Conficker.E to self-destruct on May 5th?

The evolution of the multi-faceted Conficker worm is expected to take another turn this May 5th when the latest version, Conficker.E, will simply self-destruct on infected machines, say a number of security researchers.

F-Secure, Trend Micro and SecureWorks are among those that believe Conficker.E—first spotted just this April and probably created by the same attackers that since last fall let loose the Conficker A through Conficker C variants—has been designed to simply self-detonate on May 5th.

Recycle Your PC the Right Way

Bought a brand-spanking-new PC ? You're probably feeling pretty good about yourself. Not so fast. What do you plan to do with your old system? Don't just stash it in your basement or a closet, where it will come back to haunt you during next year's spring cleaning. Clearing the clutter out early will earn you a black belt in feng shui. If your system still works, the best move is to donate it to a family member or local charity. Earth 911 (earth911.org), the CEA's myGreenElectronics.org, and the Electronic Industries Alliance (www.eiae.org) all have resources for finding a donation center in your area.

Firefox 3: 8 Things You Didn't Know You Could Do

The latest version of Mozilla's popular open-source browser enjoyed one of the most successful launches in software history, with a record-setting 8.2 million downloads the first day it was available. Duplicate tabs with drag-and-drop. Duplicating tabs is a piece of cake: Simply hold the Ctrl key while dragging the tab you want to duplicate to an empty space onthe tab bar. Minimize the toolbar. Free up a little extra screen real estate by getting rid of the big, round "Back" button and replacing it with a more streamlined control. Right-click the toolbar, choose Customize, and select Use small icons. The new controls are perfectly functional but smaller, allowing the toolbar to shrink and leaving more room for viewing sites. Use smart bookmarks.Smart bookmarks are live bookmarks that don't just refer to particular sites but actually generate live lists of sites according to parameters you define. For example, you might have a smart bookmark that lists the 10 sites you visit most often, or the last 20 sites you've visited with a particular keyword in their title.To create a smart bookmark, select Organize Bookmarks from Firefox's Bookmarks menu. In the window that opens, select Bookmarks Menu in the left-hand pane, then click Organize in the toolbar at the top and New Bookmark in the drop-down menu. Give your smart bookmark a descriptive name, such as "10 Most Recent Bookmarks." In the Location field, you're going to enter in a line of code telling the smart bookmark what to do. For the 10 sites you bookmarked most recently, you'd enter: place:queryType=1&sort=12&maxResults=10 . There are dozens of parameters you can use; Mozilla's developer site includes a list of commands you can use in smart bookmarks.

Vizio VF550XVT

Vizio has mastered the art of the value HDTV. Its latest bargain: the $1,999.99 (list) 55-inch VF550XVT with full HD resolution, excellent energy efficiency, plenty of input options, and useful extras like a backlit remote and HDMI cable. But for some, a few design and picture-quality quirks with standard-definition sources may detract slightly from an otherwise dynamite deal.

Do you shut off your PC at Night?

Just like constant highway drive, stop and go traffic is bad for your hardware. However, all the concern these days for being green and conserving resources have caused me to slightly change my computing habits. Now, I make sure my displays are off before bed, but I still leave my desktop and laptop on almost all the time. The desktop is even protected by two massive UPSes from APC, just in case there's a blackout. Still thought, I like my equipment instantly accessible at all times. The question of the day is: Do you turn off your PC at night?