For those of you who have been slacking on proper maintenance of your PC, this weekend may be a good time to get your computers scanned & cleaned because if you happen to be an unlucky victim of the DNSChanger malware, there is a fair chance you will be cut off from Internet access.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) launched a successful bust of a criminal ring that essentially spread the DNSChanger malware across the entire Internet back in 2007. DNSChanger is actually classified as a Trojan malware which redirects your computer to hacked websites that hackers then use to sell advertisement placements. In this particular case, the criminal ring managed to sell over $14 million worth of advertisement placements over the course of four years. 

The scheme was finally brought to an end in late 2011 in the eastern European country of Estonia. Since, however, compromised PCs are still being routed to alternate DNS servers that were set by the trojan malware, the FBI could not shutdown the servers without causing all infected computers to lose internet connectivity. As a result, the FBI temporarily setup the necessary DNS servers to keep all affected internet users online. Eventually such duties were delegated to the Internet System Consortium which will only maintain the service until this upcoming Monday.

So what exactly do you need to do to ensure you'll remained connected? First and foremost, it's important that you find out whether or not your computer is infected. A DNSChanger check-up website has been set-up for that very purpose. If a graphic is displayed with a green background, that means your computer is good to go; however, if a graphic with a red background is displayed, that means you are infected with the trojan.

No need to panic if you've got the trojan. There are plenty of tools on the internet to help fix the problem. The DNSChanger Working Group posted a list of anti-malware programs that can rid your system of the affliction. According to Gunter Ollmann of Damballa (security research company), DNSChanger should be “a very easy one to fix”, so it seems like a good idea to check your PC either sometime today or tomorrow to avoid any unnessary hassle Monday morning.

For more info on what you can do if your computer is infected, visit http://www.dcwg.org.

U.S Jurors in federal court determined Samsung violated multiple Apple patents last Friday thereby awarding Apple over a billion dollars in damages. The decision came as a major development in Apple and Samsung's nasty legal war which comprises of a series of court battles waged across the globe spanning four continents. However, the loss suffered by Samsung on Friday was unprecedented not only in the net sum awarded to Apple, but also in the potential ramifications. Apple is seeking a permanent preliminary ban on U.S sales of a Samsung tablet PC and an extension of a ban on Samsung smartphones. The following Samsung products are currently the target of the ban:

Smartphones

• Samsung Galaxy Prevail
• Samsung S2 Epic 4G
• Samsung Galaxy S 4G
• Samsung Galaxy S2 T-Mobile
• Samsung Galaxy S Showcase
• Samsung Galaxy S2 AT&T
• Samsung S2 Skyrocket
• Samsung Droid Charge
• Samsung Nexus S 4G

Tablet

• Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 (Cellular)

The particular patents Samsung was found guilty of infringing were the '301 “bounce patent”, U.S. Patent No. 7,844,915 “pinch to zoom”, U.S. Patent NO. 7,469,381, and '163 “double tap to zoom”. Out of the list of products that were found to violate Apple patents, only two of them are currently being sold on the market, but even so, the verdict carries legal precedent which Apple can wield as leverage in the smartphone sales race. Samsung is currently the market leader in smartphone sales, but the recent turn of events may very well tilt the balance of power.

The $1.045 billion certainly a staggering sum; however, considering the fact that Samsung made a profit of $4.5 billion in the most recent June quarter alone, it would seem as though monetary damages may not be the greatest concern for Samsung. The injunction levied against them may prove to have a much more severe impact in the long run. While only a handful of Samsung's products are facing bans at the moment, if more of its products are encompassed in the injunction it could cost them many times more than the +$1 billion verdict. Also, lowered investor confidence as a result of the ruling sent Samsung shares plummeting to a four year low.

On the plus side, consumers may turn out as winners in the end. Analysts and legal experts believe vendors will be forced to innovate to avoid Apple patent lawsuits. “Companies will need to be much more careful about adopting Apple's design language,” Says Van Lindberg, an IP and Open source attorney. “Other companies will be forced to adopt new and less Apple-like designs.”

Garnter analyst Michael Gartenberg concurs. “Apple patents being upheld will force industry toward innovation and differentiation. That's not a bad thing.”

A scanned copy of the Jury verdict form used in the ruling can be viewed here.

For the past couple years or so, it seems as though market experts are all but unanimous in their predictions that tablets are the future of personal computing and that the end of the PC era is nigh. There is no doubt that tablets have taken off substantially in terms of consumer adoption especially since the launch of Apple's first iPad device back in April of 2010. The slender slate-like gadgets are very capable and fun to use which is due in large part to the sheer quantity of quality apps that are available; however, despite their “coolness” factor and their propensity to elicit an impressive long steak of high consumer demand, I cannot bring myself to believe that a total tablet takeover is in store any time soon even as major companies like Microsoft have gone so far as to integrate a tablet touch screen UI (Formally known as Metro) into their latest operating system slated to be released in less than a month. The reasoning behind my skepticism boils down to my lack of confidence in tablets as a viable substitute for the traditional PC.

I think it goes without saying that the real value of tablets lie in the apps which are available in abundance and are very well suited for the touch screen interface. With about 700,000 apps available in Apple's “App store” and approximately 675,000 apps in Google's “Play store”, it seems as though you can find apps for just about anything. Many of those apps offer superb functionality for doing things such as quickly and conveniently managing and viewing important data such as bank account information, business docs, email, and address directions. I'd go as far as to argue that the functionality of the apps are perfect for anyone who is on the move and wants to perform simpler non-intensive tasks; however, tablet apps tend to be decidedly light weight and lacking the full spectrum of features offered in their PC counterparts. For example, on a desktop you might be able to create a text document with things like special fonts, headings, table of contents, linked objects, footnotes, etc via feature packed programs like Microsoft Word or Libre Office. On a tablet you're limited to apps such as Office 6 Pro and Quick Office Pro which don't really offer all the same capabilities needed to get serious work done. It is worth noting that Microsoft office is said to be developing a port of it's Windows 8 operating system for tablets running ARM processors (which is an industry standard for mobile devices). It certainly could be a game changer, but there are already reports that the ARM version will not include all the features available for PCs or Macs and quite frankly I'd imagine it would be quite difficult to successfully translate the full experience on a touch screen UI, so I don't fault them. Productivity simply won't (and probably can't) be as good without a keyboard and mouse.

It is, however, possible to purchase keyboard and mouse “add-ons” and bring your tablet's capabilities up to par with that of a PC, but that leads to the question of whether or not you're better off just buying a notebook. If you are looking for something a bit more portable than a traditional notebook, why not try buying an ultrabook? They may not match the compact dimensions of a typical 10inch tablet but, especially for a device that packs all the heavy duty hardware of a desktop, they come pretty close. There's scarcely anything I can think of, capability-wise, that an ultrabook couldn't do better than a tablet. Some possibilities include utilizing drawing apps or more conveniently snapping photos, but drawing programs can be nearly as easily used on a desktop or a laptop/ultrabook when equipped with a mouse, and you would be better served using your smartphone for snapping quick photos anyways which actually segues to my next point.

All three major tablet operating systems (iOS, Android, and even Windows) are also available for smartphones. This means that all the capabilities and features you get from apps on tablets are available on smartphones and you'll have the additional benefit of having even greater mobility along with a more cost effective solution of mobile wireless internet since you can utilize your phone's data plan which are standard nowadays anyways. I personally have an android smartphone and the only drawback is that it has a much more tiny display than its tablet counterpart; however, when using the apps it's easy for me to forget I'm using them on a smartphone, and I especially like the fact that its always within a pocket reach away. Those bothered by the smaller screen size can always purchase a 5.3-incher in the case of Android smartphones, and you can get up to a 4inch screen iPhone if you purchase the latest release.

Alternatively, opting for a 7inch tablet seems to be the most practical choice for anyone seeking a device that bridges the gap between a smartphone's mobility and a full-sized tablet's appeal as a media consumption device, but in any case none of the aforementioned options could dethrone the PC. At best, I can only see tablets as complementing PCs, and for those who depend on laptops, it's difficult to recommend the full-sized 10inch tablets because they're too large to have to carry along and not to mention impractical as well. For the time being, deciding on a 7inch tablet would limit your options down to Android since neither Apple nor Microsoft has released tablets with 7inch screens. For what it's worth, there are rumors spreading with increasing intensity of an impending iPad mini which will supposedly have a 7.8 inch display.

To be clear, I'm definitely not trying to make the case that tablets have no place in the marketplace because that couldn't be further from the truth. Tablets may very well be here to stay, and I have no issues with that. But despite the growing chorus of tech analysts and market watchers chanting of the PC's doom, I remain at odds. Tablets simply aren't up to the task.

Two brand new tablets will soon be available as special offers: The 7inch Ramos W17Pro and the EKEN's 10.1inch W-10C. Either will make excellent gifts for your loved ones, so stay tuned and keep an eye out for them as they will pop up very soon on the home page!

Detailed Specs

Ramos W17Pro

• CPU: AML8726-MX, ARM Cortex A9, Dual Core processor, 1GB DDR3 RAM, 1.5GHz
  
• GPU: Mali 400
  
• Display: 7.0 inch, 1024*600 pixels, capacitive touch screen
  
• OS: Android 4.0 ICS,support Skype Video Chat
  
• Memory: 1GB RAM, 16GB storage memory
  
• Camera: Built in HD Front Camera
  
• Video: Support MKV, WMV, MPG, MPEG, DAT, AVI, MOV, ISO, MP4 etc.1080P vdieo playback
  
• Audio: Support MP3, AAC, WMA, RA, FLAC, OGG etc. formats
  
• Network: Built in Wifi, support 3G external
  
• G-sensor: supported
  
• HDMI Output
• Micro SD expansion

EKEN W-10C

• Chip: VIA WM8850 Cortex A9 1.5GHz
  
• 16:9 Display: 10.1-inch 1024*600 pixel resolution
  
• Capacitive Screen
  
• Android 4.0
  
• Storage: 4GB
  
• DDR3: 1GB
  
• Sensors: G-sensor
  
• Wireless and Cellular: Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n)
  
• Support for 3G dongles and Ethernet with adapter
  
• Video formats supported: All formats up to 1080p
  
• Front camera, Photos, and Video Recording: VGA up to 30 fps with audio; 1.3M-quality still camera
  
• Power and Battery: Built-in 3000mAh lithium battery
  
• Input/Output: USB port / Mini USB port / HDMI output / 3.5-mm stereo headphone jack /
  
• Built-in speaker / Microphone / Micro SD card slot
  
• Special Functions: Live Wallpaper; Screenshots; Zoom in/out when video playing