Free : Spybot - Search & Destroy

From Patrick M. Kolla: Spybot - Search & Destroy can detect and remove a multitude of adware files and modules from your computer. Spybot also can clean program and Web-usage tracks from your system, which is especially useful if you share your computer. Modules chosen for removal can be sent directly to the included file shredder, ensuring complete elimination from your system. For advanced users, it allows you to fix Registry inconsistencies related to adware and to malicious program installations. The handy online-update feature ensures that Spybot always has the most current and complete listings of adware, dialers, and other uninvited system residents. Version 1.6 features improved speed for on-demand scans, support for a dozen different browsers, and easier on-access use. Download : http://www.zdnetasia.com/downloads/pc/swinfo/0,39043052,39174487s,00.htm

Its Free : Ad-Aware 2008

From Lavasoft: With the ability to scan your RAM, Registry, hard drives, and external storage devices for known data-mining, advertising, and tracking components, Ad-Aware 2008 can clean your system easily, allowing you to maintain a higher degree of privacy while you surf the Web. Ad-Aware 2008 includes an improved threat detection, enhanced rootkit removal system, faster updates, Lavasoft ThreatWork to submit suspicious files for analysis, and is now compatible with 32-bit and 64-bit Windows Vista. Version 7.1.0.11 may include unspecified updates, enhancements, or bug fixes. Download : http://www.zdnetasia.com/downloads/pc/swinfo/0,39043052,39247373s,00.htm

EAV Antivirus Suite Free Edition

From EAV Software: EAV Antivirus Suite can detect and eliminate spyware, Trojans, key loggers, adware programs, browser hijackers, cookies, spy bots, trackware, and other malware, even new and unknown ones, on your PC. EAV Antivirus Suite will scan all running processes, local files in real time automatically once you run the software. Once spyware or other malware appears, even if it hides in other programs, EAV Antivirus Suite will display a signal for warning and will eliminate it consequently. Meanwhile, this software will clear all spyware-system-linked files as well as relative registry files. EAV Antivirus Suite can recover all damages with Internet Explorer caused by JavaScript and ActiveX viruses. And it can also help you to fulfill anti-hacker Windows settings. Version 5.92 adds the latest virus-definition updates. Download : http://www.zdnetasia.com/downloads/pc/swinfo/0,39043052,39114179s,00.htm

Free to try : Folder Crypt

From LittleLite Software: With Folder Crypt you can password protect any Windows file or folder using low level encryption and standard algorithms, such as DES, Rijndael and Blowfish with keys up to 2048 bits. The program performs a true bit per bit encryption of your data. Original files and folders may be shredded. The encryption process is not reversible. Easy to use with its improved shell integration. Full international characters support. Version 3.1.4586 enhances compatibility with 64-bit systems, includes new archiving algorithm, better memory handling, and removes 2GB limit. Download : http://www.zdnetasia.com/downloads/pc/swinfo/0,39043052,39232916s,00.htm

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition

From AVG Technologies USA, Inc.: AVG Free Edition is the well-known antivirus protection tool. AVG Free is available free of charge to home users for the life of the product. Rapid virus database updates are available for the lifetime of the product, thereby providing the high level of detection capability that millions of users around the world trust to protect their computers. AVG Free is easy to use and will not slow your system down (low system resource requirements. Highlights include automatic update functionality, the AVG Resident Shield, which provides real-time protection as files are opened and programs are run, free Virus Database Updates for the lifetime of the product, and AVG Virus Vault for safe handling of infected files. Version 8.0.173 may include unspecified updates, enhancements, or bug fixes. Download : http://www.zdnetasia.com/downloads/pc/swinfo/0,39043052,39249437s,00.htm

Free : Kaspersky Anti-Virus Definition Complete Update

From Kaspersky Lab:Download this file to get the latest virus definitions for Kaspersky Anti-Virus, allowing it to properly detect newer and more complex viruses. It contains all the latest updates. You should download this file if you have not updated your antivirus databases in the last two weeks. The latest release adds new definitions. Download : http://www.zdnetasia.com/downloads/pc/swinfo/0,39043052,39252593s,00.htm

Free : Norton AntiVirus 2009 Definitions Update (Windows XP 64-bit/Vista 64-bit)

Publisher's description of Norton AntiVirus 2009 Definitions Update (Windows XP 64-bit/Vista 64-bit) From Symantec: Download this file for the latest in virus detection and repair. This definitions update is a complete replacement for any previous virus definitions set and will work with the following Symantec products: Norton AntiVirus 2008 for Windows XP/Vista for 64-bit OS only Norton Internet Security 2008 for Windows XP/Vista for 64-bit OS only Symantec Endpoint Protection 11.0 for 64-bit OS only Download : http://www.zdnetasia.com/downloads/pc/swinfo/0,39043052,39386086s,00.htm

Amazon opens up SimpleDB to the public

Amazon on Monday opened up its SimpleDB cloud-based database service to an unlimited beta audience, after a year's private testing. SimpleDB is just one of many components that make up the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud-computing initiative--the others being the Simple Storage Service (S3) hosted storage facility, the CloudFront content-delivery service and the Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) cloud-computing service. The opening up of SimpleDB to the public means anybody can use the service for real-time querying of the structured data hosted in AWS. On the AWS blog on Monday, Amazon wrote that it had "learned a lot during the beta and [has] fine-tuned the feature set in order to make sure that we are meeting the needs of current and future users". As Amazon writes on the SimpleDB web page, the service "provides a simple web-services interface to create and store multiple data sets, query your data easily and return the results". The company said that SimpleDB has similar properties to a spreadsheet, except for the ability to associate multiple values with each attribute of an item. Another feature that Amazon is touting is the ability to add new attributes to a SimpleDB set when this is necessary, rather than having to predefine every attribute. SimpleDB is being presented as an alternative to complex databases. "Amazon SimpleDB removes the need to maintain a schema, while your attributes are automatically indexed to provide fast, real-time look-up and querying capabilities", the web page states. "This flexibility minimizes the performance tuning required as the demands for your data increase". However, complex databases can be hosted in EC2 if they are needed. A "simple set" of application programming interfaces (APIs) is provided for the purposes of storing, processing and querying data. As with other AWS services, the pricing of SimpleDB corresponds with usage, with no up-front costs being involved. Data transfer costs from US$0.10 (7 pence) per gigabyte in and out, although that only refers to data coming into and leaving SimpleDB from outside other AWS services--data transferred between SimpleDB and other AWS services is free. Amazon recommends that large files and objects be stored in S3, with pointers and metadata associated with those files being stores in SimpleDB--the charge for this is US$1.50 per gigabyte per month. As an extra incentive, those wishing to try out SimpleDB will be able to use it on a limited basis for free over the next six months at least. This will include the consumption of up to 500MB of storage and up to 25 machine hours of usage each month, plus 1GB of data in and 1GB out.

Lenovo ThinkPads to get text-message kill switch

Lenovo is to build a new security feature into some of its upcoming ThinkPad notebooks, allowing users to remotely lock their machines' functionality by sending an SMS. Lenovo said that there will be no extra cost for laptops using its Constant Secure Remote Disable feature, and the feature will be supported anywhere that GSM communications and text messaging are supported by local cellular networks. This kind of cellular-based remote-kill functionality is fairly widespread in the corporate mobile-phone market and is common in military and secure voice-communications systems, but is only now becoming feasible in the laptop world, through the embedding of cellular connectivity into notebooks. In October, security company McAfee and communications firm Alcatel-Lucent announced they were working together on a similar mobile-security package that would use embedded cellular capabilities to protect notebook computers.

Gmail 'vulnerability' turns out to be phishing scam

Reports that a purported Gmail vulnerability was being used by unauthorized third parties to hijack domains turned out to be nothing more than a phishing scam, Google announced Tuesday. The alleged vulnerability reportedly allowed an attacker to set up filters on users' e-mail accounts without their knowledge, according to a proof of concept posted during the weekend on the blog Geek Condition. In the post, Geek Condition's "Brandon" wrote that the vulnerability had caused some people to lose their domain names registered through GoDaddy.com. However, after consulting with those who claimed to be affected by the so-called vulnerability, Google determined that they were victims of a phishing scam, Google information security engineer Chris Evans explained in a blog post: Attackers sent customized e-mail encouraging Web domain owners to visit fraudulent Web sites such as "google-hosts.com" that they set up purely to harvest usernames and passwords. These fake sites had no affiliation with Google, and the ones we've seen are now offline. Once attackers gained the user credentials, they were free to modify the affected accounts as they desired. A Google representative informed ZDNet Asia's sister site CNET News.com Monday that the company was trying contact "Brandon" to get more information on his claim, but there was no word whether that blogger helped Google arrive at its conclusion. As of this writing, the blog had not been updated to mention Google's finding. While this security breach was apparently unrelated to Gmail's operation, Google reminded users to enter Gmail sign-in credentials only at Web addresses starting with "https://www.google.com/accounts", and not to ignore warnings their browsers may raise regarding certificates.

Websense: Google's Orkut being used to spread Trojans

Someone is using Orkut to spread Trojan links in a message disguised as an official e-mail from the Google-owned social network, according to an alert from security firm Websense released Tuesday. The message, written in Portuguese to appeal to Orkut's many Brazilian members, looks like it is sent from an Orkut member who is looking for love, Websense said. "The message contains several links that appear to lead to the official Orkut Web site. Clicking on a link actually leads to a malicious executable file, which is a Trojan Downloader named 'imagem.exe,'" the Websense alert explained. "The malicious file opens the legitimate Orkut network login page, and in the background downloads a password stealing Trojan named 'msn.exe'." The Trojans are hosted on a compromised labor union Web site from southern Brazil, according to Websense. A Google spokesman said the company was investigating the matter. This article first appeared as a blog post on CNET News.com.

Sun warns of 'fatal' bugs in MySQL 5.1

Sun has released version 5.1 of the open-source MySQL database software, but the software's founder simultaneously warned of a number of "fatal" bugs present in the new features that are still to be fixed. Michael "Monty" Widenius, the founder of MySQL, stated The new features introduced have been ranked as "beta" quality. There are a number of issues associated with the partitioning feature, such as the difficulty to restore a partitioned table if it crashes, and the chance of losing all data in the event of a server crashing during the rename table feature of a partitioned table. Widenius highlighted that the feature was inefficient, particularly if there were many partitions in a database. Row-based replication has not been enabled by default, because of a number of problems. Users are advised to test the latest MySQL version before deploying it to production systems.

HP 2133 Mini-Note PC

Key Specs : - Processor: 1.6GHz VIA C7-M ULV - Memory: 2GB DDR2 - Storage: 120GB hard drive - Optical Drives: None - Display: 8.9-inch TFT - Graphics: VIA integrated graphics - Operating System: Windows Vista Business Review : HP is no stranger to small notebooks: The company pioneered the ultraportable market with its 2.9-pound Omnibook back in the early 1990s. Since then, its focus has been on more-traditional consumer and business systems—that is, until Asus successfully introduced its tiny, inexpensive Eee PC 4G earlier this year. Now, HP is back with an itty-bitty competitor of its own: the 2133 Mini-Note PC. If the Eee PC is a VW Bug for the masses, then the Mini-Note is an Audi TT: similar size, but far more comfortable and stylish. Though its $499 starting price is a fraction of the $1,500 (or more) you used to be expected to pay for a featherweight notebook, nothing about the Mini-Note screams “cheap.” With its rounded edges, brushed-metal-finished aluminum case, glossy 8.9-inch wide-screen display, and comfortable DuraKey keyboard, the Mini-Note has the fit, finish, and durability you'd expect from a premium notebook. Not quite as small and light as the Eee PC, the Mini-Note is still compact enough to bring along without a second thought. It measures 1.1x10.4x6.5 inches and weighs just 2.6 pounds with a solid-state drive and three-cell battery, or 3.2 pounds with the hard drive and six-cell battery. Perhaps the biggest flaw of the competing Eee PC is its keyboard, which is very cramped and takes some time to learn to touch-type on, due to the unit being only 8.8 inches wide. The Mini-Note, however, is 10.4 inches wide, which allowed HP to include a keyboard that's 92 percent of a full-size one. The keys are very wide, and we had no trouble touch-typing at full speed on our first use. One caveat: Because the keys are nearly flat and have very little space between them, it's easy to accidentally hit an adjacent key. The screen has a resolution of 1,280x768, which eliminates the side-scrolling we needed to perform when viewing files on the Eee PC's 7-inch screen. HP's targeting its first round of Mini-Notes at the K-12 educational market; those young users probably won't have trouble with the tiny text resulting from so much detail crammed on a smaller screen. Their teachers and other older Mini-Note purchasers with worse eyesight, however, might want to increase their font size for better readability. Connectivity-wise, the Mini-Note is surprisingly well-equipped. Along with two USB 2.0 ports, Gigabit Ethernet, VGA output, and headphone and microphone jacks, it offers ExpressCard/54 and SD slots. Some models have a VGA-resolution Webcam as well. The Mini-Note is available in a variety of configurations: For $499, you get a VIA Technologies 1GHz CPU, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of solid-state storage, the SuSE Linux OS, 802.11b/g wireless, and the standard battery. Spending $549 ups CPU speed to 1.2GHz, memory to 1GB, and storage to a 120GB 5,400rpm hard drive, and adds 802.11a support. The $599 config nets you the same system, but with Windows Vista Home Basic. Finally, the high-end $749 system we reviewed pushes CPU speed to 1.6GHz, memory to 2GB, the 120GB hard drive's speed to 7,200rpm, and the OS to Windows Vista Business. This top configuration also adds Bluetooth and comes with a six-cell extended battery. However, like the Eee Pc, the Mini-Note lacks an optical drive. With the Mini-Note's six-cell battery, we managed 3 hours and 20 minutes of battery life while writing, e-mailing, and browsing the Web. Watching video brought battery life down to the 3-hour mark. Systems with the three-cell unit should offer significantly less battery life, though the lower-power usage of their slower processors and power savings with the solid-state drive option should help you squeeze out a few more minutes. Even at 1.6GHz, the Mini-Note's single-threaded VIA C7-M ULV processor is slow. Thanks to its desktop-caliber hard drive, the system's very speedy in actually loading applications, and it fares fine with Office applications, Web browsing, e-mail, educational software, and other non-CPU-intensive applications. However, you wouldn't want to use the Mini-Note to number-crunch a huge corporate spreadsheet or to edit videos. Its Cinebench 9.5 score of just 23 and PCMark05 result of 832 are not only outside the ballpark prices of performance-oriented notebooks we've tested, they're not even in the same city as the game. And while the notebook's integrated VIA Chrome 9 graphics chip has some 3D functionality, it's not even fast enough to enable Vista's transparency effects or advanced slideshow transitions, much less play any recent 3D games. But speed isn't what the HP Mini-Note is about. HP's billing this machine as an inexpensive, compact portable for the education market, with the top-end SKU obviously acknowledging potential grown-up interest with its Vista Business OS. But with its low price, superb portability, comfortable keyboard, and Web-friendly display, the Mini-Note is just as likely to appeal to travelers who primarily need Internet and Office apps on the road, as well as families looking for an inexpensive laptop they can use to surf the Web while watching TV. With its stylish good looks and near three-pound weight, it's even a worthy adversary to the pricier MacBook Air. Granted, our Vista-based Mini-Note costs several hundred dollars more than Asus' Windows XP-based Eee PC 4G XP, but since the Mini-Note offers a larger screen, more-spacious keyboard, and larger hard drive, the price hike seems justified. We hope to see some performance improvements from the Mini-Note in the future—perhaps a rumored version based on Intel's Atom CPU—but even today's Mini-Note is one of the most appealing options out there if you're looking for a budget-priced ultraportable.

Review: Dell Inspiron Mini 9 Mini-Notebook

Dell's first mini-notebook is a solid system at a solid price. At first glance, the Inspiron Mini 9, Dell's entry into the mini-notebook category, looks like what you might get if you left a notebook from Dell's full-size Studio line of laptops in the dryer too long. But the sub-$500 Mini 9 carries a 1.6-GHz Intel Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM, and a solid-state drive, making it a good starter machine for basic computing at a reasonable price. Our test configuration, priced at $474, included Windows XP Home and an 8GB solid-state drive; a 4GB version of the Mini 9 ships with Linux Ubuntu 8.04. The 8GB drive doesn't leave you much open space once the operating system and the preinstalled software (which includes Microsoft Works) are accommodated. For $40 more, you can upgrade to a 16GB drive, but then you've crossed the magic $500 threshold. One feature that is missing here--but is present in the Acer Aspire One--is an additional SD slot to allow users to insert a second SD Card, format it, and use it as another hard disk. Working without two SD Card slots, we found that our WorldBench 6 test suite required more space than the Inspiron Mini 9's drive could spare. Since we couldn't run our benchmark tests on the Mini 9, we can't directly compare its performance with that of competing mini-notebooks like the MSI Wind NB U100. We do know that the Mini 9 loads Windows in about 30 seconds and fires up Microsoft Works in 8 seconds. Also, it can copy more than an album's worth of music (77MB) in about 7 seconds. In short, it falls in line with what we've seen from other mini-notebooks packing an Atom processor, 1GB of RAM, and Windows. We'll update this review when we obtain more-precise performance results. The Mini 9 performed well in our battery life tests. Its four-cell battery ran for about 3 hours, 34 minutes--far better the three-cell battery of the MSI Wind, which lasted just 2 hours, 24 minutes. As its name suggests, the Inspiron Mini 9 is tiny. It measures 1.07 by 9.13 by 6.77 inches--barely enough room to accommodate the 8.9-inch screen--and weighs about 2.28 pounds. The glossy 1024-by-600-resolution display looks reasonably sharp and reproduces color extremely well. Unfortunately, if you don't view it from precisely the right angle, the screen looks a little dim. You can adjust the angle, but you may still find yourself contorting into ergonomic stress positions in order to get an optimal view. All of the alphanumeric keys on the Mini 9's keyboard are large enough to make cranking out a document easy. But everything else either gets scrunched (as the Tab, Shift, and Caps Lock keys do) or assigned to an unfamiliar location. For instance, the apostrophe key slides down to a spot by the space bar, and the function keys disappear altogether, replaced by combos. An empty bit of real estate lies between the keyboard and the edge nearest the display, but Dell chose not to fill it with shortcut keys. That said, if you can retrain your brain to know where a couple of wayward buttons are positioned, you'll find that the keyboard is quite good. Similarly, the mousepad is set to just the right sensitivity, and the buttons are firmly in place. The front-mounted speaker, located just below the display, came across as a little hollow. In this department, the Mini 9 falls behind Asus's $650 Eee 1000H 80G XP. The Mini 9 is otherwise packed with the usual arsenal of current mini-notebook specs: 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, three USB 2.0 ports, a VGA out, an ethernet jack, an SD Card slot, and headphone and mic jacks. Our test model had Bluetooth and a 1.3-megapixel Webcam; both are extra-cost options. The Mini 9 includes two handy additions that make it stand above the competition. First, accessible through the Start menu, is Dell's Support Center--a one-stop app for system information and performance tweaking. When you're online the Support Center also serves as a glorified link hub to different parts of Dell's support site for manuals, patches, and quick fixes. Second is a free, base-level account (good for 2GB of storage) with Box.Net's online file storage service. Dell has crafted a solid mini-laptop that's good for kids and has plenty to offer anyone looking for an on-the-go system. The Inspiron Mini 9 isn't perfect, but it does offer a terrific design and a good price. I would have a tough time choosing this over Acer's Aspire One, but Dell's first venture into the world of mini-notebooks has produced a worthy competitor.

Review: Lenovo Ideapad S10 Mini-Notebook

Faster than its mini-notebook brethren, the Lenovo S10 offers enough perks to make it a top pick for serious mobility. Lenovo keeps thinking small. Recently the company delivered slim ultraportables such as the ThinkPad X200 and IdeaPad U110. Now it's jumping into the mini-notebook scene with the impressive IdeaPad S10. Despite its "mini" status, the S10 manages to house some big-boy features. The S10's tiny, 9.8-by-7.3-by-0.9-inch frame is roughly the size of Acer's Aspire One. But while the Aspire One's screen measures only 8.9 inches, the S10 offers a relatively roomy 10.2-inch, 1024-by-600-resolution display. It's crisp and easily viewable at various angles, even though it isn't necessarily the brightest screen around. This micro machine also houses the largest hard drive we've seen on a mini-notebook to date: Our model came with a 5400-rpm, 160GB platter-based hard disk. That's more than enough storage to accommodate Windows XP Home and the unit's minimal preinstalled software. The hard drive, though, is the most likely reason the S10 weighs a somewhat hefty 3.6 pounds--almost as much as a ThinkPad X200. More impressive is how this model performs under pressure. The S10 has the same 1.6-GHz Intel Atom CPU and 1GB of RAM as most of the other mini-notebooks we've seen (such as the Acer Aspire One and Asus Eee 1000H 80G XP), yet it beats them all in performance. The IdeaPad S10 earned a score of 41 on the PC World Test Center's WorldBench 6 suite; it's hardly a speed demon, but it's fairly fast when you consider that the nearest competitor, with the same guts, received only a 37. The S10 falls short in battery life, though. Its three-cell battery lasts only 2.5 hours before giving out. Although it does a little better than Acer's Aspire One, both lag behind other Atom-based mini-notebooks we've recently tested. Even though this model's good-size keyboard doesn't match the luxurious tactile response of a ThinkPad, the S10's keys deliver one of the better experiences among the mini-notebooks we've seen. Put the S10 side by side with the MSI Wind and Eee 1000H, however, and you'll see that the S10's keys are a little scrunched by comparison. Regrettably, the mouse buttons are the clacky, tacky type; each button sinks too much and feels a little too loose. The S10's speaker fares no better than those on most mini-notebooks: It delivers substandard sound that's barely audible since the maximum audio setting is fairly low. That's a slight disappointment since this model's sizable hard drive and satisfactory screen make it a good potential video and music player. Lenovo wins some points for providing a bloat-free machine, and for supplying a handy recovery application, Cyberlink OneKey Recovery 6.0. That app allows you to create backups, as well as to set partitions and restore points--a more flexible backup option than simply restoring the PC to factory-fresh condition. Lenovo even goes so far as to place a OneKey panic button at the top of the keyboard. It's a nice touch, and it's a nod to ThinkPad loyalists, who might consider it a "lite" version of the ThinkVantage button. If you're looking for a big, beefy hard drive and surprisingly sprightly performance from a mini-notebook, the IdeaPad S10 is a solid pick. If the S10's slightly cramped keyboard and loose mouse buttons are deal breakers for you, Asus's Eee 1000H would suit you much better. Though the Eee 1000H has a little more girth, it will definitely get you through your next business trip.

10-Inch Acer Aspire One Soon To Come

As netbooks continue to gain popularity, as does the demand for netbooks that are a little bigger than the wee 7-inch Eee PC that started this whole trend. The existing Acer Aspire One features an 8.9-inch widescreen display, but some people want something a little bigger. And Acer plans to deliver. That’s the good news. The bad news is that Acer won’t have its new Aspire One ready in time for this holiday shopping season. Instead, the first 10-inch entry into the Aspire One netbook line won’t be hitting retailers until some time next year. An exact date has not been specified yet nor has a formal announcement been made by the people at Acer, but the rumblings on the web are pointing toward “early next year” with a likely launch somewhere in the February to March window. The current Aspire One is one of the more affordable netbooks, so I’d imagine that its 10-inch variant will be more of the same. Personally, I’ve found that the build quality on the Aspire One just isn’t up to snuff when you compare it to other netbooks like the Eee PC and the MSI Wind. I guess that would explain, in part, why Acer’s offering is a little less expensive than its Taiwanese brethren. On a related note, Acer is continuing to expand its presence in the netbook and notebook market beyond just the Aspire One. It has been noted that Acer will start manufacturing some 13.3-inch notebooks under the Gateway brand next year. As you know, Gateway is a budget-minded brand as well.