The Document Foundation announces LibreOffice 4.0
This is a free Microsoft Office alternative.
Download
Firefox 18.0.2
Firefox 18.0.2 released. New features and bug fixes.
Download (Windows, EN-US)
Release Notes
Download other languages and operating systems
Bits And Bytes
Kinda busy this week. Here’s a few interesting things from around the web:
US Government: disable Universal Plug and Play on routers due to hacker threat at Newowin
CCleaner v3.27 (slim) is out
Office 3013 is out (i used the upgrade offer and did the 5 machines for one year deal). Hit up PT for lots of MS Office info.
Apple released iOS 6.1 and announced a 128GB iPad.
Some folks are whining about the usable storage space on the upcoming Surface Pro.
Google Chrome Updated
Google Chrome Updated To 24.0.1312.56.
Download or update with Chrome.
More info at the Google Chrome Blog.
Security fixes plus:
The Stable channel has been updated to 24.0.1312.56 for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Chrome Frame platforms. This build contains the following fixes:
Fixed performance of mouse wheel scrolling. [Issue: 160122]
Fixed visited links regression. [Issue: 160025]
Fixed windows installation when installed as admin. [Issue: 166473]
More Surface Pro Details
Paul Thurrott has a new post up: Surface with Windows 8 Pro: February 9 Release, Additional Details and Accessories
It will be interesting to see how folks respond to a $900 tablet/laptop.
Raidmax Orion Mid-Tower ATX Case Review
I’ve always loved the reviews at [H]ardOCP. I love it even more when they are merciless.
I’ll give you a sneak preview of what Steve “No Mercy” Lynch had to say, “fails on so many levels.” :rotfl:
Audacity 2.0.3
Audacity 2.0.3 is out.
Download
Release Notes
Audacity is a free, easy-to-use and multilingual audio editor and recorder for Windows, Mac OS X, GNU/Linux and other operating systems. You can use Audacity to:
Record live audio.
Convert tapes and records into digital recordings or CDs.
Edit Ogg Vorbis, MP3, WAV or AIFF sound files.
Cut, copy, splice or mix sounds together.
Change the speed or pitch of a recording.
And more! See the complete list of features.
Java is the new king of foistware
Ed Bott has a good article up: A close look at how Oracle installs deceptive software with Java updates
Summary: Oracle’s Java plugin for browsers is a notoriously insecure product. Over the past 18 months, the company has released 11 updates, six of them containing critical security fixes. With each update, Java actively tries to install unwanted software. Here’s what it does, and why it has to stop.
All TweakHound Windows 8 Articles (so far)
Install Windows 8 – Clean Install With Upgrade Media
Windows 8 – Cleaning Up After You’ve Upgraded
How To Resize Your Windows 8 Partition
Create Windows 8 Recovery Media
Windows 8 – Elevated Command Prompt
How To Fix The Windows Bootloader
All Windows 8 Keyboard Shortcuts
HTG – How to Protect Yourself From Java Security Problems if You Can’t Uninstall It
How-To Geek has a good article up: How to Protect Yourself From Java Security Problems if You Can’t Uninstall It
For years, Java has been the top source of browser exploits. Even after a recent emergency patch, Java is still vulnerable. To protect ourselves, we should assume that Java is always going to be vulnerable.