InVision Computers

Virus’s to watch out for! Top 5 from july.

admin — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:41:47 +0000

Top Viruses – July 2010
Virus Name				Risk
1.Trojan-Downloader.JS.Pegel.bp				Secretly downloads malicious script from a remote server, installs and redirects users to further malicious websites.
2. Exploit.Java.CVE-2010-0886.a				Allows attackers to download and execute arbitrary Java on vulnerable PCs by luring victims to malicious sites.
3. Trojan-Downloader.VBS.Agent.zs				Downloads and installs new versions of malicious programs, including Trojans and AdWare, on victim PCs.
4. AdWare.Win32.FunWeb.q				Displays unsolicited pop-up ads which do not appear to be relevant or associated with the user’s browser sessions.
5.Exploit.JS.Agent.bab				Uses a Microsoft Internet Explorer vulnerability to silently install malicious software onto the user?s computer.

Devious New Phishing Tactic Targets Tabs

admin — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 17:30:09 +0000

Many Internet users know what a regular phishing attack looks like, where an email comes in with a link asking you to click it and enter your credentials into a fake site meant to steal that info. What about a sneaky one that exploits user inattention to their browser tabs?
Reported on the blog Krebs on Security a new phishing attack was invented recently where the unattended tabs left open in your browser will be changed with a JavaScript code embedded in the website. The tab’s favicon and title will be changed to look like a frequently visited site and the tab content will be changed to a fake version of that website. The point is to trick the user into thinking they left that site open and got logged out and they will want to re-enter their login information.
Consider the following scenario: Bob has six or seven tabs open, and one of the sites he has open (but not the tab currently being viewed) contains a script that waits for a few minutes or hours, and then quietly changes both the content of the page and the icon and descriptor in the tab itself so that it appears to be the login page for Gmail.
The attack doesn’t even have to change the text in the address toolbar, because nobody looks there to double check where they are going. People rely more on the visual cue of the favicon and tab title. The attack exploits user inattention and trust in the tabs remaining unchanged. When the user has put their info into the fake site it will then redirect to the real site. In the Gmail example they will be redirected to the real Gmail and it will be logged in because it was never logged out in the first place.
A working proof-of-concept can be found at Mozilla Firefox creative lead Aza Raskin’s site.
If you go there and leave it open while on another tab it will switch to a fake Gmail. The only way to avoid the attack beyond being vigilant of tabs is to use the noscript addon for Firefox and it has been reported to not work quite as well on other browsers. Luckily it seems that this attack isn’t actually out in the wild, at least not yet.

Original Release of Vista Reaches End of Support

admin — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 17:22:56 +0000

Original Release of Vista Reaches End of Support

The original release of Windows Vista (often known as RTM or Service Pack 0) has end of support as of yesterday (13th of April). What this means to us technicians is that in order to get Windows Vista support from Microsoft, the Vista install must be at least Service Pack 1.

In conjunction with this milestone, Microsoft also made a tweak to their service pack support policy. Previously under the Service Pack Support Policy when a service pack reaches its end of support, customers were no longer eligible to receive troubleshooting help from Microsoft Customer Service and Support, including assisted telephone support, security updates, or non-security hotfixes. Customers requiring assistance from Microsoft had to upgrade to a supported service pack to be eligible for any support.

However, after much feedback, Microsoft updated the Service Pack Support policy to “provide customers with limited troubleshooting on unsupported service pack versions”.

What does limited troubleshooting mean? According to the Microsoft Support Lifecycle Blog it means:

The new Service Pack Support policy enables customers to obtain support as follows:

§ Break/fix support incidents will be provided through Microsoft Customer Service and Support; and through Microsoft’s managed support offerings (such as Premier Support).
§ There will be no option to engage Microsoft’s product development resources, and technical workarounds may be limited or not available.
§ If the support incident requires escalation to development for further guidance, requires a hotfix, or requires a security update, customers will be asked to upgrade to a supported service pack.

The new policy will help to:

§ Improve customer satisfaction by providing access to support representatives who can respond to questions about support options for unsupported service packs.
§ Ensure that customers have a consistent experience when contacting Microsoft for support on an unsupported service pack.
§ Provide additional support options and flexibility for customers who have not completed migration to a supported service pack.

Microsoft also noted that only supported versions of Vista will get updates such as bug fixes and security packs.

InVision Computers has a fan page on Facebook

admin — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 02:12:43 +0000

Be Sure to Check it out!
Add us as your friend/fan and tell your friends to as well!

InVision Computers Sales, Service, Upgrades, & Repairs. on Facebook

Time to stick it to the man! Well the power company anyways.

admin — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:33:37 +0000

This is an amazing idea and its almost afordable for most home owners.
I would love to install some on our buildings.
Would go nice with a solar panel setup.
Check it out, a personal wind turbine to produce your own power.
No Tower Required, Just mount on top of your house.

Tired of paying ADOBE Prices just to create and edit PDFs? I have found the answer!

admin — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 19:17:32 +0000

Personally I dont mind paying for some software, but sometimes you know your paying way to much and thats how i feel about adobe acrobat, You know thats the software you use to create and edit pdf files, Now adobe offers the viewer for free but even downloading that its getting out of control because of the size of the download. Fox it has answer, Its free viewer is super tiny.. downloads much faster and it loads pdf amazingly fast! So go ahead and Check out http://www.foxitsoftware.com There creater software is a sixth of what adobe wants.

After you try it out.. Be sure to come back and post what you think! A side note on the install of the free viewer be sure to unclick any extras that it trys to load up. As far as yahoo toolbars or ask toolbars. I think both of those software (toolbars) are a waste of the space they take.

Amazing New Laptop from MSI my favorite laptop company

admin — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:39:27 +0000

The MSI GT640: A Game Changing Evolution

【Taipei】The world’s most powerful gaming notebooks, used by the professional gaming team Fnatic.MSI in international competition, are the MSI G Series notebooks. Now the G Series has a new member, the 15.4″ GT640 built on the Intel® Calpella platform. With the most advanced Intel® Core™ i7 processor, Windows 7, and an nVIDIA GeForce GTS 250M 3D discrete graphics card (DDR3 1GB VRAM), the GT640 is the best performing notebook computer for gaming. With the highest processing power and graphics card specs around, gamers can take on all challengers and emerge unscathed!

Aluminum case, regal presence
The GT640, MSI’s newest gaming notebook, is built on the Intel Calpella platform and features a 15.4″ cinema display. Including battery total weight is only 2.7 kg. Its high quality aluminum exterior features a stylish brushed metal design and red trim on all 4 sides of the frame. Uniting fashion and the ultimate in design concepts, the GT640 is the new royalty of the gaming notebook world.

Perhaps the GT640’s most unique feature is the new shortcut key above the keyboard. Accented in piano black and encircled with fire red lines, the key’s outlines create a sensation of movement and speed while contrasting with the cooler, high tech feel of the key pads. This style and charm makes the GT640 an outstanding representation of modern style and dynamic speed.

Total evolution of software and hardware; experience ultimate speed
The high performance MSI GT640 features evolved software and hardware. At the heart of this notebook is the Intel® Core™ i7 processor, and with Microsoft certification, it will feature the new Windows 7 operating system. Also, the nVIDIA GeForce GTS 250M 3D discrete graphics card (DDR3 1GB VRAM) allows the GT640 to have a dazzling interface and helps it be the strongest and best performing notebook around.

The newest generation GT640’s image processing performance has increased by 40% over previous models. With the Intel® Core™ i7 processor’s built in Intel® Hyper-threading technology, the CPU is able to process even more data, giving the quad core processor the efficiency of an 8-core processor—a huge upgrade in performance.

Flexible Performance settings; maximum battery efficiency
The GT640 comes with MSI’s exclusive ECO Engine, a smart power-saving solution that can be accessed via a dedicated ECO shortcut button on the control panel. With the push of a finger you can activate the ECO engine and customize the notebook’s power settings to suit specific uses. Control your computer’s power consumption by using Document, Gaming, Movie, Presentation, and Turbo Battery modes to maximize efficiency.

With the Intel® Core™ i7 processor’s Turbo Boost technology, the GT640 is a smarter notebook. Through instant calculation of a program’s operating requirements, it automatically regulates power supply so when a gamer is in the heat of competition and needs full power, Turbo Boost will maximize performance accordingly. Conversely, if the system is running lighter applications, operational performance will be reduced automatically. This flexible distribution of system resources allows for high processing efficiency and extended battery endurance.

Lifelike cinema quality audio and video
The MSI GT640’s brilliant exterior is dazzling. Its high grade aluminum case with a brushed metal finish and a weight of only 2.7kg with battery, makes its presence known. The GT640 uses the high grade nVIDIA GeForce GTS 250M 3D discrete graphics card (DDR3 1GB VRAM), and a 15.4″ widescreen display so gamers can enjoy smooth lifelike images and 3D gaming effects.

In addition, the GT640 not only provides a premium visual experience while gaming, it’s also an amazing audio and video entertainment platform. This notebook uses SRS Premium Sound certified high quality audio coupled with 2 built-in hi-fi speakers and 7.1 Channel surround sound ports to provide the ultimate in audio performance. Add MSI’s exclusive Cinema Pro technology, and with the push of a button you can instantly enter cinema playback mode, allowing users to cross between the gaming and movie worlds while enjoying high grade audio and video entertainment.

GT640 Spec

GT640 Spec Operation System Genuine Windows 7®Home Premium
Support type @launch Intel® Core™ i7 Processor
Chipset Intel® PM55
LCD 15.4″ TFT-LCD Display
VGA Controller nVIDIA GeForce GTS 250M 3D Graphic Card
VRAM 1GB DDR3
Memory Type DDR3 1066/1333MHz
Config DDR3 SO-DIMM x 2 slot
Maximum 4GB ( 2048MB x 2 )
Audio Speaker 2 HD Speakers
Webcam 2.0 M Webcam
Communication 56K Fax / MODEM 1
LAN 10/100/1000 GB LAN
Bluetooth Optional
Wireless LAN 802.11 b/g/draft n
I / O HDMI 1
Card reader 4 in 1 (XD/SD/MMC/ MS)
Mic-in / Headphone out 1 / 1
USB 2.0 2
RJ11 / RJ45 1 / 1
D-Sub 1
E-SATA(USB Combo) 1
Express card 1
Storage HDD form factor 250/320/500GB SATA
Optical Drive Super-Multi / Blu-Ray
Battery 6/9 Cells
Keyboard 103 keys
Power AC Adapter 120W
Physical Characteristics Dimension 360 x 260 x 33~36 mm
Full System Weight 2.7kg (W/ Battery)

Patch Tuesday is coming up

admin — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:53:34 +0000

On Tuesday, Microsoft will release the largest number of patches to fix flaws in Internet Explorer, Office, SQL Server, and every version of Windows including Windows 7.
13 updates will be released next and eight of them are “critical”. “Thirteen is not a lucky number,” said the director of security operations at nCircle Network Security. “They’ve been a busy bunch at Microsoft, that’s for sure.”
“The SQL Server update will affect a lot of people, especially those who use it as the back-end for their Web sites. And the Visual Studio update makes me wonder if it’s another fix for ATL,” he added.
Source: Patch Tuesday
Posted: 11 Oct 2009 09:35 PM PDT

Wicked Cool Dual Screen Laptop (in Japan)

admin — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:36:15 +0000

You guys have got to check out the coolest laptop i have seen.

Ask anyone that has 2 or more monitors and they will tell you then cant go back to a single screen.

With your laptop you didn’t have much choice on that, you either lugged around a extra lcd monitor to plug in or had to use the single built on monitor.

But thanks to the guys at Kohjinsha you wont have to do that anymore.

Introdusing the Kohjinsha Double Wide Laptop

Check out an artical on it over at CNET

Thanks Preston for showing me that link!

Windows 7 Q&A:

admin — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 20:06:31 +0000

This is scaling to be one of the BIGGEST Microsoft O/S launches in history. Are YOU ready?

Windows 7 Q&A:

1. My client wants to upgrade from WindowsXP to Windows 7 and I can’t do that!!
Yes, you can. Microsoft has integrated a XP > 7 migration tool right on the installation disc.
Details and procedures here: Upgrading from Windows XP to Windows 7

2. Will my client’s computer run Windows 7?
The short answer is “Yes”. I have personally run it on many platforms – including a 5 year old DDR1, P4M 1.5Ghz 32bit CPU notebook. I simply used Windows Vista drivers – all was good. But – it you need to make SURE, Microsoft has an Upgrade Advisor tool available.
Click here: Microsoft Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor

3. What about my client’s applications? Will they run in Windows 7?
Microsoft has been especially sensitive to this issue. Especially given the debacle of Vista when it first came out. There has been extensive testing in this area, but to make sure – Microsoft has developed a Windows 7 Application Compatibility Toolkit

4. So – I have a client with an incompatible software program, but they want the security and ease of use with Windows 7. What can I do?
You have a solid option. With the introduction of Windows 7 – Microsoft offers “WindowsXP Mode”. This feature utilizes Microsoft VirtualPC (With compliant hardware) to create a virtual machine running WindowsXP Pro.
All the details you can stand here: Microsoft WindowsXP Mode Minisite

5. What about downgrades? Can we still downgrade Windows 7 Pro and Windows 7 Ultimate?
Yes . Here’s the skinny from Microsoft:
“For a limited time of 18 months after the general availability of Windows 7 or the release of a Windows 7 Service Pack, whichever is earlier, the OEM license of Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Ultimate will include downgrade rights to Windows XP Professional. After that period the OEM license will enable downgrade rights to Windows Vista Business.”
Got it?

6. What versions will be available?
Basically the same as previous Windows versions. The only exception is there will be NO Windows 7 “Home” available through Microsoft Delivery Service Partners. There will be a trimmed-down version coming for Netbooks, and a “Home” version for developing countries. It will not be widely available to the SMB market. Microsoft has somewhat addresses this by lowering the price of Windows 7 Home Premium a small amount.
Versions /SKUs/Pricing:

MS Part#     Description
GFC-00564    WIN 7 HOME PREM 32-BIT ENGLISH 1PK DSP
GFC-00949    WIN 7 HOME PREM 32-BIT ENGLISH 3PK DSP
GFC-01042    WIN 7 HOME PREM 32-BIT ENGLISH 30PK DSP

GFC-00599 WIN 7 HOME PREM 64-BIT ENGLISH 1PK DSP
GFC-00977 WIN 7 HOME PREM 64-BIT ENGLISH 3PK DSP

FQC-00730    WIN 7 PRO 32-BIT ENGLISH 1PK DSP
FQC-01166    WIN 7 PRO 32-BIT ENGLISH 3PK DSP
FQC-01241    WIN 7 PRO 32-BIT ENGLISH 30PK DSP

FQC-00765 WIN 7 PRO 64-BIT ENGLISH 1PK DSP
FQC-01197 WIN 7 PRO 64-BIT ENGLISH 3PK DSP

GLC-00701    WIN 7 ULT 32-BIT ENGLISH 1PK DSP
GLC-00863    WIN 7 ULT 32-BIT ENGLISH 3PK DSP
GLC-00920    WIN 7 ULT 32-BIT ENGLISH 30PK DSP 30

GLC-00736 WIN 7 ULT 64-BIT ENGLISH 1PK DSP
GLC-00894 WIN 7 ULT 64-BIT ENGLISH 3PK DSP
Please email me for price request !

Don’t forget Microsoft’s new FREE Security Essentials! A high-quality, hassle-free antivirus protection for your home PC now.
Microsoft Security Essentials