Sneak peak: An early look at the next Windows

Will the Scots ever be truly understood?

The people of Scotland have a lot on their minds, particularly this week — when they vote for or against independence from the United Kingdom. The Scotsmen in this video have a more modest ambition: they just want to get to a building’s 11th floor via an elevator equipped with voice-recognition technology. Emotional (and slightly vulgar) speech ensues. Can you understand what the lift does not? Click below or go to the original YouTube video.

iPhone photos to PC in two languages

When Lounge member Treiber posted his question about moving photos from his phone to his PC, he wrote in French.

Happily, he received an answer in his own language, plus a short guide to translation tools on the Internet. Plenty to learn in one thread!

The following links are this week’s most interesting Lounge threads, including several new questions for which you might have answers:

Office Applications
General Productivity	Converting .chm file to Word
Word Processing	Mac Word print to PDF, links inactive
Spreadsheets	Problem with Excel 2007 macro
Databases	Mobile vs. desktop screens
Visual Basic for Apps	Code to select only body of pivot table, not labels
Microsoft Outlook	Outlook 2013 setup issues
Non-Outlook E-mail	Problems sending email
Windows
General Windows	Comment transférer des photos de l’iphone vers PC?
Windows 8	Login incorrect after last update restart
Windows 7	Why won’t photos in my camera open with my default viewing app?
Windows XP	Windows XP recovery issue
Windows Servers	Server 2012 blocked ports
Internet/Connectivity
Internet Explorer	Is IE safe?
Third-Party Browsers	Yahoo Mail not working on one of my computers
Networking	How to bridge networks (maybe)
Software Development
Web Design & Development	Switching from mobile to main website where redirecting policy exists
Other Technologies
Security & Scams	Prompts for proxy server when viewing email on Web (Comcast)
Maintenance	How to help new user set up new PC to avoid problems later?
Hardware	Dell Inspiron 5100 laptop appears to be locked
Other Applications	Easy method needed to transfer photos from camera to PC

starred posts: particularly useful

If you’re not already a Lounge member, use the quick registration form to sign up for free. The ability to post comments and take advantage of other Lounge features is available only to registered members.

If you’re already registered, you can jump right into today’s discussions in the Lounge.

Sneak peek: An early look at the next Windows

After months of speculation, we’re now seeing some credible leaks showing parts of the next Windows.

Invitations are going out now for Microsoft’s Windows Technical Preview debut, scheduled for Sept. 30 in San Francisco; here’s what the current tea leaves portend.

Will a rose by any other name smell sweeter?

There’s one fundamental problem with talking about the next version of Windows. It seems, at this time, that no one knows what it’ll be called. Inside Microsoft, some developers refer to the next Windows as “Threshold.” But that label might apply to an entire wave of Microsoft product changes — not all of which are specific to Windows. Most of us call it Windows 9 simply because it’s a reasonable name that everyone understands. To keep things simple, I’ll stick with “Windows 9” for the rest of this discussion.

You can bet your last shekel that Microsoft won’t burden the next Windows with any reference to Version 8. In other words, the chances of a “Windows 8.2” run less than zero. I’m confident Microsoft wants to distance itself from the Windows 8 disaster as quickly and cleanly as possible. Who could blame them?

Also unlikely to reappear is any version of Windows with “RT” attached (just the label; the platform will remain and prosper). It’s a name I’ve hated and railed against since day one.

There’s one other Windows-naming camp I tend to side with. It predicts the successor to Win8 will be called simply Windows. That doesn’t mean version numbers will go away — we’ll always need some way to refer to the precise release. But it does mean that “Windows” on a phone, “Windows” on a tablet, “Windows” on a PC, and “Windows” on a server can be thought of as the same operating system — though with some necessary differences both to the interface and under the hood. Or at least the versions will be marketed that way, regardless of the technical sleight-of-hand involved.

With a single “Windows” label, Microsoft might also give up its archaic attempts to wring more money out of customers by releasing different editions of a particular Windows version — i.e., Windows Home, Windows Pro, Windows Enterprise, etc. I hope that comes to pass. Who knows, we might even see the end of 32-bit versions of the OS.

Microsoft has had success selling its subscription-based version of Office. So it’s not inconceivable that the company will release a “rented” edition of Windows — call it Windows 365. (If there is a Win365 in the works, it probably won’t be in place when Microsoft releases Windows Technical Preview, which should ship around the end of September.

Windows build 9834 sources — and their reticence

During development of a new Windows version, Microsoft normally sends out early builds to its partners — companies that need parts of the new OS to make their own products work. Those early releases are supposed to be kept secret, but leaks inevitably happen.

The leaked information below is based on some early Win9 builds, which means you must keep the following in mind. Leading up to Windows Technical Preview, early Windows builds are often branches of the mainstream Windows development. In other words, they’re key parts of the new OS but not the entire final product — not by a country mile. And the builds can be months old by the time they’re leaked.

Right now, the latest credible leaks of Win9 are based on build 9834 of the Windows Technical Preview branch. (“Credible” means I’m convinced they’re legitimate.) If you want to catch up on what’s been posted about Win9, here’s the short list:

• On Sept. 11, two German sites, ComputerBase and WinFuture, simultaneously released the same 21 screen shots of what appears to be build 9834. Someone then anonymously reposted those shots on the English-language Imgur site. If you want to read about each slide individually, Paul Thurrott posted a two-part review on his WinSuperSite — see Part 1. And I published some additional notes in my Sept. 11 InfoWorld Tech Watch story. (Remember, at this stage, there’s no guarantee that any new feature shown in the leaked screen shots will make it into the final Win9.)
• WinFuture followed up on that leak with a sponsored (though obviously not by Microsoft) video showing the new Start menu “in Aktion.”

• Next, WinFuture posted a YouTube video that shows a possible multiple-desktop feature in Windows 9. That’s not a leap in technology; Windows has supported multiple desktops since Windows XP, and there are dozens of third-party apps that implement multiple desktops in Windows 7 and 8. In fact, Microsoft publishes Sysinternals Desktops (site), which looks a lot like the “new” virtual desktops in Windows 9.

• On Sept. 13, WinFuture released yet another video (again, apparently of build 9834) that shows how an updated notification center might work.

WinFuture might be leading the pack in published Win9 leaks and apparently made significant cash doing so, given the Peugeot ads, but it’s certainly not the only source. For example, ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley remains well connected, posting revelations that read a lot like Microsoft press releases. Paul Thurrott (winsupersite.com) is similarly tied into “unofficial” leaks that sure sound “official.”

There are numerous other rogue and semi-official sites discussing Win9. Russia-based WZorNET comes up with tidbits from time to time; venerable leaker FaiKee keeps up with all the news in Chinese; and Neowin‘s Brad Sams seems to have access to many of the latest builds — although he’s cagey about releasing information. The Verge‘s Tom Warren seems similarly familiar with recent builds, but he, too, comments rarely.

Many potential sources are afraid of losing or outing their contacts inside the Windows development team. Microsoft is playing the can’t-catch-me game, with threats of hellfire and brimstone rained down on any employee that speaks out of school. Of course, that doesn’t include those “insider” leaks that sound suspiciously like stealth marketing releases.

What the photos reveal: The Start menu returns

Like a billion or so other mouse-wielding Windows users on the planet, I was immediately drawn to the return of the desktop-based Start menu (as opposed to the Win8 Start screen). It’s bellwether evidence that Microsoft’s new Windows team is listening to its customers.

The leaked screenshots and video show a Start menu that includes a Windows 7–style cascading menu on the left and Metro/Modern tiles pinned on the right. You can even remove all the Metro tiles from the Start menu by right-clicking and deleting them, one by one.

There are lots of options for pinning, deleting, and drag-and-dropping menu items — you can even turn the Start menu off. (After turning the Start menu on or off, you have to sign out of Windows and sign back in.)

Not shown: Live Metro tiles in the Start menu — for example, a Music tile that lets you fast-forward or change the volume. That capability will probably show up in a later build, no doubt touted as a revolutionary step forward. I’ve since learned that MS will call them “interactive” Metro tiles — I think.

Current Win8 users shouldn’t forget that Windows honcho Terry Myerson promised in his Build 2014 conference keynote presentation that Microsoft “would be making those [Start menu] features available to all Windows 8.1 users as an update.”

So far, we don’t know whether the Start menu will appear automatically on machines with mice and trackpads — though I expect that will be the case. My assumption is that Windows will look at the system’s hardware during boot. If it doesn’t find a mouse or trackpad, it’ll revert to the Win8-style Start screen. With some luck, it’ll be easy to set a default and have Windows stick with it, even if you forgot to plug in your mouse.

In short, the new Start menu revealed in the leaked screenshots looks great. I have a problem with all the Metro apps dumped alphabetically into the Start menu’s All Apps list, plus a few other minor quibbles. I predict that the final Win9 Start menu — if it’s at all close to what’s been leaked — will convince 80 percent of all Win8 users to upgrade. Maybe more!

A new, long-overdue notification center

If you’ve ever used a reasonably modern mobile phone, you know all about notification centers, a place where those fleeting alerts are stored so you can actually look at them. I’m amazed a notification center was never included in Windows 8. As with earlier Windows versions, Win8 spits alerts up on the screen, where they sit for a few seconds and then disappear, never to be seen again.

In the new Win9 implementation, a window in the lower-right corner of the screen pops up notifications as they occur. To go back to a recent alert, you simply click the notification icon in the task bar and a list of recent events pops up. Golly, that’s almost as good as the original 2007 iPhone — or every version of Android since 2008. Nice to see Windows catching up.

Bottom line: The Win9 notification center shown in the leaked video is hardly revolutionary, but it’s at least usable.

Metro might become mainstream — or maybe not

Microsoft has never come up with a concise and descriptive name for its tile-based interface. The official “Modern” just doesn’t cut it. Perhaps the company will come up with something better for Win9, but for now most of us stick with the officially abandoned “Metro” for clarity.

That said, based on the leaked videos, the support system for Metro apps will change enormously.

As widely predicted, Metro apps will run in resizable windows on the desktop — where they should’ve been in the first place. Heck, third-party products such as Stardock’s ModernMix (site) already let you run Metro apps in a desktop window. (Speaking of start-menu replacements, they essentially saved Windows 8 in the minds of many Win8 users. I wonder whether Microsoft will crush those products with Win9?)

Those resizable windows will have maximize, minimize, and close icons in the upper-right corner, just where they’ve been since time immemorial. They’ll also have right-click context menus that might include an anemic settings list plus functions such as Search, Sharing, Play, Print, Project on a projector, and/or Switch to full screen.

Somewhat unexpectedly, Microsoft seems to be toying with the idea of ditching the Charms bar. You remember the Charms bar: those slide-out icons on the right of the screen that mostly just get in the way?

Removing the Charms bar might make some Metro app developers unhappy — those who actually used the Charms bar for something useful such as for searches or for printing. (Almost nobody has made use of the Share function, but that’s another story.)

It’s a dilemma for Microsoft. If it completely kills the Charms bar, third-party developers who actually took advantage of it will have to retrain their customers to use the right-click context menu. That’s actually a bigger change than it might seem, especially on a touch-screen device.

Expect the Charms bar debate to rage on, right up until Win9’s release to manufacturing (RTM).

The screenshots and videos suggest that not much has changed on the Metro/Modern side of Windows. That’s no doubt a temporary state of affairs; expect Windows 9’s Modern interface to look a lot more like Windows …, Windows …, uh, the next version of Windows for phones. (Microsoft is dropping the name “Windows Phone.”) On the mobile side, there are many changes coming down the road. But we probably won’t see them until the new phone software and ARM-based software get a good shake-out.

Cortana and other worthwhile new features

The one feature everyone’s expecting, Microsoft’s voice-activated assistant Cortana, seems buried at this point. None of the screen shots or videos shows Cortana at all. But you can bet that Cortana will be a huge selling point for Windows 9. After all, Microsoft has to catch up to Siri and “OK, Google!” — even on the desktop.

There are lesser features floating in the shadows. For example, Storage Sense is a mobile-device feature that maps out your storage — how much is taken up by programs and how much by photos, music, videos, digital lint, and other user data. It will likely find its way into Windows 9. (Never mind that dozens of third-party apps already fill that gap.)

It’s a near certainty that Win9 will ship with Internet Explorer 12, though nobody outside Microsoft has seen the new browser yet. IE 12 most likely won’t show up in the forthcoming Win9 Technical Preview.

I’ve not heard about other new features, but Win9 will probably have stronger ties to OneDrive in an attempt to make Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, and the like less attractive. And Microsoft will no doubt add more incentives for using a Microsoft Account. It’s also likely that Win9 will have better support for higher-resolution screens and multiple monitors — and possibly better compatibility with docking stations, making for easier transitions from strictly mobile to slightly tethered.

What’s the next development step for Windows 9?

There have been sightings of builds 9835 and 9836 detected on the Web but no screenshots or other leaks that I’ve seen. Given the information spilled by WinFuture and the past release history of new versions of Windows, you’d expect to see leaked builds from one of Microsoft’s partners. That hasn’t happened, but it probably will soon.

Keep in mind that even the official Windows Technical Preview is not completely representative of the final, shipping Windows. Some features will be added just before RTM, and others will be left on the cutting-room floor. We saw that with Windows 8’s Developer Preview and RTM — the bits that shipped in the Developer Preview, particularly the user interface, had changed significantly by the time Windows 8 shipped.

This much I know for sure: I’m going to like Windows 9 — or whatever it’s eventually called — one heck of a lot more than I liked Win8. I know that’s faint praise, but Windows 9 has “winner” written all over it.

At this point, anyway.

How to avoid Windows 8 sign-in hassles

Win8 complicates the system sign-in procedure with seven different options, some of which cause needless aggravation. But there’s a solution that’s easy to implement and use.

Plus: Tools to find and eliminate duplicate photos, music, documents, and other files; also, an outstanding, world-class source for free troubleshooting tools and tips.

Make signing in to a Windows 8 PC easier

Reader Jacques Iosti recently moved to Windows 8. But like many other Win8 users, he discovered that changing to another sign-in method isn’t always as easy as it should be.

• “I tried Fred’s solution in “How to bypass the Windows sign-in password” [Oct. 10, 2013, LangaList Plus item]. It’s easy to do, but it doesn’t work on my system! Any other suggestions?

I understand your frustration, Jacques. Though I’ve been using Win8 since it first came out, I still run into sign-in hassles from time to time.

The crux of the problem is that Win8 offers multiple and very different password options — and they’re not all compatible! That’s really confusing. Let’s sort it out.

Option 1: By default, Win8 wants you to sign in with your full Microsoft account name and password. Personally, I think that’s a terrible choice; your MS account credentials are used to access various online and cloud services. To be sufficiently secure against hacks, the account’s password should be long and complex.

But using a strong password every time you boot or wake up your PC is a royal pain. So, many users resort to a short, easy-to-remember password for their MS account. That makes it easy to sign in, but it also increases their account’s vulnerability to theft. It’s a bad trade-off.

Option 2: Win8 can also use a classic, Vista/Win7-style local sign-in — which is fine with most users. You’ll have to periodically enter your full MS account credentials so your system can, among other things, sync up with the Microsoft Update servers. But you won’t have to enter a long, complex password every time you start your PC or wake it from sleep mode.

Option 3: Win8 also lets you set a simple, four-digit PIN. That’s not much protection, but it’s probably fine in situations where relatively light security is needed. For example, I work from a home office, and I usually work alone. A four-digit pin is easy to use and provides the minimal security I need to keep visitors and workmen from possibly snooping on my PC.

Option 4: On some systems, Win8 offers a biometric sign-in — a fingerprint scanner, for example.

Option 5: Some Win8 setups let you use what Microsoft calls a picture password. See the Microsoft Windows 8 tutorial page, “Signing in with a picture password.”

Option 6: You can use two-step verification (or two-factor authentication) — a password plus a separate security code. See Microsoft’s two-step verification FAQ.

Option 7: On some systems, you can bypass the sign-in entirely.

There could be other sign-in options, as well. These are just the ones I know about.

These options make signing in to Windows 8 complex enough, but it gets worse; some sign-in options are incompatible with one another. For example: If you use a Microsoft account with a third-party email address (such as a Gmail or business email account), you’re actually using what Microsoft calls a “domain account.” In some circumstances, you can’t bypass a domain sign-in, so option 7 might not be available. (This could be what affected Jacques.) Sometimes, a domain sign-in prevents you from using an MS account sign-in (option 1) or a PIN (option 3) unless you tinker with the Group Policy security settings, as mentioned in an MS how-to page. It’s all a real pain.

Here’s what I do to make signing in relatively easy.

• Step 1: I configure my Win8 PCs for a classic, Win7-style, local sign-in. It’s easy, as shown in the Windows how-to page, “Create a user account.” Scroll down to the section labeled “Create a local account.” (You can also convert an MS account–based sign-in to a local account: click the charms bar and go to Settings/Change PC settings/Accounts. In Your account, look for the Disconnect link under your name. Click it and follow the prompts.)
• Step 2: Next, I set up and use a four-digit PIN sign-in — which is allowed with the local, Win7-style option. Setting up the PIN is easy; go to Settings/Change PC settings/Accounts/Sign-in options/PIN. (You’ll find more on sign-in options in the Microsoft how-to post, “Can I sign in to Windows without a password?”)
• Step 3: I set up my online Microsoft account with an appropriately long and complex password. This helps keep my online information safe. Because I don’t have to re-enter the long password very often, it’s really no hassle. And if you want extra security for your MS account, you can set up two-factor authentication. For more information on Microsoft accounts, see the tutorial, “One email address to sign in everywhere.”

One of the other sign-in options might suit you better; but my method is fast and easy to use, provides sufficient local protection, and doesn’t compromise the security of my Microsoft accounts when online.

If you still want to completely eliminate a sign-in password (eliminating all system security), you can. Start by configuring the PC with the Win7-style sign-in, as discussed in Step 1. Then follow the instructions in the Oct. 10, 2013, LangaList Plus item, “How to bypass the Windows sign-in password.”

So as you can see, Win8 sign-in aggravations can be tamed — it just takes a little doing.

Tools for weeding out duplicate photos

Like most of us, Larry Ward has created myriad files on his PC. And like many of us, he’d like to find and remove duplicates to save space and simplify backups.

• “I have a ton of duplicate .jpg photo files on my computer. What software packages can I use to safely sort and remove them?”

There are many tools built specifically for finding duplicate photos (JPGs, PNGs, TIFFs, GIFs, and so forth). But why stop there? There are numerous free or low-cost tools that can also identify duplicate Office documents, videos, music files, downloaded program files, emails, and more.

I’ll list some good tools in a moment, but here are some things to watch for.

Generally, I suggest you avoid any tool that relies primarily on file names as a means of identifying duplicates. It’s possible — even common — for different files to have the same name or other superficial similarities.

In addition to file names, a truly good duplicate finder will check file-creation/-modification dates, file size, and possibly other file attributes. The more attributes that match up exactly, the more likely two files are indeed duplicates.

For example, you might have two versions of the same song that were recorded or ripped at different bitrates. The only obvious difference between the two files is their size — and the way the song sounds. A good de-dupe tool will show you all file details. It might even let you play the songs right from the tool; you can then decide which, if either, to delete.

Seemingly duplicate files can actually differ in subtle ways. Multiple versions of the same photo might have different scalings, resolutions, croppings, etc. Those cases call for human judgment; better de-dupe tools will display file information and let you visually compare suspected duplicates. That way you can ensure that two images really are duplicates before deleting one or the other.

There also are duplicate files you definitely don’t want to delete. For example, Windows keeps backup copies of some system files. If a file becomes corrupted or is deleted, it’s automatically replaced. A good de-duping tool should either avoid all system files on principle or give you the right to selectively choose those duplicates you want to retain or remove. (An overly automated tool might offer just a simple Delete all button — or something similar — which could damage your computer and/or data.)

You’ll also want a tool that fits your work style. Because that’s highly subjective, the best approach is to test-drive several tools (paid products typically offer a free trial) to see which feels right.

Finally, with all de-dupers — but especially with the free products — carefully read each installation dialog box to ensure you’re not unintentionally installing other tag-along software.

Some good general-purpose de-duplicators include:

• Ashisoft’s Duplicate File Finder (free; site)
• Glary Duplicate Cleaner (free; site)
• Yet Another Duplicate File Remover (free/open source; site)
• Auslogics’ Duplicate File Finder (free; site)
• Easy Duplicate Finder (limited-function free trial; U.S. $39.95 to buy; site)
• DupeRAZOR (30-day free trial; $20 to buy; site)

If you still want a photos-only de-duplicator, some of those with better reputations include:

• Awesome Duplicate Photo Finder (free; recommended by fellow contributor Lincoln Spector; site)
• VisiPics (free/donationware; site)
• Ashisoft’s Duplicate Image Finder (free; site)
• MindGems’ Visual Similarity Duplicate Image Finder (uses general visual similarity — for example, any bluish flower centered in the frame — as well as other attributes; limited-function free demo, $25 to keep; site)

Surely one of the above will suit your needs!

World-class troubleshooting tools and tips

Michael H. sends in this information:

• “I’ve been using Mark Russinovich’s Sysinternals tools for a long time. Occasionally, I check for updates. On a recent visit, I noticed a link to his webcast page (highlighted in the What’s New column). There you’ll find recordings of his MS TechEd sessions, demonstrating how to use his tools for troubleshooting system problems.

  “The sessions are very helpful. For example, under the security section, there’s a tutorial on malware hunting. I think the tools — along with the recorded tutorials — could be beneficial for Windows Secrets readers.”

Thanks, Michael. In the late 1990s, Mark Russinovich co-founded the Sysinternals company, which produced a series of excellent diagnostic tools. Some of those tools were superior to anything Microsoft offered. So in 2006, Microsoft bought Sysinternals and made Russinovich a Microsoft technical fellow.

Now called Windows Sysinternals, the site offers a variety of still-excellent, free, professional-quality, diagnostic tools. Most are available in standalone and/or Web-based versions.

Although Windows’ built-in diagnostic tools have improved enormously over the years, Sysinternals applications still have their place in the diagnostic toolboxes of advanced Windows users. (Based on a quick survey of my past columns, I’ve typically discussed Sysinternals two or three times a year.)

I, too, occasionally check the Sysinternals site, but somehow I missed the on-demand webcasts that Michael found. Mark gives a presentation each year at one of the major Microsoft gatherings (TechEd, Build, etc.), focusing on one or more of the weird problems that can afflict Windows. He shows how to use various tools from Sysinternals and elsewhere to get to the root of the trouble. The series is called “Case of the Unexplained …,” and it’s archived on a Sysinternals page.

Mark’s blog is hosted on a TechNet page; recent offerings include “Hunting down and killing ransomware,” “The case of the veeerrry slow logons,” “The case of the mysterious reboots,” and more.

There’s a ton of great information there — plus, of course the Sysinternals Suite download page and other tools.

It’s an outstanding free resource. Thanks, Michael!

A router upgrade results in some surprises

Sometimes “new” doesn’t necessarily mean better — at least not for customers upgrading to the newest technology.

Installing an updated Comcast router at the company’s request brought some unpleasant surprises. Here’s a lesson for us all.

Out with the old cable box, in with the new

Like many of you, I have a love/hate relationship with my Internet provider, Comcast. I’m happy with most of the company’s offerings, though the annual task of renegotiating my bill — which keeps creeping up and up through the year — is something I could do without.

The other day, Comcast called and informed me that my current cable modem/router/Wi-Fi transceiver (router, for short) was very old (it was) and needed to be replaced. That seemed reasonable, although they wanted to charge me the shipping cost of the new modem. When I objected, the rep removed the fee.

A few days later, the new unit arrived — a self-install kit that included instructions on how to set it up. The first thing I noted was the weight difference between the routers. The old one had a backup battery for our Comcast-based voice-over-IP (VoIP) line. The battery would keep our house phone line live if the local power went down. So I had to purchase a battery for the new unit.

With the replacement router powered up and connected to my network, the next step was configuring its settings. That’s when I took note of the cable modem’s default username and password. Most experienced PC users know that modems and routers commonly come with extremely simple, default, sign-in credentials. So it was no surprise that Comcast had shipped a box with a basic username and password — especially a self-install unit. But admin and password? That seemed plain silly.

Some online services start you out with a simple password but then force you to change it to something more secure. That wasn’t the case with the new cable box (and isn’t the case with most other Wi-Fi routers). One has to wonder how many Comcast customers never get around to changing their box’s management credentials — thus giving local cyber punks free access to change settings.

Reading through the documentation, I was also taken aback by Comcast’s unusual residential IP-addressing scheme. Most home routers use 192.168.1.{x} with a subnet of 255.255.255.0 for IPv4. In other words, typical home IP addresses range from 192.168.1.1 to 192.168.1.254. The new Comcast unit uses an IP addressing range of 10.0.0.x — with three possible subnets. By default, it expects you to use 10.0.0.1 to 10.0.0.254 for your computers and devices.

Most home routers use dynamic IP assignments, so devices on the network get their specific IP addresses automatically. But if you’ve set up static IP addresses, any device that will use the Comcast unit’s DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol; more info) server will need to have its IP address manually changed to the 10.0.0.x range.

DHCP is the Internet Protocol (IP) networking standard used for automatically distributing network configuration parameters such as IP addresses. Most residential modems/routers include DHCP, but if you receive one that doesn’t, you need to purchase a separate router to add DHCP service. (Most quality residential routers such as DLink and Linksys include a DHCP server.)

To access the box’s setup menus, I entered http://10.0.0.1 into my Web browser’s address bar. At the XFINITY sign-in page, I entered “admin” for the username and “password” for the password. You can, of course, change the password; but as far as I can tell, you can’t change the username. (“XFINITY” is the brand name for Comcast’s cable service. It’s interesting that “Comcast” is rarely used in the service’s documentation — most references use “XFINITY.”)

I immediately noted that the router’s firewall-security settings were set to Low (see Figure 1). I also noted that the setup had some obvious limitations. For example, I’m a fan of using an alternative Domain Name System (DNS) provider such as OpenDNS. A good third-party DNS provider gives extra protection by filtering out websites that are known to be malicious. It will also let you selectively edit and block certain categories of sites.

Figure 1. By default, the new Comcast cable modem/router's firewall security was set to low.

To my dismay, I could find no way to adjust DNS entries. Surprisingly, the new router’s adjustable settings were limited to internal IP ranges, enabling/disabling IPV6, and a few other advanced options. (Many other Comcast users have complained, on the Comcast support site and in the OpenDNS forums, about the DNS limitation.) The router’s configuration options were just not as fully featured as what I’m used to.

Far more troubling, I received a letter stating that my router was now part of the nationwide rollout of a Comcast wireless network. If you have a newer vintage Comcast router, your home — and possibly your Comcast business router — might be advertising itself as a Wi-Fi hotspot that any Comcast customer can sign in to and use as an Internet connection. It can even be rented by someone who’s not a Comcast customer.

Keep in mind that this is the same Internet-connected router I’m paying rent on. So Comcast is not getting revenue just from me for the device; it might also be getting rent from others.

That’s quite a switch, because ISPs have traditionally prohibited Wi-Fi sharing. For more on Comcast’s hotspot initiative, see the GeekWire article, “Comcast rolling out controversial XFINITY WiFi public hotspot feature for home wireless routers.”

Is sharing your router with the public safe?

Comcast insists that the new, home-based yet public Wi-Fi hotspots are kept completely separate from your personal network — purportedly even by using a separate antenna. But I’m not confident that’s completely true. For example, when others use the router located in my house, will their activity will be tracked or traced to my account? There are cases where open wireless networks have been used for nefarious purposes — and the owner of the router was blamed for damage to the system.

I also feel that advertising my location on a Comcast Wi-Fi map (site) seems a bit dangerous. It could broadcast to others that I have computer assets in my house.

Fortunately, you can disable public Wi-Fi on the router, either by calling Comcast support or signing in to your Comcast account. For the latter, click the Users & Preferences link on the Comcast homepage and then go to the Service Address section. Click the Manage XFINITY WiFi link. In the popup box, click Disable XFINITY Wifi Home Hotspot (see Figure 2).

Figure 2. To disable public Wi-Fi on your XFINITY router, you must go to your accounts page on the Comcast site.

With use, I noticed other issues with the new router. For example, my Kindle’s and iPad’s Wi-Fi connections sometimes timed out and lost the Internet for brief moments. I unplugged the router and did a full reset, but the momentary disconnects continued. I’ve also had problems streaming video from various websites. The connections were choppy, and none of my various tweaks helped.

Comcast’s 10.0.0.x IP addressing scheme also didn’t work well for my needs. In particular, my office also uses 10.0.0.x networking, as does my Small Business Server system. When at home, I frequently use VPN to connect to the office server. But VPN can’t connect one 10.0.0.0.x-based network to another. (As noted in a Wikipedia article, 10.0.0.x over IPv4 is considered a private address space and cannot be used to address data packets that go out over the public network.) I could switch one of my networks to another private IP range — say, 172.16.0.x — but shouldn’t need to.

Taking back control of my network setup

After trying to live with Comcast’s router for a while, I decided to return to my preferred home-network configuration. But I couldn’t simply send the unit back to Comcast and buy my own modem/router — I needed the box for my home-phone (VoIP) service.

To start the network reconfiguration, I went into the router’s advanced settings and placed it into DMZ mode, as shown in Figure 3. (Typically, this isn’t what you use DMZ for; see the Wikipedia page for more info.)

Figure 3. Enabling DMZ on the Comcast router

I set the DMZ IP value to 10.0.0.3. This is an arbitrary number — I could have picked any value from 10.0.0.2 to 10.0.0.253. (Address 10.0.0.1 is reserved for the router itself.)

Next, I put my Linksys Wi-Fi router back on the network, between the Comcast box and all other devices on my network. You can, of course, use any quality router with DHCP, Wi-Fi, and a firewall. I then changed the Linksys settings so that the Internet side of its firewall (the plug marked “Internet”) was assigned a static IP address, using the same DMZ value I’d entered into the Comcast box. This effectively sends all traffic from the Comcast unit directly to the Linksys firewall. (You need to be sure the downstream router — in this case, the Linksys — has an active firewall; it’s not acting as just a network switch and/or Wi-Fi transceiver. Otherwise, you’re connecting your network to the Web without any real protection.)

Typically only one router should have DHCP turned on to hand out IP addresses. But I left the Comcast unit’s DHCP and Wi-Fi on so I can access its setup menus directly from my notebook. All other devices on my network get their IP addresses from the Linksys.

Ensuring the reconfigured network is protected

With the Linksys now handling Wi-Fi and firewall duties, it was time to run a quick test to see whether the right communication ports were open. Computers have about 65,000 ports, of which about 1,000 are used only for specific purposes. For example, email typically goes out on port 25 and websites normally use port 80.

My go-to tool for port checking is the venerable ShieldsUP site. I usually run the Common Ports test, which quickly scans often troublesome ports. ShieldsUP should report that all ports have stealth status — i.e., they’re closed. In a typical home setting, no ports should be visible from the Internet. If you see a port labeled “open,” let me know about it by using the WS Lounge link below.

Using my Linksys router, I can now use OpenDNS for additional protection — plus an IP-address range that works better for me. I still have to use an ISP to access the Internet, but at least the security of my home network is under my control.

Windows Phone: Where Win8 is actually worthwhile

The HTC One for Windows smartphone is a sleek slab of aluminum with an operating system that’s quick and easy to use.

Plus: Western Digital’s My Cloud for portable devices and TYLT’s dual-connector charging/synching cable.

An ugly duckling becomes a swan — too late?

After years of trying, Microsoft has finally delivered a smartphone that’s clearly equal to rivals Android and Apple. But with Android and iOS already dominating the mobile market, Microsoft has a long row to hoe. That’s a shame, because the newest phones from HTC are easily the best platform ever for Windows 8.1.

It’s no secret that most Windows users don’t have warm feelings about Windows 8.1, despite significant improvements over the original 8.0 release. You can count me among them — at least on the desktop.

Recently, I tested the new HTC One (M8) for Windows phone (more info), sold by Verizon. After just a few hours of tapping its tiles, making calls, taking calls, and customizing its settings, I came to a somewhat shocking conclusion: I love it!

The HTC One (Figure 1) weighs 5.7 ounces and measures 5.8 inches long by 2.8 inches wide — slightly larger than the new iPhone 6. The elegantly curved case is a pleasure to hold and comfortable to use over long periods of time. The phone includes all the trimmings found in today’s mobile communicators/computers: Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, near-field communications, and even DLNA (more info) for wirelessly streaming media from the phone to a TV or PC. Amplified dual front speakers deliver surprisingly good playback for music and clear sound when using speakerphone mode.

Figure 1. The HTC One for Windows: On a smartphone, Windows 8's tiled interface finally comes into its own. (Source: HTC)

HTC is cagey about the specs for the phone’s front and back cameras. Despite the UltraPixel label, the phone’s primary back cameras are reportedly limited to 4 megapixels. (I could not find an official megapixel count.) I say back cameras because the HTC uses two cameras for each image. The company claims in a white paper (PDF) that the “duo camera” configuration gives superior images, especially in low light. (The debate over pixel count versus pixel size rages on, but that’s a discussion for another day.)

All that said, the cameras include settings for high-dynamic range, image stabilization, panorama mode, and even a selfie mode (see Figure 2).

Figure 2. The HTC One has a dual-camera system on the back and — befitting a trendy phone — a Selfie mode.

Another unusual HTC One feature is the built-in barometer sensor, which adds more localized information to what’s reported in the phone’s Weather app.

HTC claims a talk time of up to 21 hours. I’ve not confirmed that, but based on reviews at various tech sites, the phone seems to live up to its billing.

The best place for touch-and-swipe software. Though the HTC One’s hardware is attractive, more impressive is the Windows 8.1 software. Unlike my experience with PCs, the smartphone version of the OS is an eye-opener.

It starts with Cortana, the new rival to Apple’s Siri and Google Now. Type or speak a request, and Cortana fulfills it to the best of her ability — and she’s surprisingly capable. For example, tap the musical-note icon and Cortana will, with startling accuracy, tell you the name of a song that’s playing and its artist. I tried a number of obscure tracks by little-known musicians, and Cortana got it right each time.

Even more useful is Cortana’s ability to alert you when it’s time to leave for an appointment or remind you of your shopping list or an upcoming birthday. It seems to live up to Microsoft’s somewhat annoying TV commercials. I use Cortana to take notes of favorite places, favorite restaurants, or whatever else I want to keep track of. A swipe of the screen quickly pops up my stored information for reference or review.

Downloading apps from the Windows Store takes just a tap, and (unlike on the desktop) the apps are sandboxed in Apps Corner — a protected area that won’t compromise your personal information.

Skype comes preloaded on the phone, of course. (The service is now owned by Microsoft.) Using a Wi-Fi connection, my test calls were as clear as — and in a few cases, better than — cellular connections.

Smartphones and tablets are where Win8-style application tiles actually make sense. The HTC One came with the usual suspects you see on a PC — IE, Facebook, News, Weather, Sports, OneDrive, Office, and so on — plus some apps unique to phone services. The tiles can easily be resized or removed to fit your preferences, and, with a swipe to the left, they all appear in an A-to-Z index.

The HTC One would seem to offer it all for confirmed Windows users: excellent speed, crystal-clear phone calls, a comfortable design, and Windows 8.1 — the way it was intended. I can’t believe I’m saying this about a Win8.1 device, but it’s all true.

But will a significant number of consumers buy into the package? Is it enough to seriously challenge Apple and Google? Most smartphone users are already comfortable with either Android or iOS. But if you’re still open to alternatives, check out the HTC One for Windows.

Currently, Verizon sells the HTC One for Windows for U.S. $99 to $149, depending on the plan you choose.

Storage and Wi-Fi for portable devices

Western Digital has gained a reputation for innovative external hard drives. Most recently, I reviewed the WD My Cloud Mirror (more info), a big, network-attached, dual-drive box that lets you access your data locally and over the Internet.

Now Western Digital has taken its line of external drives in yet another direction. The My Passport Wireless (more info) is a 9.8-ounce, battery-powered, portable hard drive that also includes built-in Wi-Fi networking.

Available in 500GB, 1TB, or 2TB models, the drive (Figure 3) connects to PCs via USB 3.0. But its stored data can also be shared wirelessly among phones, tablets, and other PCs. It supports up to eight simultaneous Wi-Fi connections. The small box also includes SD-card slots, making it an especially convenient companion for digital cameras.

Figure 3. The WD My Passport Wireless packs Wi-Fi networking, an SD-card slot, and impressive storage capacity into a small, easily carried case.

For example, using an easily installed mobile app, the photos on my camera’s nearly full SD card transferred automatically to the drive. A setting also automatically erased the card, making it ready to go back to work inside the camera. No other portable hard drive I’ve reviewed — and I’ve looked at many — has this handy capability.

My Passport Wireless also includes integrated FTP; if you have a camera with built-in Wi-Fi support, images can be automatically transferred to the drive as you’re taking the shots!

To set up Wi-Fi sharing, start by establishing a network SSID name for the drive. Then install and open the My Cloud app on each connected device. Music, photos, video, and documents are automatically divvied into their own folders within the My Cloud app, as shown in Figure 4. Thumbnail images of the files make it easy to find what you’re looking for.

Figure 4. The My Cloud app on an iPad displaying streaming video from the My Passport Wireless

The drive’s 802.11n and MIMO technology support provide quick transfer speeds and no-hiccups video streaming. Western Digital rates battery life at up to six hours. When I streamed a one-hour video to two devices, battery life dropped to about 60 percent. Six hours is probably a reasonable expectation when simply viewing photos or listening to music on one device.

The drive’s price ranges from $119 for the 500MB model to $219 for the 2TB version. Compared to similarly sized external drives without wireless capability, the cost of the My Passport Wireless is at the high end. But add in the convenience of portability, wireless networking, and an SD-card slot, and its price is relatively reasonable.

A one-for-all charging/synching cable

Who among us would willingly live without our mobile devices? But they do have one frustrating aspect: the various synching and charging cables required by each device. TYLT, a company that specializes in small, portable battery packs for charging mobile devices on the go, makes that task easier. The company has released an unusual cable — the Syncable-Duo (more info) — that works with iPhones, iPads, Android devices, and Windows Phones. The cable accomplishes this trick by including both mini-USB and Apple Lightning connectors.

Using the cable, I successfully charged and synched my iPhone and my Google Nexus 7 tablet — though not simultaneously. To use the Apple connector, you have to attach a short adapter cable to the mini-USB plug. Fortunately, a tether keeps the two cables together, even when not directly connected to each other (see Figure 5).

Figure 5. The TYLT Syncable-Duo has both mini-USB and Apple Lightning connectors.

Soon, TYLT will also add another interesting product to its mobile-device lineup — the Energi 3K+ (more info). This gadget does double duty as both a wall-wart charger for USB devices and a portable 3,000 mAh charging battery, for when you’re away from home or office.

The small box includes a built-in mini-USB connector, so you’ll never forget the charging cable. The Energi 3K+ weighs just 3.5 ounces and will reportedly cost $40. Combine it with the $20 Syncable-Duo, and you might have an indispensable, all-device charger for travel, work, and home.