System Mechanic 14: An excellent PC maintenance suite, packed with capable features [Review]
Keeping your PC running smoothly can be a complicated, time-consuming business. There are so many important issues to consider that even expert users can struggle to monitor them all.
Iolo’s System Mechanic 14 claims it can help by cleaning up your system, optimizing settings, and then running in the background, fixing problems as soon as they appear. This isn’t just marketing spin, either, as over the years the suite has built up a very impressive feature list. There are tools to clean and defragment your hard drive, repair the Registry, find and fix system problems, tune your internet connection, even optimize running processes in real time.
AVG AntiVirus Free 2015 debuts zero-day protection, redesigned user interface
AVG Technologies has updated its entire range of PC products, launching AVG AntiVirus Free 2015, AVG AntiVirus 2015, AVG Internet Security 2015 and AVG PC TuneUp 2015.
After the relatively major changes introduced in the 2014 versions, this year’s updates are restricted to a redesigned user interface and new Outbreak Detection feature, which helps block zero-day malware exploits.
Like Chinese food? Like the internet? Panda Express online ordering will blow your mind!
A home-cooked meal is great, as it is often healthier than getting take-out or visiting a restaurant. While it is not impossible to eat healthy away from home, it can be difficult. Chinese food is typically very bad for you; the sauces can be high in fats and sugars and many things are deep fried. However, I find these types of restaurants the best for healthy eating too. For instance, where else can you get steamed tofu with vegetables and brown rice? Certainly not Taco Bell or McDonalds.
Unfortunately, many local Chinese restaurants do not take credit cards, and when they do, they have minimum dollar amounts for usage (often $10 minimum). Sometimes, language barriers can make ordering over the phone problematic, leading to incorrect orders due to misunderstandings. Today, Chinese food chain Panda Express is taking the pain out of ordering Chinese food with all-new online ordering.
5 million Google Account credentials reportedly leaked online [Updated]
According to the IBTimes, around five million Google Account credentials have been leaked online by hackers, with around 60 percent of the compromised accounts judged to still be active.
A user called "tvskit" made the announcement on the Bitcoin Security forum along with a link to the alleged email list. The majority of the leaked accounts seem to belong to Russian users.
Fewer than half of European businesses are ready for the cloud
Given the hype surrounding it, it’s easy to believe that the cloud is increasingly the first choice when it comes to business systems.
Yet a new survey by IDC reveals that a majority of European IT departments have yet to fully embrace its benefits. When asked about their readiness to move to a cloud-based strategy levels of confidence were low.
Cirqle gives you more control over sharing photos and videos
We all have photos and videos that we want to share with other folks. We do it all too often on Facebook, sometimes without even considering that it's a broad audience we are sharing them with, who may not want to, or should not, see all our intimate moments on display.
And let's be real for a minute: not all of us are in awe about someone drunk dancing on video, baby pictures, or mirror selfies (sorry that you had to hear that now) -- some of us may be, sure, but others may be more interested in, just as a totally and completely random example, seeing photos of fast cars (guilty as charged!). For those who want to fully control who can see their photos and videos, there is new app to consider, and it's called Cirqle.
Google Street View visits Egypt, tours pyramids and more
The Pyramids of Giza, the Great Sphinx, there's a lot to see in Egypt. However, it may not be a place you wish to travel to right at this moment, though there are no official warnings against it from the State Department. Fortunately you don't need to make the trip now, thanks to Google.
Street View, the ever-growing portfolio of images from the Google Maps team, has visited the North African nation and captured the sites in great detail. Included are all of the things that drive tourists to this location -- Pyramids of Giza, the Great Sphinx, ancient burial grounds and more.
Heartbleed bug not exploited before disclosure
The Heartbleed bug has gone down in history as one of the most serious flaws to affect the internet. But new research reveals that prior to its disclosure in April there's no evidence of Heartbleed having being exploited.
The disclosure of Heartbleed sent websites scrambling to apply patches. However, a study by academics at a number of US universities allays fears that the flaw may have been exploited for surveillance by government agencies before it became public.
Nokia Lumia 830 will be available through AT&T
When Microsoft announced Lumia 830 earlier this month, it made no specific mention of the so-called "first affordable flagship" arriving in US stores. The price was also listed in Euros (€330, before taxes and subsidies) from the get-go, reinforcing the idea that, like many other Nokia-branded devices before it, Lumia 830 was destined for other markets.
However, that does not appear to be the case, as US mobile operator AT&T has revealed that it will offer Lumia 830. But it remains to be seen whether the new Windows Phone will also make its way to Verizon, T-Mobile or Sprint.
Will you buy iPhone 6, 6 Plus, or Apple Watch?
So Apple has unveiled its latest flagship phone(s), and also finally taken the wraps off its first wearable. What you think of the products will probably depend on your view of Apple, but there’s no doubt the new phones will sell in great numbers, and the Apple Watch will likely be the first wearable that you see people actually wearing in the real world.
The base 16GB iPhone 6 will be priced at $199 on a contract ($299 for 64GB, $399 for 128GB), while the 16GB iPhone 6 Plus will set you back $299 on a contract (or $399 for 64GB, $499 for 128GB). Unlocked of course you’ll pay a lot more than that -- from $649 for the 16GB iPhone 6, and $749 for the same capacity 6 Plus. The price for the Apple Watch starts at $349, but you’ll probably need to pay more to get a decent looking model.
CEOs take to social media to gain business benefits
A new infographic created by social insight tool company Refresh looks at over 1,300 CEOs on social media to determine how they use the technology.
Not surprisingly it's younger CEOs that are most likely to embrace social media, with 61 percent being under 40. Some 89 percent are male though that perhaps reflects the low number of female CEOs rather than their willingness to use social tools.
Smartphone showdown: iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus vs HTC One (M8)
The Apple iPhone 6 has finally skyrocketed into the spotlight after a long year of hiding in the shadows. The flagship smartphone was unveiled at the packed out Flint Center for Performing Arts in Apple's home town of Cupertino, California -- and the world went wild.
Still, regardless of whether you love, loathe or are simply laconic about it, one thing's for sure: The Apple iPhone 6 faces some stiff competition.
Buying the Apple iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus? Here are the cases you need to protect it
Holy cow, new iPhones! Yes, unless you are living under a rock, Apple dominated the tech news today with its new iPhones. However, unlike years past, there are two different screen sizes announced on the same day. Hoping to meet the needs of more consumers (and make more money), the fruit-logo company introduced a 4.7 inch and 5.5 inch model -- the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, respectively.
Unfortunately, the new iPhones do not come with sapphire screens as rumors suggested. Still, Apple promises that the screens should be tougher than ever. Nevertheless, only a fool would carry it without a case. Not only does a scratched and scuffed phone look bad, but it decreases resale value too. Here are some of the iPhone cases you should be considering to protect your investment.
Apple's Day of Bling and Cha-Ching
The big event is over. Today, Apple announced iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, with 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch screens, respectively; Apple Pay; and Apple Watch. What we don't know is as important, if not more, than what we do. For example, Apple didn't pinpoint when in 2015 the smartwatch would be available or how long the battery will last. But Cook did discuss the ease of charging overnight, which probably indicates enough.
As I suggested three days ago, today's media event marks the beginning of the Tim Cook era, as he does things his way rather than Steve Jobs'. Notice how the CEO favors emphasizing the company brand over "i" this or that in product names. He also shed typical stern look for big, bold -- and frequent -- smiles. This is Cook's day.
U2 gives away new album to half a billion iTunes Store customers to celebrate iPhone 6 launch
Apple launch events are normally about getting people to part with their cash rather than giving things away for free. So as not to buck this trend too much, the not entirely inexpensive Apple Watch, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus were announced but there was also something of a treat for fans of Irish rockers U2. As well as performing at the launch event in Cupertino, Bono and bandmates gave away their new album, Songs of Innocence, free of charge to all iTunes Store users.
This is not the first time U2 has teamed up with Apple. The band was also involved in the launch of early iPod, offering official endorsement to a special edition of the music player. But this is a much larger scale collaboration. Giving away the eleven-track album to more than half a billion people is a big, headline grabbing gesture -- and regardless of your opinion of U2 musically, it's something that's hard to ignore. The album is available for the next five weeks in 119 countries.
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