Brandon Dimmel

The Microsoft " browser ballot ," which is meant to promote fair competition amongst web browsers by offering choices aside from Internet Explorer (IE), will debut via an update March 1. However, at least one security company is warning that the ... process could open doors for hackers to attack. For those unaware of the browser ballot, it's Microsoft's response to accusations by the European Union that the software company's traditional bundling of Internet Explorer with its Windows operating systems was a violation of antitrust laws. Thus, Microsoft agreed that it would eventually offer users ... (view more)

A recent security threat has already infected about 74,000 computers owned by 2,500 companies and government organizations around the world. That's not a huge number, but the way in which the new "Kneber" botnet works should have most folks ... concerned. The Kneber botnet was discovered in late January by security firm NetWitness. The malicious botnet employs the infamous ZeuS Trojan to swipe login and password data once a system has become compromised. Botnet 'Most Dangerous' on the Web Today At this time, the Kneber botnet has yet to be put out of service. Although it was traced to Germany, ... (view more)

LookInMyPC LookInMyPC generates a complete, comprehensive system profile that includes information on installed hardware and software. Additional system diagnostic information includes: running processes, installed services, startup programs, ... Windows updates and hot fixes, active network and Internet connections, TCP/IP port usage, event log detail, and much more. http:/www.lookinmypc.com PicPick PicPick is all-in-one program that provides a capture tool, image editor, color picker, color palette, pixel ruler, protractor, crosshair, whiteboard and etc. It has an intuitive interface and simple ... (view more)

Although it's unlikely the popular toy company will soon be unveiling an IT supervisor He-Man, Mattel has instead made one big step towards the 21st century by unveiling its latest hip new toy: a Computer Engineer Barbie. In the past, we've known ... Barbie not for her smarts, but mostly her curvy, '50s-inspired looks. And let's face it, Barby hasn't done much more than lounge by the pool with Ken, or perhaps bake a few brownies for her supermodel friends. But now, it seems now that Barbie's maker, Mattel, will be making an intellectual quantum leap for the doll when it unveils its Computer ... (view more)

Network Windows Live MovieMaker Windows Live MovieMaker is a good tool for creating videos in Windows 7, however, one problem is it doesn't allow you to import videos directly from network locations. How-To Geek explains how to perform a quick ... registry hack that will enable network support. http://www.howtogeek.com OkMap OkMap is interactive software which allows you to work on your computer screen with digital maps that you have either bought or scanned. OkMap lets you organize paths by creating waypoints, routes and tracks on your computer monitor, and upload this data to your GPS. http:// ... (view more)

Lammer Context Menu Lammer Context Menu is an extension for Microsoft Windows Explorer with very handy features like copy path, explore here, command prompt, path operations (move, copy, delete), batch rename files (manual changes, sequences ... generator, etc), search (and replace) and much more. http://sites.google.com Free Clear History Free Clear History is a free history cleaning tool for users to protect their local and online privacy and provide a safe and clean computer environment. This program can quickly clean the history of your web browsing and computer use. Scroll down the page to ... (view more)

A new ethical hacking contest, called "Pwn2Own" is set to get under way this coming March 24, 2010, with awards of $100,000 in prize money. Predictions on which operating systems will be first to fall prey to hackers are already being heard; ... according to the event's organizer, the speediest, easiest hack will almost surely be on Mac's new Snow Leopard. Fundamental Beliefs: Mac Vs PC Security For years, it's been said that one of the main reasons why consumers have purchased Macs is because of the popular belief that Mac computers are more secure than PCs running MS Windows. Many ... (view more)

Critics this morning are wondering what impact an outage of Microsoft's Hotmail email service will have on consumers, who are increasingly leaning towards Google's Gmail and Yahoo! Mail. According to reports, yesterday at about 12:30pm Eastern Time, ... or 9:30am Pacific Time, Microsoft's Hotmail email service and the Windows Live Messenger instant messaging program both stopped working. Many users were barred from entering into their Hotmail or Messenger accounts, and at this time it's not 100 per cent clear what was behind the outage. Some initial reactions to the news included fears that the ... (view more)

iPhone Explorer With iPhone Explorer, you can look into the file system of your iPhone and download and upload files by USB connection, regardless of file format. This also allows you to use your iPhone as a USB storage device, which is convenient ... for people on the go. Freeware. http://www.software4u.de IS Protector IS Protector permanently deletes selected files from your computer with the most reliable data termination algorithms. A stranger can't recover erased confidential information with this program, which is specially designed to make sure that once a file is gone, it's gone for good ... (view more)

Right now you can get a Wii, Nintendo's latest and much-loved console for under $200. By contrast, Microsoft's powerful Xbox 360 and Sony's beefy PlayStation 3 sell for about $300. Who, then, would believe that a gaming system first released in 1985 ... recently sold on eBay for over $13,000? The original Nintendo Entertainment System, or NES, first hit store shelves in 1985. It was, without a doubt, the first fully-supported home game console with graphics featuring more than just a few pixelated balls and paddles. The original Mario Brothers (along with Mario Bros. 2 and 3) made their first ... (view more)