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Random Friday Stuff

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detroit_tigers_1 Mozilla Thunderbird has been updated to version 24.0.1. Fixes a few issues.

News of Google possibly featuring you in ads spread like wildfire today. Ars Technica has the lowdown. Opt-out here. Official TOS here. As Ed Bott so eloquently stated on Twitter, “Anyone who was surprised by Google’s Terms of Service changes today just hasn’t been paying attention.”

Endgadget says Microsoft is gonna start showing people’s social and career info in Bing results.

Major Geeks has news of a Google Chrome vulnerability that needs fixing. Like yesterday.

The guys at Anandtech seemed genuinely shocked that everyone cheats at Android benchmarks. Companies cheat at benchmarks? Surely you jest!

Hope you all have a safe and happy weekend!

Windows 8.1 Account Settings

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win8userWith Windows 8.1 Microsoft seems to want everyone in the cloud.
Traditionally home users had a local account. Windows 8 introduced another option, the Microsoft account.
In 8.1 Microsoft made it more difficult to have a non-Microsoft account.
In this article I will explain the differences and your options.

Sections:
Local And Microsoft Accounts Defined
– Local Account
– Microsoft Account
– Which should you use, a Local or Microsoft Account?
– Accessing Account Settings

Signing On With A Local Account During A Clean Installation

Signing Up For A Microsoft Account After Installation

Using The Windows Store When You Use A Local Account For Sign-In

Switch To A Local Account
[Read more…] about Windows 8.1 Account Settings

How To Find The Best Anti-Virus For You

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windows securityAnti-virus software is not a security panacea. Additionally, IMHO there is no “best” anti-virus.
Here are some links to help you find what is best for you.
AV-Comparatives – Real-World Protection Tests
Virus Bulletin – Latest Comparative
PC Mag – The Best Antivirus for 2013

Personally, I would not pay for an AV solution as I think the free versions of these programs are good enough. (I am NOT a security expert.)
If you want the full (pay-for) versions there are often deals that make these programs free after rebate.
Try the usual deal sites, Techbargains, or Newegg.

See also:
Why Antivirus Software Isn’t Enough To Fend Off Attacks

Software – Does The Country Of Origin Matter To You?

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earthYesterday I saw a post from a software vendor that bothered me (more on that in a bit). It got me to thinking.
Though I don’t inquire about the country of origin of an app I’m aware that I use software from all over the world. Off the top of my head: U.S.A, Russia, Ireland, Germany, India, Norway, and China all quickly come to mind (though I’m sure there are a dozen others). Also as a Linux user I know that most of that software is truly global. These vendors do not go out of their way to trumpet where they are from and honestly I don’t care.

That is until you put it in my face.

The post I referenced above stated in part (I’ve edit the country); “Let the power of ‘Their Country’s‘ Technology keep your PC…”.
I read that and I thought, wait, are you saying your software is better because of where it is from?

I dunno, am I being overly sensitive or is that messed up?

Does where software is produced matter to you?

Monday Random Stuff

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thpinpostlogoThe Week Ahead
Tomorrow Microsoft will have lots of updates for you and Adobe will update Reader.

Men Acting Like Boys
Most of us men never really grow up but we should at least act like an adult in public.
The recent TechCrunch Hackathon and Halo character controversies have reinforced the fact that some folks need to grow up:
TechCrunch Titstare Demo (video – warning, may be offensive to some and possibly NSFW)
Halo character controversy at Gamespot

Speccy
Piriform has updated their free system info tool.

You Knew This Was Coming
Instagram will have ads next year.
Happily, I never signed up there.