It is Halloween people and here at gHacks we are all feeling the chill in the air as the sprits walk the earth. So in keepng with that feeling, let’s revisit those memories that have left us scarred for life. Those hair raising tales of gore that still give us nightmares. Yes, I am talking about those times when the iPhone failed. And failed so very spectacularly that it made headlines.

But our nightmares are nothing compared to the debilitating fear that gripped the hearts of the Apple PR folks who handled those deadly times. A prayer for those poor souls before we start recounting the tales of horror.

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Tags: cracked screen, explosion, iPhone, no wake from sleep, problems
Categories: Gadgets, iPhone

Virtual WiFi, one of the features that Microsoft introduced in their new operating system Windows 7, did not get that much attention until now. Virtual WiFi makes it possible to use the wireless networking adapter of a computer system running Windows 7 as a wireless hotspot for additional systems. That’s definitely an interesting feature for some Windows 7 users. Long Zheng described the Virtual Wifi technology and its possible uses in detail in a blog post earlier this year:

You might be wondering why anyone would ever need multiple WLAN adapters on the same PC, well to be honest, you don’t need but its sometimes good to have. In any case where you’re connected to an existing wireless access point and want to connect to another network whether that be a separate access point or even set up an ad-hoc connection, Virtual WiFi will allow you to do just that. But perhaps the scenario that is more appealing is the idea of a mesh network. In a mesh network, every client becomes a repeater, growing the network organically as more clients connect. Virtual WiFi enables this, since every client can become an access point too.

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Tags: connectify, virtual wifi, windows 7, windows software, wireless hotspots
Categories: Windows, software

Most tech savvy users have their personal favorite when it comes to antivirus software. Be it security software from Kaspersky, Symantec, Trend Micro, AVG, Avira or Avast: Everyone seems to have a favorite that gets recommended to other users who inquire about the best antivirus solution. Lately, Microsoft has joined the ranks of recommended antivirus solutions with its security software Microsoft Security Essentials.

The latest test by independent security researchers AV-Comparatives is another confirmation that Microsoft has developed a solid security software for the Windows operating system. The latest test concentrated on virus and malware removal capabilities of selected free and commercial antivirus products.

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Tags: antivirus software, av-comparatives, microsoft security essentials, security-software, windows software
Categories: Security, Windows

The Windows operating system does not come with an option to monitor applications effectively. The only option available are the various event logs that are automatically generated by the operating system. The event log in combination with the Windows Task Scheduler can theoretically be used to restart crashed applications. But the configuration is not that easy and it is usually a better idea to use a third party application monitor to perform the task.

The following article will take a closer look at five application monitors and restarters for the Windows operating system. These programs monitor applications that the user configures. They usually also come with options to react on certain events.

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Tags: application monitor, process-monitor, restart applications, windows software
Categories: Windows, software

Microsoft’s new security software Microsoft Security Essentials has been getting some good reviews since the first public beta version got released by Microsoft. The security application is now available as a final version to protect computer systems from malicious software. The security program is compatible with 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7.

Some users have reported Microsoft Security Essentials crashes and other errors that prevent the tool from protecting the computer system. The Fix MSE Utility has been designed for those users. It can repair a Microsoft Security Essentials installation by resetting all Registry and other settings to their default values. The same could be achieved by uninstalling and installing the software program but the benefit of using the Fix MSE Utility is speed.

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Tags: fix mse utility, microsoft security essentials, portable software, windows software
Categories: Security, Windows, software

The Mozilla developers have finally released the first beta of Firefox 3.6 after releasing two release candidates for the beta previously. Firefox 3.6 will be the next installment after the Firefox 3.5x branch and is still slated for a early 2010 release. The Firefox 3.6 Beta 1 is build on the Gecko 1.9.2 web rendering engine opposed to Firefox 3.5 which is based on Gecko 1.9.1. The developers have added several new features and improvements to the Internet browser including:

• Users can now change their browser’s appearance with a single click, with built in support for Personas.
• Firefox 3.6 will alert users about out of date plugins to keep them safe.
• Open, native video can now be displayed full screen, and supports poster frames.
• Support for the WOFF font format.
• Improved JavaScript performance, overall browser responsiveness and startup time.
• Support for new CSS, DOM and HTML5 web technologies.

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Tags: firefox, firefox 3.6, firefox beta, firefox-update
Categories: Browsing, firefox

Good news iPhone lovers and users in general, we finally have apps in the App Store that do things we have always wanted to do with the iPhone. First up, we finally have Marvel Comics titles available on the App store (yay!). Then we have this cool new app that translates your speech as you speek (thanks Doc) speak (how cool is that?!) and there is this another app that makes it easy to shoot Time Lapse videos with your iPhone. Plus, if you are a board game freak you are in for a treat as well.

In other news, did you know that the iPhone is closing in on Blackberry’s market share? Read all about it and more (Droid, HTC, Google) in Otaku Gadget’s phone news round-up for this week.

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Tags: best iphone apps, iphone comics, iphone games, iphone time lapse video, iphone translator
Categories: Apple, Cool, Entertainment, Games, iPhone