August, 2009

Strong passwords are one way in which you can be more secure online

Microsoft has a great site to simply check if your password(s) are weak or strong Password checker

“Note: Password Checker can help you to gauge the strength of your password. It is for personal reference only. Password Checker does not guarantee the security of the password itself”

Read more about strong passwords at http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-GB/Help/37565844-50dc-47e7-9260-a5a0e903db571033.mspx and http://www.microsoft.com/protect/yourself/password/create.mspx

Rob

Not surprisingly I am big fan of Bing and this article from techrepulic is a great way to show off some of the great bingness 10 ways to get the most out of Bing | 10 Things | TechRepublic.com

It covers some of the great features of bing and how you can use it to your best advantage

1. Use it as a decision engine Vs just a search engine
2. Find interesting information
3. The preview feature
4. the explorer pane
5. Search for images in a new way
6. Get Videos and more
7. Save and share your searches
8. Instant answers
9. Create collections
10. Set your preferences

Plus don’t forget other areas such as the Bing Community, customise to your preferences, home page images, bing maps, xRank, shopping and more…

Rob

If you are looking for help and support plus help on Windows Live then you should start by looking at the Microsoft Answers Windows live site.

You can ask questions of the community and if you want also get involved and help other people out with their problems.

The forums are split into 4 areas at the minute.

1. Photo Gallery, Movie Maker, and Frame It
2. Sync and devices
3. Family safety
4. Windows Live Events and toolbar

The current top  Windows Live Answers are:

• Computer disconnects from a synchronized folder
• Best Practices and Security Issues
• Windows Live Sync Error
• Where do I go for help with Windows Live ID, sign in, and other account related questions?
• I've forgotten my Windows Live password. How can I reset it?
• How do I help protect my online identity and account information?
• How to remove a child?
• Some of the files I have placed in the sync folder cannot be seen in other people's folders.
• What are the system requirements for Windows Live Sync?
• Can't save edits made to photos in Windows Live Photo Gallery
• How can I make a panoramic photo?

The Microsoft answers site has some nice features as well including a web slice for the current top answers, which I have added to my toolbar.

Rob

I love Windows Live Writer and have been using it since its early beta for writing blog posts, I wouldn't use anything else these days.  So I wanted to share this article with you Windows Live Writer – Complete Guide from Internet Techies

It covers most of te key features as well as how to install and setup WLW for your blog, plug ins and a list of general problems.

Thanks to @scottisafool for the tip, and for more Windows Live writer tips check out Brandons Donkblog series of postings

Rob

I was very surprised and privileged to be the first guest on a new series of podcasts called Microsoft Talk by 2 very enthusiastic Microsoft fans in India, @Abhishek  and @Manan

Episode 01: Windows 7 with Rob Margel < Microsoft Talk… with A & M

We chatted informally about all things Windows 7 and hopefully you will enjoy the podcast, Download the podcast (18:43) .  I am looking forward to hearing more in the up coming series of podcasts.

Rob

Last week I blogged about the Ferrari Windows 7 desktop theme well now here is a list of 26 Awesome Windows 7 Themes from the addictive tips web site.

I really like the Clean Green theme

If you are not sure about themes you can read more about what is a theme

Thanks to @technogranma for the tip

Rob

This is for my Dad who asked me how he could easily resize a bunch of photos he had taken on his digital camera.

1. Download Windows Live Photo Gallery and install it on your pc.
2. Make sure you have added all your folders and libraries where you have pictures
3. Select the files you want to resize
4. Then either right click the mouse, or from the File menu select resize
5. Choose the size you want to change to: Large- Medium – Small – Smaller or custom and where you want to save the newly sized pictures to, and then press the resize and save button. And that's it.

Rob

If you still want to get hold of the Windows 7 RC (Release Candidate) then you better hurry as it is only available until some time on August 20th.

Download Windows 7 RC

Windows 7 RC Installation Instructions

Windows 7 RC FAQ

Rob

Wow just read this report Web browser security : Phishing protection comparative test results

“The average phishing URL catch rate for browsers over the entire 14 day test period ranged from 2% for Safari 4 to 83% for Windows Internet Explorer 8. Internet Explorer 8 and Firefox 3 were the most consistent in the high level of protection they offered. Statistically, Internet Explorer 8 and Firefox 3 had a two-way tie for first, given the margin of error of 3.96%. Opera 10 beta came in third due to inconsistent protection during the test. Chrome 2 was consistent, albeit at a much lower rate of protection, and Safari offered minimal overall protection.”

So looks like IE8 and Firefox 3.n are the best if you want consistently high levels of protection from phishing scams and malware. Read more about Internet Explorer 8’s security and privacy features, and download it from http://www.microsoft.com/uk/windows/internet-explorer/default.aspx

Thanks to @andrewpickup for the tip

Rob

Its really quite easy if you want to have the latest info to stay informed about the new ways that Bing will help you find what you need  go to Stay up to date: sign up to the Bing newsletter and follow the instructions.

Rob