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Tuesday 25 December 2012

Untag Facebook Photos and Share Your Year in Review

Facebook , Social Network
Untag Facebook Photos and Share Your Year in Review


Facebook is a well-known Social place, and the users definitely know the basic usage of it, like how to update your status or upload a picture or video etc.



But still there are users who don't like to change anything inside "Account Settings" or "Privacy Settings", just because they worrying about that change or because they don't have time or knowledge to do, likely to say those people doesn�t actually gave much importance to their Facebook account. Possibly or certainly a time comes those users should take note of that mistake they are doing. Mistake is when you don't know �What you share and with whom you share?�



So you should go and checkout the Facebook Data Policy if you aren�t a bit silly Facebook user.





The instruction below is for the users who are tagged in many photos inside Facebook Pages or tagged by some of their friends and now they want to be untagged from all those photos at once.



We aren�t describing all the Privacy or Account settings inside this post, we only shows you how to make your "Year in Review" shareable with your Friends and Family and how to get rid of those tagged �Photos of You� or �Photos posted by others� you don�t like to be there.





1. Log in to Facebook Account, and click on �Settings� button in right upper corner, and click on �Privacy Settings�. (on the left sidebar make sure you are on the Privacy tab).



2. Inside �Who can see my stuff� category of settings, there is some text showing �Review all your posts and things you�re tagged in�, and click on �Use Activity Log� infront of that text.






Facebook_Activity_Log_Right_Sidebar
Right Sidebar -"Photos of You"

3. Now you can see �Activity Log� page where you can see your activities, like your posts, Posts you�re tagged in, Posts by others, Posts you�ve hidden etc.



4. On the left sidebar click on �Photos�, this will shows all the Photos recently showing on your timeline, Photos uploaded by you and also Photos you are tagged in, but you just need to click on �Photos of You�, because those photos uploaded by others and you just tagged in.



5. Now you can select each Photo by click on the selection box infront of each one and click on Report/Remove Tag button on the top to Un-tag yourself from Photos or Videos you don't like.





Make sure you can Un-tag 10 Photos or Videos at a time, and those photo or videos will no longer be shown on your timeline as well as those photos will not be shown in your �Year in Review� (a new feature available for every account on Facebook), and you can ready your Year in Review to be shared with your Friends or Family.




If you get something helpful from this post, please share with others. And your precious wordings will definitely be appreciated. 


If you want to Turn On Tag Reviews read here "Turn On Tag Reviews On Facebook To Avoid Being Tagged Automatically"




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Thursday 6 December 2012

How to Set Up a Homegroup in Windows 7

Data , Laptops
How to Set Up a Homegroup in Windows 7


Sharing Files, Media and Folders on any Network now a days isn't a big deal for many of Windows 7 users, but some users still find it hard to connect to Home Network to Share files with other Computers.



Definitely you can get you Answer on Google or else where very easily within a few minutes to how to get create and connect to Home Network, but while you searching and you are not a regular or pro user you will   find some articles which are written for Pro users, and you will find this hard to follow and get connected.


Here we are going to share Mr. Mike Halsey (www.thelongclimb.com) article, who is describing the connectivity to HomeGroup Network really simply, and hope after reading this you will be able to connect your Computer to other computers situated at your Home or Office.


Before going to the process lets read a quick tip.






Manage advanced network sharing Settings
Start and type Manage advanced sharing Settings press Enter

If you want to share documents, photos, videos and music within your home use the Network Sharing Center to check your security settings are set right. The security options are clear and easy to understand with plain English throughout. To checkout your Network Sharing options click Start and type Manage advanced sharing Settings then press Enter, and make sure your settings are same like the image below.




You can share your internet connection, Printer(s) and files. The settings here allow you to set what's shared and who can see it.




You can also share folders by Right Clicking on one or more in Windows Explorer and selecting Share with in the context menu that appears.


You can choose from users on your PC and network who the folder is shared with,   or you can share a folder with your Homegroup.






Setting up a Homegroup.







Homegroups are new to Windows 7 and they're an excellent way to share Music, Pictures, Media files and also Printers with other PCs running Windows 7 on your home network. To create a Homegroup open Network and Internet from the Control Panel and then click on Create a Homegroup.




Alternately you can type Homegroup in Search box in Start Menu. The picture showing what kind of files and stuff you want to share with other computers, after choosing one or all, click Next.




Your Homegroup is now automatically created and  you will be given a password to type in computers you want to connect with this Homegroup network.


After creating a Homegroup network, remember this is your Host PC, and you can change any setting anytime by typing Homegroup in Search bar inside Start Menu.


How to Connect to Homegroup





Now its time to connect other computers to this Homegroup network, same way, open Homegroup by the way described above, The system will show all available Homegroups (remember the host PC must be switched ON). You will be asked for the password and then what files and documents you want to share from the new PC.


In Windows 7 Homegroup an additional and useful feature is the ability to stream media to other PCs and devices. This means music and video content can start playing on the other devices without being copied across to that device. It plays on the PC it's sat on and can be seen and heard on the other.


If you are using Wi-Fi - This is how you can make better your Streaming Video or Music:


If you use a Wi-Fi network in your home and want to stream and share video consider upgrading your Wi-Fi routher from the 802.11b or 802.11g to 802.11n standard. These codes are clearly labelled on products either at online stores on in the shops. Wireless N offers much greater bandwidth than previous standards. This means that video can be sent to other PCs on your network without any worries about it stuttering during playback.


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Monday 19 November 2012

6 Features - Your Windows 8 Tablet Must Have

Data , Drivers
6 Features - Your Windows 8 Tablet Must Have


Windows 8 Build for Touchscreen Devices? Yes, but do your new Windows 8 Tablet have these 7 features?



Before going to overview these features, first we talk a little about New Windows 8 Operating System. There are two main version of Windows 8 are available for touchscreen gadgets, "Windows RT and Windows 8". 




Basically Microsoft prepare and organize this new operating system for touchscreen devices, no doubt, and doesn't matter if its RT or 8 version, but Windows RT is slightly different than 8, as it designed to be more friendly with Touchscreen devices, Internet connectivity and as well for a device with longer battery life. Although some tablets makers ( I would say) don't like it, but if we go deep inside, Windows RT is viewed as more of a tablet operating system in the mold of Apple's iOS, while Windows 8 tablets may appeal to PC users looking for backward application compatibility. 


According to PC Advisor (a technology magazine publishers), "The cheapest RT tablet is Microsoft's Surface, which starts at �399." And "Windows 8 tablets will be competitive on price, however.



Lets talk about 6 features your new Windows 8 tablet must have.



1. Application compatibility



With a few exceptions, existing Windows applications will not work on RT. This is partly because ARM processors haven't previously supported major desktop Windows client OSes. But existing applications will work on Windows 8, as previous Windows OSes over the past few decades were written primarily for Intel or AMD processors. Microsoft has adopted a new application model with Windows RT and 8, and users will be able to download apps through the Windows Store.










2. Peripherals and accessory compatibility with RT



A lack of drivers may prevent some older peripherals, such as printers or cameras, from working with RT, but that doesn't mean your peripherals won't work. It's worth checking with device makers to see whether they have drivers for RT. Dell and HP have published compatibility lists for their printers.


Read here if you searching for your PC hardware drivers, compatible with Windows 8. "Where To Download the Latest Windows 8 Drivers for Popular Hardware"







3. Memory Limit



Windows RT is only 32bit, so tablets running the OS can draw on only up to 4GB RAM. Windows 8 tablets with Intel's Clover Trail Atom chip will also be only 32bit. However, tablets with Intel's PC-like Core processors run a 64bit version of Windows 8, and can handle more RAM and storage.


Tablets are adequately served with 32bit processors today but, with the usage of demanding applications growing, storage and memory needs will increase in mobile devices. ARM has taken a step ahead by announcing its ARMv8 64bit architecture, with chips likely to appear in 2014. Microsoft has not announced its 64bit plans for Windows RT.


4. ARM processors options



Windows RT tablets have already been announced with chips from nVidia and Qualcomm, which are based on ARM processors. Microsoft's Surface, Asus' Vivo Tab RT and Lenovo's IdeaPad Yoga 11 hybrid use nVidia's quad-core Tegra 3 processor, which may appeal to gamers and users looking for fast performance. Samsung's Ativ Tab and Dell's XPS 10 run Qualcomm's dual-core Snapdragon S4, which balances performance, battery life and connectivity.


5. Hardware limits



Windows RT tablets have only USB 2.0 ports. However, backward compatibility allows peripherals such as external storage devices with USB 3.0 ports to connect to RT tablets. The peripherals will work only if compatible with Windows RT, though, USB 3.0 ports are available in Windows 8 tablets running Intel's Core processors.


6. Enterprise Features



Dell and Samsung have highlighted enterprise features in RT tablets. Dell's XPS 10 tablet can be remotely disabled if lost or stolen, and software images and updates can be pushed to tablets. Dell has also included some security features such as TPM, a hardware-based cryptography and authentication technology. Samsung has included Microsoft Exchange and Cisco VPN support in its Ativ Tab.







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Wednesday 14 November 2012

Samsung Galaxy Note-II - Smartphone or Tablet

Android , Notebook
Samsung Galaxy Note-II - Smartphone or Tablet


Comparing to a Tablet Device, Samsung Galaxy Note - II have everything identical, specially a 5.5 inches of large display screen. 






Samsung Galaxy Note-II
Samsung Galaxy Note-II

A smartphone this broad and tall falls more naturally into two-handed operation actually. There is no denying this is a large device, even by modern mobile standards. It's around 151mm high and 81m wide, and 9.9mm thick. Weighted including a cover flap that wraps around the front, it was 214g, which is not insubstantial.


According to physical functionality, it seems very comfortable to operate with two hands, one to hold and one to tap. Samsung offers an option within Android's Settings titled 'One handed operation', which places the onscreen keyboard, Dial-pad and Calculator to one side. But as still its Dial-up icons are unreachable to single hand thumb, you should dial it with two hands.


Structure and Key Feature



The build is plastic, but good, feeling weighty and all of a piece in the hand. The screen quality is excellent, and it doesn't reveal the same over ripe coloring of other Samsung Super AMOLED displays.


Camera



Picture quality from the rear 8Mp camera is not bad, high contrast areas show purple fringing, although the camera is fast in operation. Recorded HD video is usable, but its suffers from focus hunting issues even in good light. Shot footage looked smeary on even slow pans.


 Interior Specifications



by PC Advisor Magazine


The Note II's innards are very similar to those of the Galaxy S III. Inside is a Samsung Exynos 4412 SoC based on a quad-core ARM, but clocked at 1.6- rather than 1.4GHz. This is the fastest clocked ARM smartphone we've seen and, combined with Android's latest 4.1 Jelly Bean OS, it bodes well for performance.



Jelly Bean promises smoother graphics, here powered by an ARM Mali-400 MP GPU. It's relatively speedy, and faster than the nVidia Tegra 3, if wel short of the fastest available mobile graphics solutions.


In our performance tests, the Note II approached the capability of the iPhone 4S. It managed 17fps in the Egypt HD test, against 19fps for the previous generation Apple phone. The iPhone 5 played the same benchmark at 38fps. Other test results like Gauge Processor speed test and SunSpider JavaScript test also was better then iPhone 5, which is remarkable.


Battery Life is also not bad, as PC Advisor Magazine says "We found battery life good enough to last two days of sporadic use, in park thanks to a large 11.78Wh removable battery packed inside".











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Monday 5 November 2012

Advanced Gadgets - Need or Trend

Imaging Device , iPhone 5
Advanced Gadgets - Need or Trend


Surely you will be excited if you buy a new advanced featured iPhone 5 after recycling your ancient one. But is it your Need or its just for Trend? 






Advanced Gadgets Need or Trend?
Gadgets

Of course this is actually depend on your needs and requirements what you choose and why, on other hand, do this new advanced gadget suites your personality? Rarely questions these are, but we are talking about why most of people advancing to modern gadgets? Is it theirs need or just its a trend?


Regarding to many survey reports and discussions, most of people using smartphones or even a camera phone for photo-shoot obviously, it means that a camera phone is your need somehow, but buying a smartphone for photo-shoot is either a trend.


Using advanced featured gadgets is very good if it fulfils your needs and the way you will use it, but for trend I should say its just waste of money. No doubt that an advanced and latest technology device gives you more features including security benefits and more reliability as well as user friendly environment. But again depends on your requirements, otherwise it stands in style / fashion category.



So it was all about cell phone devices, now if we talk about operating systems, there are many types of it and also many cases and options which force you sometimes to select only one single operating system for your gadgets to be easily sync with all your stuff around. But to be discussed, which operating system I should select. And again according to your need and requirements you can choose  which suits you most, but don't go and waste your money to buy an operating system you couldn't operate.





Suppose, if you are a good user and know every tweak about Windows operating system and you are going to buy a MacBook, only because you passionate about Mac operating system or just because its a trend  for you somehow, one thing for sure you would give it time to learn its features and again can waste your money for sure, so learning new things isn't bad, but if Windows operating system can give you everything you want then no need to waste your time and money.



Curiosity and eagerness of modern day gadgets isn't objectionable, they are the best one's. But problem is  that if we don't have time to use its full features then why we spend extra money for it?

For example, a person who is using Intel Pentium IV PC just for media (watching movies or listening music) in part time when he free from his work, then he actually don't need to upgrade to Intel i7 Computer, although Intel i7 stands to be more powerful and can give him full HD output. On other hand a Businessman should buy a device which connects him with co-workers & business society, he will get progress reports in Excel format via email hourly maybe on the go everywhere, so if he buy a Smartphone or a kind of gadget which suits his outputs, definitely he can choose a costly device.

Choose what suits you best, choose what fits best inside your budget and even, use an older device for your old days work, and also nothing is headache if you use them friendly.


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Tuesday 30 October 2012

5 Top Features Your Ultrabook Must Have

Hardware Review , Intel
5 Top Features Your Ultrabook Must Have


5 Top Features Your Ultrabook Must Have if you prefer to buy one rather than MacBook Air.



According to your use and profession If you consider that Ultrabook suits you more than MacBook Air or you are interested to buy an Ultrabook rather than MacBook Air, so there are some actual features your Ultrabook must have.


According to style, features and something that called Trend, Apple's MacBook Air is a top Notebook but on other side Intel's super fast chipped Ultrabooks is more liked because of its compatibility and user friendly environment operating system (Windows).


So you have decided you want to buy an Ultrabook rather than a MacBook Air? Here are 5 top features to consider before making your purchase.


Quality Construction





Quality Construction - Ultrabook


Many of the unique or unusual characteristics about Ultrabooks come about because they're so thin, a height of three quarters of an inch, and even less in some cases. One of the most important of these is the systems' tendency to feel flimsy. Because most laptops don't sit at home on your desk all the time, you want the sturdiest on you can find, whether it's open or closed.



Keyboard





Keyboard - Ultrabook


Key travel on Ultrabooks is frequently shallow, after all, there's not a lot of room to house big, strong keys! This won't be a problem for everyone, but if you're a hard core typist or if you are going to need your laptop for work, you'll want to pay special attention to the keyboard. If you can, try typing on an Ultrabook you're interested in before you take it home to get an idea of how it feels beneath your fingers. You don't want to buy a notebook you won't enjoy typing on.






Port Selection





Port Selection - Ultrabook


The reduced height of ultrabooks causes problems with ports as well. Many systems simply don't have room for Ethernet ports, some have far fewer USB ports than you may be used to (may be only one or two), and still others may come with dongles that give you the ports but add inconvenience to the package. Knowing what you need, so you know what you'll need to put up with, is an especially good way to go here.


Touch Screen





Touch-Screen - Ultrabook


Although not a part of the standard ultrabook specs, and previously impossible to find on many systems, touch screens should now be considered a necessity. The new tile based Windows 8 interface was designed for touch, and the operating system just doesn't deliver the same experience without it. A laptop with a traditional touchpad will work, but it won't be anywhere near as intuitive. To get the most out of your Windows 8 Ultrabook, make sure it comes with a touch screen.


Wireless Display





Intel's Wireless Display technology (usually shortened to WiDi) lets you stream HD content over the air to your HDTV, rather than forcing you to connect your set to your laptop with an HDMI cable. You'll need a separate adapter, like Netgear's $100 Push2TV (pictured here), to make it work, but if you're really into entertainment you'll easily find WiDi capability worth the extra investment.








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Tuesday 23 October 2012

MacBook vs Ultrabook - A Comparison by PC Supporter

Apple , Intel
MacBook vs Ultrabook - A Comparison by PC Supporter


Lets Compare MacBook and Ultrabooks in a slightly different angle. The source is once again PC Magazine and we just present an overall review about all features.



Although Apple's paper thin laptop has quite a bit in common with Intel Ultrabooks, in a few ways we describe below they are significantly different.


Source: PC Magazine








DESIGN



You can't ignore the Apple aesthetic the company's computers always look terrific, and the chic shape and sly silver coloring of the MacBook Air make it among the sharpest of all. Outward attractiveness is not an official part of Intel's ultrabook plan, so you may find something sparkling or something ordinary; it all depends on what choices the manufacturer makes.





COMPONENTS



Everything that goes into a MacBook Air or pretty much any other Apple computer, for that matter must meet Apple's strict requirements and interface properly with the OS X operating system, so every time you pick up an Apple computer you know what you're going to get. Many ultrabook manufacturers, on the other hand, want to keep costs down, and therefore exert less control over the hardware they include. This doesn't mean it will be inferior to what Apple uses, but it does mean that with ultrabooks, as with most other PCs, performance and compatibility characteristics are not as easy to predict. If you can, try before you buy to make sure the touchpad, keyboard, and general responsiveness are what you're looking for.




DISPLAY



The screen on the 11 inch MacBook Air maxes out at a resolution of 1,366 by 768, and the 13.3 inches display at 1,440 by 900. Those are decent specs, and the displays look good, but forget about watching full 1080p video on them, 720p is all they can handle. Most ultrabooks have screen resolutions similar to Apple's, but some out there are capable of displaying full 1080p (1,920 by 1,080) video.


Storage


All of Apple's MacBook Airs are loaded with from 64GB to 512GB of flash storage, making for incredible data access speeds; traditional spinning hard drives are not even an option on the Apple machines. Ultrabooks, however, can come with either, thus requiring the user to choose between storage that's plentiful, inexpensive, and slow, or limited, pricey, and very fast.


CONNECTORS



Any seriously diminutive system is going to have an extremely restricted port selection. What has really defined the MacBook Air to this point has been its Thunderbolt port, which combines PCI Express and Displayport protocols for high speed connections to devices as diverse as hard drives and external monitors, and is about as small as ports get. Thunderbolt ports haven't appeared on PC based ultrabooks yet, but it's only a matter of time until this changes.


HOW THIN AND LIGHT IS THE FUTURE?





As ultrabooks are scarcely more than a year old, it's tough at this point to see how they'll shake out long term. But despite some early stumbles and iffy sales numbers, the form is likely to hang on for a while maybe a long while. As computing devices grow smaller but users want larger amounts of power, they'll have to evolve to stay relevant. But because they're full, feature rich systems, they have more room to grow than is probably the case with even the best tablets and smartphones. Intel will undoubtedly face competition from other imitators, HP came out with an AMD based Sleekbook, for example but it will continue to dominate on the PC side for the time being.


Not that this means there's any chance the MacBook Air will go anywhere. One of Apple's defining (and most striking) products, it's still the first thing people think of when they think of ultrathin laptops and so far no Intel ultrabook has come close to changing that. The biggest threat to the MacBook Air is Apple itself; Can company devise something better to replace it? If not, expect it to continue receiving yearly updates that make it thinner, more powerful, and more exciting.


In any event, super thin laptops are here to stay, all that remains to be seen is where they go next. How much smaller and skinnier can they get? Time will tell, but with Intel and Apple leading the charge and squaring off against each other every step of the way consumers will only benefit by seeing computers that get ever more portable even as they get ever more powerful.


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Monday 22 October 2012

Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-RX100 - Review

Cyber-shot , Digital Camera
Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-RX100 - Review


Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-RX100 - An Imaging Device for Professionals - Put it in Your Pocket & Carry With You for Dream Photography.



Source: PC Magazine


The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 is the point and shoot camera that many Professional's dreamed of. With a large image sensor its 3.6x zoom lens opens up to f/1.8 on the wide end, and it can slide into your back pocket easily to carry everywhere you go. The 20 megapixel RX100 picture quality superb that can justifies its cost.






Structure - Features & Design



Measuring 2.4 by 4 by 1.4 inches (HWD) and weighing 8.5 ounces, the RX100 is only slightly larger than the Canon PowerShot S100. This is impressive considering that the S100's image sensor is a mere 1/1.7 inches in size, the RX100's 1 inch sensor boasts more than 2.5 times the surface area. Though the lens is fast and the sensor large enough to create a nice out of focus blur behind subjects, you shouldn't expect the RX100 to produce images that are quite as good as those from a D-SLR camera; they are better than you'd expect from a point and shoot camera, but you are still sacrificing some image quality for portability.


The lens is a 3.6x zoom (due to its compact size), covering a 328-100mm (35mm equivalent) field of view. It opens up to f/1.8 at its widest, narrows to f/3.2 by 50mm, and closes down at f/4.9 at its extreme. One of the weak points of the RX100 is its lack of any sort of eye level viewfinder. There's no accessory pot to add one, nor is there a hot shoe. What you'll use to frame and review images is the rear LCD. At 3 inches, it features a staggering  1,1229k-dot resolution, about a third more than a competing 921k-dot displays. Sony has added white pixels in addition to the standard red, green, and blue, resulting in an LCD that is brilliant even when viewed in bright sunlight.






Controls will satisfy the demands of serious shooters, but aren't perfect. Save for the shutter release, zoom rocker, Mod dial, Menu, Playback, On/Off. Display, EV Compensation, and Help buttons, the RX100's physical controls are largely customizable. The front and rear control wheels are a bit quirky when you're adjusting ISO, you need to move the wheel to the left to increase the sensitivity and to the right to reduce it, the opposite of the wheel's usual behavior, but the control system is otherwise well designed.


The Camera's flash hides inside the body when not in use, popping up at the half press of the shutter button once it's been enabled. It sits on a hinged neck, which makes it possible to tilt it back with your left index finger and to bounce light off of a ceiling. It's not powerful enough to act in this capacity in, say, a ballroom, but for snaps around the house using this method will help to soften the light. Of course, there's also Flash Compensation available, so you can reduce the power output to provide just a little bit of fill when you're not using it as a bounce flash.



Performance & Actions





The RX100 is a little slow to start up, but is otherwise a speed demon, there's virtually no shutter lag thanks to quick, accurate autofocus. When shooting JPEGs in its Speed Priority mode it can capture a burst of ten shots in a second, although if you're shooting in Raw the camera takes 2 seconds for the same ten shot burst.


As measured by Imatest, the RX100's lens helped it deliver highly sharp shots through the entirety of its zoom range with, at most, 0.2 percent pincushion distortion. Noise is also not an issue, it stays below 1.5  percent through the camera's top ISO of 6400. JPEGs look excellent through ISO 800, very good at 1600, and pretty good at 3200; comparing Raw and JPEG files side by side, there's very little evidence of noise reduction in the JPEGs at the top ISO settings.


Video is recorded in AVCHD format at 1080p60 or 1080i60 resolution. The lens zooms in and out quietly while recording, and the focus keeps details clear and sharp.


The micro USB port doubles as a charging mechanism for the battery, and there's a micro HDMI port for connecting to an HDTV. In addition to SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards, Sony also supports its own proprietary formats.


The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 doesn't have the largest sensor of all zooming point and shoots, but it focuses fast, is consistently sharp, and can capture images with a shallow depth of field. You won't find better photos forma a camera that fits in your pocket.


(by: Jim Fisher)




  


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Saturday 11 August 2012

Will Windows 8 be More Secure?

Laptops , Malware
Will Windows 8 be More Secure?



Martin Cooper takes a step back from all the Windows 8 fanfare and examines whether the cyber criminals will love or loathe Microsoft's new OS.






Window 8, Win8 phone and Surface tablets - it seems it's all happening over at Redmond. As Microsoft's readies its new operating system roll out, we've every right to get excited, but with all eyes distracted by the new system's sheen, it's easy to overlook the mundane but essential business of security.


Over last 12 to 18 months, security - of the lack thereof has cast a growing shadow over Windows and the antivirus firms we trust to keep us safe online. Indeed, some have suggested that the bad guys might be winning in the never-ending game of high stakes chess. So the question is, will Windows 8 let us sleep sounder in our beds?



Security as Standard




To help protect Windows machines Microsoft has for a long time offered its Security Essentials antivirus program as a free download. Despite this, it's reckoned that almost a quarter of all Windows 7 PCs have no anti-malware software installed.


To address this problem, Microsoft has opted to install Windows 8 Defender by default.


 Windows 8 Defender is a combined system. it's comparable with Security Essentials, with basic protective features thrown into combat common threats.



We certainly applaud the move, as it makes the initial hurdle that much tougher for virus writers. However, when PC Format asked Collin Davis, senior director of engineering at Symantec, about Defender, his response was unequivocal. "It's not enough".




Davis says circumventing Defender will become the virus writer's first mission. "It's just not worth their effort releasing malware that can't beat it," he warned. Speaking from California. Davis explained how the bad guys had breached Windows 7's security features and Security Essentials.


As Windows 7 and 8 have so much in common under the hood, Windows 8's default security isn't - in his view - likely to overly challenge malware writers.



Boot Level Protection




Dig a little deep into Windows 8 and the story doesn't seem so bleak. During the PC boot phase, Microsoft has made strides to see off future malware.


Booting through the BIOS has remained largely unchanged for nearly 30 years. At its heart is a chain of module that tare executed in order. The process begins with the BIOS waking up, taking in ROM-based operations and calling on the master boot record.


The chain culminates in the Windows kernal and drivers being loaded and run. If malware can penetrate this initial process, the next program to run can be corrupted. In short, no process after the point of exploitation can be trusted.


 Malware such as Mebroot, TidServ and StuxNet insert themselves into this critical chain of events, compromising Windows at a very low and fundamental level. From such a privileged position it makes itself hard to detect and difficult to remove.


To combat this problem, Windows 8 includes a trio of technologies which are known collectively as Secure Boot Architecture. The first component is the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface, or UEFI. Assuming that your hardware is current and supports it, UEFI should make the lives of the virus writers' considerably harder.


Liek the BIOS, a UEFI system executes a sequence of baton-passing modules that lead to the OS . In a UEFI system, however, modules are security-signed and each module must check the subsequent operation's signature before it allows the next process to execute. The UEFI chain can be updated with a white list of trusted certificates.



Features and Flaws




The UEFI system isn't without a couple of flaws. Though all contemporary Windows systems will come with it as standard, older PCs still use the BIOS loading process and therefore remain vulnerable. The UEFI certification system has also enraged Linux users, as it makes it difficult to install the open source OS.


The next technology of note in Windows 8 is Early Load Anti-Malware. According to Microsoft, "|ELAM| starts before other boot-start drivers, enables the evaluation of those drivers and helps the Windows kernal decide whether they should be initialized." It is, in essence, a way of detecting malware during the boot process and blocking it.



Most Malware that Runs on Windows 7 will work on Windows 8




Windows 8 is designed to boot very quickly through, which places limits on what ELAM can achieve.


The Windows 8 specification also limits the amount of memory it can consume. Because it runs so early in the boot sequence and under such limitations, Symantec has already stated that "ELAM does little to improve security".


Remote Attestation is an optional feature. Implementing it inevitably slows down the boot process, which may not prove very popular with PC builders. If you upgrade or tinker with your PC, the timing check system will also need to be recalibrate. Remote Attestation, therefore, looks like a feature that we think will be best suited to corporate environments where systems remain unchanged by design.



The Metro Question




Windows 8 is all about the Metro interface - a collection of tiles linked to programs. Simply sweep though the wall of information and images, then tap the program you want to run. If you don't have a table or other touch enabled devices, you can use the interface with a mouse and keyboard instead.


There are two versions of Windows 8 - one designed to run on x86 chips and another complied for low-power ARM processors. The PC firms we spoke to had little to say about the latter version, and it's unlikely that malware authors have been able to research it much either. If Windows RT (as the ARM version is called) becomes a success, it will probably become the focus of malware writers, but at the moment it's impossible to say.


Looking at the x86 incarnation, Collin Davis explained that Windows 7 and Windows 8 classic are very close cousins. Therefore, most malware that runs on Windows 7 will work on Windows 8. Metro is however a different beast to a degree.



The Janus OS




From a security perspective it's easy to think of Windows 8 as two operating systems; Metro and Classic. Neither will run programs designed for the other. Metro is the more restrictive of the two, as you'll only be able to get programs from Microsoft's App Store, but the separation between Metro and classic Windows isn't clear cut.


Each Metro app works in a sealed environment or sandbox, which means it can't interact with other programs. In other words, Metro works in much the same way as Apple's sandboxed iOS - an OS that has so far avoided any major security silver bullet though. it is, in the words of Davis, "One of many tools that works well if it's done well."


Asked if Microsoft has implemented its sandboxing well, Davis replied, "It's too soon to tell."


There is one major chink in Metro's sandbox Armour. Metro is much like Windows Media Center-an environment that effectively sits on top of Windows Classic. Davis says this means that "a Metro app can't attack a Classic app, but a Classic app can attach a Metro one."


He adds that developing malware for Metro would be no harder or more expensive for virus writers.


It seems then Windows 8 makes the business of securing your PC subtly different, yet largely the same. The same rules, requirements and risks apply, so users should install a well-rated security suite and keep it updated.


Source: PC Magazine [UK]






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