Get Google Chrome working again with this tool

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Your browser's misbehaving? It's a common problem, and you've probably got your own quick fixes: delete the cache, scan for malware, remove the last add-in you installed, whatever it might be.

Now Google is offering a little extra assistance with Chrome Software Removal Tool (CSRT), a Windows beta which scans for programs known to cause problems with Google Chrome and offers to remove them.

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CCEnhancer 4.1 is available, extends CCleaner support to hundreds of programs

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Ever felt frustrated by CCleaner’s relative limited support for third-party apps? Did you know you can -- with a lot of care -- add your own programs to its cleaning database? Does that sound a bit scary? No matter, you can add support for hundreds more programs with no fuss using a free tool called CCEnhancer 4.1.

The tool lets you easily augment the CCleaner information file with 1,000 other program options, and with the release of version 4.1, the tool makes it easier for you to add your own program entries from within CCEnhancer itself.

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Touch ID on iPhone 6: Still hackable

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Apple's recently released iPhone 6 is susceptible to the same fingerprint forging attack as the iPhone 5s, according to the latest security research.

Mark Rogers, principal security researcher for mobile security firm Lookout, used techniques which are well-known to police officials and prototypers to access the device.

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iPhone 6: Lovely, but not groundbreaking [Review]

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The new iPhone, as every smartphone fan knows by now, is not in fact one phone, but two. And unlike last time Apple launched two handsets at once, this time you don't have to choose between a cut down version (the iPhone 5c) or a full-fat version (the iPhone 5s).

This time, while there are some differences between the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus, apart from screen size they are subtle ones, and your choice is primarily about size -- do you want a 4.7-inch screen or a 5.5-inch one? This review is of the 4.7-inch iPhone 6, kindly provided by Three -- our review of the iPhone 6 Plus will follow.

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Migrating from Windows Server 2003: 12 best practices straight from the trenches

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Most of us have hopefully managed to get off the sinking ship that was Windows XP. As much of a recent memory as that has become, a new end of life is rearing its head, and it's approaching fervently for those who haven't started planning for it. Microsoft's Windows Server 2003, a solid server operating system that's now about eleven and a half years old, is heading for complete extinction in just under 300 days. Microsoft has a fashionable countdown timer already ticking.

Seeing as we just finished our second server migration in a single week (a personal record so far), sharing some of the finer aspects of how we are streamlining these transitions seems like a timely fit. This braindump of sorts is a collection of best practices that we are routinely following for our own customers, and they seem to be serving us well so far.

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Apple: Most OS X users shouldn't worry about Shellshock

Apple has admitted that most OS X users have nothing to be concerned about when it comes to the bug that has been dubbed "worse than Heartbleed".

In a statement the firm admitted that it is already working on a software update for advanced UNIX users that repairs the major exploit that can be used by hackers to gain access to connected devices by inserting malicious code into the "Bash" command shell in OS X and Linux.

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The enemy in HR

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Right now, depending who you speak with, there is either a shortage or a glut of IT professionals in the USA. Those who maintain there is a shortage tend to say it can only be eliminated by immigration reform allowing more H1-B visas and green cards. Those who see a glut point to high IT unemployment figures and what looks like pervasive age discrimination. If both views are possible -- and I am beginning to see how they could be -- we can start by blaming the Human Resources (HR) departments at big and even medium-sized companies.

HR does the hiring and firing or at least handles the paperwork for hiring and firing. HR hires headhunters to find IT talent or advertises and finds that talent itself. If you are an IT professional in a company of almost any size that has an HR department, go down there sometime and ask about their professional qualifications. What made them qualified to hire you?

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CallTower Cloud-Hosted Lync: PSTN-enabled VoIP UC without the mess [review]

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A few weeks back, I finally had a really good chance at stress testing our company's still-fresh hosted Lync solution from CallTower. Merging calls. Transferring calls. Starting ad-hoc conference calls with clients. All the while IM'ing my internal staff and fellow clients, and checking voicemails that were coming through as MP3s in my email along with associated text transcriptions.

If you think I was sitting at the comfort of my desk with the power of a desk phone at my side, you guessed wrong. I was nearly 900 miles away from our home base in Park Ridge, out in the beautiful city of Stamford, CT helping clean up a messy VoIP rollout for a customer who needed some dire help.

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Lightworks 12 brings new content manager, color correction

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EditShare has announced the release of Lightworks 12, its powerful non-linear video editor for Windows, Linux, and -- at last -- Mac.

The hugely extended Content Manager is a highlight. Everything is immediately accessible, there’s easier searching and filtering to help you find what you need, you can even drag and drop files directly into open bins as required.

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Windows 9 download link leaks ahead of Technical Preview launch

Windows 9 download link leaks ahead of Technical Preview launch

This week we should finally be able to get our hands on Windows 9 code direct from Microsoft. There are only a couple of days to go until the Technical Preview is officially unveiled at an event in San Francisco, and excitement has been mounting. Slightly ahead of schedule, a page has appeared on the Microsoft website that includes a download link to the 32- and 64-bit versions of the Windows Technical Preview for Enterprise. Intriguingly, the page refers to a version of Windows named Windows TH, but it's not clear that this is actually the name that will be used.

Before you get too excited about grabbing the latest Windows bits, it seems that the page is just a placeholder for now. The download button currently links to a non-updated version of the TechNet Evaluation Center, but a link to the download page that will be used was live briefly. It revealed that the US version of the Technical Preview weighs in at 3.16 GB and 4.10 GB. We've already got a pretty good idea of what to expect from the preview as there have been numerous build and screenshot leaks over recent weeks.

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Acronis True Image 2015 brings new interface, faster online backups

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Acronis International has unveiled Acronis True Image 2015, a significant update for its popular PC (and Mac) backup tool.

An entirely new interface makes it easier than ever to run basic backups. Choose your source – which can now be "Entire PC" -- and destination, and it’s ready to go immediately.

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IObit Uninstaller 4 fully removes Windows 8 apps

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IObit has announced the release of IObit Uninstaller 4, an interesting extension of its freeware program uninstaller.

The program now has the ability to completely remove Windows 8 apps. A "batch uninstall" option ditches as many as you like in a single operation, and the "Powerful Scan" tool ensures there's no hard drive or Registry junk left behind.

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IBM and Bancroft team up for a specialized cloud-based education program

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IBM has announced a partnership with Bancroft, a provider of specialized services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, which will supply a cloud-based educational program.

The collaboration will enable staff and students to access more than 300 educational and clinical applications securely via an iPad.

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Terminals: A remote desktop client for (almost) anyone

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Windows remote desktop, VNC, telnet, SSH -- there are many ways to access a remote computer, and using them all can require a whole library of networking tools.

Fortunately, there are alternatives. The open source Terminals not only handles a lengthy list of protocols -- RDP, VNC, ISA, SSH, Telnet, RAS, HTTP, HTTPS -- but a tabbed interface means you’re able to open and manage multiple connections simultaneously.

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How to protect yourself from the Shellshock Bash bug

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A worrying new security vulnerability has muscled its way onto the Internet, and world-leading security experts are saying it's even worse than this year's Heartbleed fiasco. Called "Bash" or "Shellshock", the security flaw is inherent to a computer's shell. This is the user interface that accesses operating systems like Command Prompt, and means that many Linux, UNIX, and some BSD systems (including Apple's OS X) are vulnerable. Worryingly, the ubiquitous nature of the bug means that a large percentage of software is engaged in constant interaction with the shell. Consequently the bug can infiltrate software in a number of different ways.

So what can you do to protect yourself against this frightening new bug, and how can you avoid Shellshock? Well, the answer is basically the same as it's always been. There's no special tool or patch that'll keep you protected from Shellshock. It's just pure, common-sense cyber security.

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