Windows Media Center 8 for FREE from MS for a limited time.

Unlike Windows 7, Windows 8 will not come with Windows Media Center as part of the operating system.
 It's now an add-on that can be purchased through the Add Features option in Windows 8.
For a limited time, however, Microsoft is offering Windows Media Center to Windows 8 Pro customers for free. Here's how to get it.


 1   Request your free product key from windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/feature-packs
 2   They will send it by email in about 20 min to 48 hours.
 3   Then hit the shortcut, Win+W, then type "add features." Select "Add features to Windows 8."
 4   Click on "I already have a product key," then enter your product key. Click Next to continue.
 5   Agree to the licensing agreement, then click "Add features."

Once the offer expires on January 31, 2013, the cost to add Windows Media Center will be $9.99.
This offer does not apply to Windows 8 users who aren't running the Pro version.

Don't forget to check your version of Win 8, when your comp starts does it say Windows 8 Pro, if not this freebee will not work.

Take a screenshot of your Active window.

In Windows, If you want to, you can take a screenshot of only the active window or program, not the whole Screen.

Before you learn this trick on how to take a screenshot of the active window, it is a good idea to actually know what ‘active window’ means.

It is actually pretty simple. ‘Active  window’ is simply the window or program that you are currently in — the window or program that you are actively using. For example, let’s say you have three windows open — Firefox, Windows Explorer, and My Documents. Then let’s say you are currently using Firefox. The active window, therefore, is Firefox. If you switch to Windows Explorer and start using it, Windows Explorer becomes the active window. Same holds true for My Documents or any other window or program that you have open.

HOW TO TAKE SCREENSHOT OF ACTIVE WINDOW ONLY

As already mentioned, tapping Print Screen (or PRT SC, as some keyboards call it) takes a screenshot of your whole screen. If you want to take a screenshot of your active window only, you need to hold ALT while pressing Print Screen. In other words, pressing ALT + Print Screen takes a screenshot of only the active window.

Once you press ALT + Print Screen, a screenshot of the active window is copied to Windows Clipboard; you need to open up your favorite image editor [e.g. Microsoft Paint, Photo shop], paste the screenshot [Ctrl + V], and save it — just like you would do if you used just Print Screen.

Toolwiz TimeFreeze

If you keep uninstalling after trying software you thought you might like, then just go download “Toolwiz TimeFreeze” [  http://www.toolwiz.com/products/toolwiz-time-freeze/ ] It’s free. Just start Timefreeze before any download. If you don’t like the new software just restart your computer when you’re done trying it out and Timefreeze will ask if you want to keep it. If you don’t like it say “NO” and restart, when your computer boots back up it’s back to the exact state it was before the installation.

NOTE:
If you don’t wish to install Timefreeze software, then please create a restore point before installing new software. If you don’t like what it did, the software, etc., just restore your computer using the restore point you created before the install. I believe Windows should create a restore point at the beginning of anything being installed but I’ve noticed this doesn’t always work right and it’s best to create your own instead of depending on the system to think for you!

A Happy New Year to all my friends out there in cyberspace. Jeff.

May I wish you a very holy happy Christmas

To all my friends, may I wish you a very holy happy Christmas.
May all your needs be met and your dreams come true over this
most Holy of seasons. Below is a link for you to find a gift.
Your friend Jeff.

http://www.pusher.com.au/clients/pusher-christmas-2011

Malware targetting Windows does damage in a novel way

Backdoor.Makadoc -- a trojan that has been floating in the wild for a while now, attacking Windows, and has recently been updated to target Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 -- is a clever piece of malware. What makes this malware clever, you ask? Simply the way it goes about attacking your PC.

Actually, it isn't the attack-vector that is unique -- infections of Backdoor.Makadoc (and its variants) are spread through infected RTF and Word documents. Rather, what is novel about the malware is how it gets your data out of your PC, and how it communicates with malware's command and control servers.

You see any competent firewall will block outgoing connections of a suspicious process. However, most firewalls will not (and do not) block a connection made to Google Docs. As such, Backdoor.Makadocs utilizes Google Docs as the medium of communication between your infected PC and the command and control server. What happens is Makadocs uses the "viewer" functionality in Google Docs to transmit info back adn forth between your PC and the command and control server. Since Google Docs is typically a trusted source by firewalls and Google Docs encrypts all traffic, using this method not only helps the malware go around security measures of a firewall but also to help prevent the detection of the command and control server IP address/URL.

Google, of course, prevents the use of Google Docs for such purposes via its terms and conditions, and provides the ability in every Google Doc file to report abuse:

    Using any Google product to conduct this kind of activity is a violation of our product policies. We investigate and take action when we become aware of abuse.

Still, however, there is no real automated way to prevent such attacks via Google Docs because, as TheNextWeb points out, these types of vulnerabilities make use of social engineering and not system exploits. In its official statement on this matter, Microsoft echos this idea of fallibility to social engineering:

    Social engineering is an industry-wide issue and we are aware these types of problems occur. We are committed to helping consumers have a safe, secure and positive online experience. Our general guidance to customers is to exercise extreme caution when opening unsolicited attachments and links from both known and unknown sources and install and regularly update anti-virus software.

As I type this on a Google Doc, I'm hoping Google and Microsoft sort this out as soon as possible. For what it is worth, Backdoor.Makadocs is a known vulnerability (and not a zero-day attack) so any competent anti-virus should protect you against it.

dottech.org

Online Surveys Scams

SCAMwatch is warning people to beware of online scams – surveys, emails and social-media posts – offering fake gift vouchers or other bogus inducements in return for disclosing credit card and other personal information.

While many online surveys are legitimate and may be backed by some reward, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and Woolworths have received an increased number of complaints about possible scams misusing the Woolworths name and logo, going under such titles as ‘Customer Satisfaction Survey to get $50’.

Scams such as these often ask people to provide credit card or other personal details, which criminals can use to commit identity theft and other fraud.

Woolworths is advising people that all its official competitions are listed at www.woolworths.com.au on its Promotions and Competitions page.

How these scams work

    These scams abuse the brand names and logos of well-known companies and products to make them look legitimate.
    As with many legitimate offers and online posts, you might be asked to complete a survey and/ or pass on an offer to others before you can claim a voucher or other inducement or enter a competition. But the scams will take your valuable information and give you only disappointment in return – products will never arrive or vouchers will be fakes that retailers won’t honour.
    Recent scams have related to supermarkets, coffee shops, smart phones and tablets, including offers featured on Facebook.

Protect yourself

    Be very wary when, for example, filling in surveys linked from social networking sites – being asked to provide such detailed information as Medicare numbers or credit-card security codes should ring alarm bells.
    You should check whenever you can whether offers are legitimate, even ones passed on from people you know. If the offers are represented as coming directly from a particular retailer, check they are listed on the retailers’ official websites – or call a business’ official customer-service line. Don’t click on links or call numbers listed in the offers – they can link to fake websites and even fake call centres.
    If you think you have provided your account details to a scammer, contact your financial institution immediately and report the scam to The Australian Communications and Media Authority http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=CONTACT_COMPLAINTS_OVIEW

Advanced-Tokens-Manager

Normally, you can use Windows 7 serial key during installation on the same machine for activating Windows but online activation have some limits. If you install Windows on your system many times due to reasons like virus threats, system files corruption, etc. then online activation is a great problem. 7Tokens Manager is a freeware tool which will back up the Windows 7 Retail, OEM and MAK licenses (your genuine license) and then restore it.

Features:

    Backup’s RETAIL / OEM / MAK licenses
    Backup Certificate / Serial / Tokens.dat
    Backup license files
    Dynamic interface
    Very lightweight and fast
    Programmed with security features
    5 min is estimated time required to restore your activation

   http://forums.mydigitallife.info/threads/27341-Advanced-Tokens-Manager-The-Activation-Backup-Solution