Computer Tools

2007-04-19T07:11:00.000-07:00

5 Things every Mobile user should know

Before You Go

Take your iPod instead of your laptop. An iPod (and other portable USB storage devices) can hold computer files, Outlook data, Internet Explorer favorites, desktop wallpaper, and in some cases, applications. Connect the iPod to a borrowed PC, and voilà--it's like having access to your own computer. Later, sync the iPod with your PC back home. The Migo ($30) and MojoPac ($30) utilities each provide this capability.
Get your faxes as e-mail attachments. Send2Fax.com charges $2 per month plus 15 cents per page to forward faxes as PDF files in e-mail.
Post a reward in case your laptop is lost. Raise your chances of being reunited with a lost laptop by registering it with StuffBak.com. You'll receive a sticker to put on your notebook, informing others of a reward for its return. To contact you, the finder dials the toll-free number on the sticker or goes to the StuffBak Web site. A $6 sticker provides two years of free return service.
Pack your laptop bag with five essentials.
Photograph: Robert Cardin
You should always take (A) a grounded (three-prong) extension cord with at least three outlets so you can recharge multiple gadgets; (B) blank CDs, for transferring files to another PC or burning tunes to play in the rental car; (C) an RJ-11 phone cord, because you never know when you'll need one; (D) an ethernet cable, for the same reason; and (E) your AC adapter, with airline and car power adapters.
Research your seat. Before booking a flight, head over to SeatGuru.com. Charts reveal which seats on domestic and international flights have the greatest width and pitch and provide in-seat power ports.

Bonus Tip: Get a multipurpose, wheeled carry-on. Want to minimize the hassle of juggling two carry-on bags? The smartly designed, wheeled Victorinox Coliseum Wheeled Overnight Brief ($399) features an external pocket big enough to hold a laptop bag, plus a capacious interior for clothes, reading material, and other items. You can get it from retailers like Amazon.com.

2007-04-19T07:10:00.002-07:00

Spyware Fighters

Five antispyware programs focus on tackling the latest threats.

The question is when, not if, adware and spyware will strike your PC. That's why you need a good antispyware program, and several companies specialize in delivering just that.

We tested three paid products (two of which were in beta) and two popular free products.Our chart lists the names and versions of the packages, with links to full reviews, test reports, and vendor sites or download pages.

To evaluate each program, we looked at price, features, ease of use, and performance. We contracted German research company AV-Test.org to evaluate each products ability to detect and disinfect 20 adware and spyware applications. AV-Test.org also pitted the apps against nine rootkits, programs that allow malware to install and operate clandestinely. Analysts tested the products' ability to provide real-time defense on contact with threats, as well as their propensity to falsely identify harmless files.

The beta version of Webroot Software's Spy Sweeper 5.0 emerged as our Best Buy. It earned the top scores in our detection and disinfection tests, and it offers protection against rootkits and phishing sites. It also includes conveniences such as the ability to choose between a fast system scan that takes priority over other work and a slower but less intrusive scan.

Spyware Doctor 3.8 came in a close second overall and in performance. It fought active rootkits the best, and its scanning interface offers results that are easy to read, understand, and act on.

The beta version of CounterSpy 2.0 didn't fare as well as expected. This perennial top contender offers solid malware detection and real-time protection, but it struggled with disinfection.

Of the two free programs, Ad-Aware SE Personal 1.06 produced better results, ranking fourth in performance. As the app lacks real-time protection, however, it makes a great choice for a second opinion but not much more.

The popular Spybot did the worst. One of the first antispyware programs, it was built in the proverbial home basement. It has deep, detailed settings, but these days it is just not competitive with the other options here.

Spyware, Adware, and Rootkits

In detecting actively running adware and spyware samples, Spy Sweeper and Spyware Doctor tied for first place, catching 90 percent of our test set. CounterSpy and Spybot brought up the rear, nailing 80 percent. In detecting a collection of inactive adware and spyware (apps that sit dormant on your PC until activated), Ad-Aware scored first by far, detecting 69 percent of 837 samples. At the other end, Spybot caught a mere 2 percent of samples.

Three of the five apps--CounterSpy, Spy Sweeper, and Spyware Doctor--profess to fight an increasingly important category of malware known as rootkits. Spyware Doctor detected all nine of our actively running rootkits, and Spy Sweeper detected four. CounterSpy managed to nab only two. The free tools caught none. All five programs--regardless of their rootkit capabilities--found one or two inactive rootkits. According to AV-Test.org, the apps' standard code-based scanning can detect inactive rootkits, but they need special routines to find the active ones.

Detecting malware is one thing; cleaning it thoroughly from your system is another. We tested these products' abilities to remove files and Registry changes caused by ten pieces of adware and ten pieces of spyware.

Disinfecting the spyware proved difficult: To elude security software, spyware writers continually change the way their malware behaves. In our spyware disinfection tests, Spy Sweeper and Spyware Doctor ranked first, disinfecting 65 percent of the files. Spybot came in last, disinfecting merely 20 percent of the files. (Our chart combines adware and spyware disinfection results.)

Evaluating the disinfection of adware apps is more complicated, because their changing behavior can cause antispyware firms to modify policies on them. Take the free version of HotBar, an ad-supported toolbar for Internet Explorer. Webroot classifies HotBar as adware; in contrast, PC Tools no longer does and therefore won't disinfect it, as our tests confirmed.

Overall, Spyware Doctor cleaned up adware the best, disinfecting 50 percent of the files and Registry entries. Spybot and Ad-Aware tied for second, disinfecting 45 percent of samples. CounterSpy came in fifth with a 35 percent disinfection rate. Sunbelt Software says that CounterSpy's low score is due to the beta status of the program.

All of the products have real-time adware and spyware protection except Ad-Aware; that protection is available in the Ad-Watch feature in Lavasoft's $27 Ad-Aware SE Plus. Spy Sweeper and CounterSpy detected all changes to HKCU and HKLM Run keys (Registry keys targeted by many malware threats), Windows Startup, and the Hosts file, as well as Internet Explorer Home and Search pages. Spyware Doctor missed some Hosts file and IE Search page changes. Spybot failed to catch Startup changes. See our chart for more test details.

Extra Tools

Spyware doctor has the best selection of features, with full startup, scheduled, and custom-file scanning options. It lets you set a system restore point in case you accidentally delete important files. Its also the only product to scan within some IM clients. Spyware Doctor's antiphishing protection guards you as well, by preventing access to known bad sites.

The second most feature-rich program, Spy Sweeper, kicks up the antiphishing protection a notch by analyzing suspect Web sites on the fly. In version 5.0, Webroot has removed Spy Sweeper's ability to set a system restore point and relies instead on the restorative features of the app's Quarantine (where you decide whether to remove questionable files found in scan results). Spy Sweeper also adds itself to the Windows Explorer contextual menu for quick scanning of files and folders.

While CounterSpy lacks a startup scan and antiphishing utilities, it has system restore features and four privacy tools that we didn't test for this story: My PC Explorer, My PC Checkup, History Cleaner, and Secure File Eraser.

Spybot lacks antiphishing capabilities, but it offers solid scanning, CPU-usage, and system restore options.

Giving Advice

All five products proved easy to use, but CounterSpy, Spy Sweeper, and Spyware Doctor did the best job of identifying potential pieces of malware, explaining them, and presenting options for action. I preferred Spyware Doctor's brightly colored bars and detailed levels of threat classification. Collapsible check boxes reveal the exact names and paths of suspected files and Registry entries. Highlighting the name for a threat brings up its description and advice for action.

One gripe: Spyware Doctor counted 287 doctor-themed "infections" but categorized the vast majority as low-level advertising and tracking cookies. While it took me only a few seconds to realize that most weren't dangerous, the growing count during the scan did quicken my pulse.

CounterSpy also has a good threat classification, explanation, and color-coding system, though this beta software's alert dialog boxes werent fully complete as of press time.

Spybot's scan results are full of information about potential threats and recent changes in adware policies, but Spybot stops short of the bonehead-simple "Get rid of this" type of advice that the paid applications give you.

Our recommendation is to run Spy Sweeper--our Best Buy and top performer--or Spyware Doctor, which has thorough rootkit protection. However, the results of our disinfection tests suggest that one product can't do it all, and that adding a second antispyware product, such as the free Ad-Aware Personal or a spyware scanner in an all-in-one security suit makes a nice two-fisted defense.

USB-Scope

2007-04-19T07:10:00.001-07:00

USB-Scope is hands down, the most extensive USB diagnostic available for the computer industry.

USB-Scope combines the O/S independance featured in other Micro 2000 products with an intelligent USB 2.0 device that creates a two way communication to test all aspects of the USB elements of your system.

Works on all IBM™ compatible computers.
Runs on its own operating system.
Hardware is an intelligent device, not a loopback plug

* A USB plug is needed in addition to the software and although a good quality USB plug should be sufficient we do recommend that you purchase our branded version in order to ensure the best results - which we supply for a small additional cost.

2007-04-19T07:10:00.000-07:00

Micro-Scope - Diagnostic Software

MICRO-SCOPE - is the PC diagnostic software preferred by professional technicians world-wide. The software is operating system independent, which allows the program to directly access the hardware, bypassing DOS or Windows, for the fastest and most accurate troubleshooting possible.

All diagnostic tests, including hard drive and memory testing, can be run individually, or combined in a looped batch mode for burn-in testing or diagnosing intermittent problems.

You can now get both our software diagnostic products, Micro-Scope & USB-Scope, on the same CD, to give you the fastest, easiest, and most accurate hardware testing functionality on the market!

USB-Scope - Also operating system independent, USB-Scope is the most extensive field test product available for testing all aspects of USB connectivity. Verify OHCI, UHCI and EHCI host controllers, root hubs, and connectivity.

Recent Review:

"In the service business, time is money. The Micro2000 Universal Diagnostic Toolkit is worth its weight in gold for any service company. The cost of the product is quickly recovered because of faster turn around time when fixing problem systems. The product also helps control business costs simply because technicians are more accurately diagnosing what parts they require for system repairs." Compunotes

Click on the FEATURES link above for a full listing of all the features!

Works on all Intel™ compatible computers.
Operating system independent.
LAN Card Testing.
Unlimited memory testing.
Multi-processor testing.
Much more...

Platforms Supported - Micro-Scope runs on ANY PC with an Intel or Intel compatible processor (from 386/486 to the latest Pentium, AMD and Cyrix CPUs), with ISA, EISA, PCI, PCMCIA, Plug & Play, and hosting any operating system including all Windows versions, DOS, OS2, Linux and UNIX.

2007-04-19T07:09:00.001-07:00

MemScope Memory Tester
Tech Sheet

M2K MemScope Memory Testing

Testing memory is not always easy since many factors come in to play. Some tests are very short but to catch all possible errors it is often best to stress test the memory extensively.

Besides time, other factors to take account of are: memory, amount to test, memory speed and CPU speed.

MemScope presents an alternative algorithm to identify memory problems than those used in MicroScope.

USER FEEDBACK!

"The Memchecker was great, in fact, it showed part of my Ram was faulty. I have since returned the memory to the shop and have had it changed. If you want any more info please get in touch. Thanks," Rik

"I have used the software on two occasions looking to see if there was faulty memory. One occasion it did find a fault and the memory was replaced the second time it confirmed that the memory was OK. Thank you for this valuable we piece of software." Hugh

"I have just had the opportunity to use MemScope - I like the speed of the tests and the simple interface - too much clutter on other apps. So far, so good!" Osamu

Getting started with M2K MemScope -

(Instructions)

Download the program from M2K website
Double-click on the program to create a floppy diskette or burn the ISO file to CD
Boot the PC to the floppy or CD
First 2 screen will display M2K product descriptions
Program will display on the left hand side Main Menu

Main Menu

<1> Test Selection

Run All
<1> Walking 1's Test
<2> Address Test
<3> All 1's and 0's Test
<4> 8-Bit Pattern Test
<5> Random Data Test
<6> Block Move Test
<7> 32-Bit Shifting Data Test
<8> Random Data Sequence Test
<0> Return to Main Menu

<2> Error Summary

<3> Reboot System

<0> Start/Resume Testing - Test will start or continue until finish one loop.

Individual Test Descriptions

These are the tests performed by MemScope as they appear on the menu. A short description follows:

Test 1 Walking 1’s Test
Use a walking ones address pattern to test address bits.

Test 2 Address Test
This test will write each address location on memory with its own address once is finish will verify each of them for addressing errors

Test 3 All 1’s and 0’s Test
Will use the cache memory to write patterns of all 1’s and 0’s until memory is full and will detect obvious errors.

Test 4 8-Bit Pattern Test
Similar to test 1 but instead of moving 1 bit pattern it will move an eight bit pattern.

Test 5 Random Data Test
This test will set a random number as a pattern for walking 1’s and 0’s, contrary to test 1 or 4. By selecting a different width in the pattern, the test will find more complex or hard to detect errors on memory.

Test 6 Block move
Memory it segmented in 4 Mb blocks and moved with instruction movsl. Once finish it will verify the data patterns written on each block for consistency.

Test 7 32 Bit Shifting Data Test
Using an algorithm that changes the data pattern one bit to the left on every pass or loop. A total of 32 passes will use all data patterns but the downside is the time required for.

Test 7 Random Data Sequence Test
Random numbers are written in sequence into all memory banks. Then, using a key for the random numbers duplicates the sequence written in memory which is compared with the original sequence.

2007-04-19T07:08:00.002-07:00

Top 5 Internal DVD Drives

LG Electronics GSA-H10L 16x Internal Super Multi DVD/CD Viewer

Drive Type: DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/-RAM
PC/Drive Interface: IDE
DL DVD+R Write Speed: 10X
DL DVD-R Write Speed: 6X
DVD+RW Write Speed: 8X
DVD-RW Write Speed: 6X
Price When Reviewed: $69

Samsung SH-S182D

Drive Type: DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/-RAM
PC/Drive Interface: IDE
DL DVD+R Write Speed: 8X
DL DVD-R Write Speed: 8X
DVD+RW Write Speed: 8X
DVD-RW Write Speed: 6X
Price When Reviewed: $59

Lite-On SHM-165H6S

Drive Type: DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/-RAM
PC/Drive Interface: IDE
DL DVD+R Write Speed: 8X
DL DVD-R Write Speed: 4X
DVD+RW Write Speed: 8X
DVD-RW Write Speed: 8X
Price When Reviewed: $44.99

Plextor PX-760A

Drive Type: DVD±R DL/DVD±RW
PC/Drive Interface: IDE
DL DVD+R Write Speed: 10X
DL DVD-R Write Speed: 6X
DVD+RW Write Speed: 8X
DVD-RW Write Speed: 6X
Price When Reviewed: $106

Sony DRU-830A

Drive Type: DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/-RAM
PC/Drive Interface: IDE
DL DVD+R Write Speed: 8X
DL DVD-R Write Speed: 8X
DVD+RW Write Speed: 8X
DVD-RW Write Speed: 6X
Price When Reviewed: $79.99

2007-04-19T07:08:00.001-07:00

Ad Aware 2007 Beta

We test drive a beta of this new product and are impressed. Beware of bugs!

Ad Aware 2007 Beta features improved detection of adware and hidden malware, a scanning engine that goes easy on your PC's system resources, and a snazzy new interface. Here are some specifics:

* Improved scanning to detect malware that is deeply imbedded in your system. Lavasoft said its current Ad Aware SE isn?t able to delve deep enough to find rootkits and other threats that burrow deep into your PC.

* With Ad Aware 2007 you?ll be able to schedule automatic scans and automatic definition file updates.

* Lavasoft has upgraded the user interface that boosts your ability ot navigate advanced protection options.

* Lavasoft has added an anti-phishing tool called Ad-Watch Connect. This feature wasn?t included in Ad Aware 2007 Beta.

* A new Ad-Watch TrackSweep tool clears your browser's cache, cookies, and history and is compatible with IE, Firefox, or Opera.

At launch in June Lavasoft says a personal version of the program will be available for free ? with fewer functions compared to the Ad Aware 2007 Pro. You?ll have to cough up $40 for Ad Aware 2007 Pro. Existing users of Ad Aware Pro will be able to upgrade for free.

Note: Beta 5 is buggy and to try it out you have to sign up to be a beta tester. In my opinion this beta is not suitable for everyday use. The release of the final versions of Ad Aware 2007 is slated for June 2007, according to Lavasoft.

2007-04-19T06:50:00.001-07:00

Top 5 Inkjet Multifunction Printers

canon MP600

B&W Pages per Min.: 30
Color Pages per Min.: 24
Max. B&W dpi: 600-by-600
Max. Color dpi: 9600-by-2400
Max. Scanning dpi: 2400-by-4800
Tray Capacity, pages: 300
Price When Reviewed: $199.99

conon MP960

B&W Pages per Min.: 30
Color Pages per Min.: 22
Max. B&W dpi: 600-by-600
Max. Color dpi: 9600-by-2400
Max. Scanning dpi: 4800 by 4800
Tray Capacity, pages: 150
Price When Reviewed: $399

canon MP510

B&W Pages per Min.: 25
Color Pages per Min.: 17
Max. B&W dpi: 600-by-600
Max. Color dpi: 4800-by-1200
Max. Scanning dpi: 2400-by-1200
Tray Capacity, pages: 300
Price When Reviewed: $149.99

HP C5180

B&W Pages per Min.: 32
Color Pages per Min.: 31
Max. B&W dpi: 1200-by-1200
Max. Color dpi: 4800-by-1200
Max. Scanning dpi: 2400 by 4800
Tray Capacity, pages: 120
Price When Reviewed: $199.99

Epson RX580

B&W Pages per Min.: 30
Color Pages per Min.: 30
Max. B&W dpi: 5760-by-1440
Max. Color dpi: 5760-by-1440
Max. Scanning dpi: 1200-by-2400
Tray Capacity, pages: 120
Price When Reviewed: $199.99

2007-04-19T06:40:00.001-07:00

Bill Gates to Finally Receive His Harvard Degree

The college drop-out will get an honorary degree at this year's commencement ceremony.

Nancy Gohring, IDG News Service

It's not like he needs it to beef up his resume, but the world's richest college dropout is finally getting his degree.

Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft Corp., will speak at Harvard University's commencement ceremony in June and like all commencement speakers will receive an honorary degree from the institution.

It's hard to guess if Gates, the wealthiest person in the world and co-founder of a company that brought in US$44 billion in revenue last year, cares. But the programming whiz who once dropped out of Harvard will likely feel some sense of satisfaction.

Gates arrived at Harvard as a freshman in 1973 and while there got to know Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's CEO, who lived just down the hall. Gates had already discovered his interest in software, having programmed computers since the age of 13. While at Harvard, Gates helped develop a version of the programming language BASIC for the first microcomputer, the MITS Altair.

During his junior year, Gates dropped out of the university to work full-time on Microsoft, a company he and his childhood friend Paul Allen founded. In hindsight, it's hard to criticize that decision.

The commencement ceremony takes place June 7. Harvard does award honorary degrees in different subjects but doesn't announce the subject in advance.

In July next year, Gates plans to step down from his day-to-day role at Microsoft in order to devote most of his time to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the philanthropic organization dedicated to solving global health problems and funding educational programs. He'll remain chairman of Microsoft.

2007-04-19T06:34:00.001-07:00

Top 5 Power Desktop PCs

CPU: 2.66-GHz Core 2 Extreme QX6700
Graphics Adapter: XFX GeForce 8800GTX
Monitor Model: ViewSonic VG2230WM
Total HD Size (GB): 800
Case Type: Tower
Price When Reviewed: $4399
(CyberPower Gamer Infinity Ultimate)

CPU: 2.93-GHz Core 2 Extreme X6800
Graphics Adapter: EVGA 8800 GTS
Monitor Model: Sceptre X22WG-Gamer
Total HD Size (GB): 300
Case Type: Midsize tower
Price When Reviewed: $3655
(Xi MTower IGE-SLI

CPU: 2.4-GHz Core 2 Duo E6600
Graphics Adapter: nVidia GeForce 7900GS
Monitor Model: Dell 2007WFP
Total HD Size (GB): 640
Case Type: Midsize tower
Price When Reviewed: $2033
(Dell XPS 410)

CPU: 2.4-GHz Core 2 Duo E6600
Graphics Adapter: nVidia GeForce 7900 GT
Monitor Model: ViewSonic VP920B
Total HD Size (GB): 250
Case Type: Midsize tower
Price When Reviewed: $2280
(Velocity Micro ProMagix PCX)

CPU: 2.4-GHz Core 2 Duo E6600
Graphics Adapter: nVidia GeForce 8800GTS
Monitor Model: ViewSonic VA903b
Total HD Size (GB): 320
Case Type: Midsize tower
Price When Reviewed: $2399