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Mac buyer's guide to when to buy Apple products.
No matter how good your pop-up blocker is, every so often one of these suckers slips through. No big deal, right? You just click on the 'X' to close it, right? WRONG!
Here's a quick tip for how to close pop-ups safely.
You don't want to click on that 'X' because some nasty pop-ups may deliver malicious software to your computer no matter where you click, even clicking the 'X' to close the pop-up window.
We know this because of the horror stories sent by users to Jessica Dolcourt at CNET Download.com.
Here's what to do to avoid the malicious software.
Step One: Read the Cover of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. (I other words, Don't Panic!)
Step Two: Press CTRL-SHIFT-ESC to call up the Windows Task Manager.
Step Three: In the Applications tab, and look for the title of the pop-up. If you're not sure, click the pop-up in the taskbar, don't click the actual pop-up Window and then examine the title bar. You may need to close a few applications to narrow it down. Just remember not to click the pop-up!
Step four: Once you've identified the offending pop-up, select it in the Task Manager, and press End Task.
Hope that keeps you free of malicious software. Of course, you should always run antivirus and antispyware. Head to CNET Download.com to find and download our favorites.
As technology evolves, so, too, does our tech germaphobia. Hot on the heels of this U.K. study that suggests computer keyboards are the toilet-seat of your office space, Monster (yes, Monster Cable) is touting some new ScreenClean products aimed at your revoltingly filthy mobile devices.
The ScreenClean line isn't anything new; it's been around for televisions for ages. But the repackaging of the mobile solution as a way to fight "disease-causing agents" is an amusing turn toward the paranoia-inducing. From the press release:
"With touch screens growing in popularity, so are the disease-causing agents that are prone to exist on portable electronic devices, where the heat-rich environment and constant human handling can create optimum conditions for contamination."
Monster is now pitching ScreenClean for laptops, cameras, cell phones/PDAs, GPS devices, and iPods/iPhones, as a way to inhibit "the growth of microorganisms," and control "a variety of bacteria, fungi, mold, mildew, yeast, and other organisms?"
Dudes. Ew. You're really bumming me out about my touch-screens. And apparently, this trend has been building for a while. iSkin does antibacterial cases, and it turns out keyboards aren't the only things dirtier than a toilet seat.
Apparently, when it comes to technology, "yucky" is the new black. And Monster is even going so far as to package the new new black with the old new black: green.
"Also, to keep things 'green,' the new Monster ScreenClean portable products will come packaged in fully recyclable packaging."
Well. Thank goodness. ... Read more
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Microsoft's instructions for how to restore default power schemes in Windows XP.
Extreme Tech's tips for speeding up Windows Vista. Of course, there's the simple within Vista way (which our caller had already tried) which you can find in Tom's video.
Use Dupe Eliminator to dedupe your music collection.
Do your Firefox bookmark icons ever break? For instance, I have a bookmark to the CNET Intranet but the Last.FM logo is next to it. Not horrible, I know, but annoying.
Here's how to fix improper icons that, for one reason or another, may show up in the Firefox browser.
First you need to find the bookmarks.html folder for your Firefox.
In Windows XP for me, it's on a torturous thrill ride through the following folders: Documents and Settings - username - ApplicationData - Mozilla - Firefox - Profiles--a gobbledygook folder.
Make sure your browser is not running, then open the bookmarks.html folder in your favorite text editor.
My problems are in the Toolbar folder, so I find that section of the bookmarks.
I find the entry I'm looking for, in my case CNET Intranet, and find the term ICON with the = sign after it. The text after ICON is the offending image.
Highlight everything between the quotes and delete it.
Now save the bookmarks document.
When you relaunch the browser the offending icon should be gone.
To restore the proper icon, just click on the bookmark. The site should add it right back.

What's up this week on Crossfade TV? Find out what Mike, Anngie, and Kurt have to say about soul-funk group Orgone (a "no-brainer," says Mike, for fans of Sharon Jones and Amy Winehouse), Oxford dance-pop group Foals, and the dark, moody new Gutter Twins project, featuring former grunge gods Greg Dulli (of Afghan Whigs) and Mark Lanegan (of Screaming Trees).
Crossfade TV is a joint production of CNET TV and Download Music. Tune in each week for the lowdown on our favorite new bands.
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Yes, AVG will provide good antivirus protection. Here's our 2006 antivirus performance scores. But check the full review of the most recent version of AVG to find out how it performs.
An answer for why running programs don't show up in the Windows taskbar from ask-leo.com.
Convert H.264 video to AVI with MediaCoder.
I really wanted to love my 80GB Zune. I'd heard good things about its Wi-Fi and its FM radio, its software, the Zune Marketplace, its easy navigation, and its non-iPod-ness. But then I got it, and now I hate it. Here's why, in ascending order of annoyance.

Good try, Zune, but not good enough.
5. The software and music categorization
The Zune software (its equivalent of iTunes) is slow and super-unintuitive. When I first started using it, I literally could not figure out how to start adding songs. I had to look it up, and discovered it's a common bug when you use the device and software for the first time, so I had to unplug the Zune, restart the software, and then I could drag-and-drop songs onto the device. It's also nowhere near as good at categorizing music as iTunes. In fact, when I imported my iTunes library into the Zune software, it couldn't figure out the difference between album and artist for most songs, so browsing the collection on the device is a total nightmare.
In the software itself, there are way too many menu options--without the Zune plugged in, there's a two-line menu with five separate options: Collection, Device, Marketplace, Social, and Disc on the top line, and then Music, Playlists, Videos, Pictures, Podcasts on the second line. Plug the device in, and there's one more menu option once you click Device (Status).
Plus, the software and device don't ... Read more
Is your Wi-Fi sluggish? Here are some quick tips for speeding up Wi-Fi.
First things first, how old is your router? If you're using a router that only supports 802.11b, consider an upgrade to a new router ready for the forthcoming 802.11n standard.
If you do that, make sure you upgrade your wireless cards and any repeaters as well so that they're all on the same standard.
If you use 802.11g or N routers don't allow 802.11b devices on your network, they will slow things down.
Hardwire as much as you can. By that, we mean run Ethernet cable from the device to your router. The fewer devices you have competing in the air, the better. Plus the wired connection should be faster and more secure.
Place the router in a central location. Try to keep it away from walls and devices such as TVs and microwave ovens, and keep it about 4-to-6 feet off the ground. Don't put it on the roof.
Do you have a cordless phone? If it's a 2.4GHz wireless phone, it's competing with your router. Try moving the phone into another room, or changing to 900MHz phone.
Finally, if you live in an area with many people running their own Wi-Fi access points, change the channel on your router so you're not fighting your neighbors.
You can do this in the router administration
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