Brandon Dimmel

According to a new report from Microsoft, Windows 7 and Windows XP users are now facing more malware threats than ever before. Meanwhile, the number of malware programs designed to infect Vista machines is decreasing. Microsoft released these ... findings in its semi-annual Security Intelligence Report, which provides a review of security threats and infections faced by users of Microsoft products during the first half of 2012. Threats to Windows 7, XP On the Increase In the report, Microsoft says the average number of Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) machines infected by malware rose by 23 per ... (view more)

Blender 2.64 Blender is the free, open source 3D content creation suite, available for all major computer operating systems under the GNU General Public License. Blender supports a variety of animation techniques and tasks, allowing the creation of ... complex motion visuals. http://www.blender.org Miro 5.0.4 This is a free and open source video downloader and media player that is used by millions of people and thousands of organizations every month around the world. It is offered by a non-profit organization working to build a more open, collaborative world wide web. Definitely worth a try. http ... (view more)

If you happened to visit the Home Shopping Network website (HSN.com) this past weekend, you might have noticed some rather rare items for sale: Windows 8 PCs. For a few days, HSN.com offered five Windows 8 PCs. That's three weeks before Windows 8's ... official launch on October 26, 2012. According to reports, Microsoft and manufacturer Acer then asked the retailer to remove those PCs from the site. Windows 8 Laptops, All-in-One PCs Available via HSN.com The listed PCs are built by Acer and its division, Gateway. All five of the machines are loaded with the 64-bit edition of Windows 8 (and not ... (view more)

Amara Amara is a collaborative set of software tools designed to caption and translate video content. This program was originally built to help non-profit organizations and volunteers around the world create better videos for the world wide web. ... http://www.universalsubtitles.org Xfire 1.149.45792 Xfire is a free Windows software tool that finds the games you play on your PC and tracks how long you play them. The software will also let your friends know what you're playing so they can join you. If you are too busy "popping off head shots" to type, you can use this software to bring ... (view more)

With the holiday shopping season on the horizon, you can bet tablet computers will be under many Christmas trees this coming December. One of the tech industry's most anticipated tablets is Microsoft's Surface, which has been unveiled but not yet ... officially released, or even priced. However, one analyst is now predicting that the Surface will retail for $399 -- and up. Microsoft Out At Least $300 Per Unit: Prediction Sameer Singh is a tech industry analyst with consulting firm Finvista Advisors. In a recent blog post he made some bold predictions about the cost of each individual component ... (view more)

USB Flash Drives Control 3.2 USB Flash Drives Control is a small and easy-to-use free utility program that runs in the Windows system tray, next to the system clock. It allows users to block USB drives from performing certain functions. For example, ... users can set the software to block executable files, to control the ability to save files, or simply block USB drive functions altogether. This program adds a unique and useful element to system security by preventing unauthorized people from inserting a USB drive in your computer. http://www.binisoft.org Color Archiver 2.3 Color Archiver is a ... (view more)

Windows 8 is less than three weeks away but as of last week there were just two thousand applications in Microsoft's Windows Store, the company's new digital media distribution system that's similar to app stores from Google and Apple. However, with ... the clock ticking down Microsoft is working furiously to improve its Windows Store offerings. First off, the company recently announced how apps will be updated. "The Store tile will notify you when updates are available, and you can open it and click the updates link in the top right corner to see the list and install the ones you want," noted ... (view more)

Apple hasn't unveiled the iPad Mini tablet computer yet, and already there are reports of significant production problems. According to one analyst, the complex construction requirements of the iPad Mini could cause shortages lasting for months ... after the product's launch. It has been rumored for some time that Apple is preparing to unveil a smaller version of the 10.1-inch iPad. The iPad Mini reportedly features a 7.85-inch display, and will retail for $250 to $300. (Source: cnet.com ) That price point should give Apple an opportunity to compete with lower-priced tablets like Google's Nexus 7 ... (view more)

Windows Live Family Safety 16.4.3505 Keeping your kids safe online can be worrisome and complicated. Now, Windows Live Family Safety is available to help make it easier for you. Family Safety provides a website and a free program that you install on ... whatever computers your kids use. Once it's operating, this free software enables you to give your kids a measure of independence but still keep tabs on their computer-based activities. http://microsoft.com Windows Live Mesh 16.4.3505 With Windows Live Mesh and the Devices website, you can keep up-to-date copies of documents, photos, and other ... (view more)

Last week Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said he finds Windows 8 "very exciting" and suggested that packaging the new operating system (OS) with innovative hardware devices (like tablet computers) would greatly increase consumer interest. Now, ... another Microsoft co-founder has offered a different review of Windows 8. Paul Allen believes Windows 8 is "bold and innovative," but also finds some parts of the OS "puzzling." In a blog post written earlier this week, Allen wrote he believes Windows 8 is a "snappier and more responsive" operating system than its predecessors, and that its tile- ... (view more)