If you’ve purchased anything from the Apple store recently, you’ll notice there are no cash registers. There is no visible checkout line.
A typical credit transaction process goes something like this:

• You give the product to a personal shopping assistant
• The assistant scans the product into their iPhone.
• You hand them your credit card
• They swipe the card through their card reader on the phone
• They ask you if you want a printed receipt and/or a copy sent to your email.
• Transaction complete.

There is something nostalgic about the way Apple always thinks outside the box with much of what they do. Eliminating the need for cash registers has provided a fun and convenient checkout experience for both the salesperson and the customer.

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In our latest newsletter, I encouraged everyone to make sure they are keeping their malware programs up to date.  I also shared a letter I received from Mike Duncan, Director of Business Development at SuperAntiSpyware.  SuperAntiSpyware is one of the tools we use in ripping out the nasties from infected computers.  It comes very effective and we highly recommend this program to all who take their computers seriously and want to remain keeping their important information safe.

What sets this gem of a program out from others is the fact that it actually works.  It is extremely effective at catching spyware.  The icing on the cake, however, is the customer relations and the fact that these people actually care about keeping us safe from internet dangers. It is always a pleasure for me to work with Mike at SuperAntiSpyware as he is always eager to help me help our clients. And that keeps us all happy!

The letter…

Jonathan,

I wanted to mention that there are several new rogue products hitting users this week. You’re probably well aware of this, but “Smart Defender Pro,” “WiniFighter,” and “Spyware XP Guard” have all hit computer users this week.

We have updated our definitions to detect and remove all traces of these rogues.

If your customers ask about any of these rogues or fear they are infected, please advise them to update to the latest version of SUPERAntiSpyware and to update their definitions if they have not already done so.

Let us know if you have any questions at all, and thank you again for the opportunity to work with you. Together, we can help keep computer users happy and safe.

If I can help you in any way, just let me know.

Thank you as always,

Mike Duncan
Director of Business Development
SUPERAntiSpyware

Now I know I’m giving Mike and SuperAntiSpyware a plug by doing this, but how many other vendors do you hear from on a regular basis encouraging you to execute best practices and keep safe?

These are just two (of the many) reasons I believe in SuperAntiSpyware.

1. It works!

2. It has great people behind it.

If you don’t have it yet, you can purchase SuperAntiSpyware here.  You can also do their free trial to see how well it works first, and then easily purchase when you’re ready.

Stay tuned in the coming months ahead as we’ll offer a review of SuperAntiSpyware and show how well it does compared to the “big” names.

If you are on our newsletter, you are receiving word as soon as we get it about virus outbreaks, new computer tips, and other important information.  To get this valuable information coming, just sign up on the upper right area of this blog and we’ll keep you in the know.

Official Windows 7 pricing has been released and those who jump in first and preorder will get it for half off the upgrade price. The upgrade price runs until July 11th or until supplies are gone.  See Windows 7 upgrade pre-order pricing options here

Some of you have been waiting to get a new computer so you can make sure you get one that has Windows 7 on it.  Well, I’m happy to report, your wait is over.  You can order a computer that has Windows Vista now from qualified retailers and you’ll receive an option to get Windows 7 for free.

That’s right, if you order a PC today that comes with Vista on it, you won’t need to spend any more money to get Windows 7.  Windows 7 is gaining alot of momentum in the market and is poised to be Microsoft’s next winning operating system.

We’ll be updating our Dell Deals webpage soon to help you choose a qualified computer that will give you the option to have Windows 7 for free!

MSNBC just covered a story about a mother who was convicted of illegally downloading and sharing music files using Kazaa, a popular file sharing software.

The jury that was assigned to the case awarded the recording companies $1.92 million.  Even though the mother was accused of sharing over 1700 songs, the charges against her were for 24 songs.  The final amount she is required to pay equals to $80,000 per song.

Looks like the record companies are not hesitant to make public examples out of people using file sharing programs to get their music.  If you’re questioning whether it is safe to download songs or share them with friends, it’s probably best to play it safe by purchasing songs or other media from reputable vendors.

If you choose to use file sharing programs instead, just remember, Big Brother is watching and can track your activities.

So, without much in the way of competition, combined with the additional demands the consumer makes out of the Operating System, the price for the end user seems to keep going up.

Or do they?

I’ll give you a quick look at the Windows evolution…

Windows XP Home Edition launched with a price tag of $99 for the upgrade & $199 for the full version. Windows XP Professional version really wasn’t necessary for the average home user.

Then, Microsoft launched Windows Vista. Not only did they confuse us by breaking it down into 5 different versions, but the cost went up a little (or a lot depending on which flavor you bought).
For example, Vista Home Basic (which is the most stripped down version of Windows you could get; basically a warmed over type of Windows XP) went for $129/$259. Windows Vista Ultimate version sold for $299/$499! That’s quite a jump to get the complete package of an operating system that by many accounts didn’t deliver on it’s promise & was essentially broken for many others (I personally still use Windows XP at home).
Talk about a public relations nightmare! Combine that with the bugs & Apple started having a field day with their “I’m a MAC” ads.

So, what should Microsoft do?

The economy is much worse than it was when Vista launched. Many people are leery about Windows 7 because they got burned with Windows Vista. Windows 7 is going to be a tough sell no matter where they turn.

The obvious answer is the pricing. Make it affordable and consumers will take a second look. There was a leaked memo from Best Buy recently that said something to the effect of Windows 7 Home Premium upgrade will be $50. Keep in mind, Microsoft has yet to officially announce pricing on any version & the Best Buy memo may be a timed promotion.

But think of the possibilities! If that is the true upgrade cost, then the full version of Windows 7 may be a full $100 cheaper than Windows Vista.

Another thing I hope Microsoft does is take a page from Apple & do a family license. Most homes have several computers in them. Why not do a 5 license package so all PC’s can be upgraded? It’ll be interesting to see what Microsoft does as the PR mess Vista created is going to be a large hurdle.

One thing they do have going for them is Windows 7 might just be what Vista should have been. I’ve been using Windows 7 since the beginning of the year & I love it (and I really didn’t like Vista at all).

So with the good buzz coming from the folks who beta tested it & the folks using the release client plus a possible consumer friendly price point, will Microsoft finally be viewed in a good light again?

What do you think? Leave your comments below…

Windows Vista, Microsoft’s current Operating System, hasn’t been a winner for Redmond.  Since it’s release, it hasn’t faired well, being plagued with bugs, heavy hardware requirements, and slowness.  It has caused Microsoft to struggle in selling to the general population.

After software patches, updates, and even rebranding attempts from their marketing departing, Vista has continued to be a dud.  Corporations have all but rejected using it in the Enterprise environment and home consumers haven’t been thrilled with the extra expenses required from buying hardware that runs with Vista. The future of Vista has been bleak at best.

Enter Windows 7, Microsoft’s next Operating System that will replace Windows Vista.  Sporting a similar look to Vista it doesn’t look like much has changed.  However,

Windows 7 has been rebuilt under the hood, and promises to perform much better than Vista.  There have been many code changes where Microsoft has taken the things that plagued Vista and removed or optimized them in Windows 7.  Windows 7 is not a “name change” marketing effort aimed at causing the masses to forget it’s really Vista all over again. Rather, Windows 7 is really poised to set the solid standard of stability and efficiency in a Windows OS.  More good news is that it will run on older, legacy machines where Vista wouldn’t. This is sure to raise the eyes of the corporate folks.

We’ve been using and testing Windows 7 for over a month now and have been impressed with it’s performance.  It has less RAM requirements and every application we’ve thrown at it has installed and worked without error.

If you’re in the market for a new computer, you might want to wait a few more weeks as like all past releases, there will likely be offers where you can buy a Vista PC that will comes with a Windows 7 Upgrade for free.

Is Windows 7 enough to become our next dependable OS? Stay tuned as we cover this and other topics around this Operating System.

Facebook comes with many applications that are developed by 3rd parties. One can place these applications on their own webpage within the Facebook website.  They allow another way for those who visit your webpage to interact with you and others.

There are many activities one can do each day on Facebook, some which one can get lost in time being entertained.  It is natural that wherever the masses are, the parasites will eventually show up.

Is Facebook safe?

The answer to this question lies within the precautions one takes when browsing the web.  It is possible to receive a virus just by browsing a webpage.  It is important to have antivirus and antispyware programs that are up to date that can help prevent these attacks.  There are some virus and spyware programs have been designed to blend in and confuse a person into installing the malicious software on their computer.

Koobface Virus on Facebook

A common activity people like to do is publish their favorite videos and music on their webpage for visitors to see.  In order to view these types of media, one needs to have the proper “plugin” installed on their computer.  A plugin is simply a program that runs on your computer that enables you to load and run content that is specific to the author who created it.

In the case of the Koobface virus, when a visitor comes to a person’s webpage on Facebook that has a video on it.  The video will prompt to install the proper plugin. The visitor is then taken offsite and instructed to install the media player plugin that will show the video.  This is a common practice and is usually legitimate.  The Koobface virus, however, looks deceptively like it’s prompting a person to install the safe Adobe Flash plugin, but it is in fact not.  The visitor is redirected to the malicious website disguised as being the source for the Flash download and prompts to install.  Once downloaded and installed, the virus wreaks havoc on your hard drive and allows outside intruders to control it.

See featured video on the right to learn more about how the Koobface virus is spreading on Facebook.

So, can I get a virus from Facebook or not?

You can get a virus from Facebook much in the same way one can get a virus from opening a suspicious attachment in an email. Or, if one visits any webpage that prompts for a download in order to view content on that page and if that download contains a virus.  Facebook is just a community website where many activities take place each day.  Some are good, some are bad.

How can I prevent myself from getting a virus on Facebook?

There are many ways to keep yourself safe from getting a virus or spyware on the internet.  Here are three quick ways:

1. Visit Facebook’s Security Page - While Facebook is continually updating their security practices on their website, become familiar with ways you can take preventative steps by visiting Facebook’s security page at http://www.facebook.com/security
2. Make sure you have the latest antivirus/spyware/malware programs loaded on your computer – and make sure they are updated continually.  A good antivirus program will include web scanning, which scans each item on every website you visit and analyzes it’s risk factor.
3. Always be mindful of what you download and what you install on your computer – Trust nothing unless you can prove that it is from a reliable source first.  Pay attention to the web address that is in your address bar to make sure you’re being taken to the correct, safe site if you’re being redirected.

Facebook is a fun place to keep up with people in your social network.  It can be a safe experience as long as you practice safe methods while visiting.

If you haven’t watched the featured video that explains how a virus can spread on Facebook yet, it can be found on the right side of this page.

Do you think you have a virus?  You can have us remove it over the internet. Check out our online virus removal information.

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