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Reset Windows passwords in minutes without extra hardware or software
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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
- 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’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 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 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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 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
- 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
- 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 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
- 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
- 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 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)
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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
- 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
- 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 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
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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
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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
- 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
- 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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