Lunch Bytes seminar has been rescheduled to Nov 18^th due to the holiday. See below.
 
Windows updates were released yesterday (Nov. 10^th). There is 1 critical update for XP and 2 updates for Office, and several for servers. The XP update blocks a flaw in fonts that can be used to take over your computer simply by visiting a web site, and is actively being exploited. Install it ASAP.
www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS09-nov.mspx
http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/window-on-windows/?p=1792
 
Comcast is now offering 50MB down / 10MB up internet for $190/Month in the Visalia area. It will be announced publicly later this month. Existing Comcast customers can double their bandwidth simply by powering off their Comcast modem for a few seconds. The base package has been upgraded from 6MB Down/1MB up to 12MB/2MB. ($60/Month). 
This is clearly the best value in the area for internet service at present. The higher speed makes some things possible that were not practical before, such as online backup and remote servers. I recommend you switch if you can get Comcast at your location. Contact us for more information.
 
Windows 7 is here. As we said last month: do not plan on installing it for business use without testing. Changing to 64 Bit breaks a lot of programs, aside from the upgrade to Windows 7.   There is no direct upgrade path from XP – it is safer to start with a clean reinstall.    Do plan to upgrade as soon as possible. Windows 7 is fast, stable, pretty, and easier to use once you get used to the change.   If possible, try it at home first.
Some upgrades to Windows 7 cause endless reboots:
www.computerworld.com/s/article/9139991/Windows_7_endless_reboot_answer_evades_Microsoft
Some Adobe programs have problems running in windows 7:
http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/508/cpsid_50853.html
 
Microsoft Office Accounting discontinued. Next month, Microsoft will stop selling all products under the Office Accounting name: Office Accounting Express, Office Accounting Standard, Office Accounting Professional, Office Accounting Professional Plus, Office Accounting 3-user, and Small Business Accounting.
More importantly, MPAN will discontinue, and with it the ability for accountants to get all Microsoft software at incredible discounts. You can still sign up until Nov. 16^th. If you have not renewed for this year, do it now!
https://accountants.microsoft.com/MPAN/us/static.aspx?id=ProgramFAQs
 
Verizon is now blocking port 25 for all customers with a dynamic IP. This is the default port for email. Use port 587 instead. Verizon DSL services are available in Exeter, Farmersville, Lindsay, and nearby areas.
http://www22.verizon.com/ResidentialHelp/HighSpeed/General+Support/Top+Questions/QuestionsOne/124274.htm
 
Free Microsoft Security Essentials anti-malware. This is a home edition of their Forefront security product, and is a decent free solution for home users. Remember – install only one antivirus product at a time. www.microsoft.com/security_essentials
 
Firefox 3.5.4 released, with some bug fixes. Be sure to update.
http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/3.5.4/releasenotes
 
FDIC Phishing emails. http://www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/alerts/index.html
I have also seen Amazon account updates, Microsoft Security updates, and various shipping company emails all trying to get me to click on something to install a virus. 
 
Yet another critical update for Adobe Acrobat is out. Update to Acrobat reader ver. 9.2. If you install from Adobe, you will get Adobe Air as well. To avoid this, you can install from here:
www.filehippo.com/download_adobe_reader
Adobe security alert: www.adobe.com/support/security/bulletins/apsb09-15.html
Shockwave also needs to be updated
www22.verizon.com/ResidentialHelp/HighSpeed/General+Support/Top+Questions/QuestionsOne/124274.htm
 
One Microsoft Critical update from last month got a fix for the fix: MS09-054 (updated Nov 2). It fixes some bugs in IE8 caused by the earlier security update. It will show as a Windows update.  Firefox blocks some add-ons till this is installed.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms09-054.mspx
 
Patch MS09-056 (974571) Breaks Live Communications Server, (Microsoft’s Instant Messaging server). The fix is here: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=168248
 
Some people have had issues with installing the .NET patch MS09-061 . The fix is to completely uninstall then reinstall .NET. This tool may help:  http://blogs.msdn.com/astebner/pages/8904493.aspx
 
The three largest search sites — Google, Yahoo, and Bing — regularly sell security-related keywords to criminals looking to trick you into downloading and installing fake anti-malware products. Sponsored ads are more and more likely to lead you to a malicious web site. Check the URL via a service such as hpHosts, which tracks domain names that researchers have reported as malicious. http://hosts-file.net
 
Free Microsoft Security Essentials anti-malware. This is a home edition of their Forefront security product, and is a decent free solution for home users. Remember – install only one antivirus product at a time. www.microsoft.com/security_essentials
 
Itunes alternative with support for a wide variety of devices, downloads from Itunes or Amazon MP3 store. www.doubletwist.com
 
Microsoft security intelligence report for Jan-June 2990. Trends and statistics gathered by antivirus tools.
www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=037f3771-330e-4457-a52c-5b085dc0a4cd&displaylang=en
 
Skydrive explorer allows you to access your SkyDrive online storage (25GB free) as a drive letter. http://skydriveexplorer.com
 
www.trackmyshipments.com Tracks packages shipped via USPS, UPS, DHL, and FedEx. Free.
 
http://knowem.com check your personal or business name across a huge collection of social networking sites, to see if it is in use. It’s a good idea to sign up for major social networking sites just to protect your name. Anyone can register under any unused name. This is also a great directory of sites.
 
If you use windows media center, take a look at these useful add-on’s. http://lifehacker.com/5393916/top-10-apps-that-boost-your-media-center
 
IT Crowd – British computer humor. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRmxXp62O8g
 
Visalia Chamber Lunch Bytes seminar has been rescheduled to Nov. 18^th. 12Noon to 1PM, lunch included. Topic is “Ask a Geek” – I will be answering any and all questions.    RSVP by calling the chamber at 724-5876.
 
We will be sending out a survey to some clients – Microsoft is offering it as a service as part of our Gold Partner status. 

Tim Torian
Torian, Group, Inc.
http://www.toriangroup.com