Love is a Wonderful Thing

Love is a Wonderful Thing

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By Alan Henry How to Fix Your Family's Computer This Holiday So the Rest of the Year Is Easy If you're unable to get out of being your family's on-call tech support this holiday season, there are some things worth doing on your family's household PC if you do get roped into the job that will make your life a little easier year-round. Here are a few of them. Photo by Steve Jurvetson. The Basics: Software Updates, Security Scans, and Speed Tests OS updates. When I go home to visit my family for the holidays, I go upstairs to my room, put down my bags, and immediately go to my parents' PC and start downloading any updates available for their computer. I'm lucky—my family is pretty computer literate, and it's usually a quick process, but I have friends who have to go through a year's worth of patches and updates every time they visit for Thanksgiving. Get this out of the way first, since it'll probably take the longest. Other software updates. Nothing's worse than going home to find that your family members are still using Firefox 3, or heaven forbid, IE 6. Spend a little time while you're waiting for the OS to patch downloading the most recent versions of the applications they use most frequently, like their web browser, security and anti-malware software, email client, music player, or anything else that may have vulnerabilities or that they rely on every day. Run a system scan with an anti-malware application. Hopefully your family's PC has some antivirus and anti-malware application installed already, and it's set to update itself quietly in the background, so it's already up to date. If it's not, update it, and run a complete system scan. If you find anything, it's easier to deal with while you're there than over the phone after you've gone home. Speed tests. If I had a dollar for every time my family called and complained that their internet speeds were slow, I'd be rich. Contrary to most times when someone complains about slow internet access, it's not their fault. Their local cable provider's upload and download speeds are abysmally slow, and while they've called to complain in the past, it wasn't until I started running a few speed tests when I was home to visit and passing along the results as proof that the problem wasn't with their computer that their cable company started listening. If you're in the same boat, your family may have a real problem that's not their fault either—stave off hours of pointless troubleshooting with a few quick tests at Speedtest.net while you're home for the holidays. Photo by Mihael Mafy. The Big Guns: Replace the Computer, Upgrade the OS, Switch Them to a Mac/Windows/Linux System If you have some more time, or you're tired of dealing with your family's computer problems entirely, it may be time for more...drastic measures. If the system is really old or suffering from hardware problems that you don't have the tools or the budget to address, it might be time to go ahead and replace the system entirely. Keep an eye on our Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals to see if you can snag a cheap replacement PC. Depending on where you get it, you can pick up a new PC running Windows 7 for a couple hundred bucks. Speaking of Windows 7, if your family's computer is running Windows XP, it might be time to upgrade if your system meets the requirements for Windows 7. If it doesn't, maybe now is a good time to get your family familiar with Linux. They don't need to be command line masters, but a good linux distro like Ubuntu gives you as an administrator complete control over the system, and them as non-admin users big pretty icons they can double-click to surf the web, get their email, read the news, and most importantly, not get themselves into trouble. Many of you have mentioned in the past that you got so fed up with being your family's on-call computer technician that you switched them from Windows to a Mac because it was easier to use and more foolproof, or from a Mac to Windows because it was easier for you to lock it down, or from Mac OS or Windows to non-admin Linux accounts with only the applications installed they need to do what they need to do. These steps are definitely not for the faint of heart, and will require a little retraining so your family is comfortable with the way things have changed, but once you're finished, their computer—and your sanity—will be better in the long run. Photo by Beth Kanter. Set up Remote Access So You Can Troubleshoot Anytime, Anywhere Finally, once you've done everything you can do to make sure your family's PC is in proper working order, you want to make sure you can get access to it to troubleshoot it later when it eventually gets fouled up again. We've discussed some great remote-access options for every occasion in the past. Since you'll have physical access to the computer while you're visiting, you have the time to set up a two-way remote access solution like GoToMyPC from Citrix, LogMeIn, or Join.me, all of which you can get your parents signed up for and set up with before you go back home. When they call with computer problems, you can sit down at your computer, connect to their PC over the internet, and have them show you what's wrong and fix it immediately without having to schedule a one-off visit. We've already covered how you can get out of this job entirely, but assuming you aren't able to, your family is just too stubborn and demanding, or you actually take pleasure in helping them out with their technology problems, you can make your life easier over the long run by doing some regular maintenance and a few choice upgrades that will save you a few phone calls after the holidays are over and you've gone back to your normal life. Is there any additional basic maintenance you plan on doing to your family's PC when you get home for the holidays? Share your tips and tools in the comments below. You can reach Alan Henry, the author of this post, at alan@lifehacker.com, or better yet, follow him on Twitter or Google+. Share this:

November 23rd, 2011 Top Stories Here's Your Black Friday Survival Toolkit How to Quickly Tell if a Deal Is Really a Deal on Black Friday How to Choose the Right Mattress Is It Ever Worthwhile to Line Up for Black Friday? How to Clean Every Room in Your Home with Items You Already Have More Stories on Lifehacker »

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DAI: Wall Street falls for sixth day

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	11/23/2011
Good Evening LATEST NEWS Wall Street falls for sixth day NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks suffered a sixth straight day of losses on Wednesday as frustration over the euro zone's debt crisis, coupled with weak Chinese factory data, further dented investor sentiment. | Full Article "Disastrous" bond sale shakes confidence in Germany November 23, 2011 03:20 PM ET BERLIN (Reuters) - A "disastrous" German bond sale on Wednesday sparked fears that Europe's debt crisis was starting to threaten even Berlin, with the leaders of the euro zone's two biggest economies still at odds over a longer-term structural solution. | Full Article ANP says suspends Chevron drilling rights in Brazil November 23, 2011 03:44 PM ET SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazil's National Oil Regulator (ANP) said on Wednesday that it is suspending the drilling rights of U.S. oil major Chevron in national territory until it clarifies conditions of the recent oil spill in its Frade field. | Full Article Insight: Fidelity's expensive debt raises eyebrows November 23, 2011 04:07 PM ET BOSTON (Reuters) - Fidelity Investments gives a select group of employees an unusual perk. It lets them make unsecured loans to the company at annual interest rates that have paid them nearly 20 percent in recent years. | Full Article Mixed data raises questions on economic momentum November 23, 2011 04:22 PM ET WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Consumer spending growth slowed in October and business capital investment plans were weak, raising questions about expectations for solid growth in the fourth quarter. | Full Article US TOP NEWS Republicans bash Pakistan in debate November 23, 2011 05:34 AM ET WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Republican presidential hopefuls criticized U.S. policy toward Pakistan and called for placing sanctions on Iran's central bank in a lively and substantive foreign policy debate on Tuesday. | Full Article China factory sector shrinks most in 32 months November 23, 2011 10:28 AM ET BEIJING (Reuters) - China's factory sector shrank the most in 32 months in November on signs of domestic economic weakness, a preliminary PMI survey showed, reviving worries that China may be slipping toward a hard landing and fuelling fears of a global recession. | Full Article Yemen's Saleh signs deal to give up power November 23, 2011 03:51 PM ET RIYADH (Reuters) - Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh signed a deal on Wednesday under which he will step down after 33 years in power and 10 months of protests against his rule that brought the country to the brink of civil war. | Full Article Cairo clashes flare after dark November 23, 2011 02:49 PM ET CAIRO (Reuters) - Rocks, teargas, firebombs and gunfire made darkened streets in central Cairo a battle zone on Wednesday as hard-core protesters demanding an immediate end to army rule fought riot police around government buildings close to Tahrir Square. | Full Article Officials say plan on al Qaeda detainees would harm probes November 23, 2011 04:28 PM ET WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Senate plan requiring that all foreign al Qaeda suspects found in the United States be turned over to the military instead of civilian law enforcement could gravely damage U.S. counter-terrorism investigations, the Obama administration warned. | Full Article HEALTH NEWS FDA okays Boston Scientific stent despite concerns No surprise here: teens eat too little fruit, vegetables AIDS, TB, Malaria fund forced to cut grants Costly U.S. health system delivers uneven care: OECD UnitedHealth switches drug unit CEO amid expansion RELATED VIDEO Black Friday sales preview: Discounts win but Wal-Mart loses James Murdoch resigns UK boards Rochdale's Bove: Industry will suffer because of Jon Corzine A daily digest of breaking business news, coverage of the US economy, major corporate news and the financial markets. Register Today. Your daily briefing on the latest tech developments from around the world from Reuters expert tech correspondents. Register Today. The latest Reuters articles on M&A, IPOs, private equity, hedge funds and regulatory updates delivered to your inbox each day.. Register Today. » MORE NEWSLETTERS ODDLY ENOUGH Mayor stages hunger strike as residents shiver Full Article Rats help Colombia sniff out deadly landmines Probe widens in buttocks-enlargement case Greyhound bus driver leaves passengers stranded Woman jailed for stealing $1 million from Mark Twain House Gynecologist faces charge for secret photos - 3 Times Square New York, NY 10036 USA © Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters Ensure delivery of Reuters Newsmails, add mail@nl.reuters.com to your address book. Details Subscribe to other Reuters newsletters. Unsubscribe from this newsletter. Follow us on Twitter Friend us on Facebook Forward to a friend

Technology Report: Merck said to hijack German rival's Facebook page

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	11/23/2011
Good afternoon Microsoft has signed a confidentiality agreement with Yahoo, allowing the software giant to take a closer look at Yahoo's business, according to a source familiar with the matter. Microsoft joins several private equity firms that are also poring over Yahoo's books and operations, as they explore various options for striking a deal with the struggling Internet company. Microsoft's signing of a nondisclosure agreement with Yahoo occurred "recently," according to the source. Shares of Groupon fell for a third day , sinking below the company's initial public offering price of $20 less than three weeks after the daily deal company went public. Groupon raised more than $700 million in an IPO in early November, making it the biggest IPO by a U.S. Internet company since Google raised $1.7 billion in 2004. Analysts have cited concerns about increased competition, a greater availability of the company's stock for short-selling, and a sharp reversal of market sentiment that is taking down more speculative companies. Groupon shares ended the day down 15.5 percent at $16.96. Big-Box retailer Best Buy has no regrets about stocking Research In Motion's PlayBook tablet, despite the product's poor reception and subsequent sharp discounting. RIM says it has shipped 700,000 PlayBooks since its launch, a figure dwarfed by the millions of iPads Apple sells each quarter. "When a product is less successful, you do what you need to do, and you move to the next thing," Best Buy's president for the Americas, Mike Vitelli, told Reuters. "That kind of quick reaction by the suppliers, whether it is BlackBerry or HP with their product, I actually think that is good for consumers too," Vitelli said. Nokia Siemens Networks, the world's second-largest maker of mobile phone network equipment, is axing 17,000 jobs, nearly a quarter of its workforce, to help save about 1 billion euros ($1.35 billion) a year. NSN, which has struggled to make a profit since being set up in 2007, did not say where it would make the cuts, part of wider changes that analysts said looked aimed at gearing up the company for an initial public offering. Google said on Tuesday that it was pulling the plug on seven projects, including Renewable Energy Cheaper than Coal as well as a Wikipedia-like online encyclopedia service known as Knol. The plans, which Google announced on its corporate blog, represent the third so-called "spring cleaning" announcement that Google has made since Google co-founder Page took the reins in April. Apple's Black Friday deals were revealed ahead of time by tech blog 9to5Mac. The blog said Apple's offerings were similar to those of years past, but gave better discounts on higher capacities of iPads and iPods. Apple's Macs will cost $101 less, iPads discounts will range from $41 to $61 discounts and the iPod nano will $11 less for both the 8GB and 16GB versions, the blog wrote. The biggest discount will be on the base level MacBook Air, which will now start at $898 in the U.S. LATEST NEWS Merck said to hijack German rival's Facebook page November 23, 2011 04:42 PM ET (Reuters) - German drugmaker Merck KGaA accused U.S. rival Merck & Co of hijacking its Facebook page and said it plans to sue to get it back. | Full Article House panel to meet on spectrum bill December 1 November 23, 2011 02:34 PM ET (Reuters) - A bill to create a wireless network for public safety and make more airwaves available to bandwidth-hungry communications companies, will be considered by a House of Representatives committee next week. | Full Article Online holiday sales to rise 15 percent: comScore November 23, 2011 09:30 AM ET (Reuters) - U.S. online spending should increase 15 percent this holiday season, outpacing even last year's torrid growth, as shoppers are enticed by more retailers offering free or low-cost shipping, analytics firm comScore said. | Full Article RIM, Spain's Telefonica to test electronic wallet November 23, 2011 01:36 PM ET TORONTO (Reuters) - BlackBerry maker Research In Motion and Spanish telecom Telefonica are teaming up to test a payment system that turns a mobile phone into an electronic wallet and identity card, the companies said on Wednesday. | Full Article Western Digital cleared to buy Hitachi disk drive business November 23, 2011 08:12 AM ET BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Western Digital has secured conditional approval from the European Union's competition regulator to purchase Hitachi's hard disk drive business for $4.3 billion, after it agreed to sell several production operations. | Full Article BUSINESS NEWS Wall Street falls for sixth day November 23, 2011 04:36 PM ET NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks suffered a sixth straight day of losses on Wednesday as frustration over the euro zone's debt crisis, coupled with weak Chinese factory data, further dented investor sentiment. | Full Article "Disastrous" bond sale shakes confidence in Germany November 23, 2011 03:20 PM ET BERLIN (Reuters) - A "disastrous" German bond sale on Wednesday sparked fears that Europe's debt crisis was starting to threaten even Berlin, with the leaders of the euro zone's two biggest economies still at odds over a longer-term structural solution. | Full Article ANP says suspends Chevron drilling rights in Brazil November 23, 2011 03:44 PM ET SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazil's National Oil Regulator (ANP) said on Wednesday that it is suspending the drilling rights of U.S. oil major Chevron in national territory until it clarifies conditions of the recent oil spill in its Frade field. | Full Article Insight: Fidelity's expensive debt raises eyebrows November 23, 2011 04:07 PM ET BOSTON (Reuters) - Fidelity Investments gives a select group of employees an unusual perk. It lets them make unsecured loans to the company at annual interest rates that have paid them nearly 20 percent in recent years. | Full Article Mixed data raises questions on economic momentum November 23, 2011 04:22 PM ET WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Consumer spending growth slowed in October and business capital investment plans were weak, raising questions about expectations for solid growth in the fourth quarter. | Full Article U.S. TOP NEWS Republicans bash Pakistan in debate China factory sector shrinks most in 32 months Yemen's Saleh signs deal to give up power Cairo clashes flare after dark Officials say plan on al Qaeda detainees would harm probes RELATED VIDEO Magnetic therapy helps stroke patients regain speech 5D imaging leads surgeons to the heart of the matter Scientists slow aging in fruit flies A daily digest of breaking business news, coverage of the US economy, major corporate news and the financial markets. Register Today. Your daily briefing on the latest tech developments from around the world from Reuters expert tech correspondents. Register Today. The latest Reuters articles on M&A, IPOs, private equity, hedge funds and regulatory updates delivered to your inbox each day.. Register Today. » MORE NEWSLETTERS ODDLY ENOUGH Mayor stages hunger strike as residents shiver Full Article Rats help Colombia sniff out deadly landmines Probe widens in buttocks-enlargement case Greyhound bus driver leaves passengers stranded Woman jailed for stealing $1 million from Mark Twain House Gynecologist faces charge for secret photos - 3 Times Square New York, NY 10036 USA © Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters Ensure delivery of Reuters Newsmails, add mail@nl.reuters.com to your address book. Details Subscribe to other Reuters newsletters. Unsubscribe from this newsletter. Follow us on Twitter Friend us on Facebook Forward to a friend