All Internet Explorer versions affected by newly-discovered critical flaw

Microsoft has posted a new security bulletin which describes a critical flaw in Internet Explorer which -- wait for it -- could allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary commands on a compromised computer. The flaw affects all supported versions of IE and occurs because of "the creation of uninitialized memory during a CSS function within Internet Explorer."

Vista and Windows 7 users are at less risk than those on XP because of their OS's Protected Mode, which would limit the attacker's access rights. Microsoft suggests using EMET (Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit) to protect all Internet Explorer processes -- but it's a tool designed for admins, not the average home user.

While there's no timetable given for an official fix, Microsoft has already begun working with security providers to ensure that additional protection can be delivered via definition updates. They also, of course, recommend running all Windows Updates, making sure your firewall is turned on, and having a good, up-to-date antimalware program installed.

All Internet Explorer versions affected by newly-discovered critical flaw originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 23 Dec 2010 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/12/23/critical-flaw-in-ie-effects/

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iPhone-controlled beer cannon is the robot friend of our dreams (video)

If your morning's been running low on a little thing called awesomeness, hurry past the break and gorge yourself on the stuff in the embedded videos. For the more patient among you, we'll set the scene. A young chap by the name of Ryan has repurposed an old mini-fridge from his college days into a beer-firing drone, which can accept instructions on beer brand, temperature, and destination, before launching it at the target with a force of 50psi. An embedded webcam assists the iPhone user in aiming the throws, while it's also said to record every toss and tweet it out for posterity as well. If this thing could slice bread, we'd probably offer to marry it.

Continue reading iPhone-controlled beer cannon is the robot friend of our dreams (video)

iPhone-controlled beer cannon is the robot friend of our dreams (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 08:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/7mvEreOuj-c/

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Daily Crunch: Safe Edition

Staying Safe Online This Holiday Season Video: Fan-Made Lego Black Ops Is Exactly What It Sounds Like 12 Days Of Christmas: Digital Storm Black OPS Assassin PC Gaming Rig The iGrill Turns Your iPhone Into The World?s Flashiest Meat Thermometer Tips For The Winter Bicyclist

Source: http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/12/14/daily-crunch-safe-edition/

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QuickDesk is a great quick-launch tool for Android

There are quite a few homescreen app launchers for Android; the best-known ones, ADW and LauncherPro, are very powerful but tend to be a tad on the chunky side. When you're in the middle of doing something and need to quickly switch to another task, you may not always like to go via your cluttered homescreen.

Enter QuickDesk: this quick utility is basically like a single homescreen page, with widget support and all. But when you launch it, it pops up as an overlay on top of what you're doing. The screenshot to the right shows QuickDesk running on top of a browser session, for example, but you could run it from any application; all it takes is a quick double-tap of the Home button (or even a single tap, with a double-tap to launch your "regular" launcher app). Those indicators you see next to PicMe, Phone and the other apps means they're currently running in the background.

Within QuickDesk, you get single-tap access to your most frequent applications and widgets. For example, I placed the power management widget there so I can quickly switch Wi-Fi off from any app - useful when I'm out and about, in the middle of something, and suddenly realize Wi-Fi is on and sucking battery power.

QuickDesk also features an "app drawer" of sorts, showing your most recently used applications. I personally disabled that feature (that's why you don't see it in the screenshot) because I feel the implementation clashes with the homescreen design - when the app drawer is open, some of the homescreen slides "up" and out of view. Still, QuickDesk is an interesting launcher, and the free version doesn't appear crippled in any way. QR code is after the jump.

Continue reading QuickDesk is a great quick-launch tool for Android

QuickDesk is a great quick-launch tool for Android originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/12/15/quickdesk-is-a-great-quick-launch-tool-for-android/

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Turn Your Book into This Lamp's Roof (And Save Your Spot) [Design]

You could fold the page's corner, stick in a tacky bookmark, or just throw your latest read to the floor in frustration—or, you could park it atop this lovely lamp. Reading progress, saved (and illuminated). More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/oBjUv31HzLk/turn-your-book-into-this-lamps-roof-and-save-your-spot

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Drop.io and Present.io officially shut down

At the end of October, Facebook acquired Drop.io and set about integrating the media sharing service into Facebook.com. At that time, they spelled out December 15th as the final shutdown date -- and while it's taken a few extra days, Drop.io has finally flatlined. Unsurprisingly, the company's less-talked-about Present.io screen sharing service has also been shuttered.

Both sites now display a no-nonsense "discontinued" message that lets you know you can still email support@drop.io with your inquiries. As for what Facebook plans on doing with Drop.io's assets -- we're just going to have to wait patiently. Perhaps we'll see some sort of Present.io-based video chat feature?

Drop.io and Present.io officially shut down originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/12/21/dropio-presentio-facebook-shut-down/

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CrunchGear Week in Review: Ornament Express Edition

Here’s what’s been happening on CrunchGear this week: CrunchGear’s 12 Days of Christmas CrunchGear’s Holiday Gift Guide The Luddite?s Gift Guide The Porsche Design Bobsled Is Here, Hope You Brought Your Credit Card A DIY Gorillapod Right In Time For Gift Giving Make Your Own Steve Jobs Christmas Ornament The iGrill Turns Your iPhone Into [...]

Source: http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/12/20/week-in-review-ornament-express/

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Beta List helps you join private betas ahead of the crowd

In most cases, by the time you hear about a cool beta test that you'd like to be a part of, it's too late. When sites like TechCrunch or Mashable break the news of a startup with an exclusive, the sign-up queues are inevitably flooded with wannabe testers, leaving you with a very big chance that you'll be left out in the cold. What you really need is an insider site, something that might warn you about closed, private betas before big tech sites announce the public beta. Something like betali.st, or Beta List, for example.

I must warn you: never has a single page contained so many hideous top-level domain wanks, and site names ending in the letter 'r'. But, despite the worrying, continuing prevalence of all-lower-case websites, Beta List is rather cool. Of course, for it to actually beat TechCrunch and Mashable to the punch, startup owners will have to actually tell Beta List about their closed beta tests. It has some well-established competition in the shape of The Museum of Modern Betas, too.

You can subscribe to Beta List via RSS, but the newsletter is probably a better option -- that way you can be properly alerted every time a new beta test is listed.

Beta List helps you join private betas ahead of the crowd originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 13 Dec 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/12/13/beta-list-helps-you-join-private-betas-ahead-of-the-crowd/

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5 perfect computery Christmas gifts for your mother, father or family elder

Let's be honest: if you're reading Download Squad, you're in the 99th percentile when it comes to computer technology. You probably know how to touch type, or send a file across the world at the speed of light, and in all likelihood you own one of the big three video game consoles. Like all things that you've grown up with and come to rely on, though, you don't realize just how lucky you are to have high-tech gadgets in your life.

Don't worry, I'm not going to go on about the malnourished kids in Sub-Saharan Africa and how you ought to feel thankful for food and good health this Christmas. Instead, just take a moment and think about what life would be like without a computer, without an Internet connection -- without LOLCATS.

The sad truth is, only the last couple of generations have attained computer mastery. Your parents might use computers, but as a means to an end, not as a tool. I don't think I've ever heard my mother say she likes Microsoft Word, but it gets the job done. You and I both know that technology can be so much more than that. It can become an extension of our everyday life -- and there's no reason your older relatives should miss out on the fun!

I've compiled a list of five items that can all massively improve a nascent computer user's enjoyment of technology. Some are cheap, and some are expensive -- but do your parents a favor and buy them something from this list this Christmas.

Continue reading 5 perfect computery Christmas gifts for your mother, father or family elder

5 perfect computery Christmas gifts for your mother, father or family elder originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 13 Dec 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/12/13/5-perfect-computery-christmas-gifts-for-your-mother-father-or-f/

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Instagram for Android under development

Platform envy is pretty common with smartphone users. It's pretty much inevitable that popular apps will eventually make the jump from one mobile OS to the other, but the waiting game can often be frustrating. Still, at least you know it's coming -- and that's now the case with Instagram, the immensely popular photo filtering and sharing app for iOS.

Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom confirmed to TechCrunch that an Android version of the app is in the works, though the company isn't specifying a release date at this point. After amassing a userbase of over one million in just three months on iOS, though, the company's priority is on getting an API put together. So until that happens, Android users, you'll need to content yourselves with an alternative app like Vignette.

Instagram for Android under development originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 23 Dec 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/12/23/instagram-for-android-under-development/

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McAfee?s 2011 Cyber Attack Targets: URL Shorteners, iPhones, Geolocation Services

Intel acquired McAfee has just released its forecast for the top targets for cyber criminals in 2011, and a number of popular platforms have made the list. The antivirus and security software company's labs group, McAfee Labs, says that Google?s Android, Apple?s iPhone, Foursquare, Google TV and the Mac OS X platform, are all expected to be targets in the New Year. McAfee Labs says that URL-shortening services, which create more than 3,000 URLs per minute, will be a significant target for cyber criminals in 2011. Because social media sites are already riddles with cyber criminals, these links are going to be used for spam, scamming and other malicious purposes, says the company. Interestingly, McAfee recently launched its own URL shortener, McAf.ee

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/ba3H7fMq__Q/

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Trend Micro Browser Guard protects against zero-day critical flaws in Internet Explorer

With so many types of Internet threats to watch out for nowadays, it's important to have a multi-layered defense in place. A good antimalware program is a start, but it won't protect you against everything -- like some zero-day exploits such as the new one reported by Microsoft which affects Internet Explorer.

Trend Micro's Browser Guard offers additional protection for users of Microsoft's Web browser, and best of all it's totally free. Install Browser Guard and it resides in your system tray and integrates into Internet Explorer, where it scans for malicious Web code. Browser Guard taps into Trend's Smart Protection Network, which uses the power of their antimalware cloud to defend against emerging threats. The plug-in won't slow down your browser, but it will add a toolbar (which really isn't necessary). Still, giving up a few pixels of space in exchange for some added protection is a decent trade off if you're a devoted Internet Explorer user.

Download Trend Micro Browser Guard

Trend Micro Browser Guard protects against zero-day critical flaws in Internet Explorer originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 23 Dec 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/12/23/trend-micro-browser-guard-protects-against-zero-day-critical-fla/

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What 2011 Holds for Apple: Long Shots, Sure Shots and Even Money

While Google seems to be rethinking its whole Google TV approach and IBM is now predicting that we'll have holographic 3D phone calls by 2015, I'm looking forward to another bang-up year for Apple. I've got a handful of easy predictions, some likely predictions, and a couple wishful-thinking hopes for magical new products from the geniuses locked away on the Apple campus in Cupertino.

Source: http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/71530.html

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Suit Against Apple Alleges Privacy Breaches By Apps

Here's a bit of a sticky situation: Apple is facing a class-action lawsuit alleging that they are allowing apps and ad partners to identify specific users — a breach of Apple's privacy policy and supposedly of privacy itself. Apple's privacy policy touches on this directly, yet leaves plenty of room for movement on their side, which is really what the suit is all about, though Apple is simply the biggest target at the moment. The lawsuit alleges that the "non-personal information" collected by likes of Pandora and The Weather Channel can easily be collated and used to identify individuals.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/kBsn5VlkH6Y/

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Android Market listings will soon be able to display demo videos

It's hard to convey what some applications actually do through the use of static screenshots. Take apps like Dropbox, Fiabee, or Awesome Drop, for example. It's just not that easy to explain in two images how files get from your desktop to the cloud and then down to your phone. A video demo, however, could be a lot more useful -- and soon apps in the Android Market will be able to display them.

Right now, there are about 2,000 apps with newly-added videos in the Market but they aren't being displayed just yet. They're also available via the Market API, so some sites like Appsfire have already begun integrating the video demos into their own listings via the Market API. Check out AppsFire's Dropbox, Twidroyd, and Skyfire pages to see how helpful videos can be in illustrating an app's functionality.

Android Market listings will soon be able to display demo videos originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/12/28/android-market-apps-can-now-show-off-demo-videos/

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Deals of the Day [Dealzmodo]

Today's deals include a 15" Dell laptop, a Western Digital Media Player, 3 free meals at IHOP, and more. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/mNpUP_w7xlY/deals-of-the-day

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Fujifilm X100's Hybrid Viewfinder Combines Optical Clarity With Digital Data Overload [Cameras]

Fujifilm is so pleased with the results offered by the viewfinder in its forthcoming Finepix X100 it's uploaded a comprehensive outline of the reasoning behind building it—and why having a hybrid viewfinder will make your photos better. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/DR3Jcfd7Ai4/fujifilm-x100s-hybrid-viewfinder-combines-optical-clarity-with-lcd-data-overload

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