Microsoft Windows

Free Security Software from MICROSOFT! “Microsoft Security Essentials”

Microsoft just rolled out their new Security Software as free download available in nineteen countries, as per Microsoft Middle East spokesperson the localized version for Middle East will be only available at later part of 2009.

The latest offering from Microsoft “Microsoft Security Essentials” protects the consumers from viruses, malwares and spywares. The “Microsoft Security Essentials” is released freely without any registration or renewal demands.

As we know the real-time security software’s are available but at a price, this effort from Microsoft can at least assure some of its loyal customers to get a high-quality protection which is easy to get and easy to use.

Microsoft’s latest offering - “Microsoft Security Essentials” - protects consumers from viruses, spyware and malware, and will be released freely without any registration and renewal demands in an effort to “encourage broader adoption of anti-virus protection.”

Initially Microsoft codenamed “Microsoft Security Essentials”as “Morro” will be released in 8 languages. It will be available for Windows XP SP2 or SP3, Windows Vista and Windows Live and can be downloaded from Microsoft’s web site http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/

Lest see how MacAfee and Symantec face the challenge.

Microsoft Unveils Thinnest Keyboard!

Recently I was browsing a press release from Microsoft about the thinnest keyboard ever available, which is slightly thicker than an AAA battery.

Pic Courtesy: Microsoft

The newly designed keyboard is exclusively for Bluetooth computers, and Microsoft called this keyboard as Mobile Keyboard 6000. The Mobile Keyboard 6000 comes with a ‘Comfort Curve’ that gives your wrists a rest with a slight 6-degree curve. While it might not seem like a big deal, Microsoft has already sold more than 10 million of its Comfort Curve keyboards so there’s definitely a wrist-concerned market out there.  One more unique feature of Mobile Keyboard 6000 is number pad can be separated and used separately.

Microsoft will be selling the Mobile Keyboard 6000 next month for $89.95. But if it’s just the Number Pad you’re after, you’ll need to spend $44.95.

According industry group’s latest report, Data centre’s cooled too much!

According to the new study done tje by leading industry group, almost all Data Centers are cooled to a temperature lower than the required temperature for the normal operation of a Data Center.

The group comprised of representatives Intel, IBM, Liebert, HP and the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, found almost all Data Centers in a survey of the US Data Center Users Group were cooled much below temperature than the recommended temperature of 27°C.

The recommended temperature for the Data Centers of 27°C was proposed by American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).

The study also estimates the potential energy savings that could be achieved if data centres could be operated closer to the recommended limit as being as high as 90% energy savings for CRAHs.

The report can be downloaded here.

How to capture a text using PuTTY client?

PuTTY doesn’t need any introduction as its one of the widely used for remote console utility. PuTTY is an SSH and telnet client.

In day to day operational activities we do telnet or SSH to our Cisco routers or Switches, at times we need to backup a running or startup config or   a Cisco router or a switch or even some times we need to capture the terminal session logs for technical information etc.  This is can be easily done by using the PuTTY client.

I will show you how to capture a text using PuTTY client.

Once you have established a remote session with a Cisco router or a Switch, follow the following steps

Step 1: Right Click on the menu bar and select “Change Settings”

Step 2: Click logging under the icon Session.

Step 3: Then select “All Session Output”.

Step 4: Select the location using the browse button and enter the desired file name and click apply.

These steps will create the log file in the specified location and it will log everything you did in that particular telnet or SSH session.

Remote Telnet useful tips!

We all work remotely with Cisco routers and Switches, we often do login to do some configuration changes in the Cisco routers and Switches. What if we configured wrongly in the live Cisco routers and Switches which are located in the remote sites, we don’t enjoy the liberty of resetting the devices unless we have control over the power distribution.

In this scenario the “reload” command proves to be very handy and useful. Just before making any changes to the configuration we can use the “reload” command as demonstrated below

ITKE-Cisco#reload in ?

Delay before reload (mmm or hhh:mm)

ITKE-Cisco#reload in 10

System configuration has been modified. Save? [yes/no]: no

Building configuration…

[OK]

Reload scheduled in 10 minutes by yasir on vty0 (10.0.0.5)

Proceed with reload? [confirm]

ITKE-Cisco#

ITKE-Cisco#

***

*** — SHUTDOWN in 0:05:00 —

***

The above demonstrated command will reload the device in 10 minutes. After applying the “reload” command we can proceed with the configuration changes. If things go wrong and we lost connectivity

to the device, then try back after 10 minutes as the device will get reloaded with the original startup-configuration which can helps us to restore the connectivity to the device.

Once we are sure about the new configuration and its working properly without any hassles there is always a way  “reload cancel” command is there to cancel the reload.

ITKE-Cisco#reload cancel

I find this command to be very handy and useful especially when we have to telnet or SSH to remote Cisco router or a Switch.

HP has announced that it will cut another 6,000 jobs, following poor second quarter results.

I was just browsing the regional technical portal and came to know that HP is cutting another 6,000 jobs due to poor second quarter results.  The second quarter results dropped by 17% from the same quarter last year, to $1.7 billion. which forced the giant company like HP to axe 6000 more jobs. The economic crisis has forced many companies to cut down their investments, research plans etc. which is going to affect the industry in coming decade, if the world failed to come out of this economic crisis.

Mark Hurd, HP chairman and CEO commented: “Disciplined focus on operational efficiencies and execution drove record cash flow. Our services business continued to deliver strong profitability with an increased deal pipeline and the EDS integration tracking ahead of schedule.”

More at  http://www.itp.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=556313&newsletter=1  http://www.damiansaunders.net

Windows 7 Beta Released To Public after Delay

Dear Friends finally after some delay Microsoft released the much talked version of Windows 7. During his pre-show keynote at CES, Steve Ballmer officially launched the Windows 7 beta onto the world via TechNet, MSDN, and Connect.

But there are unexpected numbers of professional and people proved to be interested in the download of Windows 7. Hence it’s hard to download the Windows 7 beta version from Microsoft web site. You really need to have some patience.

The Windows 7 beta will expire after August 1, 2009, and the download cap for the public version has been set to 2.5 million.

In any case, happy beta testing!

These are the Microsoft minimum hardware recommendations for systems that will be running the Windows 7 Beta. These recommendations are specific to the beta release and are subject to change:

• Processor: 1 GHz 32-bit or 64-bit processor
• Memory:  1 GB of system memory
• Hard drive: 16 GB of available disk space
• Video card:  Support for DirectX 9 graphics with 128MB memory (in order to enable Aero theme)
• Drive: DVD-R/W drive
• Internet connection (to download the Beta and get updates)

Note: Some product features of Windows 7, such as the ability to watch and record live TV or navigation through the use of “touch”, may require advanced or additional hardware. 

To learn more, see Windows 7 Beta: Frequently Asked Questions.

Handy Links: Microsoft Connect | Windows 7 WikiPedia

Pearson Launches Certflashcardsonline, great news for Certifications aspirers.

Dear Friends what a good news at the beginning of the year, guess what Pearson launches the new browser based electronic flash card engine, www.certflashcardsonline.com  , an application that helps the Certifications’ aspirers to practice the IT Certifications exams.

Graphics Courtesy:www.certflashcardsonline.com  

Launching with multiple products on CompTIA, Microsoft and Cisco certifications, the custom flash card application, loaded with more than 250 questions per exam, tests users’ skills and improves their retention of exam topics. Cert Flash Cards Online also allows users to get all-important information at a glance, helping focus on areas of weakness. Available in both desktop and mobile device format, these fact-filled flash cards allow users to test at home, work, or on the go. This new certification preparation tool, Cert Flash Cards Online, along with Cert Prep Online, is available through InformIT.

Additional News Facts:

• A truly unique learning tool; robust features include: space to enter long answers, ability to mark individual questions right or wrong, score reporting, custom set creation, and online updates.
• Cert Flash Cards Online is a late-stage exam-preparation tool, which means that an IT certification candidate would typically use this product during the final weeks before sitting for their live exam.
• This alternative learning format presents a unique approach that compliments other self-study formats like books and practice tests.

Useable Quotes:

“The new Cert Flash Cards Online application from Pearson takes the old school concept of paper flash cards that we all used to memorize our multiplication tables and updates it for the digital age and the technical certification market,” said Brett Bartow, Executive Editor for Cert Flash Cards Online. “While practice tests are great for familiarizing candidates with the exam style, they are typically focused primarily multiple choice question formats, which exposes users to pre-formulated answers to choose from. Cert Flash Cards Online, on the other hand, forces users to supply the answer in their own words, and is thus a much more effective tool for assessing and reinforcing knowledge.”

“In today’s environmentally conscious digital society, it makes sense for certification candidates to use electronic flash cards instead of those made from paper,” said Tim Warner, Product Editor for Cert Flash Cards Online and host of the InformIT Certification Reference Guide. “Most folks carry a laptop or a Web browser-enabled mobile phone or PDA, so why not save some trees by using the online Cert Flash Cards?”

Video Tutorial Podcast: Introduction to Cert Flash Cards Online

Tim Warner, Product Editor for Cert Flash Cards Online introduces viewers to Pearson’s new Cert Flash Cards Online product, which makes flash card review easy and fun. Brought to you by, OnCertification: Your weekly vidcast series featuring study tips, reviews, screencasts, and conversations with IT certification insiders on certification test-prep technologies. Subscribe now.

Product Information:

Cisco

CCNA Voice 640-460 Cert Flash Cards Online

ISBN: 1587202395

CCNA Security 640-553 Cert Flash Cards Online

ISBN: 1587058588

CompTIA

CompTIA A+ Cert Flash Cards Online: Essentials Test: (A+ 220-604), (A+ 220-603), (A+ 220-602)

ISBN: 0789739208

Microsoft

MCSA/MCSE 70-290 Cert Flash Cards Online: Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment

ISBN: 0789738406

MCSA/MCSE 70-291 Cert Flash Cards Online: Implementing, Managing, and Maintaining a Microsoft

Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure

ISBN: 0789738414

MCSE 70-293 Cert Flash Cards Online: Planning and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure

ISBN: 0789738422

MCSE 70-294 Cert Flash Cards Online: Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Active Directory Infrastructure

ISBN: 0789738430

MCTS 70-620 Cert Flash Cards Online: Microsoft Windows Vista, Configuring

ISBN: 0789739240

About Pearson

The global leader in educational and professional publishing, Pearson is home to such respected brands as Addison-Wesley Professional, Cisco Press, Exam Cram, IBM Press, Prentice Hall Professional, Que, and Sams Publishing, which have as their online publishing arm, InformIT (www.informit.com) -The Trusted Technology Learning Source. In addition, Berkeley-based Peachpit (www.peachpit.com), the publishing partner for Adobe Press, Apple Certified, and others, publishes best-selling books for creative design professionals. Pearson is also co-founder, with O’Reilly Media Inc., of Safari Books Online (http://safari.informit.com), the premier on-demand digital library providing thousands of expert reference materials through a single point of contact, including expert technology, creative and design, business and management resources in video and text formats. Pearson Education is part of Pearson (NYSE: PSO), the international media company. Pearson’s other primary businesses include the Financial Times Group and the Penguin Group.

Source: Email from Jamie Adams, Senior Publicist, Pearson Education

Serious security flaw found in Internet Explorer

Dear Friends users of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer are being advised by experts to switch to a rival until a serious security flaw has been fixed.

The flaw in Microsoft’s Internet Explorer could allow criminals to take control of people’s computers and steal their passwords, internet experts say.

According to CNET news  Microsoft issued a critical security warning Tuesday that a malicious exploit is making the rounds and attacking vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer 7.

The risk is believed to be widespread, given that IE 7 is the latest version of Microsoft’s browser and is bundled with XP service pack 3 and also Vista, said Dave Marcus, director of security research and communications for McAfee’s Avert Labs.

The AZN Trojan, which has been making the rounds since the first week of December, has the potential of infecting users’ system with a Trojan horse, or “downloaders” that can download other forms of malware onto a user’s system.

Please acces the complete article  at CNET  website.

GITEX 2008 is officially inagurated by H.H. SHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN RASHID AL MAKTOUM

UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has opened this year’s GITEX TECHNOLOGY WEEK amidst great expectations of a week of announcements and knowledge exchange.

Dear Friends GITEX happens to be the biggest technological exhibition or fair in this part of world. If you happen to be in Dubai I would strongly suggest to visit GITEX 2008.

More than 3,300 companies from 83 countries are exhibiting at this year, including major international companies such as Blackberry, Dell, Du, Etisalat, Google, HP, Microsoft, Oracle, Panasonic, Samsung, Sharp, Sun Microsystems and Symantec, according to organisers the Dubai World Trade Centre.

GITEX 2008 is open from 1pm to 7pm on Oct. 19, 10am to 7pm on Oct. 20-22 and 10am to 5pm on Oct. 23. The exhibition is open to trade and business professionals only.