My Small Business Consultants

I was sent this press release.  They sound cool.

Epson’s New Artisan All-in-One Printers Offer Superior Performance, Image Quality, Convenience, and an Eye-Catching Design

Artisan 835 and Artisan 725 Deliver Unbeatable Features and Fit the Décor of any Room

LONG BEACH, Calif. — Aug. 4, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — Epson America, Inc., a leading provider of superior performing desktop printing solutions, today introduced its new line of Artisan® all-in-ones – the Artisan 835 and Artisan 725. With image quality preferred by consumers 3-to-1 over the competition¹ and a host of unique features, the new Artisan all-in-ones are a perfect match for today’s active, digital families that require one solution for various printing needs.“These latest Artisan all-in-ones continue to redefine the standard for image quality, print speed and unique creative capabilities,” said Julie Ernest, product manager, Consumer Ink Jet Printers, Epson America, Inc. “From family photos and creative projects to school work and household documents, these versatile all-in-ones deliver the quality, reliability and performance consumers have come to expect from the Artisan line.”  The flagship Artisan 835 boasts a 7.8-inch smart touch panel, a 3.5-inch color LCD, built-in fax, and a 30-page Automatic Document Feeder to quickly copy and fax documents. The Artisan 725 features an enhanced touch panel for easier navigation. Both feature 2.5 times faster wireless connectivity with Wi-Fi n², wireless printing from an Apple® iPhone³ and the world’s fastest 4”x6” photo print speeds⁴. In addition, the Artisan 725 and Artisan 835 deliver vibrant colors and crisp, clear text with Epson’s six-color Ultra Hi-Definition Claria® ink.Additional Features of the Artisan Series:

• Delivers fast ISO print speeds of 9.5 ISO ppm black and 9 ISO ppm color⁵ 
• Offers built-in wireless and Ethernet networking
• Saves up to 50 percent of paper supply with automatic two-sided printing
• Creates personalized greeting cards, coloring book pages, elegant stationery, and note paper
• Creates professional-looking discs by printing images and text directly onto ink jet printable CDs/DVDs with easy-to-use Epson Print CD software
• Features built-in Auto Photo Correction to automatically evaluate and correct images and red eye
• Prints applications wirelessly from an iPhone, including PDF files, photos, photo calendars, business documents, and more, through applications available on the iTunes App Store 
• Prints images directly from digital cameras, mobile phones and USB Flash drives with PictBridge® 
• Accommodates various printing needs with individual ink cartridges at affordable prices (standard and high-capacity sizes)⁶
• Delivers vivid, true-to-life photos with Epson’s exclusive MicroPiezo® print head with DX5™ technology
• Offers a range of eco features and environmental qualifications including, ENERGY STAR® and RoHS compliance, and is designed to be recycled⁷

Pricing and Availability

The Artisan 725 ($199.99*) and Artisan 835 ($299.99*) will be available in mid-August through major computer, office and electronic superstores, a variety of retail stores nationwide and Epson’s retail site, www.epsonstore.com. An all-white “Arctic Edition” Artisan 725 ($199.99*) will also be available in mid-September exclusively through Best Buy to allow consumers more options to match the décor of their home and computer equipment. All models come with a one-year limited warranty and free lifetime phone support⁸ with quick and convenient product exchange. For more information, please see the Artisan 725, Artisan 835 and Artisan 725 Arctic Edition fact sheets.About Epson America Inc.

Epson America, Inc. is a leading provider of an extensive range of printers, 3LCD projectors, scanners and point-of-service printers that are renowned for their high quality, functionality, innovation and energy efficiency. Epson America is a U.S. affiliate of Seiko Epson Corporation, which employs more than 70,000 people in 106 countries around the world. Seiko Epson is committed to its ongoing contributions to the global environment and for the second year in a row has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, an indicator for leading companies in economic, environmental and social criteria. To learn more about Epson America, please visit: www.Epson.com. You may also connect with Epson America on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/EpsonAmerica), Twitter (http://twitter.com/EpsonAmerica) and YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/EpsonTV). # # #
Specifications are subject to change without notice. Epson and Claria are registered trademarks, and Epson Exceed Your Vision is a registered logomark. Artisan is a registered trademark of Epson America, Inc. All other product and brand names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Epson disclaims any and all rights in these marks. ¹Compared to photo all-in-ones priced at $300 or less as of 11/1/08 in testing by Newman-Stein, Inc. ²Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n certified; level of performance subject to the range of the router being used. Visit www.wi-fi.org/files/11nbasics_glossary.pdf for more information. ³See www.epson.com/mobileprinting for more information on optional phone applications. ⁴Compared to ink jet, photo all-in-ones priced at $299 or less as of April 1, 2010, based on independent testing.⁵ISO ppm is based on the new international standard for measuring print speed. Black and color print speeds are determined in default, single-side mode, in accordance with ISO/IEC 24734. Actual print tiems will vary based on system configuration, software, and page complexity. See www.epson.com/printspeed for details, including complete ISO reports.⁶Cartridge yields are based on continuous printing of a suite of five black and color pages as required by ISO/ IEC 24711 and 24712. Actual yields will vary considerably for reasons including images printed, print settings, temperature and humidity. Yields may be lower when printing infrequently or predominantly with one ink color. A variable amount of ink remains in the cartridges after the “replace cartridge” signal. Part of the ink from the first cartridges is used for priming the all-in-one. Ink is used for both printing and print head maintenance. All inks are used for both black and color printing. For more information about yields for this all-in-one, see www.epson.com/cartridgeinfo.⁷See our website for convenient and reasonable recycling options at www.epson.com/recycle.⁸Epson provides phone support, without charge, for the life of the product. Telephone toll charges may apply*Estimated street price

The following is a press release I recieved.  I have always liked Citrix’s software and used many different products at different times.  If this is something you are interested in, I can help you set it up.

Citrix Online Innovates with Convenient One-stop Shop for Audio and Web Conferencing Services

Raises the Bar by Delivering Complete Solutions to Businesses of All Sizes

SANTA BARBARA, Calif., January 11, 2010 – Citrix Online, the Web conferencing category growth leader and a division of Citrix Systems (NASDAQ: CTXS), extends its market leadership by offering a full line of audio services through Citrix Online Audio LLC, to its Web conferencing suite. Business of all sizes can now experience a range of high-quality audio and Web conferencing services from a single source. With this robust offering, customers benefit from enhanced convenience, performance and affordability.  
 
With Citrix Online, customers can choose standalone audio with HiDef Conferencing™ or HiDef Corporate™ as well as integrated toll-free, toll-based audio or VoIP with Citrix® GoToMeeting® and Citrix® GoToWebinar® services. With the addition of integrated toll-free audio, participants in the same GoToMeeting session or GoToWebinar event can, for the first time, select the audio option that is best for their needs.
 
Citrix Online’s strategy addresses the strong growth potential for high-quality and affordable audio services. According to Wainhouse Research, an independent firm that provides insight on the global markets for this sector, Citrix Online is well positioned to meet the demand. “The market opportunity for Web and audio conferencing volume is approximately two times larger than the current one, providing ample opportunity for Citrix Online to accelerate its growth,” says Marc Beattie, managing partner and CSP practice manager. “The unattended audio conferencing category alone, which is where Citrix Online Audio focuses – is expected to surge – growing 93%, and almost doubling in volume between 2008 and 2013.”
 
“To meet the market potential and our customers’ needs for greater choice in audio conferencing technologies, Citrix Online Audio is bringing innovative solutions to market faster than anyone else,” said Ben Lilienthal, general manager of Citrix Online Audio, LLC.  “Customers trust Citrix Online as the most innovative and reliable source for simple, convenient Web and audio conferencing that is unsurpassed in value for the richness and clarity of the audio communications. Through continuous innovation and close attention to customer needs, we are well-positioned to succeed in this market, which offers tremendous growth opportunities.”
 
After trying other vendors, Larry Blumberg & Associates, a hotel development and management services company, discovered Citrix Online’s all in one approach to Web and audio conferencing. “This convenient approach meets our need to deliver online meeting and conference calls to distributed teams with different requirements,” stated James Snellgrove, the firm’s director of financial analysis and risk management. “The convenience and simplicity of the products, coupled with the level of service, allows our company to operate more efficiently.”
 
HiDef Conferencing™ is distinguished by broadband capability that significantly enhances the quality of voice transmission compared to other audio conferencing providers. Users dialing into conference calls experience crystal clear, rich and natural audio that is more like a face-to-face meeting. HiDef Conferencing services combine simplicity with powerful functionality. Customers can easily conduct professional audio conferences without the need for expensive operator assistance. 
 
For more information about Citrix Online, GoToMeeting, GoToWebinar and HiDef Conferencing, visit www.citrixonline.com, www.gotomeeting.com, www.gotowebinar.com and https://www.hidefconferencing.com.
 
About Citrix Systems, Inc.
Citrix Systems, Inc. is a leading provider of virtualization, networking and software-as-a-service (SaaS) technologies for more than 230,000 organizations worldwide. Its Citrix Delivery Center, Citrix Cloud Center (C3) and Citrix Online Services product families radically simplify computing for millions of users, delivering applications as an on-demand service to any user, in any location on any device. Citrix customers include the world’s largest Internet companies, 99 percent of Fortune Global 500 enterprises, and hundreds of thousands of small businesses and prosumers worldwide. Citrix partners with over 10,000 companies worldwide in more than 100 countries. Founded in 1989, annual revenue in 2008 was $1.6 billion.
 
# # #
 
Citrix®, GoToMeeting®, GoToWebinar®, HiDef Conferencing™ and HiDef Corporate™ are  trademarks of Citrix Systems, Inc. and/or one or more of its subsidiaries, and may be registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.

• New free training course and new webcast!

December 4, 2007

• Leopard looks like … Vista

June 11, 2007

Repost from HP’s Technology at Work newsletter.  Subscribe here: http://www.hp.com/united-states/subscribe/gateway/

When the going gets tough, the tough have a smart game plan. And with over 2 million jobs lost in 2008, the situation is definitely getting tough. Fortunately, the US has relieved our 26 million small businesses—those which gross $15 million or less in profits annually[1]–in more ways than one with its 2009 Recovery Plan.  

The new plan not only gives small businesses tax breaks and credits, it also plans to give your customers more money by providing them jobs. In the meantime, though, one of the best ways you can take advantage of the plan is by carefully investing in the future with updated technology and energy efficient solutions. 

Even for larger businesses that don’t directly benefit from the recovery plan, making these types of changes while business is slower can prepare you for when the economy picks up. 

The government’s plan
This plan provides you with a myriad of opportunities to help your business. The new plan:

• Increases Section 179 expense deduction to $250,000 from $128,000 enabling SMBs to write off more machinery, supplies and equipment.
• Offers 50% bonus depreciation, allowing businesses to immediately write off half of a capital expense.
• Lets businesses use existing losses to offset taxes paid on profits in the previous five years, a practice known as net operating loss carry-back.
• Supports borrowing and lending by helping to unlock credit markets, eliminating fees for lenders and borrowers and offering relief for current debt.

You can review the entire bill here, and make the most of these extra funds. Plus, learn more about the federal business opportunities, and local opportunities from the recovery plan.

Your plan: build your business
One of the most advantageous uses for your forthcoming government relief is investing in equipment, specifically technology and energy efficient fixtures that bring your business up-to-date and save money in the end. And HP can help.  

Spending to save
Of course, it seems strange make critical purchases during uncertain times, but investing wisely in IT can save you money long-term. According to Microsoft’s latest SMB Insight Report,[2] an estimated 55% of SMBs will maintain or increase IT spending year over year with carefully placed investments[2] that reduce operating costs, improve productivity and retain customers. 

• Server virtualization: 50% of SMB specialists identified server virtualization as the technology most likely to reduce operating costs.[2] HP server virtualization solutions allow you to achieve improved productivity and uptime.
• Software as a Service (Saas): SaaS helps reduce software licensing costs. Instead of purchasing full licenses, software is used short-term as needed. Eduardo Rosini of Microsoft says, “When you look at the whole ecosystem with SaaS approach there’s less upfront cost, less incremental cost.”
• Business intelligence: Help improve customer experience and loyalty with HP business intelligence solutions. Nearly 40% of SMB specialists expect an increased interest in this beneficial investment.[2]
• Remote workers: Decrease overhead and, in many cases, increase productivity by building an infrastructure that enables remote workers. Introducing remote worker capability also facilitates mobility which is efficiently achieved with innovative HP EliteBooks.

Energy efficiency, economic efficiency
People often forget that energy efficiency is a way to be kind to the planet and your budget. Using your stimulus plan to invest in HP energy efficient products can help you:

• Make the most of your technology by boosting productivity and your bottom line.
• Differentiate your business among clients and partners by being aware of the changing world and your efforts to improve it.
• Stay current with laws & regulations to save money on penalties and avoid updating technology down the road when it might interrupt a busier time.

In all, the new stimulus plan can be advantageous if you use it wisely to create a plan for technological advancement and financial stability. You’ll be able to not only survive these tough times, but succeed well beyond them. 

[1] Coombes, Andrea. “Stimulating Work.” MarketWatch and Yahoo! Finance. 17 February 2009.
[2] “Microsoft Study Shows SMBs Using Technology to Cut Costs, Grow Business.” Microsoft. 25 March 2009

A great little article by Chris Brogan about online content.  It’s a good idea to keep this article in mind when planning your next blog, website, podcast, facebook page, etc.

Make Media Work for You- Elements of Good Online Content

April 15, 2009 · Comments

If I’m going to tell companies that content marketing is important, I should probably give my thoughts on how to make it useful. I’m thinking about blogging, podcasting, shooting photos, making video, and all the other tools social media allows us to use to tell stories (not market). In my ideas, I give you nuggets of what matters to me in media making, and what I believe will matter to your prospective audience. Not your customers, per se. Maybe this is for internal audiences. Instead of thinking B2B vs B2C, just think “human.” These are elements I feel humans want.

What do you think?

Elements of Good Online Content

• Be Brief – No matter how short the video or blog piece or podcast is, make it shorter. No matter how many pictures you took, choose only the few that make your point.
• Make it Portable - If you’re going to bother making media, make it easy for people to share it, use it, shift it around. Think embeds in YouTube. Think RSS and email delivery, etc.
• Make it Useful - No one wants to read about your product. They want to read something that empowers them. That’s why books sell. We read them to improve ourselves. We buy cars to feel better or to move our families around.
• Make it Personal - Repurposing your TV commercial for YouTube isn’t enough. That’s okay to do, as well, but why stop there? Video is free and cheap. So is blog content. So are photos. Do something memorable by making stories about your customers, your employees, whoever matters.
• Make it Fresh - Wow, there is a lot of redundant content out there. I’m going to say it before you do: some of mine is redundant. One reason you don’t often ding me for that is because I try to find a fresh angle. It doesn’t always work. But if you don’t try…
• Make it Relate to Your Business – Let’s not be too noble here. If you’re looking to sell blenders, You can’t do better than BlendTec. If you’re looking to sell computers, you might be the next Digital Nomads. It doesn’t have to be pure and noble. Just be clear when you’re helping versus when you’re selling.

Make Media Work for You- Elements of Good Online Content | chrisbrogan.com

As you plan your future technology upgrades, here are a few deadlines you might want to consider.  Also, as Microsoft ends support, so do many consultants.  This might leave you on your own.  If you are using the software listed below, it might be time for an upgrade or at least someone who will support the software after Microsoft has ended their support.

April deadlines loom for Windows XP, Office 2003 product support

Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 9:19 am

Next month marks the deadlines for support — in some cases, free support, in other cases, paid — for a handful of older Microsoft Windows and Office products.

Microsoft is ending mainstream (free) support for Windows XP Home and Professional, as well as for its Office 2003 suite, on April 14, 2009. It also is “retiring” Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 (SP1), meaning it will no longer provide support for that four-year-old release.

Microsoft is offering paid, extended support for XP Professional users (who also have Software Assurance licensing contracts) until April 8, 2014. It also will provide paid, extended support for Office 2003 through August 4, 2012.

(Microsoft continues to provide free security-specific fixes to customers for its products, even if they don’t pony up for “Extended Hotfix” support until the extended support date is reached.)

In case you’re wondering about support deadlines for other Windows and Office products, here are a few of the key ones.

(Note: I’ve done my best to try to calculate some of the more cryptically-worded deadlines here; if you see any mistakes, let me know.):

Windows 2000: Free support ended June 30, 2005; paid support ends on July 13, 2010. Service Pack 3 was retired on June 30, 2005. No more SPs planned.

Windows XP SP2: Service pack will be retired on July 13, 2010.

Windows XP SP3: Service pack due to be retired two years after SP4 (if there is one) releases or in  April 2014, whichever comes first.

Windows Vista Business: Free support ends on April 10, 2012; paid support ends on April 11, 2017.

Windows Vista SP1: Service pack will be retired two years after the release of SP2 (which is expected in April 2009), so likely in April 2011 (?).

Office 2003 SP3: Service pack will be retired one year after SP4 (if there is one, which is doubtful) is released or in August 2014, whichever comes first.

Office 2007: Free support ends on April 10, 2012; paid support ends on April 11, 2017.

Office 2007 SP1: Service pack will be retired a year after SP2 debuts, so likely in April 2010 (?).

Windows Server 2008: Free support ends September 7, 2013; paid support ends October 7, 2018.

April is also the rumored due date for the final Vista SP2 and Office 2007 SP2 updates. The support clock starts ticking on those once they are released to manufacturing.

Among the new features slated for Office 2007 SP2 are previously announced file-format changes — specifically support for Open Document Format (ODF), Microsoft’s own XML Paper Specfication (XPS) and PDF. SP2 also is expected add improvements to Outlook calendaring reliability and improved Outlook performance overall; improvements to Excel’s charting mechanism; the ability for Visio to export UML models to an XML file compliant with the XMI standard; and an uninstall tool for Office client service packs.

Vista SP2 is anticipated to include a new capability for recording data on to Blu-Ray media natively in Windows Vista; the addition of Windows Connect Now for simpler wifi configuration; fixes for DRM issues from WMP upgrades; the Vista Feature Pack for Wireless; functionality for reducing resources required for sidebar gadgets; and more.

April deadlines loom for Windows XP, Office 2003 product support | All about Microsoft | ZDNet.com

On the eve of what main stream media is calling the worst possible virus outbreak ever (I wait to see if its anything more then just sensationalism), here is a good article from the How To Geek.

Important: How To Scan and Remove Malicious Viruses

Every so often, we hear about a new and horrible virus spreading across the internet, infecting millions of Windows computers. Today we’ll show you the steps to remove those threats and (hopefully) prevent them from happening in the future.

Note: The latest horrible virus is set to hit on April 1st, 2009. It’s called Conficker, and we’ll explain how to make sure you are safe.

Whenever an outbreak happens, you should take the following steps:

1. Run the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool.
2. Run the McAfee Stinger Tool (optional)
3. Make sure you are using Updated Anti-Virus Software.
4. Make sure Windows Updates are turned on.
5. Get Notified for Microsoft Security Alerts.

We aren’t talking about regular viruses… your anti-virus software can handle those. We’re talking about the terrible viruses that will crash your computer, steal your information, delete the pictures of your kids – and cause your computer to be remotely controlled by a spammer. Bad stuff, but they can usually be prevented.

Run the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool

The first step in detecting and removing horrible viruses and worms from your computer is to run Microsoft’s own Malicious Software Removal Tool – it’s not a replacement for anti-virus, but it’s the best way to get rid of some of the worst offenders, like the current Conficker worm.

To run the tool, you simply need to download the file from Microsoft and run it. There’s no installer required.

If you were affected, the tool would remove the virus and alert you. Since we’re thankfully safe, we got the friendly message that no malicious software was detected. You can click the "View detailed results of the scan" to see more information.

By scrolling down in the list, you can find the current threat and make sure that you are not infected.

The tool should be updated automatically through Windows Update, but you can always just download it directly as well. This is an important tool to keep around.

Download the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool from microsoft.com

Run the McAfee Stinger Tool (optional)

An alternative tool is the McAfee Stinger tool, which is a freeware tool that removes only the worst viruses from your computer. You can check to make sure that Stinger can remove the current virus problem by checking the List Viruses dialog… make sure you have the latest version of Stinger before you use it.

Simply hit the Scan Now button to do a full scan of your computer, but be warned that this will take a long while.

Once it’s done, you should get a report with the number of clean files.

It’s a simple and rather ugly tool, but it does the job. It’s still not a replacement for real anti-virus though.

Download McAfee Avert Stinger from vil.nai.com

Make sure you are using Updated Anti-Virus Software

This is one of the most important steps in keeping yourself safe. You need to make sure that your anti-virus software is enabled and properly working! Here’s a quick list of what you should do:

1. Make sure your virus definition updates are automatically updated.
2. Make sure that real-time scanning is enabled.
3. Run a full scan (optional but useful)

If you aren’t sure what anti-virus software to use and don’t have money to spend, you can try out AVG Free edition, or you can take a look at the big list of anti-virus software we tested with Windows 7.

Note: We don’t necessarily recommend ClamWin for regular users, because it has no real-time protection. It’s just what I have installed on this computer and I needed a screenshot.

Make sure Windows Updates are turned on

Now we arrive at the most important step: making sure that Windows is fully patched and Windows Updates is enabled. You can’t protect yourself against worms and hackers if you are running a woefully out-of-date version of Windows that isn’t patched. It just won’t work.

Open up Windows Updates, make sure to click "Check for updates" and install every security patch they recommend. Then click the Change settings link…

And make sure you have it set to check for updates automatically, and installing updates automatically isn’t a bad option. Just remember, if you are running an un-patched system, you are leaving yourself open for all sorts of bad things.

Note: Please pardon the alarmist nature of this point, but patching is the #1 key to keeping safe against internet worms.

Get Notified for Microsoft Security Alerts

If you really want to make sure you are secure, you can sign up for alerts from Microsoft whenever there is an important patch that needs to be installed. You can also check the current security bulletins at any time by visiting their security bulletin home page.

Subscribe to Microsoft Security Alerts by Email or RSS

Latest Microsoft Security Bulletin Home Page

How Do I Make Sure the Patch is Installed?

So now we get right down to it… how do you know if you are vulnerable to one of the security holes? As an example, we’ll look at the security hole that leaves you vulnerable to the Conficker worm: Vulnerability in Server Service Could Allow Remote Code Execution. If you look through the list of downloads, you’ll see the particular patch for your system.

If Windows update says that you are up to date, you can check for a particular patch by clicking on "View update history" on the left-hand side.

This will take you to a long list of every update that has been installed. Look through the list, and you should see the update mentioned in the security bulletin… for me, it was KB958644 for x64-based systems, since I’m running 64-bit Vista.

At the very least it’s a relief to know that you aren’t vulnerable… to the current worm, at least.

Conclusion

These steps are essential in protecting your computer from hackers, worms, and viruses, but they aren’t the only important keys to safety. You should still remain vigilant and use common sense: don’t download files from untrusted sources, use a firewall, and make sure your email provider scans for viruses before you open attachments.

Important: How To Scan and Remove Malicious Viruses :: the How-To Geek

According to this article, its time to update a few software programs. 

Lets start with Internet Explorer.  If you have not run Windows Update in a while, please do so now.  This will update IE7.

Adobe Acrobat Reader can be updated by opening the program, clicking on the help menu and choosing Check for Updates.

To update Java, here is the link: click for the upgrade.  There is an option on that website where you can check to see if you have the latest version before installing the upgrade.  I would recommend clicking on the “Do I have Java” link.

Adobe Reader, IE 7 holes under attack

Crooks launch targeted attacks with PDFs, go after IE7 bug

• By Erik Larkin, PC World
  March 27, 2009  |  Comments: (0)

If you were an Internet crook, the following item would be music to your ears: A zero-day flaw–a security hole with no fix available before attacks could be launched–exists in Adobe Reader and Acrobat, and can be exploited by a poisoned PDF file in an attempt to take over a vulnerable computer.

As Symantec reported in February, crooks have hit the flaw with small-scale attacks that e-mail PDF attachments to specific targets. Adobe says a patch should be ready for version 9 of both programs by the time you read this, with fixes for earlier versions to follow. Read Adobe’s alert and get a link to the eventual fixes.

Word Docs Target IE 7

Bad guys went after a bug in Internet Explorer 7 a week after Microsoft distributed a fix. Those attacks employed a malicious Word document, but the Internet Storm Center has warned that crooks could also add hidden code to a hijacked Web site to create a drive-by download attack. You can in­­stall the patch for this browser flaw via Automatic Updates, or you can download it.

The same patch batch from Microsoft addresses a security vulnerability in the company’s Visio diagramming software; an attack through this hole can be triggered if you open a hacked Visio file.

Meanwhile, Mozilla fixed six security holes in its Firefox browser, one of which was deemed critical. Firefox version 3.0.6 and later has the fixes; click Help, Check for Updates to make sure that you have the latest version. The same critical flaw can hit the Thunderbird e-mail program if Java­Script is enabled for e-mail (it’s disabled by de­­fault, and discouraged by Mozilla). Version 2.0.0.21 closes the hole.

Media File Mayhem

If you use RealNetworks’ RealPlayer, beware of a risk involving malformed Internet Video Recording (IVR) files. According to security company Fortinet, simply previewing a poisoned IVR file in Windows Explorer could allow an at­­tacker to run any command on a vulnerable PC. Versions 11 through 11.04 are at risk, while 11.05 and later are not affected. Check your version by clicking Help, About RealPlayer, and, if you need it, click for the upgrade.

Finally, OpenOffice users should know that a default installation of the productivity suite’s latest version (3.0.1) adds an old, insecure version of Sun’s Java (Java 6 Update 7). According to the Washington Post, which originally reported the issue, the suite should work fine with the latest edition, Java 6 Update 12; remove your old Java versions and install the new one. You can also read the original report. The OpenOffice team should have a new version (with an updated Java version) by the time you read this, and you can also get a Java-less install via peer-to-peer download.

Adobe Reader, IE 7 holes under attack | InfoWorld | News | 2009-03-27 | By Erik Larkin, PC World

Here is an article from InfoWorld.  I love the idea that we can get up to the minute flight status via Microsoft’s Live Search. 

Microsoft adds interactive feature to Live Search

New feature makes searches more interactive for users by providing up-to-the-minute information linked to a particular search query

• By Elizabeth Montalbano, IDG News Service
  March 30, 2009  |  Comments: (0)

Microsoft has added a feature to Live Search designed to give users up-to-the-minute information linked to a particular search query to help make searches more interactive for users.

Oracle White Paper – Nucleus Report: Who’s ready for SMB? – read this white paper.

Microsoft has enabled a new Active Answers feature for "flight status" queries, although it will expand the feature to include other search queries later, according to a post on the Live Search blog.

[ Cut straight to the key news for technology development and IT management with our once-a-day summary of the top tech news. Subscribe to the InfoWorld Daily newsletter. ]

Now when users type "flight status" into the Live Search query box, not only do they get results for that query, but also another box at the top of the results page that allows them to type in an airline and the flight number so they can immediately search for information about a particular flight.

The aim of the new feature is to give users the ability not only to find relevant information but to intuit what other tasks users might want to perform on the Web and get them there more quickly, according to the post, attributed to MJ Lee, a senior program manager for Live Search.

"Live Search is becoming more than just a place to get information — it is also a place you can do things," he wrote. Microsoft’s Live Search team is working with Microsoft Research to build more Active Answers features, Lee added.

Are you ready for event-driven business? – watch this webcast.

Microsoft has been working for some time to improve its search engine to compete with Google, which still has a sizeable lead in worldwide search queries. In fact, Microsoft recently hit a 12-month low with its share of search queries in the United States, at 8.2 percent, according to comScore.

Moreover, adding interactive features like "Active Answers" is something Google has already done. The search giant several years ago introduced a feature in its search engine that allows people to type in departure and arrival airport codes into the query box to get results linking them to information from popular travel Web sites for flights matching that itinerary.

Microsoft may be betting on a new search engine it is testing internally called Kumo that uses semantic search capabilities the company acquired when it purchased San Francisco startup Powerset last June to improve its position against Google. The company, however, has stopped short of acknowledging the new search engine will be the next incarnation of Live Search.

Still, improving its share of search queries could be more a marketing and perception issue than a feature issue at this point, something even Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer acknowledged in a keynote talk at McGraw-Hill’s Media Summit in New York two weeks ago.

"Marketing’s an issue. Brand’s an issue," he said. "There are a lot of things to go work on."

But Ballmer added in his talk that because people already attach certain basic search qualities to Google, being somewhat unrecognized for its search engine gives Microsoft an opportunity to differentiate itself from competitors with features search users haven’t seen before.

Microsoft adds interactive feature to Live Search | InfoWorld | News | 2009-03-30 | By Elizabeth Montalbano, IDG News Service

How to Cut Tech Costs without Cutting Effectiveness

By Steve Adams

      In any business, large or small, there is one mantra that gets chanted over and over anytime the economy goes even a little weak: cut costs. Of course when the economy completely tanks and ordinary citizens start wondering if they should keep their money in their mattresses instead of the major banks, the mantra does seem to get noticeably louder.

      Generally speaking, cutting costs is good advice in any economy. Even when times are flush you really shouldn’t be paying for things you don’t need, or paying more than necessary for the things you do need. But when money gets tight you want to be sure you’re using what you have more efficiently.

      One strategy that has had a major effect on businesses of all sizes is moving away from purchasing technology that requires software and/or hardware. Web-based services are a “pay-as-you-go” model that eliminates the need for huge up-front capital expenditures, high maintenance costs, and ongoing support costs. All while assuring the technology you’re using has all the latest features and upgrades.

      Here’s how it works. Typically when you purchase a business application for a small office you have to install it onto a server – either by yourself (if you’re tech-savvy) or more likely by bringing in a technology expert. Once the application is up and running, you need an IT person to keep it running at peak efficiency. If there is a significant software upgrade there is another cost, and you again have to call on a technology expert to complete the process. If the server goes bad there’s an additional cost to replace the hardware.

      Moving to the Web-based model greatly reduces your overall costs. The big up-front cost for hardware and software is replaced by a small monthly fee. In most cases you get the service running yourself, even if you’re not particularly good with computers.

      The same goes for hardware and software maintenance. It all happens behind the scenes, saving time and money while assuring you’re benefiting from the software’s latest features. Should a technical issue arise, one call to the supplier’s tech support group generally solves the problem – again at no cost to you.

      This move to Web-based services isn’t just for “outlier” applications anymore either. Even core applications, such as your office productivity suite, are now moving away from the traditional client/server model to being Web-based. The reason is simple: because keeping applications running is their primary business instead of a utility, service providers dedicate considerably more resources to that function than you can on your own, resulting in greater uptime.

      If you’re looking for ways to reduce your own business costs – and who isn’t these days? – consider moving some of your applications to the Web. It’s a great way to cut costs without cutting effectiveness.

 
Steve Adams is Vice President of Marketing for MyFax (www.myfax.com), a provider of Internet faxing services for individual home users, small businesses, and large corporations. MyFax has won a number of awards in head-to-head competitions for ease of use, reliability, and best overall value. He can be reached at sadams@protus.com.