your homepage or search engine to more serious threats such as installations of plugins that may be used to spy on your [...]
[Windows] Restore clarity to your blurry pictures (aka deblur blurred images) with SmartDeblur
We all love to take pictures, but let’s face it — we don’t always take the best shots. Often, and by often I mean 11 out of 10 times, photos come out blurry or fuzzy due to motion. The good news is you no longer have to trash these pictures [...]
The iPad Mini is overpriced junk [Opinion]
Yesterday Apple unveiled its much-rumored and hyped iPad Mini. With a 7.9-inch display and $329 pricetag, Apple is obviously taking aim at the 7-inch tablet niche popularized by Samsung and dominated by Amazon and Google (vis-a-vis Kindle Fire and Nexus 7). What does Ashraf think about the iPad Mini? Ashraf [...]
Read More »Millions of Android users can have their passwords, e-mails, and other data stolen due to poorly coded apps
Have you never done any banking on your smartphone because you had security concerns? Then you, my friend, might have made the right decision. A new study conducted by researchers from two German universities reveals that millions of Android users are vulnerable to data theft due to many apps being [...]
Read More »[Windows] Beautify and personalize your computer using custom skins and widgets with Rainmeter
If you are happy with the default Windows interface, then Rainmeter is not for you. However, for those of you who like to customize your Windows experience, Rainmeter may just be what you are looking for. Rainmeter makes it easy to not only to change the way Windows looks but [...]
One man has found a novel way to be more productive — hire someone to slap him every time he visits YouTube, Facebook, or Reddit
Maneesh Sethi is a self-employed blogger based in San Francisco, California. As many people that use the internet, Sethi often gets distracted from his work by things like Facebook, YouTube, etc. In fact, Sethi felt he was so often distracted that he started using time tracker tools to measure his [...]
Read More »LG makes the bottom of an elevator transparent using “lifelike” IPS monitors, scares the crap out of the people inside
What is one of the best ways to market a product? Show it in action. What is the best way to prove to the public that your IPS displays are of touch-notch, “lifelike” quality? How about… troll elevator passengers.
LG wanted to show the world that their IPS monitors are [...]
Read More »These are seven new malicious emails you should stay clear of — emails from YouTube, Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, British Airways, and DHL Express
dotTech has gotten into the habit of warning our readers about web security issues, namely malicious emails that make their rounds in the inboxes of people around the world — such as the fake Windows Update password stealing email and the fake email from Microsoft. The following are seven new [...]
Read More »[Windows] Remove bloatware, toolbars, and other clutter with SlimComputer
Just because you got a new computer does not mean that it is running as fast as it could be. Starting the first day you boot up your computer, you’re already cluttered with toolbars, pre-installed programs you don’t need, and ads. Give your computer a fresh start, whether it is [...]
[Windows] Remove rootkits, fake or rogue anti-viruses, scareware, and more with Norton Power Eraser
Despite using some of the most popular and expensive anti-virus programs, some users are still infected with stubborn malware. If your other anti-malware programs are of no help, Symantec’s new tool Norton Power Eraser could be the answer to remove such stubborn bugs.[...]
WHAT IS IT AND WHAT DOES
Read More »Microsoft is abusing the ‘Windows’ name to trick consumers into buying Windows RT tablets [Opinion]
Any semi-techie that has being following the development of Window 8 and Windows 8 tablets knows that Windows RT tablets are akin to Android tablets and the iPad — Windows RT is essentially a mobile version of Windows 8. However, the general public is not full of techies and people [...]
Read More »It is official: Microsoft Surface tablets start at $499, Windows RT version will be available Oct 26
After much speculation, the cat is out of the bag. Microsoft has officially announced the pricing on one of the Surface tablets… and it isn’t very pretty.
According to Microsoft, the WiFi-only Windows RT Surface tablet with 32GB will start at $499. If you want the “smart cover”, an awesome [...]
Read More »European Union doesn’t like Google’s privacy policy, tells Google to change it or face litigation
Earlier this year Google introduced a new one-policy-for-them-all privacy policy for all Google services. Essentially the new privacy policy consolidated all the privacy policies across Google’s various services into one single privacy policy, which allowed Google to pool user data across its different services. The European Union has now ordered [...]
Read More »[Windows] Best free desktop search program
![[Windows] Best free desktop search program](http://cdn.dottech.org/media/2012/10/2012-10-15_221127-290x160.png)
Since Windows 7, Windows has been shipping with a fairly good built-in desktop search feature. However, for one reason or another, many people don’t like Windows Search. So some turn to third-party desktop search programs. dotTech has taken a look at the wide selection of free desktop search programs available [...]
Read More »Bloody hilarious Saturday Night Live spoof pokes fun at iPhone 5 complaints
You know those iPhone 5 issues, such as fail iOS Maps, purple halo ring, and damaged goodies? Yeah, well, Saturday Night Live (a comedy show) ain’t gonna pass up the golden opportunity. The above video is a of a SNL spoof that pokes fun at iPhone 5 critics. I have [...]
Read More »Man skydives from the edge of space (24 miles above Earth), breaks the sound barrier, and lives to tell about it
What did you do this weekend? Whatever it is, I bet it isn’t as amazing as what Felix Baumgartner did — jump from the edge of space.
Baumgartner, a 44 Austrian skydiver, took an air balloon up 128,100 feet (24 miles, 39km) above New Mexico, United States and jumped. In [...]
Read More »[Windows] Best free password manager program — LastPass vs Dashlane vs KeePass vs Roboform
![[Windows] Best free password manager program — LastPass vs Dashlane vs KeePass vs Roboform](http://cdn.dottech.org/media/2012/10/2012-10-13_232644-290x160.png)
Experts always recommend using different passwords for different logins. Any normal person cannot possibly follow that advice and memorize all their usernames and passwords. That is where password managers come in. Password managers securely store your usernames and passwords so you don’t have to remember them — you just need [...]
Read More »[Windows] Protect yourself from keyloggers with the new freeware version of Zemana AntiLogger
Due to their frequent giveaways last year, most of us probably have heard of — if not used — Zemana AntiLogger, a security solution that costs $29.95 per year. However, I’m sure most dotTechies have not yet heard of Zemana AntiLogger Free, the freeware version of Zemana AntiLogger.[...]
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Read More »FTC is going to sue Google for anti-competitive behavior, according to reports
When I say “Google dominates search” no one is likely to disagree with me because it is true — Google is the most popular search engine around the world (on an aggregate basis — some countries, like China, prefer other search engines). When you dominate one industry, there are bound [...]
Read More »[Chrome, Firefox] Privacyfix allows you to control how Google, Facebook, and other websites track you
A decade ago the internet was just a tiny little speck and online privacy was not a huge issue. Your information was only in a few places and back then we were more careful with what we did. Plus the notion of online privacy wasn’t really popular. Now our information [...]
Firefox 16.0.1 is out, it is safe to upgrade now
Remember that Firefox 16 vulnerability I posted about yesterday? Yeah, well, it has been fixed with the release of Firefox 16.0.1 — it is safe to upgrade now.
If you are curious as to what changes Firefox 16 brings over Firefox 15, there isn’t much for the end user; most [...]
Read More »Firefox 16 has a huge security vulnerability, do not upgrade until Firefox 16.0.1 is released
Update: Firefox 16.0.1 is out now. See this article for more information.
As I was trolling the web to find interesting tidbits to share with dotTechies, I learned that Firefox 16 has been released. I set the story aside for publication later in the day. Once later in the day [...]
Read More »HTTPS Everywhere now supports over 2,000 websites on Firefox and is now available on Chrome, too
Last year dotTech reviewed an add-on called HTTPS Everywhere developed by the folks at Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the Tor Project. For those that aren’t familiar with it, HTTPS Everywhere forces the use of HTTPS (instead of HTTP) on websites, when available.
The kicker is HTTPS Everywhere needs to [...]
Read More »These are hilarious fingerprint portraits of famous personalities, such as Steve Jobs, Spock, Spiderman, and more [Amazing Photo of the Day]
![These are hilarious fingerprint portraits of famous personalities, such as Steve Jobs, Spock, Spiderman, and more [Amazing Photo of the Day]](http://cdn.dottech.org/media/2012/10/ditoSteveJobs-290x160.png)
Need a good laugh? I know where you might be able to find one. An Italian artist known as Dito Von Tease (fake name, obviously) is working on a project, dubbed “Ditology” which means “finger-ology” in Italian, where he creates fingerprint portraits of famous personalities. What exactly is a fingerprint [...]
Read More »[Windows] Kingsoft Office Suite is a great free alternative to Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office continues to be the preferred choice for a majority of computer users looking for a dependable office suite though there have been a number of free programs that have emerged as credible alternatives to Microsoft. While OpenOffice.org is seen as Microsoft’s direct competitor in office suites, Kingsoft Office [...]
[Windows] Convert videos into dozens of different formats using Video to Video Converter (and it’s portable!)
Be sure to check out dotTech’s review on Best Free Video and Audio Converter for Windows!
Windows Media Player’s inability to support a large number of media formats means that people who use it to watch videos on their computers often have to skip watching some of the videos that [...]
Read More »[Windows] Measure your Windows boot speed with BootRacer
As computers get faster, so does the expectation of faster boot speed. Keeping tabs on how long it takes your PC or laptop to boot up may provide a good indication whether the computer has been optimized to work at its full capacity. Long boot up time may indicate the [...]
New malware (ransomware) locks your computer claiming you violated the law under SOPA, asks for $200 if you want your files back
Ransomware is a type of malware that locks your computers, encrypts your files, etc. to prevent you from accessing your data and asks for money if you want to regain access. In other words, your data is held ransom, hence the name ransomware.
A new ransomware is floating around the [...]
Read More »Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak wants Apple to bring iTunes to Android
Apple was founded by two Steves, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. While Jobs was the entrepreneurial brains behind the company that is now the most valuable in the world, Wozniak was (is) the technical minded. Maybe that is why Wozniak is open to using products other than ones that come [...]
Read More »[Chrome, Firefox] Declutter webpages with Evernote Clearly
If you look at lots of articles on the web, often you don’t want to see content outside the article like the tabs, other articles, and what not. If you are this type of person, then Evernote Clearly is for you.
What is it and what does it do
Main [...]
Read More »Run Firefox OS on your computer using r2d2b2g, a convenient Firefox add-on
Firefox OS is Mozilla’s attempt at an HTML5-powered mobile operating system. There are already ways to test Firefox OS on your desktop but all those ways are extremely complicated to setup. So a Mozilla developer put together r2d2b2g, a Firefox add-on that allows users to easily test Firefox OS [...]
Read More »FTC takes aim at fake tech support from India, shuts down more scareware operations
Yesterday we learned Innovative Marketing, a firm that developed scareware programs, has to pay a fine of $163 million. In the comments of the article, Rob mentioned another scareware scam — “tech support” calling up people, telling them there are issues with their computers, and charging them for the privilege [...]
Read More »Samsung says foreman of the jury is a liar, wants a retrial [Apple vs Samsung]
What happens when an entity loses a court battle in the United States? They appeal, of course. When Samsung lost Apple v Samsung and was handed a $1 billion fine in late August, we knew they would appeal. To no one’s surprise, appeal they have. What is a bit surprising, [...]
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