Microsoft Window XP, the most popular operating system of all times has two more years to live and then it will become history.  The longest lived operating system will rest in peace on 8th April 2014 as announced by Microsoft.

The beginning of the two year countdown until the death of Window XP created shockwaves worldwide.  Window XP, also known as people’s favorite and most popular operating system of the decade, will be hard to let go.
The Journey 2001-2014:
Window XP was launched and introduced to the world in 2001 while Office was launched in 2003. Just when the software was released people across the globe went gaga over it. The reason for its undisputed success was simple user friendliness and application compatibility.
Currently it’s been 12 years and 7 months to its existence and sadly there are only 2 years more to go. Microsoft has been urging people and businesses to shift to Window 7 and Vista.
Furthermore according to Microsoft, they will stop creating and developing security updates and support functions for Window XP, so it’s the right time for people to jump to the latest operating system, otherwise their business can be at risk.
The company will put an end to Window XP in 2014 because they believe it will become outdated in the technological environment. No doubt that XP had a good run but it cannot match with the recent technology shift.
Reasons for the Closure:
Besides the technological shift, Microsoft believes that it’s high time to move to Window 7 because of several other reasons as well.
Window 7 is More Advance: According to the company, Window 7 is better than XP. It has built in troubleshooters and can easily connect to networks.
Offers High Security: Unlike XP, Window 7 offers greater security. To increase the level of security on your computer and to easily combat along with block spyware and hackers from accessing your important files, Microsoft Window 7 has Window Defender already built in which ensures and provides you higher security than ever. In addition, the release of Windows 8 this year, things are only looking up for Microsoft
Fast and Easy to Search: Window 7 has a user friendly search bar, which allows you to search for files and documents in seconds.
Great System Store: It has a much better and improved back up file management system than Window XP. It automatically makes a back up of your file.
So it’s time you say goodbye to Window XP and move to bigger, better and much more advanced operating system.
Don’t put your business at risk!

XP 04:38

Operating a business in today’s dynamic environment is not easy. Your business is exposed to a myriad of threats, which can damage your company’s reputation, leak out confidential information and weaken your company’s position in the market.

The more office work is becoming paperless and computerized, the more businesses are becoming vulnerable to security threats. With the increase of online businesses and virtual space, office risks have doubled simultaneously.
Some of the top 5 security risks that your company can face are discussed below:
1.    Information leak: No matter how many anti-viruses you install or how many foolproof measures you take to protect your sensitive data from hackers, it is still not enough. Data breaches have increased tremendously in recent years.  Around 35% of businesses suffer from a data breach frequently.
2.    Spear Fishing & Social Engineering: Disabling and hacking business websites to steal data has posed a great deal of threat to companies. Spear fishing and social engineering are two of the most common methods used by hackers to plunder databases of businesses. This can be done from any part of the world. Employees receive disguised messages and emails with refined grammar and flowery language, which excites and intrigues them to open it. Social engineering has increased exponentially. Social engineering has made many employees cough up sensitive information about the companies they work for which has put many companies in deep waters.
3.    Insiders: The employees, who fear that they might get laid off, are the ones who usually act as insiders. It is easy for them to access confidential data of the company and steal client data as well. Once they get their hands on the sensitive data, they sell it to the competitor at a good price.
4.    Over Usage of Social Media: Where social media has given a platform for people to interact and businesses to attract customers, it has also opened a gateway to problems. Professionals have been known to accidentally and unintentionally share confidential corporate information with social engineers on social media websites. Besides, malware like infected links can be sent easily through social media websites, which once opened can damage the whole system.
5.    The Dark Cloud: As companies are moving towards cloud computing to curb fraud, The Dark Cloud has been introduced. This is a threat to cloud computing. It is designed to exploit cloud technology.
To protect your company from these risks you must ensure that:
•    Your employees are trust worthy
•    You should closely monitor their activities
•    Risk management activity should be carried out  time and again
•    Also make sure that you get the latest and most advanced software installed on your system which combats malware efficiently and effectively.

Tech Updates 04:37

There is something about hackers and hacking that make people think of a life of excitement and adventure. People, in general, may be divided into different camps as to their opinion of hackers, which in turn, depends largely on one’s definition of what makes a hacker.

If we were to base our definition on the likes of the members of Anonymous and LulzSec – who have made the headlines in recent times – and identity thieves, then it not hard to see why the idea of hackers being on the dark side is a common perception. In fact, the FBI a special section for wanted cyber criminals. (Not that the FBI probably have their own “security experts” doing work on their side!)
For some light reading on a Friday, check out soem of FBI’s most wanted hackers (then and now).

Hector Xavier Monsegur

In this photo, the guy known “Sabu” does not look like a bad boy, does he? (How can you – with a half-eaten donut in hand?) Extremely intelligent, Sabu is a self-taught hacker. Associated with Anonymous, LulzSec, and Internet Feds, he is also known as Xavier DeLeon and Leon. Once themost wanted hacker by FBI, Sabu slipped up at some point last year and was arrested by the authorities. We probably don’t know half of what he has accomplished, but some highlights include:

• hacking of Sony Pictures Entertainment and Fox Broadcasting Company
• hacking into credit card databases and selling credit card information to other hackers
• denial of service (“DoS”) attacks against the websites of Visa, MasterCard, and PayPal

What made Sabu a star in his circles? Apparently a rare blend of tech skills and interpersonal skills. A charming hacker; who would have thought?

Björn Daniel Sundin

Björn Daniel Sundin, also known as David Sundin, is a Swedish “Internet entrepreneur” (I always have been wary about this term, and maybe Sundin is a good reason to continue being wary!) born in 1978. He is currently wanted by the FBI due to his humongous online scam which people from more than 60 countries fell for.
One million fake software products. Over $100 million worth of money involved.
His MO? Browser hijacking and false error messages. Criminally brilliant in its simplicity.
If you have any information about him, you might want to know there is a $20,000 reward up for grabs.

Tobechi Enyinna Onwuhara

Tobechi Enyinna Onwuhara might very well be one of the reasons Nigerians have gotten a bad rep for scamming people online – or at least trying to. While we all know we shouldn’t generalize, one can hardly deny that receiving email from a Nigerian prince elicits laughter more than anything else!
Onwuhara, while not a prince plays a key role in a Nigerian group which has been getting their hands on Internet databases to steal identities. Their MO involves getting access to the Home Equity Line of Credit of the stolen identities and then transferring money to accounts they control, both abroad and in the US.
He’s still on the run, with a $25,000 reward on his head.

Tech Updates 04:34

The cloud has made it possible for a massive amount of users to collaborate on projects by simply logging onto the internet and access shared files. As cloud computing becomes more prevalent numerous products have begun to enter the market. If you plan to access the web and share documents via the cloud there are three programs you should definitely check out; Google Docs, Office 365 and Zoho Docs.

Google Docs
Before it was cool to give away office capabilities for free there was Google Docs. Much like Microsoft’s Office productivity suite the Google program allows users to create word based documents, add/edit/share excel documents and even create slideshows directly from a web based platform. One of the best parts of Google Docs is that there is zero software to download. Users literally create and save their documents online. Once created documents can be emails to others, downloading to a users computer or even printed.
My personal favorite  part of Google Docs is the real-time collaboration capabilities of the office productivity suite. For example after sharing a document and providing editor capabilities I can see what changes have been made by other users as they are being made. With simple color coding it’s a breeze to examine a co-worker or friends changes and then move forward.
Google Docs is fully cloud centric and now combined with Google Drive which means users are automatically allocated 5GB of storage. At just $4.99 for 25GB of storage on Google Drive upgrading is simple.
Thanks to a clear and concise design that closely mimics Microsoft’s Office productivity suite using Google Docs shouldn’t be a problem for most users right out of the box.
Office 365
Microsoft has stripped down its office products to create the Office 365 platform while maintaining the look and feel of its popular office applications. If formatting and creativity are major sticking points for your projects Office 365 offers a more diverse set of fonts and formatting styles than either Google Apps or Zoho.
One of the platforms biggest advantages is the ability to quickly switch between your desktop Office product and the online based Office 365. Because the cloud based application allows for less options the integration option between programs means users can work on documents on the go and then add more to them while at their desktop or notebook.
Office 365 is more than just a collection of Microsoft Office programs moved over to the web, the suite also includes collaboration tools for real-time messaging and Microsoft exchange email support for $4/user/month.
If you need to maintain a calendar, send emails, chat online with people in your organization and create/view/edit documents you should check out Office 365.
Zoho Docs
Zoho like the other programs allows users to created, view and edit docs in real-time. One of my favorite parts of this platform however is the ability to assign tasks to team members. Zoho is essentially the project management tool of the online cloud based office products.
One of my favorite parts of Zoho is the ability to add, import, invite and create users & groups. I also like that user rights can be controlled to ensure documents stay how you want them to stay.
Because Zoho is a paid application it can also be white labeled, allowing businesses to show their own logo, giving employees a feel of workplace dynamics.
With online storage available, plenty of features for document management and full collaboration Zoho Docs is definitely worth a closer look.

Zoho Docs 04:31

Less than a month has gone by since a California court gave the verdict for the “patent trial of the century”, where Apple seemingly came out as the winner over Samsung. This highly publicized trial has caught the attention of experts (the real ones, not the pundits you can find on every social network these days) and the average consumer alike.
What exactly are the patent wars, and what do they mean to you and me?
I suppose that, taking into consideration the hullabaloo surrounding Apple and Samsung in the recent times, it is understandable to think of the two names when patent wars are brought up. The truth of the matter, however, is that the patent wars go way beyond the two big names in mobile devices.

Visualize the battlefield

Take a look at this handy visualization that visual.ly has created. It covers both the suing and selling grounds, and as you can see, there is more to the patent wars than Apple and Samsung.

Design and functionality

When talking about patent wars, there is the need to point out the distinction between design and functionality. This is exactly what David Hsu, management professor at Wharton, explained in a recent interview.
He pointed out that in the recent case of Apple and Samsung, some of the bones of contention were centered on design elements rather than functionality. He says:

A number of them were on the design side, so it’s not protecting the functionality of the innovation, but rather the packaging of it. And then a few of the others did not go to the core of the operating system, but were about some of the more design-oriented aspects, [such as] the [feature in which pages viewed on Apple's iOS operating system "bounce back" into place when a user reaches the top or bottom] or the array of the icons on the grid.

That is not to say, however, that function-related patent issues are of the past. The bottom line is that manufacturers want to protect their creations, both in relation to design and function. And you can’t totally blame them!

Effects of the patent wars

On the one hand, one can say that Apple won this round with the ruling. On the other hand, in the “consumer court”, Apple might have lost points. How this will play out remains to be seen.
Professor Hsu also stated in the same interview that he thinks the patent wars will result in a broadening of the landscape, that is, competition will have a window of opportunity – no matter how small that may be at the present – to make an impact on the market.
Not everyone thinks the same way, though, as even Google has voiced out concerns about the situation, saying that the wars only serve to stifle innovation. Of course, we cannot discount the fact that they are a player in the patent wars!
At the end of the day, consumers will be affected by these wars simply because of the choices that will available to us as a result of rulings. So what is your take? Does the patent wars make sense? Will it help broaden the landscape, or will it only serve to stifle innovation?

Tech Updates 04:29

Cloud storage has made our lives so much easier, doing away with many of the issues related to backing up important files and sharing data. The need for physical storage devices

, which highlight issues such as space, cost, and portability, is practically a non-issue for the average user, thanks to the wide availability of cloud storage services.
As a matter of fact, the main question that we face is not whether to utilize cloud storage, but which cloud storage apps or services to use. To help you in making this decision, here are 5 of the best cloud storage apps out there.

Dropbox

Notable features: Can be used on your browser, via the app for practically all computer systems, and via the app for mobile systems; Does all the work in the background without you having to worry about anything; unlimited file size from the desktop.
Free storage: 2 GB, with the possibility of earning up to 18GB from referrals
Premium fee: Starts at $9.99 a month for 100 GB

Google Drive

Notable features: Available for PC, Mac, Chrome OS, iOS, and Android; 10 GB maximum file size; Google Search, Google+, and Google Docs integration.
Free storage: 5 GB
Premium fee: Starts at $2.49 a month for 25 GB

Microsoft SkyDrive

Notable features: Available for PC and Mac; Accessible via Windows Explorer, which makes it very easy to use; Bing Search integration; 2 GB maximum file size
Free storage: 7 GB
Premium fee: Starts at $10 per year for 20 GB

SugarSync

Notable features: Available for Mac and PC, as well as iOS, Android, Blackberry, Symbian, and Win Mobile; Facebook integration; music streaming to mobile phone.
Free storage: 5 GB
Premium fee: Starts at $4.99 a month for 30 GB

Insync

Notable features: Touted as “Google Drive for power and business users”; allows multiple Google accounts, offline Google Docs editing, and external hard drive support; available for Mac, PC, and Linux, as well as Android, Blackberry, Windows Phone, and iOS. (Note: This service is rather new, so many apps are still in the testing stage. It does have a huge potential for the target audience, however.)
Free storage: 1 GB
Premium fee: Still in beta stage, so free for now

Tech Updates 04:27

Emails are hacked every single day, from Gmail and Yahoo to private corporate email servers, with the right know-how and a bit of luck hackers can and will gain access to email accounts. With that being said there are some email accounts that offer better protection than others. For example Google’s two-step verification system can help protect a user from brute force attacks, while geographical logging on various accounts can help determine likely breach attempts.

 

Two-Step Verification Is A Must
The process of two-step verification is exactly what it sounds like, a process that requires two actions to be taken before an account can be accessed. The most popular example is Google’s two-step authentication which requires a user to enter their password and then enter a text message or internet enabled code sent to them by Google. Users can gain access to code with a phone or internet connection, the program also allows for offline access via time sync’d codes. Whether this type of two-step verification is used or a different secondary process is enabled this is a great way to avoid simple password based breaches.
Geo-Targeting Authentication
Some email providers will stop an account from being accessed if the hacker is attempting to log in to an account from a remote location. For example if you typically log into a Chicago area location and all of a sudden someone in Sweden is attempting to access your account it will become locked. Some services require further identifying factors to unlock new locations, for example a mobile SMS code or an email verification process.
Account Lockout 
Many email providers will now lock out an account for 24 hours if an incorrect password is entered too many times. Hackers will sometimes implement a process known as “brute force attacks” which plugs in thousands, potentially millions of passwords over a short period of time. Services such as Yahoo Mail, GMail, Outlook.com and others will lock out an account for a one day period after too many incorrect password entries.
24-Hour Password Reset Delays
If you have a Gmail or Yahoo account you may have noticed when requested to reset your password that a 24-hour delay is implemented. If you do not access your account within 24 hours after your first request you can revisit the password reset page and setup a new password after answering your private security questions. This ensure the real account owner can log in within 24 hours to void the password reset request.
The Option To Choose Your Password Resets
I only use Gmail because I can set my account to only access password resets through mobile messages. If a hacker hasn’t gained access to my phone they can not reset my password. Some email providers will allow you to eliminate personal questions, set alternative email password reset options and more.
When all is said and done the more password options you have the more secure your emails will be and remain into the future.

Yahoo 04:25