Microsoft Security Bulletin February 2012
Systems Affected:
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Office
Internet Explorer
Microsoft .NET Framework
Microsoft Silverlight

Follow these directions to update your Windows computer:

1.) Click the Start button
2.) Click All Programs
3.) Find and click Windows Update. Your computer will scan for available updates. A box will pop up with a message notifying you of the updates you need to install to your computer.
4.) Click Install updates

Alternatively, you can copy and paste the following link into your Internet Explorer browser: http://update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate/v6/default.aspx?ln=en-us

If you have any questions or need assistance updating your computer, give us a call at (877) MAKEITWork (877-625-3489). We’re in the neighborhood, we’ll be right over.

Heart-Shaped USB 2GB Memory:

Everyone from students to working professionals alike will enjoy this perfect geeky gift for your loved one to carry data in style. These memory sticks will carry photos, data, and even video anywhere.

Price: Under $45

Buy it here.

Samsung Multi-View Camera With Adjustable LCD Screen:

This sleek digital camera allows you take take pictures from every possible angle. With an innovative adjustable screen, this 16.1 Megapixel camera also has 5x optical zoom and other great features.

Price: $279.99

Buy it here.

Colorful, Clip-and-Go Apple iPod Shuffle:

Apple’s Mp3 player is perfect for the person on-the-go. Listen at the gym or anywhere with this tiny device, available in a range of colors. VoiceOver also speaks the song and artist name during playback.

Price: $49.99

Buy it here.

USB Heated Blanket/Space Heater:

If you’re looking for something in a more reasonable price range, this heated blanket is great for your loved ones. Using USB connections for power, this blanket has two heat settings to keep you warm and comfy.

Price: $24.99

Buy it here.

Vizio Home Theater Sound Bar With Wireless Subwoofer:

This advanced system provides a powerful noise while taking up minimal space. It can connect to your TV, game console, Blu-Ray player, and even your iPod to play awesome sound. The Sound Bar also comes with a wireless subwoofer to enhance your bass.

Price: $199.97

Buy it here.

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What are you getting your loved ones for Valentine’s Day?

Get ready to watch the New England Patriots compete against the New York Giants with the following NBC Sports article.

 NBC, NFL To Stream Super Bowl Live Online

The Super Bowl, Pro Bowl and NBC’s wild-card playoff games will be streamed online and on mobile phones for the first time, the NFL announced Tuesday.

The games will be streamed online at NBCSports.com and NFL.com through SNF Extra, which features an HD broadcast, DVR-style controls, additional camera angles, in-game highlights, live statistics and interactive elements.

NBCSports.com and the NFL have streamed games online since 2008 with SNF Extra, NBC Sports’ exclusive video, but this is the first time playoff games have been streamed.

“We are especially excited to now bring our unique and innovative SNF Extra video experience to the NFL playoffs, Pro Bowl, and Super Bowl,” said Rick Cordella, vice president of NBC Sports Digital Media.

NBC’s streams on Sunday nights typically average 200,000-300,000 viewers, compared with 21 million for the telecasts. The network has seen no evidence it hurts the traditional broadcasts’ healthy TV ratings. If anything, the extra options online may help keep fans glued to the games on their sets.

“We don’t want to limit ourselves to people not in front of the TV,” Cordella said. “The playoffs are appointment viewing,” he added. “People schedule their day around it.”

“By adding multiple camera angles, HD-quality video, DVR controls along with social interactivity, our online streaming represents a compelling, second-screen experience that nicely complements NBC’s on-air presentation.”

NFL Mobile from Verizon will stream the broadcasts for the first time on a mobile platform, the NFL announced.

“We are pleased to work with our partners NBC and Verizon to bring our fans more ways to watch their favorite sport during their favorite time of the year,” said Hans Schroeder, NFL senior vice president of media strategy and development.

The Super Bowl is Feb. 5 in Indianapolis. The game is annually by far the biggest attraction on television, with last season’s Packers-Steelers matchup drawing a record U.S. audience for any show with 111 million viewers.

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Download the NFL Mobile App for Android / Download for Verizon

We’ve heard some rumors that Verizon Wireless may be the first wireless company to adopt a family plan-based pricing strategy for data. For an additional $9.99 a month per additional line, smartphones may be able to take advantage of a lower cost combined date plan.

Verizon’s Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo commented, “We need to make sure it’s a win-win for customers and for us,” he said. “So we will continue to work on that. But it’s important to note that we are a premium priced service in the market. And we will continue with that strategy, and we’ll continue to win.”

Ralph de la Vega, AT&T’s head of wireless, has mentioned working on a shared plan as well, but has not commented on a potential launch date for the service offering.

A family data plan could help households save money on their overall cell phone costs, similar to the way they can already save by sharing minutes and text plans on all major carriers in the United States.

This type of plan could also benefit consumers who would like to use more than one device with a single data plan. For example, many people now have a smartphone and a tablet computer (or Mi-Fi device).

Currently, many plans allow subscribers to use their smartphones with “tethering services.” This mean they can use their smartphone as a Mi-Fi device and connect up to five devices to the wireless hot spot.

It’d hard to say what the cost of these new plans will be, as phone companies have a recent history of raising prices on data plans as a method of boosting revenue.If nothing else, consumers can hope for the convenience of a single bill for all of their wireless data plan costs.

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Want to learn how to use your smartphone as a wireless hot spot? Call us at (877) MAKEITWork or (877) 625-3489 for more information.

Most recently, the news has made it’s way over to our handheld smarphones.  There are many great apps to check the news. Here are five to consider:

CNN: Free

Known for their extensive news coverage, CNN is a trusted network with a great news app. Their smartphone app gives you the latest news headlines and stories, while also allowing you to flag topics you want to receive news about. CNN also has live videos and stories with special highlights right at the top. This app is one of the highest rated news apps, and one of our favorites.

Download for iPhone / Android

NYTimes: Free

As one of the most popular newspapers read across the United States, The NY Times now has an app that gives readers a full-screen view of the newspaper on their smartphone. It’s simple, looks great, and it has some of the best and most timely news content available.

Download for iPhone / Android

BBC News: Free

Get the latest news from BBC’s global network of journalists with this app. As a trusted news source, BBC offers stories by region or category, in multiple languages.

Download for iPhone / Android

USA Today: Free

USA Today is a very simple news app featuring sports scores, headlines, and local weather. This is a great app for those who enjoy an easy-to-use, all-in-one, app.

Download for iPhone / Android

WSJ (Wall Street Journal): Free

One might be surprised this isn’t higher one the list, and yes it does have great news, but it is a little difficult to use. You have to subscribe to get most of the content. WSJ is the most popular newspaper in the world, so the news is great!

Download for iPhone / Android

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What’s your favorite news app? Need help installing or using any of the above apps? Give us a call at (877) MAKEITWork or (877) 625-3489 for assistance.

Continued at the bottom…

UPDATE (January 23, 2012)

Kyle received a call from the person he helped a couple weeks ago. The remote wipe of her laptop went through as soon as the criminal connected the laptop to the internet, and a GPS location was emailed to the victim, who called the police.

They caught the guy the same day- coincidence..?

Unfortunately, he had taken apart the entire computer and already had used the parts to Frankenstein other laptops – the serial number Kyle helped her give the police was confirmed to be hers, but the shell was all that was left.

At least her data was safe, unless the guy immediately turned off the computer and used data recovery on the drive. Make It Work will be going out to her house next month to get her new laptop up and running along with setting up bitlocker drive encryption!

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The rest of the story…

Kyle jumped to her rescue and assisted by remotely wiping the data on the MacBook from the victim’s iPhone. He was even able to find the computer’s location for the police officers. Luckily she had iCloud installed and Superhero Kyle around to assist her.

Will you know what to do if this ever happens you?

Here’s the full story from Kyle:

“I was working on my MacBook at a Starbucks in Cypress, and a guy walked right up to the girl sitting across from me and ripped the MacBook she was typing on right out of her hands and ran. He had a driver outside and was gone before anyone could get a license plate.

After the police came and interviewed me, I asked her for her iPhone. Sure enough she had iCloud installed. I queued a remote wipe of her MacBook and sent it to email her when it connected to the Internet so she could get a location for the cops, and even got the serial number.”

This is a perfect example of the importance of keeping your Mac computers up-to-date, and why PC users need a program like LoJack for security.

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Read more about Kyle on our Management Team page.