computer

Special note from Dennis: Save up to 60% off WinOptimizer 10! Deal ends on May 1st, 2013 @ 11:59PM EST. Proceeds support our website, staff, and writers. You can click here to go straight to the offer . Otherwise, continue reading below. Have you ... ever wondered why your PC, laptop, or netbook isn't as fast as it was when you used it for the very first time? If you've owned a computer for any length of time, you have inevitably downloaded, installed, and later gotten rid of program after program. What you may not realize, though, is that adding and removing programs oftentimes leaves you with ... (view more)

In 2008, IBM's Roadrunner was crowned the fastest computer in the world. Just five years later it's being scrapped. Roadrunner is based at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, where staff work on several projects, including the U.S. ... nuclear weapons program. The computer has some impressive specifications. To put things into context, a new desktop might have the equivalent of two or four processors, perhaps one terabyte (a thousand gigabytes) of hard drive space and four gigabytes of memory. Computer Performance Second-to-None Roadrunner has almost 20,000 different processors. It ... (view more)

Members of Congress have published proposals that could result in longer prison sentences for hackers. The move has shocked some commentators who say existing laws are already too draconian. The House Judiciary committee is looking to expand the ... Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), an anti-hacking bill dating back to 1984. Under the new proposals, damaging a computer after accessing it without authorization would carry a maximum 10-year prison term, double the current punishment. "Trafficking" passwords would also carry a 10-year penalty. Hacking and damaging a "critical infrastructure ... (view more)

Update 2013/05/16: We've just received news direct from Acronis that they've discounted True Image 2013 by a whopping 60% off (upgrade) and 35% for the full version -- but only for the next two weeks, ending May 31st. This is the best deal on True ... Image to date! Acronis True Image 2013 is powerful backup software, now with new features, bug fixes, and Windows 8 compatibility. Proceeds of the sale of this fine software program support our web site and staff of writers; full 30 day money back guarantee. This program comes highly recommended. Details are at the very bottom of page - click to go ... (view more)

Microsoft has agreed to drop a rule forcing Office 2013 buyers to re-purchase the software if they bought a new computer. The change follows a hostile response from Microsoft customers. The controversy arose because of the way Microsoft's Office ... 2013 software licensing works. Microsoft has always taken the approach that you don't buy software outright but pay for the right to use it under specified conditions. In the past, most Microsoft licenses were transferrable. This meant that as long as you only ran the software on one machine at a time, you could reinstall the software if you changed ... (view more)

Industry insiders are warning potential buyers of Microsoft Office 2013 to carefully read the software's licensing agreement. According to reports, users of the popular software package could be prevented from installing programs like Excel, ... PowerPoint, and Word on more than a single PC. In a recent report, InfoWorld's Woody Leonhard notes that, according to the Microsoft Office 2013 licensing terms, users may have to re-purchase the software if their computer (the PC they originally installed the Office software on) breaks down. (Source: infoworld.com ) New Terms of Service for Home Users ... (view more)

Adobe is insisting that Mac and Windows users immediately update its Flash Player software. The company says it has just issued a new update designed to prevent hackers from exploiting two recently-discovered bugs. Adobe Flash is a multimedia and ... software platform often used by web browsers to display video, animations, and interactive games. Exploited Flaw Results in Crash By exploiting the bugs, hackers are causing serious problems. Reports indicate that it's possible for hackers to create websites that would trigger the bug and cause a user's computer to crash. That's a problem for ... (view more)

In recent weeks we've received quite a few emails asking this pressing question: "Dear Infopackets, I recently bought a new Windows 8 computer and I've just about had enough with it. I'm sure some people love the system, but I find it too confusing. ... I can't afford to replace the computer, so is it possible for me to run Windows 7 on it, instead of Windows 8? George H." My response: Yes, George. The short answer is that you can retrofit a Windows 8 computer with Windows 7. But the process can be a lot of a hassle. Please read through all of our instructions before you decide whether ... (view more)

We recently received this letter from an Infopackets fan in Arizona: "Hi Infopackets squad, I'm interested in downgrading my new PC from Windows 8 Pro to Windows 7. I know that in order to do that, I need to disable something called Secure Boot. ... What is Secure Boot, and how do I disable it? Thanks for the help, Gail C." My response: Great question, Gail. We'll be running a feature story soon giving you more information about how to downgrade from Windows 8 to Windows 7. However, in this article we'll be focusing exclusively on the Secure Boot feature. Secure Boot Protects Systems from Malware ... (view more)

The United States Air Force (USAF) plans to add 1,000 cybercrime experts to its current workforce of 6,000 computer professionals. The reason: there is a concern that Iran may soon pose a serious threat to US Internet security. Although the Air ... Force budget as a whole is likely to be cut, observers expect extra recruits in Space Command, the unit responsible for monitoring and controlling United States Internet security, satellites, and long-range missiles. (Source: ohsonline.com ) Cyber Command: Leading, Preventing Online Attacks Space Command is a unit within the larger Air Force Cyber ... (view more)