Month: August 2011

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Bing and Facebook Grow Closer

If you haven’t noticed, let me bring your attention to this point, Bing, Microsoft’s search engine, and Facebook are growing closer together every day. First, Bing powered the web searches on Facebook. Now Bing has a social component that is accessing activity on yours and your friends Facebook accounts.

The most recent integration is found at this link on Bing. When you activate the service you will allow Bing to show friends’ interests and links as a social component on Bing.com right in the search results. Watch the video here and you’ll get the low down on what Bing is pulling from Facebook. In essence, once you allow the sharing of information, you will see your Facebook friends’ faces in Bing search results. You will see local reviews and pages that your friends have liked all at Bing.com. One of the best parts on sharing is that you are in control and can turn this feature on and off.

With Facebook hating on Google right now, this is a very important alliance both for Bing and for Facebook. I expect more integration further down the road. Who knows, Bing and Facebook may end up sharing advertising and tracking as well in the future, but for now, they are both working to actively lock Google out of the potentially lucrative social component of search and sharing.

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Using the Microsoft Online Fix It Center

I know computers, but I am not a computer geek like my husband. Although I can fix many things that happen to my computer with a Google search and some time, there are times when the instructions are too complicated or simply over my head. There are other times when I wish I could just click a button and my computer would fix itself. If you’re like me, you may want to check out the new improved, Microsoft Online Fix It Center.

This online tool created by Microsoft fixes your computer with one click, or nearly that. For example if IE 9 is acting flaky and you need to reset all settings that would typically require multiple steps and changes to multiple settings, the Fix It Tool can do it all for you with one or two clicks.

Here are some of the things that the Fix It tool can correct, but there are more and the repairs are personalized to what your computer needs. Here’s a great tool that will help you know what it can fix: http://support.microsoft.com/fixit/

  1. Fix IE 9 issues like settings and display.
  2. Repair missing icon images on your desktop.
  3. Provides preventative care services
  4. Restores tool bar icons and start menus
  5. Windows Aero Glass visual effects are not working or displayed.
  6. Diagnose and repair Windows File and Folder Problems automatically.
  7. Fix broken desktop shortcuts and common system maintenance tasks.
  8. Your CD or DVD drive can’t read or write media.
  9. Fix Windows system performance problems on slow Windows computers.
  10. Diagnose and repair sound recording problems automatically.

So if you are busy like me, don’t have the computer know-how you need, you need to try out the Microsoft Fix It tool today. You can find the tool here: http://fixitcenter.support.microsoft.com/Portal or browse the listings here: http://support.microsoft.com/fixit/. Fixing your computer has never been easier with these great personalized and automated tools from Microsoft.