Finally, Apple takes the fun out of stealing an iPhone

Besides the remarkably long time it took to update my IOS devices, one thing I am loving is that Find My iPhone gives you the ability to turn your stolen device into a brick.  If everybody used this feature, the market for stolen iphones would dry up in a week.  Way to go Apple!

Update on Friday, September 20, 2013 at 1:40AM by Thom McClain

In response to my irritation about how cumbersome updating to IOS 7 is, PCMag has an article to help ease my pain.  At least I was not the only one with this issue.  Click here to read.

Easily Merge Contents Of Multiple Folders & Subfolders Into One In Windows

From the great site addictivetips.com comes this handy utility. 

Most of us tend to store our files in separate folders to keep them manageable and organized. For instance, a typical computer user would be maintaining separate folders for downloads, music, videos, documents and pictures present on their hard drive. Though there are times we need to merge files located in separate directories into one single folder. A task like this can definitely waste significant time, especially if you have multiple folders and subfolders to merge. So, how about an intuitive app that can take this burden off your shoulders? Folder Merger is a portable freeware for Windows that allows you to merge separate folders or subfolders together and bring the content from all of them into a single folder.

An app like Folder Merger can have lots of usage scenarios. For instance, should you require to move your MP3 collection from your PC to your smartphone or portable media player, and don’t want any folders to come along, Folder Merger can prove to be a big timesaver. Moreover, it can also come in handy to backup multiple files scattered across different directories all into one large folder.  Download it here.

Best Free Antivirus for Windows 8 users

For those who do not know, Windows 8 does ship with a newer version of Windows Defender, which is suppose to have the same amount of security as Windows Security Essentials that you have on Windows 7, so in some respect you may not need an antivirus for Windows 8. If you insist, then check out the top two free versions head to head, Windows Defender vs. Avast.  No, I do not recommend AVG.  It nags you so much to buy it, that it itself is like a virus.  Check out the head to head here:

A new line of Surface products from Microsoft

Not that any of you will be camping out waiting for the arrival, but Microsoft has put the past behind it and is nearly ready to introduce to the world its second generation Surface line later this month. The special unveiling is scheduled to take place on September 23, 2013 in New York City, according to invitations Microsoft has begun sending out to members of the press. At that time, the Redmond outfit will introduce its Surface 2 and Surface 2 Pro products.

There aren't any big reveals in the invitations being sent out, so we're stuck with the existing rumors and speculation. As a refresher, it's believed that Surface 2 will feature Nvidia's Tegra 4 platform, while Surface 2 Pro will come with Intel's Haswell architecture inside, likely a Core i5 processor. Both are said to sport a refined, two-position kickstand.

Some have also speculated that Microsoft may launch a 7-inch or 8-inch version of Surface 2 to compete with the iPad mini, but again, nothing has yet been confirmed. Barring any solid leaks, we won't really know for about another two weeks.

Feds aren't "knowingly" weakening encryption... sure, we believe that...

A U.S. official Tuesday defended the government's encryption efforts in response to disclosures that the National Security Agency (NSA) has the ability to crack encryption protections.

There were a number of published accounts last week, based on documents leaked by former government contractor Edward Snowden, that suggest encryption algorithms used by the commercial sector aren't stopping the agency from snooping.

These encryption technologies were developed with the help of National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which serves as a quasi-national laboratory for the private sector on encryption.

In commenting on the Snowden leaks, Patrick Gallagher, undersecretary of commerce for standards and technology and director of NIST, said that the leaks "would appear to attack our integrity."

Gallagher, speaking at an Amazon Web Services Public Sector Summit here, said that NIST's role "is to support a technical understanding of the strongest, most secure computer security, including encryption that we can.

"We are not deliberately, knowingly, working to undermine or weaken encryption technologies," said Gallagher.

But Bruce Schneier, a security expert and author, said he gives little weight to Gallagher's denial. "What is it about him that makes him different from other government and corporate officials who have been lying about what the NSA does?" said Schneier.

Apple iWorks suite free to all new buyers...

Apple announced today that people purchasing any new iOS device will receive the mobile versions of Pages, Keynote, Numbers, iPhoto, and iMovie for free. That's $40 worth of apps, as Pages, Keynote, and Numbers cost $9.99 each, and iPhoto and iMovie are $4.99 each.

The offer is good for any new buyers of iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touches. The offer does not appear to apply to people who have already purchased these devices, and it's not clear if there is any time limit on the deal.

Pages, Keynote, and Numbers provide word processing, presentations, and spreadsheet creation. iPhoto and iMovie, naturally, provide photo and video editing.

Apple's new mobile OS, iOS 7, will ship on September 18.