How Dangerous is Web Surfing?

Samantha asked the Antivirus & Security Software forum about the likelihood of a web site infecting her PC, and whether certain types of web sites are more dangerous than others.

Web sites can infect your PC. And yes, adult sites are more likely to get you into trouble. But you can catch malware from a respectable site, as well. In most cases, the site has been hijacked, and its owner is only guilty of lax security practices.

Find out just how dangerous web surfing can be over @ PC World.



By Friendly Computers Copyright: 2010-01-28


By Friendly Computers Copyright: 2010-01-28

6 Free Softwares To Manage Your Files

Are you annoyed at the disordered files of your computer? Are you driven mad by searching files without any results? Do you feel like you are at your breaking point when your files are missing? Can you bear that your secret files may be seen by others?

Take it easy. There are many methods to conquer these problems. We will introduce a series of files management softwares to help you manage your Windows 7 PC.

Find out which 6 free pieces of software you can utilize to streamline your file storage experience over @ Windows7News...Call us today with any questions! 281-554-5500. Why call a geek when you can call a friend?


By Friendly Computers Copyright: 2010-01-28


By Friendly Computers Copyright: 2010-01-28

Hands-on: Facebook Video Calling vs. Google+ Hangout

The Google-Facebook rivalry has intensified in the past several days. Last week, Google announced the limited launch of its new Google+ social network, including a video chat feature called Hangouts. Then, yesterday, Facebook launched its new Video Calling feature, powered by Skype. Clearly, social networking and video chat are now joined at the hip.

Which video chat service is better, and who should use which one? I put both Facebook Video Calling and Google+ Hangout through their paces and found that they both have their pros and cons.

Facebook's video chat is currently more stable, requires fewer system resources, and has higher-quality video and audio. On the other hand, Google+ Hangout is a more fully featured application, clearly designed for group video chat. Those who have made it into Google+ may find it buggy, but in the long run, Hangout could prove to be more useful than Facebook's video feature.

Read more about these exciting two digital behemoths over @ ComputerWorld...

How to Migrate Your Data From an Old Computer to a New One

When you buy a new computer, you start with a clean slate, which is great, but you don't have any of your documents or settings from your old computer. Luckily, it's very easy to transfer all your files and settings from your old computer to the new one—whether you're on Windows or a Mac.

If you're migrating from Windows to Windows or a Mac to a new Mac, you can use your operating system's built-in tools to migrate your data. If you're moving between platforms, you can still do it, you just won't be using any tools. In general, however, no matter what kind of computer you use, you'll probably need an external drive to pull this off, so if you don't have one, go pick one up. Once you're done migrating your data, it works great for backing it up in case anything happens.

Read more about how to migrate your data over @ LifeHacker...


By Friendly Computers Copyright: 2010-01-28


By Friendly Computers Copyright: 2010-01-28

Toyota joins the Linux Foundation

The Linux Foundation, the nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the growth of Linux, today announced that Toyota is its newest member.

A major shift is underway in the automotive industry. Carmakers are using new technologies to deliver on consumer expectations for the same connectivity in their cars as they’ve come to expect in their homes and offices. From dashboard computing to In-Vehicle-Infotainment (IVI), automobiles are becoming the latest wireless devices – on wheels.

The Linux operating system is providing a common platform that helps connect the world’s network of devices, including cars. As an open source operating system, it provides automakers and their partners the flexibility they require to bring to market the latest technology features quickly.

Read more about this exciting new Linux growth over @ The Linux Foundation...


By Friendly Computers Copyright: 2010-01-28


By Friendly Computers Copyright: 2010-01-28

Useful free Windows programs for backing up your files!

As we all know, regular backups are an essential part of computer maintenance. However, backing up the whole system can be time consuming and usually does not get done often enough to keep up with the day-to-day changes in personal files. Many PC users do their backups once a week or even less often and run the risk of losing everything done in between. What is needed is a way to do quick backups of recently changed files on a more frequent schedule.

My own backup routine includes very frequent backups of the personal folders where I keep current work and less frequent but regular whole system backups. For the latter, I use imaging software, such as the one native to Windows 7. In this tip, I will mention several good free applications from Microsoft that provide easy backup of individual folders. These file backups can be done to USB keys or other removable media. The backups can be set to include only files that have changed and can be quite fast.

Read more over @ Gizmo's Freeware...



By Friendly Computers Copyright: 2010-01-28


By Friendly Computers Copyright: 2010-01-28

How to Keep an Eye on the Health of Your Laptop Battery

The battery can be the Achilles heel in a laptop. All batteries will go bad sooner or later and it pays to keep an eye on the state of your battery. How much do you know about your battery's health? Aside from the time that is estimated to remain before you run out of power or a percent reading of the remaining charge, laptops do not generally provide much other battery information.

Read more over @ Gizmo's Hardware!


By Friendly Computers Copyright: 2010-01-28

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