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In a recent article, analysts refuted claims that the Apple iPad had much to do with the recent PC sales slump . However, they did warn that computing tablets would become a much more significant threat within the next two years. Rather than wait ... for PC sales figures to dip even further, Intel has revealed their plan to bring PCs back to their innovative glory days. New Intel Laptops to be Thinner, Lighter, More Powerful Intel says that in the next few years, laptops will be thinner and lighter, and run all day on a single battery charge. Other options will allow for innovative touchscreen ... (view more)

Since 2004, Infopackets.com has recommended Acronis True Image to its readers as -the- ultimate backup and disaster recovery solution for Microsoft Windows. There are many new exciting changes to discuss with True Image 2011, but first, let's start ... with the basics. What Exactly is Acronis True Image? To put it in simple terms, Acronis True Image is a backup program on steroids. In order to explain how it's different compared to other run-of-the-mill simple backup programs, let me explain what True Image does. With simple backup programs, you can only archive your files onto another ... (view more)

We recently reported on a story in which the identities of 3.3 million loan borrowers were hacked , including the names, addresses, social security numbers of these individuals. Now, figures from the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse suggest that more ... than 347 million records have been breached since 2005. So, what happens if you aren't aware that your identity has been compromised? The short answer is that someone will likely try to use your identity to commit fraud. For example, you might receive a bill for a credit card expense that you knew nothing about. It could ruin your credit score, or ... (view more)

In response to the current economic crisis , Microsoft Corp. has come out with a stimulus plan of their own. Their goal is to help a large group of individuals use their computers to land employment in ways other than to generate a compelling ... resume. The new online initiative, Elevate America, is set to equip close to 2 million people (over the next three years) with the skills needed to succeed in the field of technology. (Source: microsoft.com ) Elevate America offers two programs, one that will start training tech hopefuls immediately and one that will take some time but offer patient ... (view more)

According to recent reports, $250 worth of electronic equipment allowed Chris Paget, an "ethical hacker," to scan and copy the information stored on radio-frequency identification (RFID) chips embedded in new passport cards (but not the traditional ... passport books), as well as some enhanced drivers' licenses while he drove around San Francisco. The 20-minute experiment was captured on video by The Register. According to Paget, it would be trivial to program blank tags with the skimmed identification numbers -- a key part of the process of creating counterfeit cards. Because the embedded RFID ... (view more)

The unbelievable story of Julie Amero, the substitute teacher who became the scapegoat of the Norwich school system when a computer riddled with spyware was inundated with pop-up "nasties" that were viewed by children in her class, has finally come ... to an end -- albeit, what many consider an unjust end. Amero was originally charged with four felonies for letting impressionable students see pornographic pictures as she browsed the web in her classroom. According to the Hartford Courant, Amero, who has been hospitalized and suffers from declining health, agreed to plead guilty to a single ... (view more)

Virginia's tough anti-spam law has bitten the dust after the state's Supreme Court reversed its own decision in the case of a man who sent ten million messages in just two months. As we reported in March, Jeremy Jaynes was the first American jailed ... for sending spam messages in the US. Though a North Carolina native, he was charged in Virginia because that's where the AOL servers he used are based. Jaynes got a nine year sentence (three years for each of the three counts). Though sending unsolicited messages isn't technically illegal under state law, he was busted because he didn't give his ... (view more)

New York's state legislature passed a budget earlier this month that includes a provision requiring online retailers to collect all applicable taxes at the behest of the state. Individuals shopping online had previously been able to dodge paying ... local taxes since online retailers were not responsible for their collection. Instead, New York as well as most other states require individuals to voluntarily declare items bought from out of state retailers, in their annual income tax filings. The 'Use Tax' puts the onus on the individual to pay their owing taxes on items purchased. In reality, ... (view more)

Ever wonder what kind of punishment a government employee might receive for leaking the personal information of John Q. Public? Here's your answer in a nutshell: a week's vacation. The man who'll have less time this year to lounge on tropical ... beaches is one Jerry Miller, payroll team leader for the Ohio Department of Administrative Services. Miller is behind the agency's Administrative Knowledge System, or OAKS, and last month was found responsible for losing a tape containing data on nearly 65,000 state employees, 20,000 former state employees, and worst of all almost 50,000 Ohio taxpayers. ... (view more)

No, I don't mean to offend the bright citizens of the great eastern Mountain State. Instead, the title of this article is merely an observation of the horrible Internet speeds affecting the people of that state, and a few others, across the United ... States. In fact, a recent study has found that although America leads the world in many technological spheres, when it comes to Internet speed, it is drastically falling behind. Over 80,000 U.S. Internet users took part in a survey performed by the Communications Workers of America union and Speed Matters website. In the end, the group found that ... (view more)