In this newsletter:

• 'Increase' in malware vulnerabilities
• Global Newsletter: Is your laptop painful?
• Sale: Second Hand PCs
• Windows "7" FAQ

'Increase' in malware vulnerabilities

The more the internet extends into the everyday lives of consumers, the greater the threat of malware, it has been asserted.

Online publication Australian IT reported that just as users become more comfortable and informed regarding the risks presented by viruses and spyware, a new wave of threats has emerged.

"It seems that having only just become au fait with the need to guard against threats ... the growth of e-commerce has raised new concerns about phishing and identity theft scams," the news source noted.

Furthermore, the development of wireless home networking and hotspots has caused more unusual hacker threats to computer security, it added.

Government-funded Australian advice resource Stay Smart Online warns users that by failing to protect their computers sufficiently, they are putting their family and friends at risk of infection.

It advises users to ensure their machines are fully protected by anti-virus software and to scan both incoming and outgoing emails.

Talk to Computer Troubleshooters ~ Avonside about managed antivirus to help stop malware and viruses in their tracks!

Global Newsletter
October 2008

In the past, the use of laptop computers was reserved for selected, special people in the corporate world, like executives and travelling sales managers. These large and expensive machines were carried around by 'road warriors' who completed their business duties from hotel rooms after a day of meetings.

As portable technology has become faster, lighter and cheaper, laptops have migrated into small businesses, university lecture halls and even our homes. Indeed, if your new laptop is faster than your old computer and can be placed wherever you need it in your home, office, or any other location, then why do you need a traditional 'desktop' computer? Most businesses now don't provide with you with a desktop computer at your office desk if your role warrants having a laptop.

The main downside of this is the increasing number of repetitive strain injury cases. Quite simply, the laptop computer was never designed for long periods of use (especially not a full 8 hour or even 12 hour working day). The main ergonomic design flaw of the screen being attached to the keyboard just does not work in harmony with the optimal positioning of our eyes, head, fingers and wrists. So, the positioning of our laptop ends up being a compromise on both counts - with the keyboard close enough for us to type on, but the screen tilted back so we can read it. Our bodies still end up in a compromised position, with hands navigating a smaller key layout and our necks bent down on an angle, throwing the weight of our heads forward.

If you can't live without your laptop, here are our tips to help it be nicer to your body:

• Take regular breaks. 'Micro breaks' involve looking away from your screen often to something much further away, to let your eyes refocus and rest. Physical movement is important too, including regularly letting your arms drop or even getting up and walking away from your laptop.
• Invest in a separate keyboard and mouse. Laptops have a plug to let them accommodate a full-sized keyboard and mouse, so take advantage of these better ergonomically designed 'input devices' if you are going to be using your laptop for hours.
• Raise your laptop so the screen is at the correct height, or invest in a separate monitor. If you sit back in your chair with a slight recline and hold your right arm out horizontally, your middle finger should almost touch the middle of the screen.
• Watch out for heat build-up if the laptop is going to be on your lap for a prolonged period of time. Consider investing in a special pad or tray designed to reduce the heat problem.
• Invest in a quality bag or backpack. If you travel frequently, perhaps a 'luggage trolley' type bag with wheels would be a better option, to help prevent shoulder strain. Consider the weight factor when buying a new laptop too, including the weight of any associated laptops parts you may have to carry with you.

Talk to Computer Troubleshooters ~ Avonside about how to stop your laptop being a pain in the neck, wrists, arms, back and shoulders!

Sale: Second Hand PCs

Windows "7" FAQ

With Windows Vista finally behind us, it's time to turn our attention to the next Windows client release, which is currently codenamed Windows "7", though Microsoft has used other code-names, like "Vienna" and "Windows Seven" in the past. Despite an almost complete lack of verifiable information about this next major Windows release, there are at least two excellent reasons to begin discussing this project now:
 

• Q: Is Microsoft working on an operating system after Windows Vista?
• A: Yes. The next client version of Windows was originally codenamed "Blackcomb," though the company renamed it to "Windows Vienna" in early 2006 and to "Windows Seven" or "Windows 7" more recently.
   
• Q: Why Windows 7?
• A: Since Windows Vista is really Windows 6.0, Windows 7 will presumably be version 7.0.
   
• Q: Is Windows 7 the final name?
• A: No. Like Vienna, Windows 7 is just a codename and will likely change prior to the OS' official release.
   
• Q: I heard that Windows Vista will be the last major OS release from Microsoft. Is that true?
• A: No. Windows-based PCs will continue to form the center of our digital lifestyles, and as Microsoft executives have noted in recent days, there are still plenty of areas in which Microsoft can improve Windows. Some obvious examples include voice recognition and storage.
   
• Q: So is Windows 7 going to be a major Windows version?
• A: This one is complicated. Windows Vista was a major release, and Microsoft is positioning Windows 7 as a major release as well. However, the language Microsoft uses to describe the technical underpinnings of the Windows 7 suggest that this product will in fact be a minor release, or what the Windows Server team would have called an interim, or R2 ("release 2") release. Microsoft corporate vice president Steven Sinofsky described it this way: "[We are not going to] introduce additional [in]compatibilities, particularly in the driver model. Windows Vista was about improving those things ... Memory management, networking, process management, all of the security hardening, all of those things will carry forth, and maintain the compatibility with applications that people expect. Windows Vista established a very solid foundation, a multiyear foundation, particularly on subsystems like graphics and audio and storage and things like that, and Windows 7--and then Windows Server 2008 built on that foundation, and Windows 7 will continue to build on that foundation as well."
   
• Q: When will Windows 7 ship?
• A: Microsoft currently plans to ship Windows 7 by early 2010, about three years after Vista.
   
• Q: What features will be included in Windows 7?
• A: Microsoft has publicly committed to only one feature for Windows 7--pervasive multi-touch and the company is currently still deciding what this next Windows release will look like. We do know a few other things about Windows 7, however: It will include a new version of Windows Explorer that is being built by the same team that designed the Ribbon user interface in Office 2007. It will likely include some form of the "Hypervisor" (Windows Virtualization) technologies that will ship shortly after Windows Server 2008. It will also likely include the WinFS (Windows Future Storage) technologies, though they won't be packaged or branded as WinFS. Microsoft says it might also make a subscription-based version of the OS available to consumers, but that's still in flux.
   
• Q: That's it?
• A: Yes, but remember it's early yet and Microsoft is being very secretive about future Windows versions. However, the company has publicly issued a bit of information about the broad capabilities it intends to include in Windows 7. This information comes from a publicly-available Microsoft slide deck:
  • Easier. Windows 7 will make it easier for users to find and use information. Local, network and Internet search functionality will converge. Intuitive user experiences will be further advanced. Automated application provisioning and cross-application data transparency will be integrated.
  • More secure. Windows 7 will include improved security and legislative compliance functionality. Data protection and management will be extended to peripheral devices. Windows 7 will advance role-based computing scenarios and user-account management, and bridge the inherent conflicts between data protection and robust collaboration. It will also enable enterprise-wide data protection and permissions.
  • Better connected. Windows 7 will further enable the mobile workforce. It will deliver anywhere, anytime, any device access to data and applications. It will enable a robust ad-hoc collaboration experience. Wireless connectivity, management and security functionality will be expanded. The performance and functionality of current and emerging mobile hardware will be optimized. The multiple device sync, management and data protection capabilities in Windows will be extended. Finally, Windows 7 will enable flexible computing infrastructures including rich, thin and network-centric models.
  • Lower cost. Windows 7 will help businesses optimize their desktop infrastructure. It will enable seamless OS, application and data migration, and simplified PC provisioning and upgrading. It will further efforts towards non-disruptive application updating and patching. Windows 7 will include improved hardware- and software-based virtualization experiences. And it will expand the PC self-help and IT Pro problem resolution diagnostics in Windows.