Toronto Computer Repair

For those of you scarred by Windows Vista and are terrified to switch to Windows 7, there is some good news.

Microsoft reports that they are receiving half of the calls they expected to their help desk.

“Overall we are finding our call center volume is down significantly more than we expected,” said Barbara Gordon, vice president of customer support for Microsoft.

Even though the sales volumes have dramatically increased compared to Vista, the calls have shrivelled. Part of the reason is due to the improvement in quality and performance.

McDonalds Restaurant will provide free wireless Interent in a number of its locations in Canada. The initial implementation will start with “Metro Vancouver”, hopefully to meet the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. 

McDonald’s already offers Wi-Fi at 11,000 of its 14,000 locations in the U.S. but now says it will be free of charge starting next month. It currently charges $2.95 U.S. for two hours of Internet service.

Every Friday, we will select top 3 apps that are available for free on the net.

This Week (10/30/2009)

1. Oxelon Media Converter – Media File Converter

A simple solution to converting video and audio files. There are many great programs that do this (Super, MediaCoder, WinLAME, and VirtualDub), but not many are as simple to use as Oxelon. All you have to do is right click on any media file, and select the file format you want to convert it to. You can also change audio and video codecs, framerate, bitrate, and video dimensions as well as other settings. You need to hit the “Conversion” button to start converting your file. 

http://www.oxelon.com/media_converter.html

2. Libox – Unlimited Media File Sharing (Music, Photos, Video)

Libox is a FREE, unlimited, and simple way to experience, sync, and share original quality media. It is a new beta desktop application unlike other social media sharing sites, whose free accounts are 1 GB or 100 photo/files, Libox is unlimited. After downloading and installing it, you will be prompted to import your files. The clean intuitive UI allows you to share the files by email with your friends and groups. Your friends will also need to install the 7.9MB app to open the files. You can also sync your media files with other computers on the network, or use a web app to access the media through a web browser.

http://www.libox.com/

3. PortableApps Suite – Personalize your portable device

PortableApps.com Suite™ is a complete collection of portable apps including a web browser, email client, office suite, calendar/scheduler, instant messaging client, antivirus, audio player, sudoku game, password manager, PDF reader, minesweeper clone, backup utility and integrated menu, all preconfigured to work portably. Just drop it on your portable device (i.e. USB Drive) and you’re ready to go.

http://portableapps.com/suite

Facebook is another victim of virus attack through social media. The virus known as Bredolab, masks itself as a “Password Reset Confirmation Email” that appears to come from Facebook. It has a file attached that claims to have the password. “That file is actually a Trojan horse that will download a host of nasty files from the Web and infect your computer with them.”

How to Avoid:

 If you didn’t request to reset you password, Facebook will never send you an email. Even if you did they will never send you an attachment, so don’t open it. If you’re still not sure, check the mail server. If it’s not Facebook, it’s not legit.

It has been reported there are problems with Yahoo Mail early Monday morning. The problem appears to be isolated, and not system wide.

Update (11:58 AM EST):

” Yahoo released a statement confirming the problems but downplayed the breadth.  A small fraction of Yahoo Mail users are experiencing intermittent email issues today, October 26. We are actively working to resolve the issue and apologize for any inconvenience this causes.”

 Update (12:50 P M EST)

Yahoo: “A small fraction of Yahoo! Mail users may have experienced intermittent email issues earlier today, October 26, but the problem has now been resolved. We believe this was an isolated incident. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.”

Here is the big buzz everyone is talking about. Microsoft is offering students great deals on Windows 7 and Office 2007.  Here is the link: http://www.microsoft.com/student/discounts/theultimatesteal-us/default.aspx

If you’re in the market for a new gadget, Measy can save you hours . It narrows down your options by asking you a serious of questions. This is a great tool if you like to do your research before you buy something. Don’t forget to read the CNET reviews of the product it suggests for you.

Every Friday, we will select top 3 apps that are available for free on the net.

This Week (10/23/2009)

1. Ninite – Bulk Install App

At times when needed, it could be quite annoying installing all your favorite apps individually. Next, next next, … This tool allows you to pre-select the best free software, and install it all at once.

http://ninite.com/

2. Iobit Security 360 Pro- Anti Spyware, Malware, etc

Iobit is giving away a free 1 year license for the Pro version of Iobit Security 360.  Just follow the link below and enter your email address to receive a license. Designed for Windows® 7, Vista™, XP and 2000 (32bit and 64bit), 1 year license for 1 PC.

http://db.iobit.com/license-free/win7-special-offer.php

Offer Ends Nov. 11, 2009

3. CDBurnerXP 4.2.6.1748- Create CDs and DVDs

This is a free alternative to Nero. The core of the program’s feature set consists of three main tasks, which are prompted via a wizard upon start-up: writing data CDs and DVDs, creating CDs for audio playback, and ripping music from CDs or editing ID3 tags.

http://download.cnet.com/CDBurnerXP/3000-2646_4-10409086.html

Enjoy!!

With the launch of Windows 7, most of you Microsoft users  are probably wondering what new features does it offer compared to XP or Vista. Do I need windows 7? What am I missing out on?

Highlight of Features:

Newly designed easy to use task bar, fairly good application compatibility, seamless installation, much better performance than Vista, new Windows Media Centre, and much better security.

The Bad:

IE8, Control Panel, lack of pre-installed apps, and inconsistent with pinning files or folders to the task bar. 

Overall:

 If you have Vista, it is definitely a no brainer that it’s better to upgrade. However,  if you have XP on an older machine, its better to wait until you upgrade or buy a new one.  You’ll save yourself a few bucks, and a big hassle.

Stay tuned for the latest software & hardware news. Best troubleshooting tips, tricks, and security updates for PC users from A+ Computec professionals.