allheart55 Cindy E

Travel

Age

Bandage

As a kid, I spent hours on the living room couch playing video games with friends, taking turns trying to beat Ganon in "Ocarina of Time" and trading Pokémon until I had all 151. Soon controller passing and Game Boy link cables gave way to network multiplayer and PC LAN parties. Eventually, my living room became a virtual one, with a network of gamers sharing experiences and discoveries. Today, the gaming world is much more diverse than the one I grew up with, and the community has created new formats that have made gaming more collaborative and interactive. On YouTube, gaming has spawned entirely new genres of videos, from , , and to and music videos. Now, it’s our turn to return the favor with something built just for gamers. This summer, we'll launch YouTube Gaming, a brand new app and website to keep you connected to the games, players, and culture that matter to you, with videos, live streams, and the biggest community of gamers on the web—all in one place. YouTube Gaming is built to be all about your favorite games and gamers, with more videos than anywhere else. From "Asteroids" to "Zelda," more than 25,000 games will each have their own page, a single place for all the best videos and live streams about that title. You’ll also find channels from a wide array of game publishers and YouTube creators. Keeping up with these games and channels is now super easy, too. Add a game to your collection for quick access whenever you want to check up on the latest videos. Subscribe to a channel, and you'll get a notification as soon as they start a live stream. Uncover new favorites with recommendations based on the games and channels you love. And when you want something specific, you can search with confidence, knowing that typing “call” will show you “Call of Duty” and not “Call Me Maybe.” Live streams bring the gaming community closer together, so we’ve put them front-and-center on the YouTube Gaming homepage. And in the coming weeks, we’ll launch an improved live experience that makes it simpler to broadcast your gameplay to YouTube. On top of existing features like high frame rate streaming at 60fps, DVR, and automatically converting your stream into a YouTube video, we’re redesigning our system so that you no longer need to schedule a live event ahead of time. We’re also creating single link you can share for all your streams. YouTube Gaming will be available this summer, starting in the U.S. and U.K. We’re building this just for gamers—so we want to hear from you about how we can make it the best way to connect with your community. If you’re at E3 next week, come by our booth for an early look at everything we’ve been working on. If not, tune in live from home at youtube.com/e3, head over to gaming.youtube.com and follow us @YouTubeGaming and you’ll be the first to know when YouTube Gaming is ready for you to play with. Source : youtube

PM me your address and I'll mail you a copy of one.

No problem, Mike. Do you have a set of Dell disks?

Nope, that will do it. If you have a Dell Windows 7 install disk, he doesn't need the product key.

Enrage

Good! Thanks for letting us know. :thumbsup:

Have you tried another DVD? It might be dirty or scratched.

I wonder how long it will take to come to fruition.

In last week's article, "The Get Windows 10 program has hatched!," I showed you how you can use the Get Windows 10 program to reserve your free copy of Windows 10 upgrade from your Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 system. As you may know, the free upgrade will move you to the same edition of Windows that you're currently running. As Microsoft puts it on the Windows 10 Q&A page: "When you upgrade, you'll stay on like-to-like editions of Windows. For example, Windows 7 Home Premium will upgrade to Windows 10 Home." However, what if you get Windows 10 Home and then decide that you would like Windows 10 Pro? How much will it cost to upgrade? What if you are running Windows Vista or XP? Or, what if you are planning on building your own system and want to install Windows 10 from scratch? How much will you have to pay for Windows 10? Let's take a closer look. The free upgrade chart Along with the like-to-like editions description, Microsoft presented an upgrade chart (Figure A). Figure A Microsoft released this upgrade chart to clarify the like-to-like editions of Windows description. As you can see, this is how Microsoft will be doling out the free editions of Windows 10. For those getting the Pro edition of Windows 10, this will be perfect. And for most folks getting the Home edition of Windows 10, this will be a fine deal. However, what if you're really a Pro type of user who just happened to end up with a Home edition of Windows 7/8? Will you be satisfied with the Home edition of Windows 10? For example, my main system is running Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center. However, my laptop is running the standard Windows 8.1, because that's what was preinstalled when I purchased it last year from Dell. I've always wished that it had the Pro edition, as there are certain features that I've grown accustomed to on the Pro edition that I sorely miss, such as being able to configure my laptop as a Remote Desktop host. I know that I won't be satisfied with the Home edition of Windows 10 on my laptop. So, what are folks like us going to have to pay to get what we really want? The Windows 10 Pro Pack Microsoft has released statements to various technology media sites, such as CNET, confirming the existence of an upgrade package called the Windows 10 Pro Pack that will allow you to move up from the Windows 10 Home edition to Pro edition. The Windows 10 Pro Pack will cost $99 (USD). While that might not sound like a lot, when compared to FREE, it seems kind of unfair. I understand that I'm getting a like-to-like edition upgrade, but I was hoping for some kind of break. After all, I've been a loyal Microsoft customer for years. How about selling the Windows 10 Pro Pack for $39.99 for a limited time? Say, 90 days after launch? That would be more than acceptable to me--and it's not unprecedented. As you may remember, back when Windows 8 was first launched in October of 2012, upgrades to the Pro edition were priced at just $39.99 for anyone using an existing product. That offer ran until January 31, 2013. After that, the price of Windows 8 went up to the regular price point. Retail packages Microsoft has also released the MSRP for copies of the new operating system. Windows 10 Home will sell for $119 and Windows 10 Pro will sell for $199. Again, this seems to be a pretty stiff deal when compared to FREE. This is the price that anyone using Windows XP or Windows Vista on a system that's capable of running Windows 10 will have to pay for the full install of the new operating system. This also applies to users who are planning on building their own systems. If the goal is to really get everyone off of old operating systems and onto Windows 10, Microsoft should offer these folks a special price for a limited time. Again, such a deal is not unprecedented. When Windows 8 first came out, the retail package of the Pro edition cost $69.99. If Windows XP/Vista users and system builders could get Windows 10 Pro for $69.99 for the first 90 days after launch, I think that a lot more people would go for it than if they have to pay $199. What's your take? If you get a free Windows 10 Home upgrade, will you be satisfied--or will you want to move up to Windows 10 Pro? If so, would you be willing to pay $39 for the upgrade? If you don't qualify for the free upgrade, would you be willing to pay $69 for Windows 10? Let us know in the discussion thread below. Source : Yahoo

Antagonize

Insulin

Gawd, NO! My son went through that stage. I hated it. :real_anger:

Candy

Morsel

Another big scam!

Scotty Zifka was looking for a sales job. He started one in late May at a company called EZ Tech Support, a small inbound call center in an older building in northeast Portland, Oregon. The first day of Zifka’s unpaid training involved listening in on sales calls. But within three hours, Zifka felt something wasn’t quite right. “Everything about it was so weird,” he recalled. The company’s 15 agents answer calls from people who’ve seen a pop-up message saying their computer may be having problems, and advising them to call a number, which rings at the offices of EZ Tech Support. Agents at EZ Tech Support had a job to do: upsell hapless consumers who thought they had a computer virus. The agents are instructed to stick to a 13-page script. They ask callers whether they have an antivirus program installed. If they do, Zifka said, callers are usually told that whatever they’re using isn’t a “full-time real spectrum virus protection program.” But the agents have a solution: callers can purchase an antivirus program called Defender Pro Antivirus, from Bling Software. EZ Tech Support sells a perpetual license for the program for $300. Agents also tell callers they can perform a one-time fix on their computers for them, which starts at $250. Callers can haggle for lower prices. Those dialing in are typically in their late 30s or older. “A lot of mothers would call in and say, ‘I’m sure it’s something my son did on my computer. This has happened before’,” Zifka said. “Older gentlemen—seniors specifically—that was the most unfortunate part.” Within 20 minutes, some callers spent up to $600 to “fix” their computers. “I was blown away by this,” he said. EZ Tech Support’s general manager, Gavynn Wells, said the company abides by U.S. Federal Trade Commission regulations. “We don’t tell customers that they have issues they don’t have,” Wells said in phone interview. “We are not pushing them into a corner and telling them if they don’t do business with us, their computer is going to blow up.” A $4.9 billion industry Consumer antivirus software has become a highly competitive business, in part because data breaches are in the news almost every week, and people feel a need to protect themselves. It’s also a huge market, with an estimated $4.9 billion in annual sales, according to Gartner. That’s drawn all types of players, some of whom specialize more in affiliate marketing than in security. Tech support services abound on the Internet, and phone numbers for some of those businesses are often found in bundles of questionable software known as adware. People willingly download adware, often to get a free program, but it can also be foisted on them through vulnerabilities in their software. Defender Pro Antivirus is effective at detecting malware, but an independent testing company says it is buggy. Some adware programs display messages to people suggesting their computer is at risk, even though the adware programs aren’t designed to detect security problems. Lawrence Abrams, who runs the popular Bleeping Computer security forum, said people have complained about pop-up windows in their browsers that they can’t close. In some recent cases, a man or a woman’s voice tells them their computer has become infected. “You just cannot shut the program down,” said Abrams, who deliberately downloads harmful programs for his research. “So people panic, and they call the number.” Those most vulnerable are people who know little about computers and find the warnings intimidating, he said. The FTC has started to go after some of the biggest U.S.-based tech support companies that take this type of inbound call. In November, it filed two complaints alleging tens of thousands of consumers had been conned out of more than $120 million by companies using high-pressure, deceptive sales tactics to sell software and support services. Wells, of EZ Tech Support, used to work for one of the companies targeted by the FTC, Inbound Call Experts, before moving to Portland last year. Although a federal judge shut down Inbound Call Experts shortly after the lawsuit was filed, the company was allowed to resume business after it agreed to changes in how it markets its services. The case, however, continues, and court records show that Inbound Call Experts and the FTC have agreed on a mediator to discuss a settlement. The poor perception of companies offering remote support services has made it harder for legitimate ones to operate, said Dan Steiner, CEO of Online Virus Repair, based in San Luis Obispo, California. “It’s definitely not a positive image,” said Steiner, who added that not many companies offered remote computer support when he started his business back in 2008. But the industry exploded, with many companies opening call centers outside the U.S. For legitimate companies, marketing their services online proved near impossible amid the high volume of unethical businesses. Steiner now focuses on word-of-mouth advertising, and partnerships with those he trusts in the antimalware industry. Worth the money? Several years ago, it wasn’t uncommon for adware-promoted security products to be classified as malicious software. But tactics have changed, and unscrupulous companies now sometimes sell functional products but greatly overcharge for them. Google Maps EZ Tech Support’s office is in this Portland, Oregon, building. It’s a tough situation for regulators: the FTC can’t protect people from companies that stay within the law while marketing what may not be the world’s greatest product. The product EZ Tech Support sells, Defender Pro, appears to be legitimate antivirus software, said Andreas Marx, CEO of AV-Test, an independent organization in Germany that tests consumer antivirus suites. The product uses a well-known antivirus engine licensed by a reputable company called Cyren. Marx said his analysts tested a trial version downloaded from Defender’s Pro website. It was effective at detecting malware but also “really buggy,” he said via email. “After an update, for example, it repeatedly crashed,” he said. The retailer Target at one time sold Defender Pro in its stores. A spokesman declined to say why it is no longer stocked. Target’s website still has an old product page for Defender Pro 2012, which sold for $19.99. Marx said $300 is too much for Defender Pro, given that there are similar, basic antivirus scanners available for free from companies such as Avira, Avast and AVG. Products with Defender Pro’s feature set should cost no more than $30 per year, he said. By that measure, a user would need to keep the same computer for 10 years to justify EZ Tech Support’s pricing for Defender Pro. Closing the sale Zifka, who quickly left the company, said EZ Tech Support agents install a remote control tool called LogMeIn Rescue to get access to callers’ computers with their permission. They then install Webroot’s Analyzer program, a legitimate tool that flags issues on a computer. But Zifka said agents call out anything flagged by the software, even if it’s not a security risk for the user. “We used whatever it states as a selling point,” Zifka said. In lawsuits, the FTC has accused telemarketing companies of installing a remote tool and then using other programs, such as the Windows Event Viewer, to illustrate errors and warnings that actually have no material effect on a computer. Wells disputes Zifka’s characterization and maintained that callers aren’t informed of problems that don’t exist. If a caller says he is already using AVG’s free antivirus product, Wells said agents will say they have good protection against viruses “but they could benefit from having something that protects them against malware.” When it was pointed out that AVG’s product does protect against malware, Wells said: “Well, I was just using that as an example.” Although EZ Tech Support is registered in Wells’ name with Oregon’s Secretary of State, he said the business is owned by an investment company which he declined to name. Wells said he’s also not involved in the adware campaigns that distribute the phone numbers that ring to EZ Tech Support. But he said the company will remove the adware for people who call. “We really pride ourselves in doing a good job for our customers,” he said. Source : pcworld