orv - Slashdot User

Configuring a Windows PC For a Senior Citizen? 823

Posted by kdawson on Wednesday December 24 2008, @04:43AM
from the keeping-it-simple dept.

An anonymous reader writes "I would like to know if there are any resources on the Web or elsewhere describing how to configure a Windows PC for an older parent not living in the same household. Assume little computer familiarity or aptitude. Some stuff is obvious, like using only a few large icons for favorite Web sites, or an icon perhaps for composing email and another for checking email. Other considerations are eliminating nuisance messages from Windows update and antivirus/firewall. What works and what doesn't? Can anyone who has worked/volunteered at a senior center offer some insights?"

Contest winner: Vista more secure than MAC OS X

Submitted by Conor Turton on Thursday May 03 2007, @04:43AM

Conor Turton writes "From Macworld News

Dino Dai Zovi, the New York-based security researcher who took home $10,000 in a highly-publicized MacBook Pro hijack on April 20, has been at the center of a week's worth of controversy about the security of Apple's operating system. In an e-mail interview with Computerworld, Dai Zovi talked about how finding vulnerabilities is like fishing, the chances that someone else will stumble on the still-unpatched bug, and what operating system — Windows Vista or Mac OS X — is the sturdiest when it comes to security.

The crux of the article is the following comment: "I have found the code quality, at least in terms of security, to be much better overall in Vista than Mac OS X 10.4. It is obvious from observing affected components in security patches that Microsoft's Security Development Lifecycle (SDL) has resulted in fewer vulnerabilities in newly-written code.""

Review of Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn

Submitted by

Michael

on Thursday April 19 2007, @06:31AM

Michael writes "http://lunapark6.com/ubuntu-704-feisty-fawn.html If you have been following the Ubuntu releases, you probably know that Ubuntu's previous release "Edgy Eft" was somewhat lackluster when compared to the their prior "Dapper" release. Improvements were so slight that it was often difficult to differentiate between the two releases. Well with Feisty Fawn you will notice improvements from the Ubuntu installer all the way to how restricted drivers are now installed via a simple gui app and the easy manner in which proprietary codecs are installed. Visually the default look of Ubuntu and its KDE counterpart, Kubuntu, hasn't changed from "Edgy" but the modifications made under the hood sure has simplified Feisty Fawn."

Ubuntu Feisty Fawn Released!

Submitted by

crhylove

on Thursday April 19 2007, @04:53AM

crhylove writes "Ubuntu Feisty Fawn is out! For those of you not in the know, Ubuntu is aiming to be a full fledged desktop OS based on Debian Gnu/Linux. It is lightweight, fast, pretty, and by default works on most of the hardware out there that people will want to run it on. Included in this release are easy driver installation for commercial (restricted) drivers, Compiz (though turned off by default), Open Office 2.2.0, The Gimp, Gaim (now Pidjin) 2.0.0 beta6, Firefox 2.0, a bunch of great games, and easy codec downloads and installs. I've been running Feisty since about Herd 4, and most of my Windows friends who see it are contemplating switching, and two of them already have (I also installed Beryl, which helps out a lot on the "bling" front)! The latest torrents and such are up at the usual places: http://www.ubuntu.com/"

Major UK Online Child Porn Investigation Slated

Submitted by Oxygen99 on Thursday April 19 2007, @04:30AM

Oxygen99 writes "The Guardian (UK) is carrying a story by Duncan Campbell of PC Pro Magazine on Operation Ore, a major police investigation aimed at catching online paedophiles. This has resulted in several high profile arrests, such as those of Pete Townshend and Robert Del Naja, while attracting significant press attention. Yet, the reality of the investigation appears to be one of credit card fraud, wrongful accusations and ignorance leading to a significant number of the 7,292 people on the list being wrongfully accused of a very emotive crime. There have also been 39 suicides and a number of other people on the list will probably never be investigated.

It seems to me this case highlights flaws inherent in the way law enforcement agencies handle evidence that only a small minority of front line officers fully understand. Is this what you take from it?"

Michael Dell using Ubuntu Linux at home

Submitted by whoever57 on Wednesday April 18 2007, @05:41PM

whoever57 writes "At the moment, Michael Dell is using a Precision M90 laptop loaded with Ubuntu Linux (7.04 — Feisty Fawn). It also has Openoffice.org and Evolution."

AACS broken using XBox 360

Submitted by

mgv

on Monday April 16 2007, @07:33AM

mgv writes "AACS is truly broken, and using microsoft's X-Box 360. Using a soldering iron to read the firmware on an X-Box 360 external hard drive, hackers have bypassed the private key encryption that was revoked recently. Instead they have identified the volume unique key on the x-box 360 external HDD, and additionally have now worked out where the Volume Id key is stored on the disk. Details at ars technica"

Bill Gates Memo on using ACPI against Linux

Submitted by Ariastis on Friday April 13 2007, @07:12AM

Ariastis writes "Bill Gates, in an internal memo, explained how he saw in ACPI an option to go against Linux in his traditional monopolistic way (PDF Warning) Currently used as an element of proof in an antitrust trial."

DVD with Get a Mac actors won't play on Mac or PC

Submitted by

Christopher Phin

on Friday April 13 2007, @05:18AM

Christopher Phin writes "As if it wasn't ironic enough that one of Mac & PC actors Mitchell & Webb's own DVDs — Peep Show, series 3 — will play on neither Mac or PC, the final glorious insult is that it the anti-piracy feature, which prevents me from watching the DVD, doesn't actually prevent anyone from pirating it.

http://www.recedinghairline.co.uk/files/mitchellan dwebbirony.html"

Boarding Pass Hacker Targets Bank of America

Submitted by Concerned Customer on Wednesday April 11 2007, @08:34PM

Concerned Customer writes "The fake boarding pass guy is at it again. His blog shows a demonstration phishing website that is able to bypass the SiteKey authentication system used by Bank of America, Fidelity, and Yahoo. Users will be shown their security image, even though they're not visiting the authentic websites. Scary stuff!."