Monroe

Yes that is a nice clean looking flash drive ... while looking for a price on that drive ... I came across one expensive flash drive ... now I'm wondering just how expensive a flash drive can be ... of course, one made out of solid gold or platinum would probably win that arguement but I'm just talking about a normal type flash drive. Patriot Supersonic 256GB Magnum USB Flash Drive Price: $259.66 & FREE Shipping http://www.amazon.com/Patriot-Supersonic-256GB-Magnum-PEF256GSMNUSB/dp/B00B964QFO/ref=sr_1_13?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1379363373&sr=1-13&keywords=S200+usb+flash+drive ... at least you get "Free Shipping" !!! this is only a 2 GB drive. IronKey D2-S200-S02-3FIPS 2GB Basic S200 USB2.0 Flash Drive 2 GB Price: $125.29 + $6.62 shipping http://www.amazon.com/IronKey-D2-S200-S02-3FIPS-Basic-USB2-0-Flash/dp/B0099PAB38/ref=sr_1_14?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1379363373&sr=1-14&keywords=S200+usb+flash+drive ... no "Free Shipping" on that one !

jaclaz ... I guess I was using the wrong words ... recovery is probably what I had in mind. Good to know that ... thanks for the link for additional information. I'm thinking of how I always had to reinstall Windows 98SE from a Factory CD that came in the box. When I moved to XP I had an image backup program so I just made backups as I installed XP and added settings and software. Never wanted to go back to "Step 01" again. I don't think they have installed much software but I will take along an extra flash drive to temporary store anything they might have in the way of folders and such. ...

Thanks jaclaz, vinifera for the help. I have decided to download ClamWin, Bitdefender and probably a few more ... also downloaded Microsoft Security Essentials, both 32 and 64 bit. Going to put everything on a flash drive to have ready ... no downloading needed to save time. Got some basic info on how to tell if the computer is 32 bit or 64 bit. Hope that Kaspersky Rescue Disk does the trick but if it does not, I have one question. If I have to redo the Windows 7 installation ... which I am assuming is hidden on the hard drive somewhere, will it have to be registered again or should everything just work OK after the redo? Is all that registration information (SN and such) also kept on that "hidden" Windows 7 OS? ...

OK, I don't have Windows 7 for myself but I was on the phone last night with an older couple (good friends) who do have Windows 7 and seem to have a really bad messed up computer. They said this started about 3 weeks ago ... suddenly very slow startup, web pages loading slow ... just getting on the internet was a chore. I was with them on the phone last night for almost 3 hours trying to get something worked out. I guess it sounds like they maybe picked up a virus or maybe a bad MS update since they have "auto updates" on ... I don't know ... they know about e-mails and attachments and not to open any from people you don't know. I tried to have them get into System Restore over the phone but that was a chore with the computer running so slow ... I had them go back to an earlier date in August but SR never finished. So I gave up and am going tomorrow to try to fix everything ... now understand, I am not familiar with Windows 7 much at all, I run XP. I just downloaded the Kaspersky Rescue Disk (09-15-2013), I will try to find any viruses with it and hope that might work. If it doesn't then I may have to redo the computer to like it just came out of the box. I asked them to have everything that came with the computer handy, in case that might be the way to go. I am assuming that a "fresh" copy of Windows 7 is sitting in a hidden part of the hard drive for this purpose ... they don't remember any restore CD / DVD in the box ... it's a Toshiba notebook and there is a manual. My real question ... I want to put a good working free antivirus program on the Windows 7 setup so they have something to help in the future. I have checked this review ... 13 Best Free Antivirus Programs http://freebies.about.com/od/computerfreebies/tp/best-free-antivirus.htm The top three are these: 1. avast! Free Antivirus 8 2. AVG Anti-Virus Free 2013 3. Avira Free AntiVirus 2013 ... but when you read the reviews when people have tried them, they really don't like them, they say the programs slow the machine down and this or that. Really not many "Thumbs Up" on them. I don't run any antivirus on my XP setup but I think they probably should have one installed. I could tell them about Stinger which they have to download ... they are older and mosly visit web pages and do e-mail ... they don't do much or no downloading and would probably not understand all that but I can try to get them to make some notes. I told them about CCleaner in 2011 but I had to go to their house and download it to get it installed. No problem with that, was due for a visit anyway. I'm open to ideas, suggestions and what antivirus would really be good with Windows 7. I think MS has a virus/malware program download for XP so I'm guessing this would also be availabe for Windows 7, would that be the way to go ... I'm trying to do the KISS method for them ... "Keep It Simple Stupid" . have to add ... I have no clue if their Windows 7 is 32-bit or 64-bit. thanks ...

Thanks -X- for the reply ... I have the Windows XP Update Remover already installed, came across that program several months back and yes you are right, it doesn't remove the IE 8 Cumulative updates. I don't plan on fooling around with any other older updates at this time ... just the IE 8 updates. I think I am correct in thinking that "cumulative" means that all the fixes / changes are carried forward in each new monthly IE 8 Cumulative update. I just didn't think all those older IE 8 updates are needed on the hard drive as newer updates are released. I plan on removing those updates and probably making a new image backup of everything after a few software updates.

Would like some input or opinions dealing with removing (uninstalling) older MS XP Security updates that are still on my computer. I am mainly interested in the older "cumulative security updates" for Internet Explorer 8 that have built up over the months. Every month there is usually a new IE 8 cumulative security update released and since it is "cumulative" ... could all those "older" IE 8 updates be removed from time to time or remove the older one each month before installing the newer IE 8 cumulative update? I would probably leave all the other security updates alone ... unless someone has an opinion on any of them also. I don't need hard drive space ... just looking around to clean "unneeded" stuff off the hard drive. thanks ... Just to add ... since there seems to have been some bad updates in the last two months, I am not installing them for awhile but I still download them to have on hand. I have been installing only the IE 8 Cumulative update and Root Certificates Update for Windows XP (August 2013) for now. I had to reinstall the bad update from July ... Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 for Windows XP (KB2834902) that was released Aug 27th ... so I am holding off on putting anymore updates on my computer through April 2014 and then maybe in May or June 2014 all those "final" updates should be "OK" ... just my thinking. I do not want to mess up my XP setup going into these last months or so ... I have an image backup with the July updates installed so I have something to fall back on.

phaolo ... that's OK, just thought I'd throw that suggestion out there for you or anyone interested in "saving" videos to watch later or to just keep. I like to save TV commercials ... that are well made, funny, sexy, banned ... something that would play in Europe or the rest of the world but probably not in the US. As I mentioned in my first post as an addition ... have tried the new version and it seems to be working just fine. Downloaded six videos so far and all is well.

Maybe this program would be helpful in watching Youtube videos and some others with proper links. You have to download the video but if you have a fairly fast connection, it shouldn't be much of a problem ... besides, I usually want to save the videos, so they would be downloaded anyway. You can then use any player that you want to watch the videos ... I happen to mostly use KMPlayer 3.0.0.1442 in my XP setup ... didn't like the newer KMPlayer versions and I have some other players also. The program is Youtube Downloader HD ... I find it a good way to watch videos on your own time. http://www.youtubedownloaderhd.com/download.html Note: There hasn't been an update for some time with this program, I guess because it was working so well ... when I first started using Youtube Downloader HD, it seemed they were updating the program a lot but this last version (2.9.6) lasted a very long time but today as I started this reply I see Youtube Downloader HD is now version 2.9.9 ... I haven't tried this version yet with XP so I hope nothing drastically has changed and the program works as good as before. Add ... have tried the newer version and it seems to be OK and works just fine on XP. I also download the portable version, so no installing ! --------------------------------------------------- Youtube Downloader HD Youtube Downloader HD is a fast free video downloader. Download and convert videos into avi video format or into mp4 (compatible with iPad, iPhone). You can download High Quality videos, High Definition and Full HD videos from YouTube. Youtube Downloader HD is a Freeware! What's new in the latest version: 1. Significantly increased download speed! 2. VEVO videos can be downloaded again Youtube Downloader HD for Windows is a completely FREE Software. It contains absolutely NO ADWARE, NO SPYWARE, NO REGISTRATION, NO POPUPS, NO MALWARE or other unwanted software. Main Downloads: Download Youtube Downloader HD Version 2.9.9 Free. 4.5 MB. With installer. For Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/7 FLV Converter Version 1.2 Free. 3.6 MB. With installer. Handy free tool to convert FLV files to AVI video Youtube Downloader HD - Portable Version Version 2.9.9 Free. 3.9 MB. Without installer. Standalone exe file. For Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/7 ...

Just read this article, didn't see any mention of it ... possible back doors in hardware and software. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0054adb2-1709-11e3-9ec2-00144feabdc0.html September 6, 2013 7:45 pm ‘Back door’ spying claims set to hit tech groups By Richard Waters in San Francisco A range of US hardware and software companies are in danger of being dragged into the widening scandal over internet surveillance, following the latest leaks from Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor. The leaked documents include NSA claims that it has collaborated with technology companies to plant “back doors” into their systems – or ways for the agency secretly to penetrate systems without the users’ knowledge. “They’re crossing a line – if they’re putting back doors into the software itself, it’s a serious problem,” said Mark Anderson, a US technology commentator. The Snowden leaks have already proved deeply embarrassing to US internet companies, after it was revealed that they had complied with secret US court orders to hand over information about their users and, in some cases, set up systems to facilitate the transfer of the data. However, the latest disclosures threaten to draw a wider number of companies into the scandal, potentially undermining international confidence in their products. ... more at the link ... this is the very last part of the article: Some computer security experts said that official attempts to plant back doors were likely to play only a small part in overall efforts to compromise IT systems. “Computer security is still in such a [bad] state that you don’t need to insert a back door,” said Paul Kocher, a US cryptography expert. “If the front door is locked, you can just go in through a side window.” The latest Snowden revelations did not refer to any technology companies by name as having collaborated with the intelligence services. Intel and Cisco Systems both repeated earlier denials that they had ever put back doors in any of their products.

That was fast ... thanks -X- for the information, I wasn't aware of the problems with the July update.

I just discovered that an additional MS XP update has been added since the updates came out on August 13. It is dated Aug 27 ... KB2834902 - Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 for Windows XP (08/27/2013) This is my list of updates for my XP setup for August. I did have that KB2834902 update in July but perhaps something was wrong and MS released it again on Aug 27th. I don't know for sure. It wasn't listed when I downloaded the updates on Aug 15th. MS XP Updates August 2013 01 KB2849470 - Windows XP (275 KB) (08/12/2013) 02 KB2859537 - Windows XP (335 KB) (08/12/2013) 03 KB2862772 - Cumulative Security Update for IE 8 for Windows XP (9.2 MB) (08/09/2013) 04 KB2863058 - Windows XP (519 KB) (08/12/2013) 05 KB2850869 - Windows XP (252 KB) (08/12/2013) 06 KB931125 - Root Certificates for Windows XP (August 2013) (08/12/2013) 07 KB2834902 - Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 for Windows XP (08/27/2013) Microsoft Office 2007 08 KB2767849 - Microsoft Office 2007 (1.6 MB) (08/02/2013) Just a heads up ... for the last few months I have been doing an "update recheck" just before the new monthly updates are due out, just to make sure that the list still matches my earlier list ... I had a change occur in the June update list. Maybe someone else can confirm the KB2834902 update from July showing up again in August. ... additional information, the KB2834902 update is for my IBM Thinkpad T41 ... I also have a T42 that requires a different update ... KB2803821 - Windows Media Format Runtime 9 for Windows XP (08/27/2013) and that newer version was also released on Aug 27th. I don't have "Automatic Updates" on and just manually download the monthly updates to store. I have been installing the updates every three months and then I make an image backup, going to keep doing this till April 2014 to make that "last" perfect Factory DVD image to always have if and when trouble strikes. Will be ready for any additional MS patches or "unofficial" patches, if that should be the case. ...

"The Finder" does it again ! ... the USB Sushi drives are hilarious ... I had no idea they were making flash drives like that. I can maybe see a drive in the "Swiss Army Knife" until the knife gets wet or muddy. I'll just stick with the conventional flash drives ... I did buy one that dencorso mentioned about 1 1/2 years ago ... Corsair Flash Survivor USB Drive. http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Flash-Survivor-32GB-CMFSV3-32GB/dp/B006B7R8ZG/ref=sr_1_9?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1378289494&sr=1-9&keywords=corsair+flash+drive Superior Protection for Your Valuable Data * Built from lightweight, aircraft-grade aluminum * Water proof to 200 meters * Vibration and shock resistant I have seen pictures of it being run over by a car and I think there are a few videos on YouTube also. I bought the 16 GB size ... the price has dropped some since I bought mine and I just noticed there is a newer black stealth model ... http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Flash-Survivor-Stealth-CMFSS3-16GB/dp/B008HK515Y/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1378289494&sr=1-3&keywords=corsair+flash+drive Multifunction Tool Swiss Army Knife with 8GB Usb Flash Drive - Black http://www.amazon.com/Multifunction-Swiss-Knife-Flash-Drive/dp/B00EO1Z1QE/ref=sr_1_2/178-7157242-7241457?ie=UTF8&qid=1378289134&sr=8-2&keywords=swiss+army+knife+usb+drive The New Thumb Shape USB Stick is just as the description says: "This thing is pretty freaking gross, it looks like a real thumb." Wouldn't want it if it was free but it's a conversation piece for sure ... along with the sushi drives. I just use the term flash drive or USB drive, in reference to your one link. ...

OK jaclaz, that Verbatim flash looks pretty neat with it's slim look. That's also pretty interesting looking inside the SanDisk Cruzer Fit ... I have to agree with Tripredacus about liking a larger flash drive ... maybe if a person is a spy or "corporate spy" those little flash drives might come in handy. I still might get one just to add to the collection and also a "conversation" piece. ...

JorgeA ... thanks for the information. Wallmart had the SanDisk Cruzer Blade 8 GB USB drive on sale for $4.97 ... going back to school/college sale so I grabbed a couple of those. http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Cruzer-Blade-Flash-SDCZ50-008G-AFFP/dp/B007KFAG7U I thought they were pretty small USB drives but the Walmart salesperson pointed out the SanDisk Cruzer Fit 16 and 32 GB product. I was amazed at how small they were. When I said earlier about a possible smaller USB flash drive ... I'm thinking the part that goes into the USB slot on the computer would always have to be that size ... unless that would change in the future with USB 4 or USB 5 ... but for now I guess that's probably the smallest USB drive available. I keep saying that I have enough flash drives and will not buy anymore but I may have to get one of those to add to the collection. http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Cruzer-Flash-Drive-SDCZ33-016G-B35/dp/B005FYNSZA ...

Saw this USB flash drive two weeks ago at Walmart ... it was the smallest size flash drive I have ever seen, don't see how there could be anything smaller but maybe someone here has seen one? Kind of easy to misplace or drop ... never to be seen again. SanDisk Cruzer Fit https://www.google.com/search?q=SanDisk+Cruzer+Fit&num=100&safe=off&sa=G&complete=0&hl=en&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&ei=ySAlUpDHBu-5sQT3-YDwBg&ved=0CD8QsAQ&biw=1020&bih=630 ...

Didn't realize anyone had been posting about K-Meleon since I last posted about the new K-Meleon 1.6.0 Beta 2.6 version. That version only comes as a zip portable version, as far I know. There is an installer version and portable version for : K-Meleon 1.6.0 Beta2 (2010-12-12) * Full packages with installer o http://kmeleon.sourceforge.net/gfx/countries_flags/us.png English | Check MD5 * 7zip portable packages without installer o http://kmeleon.sourceforge.net/gfx/countries_flags/us.png English | Check MD5 http://kmeleon.sourceforge.net/ I don't think there would be a newer version with an installer ... I don't remember seeing any but there could be one around. It seems that the newer versions are released as a portable version ... but I can't say 100% that that is right. You could ask JamesD at the KM forum. Skins can be changed under Preferences ... How to change skins. The following gives you a quick reference to how to go about changing to a newly downloaded skin or theme for K-Meleon. * Skins are folders contained in your "C:\Program Files\K-Meleon\skins" folder. * Skins are stored in zip format. You will need an archiver to unzip the skins/themes. * Extract the files into "C:\Program Files\K-Meleon\skins". * Open K-Meleon, go to Edit>Preferences>GUI Appearance and select a skin from the list. * Select "Show Toolbar Background". Click OK. * Exit K-Meleon and loader if used. You will restart K-Meleon with you new skin. Note: Some older skins from v0.7 may not show the background image. Rename the image to back.bmp for use in K-Meleon v0.9 ... in the skins folder there should be several skins already there and there are some older skins at this link ... I think some should work with v1.6 ... if I understand what you were asking. I also thought there were more skins but I can't find them, if they exist. My KM v1.6 doesn't crash too much and never at this site ... but I am using Windows XP these days. I mostly go around with JavaScript off but need to put it on sometimes ... I also run Proxomitron with the Sidki filter set ... also used it with Windows 98 before I switched to XP. http://kmeleon.sourceforge.net/wiki/K-MeleonThemes15 Proxomitron - Sidki Filter set (under Proxomitron Config Sets) http://prxbx.com/forums/ HTH

CharlotteTheHarlot ... thanks for the additional heads up on the faulty MS Patches ... correct me if I am wrong on this assumption, when you first brought the Aug security patch problem to my attention, I have been trying to determine if all the patches in question apply only to Windows 7 ... I can find nothing mentioning Windows XP or Windows 8 ... as I said earlier, correct me if I am wrong on this ... or anyone else is also welcome to post any information. I downloaded the XP updates for Aug, not to install but to save them for "possible" future use. I have my XP setup updated thru July and all seems to be OK but now I figured to just save all future patches till the Dec 2013 update and install some or all ... or wait till the final April 2014 update release and then install everything (maybe)! I have several image backups to fall back on if the patches screw something up. thanks

jaclaz ... thanks for posting the earlier links, I missed them earlier today, you and Charlotte post so much information all over the place, it's easy to miss something ... the article: "Computer Virus Hits U.S. Drone Fleet" is amazing. "The virus, first detected nearly two weeks ago by the military’s Host-Based Security System ... But the virus has resisted multiple efforts to remove it from Creech’s computers, network security specialists say. And the infection underscores the ongoing security risks in what has become the U.S. military’s most important weapons system. “We keep wiping it off, and it keeps coming back,” says a source familiar with the network infection, one of three that told Danger Room about the virus. “We think it’s benign. But we just don’t know.” Military network security specialists aren’t sure whether the virus and its so-called “keylogger” payload were introduced intentionally or by accident; it may be a common piece of malware that just happened to make its way into these sensitive networks. The specialists don’t know exactly how far the virus has spread. But they’re sure that the infection has hit both classified and unclassified machines at Creech. That raises the possibility, at least, that secret data may have been captured by the keylogger, and then transmitted over the public internet to someone outside the military chain of command." and this also about encryption ... "But despite their widespread use, the drone systems are known to have security flaws. Many Reapers and Predators don’t encrypt the video they transmit to American troops on the ground. In the summer of 2009, U.S. forces discovered “days and days and hours and hours” of the drone footage on the laptops of Iraqi insurgents. A $26 piece of software allowed the militants to capture the video". I noticed the article is dated 2011 ... hopefully the virus is gone and they have encryption in place. and XP in use at Mission Control ... "Windows XP = Mission Critical Software". Well, if XP is good enough for Mission Control, well there you have it ... except that there doesn't seem to be too many rocket launches anymore !!! ... onward to the stars and asteroids with XP in my little rocket ship. ...

CharlotteTheHarlot ... thanks for clearing that up with the Thurrott article. When I read it, I felt I had already read it from somewhere ... should have checked the "big thread" a little better ... a little bit of everything in there ! ... educational for me.

Well I can see it will be out of my price range and it's a little large to suit me ... I prefer the one that James Bond had in Thunderball ! James Bond used the Jetpack in 1965's Thunderball, to escape from gunmen after killing a SPECTRE agent. http://www.007james.com/gadgets/jet_pack.php The Jetpack In the 1965 movie Thunderball, James Bond (Sean Connery) uses Q's Jetpack to escape from two gunmen after killing Jacques Bouvar, SPECTRE Agent No. 6. It was also used in the Thunderball movie posters, being the "Look Up" part of the "Look Up! Look Down! Look Out!" tagline. The Jetpack returned in the 2002 movie Die Another Day, in the Q scene that showcased many other classic gadgets. The Jetpack is a very popular Bond gadget and is a favorite among many fans due to its originality and uniqueness. ...

Just a couple more articles dealing with XP ... from the other side. Remember I like XP and intend to stay with it well after 2014. Kill your Windows XP systems, before they kill you! http://hal2020.com/2013/08/06/kill-your-windows-xp-systems-before-they-kill-you/ August 6, 2013 Paul Thurrott just published The Coming Windows XP Apocalypse reminding us that support, including security patches, for Windows XP is coming to an end. For a more in-depth examination on why you need to run from Windows XP as fast as you can see my blog entry from two years ago. Last month I experienced just how difficult it was going to be to fully put the nail in the coffin of Windows XP. I went to the open house for a new hospital and when touring around noticed that their PCs were running Windows XP. That’s right, a new deployment of XP in a mission critical environment just months before all support for XP ends. Oh, and a new deployment in an environment with extreme privacy requirements. In an environment in which malware could quite literally cause loss of life. I tweeted about this and someone from Microsoft already went off to work on making sure the hospital had a migration plan in place. No doubt a new deployment of Windows XP is not done because the IT department desired it. All controversy about Windows 8 aside, Windows 7 is something IT can and does have a love fest with. The problem is likely ISV software, and support for specialized hardware, that hasn’t yet made the migration to Windows 7. Or perhaps in this case, the hospital’s parent organization has a migration plan but this hospital was opening before the rest of the organization was ready to migrate. Let’s just hope they complete the migration in time. There are a few points about Windows XP usage and what happens when support ends in April 2014 that I wanted to make. First, the Netapplication numbers Paul used are worldwide numbers. Netapplication wants $300 to let you filter by country, which I think is fair except that I can’t justify paying them just so I can write a blog article. Using StatCounter data we see that July 2013 worldwide XP usage is 20.45% while US usage is 11.67%. Note how StatCounter and Netapplication (37% worldwide XP share) differ dramatically because of methodology. And the truth is that actual market share may be quite different than either of them report, because lots of systems in business are not used for web browsing (which is how both gather their data). All that matters is that Windows XP usage is still quite substantial no matter what the actual number or its source. The worldwide numbers may greatly overstate the situation in individual countries or regions. For example according the StatCounter Windows XP remains the most used operating system in China at 54.69%. By contrast Australia is at about 9%. This also explains why the drop in Windows XP usage appears to be slowing. In some countries the move away from Windows XP is almost over while in others it has barely begun. And for the latter, often dominated by pirated copies, it isn’t clear that the loss of support holds much meaning. Thus they just aren’t moving! ... more to the article at the link. also The Coming Windows XP Apocalypse What will it take to get businesses off Window XP? http://windowsitpro.com/windows-xp/coming-windows-xp-apocalypse Paul Thurrott Aug. 6, 2013 The clock is ticking. In April 2014, just 8 months from now, Microsoft will finally stop supporting Windows XP, an OS that was released 12 years and three major Windows releases ago. But here’s a sobering statistic that should give anyone pause: Despite this impending deadline, XP usage has barely changed in all of 2013. What gives? If you’re a fan of numbers, head over to Netmarketshare.com, NetApplication’s site for usage share statistics. They measure web browser usage share, search engine usage share, and operating system usage share, and it is of course that latter measurement that I’m focused on this week. According to the firm, Windows XP still accounted for over 37 percent of all desktop OS usage share in July 2013, behind Windows 7 (44.5 percent) but well ahead of Windows 8 (5.4 percent), Vista (4.24 percent), or the most recent Mac OS X version (3.3 percent). What the…? No matter how you measure things, this is a disaster in the making. Over the first 7 months of 2013, usage in Windows XP has declined only 2.3 percentage points (from 39.51 percent in January to 37.2 percent in July), just behind Windows 8’s tepid rise of 3.1 percentage points (from 2.3 percent in January to 5.4 percent in July). And Windows 7 has remained at virtually the same usage this entire year. Put another way, if Microsoft’s estimate of 1.5 billion active Windows users is correct, there are over 510 million PCs still running Windows XP on this planet. 510 million. Over half a billion. While I don’t have any accurate figures on what percentage of these half billion PCs are in enterprises and other businesses, I think it’s fair to say that most of them are still in businesses. Anecdotally, XP machines are to PCs as BlackBerries are to smartphones, not systems that individuals choose for themselves but rather machines that are pushed on them by employers. With Windows 8, Microsoft is pushing a new world of the consumerization of IT and of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), two concepts that were basically science fiction in the superglued USB port days of 2001, when XP first shipped. XP has lived through three two-term US presidencies and was most notable in its day for being the OS that finally moved customers off the aging DOS-based Windows 9x codebase that dated back to 1985. This thing isn’t just venerable, it’s ancient history. But it is perhaps somewhat ironic that XP’s continued popularity—if we might call it that—is at least partially the fault of Windows 8, which does aim very high with its modern ideals: a touch-centric UI that is optimized for tablets and seems aimed at killing off the desktop environment that is so familiar and dear to Windows users. Here we are in the last year of XP’s lifecycle, and Microsoft has released a version of Windows that virtually no XP user seems particularly interested in. ... more of the article at the link

jaclaz ... well I also did some additional searching concerning DVD Recorders and these "codes" and then read what you posted. I was totally unaware of all these developments since I bought my last DVD Recorder two years ago ... should have bought a spare one then, not really sure if the newer DVD Recorders would still work the same as my 2011 model. It currently seems to be able to record everything that I might want to record. From the above article ... at this time I still prefer DVDs but am checking out some DVD Recorders that burn DVDs and also have a hard drive ... but will it work like my older DVD Recorder? "As a result, consumers are finding out quickly that newer DVD recorders and DVD Recorder/VHS combo units are unable record programs from HBO or other premium channels, and definitely not Pay-Per-View or On-Demand programming ("Record Never"), due to the types of copy-protection employed to restrict recording onto DVD. This is also filtering into some of the non-premium cable channels." ... if anyone has recently bought a DVD Recorder and still able to record what they want ... I'd be interested in knowing what brand / model you bought. ...

So you also wondered why the word "Tiny" was changed ... since I started this topic, I was curious myself why the word was changed ... it wasn't me ... but it is interesting that you noticed. I can only take a stab at it, since I have only a few years of college ... it had to be someone with a PhD or two PhD's and is well versed in "large" words. Diminutive is not a word that I use much in my daily survival on Earth, but it's always good to be more "educated" ... "Tiny" was from the article and was just fine with me in my day to day existence before the "big one" (asteroid) hits! Am glad that someone also noticed and wondered why ... may have been a "secret" government hacking group that decided they didn't like the word "Tiny" ... heck, they could be changing other words and sentences without too much notice. I just think it's funny the way you posted your "observation" !

The Drone Industry doesn't like the word "drone" ... Drone industry gives journalists not-so-subtle hint — don’t use the word ‘drones’ August 14, 2013 http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/aug/14/drone-industry-journalists-dont-use-word-drones/ “Drone” is a dirty word at this week’s drone industry convention in Washington. The sector long has opposed use of the term, which, some argue, carries inherently negative connotations and doesn’t accurately describe the awesome technology seen in today’s unmanned vehicles. Efforts to stop journalists from using the word “drone” have failed miserably over the years, but the industry hasn’t given up trying. Inside the media room at the Washington convention center, the WiFi password is the not-so-subtle phrase “DontSayDrones.” The word is defined in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “an unmanned aircraft or ship guided by remote control.” At this point, removing the term from the American lexicon — or from future news stories — will be virtually impossible. ...

Came across this article yesterday as I was searching around for a spare DVD Recorder to have on hand if my current one fails anytime soon. I bought one from Walmart exactly 2 years ago this month and at that time there were several models to choose from ... after reading the article I went to Walmart to see if any were there ... only one model that I didn't like. Amazon has some for sale but not the selection I think they once had from two years back, when I was shopping around for one. I had no idea they might be on the scarce list here in the US. Just a heads up but they must still be plentiful in the rest of the world. The Case of the Disappearing DVD Recorder Why DVD Recorders are Getting So Hard to Find By Robert Silva http://hometheater.about.com/od/dvdbasics/qt/the_case_of_the_disappearing_dvd_recorder.htm Have you shopped for a DVD Recorder recently and have found slim-pickins on store shelves? It is not your imagination. While DVD recorders are thriving in other parts of the World and Blu-ray Disc recorders are all the rage in Japan, and are being introduced in several other markets, the U.S. is being left out of the video recording equation; on purpose. However, contrary to what you might think, it is not all the fault of Panasonic, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba and other Asian-based consumer electronics manufacturers. After all, they would love to sell as many DVD and Blu-ray Disc recorders as possible to anyone who wants to buy one. The real reason that DVD recorders are scarce in the U.S., and Blu-ray Disc recorders are non-existent, can be squarely laid at the foot of the U.S. movie studios and cable/satellite providers, which place restrictions on video recording that make the continued selling new DVD recorders, let alone providing access to standalone Blu-ray Disc recorders, in the U.S. consumer market an increasingly unprofitable venture. Copy-Protection and Recording Cable/Satellite Programming Most consumers buy a DVD recorder to record television programs for later viewing. So how are movie studios and cable/satellite program providers conspiring to limit your access to such video recording? The implementation of a copy-protection scheme that severely restricts what you can record and how you can record it. For example, HBO and some other cable and network programmers copy-protect most of their programs on a random basis. The type of copy protection that they use (referred to as "Record Once") allows an initial recording to a temporary storage device (such as to a hard drive of a DVD recorder/Hard Drive combo, a cable DVR, TIVO, but not necessarily to a permanent storage format, such as DVD). In addition, once you have made your recording to cable DVR, TIVO, or Hard Drive, you are not allowed to make a copy of the initial recording to a DVD or VHS. In other words, while you can make a recording to temporary storage format, such as DVR-type device, you cannot make a "hard copy" onto DVD to add to your permanent collection. "Record Once" means recording once on a temporary storage medium, not to a hard copy, such as DVD. As a result, consumers are finding out quickly that newer DVD recorders and DVD Recorder/VHS combo units are unable record programs from HBO or other premium channels, and definitely not Pay-Per-View or On-Demand programming ("Record Never"), due to the types of copy-protection employed to restrict recording onto DVD. This is also filtering into some of the non-premium cable channels. .... article is long so the link is above.