computer

According to recent reports, the number of 'ransomware' scams being used to scare computer users into giving up some of their money is increasing. Security experts believe at least sixteen different organizations are using sophisticated schemes like ... this to extort money from people in Europe. The number of groups trying the same basic scam stateside also appears to be growing. A ransomware scam involves installing malicious software on a targeted computer and then blocking access to that computer until the victim agrees to pay a substantial sum of money. In many cases, victimized PC users ... (view more)

Let's get this out of the way: Microsoft's decision to drastically change the Windows interface for Windows 8 remains highly controversial. But there are benefits for users who make the switch to the new operating system (OS). Number one on that ... list: the all-new security features that Windows 8 offers. For one, Windows 8 includes Windows Defender (otherwise know as Security Essentials). This free antivirus and antimalware security program takes over and protects a user's computer automatically, and remains in operation until some other antivirus program is installed. While recent tests have ... (view more)

Note from Dennis: further down this article you'll find a quick-and-dirty list of items of the best Black Friday deals I've found online. The list is conveniently presented in ascending order according to discount markup. Proceeds help to support ... our website, staff and writers. Your support is greatly needed and appreciated! You can go straight to the discount list by clicking here , or continue reading below. Happy Thanksgiving! -- Thanksgiving is officially upon us, which means there's going to be a ton of great deals being offered online as a result of the Holiday season -- deals like ... (view more)

Getting Windows 7 users to make the switch to Windows 8 continues to be a difficult challenge for Microsoft, despite an aggressive marketing blitz. Now the company is hoping to entice more prospective users to upgrade their computers to the new ... operating system by allowing them to escape worrying about any long-term commitments. Windows to Go is a feature in Windows 8 Enterprise that allows the operating system to boot and run from mass storage devices like USB flash drives and external hard disk drives. All that is needed to start computing with Windows 8 in this manner is to plug the pre- ... (view more)

A woman whose business intentionally scammed computer users by means of bogus security software has been ordered to pay a $163 million fine. Kristy Ross was vice president of Innovative Marketing, a firm legally registered in Belize (likely for ... favorable tax purposes) but actually operating out of Ukraine. The company has been the subject of legal action by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for the past four years. (Source: ftc.gov ) Bogus Security Scan Attracted Customers Innovative Marketing's business was actually a scareware scam: placing bogus website ads that pretended to scan a user's ... (view more)

Special note from Dennis: this 80% off deal expires this weekend - so don't wait! Proceeds from the sale support our website. A list of programs included in the 80% deal is further down the page, including a short synopsis. What's better than buying ... great Windows software? How about buying great Windows software for 80% off! For the next 2 days, Ashampoo is offering a full range of its best-selling Microsoft Windows software, regularly priced at up to $49.99 -- but now at prices that are unbelievably low. About Ashampoo Software Ashampoo is a software company founded in Germany. They make ... (view more)

Note from Dennis: At the end of the review, we're offering 20% discount for Infopackets readers. I get asked all the time "Why is my PC slow?" The answer, of course, is usually complex and may depend on a number of factors. But, for the most part, ... the culprit is due to repeated installation and removal of software programs to a system over a period of time. For example: a once pristine PC (brand new, untouched) from the factory can perform flawlessly. The same PC after a few months of use will start to lag. And, after a year or two, that same PC will surely suffer major performance ... (view more)

The latest edition of Mozilla's popular web browser, Firefox 15, is getting solid early reviews. In addition to fixing a notorious memory problem, the new version offers better support for games and music, and eases the update process. For many web ... users, Firefox is the world's best browser. It built that reputation by offering usability features not seen in other browsers. It has also suffered fewer security problems than rival browsers like Internet Explorer, from Microsoft. Over time, however, Firefox has lost a lot of market share to a newer entry in the market: Google's Chrome. One of ... (view more)

A newly discovered type of malware is designed to avoid detection by severely damaging a victim's computer once it has harvested sensitive data. The new 'Trojan horse' software is called "Shamoon" by most antivirus companies. It focuses on grabbing ... information housed in the 'Users', 'Documents and Settings', 'System32/Drivers' and 'System32/Config' folders on Windows systems. While this new piece of malware is primarily designed to attack large businesses, some of them specifically by name, it will apparently target home users, as well. Malware Packs Two-Fisted Punch Shamoon is unique in ... (view more)

Microsoft says its new 'Surface' tablet computer will be more like a traditional computer than other ultra-portable devices, such as Apple's segment-leading iPad. To help attract PC users the company is launching a range of new keyboards and mice ... specially designed to work with the Surface. The company is also adding the ability to interpret touch gestures to an existing high-tech mouse. Microsoft recently confirmed that the earlier, cheaper versions of Surface will be available on October 26, 2012, when Windows 8 is released. More expensive versions of the device, aimed at higher-end ... (view more)