Practical Technology

Every Windows expert knows that the way to secure a hard drive in Windows 7 is to use BitLocker. To use that feature, though, you need either Windows 7 Enterprise or Ultimate. But, did you ever wonder how BitLocker manages to lock down data when so much of Windows is vulnerable to attacks? Here’s how [...]

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DRM (Digital Right Management) has been a thorn in the side of music and video lovers for years. Now, Apple, after wheeling and dealing with the major music companies, is killing DRM off for good in iTunes. You should now be able to buy DRM-free songs in one of three price ranges: 69-cents, 99-cents or [...]

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Some people say I like to beat Microsoft up. Not really. I just dislike bad technology, and Microsoft makes a lot of poor-quality hardware and software. Anyone unfortunate enough to own a 30GB Zune knows exactly what I mean. Today, December 31st, many, if not all, 30GB Zunes, Microsoft’s first generation of music players, stopped [...]

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You may have noticed that many new DVDs and Blu-Ray discs are being advertised with a new, extra ‘feature:’ Digital Copy. These films, such as Wanted, The Dark Knight and Mamma Mia!, come with an additional disc. On this disc is a copy of the movie you can put it on your computer, and from [...]

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One of the perpetual pains of desktop Linux is dealing with DVDs and proprietary video and audio formats. Ubuntu, like the other Linuxes, have the same problem. Now, however, Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu, has made it easier for Ubuntu users to legally play DVDs and files encased in proprietary formats. In a Canonical blog, [...]

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