IT Professionals

iPhone Is Coming To Verizon

Matt Hartley — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 07:42:38 +0000

Well it’s about time. No really, I think that once we see the iPhone moving to Verizon, AT&T is going to lose people in droves. Seriously, outside of the roll over minutes, why would anyone bother with them any longer?

There is really no question that providing iPhone access to Verizon users is also going to put yet another damper on Android sales though. It’s really a matter of available applications, something that iPhone destroys Android on with regard to a decent selection.

What I have yet to see happen just yet, is for Android to make the jump to AT&T mobile products. Perhaps I missed something along the way, but thus far I have yet to see any Android phones presented by AT&T. I suspect this will change once Verizon gets a hold of the iPhone for themselves.

In the end, one thing is crystal clear - AT&T is in big trouble when Verizon offers the iPhone as well. Why? Because of the fact that Verizon does (literally) provide a much stronger network in less than metro areas that AT&T ever did. And that is just sad.

Windows Update In Windows 7 Part I

Diana Huggins — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:00:48 +0000

As with previous versions of Windows, Windows 7 lets you control how and when updates are downloaded and installed on your computer. Using the Windows Update feature, you can choose whether updates are downloaded to your computer as well as whether updates are installed automatically. For example, updates for Windows 7 can be downloaded automatically but not installed until you choose to do so.

The Windows Update options available in Windows 7 include:

Install updates automatically (recommended) — Any updates found on the Windows Update site are downloaded in the background and installed at the pre-configured schedule. By default, updates are installed every day at 3:00 AM.
Download updates but let me choose whether to install them — Updates from the Windows Update site are automatically downloaded, however, you choose which of the updates to install.
Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them — You are notified when updates are available but you select which updates to download as well as install.
Never check for updates (not recommended) — Windows 7 does not check for updates.

You can configure the Windows Update option in Windows 7 through the Control Panel using the steps outlined below.

Click Start and click Control Panel.
Click System and Security.
Click Windows Update.
From the list of actions, click Change Settings.
Under Important Updates, use the drop down arrow to select one of the four options described above.
Click OK.

Solving The 5 Biggest Challenges Of Field Service Delivery

Lockergnome — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:00:06 +0000

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New Apps For November 6th, 2009

Lockergnome — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:30:53 +0000

Platform: Windows - New Apps

3D Morris Special Offer

3D Morris the modern Version of an ancient Strategy game. It offers 2-player gaming, strong computer opponents, head-to-head online gaming and stunning 3D-rendered graphics. - [more in Games & Entertainment > Strategy & War Games]

Check My Mortgage 2000

Calculates any mortgage repayment schedule/table. Which mortgage? Compare expenses of each financing option. CheckMy Mortgage 2000 provides easy to use mortgage software to calculate any repayment schedule, compare different mortgages side by side and calculate refinancing gains and costs. Provides 12 different screens for quick calculations across the whole range of mortgage repayment schedules, includes MyMortgage schedule for checking your won mortgage repayments. US and Canadian mortgage rules. - [more in Home & Hobby > Personal Finance]

Virgo A Expirations Module

The Expiration option module automatically deletes Entries after a specified time period has elapsed. It is used to rid the Journal of information that will lose its pertinence sometime in the future. Airline or sports schedules are a good example of information that times out and is no longer pertinent. Useless data is a waste of computer resources, it’s a good idea to sweep out the old. - [more in System Utilities > Other]

Virgo A

New Technology. Virgo A fills a long-needed void: a desktop application that encrypts, stores and retrieves personal data, keeps it private, and performs automated tasks, all in one place. Using Virgo A, you manage personal information with the power and efficiency that your word processor provides for textual data and your spreadsheet application provides for numeric data. Additionally, this new technology does not force your data to be categorized or structured in any way. The growth of the Internet has caused an explosion in the quantity of small but vital bits of information that must be preserved. Passwords, website addresses, user login names, and all the rest have become an essential part of daily life. Add to that the ordinary necessity of keeping up with bank account numbers, telephone numbers, social security numbers, birth dates, mailing addresses, contact names, PIN numbers, insurance information, medical information, telephone banking codes, safe combinations, etc., andąthe need for a new way to manage personal information becomes obvious.ą Virgo A provides the solution. It was developed because the old ways of managing personal information are no longer adequate.ąSensitive information should have strong protection against unwanted or accidental disclosure. The increasing quantity of data, the increasing variety of data types, and the serious consequence of losing control of data makes sticky notes, black books, scraps of paper, and all the rest, out of touch with the reality of identity theft.ąPrying eyes are everywhere. Those methods have become old-fashioned, and are genuinely risky. A simple word - such as a carelessly misplaced password, now has the potential to cause personal or financial chaos. Virgo A provides much-needed protection against data theft. - [more in Business > PIMS & Calendars]

Platform: OS X - New Apps

Google Is Opening Up Your Info - To You

Matt Hartley — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:26:30 +0000

To make things more transparent from Google’s point of view, it is providing a Dashboard to allow us to manage the data it collects.

Sadly all I found was just how easy it is to get yourself totally lost in its services. Don’t get me wrong; it did a nice job with the Dashboard. But the fact of the matter is there is really too much going to effectively manage any of it. This is especially true when you consider how many different Google services most of us are likely using these days at one level or another. Even if you do nothing but watch YouTube videos and use Google for searching, you have data out there.

I have found myself using Google Dashboard to help me keep track of the various services offered by Google. After all, it does not take too much to overwhelm most people with information overload. So to a degree, I guess Dashboard is helpful there.

Windows 7 Gaming - Not As Good As XP?

Matt Hartley — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:07:10 +0000

I read this article with great interest as I realize fully that many Windows gamers may be having mixed results with their Windows gaming experience since upgrading to Windows 7. And after all, with the promised compatibility in play, there should be no problem, right? Well, maybe.

As the article points out, it almost feels like there was so much breath holding with the Windows release going well that everyone forgot to exhale somewhere along the line. Worse, it seems like Windows 7 gaming is a moot issue all of a sudden.

The piece goes on to point out that Microsoft took on a strong role in making sure that games would be certified “validated” to have undergone extensive testing. So what the heck happened to that, as I am not seeing much action there at the moment?

Apparently headliner games will be shipping this holiday season without any real validation that they are certified to run with the latest and greatest. That is a bit scary, if you are a gamer looking to upgrade to Windows 7. Who’s doing the bug testing?

I have a theory, but I am not sure gamers are going to like it much. I see a shift in where Microsoft is putting its eggs. More with the Xbox on the gaming side, while still half-supporting PC gaming with its various efforts. Most of its focus will be on the budget conscious. Generally speaking, this is not where Microsoft likely views gamers.

So what do you think? Are we throwing the baby out with the bath water here? Perhaps, instead, all is fine and MS is just slow going with its games certification process? Hit the comments, but be kind. Otherwise I might be forced to hit the reset button. :)

Confessions Of A Public Speaker

Lockergnome — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:30:11 +0000

“…at 7:48 a.m. on a Tuesday, I am showered, cleaned, shaved, pruned, fed, and deodorized, wearing a pressed shirt and shiny shoes, in a cab on my way to the San Francisco waterfront. I’m far from home, going to an unfamiliar place, and performing for strangers, three stressful facts that mean anything can happen…”

In this hilarious and highly practical book, author and professional speaker Scott Berkun reveals the techniques behind what great communicators do, and shows how anyone can learn to use them well. For managers and teachers — and anyone else who talks and expects someone to listen — Confessions of a Public Speaker provides an insider’s perspective on how to effectively present ideas to anyone. It’s a unique, entertaining, and instructional romp through the embarrassments and triumphs Scott has experienced over 15 years of speaking to crowds of all sizes.

With lively lessons and surprising confessions, you’ll get new insights into the art of persuasion — as well as teaching, learning, and performance — directly from a master of the trade.

Highlights include:

Berkun’s hard-won and simple philosophy, culled from years of lectures, teaching courses, and hours of appearances on NPR, MSNBC, and CNBC
Practical advice, including how to work a tough room, the science of not boring people, how to survive the attack of the butterflies, and what to do when things go wrong
The inside scoop on who earns $30,000 for a one-hour lecture and why
The worst-and funniest-disaster stories you’ve ever heard (plus countermoves you can use)

Filled with humorous and illuminating stories of thrilling performances and real-life disasters, Confessions of a Public Speaker is inspirational, devastatingly honest, and a blast to read.

“A fresh, fun, memorable take on the most critical thing: what we say. Highly recommended.” - Chris Anderson, Editor in Chief, Wired

“Loved it! Anyone who speaks for a living-including teachers-will greatly benefit from this book.” - Garr Reynolds, author of Presentation Zen

Make Presenting Easier With PowerPoint’s Presenter View

Diana Huggins — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:00:23 +0000

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could view your speaker notes and slides as you delivered a PowerPoint presentation without having to print a copy of them? The Presenter view in PowerPoint lets you do just that. You can maintain your own view of a presentation on one monitor while the audience views the slide show on a second monitor.

The Presenter view in PowerPoint offers the following features:

Thumbnails of slides
The slide currently being shown to the audience
An End Show button
A black-out button that can temporarily darken the audience screen
The slide that will be displayed to the audience next
Slide number
Elapsed time since the start of the presentation
Speaker notes

With all those features, you are surely interested in using Presenter view when delivering presentations. In order to do so, your computer must meet the following requirements:

Your computer must support multiple monitors
The operating system must support multiple displays
You must enable support for multiple monitors through the Display settings
You must turn on Presenter view (as is described below)

To turn on Presenter View in PowerPoint 2003:

Within PowerPoint, click Set Up Show from the Slide Show menu.
Under Multiple Monitors, click the Show Presenter View check box.
In the Display slide show on list, click the monitor you want the slide show presentation to appear on.

Building The Future Of Collaboration

Lockergnome — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:00:04 +0000

To better understand how teams work together, Adobe commissioned Forrester Research to survey knowledge workers about their requirements, concerns, and desired improvements when collaborating.

Major results from this study deliver key insights about the nature, methods, and perceived limitations of collaborative work among U.S. and European knowledge workers. These exclusive insights have been compiled into a comprehensive brief, now available to you for free through Adobe.

Get your free information brief, Building The Future Of Collaboration, today!

New Apps For November 5th, 2009

Lockergnome — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:30:17 +0000

Platform: Windows - New Apps

NetSurveyor-Pro 1.0.9305

NetSurveyor Professional is a new type of diagnostic tool that puts a different spin on WiFi troubleshooting — emphasizing performance metrics over measurements of RF signal strengths. NetSurveyor-Pro is used to test the performance and reliability of a WiFi network and help identify and troubleshoot problems. Furthermore, NetSurveyor-Pro also allows you to concurrently test multiple (up to five) WiFi connections. - [more in Network & Internet > Network Monitoring]

TheFilePorter 1.2

TheFilePorter can automate synchronizing files and folders. Every time, every place. It can shift, copy and synchronize. It is your choice wether TheFilePorter is doing it on command or even in real time. It is also possible to do the work before shutting down your system. Very easy to serve and adjust you can synchronice. Within few seconds your files and folders are backed up or synchronized. - [more in System Utilities > Automation Tools]

Aneesoft Free FLV Video Converter 2.2.0.0

Aneesoft Free FLV Video Converter is an easy-to-use and totally free FLV video converter that can convert all popular video fIles to FLV formats. The freeware supports the most common video formats, including MKV, M4V, AVI, MPG(MPEG), WMV, MP4, MOV, VOB, FLV, ASF, RM, RMVB, 3GP, 3G2, etc. - [more in Audio & Multimedia > Rippers]

Aneesoft Free Video Converter 2.2.0.0

Totally clean and free video converter helps you convert among all general video formats. Aneesoft Free Video Converter is an easy-to-use and completely free video converter that can convert all popular video formats video to MPG, AVI, MP4, ASF, FLV, MPEG1, MPEG2, RM, etc. - [more in Audio & Multimedia > Video Tools]

Aneesoft DVD to iTunes Converter 2.0.0.0

Aneesoft DVD to iTunes Converter is the easiest and fastest way to rip DVD to iTunes MP4, M4V, MP3, M4A, MOV, WAV and AIFF on Windows. Convert and enjoy your video entertainment on your iTunes. Video editing is also supported. - [more in Audio & Multimedia > Rippers]

Platform: OS X - New Apps

RiffBook 1.0

RiffBook is a computer notebook for recording audio, transcriptions, tablature, and text notes and keeping everything organized in one place. RiffBook has powerful searching and browsing features so that you can find your riffs later! Use your computer’s built-in microphone to capture audio. Enter transcriptions by dragging & dropping notes onto the staff. Search for riffs by characteristics such as genre, mood, chord progression, and keywords. - [more in Audio & Multimedia > Music Composers]

Aneesoft iPod Video Converter for Mac 2.2.0.0

Aneesoft iPod Video Converter for Mac is the easiest and fastest way to convert video files including HD to iPod MP4 video format and MP3, M4A audio formats on Mac OS. Supports of all popular video formats such as AVI, FLV, MP4, 3GP, 3G2, MPEG, MPG, MOV, WMV, MKV, RM, ASF, VOB, HD Video, MOD, TOD, etc, it helps you quickly convert and enjoy various video entertainment on iPod Touch, iPod Nano, iPod Classic. - [more in Audio & Multimedia > Video Tools]

Aneesoft PSP Video Converter for Mac 2.2.0.0

Aneesoft PSP Video Converter for Mac is the easiest and fastest way to convert video files including HD to PSP MP4 video format and MP3 audio format on Mac OS. Supports of all popular video formats such as AVI, FLV, MP4, 3GP, 3G2, MPEG, MPG, MOV, WMV, MKV, RM, ASF, VOB, HD Video, MOD, TOD, etc, it helps you quickly convert and enjoy various video entertainment on PSP. - [more in Audio & Multimedia > Converters]

Give Me A Cup Of What Congress Is Drinking

Matt Hartley — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:38:40 +0000

In the what were they drinking file for today, we have Congress stating that ISPs should be responsible for blocking fraud sites. You’re right, let’s put the same people that barely understand what the hell the Internet even is in charge of passing laws that may very likely have unintended consequences.

What consequences might you ask? Ah, well due to the fact that we have entirely too many naive people using the ‘Net, ISPs would have to dive down into the rabbit hole with Alice and talk to the Mad Hatter as the technology is not there yet! Not to worry, this little hurdle would never stand in the way of progress. No, we’ll throw some new ill-informed laws at the problem and see how long it is before the ISPs raise their rates yet again to fund a think tank to deal with people who really should not be allowed to surf the Internet in the first place.

Look, as a thinking adult with all of my marbles, I am responsible for my own financial mistakes. And if this means that I end up on a fraudulent Web site, taken to the cleaners and so on, well… guess what? Too bad for me. I should have been more careful. Maybe considered using browsers with phishing protection or simply using something I like to call common sense.

So in the end, it is not only impossible considering this would need to go beyond merely ISPS, encompassing bookstores offering Wi-Fi, etc. But the fact of the matter is that we, as individuals, need to take responsibility for our own actions. If you want a baby-friendly, decaffeinated Internet experience, filter your own connection and let me make my own mistakes. This mindless eternal victim crap really gets old. But hey, it’s unenforceable anyway — so go ahead, Congress. Pass it. Let’s see how well that works out for all of us. In the end, all it would do is skyrocket our broadband rates. But at least we’ll be safe from “fraud!” Give me a break…

Sahil Malik Fills Us In On SharePoint 2010

Greg Hughes — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:52:36 +0000

In this RunAs Radio podcast, Richard and I talk to Sahil Malik on what’s coming in SharePoint 2010. Sahil has been working with SharePoint 2010 for more than a year, and the NDAs have finally been lifted, letting him talk about the cool new features of 2010 that will help the IT professional.

Sahil Malik is a .NET author, trainer and consultant who has worked in Microsoft Technologies since the DOS days. Currently he is heavily invested in SharePoint 2007 and the .NET framework in general.

20% Gnomie Discount On GoodSync Backup Software

Lockergnome — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:30:33 +0000

You’ve seen us repeatedly say to back up your files. When someone has computer problems, one of the first questions that we ask is whether there is a backup of the important files. You would be surprised at how many people do not have a backup. And there is no reason for that lapse in security.

Computers will fail. Hard drives will stop working. Disasters will happen, so we are going to make this backup routine very easy. We have an offer for our readers from GoodSync. This program has had good reviews and we agree. It is easy to use and it is effective:

GoodSync will automatically back up and synchronize all your important files so you never need to worry about losing your emails, precious family photos, contacts, MP3s, and financial documents. GoodSync works locally — between desktops, laptops, servers, and external drives, but it is also capable of backing up and syncing files to and from remote servers using FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, and more.

This program will work with Windows XP/2003 Server/Vista and yes, Windows 7. As a special offer to our readers, there is a twenty percent (20%) discount when you use coupon code LCKGS. This offer expires on November 11, 2009.

And for the Mac users, GoodSync has an alpha version, which is free. It’s still being tested, so use it at your own risk.

For the sake of full disclosure, we tested the pay-for version extensively. The Mac version was not tested by our reviewers.

Open Transportation Data in One Hour Webcast

Lockergnome — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:00:42 +0000

Date: Thursday, November 5, 2009

Presented by: Chris Dempsey, Joshua Robin (O’Reilly Media)

Duration: Approximately 60 minutes.

Cost: Free

Registration: Here

For many years, transportation agencies and authorities have given out thousands of free copies of paper maps and schedules. However, transportation agencies often resist sharing the data behind those maps and schedules. In July 2009, The Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation and its agencies began opening data to application developers. This data has been used by smart, innovative software developers to build applications that benefit transportation users, travelers, and riders. This effort provides a window into the possibilities created by open data. This webcast will discuss why EOT decided to open its data, progress so far, and what possibilities exist as more information, including real-time data, is opened and shared.

About the Presenters
Joshua Robin is the manager of performance reporting for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation. His responsibilities include oversight of EOT’s performance management efforts. As part of EOT’s transparency efforts, Josh helped launch the EOT Developers Page beta in July 2009.

Chris Dempsey is Assistant Secretary for Innovation and Project Development at the Executive Office of Transportation. In that role, Chris is charged with creating a more modern, open, and transparent transportation bureaucracy. These efforts have included an overhaul of the Registry of Motor Vehicles website, reform of the Highway Department’s traveler-information program, and the launch of the EOT Developers Page, Developers Conference, and Developers Challenge.

The Executive Office of Transportation and Public Works (EOTPW) has direct oversight of the Massachusetts Highway Department and the Registry of Motor Vehicles. The Secretary of Transportation, who leads EOT, serves as the Chair of the MBTA Board of Directors, the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, and the Massachusetts Aeronautics Commission.

Prevent Reboots After Windows Updates Part II

Diana Huggins — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:00:50 +0000

In Part I of Prevent Reboots after Windows Updates, you learned how to disable automatic reboots through the local Group Policy. Doing so prevents Windows Update from rebooting your computer after updates are installed.

If you are running Windows XP Home SP2, Windows Vista Home versions, or Windows 7 Home versions, you cannot disable automatic reboots through a local group policy. Conversely, you have to make the necessary changes to the Windows Registry, as described below.

Use Task Manager to stop all instances of Windows Update AutoUpdate Client (wuauclt.exe) using the Task Manager.
Open the Registry Editor. Note: before you make any changes, it is always a good idea to backup the Registry.
Navigate to the following registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Policies \ Microsoft \ Windows \ WindowsUpdate \ AU
Add a new DWORD value and name it NoAutoRebootWithLoggedOnUsers.
Set the value to 1.
Close the Registry Editor.

Now, you should not receive any of those annoying reminders to reboot your machine nor will Windows Update automatically reboot your machine.

The High Performance Information Workplace

Lockergnome — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:00:41 +0000

This white paper reviews how utilizing an integrated approach to incorporating content from collaborative sources can reduce business and IT risks and costs.

The rapid adoption of social computing has created opportunities for enterprises to improve their competitive positions in today’s knowledge economy.

Get your free white paper, The High Performance Information Workplace: How Social Computing, Team Collaboration and Enterprise Content Management Drive Competitive Advantage, today!

AT&T Has A Suit For That

Matt Hartley — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:25:32 +0000

Microsoft and Apple have been exchanging advertising jabs for sometime now. And there is no question that at times, Apple can be pretty low to the gut with its claims that it is the best choice according to its commercials. And at one time, Apple even looked like it might sue Microsoft over advertising against its brand. Fairly comical considering how harsh its own ads were against Microsoft. What is truly comical is that both ads from both companies were spot-on.

But with Verizon and AT&T, it seems that it has actually come to legal action. But unlike MS and Apple, who have simply gone back to poking at each other with their commercials, AT&T knows full well it is not able to seriously dispute its lame 3G coverage to the world, so it is going to fight about map overlays instead. Sad.

AT&T’s network is so poor, that the claims of more bars borders on comedy in my honest opinion. Yes, AT&T is correct in stating that one can use its phones for data use outside of the “blue.” However, it fails to mention that you will likely find the phone freaking out trying to deal with spotty 3G coverage, which translates to missed and dropped calls.

The fact of the matter is that AT&T knows the ONLY thing of value it offers besides rollover minutes is the iPhone. Without that, it is of no value to those using mobile data based on my own personal experiences with extensive use in metro and rural areas. Clearly AT&T is nervousl; rightfully so.

Nokia Needs To Drop Cells?

Matt Hartley — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:15:09 +0000

I was reading this article today, as it states that Nokia would be better off simply focusing on netbooks and not bothering with mobile phones at all any longer. I would counter this as I believe, despite its lagging North American popularity these days, that Nokia remains one of the best mobile phone providers out there to date.

While I have had zero experience with its netbooks, I can tell you that its phones used to be the only mobile I would ever bother with back in the 1990s. And to be frank, I would still be using them had I not moved on up to Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, and then finally, the iPhone. My lacking modern Nokia ownership is more less a matter of function vs. quality. I have seen its latest phones in action; they are still ever bit as good hardware-wise as they were way back when. What has changed is the lack of excitement for their platform, apparently.

Honestly, I think the above linked article may be right about one thing. Anyone who can develop a netbook that doubles as a phone has one cool geek toy on their hands. As for functionality however, I can only hope that Nokia is able to regain some of its former glory here in the States. It still commands a huge presence worldwide, so it is definitely possible.

Sage Summit Session To Share Social CRM Trends Via Live Webcast

Lockergnome — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:30:12 +0000

Sage North America, which provides business management software and services to more than 2.9 million small and mid-sized businesses in Canada and the United States, today announced CRM (customer relationship management) industry analyst Brent Leary will present Social CRM trends at Sage Summit, the company’s North American customer conference being held November 9-11 at the Georgia World Congress Center.

Leary’s Wednesday, November 11th 8:30 a.m. EST session will also be available via live Webcast for remote participants, and a recording will be available for later viewing. Sage Summit and Webcast session participants can receive a Social CRM eBook from Sage, authored by Leary. A social media version of this press release with additional content is available here.

Sage Summit attendees can register for Social CRM trends session CRM35, and live Webcast participants can pre-register here.

Prevent Reboots After Windows Updates Part I

Lockergnome — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:00:13 +0000

Windows Update helps you to keep your computer up-to-date with the latest updates available from Microsoft. It is definitely a lifesaver for those of us who are not diligent in keeping our computers up-to-date with the latest fixes, patches, etc.

However, I have two peeves with Windows Update. First, the dialog box that constantly pops up after an update is installed reminding me to restart my computer is an annoyance. Secondly, Windows Update always seems to require a reboot at the most inopportune times.

To prevent this from happening, without having to disable Windows Update, you can disable automatic reboots from happening when a user is logged on. On computers running Windows XP Professional with at least SP2, Windows Vista Business, or Windows 7 Professional, you can disable automatic reboots through the local group policy. On computers running Windows XP Home SP2, Windows Vista Home versions, or Windows 7 Home versions, you must make the same change by editing the registry (which will be described in Part II).

To disable automatic reboots through the local group policy:

Use Task Manager to stop all instances of Windows Update AutoUpdate Client (wuauclt.exe) using the Task Manager.
Open the Group Policy Editor.
Expand Computer Configuration.
Right-click Administrative Templates and click Add/Remove Templates.
Click Add.
Click Wuau.adm in the Windows\Inf folder and click Open.
Click Close.
Under Computer Configuration, expand Administrative Templates, Windows Components, and Windows Update.
Double-click No auto-restart for scheduled Automatic Updates installations.
Select Enabled.
Click OK.
Close the Group Policy Editor.

How to Handle Remote Tech Support

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 06:30:00 GMT

Using GoToAssist is the easiest way to view and control another person's computer online. Use it to provide instant technical support to family, friends and customers. Start a session with just one click, and instantly connect with the other party.

Network Tools for Windows

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

You need these network tools, no matter which operating systems and networks you have to support. SolarWinds ipMonitor: Affordable Network Monitoring for SMBs. Get turnkey network, server and application availability monitoring with SolarWinds ipMonitor v9.0. This easy-to-use, reliable solution for SMBs delivers out-of-the-box availability monitoring so you always know exactly what's up with Active Directory, DNS, Exchange, FTP, Web, IMAP, MS SQL Server, and SMTP. Download your free trial today. Or, try their totally free tools! And, through 2/29, save 20% when you purchase ipMonitor 9.0.

Get Your Own Web Site

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

Starting at just $3.99/month, web hosting from GoDaddy includes 99.9% uptime, 24/7 support and free access to GoDaddy Hosting Connection, THE place to install over 30 FREE applications sure to help you get the most from your hosting plan and Web site. Enter code CP2 at checkout, and save an additional 10% on any order.

Plus, as a friend of Chris Pirillo, enter code CHRIS7, that's C-H-R-I-S and the number 7, when you check out, and save an additional 10% on any order. Get your piece of the internet at GoDaddy.com.

VMware and Parallels for Virtual Machines

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

It doesn't matter if you're running on Windows or Mac OS X - every power user needs either Parallels or VMware (or both). There's never been an easier way to test software without destroying your primary operating system's stability. Think of how many times you wish you could press a 'reverse' button on your computer. Plus, there's no easier way to try new Linux distributions - see what all the fuss is about. Run Windows in OS X, run Linux in Windows, but the best way to do either is with VMware and/or Parallels.

Coupons for Online Shopping

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 07:56:13 GMT

This feed is fueled by Lockergnome Online Shopping and Coupon Codes

Before you shop next time, see if we have a coupon first.