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Reset Windows passwords in minutes without extra hardware or software

Reset Windows passwords in minutes without extra hardware or software
  • Posted December 13, 2012, 5:00 PM by Matthew DeCarlo | Filed in IT Security, Microsoft
  • Although a man recently made headlines for demonstrating that he could brute force an eight-character Windows password in less than six hours by harnessing the power of 25 GPUs, another savvy user has reminded us of a workaround that can bypass the security of virtually...

Dell rules out return to smartphone business, focuses on Windows 8 and RT

Dell rules out return to smartphone business, focuses on Windows 8 and RT
  • Posted December 13, 2012, 1:00 PM by Jose Vilches | Filed in Industry News, Mobile Computing
  • After a few mild attempts at breaking into the smartphone market over the past couple of years, Dell has now confirmed they’re pulling out of the ring globally and have no intentions to return in the near future.

Razer details specs of "Project Fiona" Windows 8 gaming tablet

Razer details specs of "Project Fiona" Windows 8 gaming tablet
  • Posted December 12, 2012, 9:55 AM by Jose Vilches | Filed in Gaming, Hardware
  • Razer’s gaming tablet concept, codenamed Project Fiona, was given the green light back in October after easily reaching a goal the company had set for itself of 10,000 Likes/Shares on Facebook to gauge public interest. The project soon began taking…

Yahoo updates e-mail client, revises apps for Android, iOS, Windows 8

Yahoo updates e-mail client, revises apps for Android, iOS, Windows 8
  • Posted December 11, 2012, 12:30 PM by Shawn Knight | Filed in Software
  • Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer announced earlier today via blog post that the search company has updated their web-based e-mail client. The revised layout focuses on minimizing distractions and improving speed, Mayer noted. Yahoo Mail now also has new mobile apps…

Lenovo updates Thinkpad X1 Carbon with touch screen and Windows 8

Lenovo updates Thinkpad X1 Carbon with touch screen and Windows 8
  • Posted December 11, 2012, 9:30 AM by Jose Vilches | Filed in Hardware, Mobile Computing
  • Lenovo has announced a touch-enabled version of its Thinkpad X1 Carbon ultrabook. Originally released in August 2012, the refreshed model is much the same as its predecessor, but should provide business laptop users with an optimal experience on Microsoft's new…

25-GPU cluster can brute force Windows password in record time

25-GPU cluster can brute force Windows password in record time
  • Posted December 10, 2012, 9:30 AM by Shawn Knight | Filed in IT Security
  • Jeremi Gosney, the founder and CEO of Stricture Consulting Group, recently showcased a GPU-based computer cluster capable of brute forcing its way through any standard eight-character Windows password (including upper- and lower-case letter, digits and symbols) in less than six…

Data shows Windows 8 hasn't stimulated PC gaming as anticipated

Data shows Windows 8 hasn
  • Posted December 6, 2012, 7:30 AM by Shawn Knight | Filed in Software, Gaming
  • Microsoft and a number of partners had high hopes for Windows 8. The recently-released operating system was expected to be the savior for desktop computer, among other things. It’s still too early to determine if those lofty expectations will be…

Microsoft introduces browser-based Windows 8 app creator

Microsoft introduces browser-based Windows 8 app creator
  • Posted December 3, 2012, 8:30 AM by Shawn Knight | Filed in Microsoft, Software With Video
  • A recent Microsoft Research Connections blog post outlines some changes that have been made with regards to the tools that developers can use to create apps for Windows 8 or Windows Phone 8. Up to this point, developers were required…

VLC launches Kickstarter campaign for Windows 8 app

VLC launches Kickstarter campaign for Windows 8 app
  • Posted November 29, 2012, 1:00 PM by Jose Vilches | Filed in Software With Video
  • The team behind the popular open-source media player VLC has announced plans to develop a native app for Windows 8’s  Metro UI, and they’re looking to crowdsource funds for the project through Kickstarter. According to the team, although they currently…

Next Windows may be free, yearly upgrades, possible 2013 launch

Next Windows may be free, yearly upgrades, possible 2013 launch
  • Posted November 28, 2012, 5:30 PM by Rick Burgess | Filed in Microsoft, Mobile Computing
  • Tired of using the same operating system for years? Microsoft certainly hopes so. The Redmond-based software maker is hoping "Windows Blue" will change how consumers perceive Windows by introducing frequent, periodic upgrades (e.g. annual releases), akin to Apple's aggressive Mac…

Microsoft: 40 million Windows 8 licences sold so far, 85% launch the desktop on day one

Microsoft: 40 million Windows 8 licences sold so far, 85% launch the desktop on day one
  • Posted November 28, 2012, 9:30 AM by Jose Vilches | Filed in Microsoft, Software
  • Microsoft has sold 40 million Windows 8 licenses after the operating system's first month of retail availability. Tami Reller, corporate vice president for Windows and Windows Live, revealed the number at a recent investor conference held by Credit Suisse but…

Firefox 64-bit development quietly ended for Windows

Firefox 64-bit development quietly ended for Windows
  • Posted November 22, 2012, 1:30 PM by Rick Burgess | Filed in Software, The Web
  • It appears Mozilla has quietly toe-tagged 64-bit builds of its Firefox browser for Windows. In a Google Groups discussion, managing engineer Benjamin Smedberg requested coders halt development on nightly builds of its 64-bit Windows distribution.

Loophole enables anyone to get a Windows 8 license for free

Loophole enables anyone to get a Windows 8 license for free
  • Posted November 21, 2012, 10:01 AM by Jose Vilches | Filed in Microsoft, Software
  • Copies of Windows 8 Pro are freely available from Microsoft’s website for anyone who wants to try out the operating system. Normally, the software would expire after 180 days, a period that is meant to allow Volume Licensing customers to…

Windows 8 user interface ripped apart by Nielsen Norman Group

Windows 8 user interface ripped apart by Nielsen Norman Group
  • Posted November 20, 2012, 8:30 AM by Shawn Knight | Filed in Software, Microsoft
  • Windows 8 has once again come under fire over its questionable user interface. This time, it’s Jakob Nielsen from the Nielsen Norman Group voicing an opinion based on a recent case study conducted by the company. Simply put, Nielsen’s words…

Paul Thurott: Windows 8 sales "well below" Microsoft's projections

Paul Thurott: Windows 8 sales "well below" Microsoft
  • Posted November 19, 2012, 3:00 PM by Rick Burgess | Filed in Microsoft, Mobile Computing
  • Despite Microsoft's excitement at selling four million Windows 8 upgrades in four days, well-known industry blogger Paul Thurott says sales of the OS are "well below" Microsoft's internal projections. Get your salt shakers ready, but Thurott cites ones of his…

Dell's consumer sales suffer, Windows 8 touch devices encouraging

Dell
  • Posted November 16, 2012, 4:30 PM by Rick Burgess | Filed in Industry News, Mobile Computing
  • With yesterday's report of sagging consumer PC sales, Dell said it's looking to other markets (i.e. enterprise and IT services) to help pick up the slack. Dell has talked about transitioning from consumer PCs to IT business services in the past,…

Google improves Flash sandbox, Chrome safer than ever

Google improves Flash sandbox, Chrome safer than ever
  • Posted November 14, 2012, 3:30 PM by Rick Burgess | Filed in Apple, Software
  • Google silently rolled out an update to Chrome which featured an unusual change, apparently one worthy of an announcement on the Chrome Blog: improved Adobe Flash plug-in sandboxing. The company claims its new method of fortifying Flash makes Adobe's plug-in…

Microsoft has "no plan" to release DirectX 11.1 for Windows 7 (Updated)

Microsoft has "no plan" to release DirectX 11.1 for Windows 7 (Updated)
  • Posted November 14, 2012, 3:22 PM by Rick Burgess | Filed in Microsoft, Gaming
  • According to a reply from an engineer on Microsoft's Developer Network forum, DirectX 11.1 will be available exclusively for flavors of Windows 8 only. There are apparently no plans to release 11.1 for Windows 7 or Vista. "DirectX 11.1 is…

Internet Explorer 10 preview finally available for Windows 7

Internet Explorer 10 preview finally available for Windows 7
  • Posted November 13, 2012, 3:30 PM by Rick Burgess | Filed in Software, Microsoft
  • Aside from Microsoft's unilateral decision to enable Do-Not-Track by default, the most controversial thing about Internet Explorer 10 may have been its limited platform support. Except for its first couple of previews, the browser has remained compatible only for flavors…

Elliptic Labs brings 'Minority Report' gestures to Windows 8

Elliptic Labs brings
  • Posted November 13, 2012, 12:00 PM by Jose Vilches | Filed in Software, Industry News With Video
  • A Norwegian company called Elliptic Labs is showing off a novel touch-less gesturing technology that uses ultrasound to bring Minority Report style controls to Windows 8 devices. The results are similar to what we’ve seen with Kinect and Leap Motion,…

Steven Sinofsky, head of Microsoft's Windows division leaves the company

Steven Sinofsky, head of Microsoft
  • Posted November 13, 2012, 9:00 AM by Julio Franco | Filed in Microsoft, Industry News Breaking News
  • Steven Sinofsky who had been running the Windows division at Microsoft since 2009 has left the company, effective immediately, without clear explanation on the reasons. Sinofsky’s departure comes shortly after the launch of Windows 8 and Microsoft Surface, products that…

Tech Tip: How to Change the Start Screen Background in Windows 8

Tech Tip: How to Change the Start Screen Background in Windows 8
  • Posted November 13, 2012, 12:22 AM by Jose Vilches | Filed in TechSpot, Software
  • Besides not offering a way to bypass the new Windows 8 Start screen (not without the help of third-party utilities), surprisingly Microsoft is also limiting your options when it comes to customizing its appearance. You can choose from a couple color schemes and 10 stock background images, but that's about it. We've seen some workarounds before but they are cumbersome and the results are less than optimal.

    Enter Decor8. Stardock’s Windows 8 customization app removes this limitation by giving users the ability to pick any picture they want as the Start screen background.

Built-in advertising: The Windows 8 feature you haven't heard about

Built-in advertising: The Windows 8 feature you haven
  • Posted November 12, 2012, 7:30 AM by Shawn Knight | Filed in Microsoft, Software
  • The advertisements are reportedly found inside some of the applications that ship with Windows 8 under the Modern UI (Metro) user interface like Finance, News, Travel and Weather. Advertisements in free mobile apps or even trial software are perfectly understandable, but...

Windows 8, RT set to receive first critical security patches

Windows 8, RT set to receive first critical security patches
  • Posted November 9, 2012, 2:30 PM by Jose Vilches | Filed in Microsoft, IT Security
  • Microsoft’s recently launched Windows 8 operating system is set to receive its first critical security update next week. According to the company’s advance notification posting, the November edition of Patch Tuesday will include critical fixes for vulnerabilities in Windows, Internet…

Yahoo page redesign draws inspiration from Windows 8

Yahoo page redesign draws inspiration from Windows 8
  • Posted November 9, 2012, 1:30 PM by Rick Burgess | Filed in The Web, Industry News
  • A great number of changes have been brewing at Yahoo, the still relatively new home of Google executive turned Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer. According to sources from All Things D, the latest shake-up is a redesigned look which appears to…

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