Adobe Premiere Elements 8 – Strong Video Editing Software

Adobe Premiere Elements 8 makes significant strides over its predecessor, Premiere Elements 7. Premiere Elements 8 adds file organizing and keywording, plus greater integration with Photoshop Elements, while making it much easier to edit and use videos in style.

The most obvious (and most welcome) addition to Premiere Elements is the Organizer. Adopted from Photoshop Elements, the Organizer allows you to view, keyword-tag, and organize videos and photos; and when you have the two Elements programs installed, it acts as a conduit to both programs via a single interface.

You can back up, share, and archive the Organizer database and media files--and even sync them with your other computers--using Adobe's Photoshop.com wizard from within Premiere Elements (assuming that your other computers have an Elements 8 program installed).

The interface provides two ways to create movies from your video: Instant Movie and manual creation. However, the two aren't divided processes so much as they are a workflow continuum. In addition, Premiere Elements 8 offers more customization tools for Instant Movie, such as sliders to adjust the clip speed and/or the number of effects that will apply automatically. Like any automatic tool, Instant Movie doesn't always produce great movies. The results do tend to be pleasant, though sometimes rough, with the clip order not always logical or smooth.

Other automatic tools include Smart Fix, Smart Trim, and Smart Mix. Smart Fix attempts to automatically correct the imperfections--such as an underexposed clip--that Smart Tags has flagged. Smart Mix balances different sound sources so that the background music doesn't drown out narration or dialogue. Again, you can override Smart Mix's choices.

In Premiere Elements 8, you can now add still photos to movies, even if you don't have Photoshop Elements installed. The library of templates, effects, transitions, and graphics has expanded, and now includes animated clip art that you can drag and drop into a film clip.

A nice selection of Flash and Acrobat tutorials, categorized by the level of difficulty and the type of activity, is accessible within the interface, though the tutorials are not context-sensitive. However, only a few are available to the general user. To access Adobe's large and expanding library of lessons, you have to purchase a Plus Photoshop.com membership.

Premiere Elements 8 is an appealing upgrade for anyone interested in organizing videos, editing them, and compiling them into attractive, fun movies. With its underlying power and its significantly improved ease of use, it's a good value.

Alwil Avast Professional Edition’s Review

Though Alwil Avast Professional Edition has a speedy scan rate, it wasn't enough to offset its unimpressive protection from malware infections. With a last-place showing in our stand-alone antivirus rankings, it's clearly a less than ideal choice for your paid protection.

Avast's ability to block Trojans, worms, and other baddies in AV-Test.org's huge "zoo" of collected malware wasn't bad--its detection rate stands at 97.8 percent--and the program proved particularly adept at blocking worms with a 99.5 percent block rate. But most of the other programs outperformed it; Avast was only good enough for eighth place in signature-based malware detection.

In heuristic tests using two-week old signature files to simulate detection of newer malware, Avast was genuinely bad: A sad showing of 38.5 percent puts the program from Czech Republic-based Alwil firmly in last place among tested products. And it was unable to stop completely new and unknown malware based solely on how these invaders behaved (neither could a few other apps). Considering the short lifespan of the typical piece of malware and how quickly modern malware evolves, being able to detect these digital interlopers before a full signature is issued is more important than ever.

While Avast may not be especially thorough, it is fast. It performed automatic "on-access" scans (scans that happen when you open, save, or download a file, for instance) at a rate of 14.8MBps (megabytes per second); only Avast's AntiVir could match this scan rate. And when faced with existing infections, it proved able to get rid of all active components. However, it left many less-important system changes and malware files still in place.

Avast's performance results had ups and downs, but its interface was just a downer. As with its free program, Alwil's paid Avast Professional edition splits the interface into two entirely different sections: one for settings and one for scans. Double-clicking the system tray icon brings up a so-called "resident protection window" with settings for eight different "shields," such as the Web shield or Internet mail shield. The settings and status interface is relatively straightforward, but it lacks any context-sensitive help to take you straight to the relevant documentation for what you're looking at, forcing users to search for what they need.

Running a scan involves right-clicking the system tray icon and choosing "Start Avast! Antivirus" instead of the aforementioned settings pages. The resulting new interface mimics a music player and is entirely different than the settings window. It's telling that Avast feels it necessary to pop up a page of instructions on how to start a scan every time you open the scanning interface. The Pro version adds an enhanced interface you can use instead of this clunky player panel, but while it's somewhat less annoying, it's not a huge improvement.

It gets worse. When you do figure out how to run a scan, Avast will pop up a warning for every potential baddie it finds, requiring you to tell it what to do. And you might be forgiven for not realizing that clicking the "Continue" option will cause Avast to ignore the discovered malware and leave it in place.

Alwil says that a new version of Avast due early next year revamps both the interface and the antivirus engine. We look forward to those upgrades, but in the meantime, you're better off checking out the competition.

Choose the Right Security Software

In security software, from free antivirus programs to paid ones to full-blown, multifunction security suites，you have plenty of options. The big issue, of course, is deciding which approach is right for you.

Gary Neill

Suites: All-in-One Security

These usually include an antimalware program and a firewall, plus other features such as protection against phishing and scams, spam filtering, parental controls, and Website filtering. Some suites also bundle system tune-up tools. Prices typically run about $50 to $70 for a one-year, one-PC subscription.

Stand-Alone Antivirus Apps

These programs vary, but in general they have fewer additional security features than suites have, and most lack firewalls. For example, Norton AntiVirus protects against the various forms of malware, but has no firewall, phishing protection, or parental controls.

Many security companies offer free antivirus programs in addition to their paid products, and some are quite good. However, very few free apps come with any significant technical support options, so you're essentially on your own when you encounter a problem.

Another Consideration Many free and stand-alone antivirus products lack a capability for behavioral analysis (identifying malware based on how it acts and without relying on malware signature updates). If your current antivirus program lacks that feature, consider PC Tools' Threatfire 4.5, a free behavioral analysis­-based antivirus application that works alongside your existing protection.

Do You Need a Suite? The short answer is no. Many PC users protect their computers with different combinations of security products--but this does take some extra work.

You can use a stand-alone antivirus utility like G-Data Antivirus alongside a free firewall such as one from ZoneAlarm. Windows Vista and Windows 7 include two-way firewalls that can block incoming and outgoing network traffic. Third-party firewalls are usually more flexible than what's built in, but Windows Vista and 7 users can download the free Windows 7 Firewall Control, a third-party utility that gives you more control over the Windows firewall.

Just remember that building your own suite requires you to do some research to find the best security products for your needs. And if something goes wrong, you'll have to contact different companies depending on which program acted up; with suites you have one point of contact for all technical support issues. Still, if you're willing to do the homework, this approach may be worthwhile.

From PCWorld

Google hand out a new mobile phone to employees

Google has handed out a new mobile phone running its Android software to some employees, stirring another wave of speculation that the oft-rumored Google Phone is real.

In a blog post, Google said the phones are being distributed so that workers can experiment with new mobile features. It did not say the device will be a Google-branded phone.

Since even before Google unveiled Android, onlookers wondered if the search giant would release its own phone. Instead, it released an open source operating system that other hardware vendors can use to make phones.

"We recently came up with the concept of a mobile lab, which is a device that combines innovative hardware from a partner with software that runs on Android to experiment with new mobile features and capabilities, and we shared this device with Google employees across the globe," he wrote. "This means they get to test out a new technology and help improve it."

The post appeared to be a response to a Twitter message posted by a Google employee Friday evening, who said she had the phone. The post, first reported by TechCrunch, sparked the new round of speculation.

While the term "Google phone" has been used to describe a device built and branded by Google, many also use the term to refer to any phone running Android. So it was unclear if Hawthorne was talking about a device that will be branded and sold by Google.

"It was thin. Dare I say as if not a bit thinner than iPhone," he wrote. The phone used an on-screen keyboard instead of a hardware keyboard. He said Google was expected to reveal more details in the next few days.

More than 1000 iPhone Apps being Removed

Brennon Slattery

Bogus reviews have landed Chinese iPhone app developer Molinker in deep trouble, resulting in all 1000-plus of its apps being removed and banned from the App Store. This is great news for consumers who are tired of downloading subpar apps based on inflated reviews, and bad news for companies looking to shill their products with internal misdeeds.

The discovery of the phony reviews was made by a frequent reader of iPhoneography, known only as SCW, who recognized a similar erratic and poorly-written tone to many 5-star reviews of Molinker apps. SCW wrote a (long) letter to Phil Schiller, senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, revealing the major fraud. According to the e-mail, SCW "looked at 44 of the reviewers who posted reviews for this Molinker Inc app 'NightCam Pro' & EVERY Review except 2 of the 44+ are ALL FAKE 5 [star] reviews."

The phony reviews didn't stop there. SCW posits that Molinker employees obtained and redeemed promo codes in order to access the US App Store and publish an "endless slew of fake postings." (Ever an opportunist, SCW also wrote: "I think I deserve a [sic] investigations reward for unearthing this blatant attempt at misleading & stealing from the public.")

Schiller leapt to action and removed the apps. "Yes, this developer's apps have been removed from the App Store and their ratings no longer appear either," Schiller wrote to SCW and iPhoneography.

Molinker claimed ignorance in a brief statement given to the appfreak blog. "We got [an] email from Apple yesterday [Sunday 6th] which told us our contract [has] changed to pending status. Actually, we do not know what's wrong so far. We had contacted Apple for such sudden changes, hope we can get quick response and actions from Apple."

I think it's a safe assumption that Molinker's apps aren't the only ones with fake 5-star reviews. Hopefully given the size of Molinker's mishap -- the developer's apps made up almost 1 percent of the entire App Store -- Apple, and its customers, will become more diligent when it comes to exposing fraud.

From PCWorld

Notepad2: A simple and convenient syntax coloring editor

Notepad2 is a relatively simple and convenient syntax coloring editor, whose "simple" refers not only to function, but also refers to interface. Others ones, claimed as "the best editor replaced notepad", such as EmEditor, Notepad++, etc., run fast, however, the various buttons on the interface, including small window, sidebar, long menu, are totally verbose, which is usually no need for editing a text.

That is, to replace Notepad, it should at least come with a simple interface of Notepad.

Features should include a rectangular selection holding "alt" (recommended the default font width); spaces appear as red points in order to see (need to select the relevant option) and so on. General functions as unlimited withdrawal, syntax coloring will not be mentioned.

Recently the new version is added F8-for-encoding capabilities, thus it's no need to use code when open Japanese and European text, and no need to modify the source text. If there is temporary need for transcoding, just change the code and select copy all, then reopen and paste.

Although the NTLEA, WPS and a variety of browsers can also change code, it's unworthy to open these software just for that.

Symantec's Backup Exec System Restore 2010 Desktop Edition

Norton Ghost, meet Backup Exec. Backup Exec, meet Ghost. That's right: Symantec's Backup Exec System Restore 2010 Desktop Edition is an imaging product, like Norton Ghost. But it's also a substantially improved version that offers a compelling new feature as well finally addressing my longstanding and deal-killing complaint about Symantec imaging products: their inability to back up using the boot disc.

The compelling new feature of which I speak is the ability to convert BESR 2010 backup images to the VMWare .vmdk, Microsoft .vhd, and VMWare ESX server formats. If your system hardware goes belly up, you can mount these in a virtual machine on another PC and continue working.

Now to that boot disc. Say your friend brings you a PC that's still hardware-functional but won't boot into Windows. Prudence suggests you should create a backup image backup before you try to fix or reinstall the operating system. Previously, Ghost and Save & Restore boot discs lacked that ability--you could only restore an image, or copy files off individually using a file browser, leaving a chance that you might overlook something. Finally, Symantec has seen the light (or the drop in sales), and Backup Exec System Restore allows you to image from the boot disc, albeit after entering your serial number each time.

Because it now allows imaging backup, BESR's boot disc is up there with the best in the business. It's based on Windows PE 2 (Pre Install--what you see when you boot a Vista install disc), so it will boot on virtually any PC. It also contains a ton of drivers and lets you load those it doesn't immediately have available. In addition, it will restore images made on one PC to another PC whose hardware isn't the same. Windows has become increasingly more tolerant of hardware changes, but this is still a nice feature to have. The one fly in the ointment is the requirement for a whopping 1GB of memory to do restore operations.

Anyone who's used Norton Save & Restore or Ghost will recognize the imaging engine and interface of BESR 2010. It's easy to use, but exposes relevant options better than Save & Restore. It's a much better product than its Ghost predecessor thanks to the improved boot/recovery disc and its virtual hard-drive conversion. But the 1GB memory requirement for restoring from the boot disc limits its usefulness with older PCs.

How to Keeps You Safe on the Web?

What is the Difference between Spyware, Malware, and a Virus?

There are distinct classifications for rogue software: all of which cause harm to your PC in some way or another.

The terms spyware and malware generally refer to software that purposely exploits your PC and/or steals personal information: all for the sole purpose of making money. Sometimes, spyware is referred to as adware because it can serve ads (repeatedly and obtrusively) to your PC.

On the other hand, viruses usually cause harm to the PC and are most noted because they can spread infection to other computers easily: hence, a "viral infection." The major difference between a virus and a spyware infection is that viruses don't usually exploit a PC for profit.

Keeping your Computer Clean of Spyware and Viruses

Viruses and spyware both rely on exploits. An exploit is a "hole" in your operating system (Windows) that allows intruders -- in this case, a spyware or virus infection -- in without your knowledge or consent.

That's why it's important to keep your system up to date with security fixes and the latest security software.

Enter: Spyware Doctor with Antivirus

Spyware Doctor with Antivirus not only "cleans up the mess" after you've been infected -- it also prevents your computer from being infected in the first place!

Spyware Doctor uses special scanning methods in conjunction with "malware signatures", "heuristics", and "behavioral monitoring" -- all techy talk for stuff that works together to help prevent a Zero Day attack before it even gets a chance to deliver a payload to your PC!

Spyware Doctor: Keeps You Safe on the Web

Spyware Doctor doesn't just work as a scanning system after you've been infected. Intelliguard provides real-time monitoring which looks out for potential threats on a second-by-second basis.

Not only does it tell you when you are visiting a risky website, but it even blocks some adverts which would lead to such sites.

Spyware Doctor with AntiVirus 2010 Reviews

Spyware Doctor with AntiVirus 2010 incorporates Threat Fire's technology and adds other new protective features.

Immediately Active

The Spyware Doctor with AntiVirus 2010 installer downloads a substantial signature update and then runs a quick Intelli-Scan. Even on my underpowered virtual test systems, the update and Intelli-Scan each took about five minutes. You'll need to enter your registration code to remove any found threats.

After registration, Spyware Doctor with AntiVirus 2010 updates again, reboots, and runs another Intelli-Scan. If necessary, it reboots and re-scans again. On one infested test system Spyware Doctor repeated that cycle four times before it was satisfied. Naturally, you'll run a full scan as soon as it's convenient; the product also schedules a weekly full scan.

Spyware Doctor's installer is fully functional in Safe Mode-that's not the case with many security products. That's handy when malware screws up installation. It can also scan in Safe Mode. If all else fails, you can clean the system before installation using the PC Tools Alternate Operating System Scanner, a bootable Linux-based CD image that's not affected by Windows-based malware.

Top-notch Malware Cleanup

Installing Spyware Doctor with AntiVirus 2010 went smoothly. I did use Safe Mode for a couple, and one required the Alternate Operating System Scanner. The initial Intelli-Scan wiped out network connectivity on one system, but PC Tools tech support reps quickly solved that problem.

A full scan of my limited-resource clean test system took 45 minutes. A second scan brought that time down to 30 minutes, which is about average. New in this edition, Spyware Doctor with AntiVirus 2010 takes advantage of system idle time to make the next full scan faster. It also postpones scheduled tasks when the system is running on battery power and suppresses all interruptions if a full-screen game or other program is active.

On completion of a scan, Spyware Doctor with AntiVirus 2010 lists what it found, including the risk level for each item and a brief description. You can drill down to see exactly what file and Registry traces are associated with the item or click a link for more details online. All this information remains available after the file is quarantined. And, unlike many similar products, Spyware Doctor with AntiVirus 2010 really delivers those online details. Most users will just click the button to proceed with cleanup, however.

Top 11 Antivirus Software for 2010

1. G-Data Antivirus 2010

Pros

Top-notch malware detection

Clean interface

Cons

It should tell you what to do more often

Bottom Line

G Data swept almost all the malware detection tests, but using it means having to make more decisions than you do with other apps.

2. Symantec Norton Antivirus 2010

Pros

Polished UI

Great extra features

Cons

Malware detection is solid, but not stellar

Bottom Line

Norton Antivirus is a good choice for nontechies, but those willing to deal with a less-refined interface can get stronger protection.

3. Kaspersky Lab Anti-Virus 2010

Pros

Many extra security features

Good proactive protection

Cons

Less effective traditional detection

Warning pop-ups can be confusing

Bottom Line

Kaspersky Anti-Virus has plenty of features, but is inconsistent thanks to its below-average traditional malware detection and at-times frustrating user interface.

4. BitDefender Antivirus 2010

Pros

Decent malware blocker

Cons

Poor rootkit removal

Confusing interface

Bottom Line

BitDefender Antivirus 2010 will get the job done, but it needs a better user interface.

5. Panda Antivirus Pro 2010

Pros

Simple tabbed interface

Solid feature set

Cons

Changing program settings is a pain

Bottom Line

Panda Antivirus Pro 2010 does a decent job at malware blocking but doesn't stand out.

6. F-Secure Anti-Virus 2010

Pros

Strong disinfection

Cons

A few bugs

Only middling malware detection

Bottom Line

F-Secure Anti-Virus 2010 does a good job detecting malware, but it doesn't quite keep up with the top contenders.

7. Avira AntiVir Premium

Pros

Good disinfection

Some good proactive detection

Cons

Too-technical UI

Lacks behavioral detection

Bottom Line

Avira AntiVir Premium Edition needs more features and a face-lift before it can become a top choice.

8. Trend Micro AntiVirus Plus AntiSpyware 2010

Pros

Good, clear interface

Cons

Poor malware detection

Hides actions from user

Bottom Line

Trend Micro Antivirus + Antispyware's nice user interface can't make up for its lackluster malware detection.

9. Eset Nod32 Antivirus 4 $39.99

Pros

Nice system inspector tool

Cons

Lackluster malware detection

Bottom Line

Despite some nice extras and a generally smooth interface, Eset NOD32 lagged behind the pack in overall malware detection.

10. McAfee Antivirus Plus 2010

Pros

Strong signature-based malware detection

Cons

Weak proactive protection

Bottom Line

McAfee VirusScan Plus has some good features and a decent interface, but has too many performance problems for us to recommend it.

11. Alwil Avast! 4.8 Professional Edition

Pros

Fast file scanning

Cons

Aggravating interface

So-so malware detection

Bottom Line

Avast Professional Edition's inconsistent malware detection and frustrating interface make it a less-than-ideal choice for protecting your PC.

Acrylic - Cache DNS Resolution

Acrylic is a little gadget able to cache DNS resolution on your computer. DNS (Domain Name server) can resolve the domain name (such as http://www.globalshareware.com) to the IP address which is easily recognized by machine, so the browser can get the page.

It takes about a few milliseconds to 1 second for DNS to resolve a domain name. Caching DNS Resolution on the computer means that each visiting a website can save a second or so. Do not look down this second. It will be amazing to accumulate over a long period, and when DNS has problem, we will hardly be affected because of the cache.

First, download Acrylic, and then, easily configure it.

1. Open the Run dialog (Win + R), type "cmd", ENTER.

2. In the resulting command prompt window, type "ipconfig /all", ENTER.

3. Find the two IP address following the DNS Servers and write them down, such as 212.216.112.112 and 212.216.172.62

4. Open AcrylicConfiguration.ini, type these two IP addresses after PrimaryServerAddress= and SecondaryServerAddress=. e.g. PrimaryServerAddress=212.216.112.112 and SecondaryServerAddress=212.216.172.62.

5. Save, double-click StartService.bat, when "press any key to continue" appears, press Enter.

6. Modify your local DNS address: Open Control Panel, find the network connection, select TCP/IP, click Properties, check "Use the following DNS server addresses", enter 127.0.0.1 in the preferred DNS server.

It's done. If want to uninstall, double-click StopService.bat.

LockThis - Lock the running procedure

LockThis can be easily used to lock the running procedure, in order to temporarily leave the computer with ease.

When editing an important document such as papers or writing a program, if you have to temporarily leave away from your computer, you can click "Win + L" to lock the computer, but sometimes it's not convenient to do that, for example, at home, why you have to lock the computer?

Time to use LockThis! Open the program as the default auto-activation process (right-click the tray icon "Deactivate!" to temporarily close the lock function), and then hold down the "Ctrl" and meanwhile click the minimize button to easily locked programs.

Since then click on the task bar window, the password window will appear, enter the passwords and back to normal. Initial Password: LockThis!

P.S. You can end the process in the Task Manager.

Resource form: Globalshareware

Classic Windows Start Menu - Find the Classic Start Menu [Windows 7]

I was not like Windows 7's start menu for being familiar with XP. Some people around me, who have used win 98, are all using the classic start menu. And the Classic Windows Start Menu is such a little software making the classic start menu back to your Windows 7.

After running cwsm.exe, nothing appears. And click on the start menu, it becomes different. Of course, pressing the "Win" key or "Ctrl + Esc", you can also open this classic start menu. However, many disadvantages still exist, such as this menu can not drag and drop, can not add / delete / rename / sort. You can only click right on the Start menu to exit, and then do these things talking above in Windows 7 Start menu.

Unicom 3G Growth Faster Than Mobile in China

China Unicom's next-generation mobile service won more than 1 million users in its first month, a number that took rival China Mobile seven months to reach with its homegrown 3G standard.

China Unicom, which last month launched commercial 3G services using the standard WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access), had just over 1 million subscribers by the end of the month, the company said late Thursday. China Mobile, the world's largest carrier by subscribers, launched its commercial 3G service in January but only surpassed 1 million users in July.

China Mobile runs the world's only major mobile network using the government-backed 3G standard developed in China, TD-SCDMA (Time Division Synchronous CDMA). The standard is unproven compared to those being used by the carrier's rivals, China Unicom and China Telecom. Both WCDMA and the China Telecom standard, CDMA-2000, were widely used outside China before launching there.

China Mobile's fortunes may be turning. Last month, more than 2.3 million subscribers used the carrier's 3G services, it said Friday. That was a rise of more than 600,000 from the previous month, by far the fastest growth the company has reported so far.

A lack of fashionable handsets has often been cited as a challenge for the growth of 3G in China. But more handsets are appearing, including the iPhone, which China Unicom began selling late last month. China Mobile will launch the first Dell smartphone in the world next month, and China Telecom is in talks to offer handsets including the BlackBerry and the Palm Pre.

Still, China Mobile's user base will have to start growing even faster to meet an aggressive government target of at least 50 million TD-SCDMA users by the end of next year.

China has over 700 million mobile subscribers, according to official figures.

20% off avast! Multi Award Winning Antivirus Product avast! Professional Edition

Now through December 5th 2009, avast! Professional Edition is promoted at an exclusive discounted price of only $32.00.

With over 80,000,000 users worldwide, avast! Professional Edition is a leading product in the antivirus field. avast! 4 Professional Edition came in with a disappointing sixth-place finish in "Virus Stoppers," our eight-program antivirus roundup, despite a decent 92 percent success rate at detecting malware (compared to 96 percent for top performers).

Its ranking was hurt by its poor performance in our proactive tests: avast! caught only 37 percent of new malware using one-month-old signature files, the second-worst showing. For disinfection, its performance was about average. It cleaned all infected files, but missed changes to the Hosts network settings file and some less-important Registry entries, catching 78 percent of all possible items.

avast! 4 Professional Edition installed smoothly, with appropriate default settings for the average person. It offers two interface options: One is a distinct, media player-type control panel that makes it easy to figure out how to launch a scan or set a manual boot-time scan; a second "enhanced interface" lets you access and fine-tune more settings, but it's not nearly as user-friendly as the other option.

What’s the Future of iPhone Software?

The iPhone software has been its greatest asset in breaking into the smartphone market. And, as on the Mac, Apple is committed to continually rolling out new iPhone features via software updates. But as good as the iPhone OS is, there are certainly a number of places where it beats the competition, but falls short of the ideal.

Improved PIM functionality while they may not be PDAs, smartphones have essentially rendered that class of device obsolete. The iPhone lets you track your contacts, your appointments, and your e-mail, but all of those features could use improvements. Both Android 2.0 and the Palm Pre, for example, let you integrate contact information from other online services like Facebook. The iPhone's calendar is particularly weak; most notably it still doesn't allow syncing To Do items with iCal. But Mail isn't much better, lacking full-body search, a unified inbox option, and message flagging, among other features. Exchange support made the iPhone more appealing to corporate users, but giving some attention to their bread-and-butter functionality could win even more converts.

Wireless Syncing We've reached the end of the 2000s and--besides not having come up with a really good nickname for the decade--it seems ridiculous that we still have to plug a phone as connected as the iPhone into our computer with an actual cable. MobileMe subscribers and Exchange users can sync contacts and calendar information to their iPhones over-the-air, but even they still have to carry around a USB cable to transfer movies, music, and podcasts. Apple lets you download that content directly to the phone from the iTunes Store over Wi-Fi--why not let you grab them from your computer over the local network?

Multitasking and Notifications Yes, Apple finally rolled out support for push notifications, its answer to background processes, in iPhone 3.0. More and more, that fix seems like a stopgap along the lines of Web-based apps making a sufficient iPhone SDK. It seems inevitable that the iPhone will eventually allow multiple apps to run at the same time--at the very least, it's important for apps that play audio and certain other classes of applications, such as instant messaging clients. That said, Apple also needs to improve the way it handles notifications, which currently lack permanence and have to be dealt with one at a time. Android's pull-down status window and webOS's subtle notification bar have both found more elegant ways of dealing with these messages while avoiding the potential for information overload.

YouTube: A 1080p Test Video is Now Available!

As the world's most popular video-sharing site, YouTube announced that it will allow users to upload and view video in full HD; a 1080p test video is now available. All of you viewers with fast computers and even faster broadband connections will soon get to indulge in much more.

It's been about a year since the Google-owned broadcaster made 720p video available. In that time, full-HD camcorders have become relatively common and more of YouTube's content has been uploaded as 1080p, though it wasn't viewable as such. The company plans to re-encode all of this previously created material so that viewers will be able to take advantage of its original resolution.

It's hard to believe that YouTube has only been around for a little over four years. It will not be the first video-sharing site to offer full HD, but it will almost certainly be the one to bring it to the masses. Alternately derided and celebrated for blockbusters like "Charlie Bit My Finger," YouTube has recently become eager to present commercial content and compete with the likes of Hulu, a joint venture of three major broadcast networks. Last spring, YouTube began to offer some premium content from Hollywood; the term "premium" should be used loosely, however, since the pickings have been slim. In September, the Wall Street Journal reported [subscription required] that YouTube was in serious talks with major film studios to stream movies on a rental basis.

The move to 1080p should support those initiatives. It's conceivable that YouTube could provide Blu-ray quality streams for paid content. For regular folk, full HD will mean the chance to share those bloopers and family videos on a wall-size screen. Would-be auteur should be aware that, for now, YouTube will still limit user-generated content to 10 minutes in length. It seems plausible, however, that the current 2GB file-size limit will get a lift, considering how monstrously large those 1080p videos will be. Get those cameras rolling!

Panda's Cloud Antivirus Reviews

Panda Cloud Antivirus 1.0 is notable as a free security solution for two reasons: Panda is a reputable security vendor, and the program achieves its goal of freeing up system resources. As light on resources as advertised, Cloud Antivirus offers strong reputation-based protection for those who want their security program out of sight and out of mind. A third-party efficacy evaluation wasn't available at the time of writing, but in empirical testing the program only used 9 MB of RAM while idle, and only 56 MB of RAM when scanning. Many other security programs will run scans at 150 MB of RAM or more.

When you open Cloud Antivirus, the main window lets you know whether you're safe or not with a big red or green icon. Cloud Antivirus works as other antivirus solutions do, offering a Quick Scan and a Custom scan for specific folder, files, and drives, but its ancillary features are exceptionally light. The Quick Scan took 13 minutes on my Windows 7 Lenovo T400 laptop.

You can opt out of contributing anonymous data to the cloud, but that also opts you out of automatic threat management. There's a network connection proxy option should you need it, and a reporting feature that will show you what kind of threats have been detected and removed from your computer. You can filter the report by All, Last 24 hours, Last Week, or Last Month, and there's a Recycle Bin pane from which you can recover a false positive, should you need it.

However, it lacks a scheduler, and it removes user input from update functions. Scans are also limited: you can tell the program what to scan, but not what to look for, so forget about toggling heuristics or root kits. Then again, the point of this kind of security is that it's all wrapped into one.

Keeping in mind its limited feature set, and that we don't have efficacy numbers at the time of reviewing, Panda Cloud Antivirus makes good security choice for those willing to take the plunge.

First iPhone Worm Rick Rolls

An Australian, Rick-rolling iPhone worm is now spreading internationally. Bloggers admire their new Rick Astley wallpaper, complete with "ikee is never gonna give you up" macro.

The first worm written for Apple's iPhone has been unleashed and is infecting phones. ... It changes the victim's wallpaper to a photograph of 80s singer Rick Ashley and then seeks out other phones to infect ... could be modified to do something more dangerous.

Because the writer released source code for four separate variants, it wouldn't be surprising for copycats in other regions to appropriate the attack code and potentially imbue it with more malicious payloads. Instructions for changing the iPhone's root password are here.

On jail broken iPhones, SSH is installable with a package from Cydia that allows you to connect to your phone and make changes to the file system. It does this by logging into the root user with the password "alpine."

After installing SSH, it is always recommended that you change "alpine" to the password of your choosing. This hack can only affect people who chose not to change that password.

Accessing someone else's computing device and changing their data without permission is an offence in many countries - and just as with graffiti there is a cost involved in cleaning-up affected iPhones.

The source code is littered with comments from the author suggesting the worm has been written as an experiment. One of the comments berates affected users for not following instructions when installing SSH, because if they had changed the default password the worm would not have been able to infect them.

New ConvertXtoDVD Version 4

A video converter and burning software - ConvertXtoDVD 4 has been released!

With this much awaited new version, go a step further to convert and burn your internet and camcorder videos to DVD with outstanding image quality!

To achieve the best quality possible, a new feature has been added: the 2 pass encoding. This method includes the latest technology and is particularly efficient with large files that need to be compressed to fit on the DVD.

New resizing filters developed in house by VSO have also been implemented to give the choice of the best up-scaling/down-scaling method depending on the video, once again in favor of quality. However, conversion speed has not been forgotten, with the new Multicore support.

As always, VSO Software aims to provide easy-to-use products. For instance, the conversion advisor has been improved to enable the user to choose the best encoding method depending on video duration.

With ConvertXtoDVD 4, you can create in a few clicks a video that you can play on any DVD player, with customized menu, subtitles and chapters. The interface is simple, yet offering advanced options to suit all needs.

6 Tips to Use Emicsoft Video Converter + DVD Ripper Ultimate

Emicsoft Video Converter + DVD Ripper Ultimate, obviously, with two software including Emicsoft Video Converter and Emicsoft DVD Ripper, can perfect finish conversion with excellent output effect and high converting speed. You can convert between popular video formats, extract audio track from video file, and rip DVD movie to almost all video/audio formats.

The following are 6 tips of Emicsoft Video Converter + DVD Ripper Ultimate

Tip 1

Effect window has Brightness, Contrast and Saturation parameters that you can adjust to set the best playing effect.

Tip 2

If you want to convert the high tide of video, Trim function can realize. Be resetting start time and end time, you can make sure the file length and watch on preview screen.

Tip 3

Alter the Left, Right, Top and Bottom values to select the frame size or directly drag anchors on Original Preview screen. Or apple defaulted Zoom Mode including Full Screen, 16:9 and 4:3.

Tip 4

Preview screens are available for convenience. After adding videos, you can watch on preview screen. When editing, the contrasting effects are shown in Original Preview and Output Preview.

Tip 5

When previewing, you could capture any pictures you like from video by clicking Snapshot button. You could click "Preferences" button to set snapshot folder and image type.

Tip 6

Add more than one file at the same time or check several titles or chapters and check "Merge into one file". Emicsoft Video Converter + DVD Ripper Ultimate can join them together

Parallels Desktop 5 for Mac (Support Windows 7) is Available!

Parallels today announced the availability of the fastest, most seamless Windows-on-Mac solution ever: Parallels Desktop 5 for Mac. This is the latest version of the number 1 Mac system utility, currently enabling more than 2 million users to run Windows, Linux and other operating systems side-by-side with Mac OS X. According to performance research conducted by Crimson Consulting Group, Parallels Desktop 5 for Mac performs 22% faster than the nearest Windows-on-Mac competitor in standard productivity testing of Windows 7 64-bit on a MacBook Pro. In addition, version 5 is up to 300% faster for virtual machine operations than the previous version. For 3D and graphics performance, tested under the industry standard 3Dmark 2006 Professional test suite the new version performs up to 7 times better. Users can test this for themselves with a free trial from www.parallels.com/desktop.

There are more than 70 new features in Parallels Desktop 5 for Mac, many of which give users the flexibility to work in the way they want. Users can choose how much or little Windows they want to see, from running Windows in Full Screen mode where Windows completely covers the Mac user interface to the new Crystal view mode which makes Windows completely disappear. Users can even get a Mac-like experience in their Windows applications, using the intuitive Apple Trackpad Gestures technology to pinch, swipe, and rotate as they do in Mac applications.

Parallels Desktop 5 for Mac introduces more than 70 new features and enhancements, offering a computing experience that is:

Faster…

• Full support for Aero in Windows Vista and 7 through Windows WDDM driver, including Aero Flip 3D


• Virtual machine size automatically optimized for best performance with Parallels Compressor


• Improved performance for Linux guest OS from KVM Para virtualization

Smarter…

• A more Mac-like experience in their Windows applications through Apple Trackpad Gestures technology (pinch, swipe, rotate and more), horizontal scrolling and the application of Full Screen active corners and curl page effect


• Copy & Paste fidelity for formatted text and complete layouts including images, even between Windows and Linux guest OSs


• Freedom and flexibility to run Windows and Mac applications across multiple monitors

More Powerful…

• 7 times better graphic performance for games and 3D applications than the previous version with Direct X 9Ex with Shader Model 3 and OpenGL 2.1 support


• Superior graphics performance for Linux guests through OpenGL 2.1 support


• Full hardware resources can be utilized with support for 8 virtual CPUs, 64 bit Windows and Snow Leopard Server 64 bit


• Easily move PCs (including Windows 7) and 3rd party virtual machines to the Mac with the enhanced Parallels Transporter

Spyware Doctor® 2010 for Windows are available now!

Award-winning spyware protection to secure your PC against privacy and tracking threats.

Spyware Doctor is a top-rated malware & spyware removal utility that detects, removes and protects your PC from thousands of potential spyware, adware, trojans, keyloggers, spybots and tracking threats. Protect your privacy and computing habits from prying eyes and virtual trespassers with the help of Spyware Doctor.

To download and install Spyware Doctor please follow these instructions.

1. 
   

   Download Spyware Doctor

   
   

   Click the green download button below to start the download.

   
   

   
   

   
   
   
   
   
   
   

   Official release: Spyware Doctor 2010. Release date: October 15, 2009
   
   
   Filename: sdsetup.exe, Filesize: 32.5 MB.

   
   

   Your use of this software is subject to our End User License Agreement.

   
   


2. 
   

   Enter your email address to receive updates

   
   


3. 
   

   Run the installer

   
   

   When the File Download dialog box appears click the "Run" button.

   
   
   

   Wait for the file to download and then you might see a confirmation message, asking if you're sure you want to run this software. Click "Run" again.

   
   


4. 
   

   Follow the Setup Wizard

   
   

   Follow the prompts within the installer to complete the installation of Spyware Doctor.

   
   

How to improve your computer's speed and reliability?

Is your computer speed crawling at a snail's pace? Are you frustrated every time you have to reboot your PC? You are not alone. Most people don't know that these frustrating issues can actually be fixed with the click of a button. It's really that easy! MyRegistryCleaner brings your computer back to life by removing the items that can cause crashes, slow speeds, freezing, and impact the overall health of your computer. A perfect tool for novice users and experts alike, MyRegistryCleaner will improve your computer's speed and reliability.

Here is the MyRegistryCleaner installation introduction:

Before Installation

Before installing Registry Cleaner, please read installation instructions carefully and make sure that your personal computer meets the minimal system requirements.

Consider the Following before Installing the Product

Installing Registry Cleaner is very easy; installation wizard will guide you through the process step by step. However, there are some aspects that you must keep in mind before installing the program:

If your computer does not meet the installation requirements the installation process will terminate automatically.

Installing Registry Cleaner Step1: Download Setup If you are downloading the software, perform the following: Open the Registry Cleaner setup After you launch the executable setup file the Setup Wizard for the Registry Cleaner is launched. Click "Next" to continue. The Installation Wizard prepares to install.
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Step 2: License Agreement Read the End-User License Agreement and click on the radio button to "I accept the terms in the License Agreement". Click "Next".
Step 3: Location Destination We recommend you use the directory suggested by the Wizard. Click "Next" to proceed.
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Step 4: Choose Start Menu Folder We recommend you use the directory suggested by the Wizard. Click "Next". .
Step 5: Select Additional Tasks Select the additional tasks you would like Setup to perform while installing. Click "Install".
Step 6: Installing MyRegistryCleaner The Install Shield Wizard begins to install yRegistryCleaner. This process may take several minutes.
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Step 7: Installation Completed Click "Finish"
Step 11: Register Click on "Register" to continue.
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Step 12: Register MyRegistryCleaner Enter the License Code. Click "OK".

Download MyRegistryCleaner

How to Scan Files and Folders？

Scanning is easy and flexible with The Shield Deluxe 2010. There are 4 ways to set The Shield Deluxe 2010 to scan files and folders for viruses and other malware:

■ Using Windows Contextual Menu

■ Using Scan Tasks

■ Using The Shield Deluxe Manual Scan

■ Using Scan Activity Bar

Once you initiate a scan, the Antivirus Scan wizard will appear and guide you through the process. For detailed information about this wizard, please refer to "Antivirus Scan Wizard" (p. 46).

1. Using Windows Contextual Menu

This is the easiest and recommended way to scan a file or folder on your computer. Right-click the object you want to scan and select Scan with The Shield Deluxe from the menu. Follow the Antivirus Scan wizard to complete the scan.

2. Using Scan Tasks

If you want to scan your computer or specific folders regularly, you should consider using scan tasks. Scan tasks instruct The Shield Deluxe 2010 what locations to scan, and which scanning options and actions to apply. Moreover, you can schedule them to run on a regular basis or at a specific time.

To scan your computer using scan tasks, you must open the The Shield Deluxe 2010 interface and run the desired scan task. Depending on the user interface view mode, different steps are to be followed to run the scan task.

3. Using The Shield Deluxe Manual Scan

The Shield Deluxe Manual Scan lets you scan a specific folder or hard disk partition without having to create a scan task. This feature was designed to be used when Windows is running in Safe Mode. If your system is infected with a resilient virus, you can try to remove the virus by starting Windows in Safe Mode and scanning each hard disk partition using The Shield Deluxe Manual Scan.

4. Using Scan Activity Bar

The Scan activity bar is a graphic visualization of the scanning activity on your system. This small window is by default available only in Expert Mode. You can use the Scan activity bar to quickly scan files and folders. Drag & drop the file or folder you want to be scanned onto the Scan activity bar. Follow the Antivirus Scan wizard to complete the scan.

How to Transfer the iPhone/ipod/itouch to Computer?

Tools required: CUCUSOFT iPhone/iPod/iTouch to Computer Transfer Before you run our program, please be sure you have installed iTunes on your computer, and you can manage your ipod device with no problem. Step1. After your iPhone/iPod/iTouch connected to pc, Launch the program you will see the right UI. Normally, the program will search the device automatically. If the device is enabled, the files (songs/movies/photos) will be shown in the list.

Step2. Choose the list and files you want to transfer , Click the Export button. Step3. After you clicking the Export button, the following window will pop up, you can choose transferring to computer or iTunes directly. You can set the output folder at Advanced->Options before transferring.. Step4. When the transferring finished, the following window will pop up. It shows that how many files have been done. You can click the OK button to view the output files.

Done.

Download CUCUSOFT iPhone/iPod/iTouch to Computer Transfer