If you visited the New York Times website last week, you may have been surprised to have your browsing interrupted by one of those scammy “we’re scanning your computer for viruses OH NO YOU HAVE A VIRUS!” ads that overtake your window. Now Microsoft has filed 5 lawsuits in an attempt to fight back against the jerks who may have been responsible for it, and certainly for other ads like it all over the web.
computers
Software Rescues Stolen Laptop From Porn Lover
By 9.17.09
When Florida businessman David Krop’s two laptops were stolen from his car back in February, he didn’t have much hope of getting them back. But he decided to try to log in using some remote access software he had installed on one of the computers. The software, LogMeIn, let him in, and he soon found himself seeing the world through new eyes. “Unaware that Krop was spying on his activities, the user of the Toshiba laptop visited porn site after porn site, taking breaks to check e-mail … and place ads to Craigslist.com for what Krop said appeared to be some kind of female modeling business, ” PC World reports. “My eyes just lit up,” Krop says. “Just the fact he was online at that moment was amazing.”
Do Not Sign For Your Neighbor's Packages, Then Pawn Them
By 9.12.09
Fedex delivered a Florida woman’s new laptop computer when she wasn’t home. It was okay, though—her neighbor signed for it. Then, allegedly, he pawned it. Somehow, authorities tracked him down. Maybe it was the part where he signed his name.
Mac Genius Reports Child Porn On Customer's Computer To Police
By 8.26.09
A man in Connecticut brought his computer to his local Apple Store for repair due to a software issue (likely a—gasp!—virus) but when he returned to pick it up, learned that the Mac Genius had reported him to the police after finding child pornography on the hard drive.
Dell Support Tech Accidentally Gives Away Free Advice
By 8.25.09
Our reader humphrmi recently managed to avoid shelling out unnecessary bucks for paid technical support from Dell. His secret? Listening very carefully to the support rep, who inadvertently gave away the info he was trying to get humphrmi to pay for. Which is good, since that information was only one sentence long.
Lenovo Forgets To Charge Customers, Then Sends Them To Collection Agency
By 8.21.09
Bart wrote to us about a strange experience he had after purchasing a new Thinkpad from Lenovo. He had a perfectly smooth transaction, until months later when he received a letter from a collection agency. The agency was demanding payment for the laptop he had already paid for. Or so he thought.
Quilt Design Software Runs Out Of Thread Too Soon
By 8.16.09
Let’s be honest here. There is not very much overlap between the groups of “people who are quite tech-savvy” and “quilters.” (I can say that because I’m a quilter! Put down the rotary cutters!) That’s why reader T. is annoyed that the makers of popular quilt design software Electric Quilt only offer their users four “activations,” or installations on a particular operating system, and has their users scared to upgrade their Windows version or purchase a new computer.
AppleCare Is An Extended Warranty Worth Buying
By 8.11.09
I asked Apple this morning to replace my broken laptop now that they’ve reintroduced the anti-glare option on their 15″ MacBook Pros. Apple agreed, and soon a new laptop will leave China destined for my apartment. This isn’t the first laptop Apple sent me this month. It’s the second. Here’s why…
Tiny, Printed Semiconductors Will Help You Buy Wine
By 8.10.09
One problem with wine is it’s impossible to remember what type goes with what food. Thankfully smart people are working around the clock, or at least 9 to 5, to solve this problem, by developing super-cheap semiconductors that can be printed with inkjets.
Computer Techs Are Still Pervs
By 7.31.09
Best Buy will face stiff competition if it ever tries to penetrate the UK market, as this hidden camera investigation into peeping tom computer repair shops reveals.
World Of Warcraft Accounts Canceled Thanks To Rogue Payment Processor
By 7.31.09
Peoples’ World of Warcraft accounts are getting canceled because of some random payment processor they’ve never heard of is filing unauthorized chargebacks on their behalf, against their will. Their name is PaymentOne. What’s their deal? Ars Technica notes that this isn’t the first time allegations of fraud have arisen about the company. I guess this means a bunch of affected customers are left uninentionally doing re-enactments of this famous video:
Microsoft "Laptop Hunters" Ads Changed To Omit Apple Prices
By 7.24.09
Microsoft has changed their latest “Laptop Hunters” ad after a complaint from Apple that the Mac prices cited in the ads are misleading and MacBook Pro have been lowered since the ads were produced. The cheapest model with a 15″ screen only costs $1700 now, not $2000.
Apple Tried To End Microsoft's Laptop Hunters Television Commercials
By 7.22.09
Microsoft’s series of “Laptop Hunters” ads are cute, realistic, and appeal to consumers at a time when our disposable income is limited. Apple doesn’t seem to think they’re so cute, though—the company’s lawyers apparently tried to have the ads stopped.
Best Buy Won't Let Reader Exchange Money For Functioning Computer
By 7.21.09
Best Buy is an electronics store. The purpose of such a store is to allow customers to exchange money for electronic devices, then take those devices home and use them. Unfortunately, the Best Buy in Yuma, Arizona doesn’t seem to take this mission seriously, and has given reader Elizabeth such a run-around that she isn’t interested in buying a computer at all anymore.
Google To Launch Free PC Operating System Next Year
By 7.8.09
Tired of Windows, don’t like fine-tuning Ubuntu, can’t afford buying into the Apple ecosystem? Google has just announced they’re releasing an open source computer operating system called Chrome OS next year.
Some SSNs Can Be Guessed Using Birthdate And Location, Say Researchers
By 7.7.09
It turns out our Social Security numbering system, which launched in 1936, isn’t very foolproof against some types of hacking. The New York Times reports that researchers at Carnegie Mellon University “used statistical techniques to predict Social Security numbers solely from an individual’s date and location of birth.”
Have You Received Your Dell Multi-State Settlement Check Yet?
By 6.29.09
Did you file a claim form in the Dell multi-state settlement earlier this year? Have you received your check yet? According to the FAQ posted by the attorneys general of states participating in the suit, Monday, June 22 was the deadline for Dell to mail checks to consumers.
Is This Rogue Installer Running A Scam On Comcast Customers?
By 6.26.09
If you live near Burke, Virginia, you might want to pay close attention when the contractor hired by Comcast comes to install your service. Rick runs a computer repair company and has twice run into the same problem with Comcast customers, where they can no longer access the Internet after an upgrade and are offered an off-the-books repair service.
