The end-of-life date for the venerable Microsoft Windows XP grows nearer by the hour, and as April 8 approaches a lot of the people still using XP are finally, belatedly starting to explore their options.

At one time or another everyone has heard a tale that begins with “There’s good news, and there’s bad news …”  Somehow that seems an appropriate framework for this week’s column.

This morning I received an urgent email from a loyal reader: “The opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Sochi start in a few minutes.  How can I watch it on my computer?”

This column is scheduled to be printed the week of St. Valentine’s Day so maybe this would be a good occasion on which to touch on the subject of online dating sites.

A lot of people like free software, I included, and so knowing how to legally and safely acquire it is a popular topic.

On October 2, 2013, Steve Gibson of Gibson Research Corporation announced a proposal that for some people could mean an internet experience free of user names and passwords.