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5 Best Internet Security Software for Windows

Deeptaman Mukherjee — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:16:25 +0000

On one hand, the security agencies of various countries are afraid of the terrorist attacks & cyber war, on the other, we computer maniacs are terrified of virus attacks. The term “Virus Attack” is an understatement; there are many attacks that could really pose as a danger to our PCs. At least in terrorist attacks we could face the enemy and fight but in case of our PC attacks the only possible thing to do is to defend our PC from these attacks. Let’s see the top five Internet Security software of the year (in no particular order).

5 Best Internet Security software

1. G Data Internet Security 2012 – Although this suite is not as user friendly like other suites, for me, this is the best anti-malware available in the market currently. This is available at $35 per year for the license of a single PC. Not just that, the false positive rate of the suite too is very low and in certain cases it is negligible. The performance of the system was quite fair when compared to other security suites. The only problem here is the user interface. Due to all these reasons, this suite tops our list as the best internet security.

2. Norton Internet Security 2012 – Norton’s security is the ultimate suggestion for the users who want a slick and suave user interface. Additionally the suite detects and repairs 99.94% of the malware (in a test scenario). This is available for $80 per year for 3 PCs. However this suite trails the G Data due to comparatively less performance than the former.

3. Bitdefender Internet Security 2012 – Available at $70 per year for 3 PCs this suite is the paramount malware detector and remover available in the market in the current year. It detects around 99.96% malware (in a test scenario). Additionally, the user interface of Bitdefender is the unsurpassed one of its kind. It is even very east for novice users. However, the only problem with this suite is the poor system performance due to high CPU consumption. If you can compromise on system then you can surely go for this suite.

4. Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 – This suite is really an all rounder which is available at $80 per year for 3 P.Cs. This detects almost 99.34% of the malware and also has a user friendly interface. The performance is also comparatively good. Users who require all the above stated characteristics can opt for this suite.

5. Trend Micro Titanium Internet Security 2012 – This suite is not certainly the best but however this for people who want to install and forget about the suite. The suite which is available at $70 per year for 3 years is having an average performance, fair user interface and malware detection rate of 92.3%. The false positive rate is also negligible like the other suites. However this suite is not my prime suggestion when it comes to the best defender due to its uneven scan speed.

All the above stated security suites are best of their kind and they provide all basic features like high performance, speed of scanning, user interface, cost and malware detection rate. Deploying anyone of the above five suites will definitely help your system to defend from all possible attacks.

Image Credit: csriskmanagement

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Top 10 Free Antivirus Software for Windows

Radu Tyrsina — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:03:33 +0000

After talking about premium antivirus software, now it’s time to talk about their free counterparts. You might know many of these antivirus software, but here is the list of best free antiviruses. Before we start, remember that these versions do not offer the same protection as their paid versions. They don’t have all the features of a full paid antivirus and do not do as good of a job, so I won’t compare them with those versions, but from a free antivirus perspective. If you like an antivirus and the protection it gives, support the developers and buy the product.

1. Avast! Free Antivirus

Meeting again with Avast!, but now, in spotlight is the Free Avast! Antivirus. This is, in my opinion, the best free antivirus available. In the free version, all you have to do is register (for free) once a year and you get top notch protection on your computer, emails, downloads and IMs. It has a powerful heuristics engine that allows it to find almost every virus around. The experience gathered over the years (since 1988) by its developers shows really well in Avast!

2. Panda Cloud Antivirus

I must admit that Panda antivirus does not differentiate itself from other free antivirus software in any way when it comes to protection. It offers the same level of detection from viruses, trojan, spyware, adware, worms and malware and its features are not that specific. The thing that made Panda Cloud Antivirus the second position in my list is the fact that it is, as the name suggests, Cloud based. What that means, is that when you scan your computer, it doesn’t use resources from your computer, but it operates in the cloud, keeping your computer working as normal.

3. Microsoft Security Essentials

I know Microsoft is new to the internet safety game, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t develop a great antivirus. Microsoft Security Essentials is a great antivirus, it’s incredible easy to use and it’s absolutely free! It updates automatically and, being produces by Microsoft, it actively interacts with Windows and it’s perfectly integrated in the operating system.

4. Avira AntiVir Personal Edition

Avira is another example of a really good free antivirus program that has very much to offer. Excellent protection, user friendly and it consumes next to nothing from your resources. I’ve used it for some time and must say I’m really happy with the results. It detects most threats and it works in silence in the background. It’s perfect for laptops and netbooks, but also for your own personal computer.

5. AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition

AVG is again on our list of best antivirus programs, this time, the free version. This antivirus works great and its top notch detection stats are impressive. If you are looking for a really good free antivirus, with cool features, like link scanner and email scanner, than you should definitely try AVG Anti-Virus, it’s one of the best.

6. Comodo Antivirus

Comodo Antivirus is a fairly good antivirus program. After making all the steps in installing it (it requires some extra steps from your usual antivirus), I saw a nice looking antivirus with a detection rate of up to 90% and a resolving percentage of 60%, but I recommend to use in parallel with another antivirus that provides more cleaning power. Its detection engine is really good, but you might think of getting another software if you want to clean your infected files.. Those numbers are what makes Comodo come on our list of best free antivirus programs.

7. Immunet Protect FREE

This is a fairly good antivirus, much like Panda Cloud Antivirus, it works in the cloud, keeping your computer working free. It offers really good protection against bots, worms, viruses, trojans, keyloggers, and spyware, so a full protection. This was a surprise, but Immunet is a really good antivirus and it has my thumbs up and recommendation for anyone who wants to try it.

8. PC Tools AntiVirus Free

PC Tools AntiVirus is one of the most basic antivirus programs you will find. It has some features, but don’t get excited. I featured it in this list because it is still better than other free antivirus software, but not by much. If you are not an avid internet browser, and more of the type that only sends emails, it will get the job done, but any more than that, I recommend something stronger.

9. Malwarebytes

Malwarebytes is 9th on our list because it doesn’t run in background, so no real time protection and it cannot protect you in real time. Technically, it is not an antivirus. But, the reason it is on our list is because when you run into a problem with malware or worms, trojans and such and your top of the line antivirus can’t handle it, all you have to do is run Malwarebytes and the problem is solved. This little program can handle anything you throw at it. I recommend keeping it on a USB flash drive and when your computer crashes, try giving it a scan in safe mode with this program, it might just save you from a “format C:/”.

10. ClamWin Free Antivirus

ClamWin Free Antivirus is not the best free antivirus. Although you may know it from the Linux version (CalmAV), this is more a basic tool that you use to scan your computer. The reason ClamWin is at the bottom of the list are: no real time protection, lack of features and a little tricky to use. But, on the other side, it does make a really good detecting tool and it doesn’t use many resources.

Keep in mind, the system I tested all these antivirus programs is an Intel i5 750@ 3.5 GHz with 4 GB of DDR3 Memory. Try to find out if these powerful antivirus programs will work well on your systems, as some require lots of horsepower.

There you go, top best antivirus software around. But keep in mind, there is another antivirus that is better than all of those put together! Do not click on suspicious ads or links, do not open spam mail or add in your IM list bots or people who you don’t know. And most important of all, update your antivirus on a regular basis and don’t think just because you have an antivirus software installed you’re protected and you can do whatever you want on the web, be on the guard and help your antivirus, your in this together!

Suggested Read: Top 10 Antivirus Software for Windows

Top 10 Antivirus Software for Windows

Radu Tyrsina — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 12:02:17 +0000

The 1970s saw the rise of a technology and of a concept that later would be known as the World Wide Web. And since then, the Internet has come into being, and, with time, the threat of the online environment has become a serious concern. Nowadays, the stakes are bigger than ever, because the web has evolved into an almost living being, connecting people around the world, handling bank transfers and defense systems, the possibility of unwanted access is a real threat.

Shielding us from thousands of viruses on the web are our trusted antivirus software. But now, the question rises: What is the best Antivirus software? I’ll try to answer this question, based on reviews, on statistics and on my own personal opinions about these software. Before we move on, keep in mind that any antivirus is good as long as you update it regularly and help it do its job, just like a car that you refurbish and clean regularly.

Top 10 Premium Antivirus Software in 2012

1. BitDefender Antivirus

BitDefender started life as an unimpressive antivirus, but over time has become one of best antivirus software available. Its simple interface and good protection make it a smash hit with internet users. It offers all you could ever wanted in an antivirus: protection, ease of use and it doesn’t need a NASA computer to run. Some of the new 2012 features are: email and net scan (it permanently scans your computer and alerts you if anything is wrong), it scans instant messenger programs, so you won’t be affected by boots and viruses sent my IM. If you are undecided, this antivirus is a great idea.

2. Norton Antivirus

We’ve all heard about Norton Antivirus, this antivirus is an excellent internet security suite that everyone can enjoy. The only downside of Norton is the resources it eats up, so you have to have a pretty good computer for Norton to work properly. On the other hand, if you do install it, you benefit from protection from almost all known viruses and malware. Norton also scans all your downloads.

3. ESET Nod32 Antivirus 5

Another antivirus software that caught a lot of ground in the past couple of years. The new version of ESET Nod32 is one of the best antivirus software I’ve tested so far. It doesn’t require lots of resources and it lives up to the best expectations. It works excellent and the user interface is great! If you are looking for an antivirus that works quietly in your background, ESET Nod32 Antivirus 5 is the best for you.

4. Kaspersky Antivirus

Kaspersky is one of the “old-school” antiviruses that had a face-lift and can still do its job really good. It features real time scanning of web pages and the self protection feature assures a constant protection from internet hijackers. This software is good for your laptop all the way to business and enterprises and lots of internet safety experts recommend Kaspersky Antivirus.

5. ZoneAlarm Antivirus

I have to admit it, ZoneAlarm is probably my favorite antivirus software, I’ve used for a very long period and I don’t have anything bad to say about it. The firewall is one of the best I’ve ever seen and the protection features assure you a virus free computer, but all this protection comes at a price, ZoneAlarm is hungry for computer resources, so you have to have a pretty decent computer to run and enjoy the protection it offers.

6. McAfee Antivirus Plus 2012

If you have been interested in internet safety in the past, you most certainly heard about McAfee Antivirus. It’s one of the oldest antiviruses on the market. Putting their knowledge to work, the guys over at McAfee have come up with a pretty good antivirus for their 2012 release. Offering a pretty good protection for its users, McAfee Antivirus 2012 is a good choice.

7. Panda Antivirus Pro

Yet another great comeback from one of the best known antiviruses, and this version of the old antivirus is really great. It seems this is a perfect example of the perfect balance between functionality, protection and resources. I must admit, I didn’t think much of this antivirus, but after testing it, I must recommend it to anyone who wants a good antivirus that gets the job done quick and good.

8. AVG Anti-Virus

You might know this antivirus very well from its free version, and if you do, you know it’s a really good antivirus that takes care of most of viruses and malware. It provides excellent protection, lots of features and the Shield prevents you from opening infected files. After trying this version, it seems this old timer still has plenty to say.

9. Avast! Pro Antivirus

Another premium version of a free antivirus, and might I say, Avast! Pro is a really good antivirus, sure, it doesn’t provide the same level of security than other, bigger antiviruses, but then again, it costs next to nothing when it comes to resources. The first question I asked was: Why upgrade to premium on a free antivirus? But, after seeing what the premium version has to offer and the amount of infected files it can discover I was really impressed.

10. CA Antivirus 2012

Computer Associates Antivirus 2012, to call it on its full name, is a new name in the internet security business but still, they have created a powerful antivirus that would satisfy any normal user. CA Antivirus keeps you computer clean and with its simple interface you won’t have any hustle using it.

Microsoft Must do Something Radical with Internet Explorer

Raju PP — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 13:45:15 +0000

Earlier today, Tyler Holman posted an intriguing article on Neowin about how Perception is killing Internet Explorer. Tyler claims that IE9, the latest version of the web browser is as good as its competitors like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Opera, but the horrible perception of IE being low on quality has resulted in continuous depletion of IE’s market share.

He rightfully says-

The real problem is the reputation that Internet Explorer ‘earned’ through the botched releases of yore. It doesn’t matter how good of a product Microsoft releases, Internet Explorer has too much baggage behind it.

Falling Graph of IE

A recent study by NetApps ~~revealed~~ confirmed the sad state of Internet Explorer in the desktop browser space. Adding to the woes, is the fact that IE has negligible share in the mobile browser space. The overall market share of Internet Explorer has fallen below 50% after a long time.

The study also revealed that almost 25.4% of Internet Explorer users still use the (now) unsupported versions – IE6 & IE7, which is almost same as the percentage of users using the latest version – IE9.

… until and unless Microsoft makes its browser appeal to the influential geek demographic, it looks as if Internet Explorer has nowhere to go but down.

Is it all about Perception and Reputation?

As much as I agree with Tyler Holman about IE9 being competitive but getting affected by the bad reputation snowballed over the years, I believe Microsoft’s we-don’t-care-what-you-think attitude is to be blamed as well. Before I started off with this article, I asked my friends, followers and readers about what they feel about IE9 and if they actually use it as their primary browser. As expected, I got varied answers, but most of them were of the opinion that IE9 is good, but not good enough to be used on a day-to-day basis.

When IE9 was released back in March 2011, it was greeted with competition from Firefox 4.0 and Chrome 10. At that time, IE9 matched the speeds of Firefox & Chrome and even boasted an impressive and cleaner interface which promised more space for web pages. But that wasn’t enough to beat the competition. It still lacked extensions. The IE extensions saga is similar to the misery of lack of apps on Windows Phone 7 platform. At a time when browser add-ons and extensions are continuously increase the way users experience the internet, Microsoft hasn’t really bothered to do anything to improve the situation.

It’s not just the extensions which IE9 lacks. A commentor on neowin, JAB Creations has given a detailed explanation about the things he doesn’t like in IE9 which includes lack of support for web standards, unfriendly UI and more.

Microsoft Must do Something Radical with IE

IE10 looks promising with its trident engine and better support for web standards. But just the better speed and better support for standards won’t help save the sinking ship. Microsoft should come out dressed with its ninja outfits and do something as drastic as dropping the name “Internet Explorer” just like Tyler suggests.

They could hold on to the technology that they have built, but get rid of all the excess baggage that comes with the name Internet Explorer.

Start with a clean slate. Code from ground up. It’s much easier to do that rather than patching (or even rewriting) parts of the code. Make the IE code open-source and provide better tools for developers so that they can come out with really good extensions. Treat the new web browser like an individual product, and not just a bundled Windows bloatware.

© Raju PP for Technically Personal!, 2011. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact us, so we can take legal action immediately. If you are on Twitter you can follow me @rajupp! | Permalink |

Optimize PC: Fix Network Connection Problems in Windows 7

Raju PP — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 13:29:41 +0000

Guest post by David Ritchie.

Some portable computers have a wireless network adapter wherein the user can view a list of available wireless networks and then connect to one of that network. This network will appear if the computer has a wireless network adapter installed, if the adapter is turned on and the wireless access point is in range.

To view and connect to wireless networks in Windows 7:

Click the wireless network icon in the notification area of the taskbar.
Choose the desired network to connect to in the list of wireless networks and t hen click Connect.
Type the security key if connecting to a secure network and then click OK.

It is important to have a PC that works at its best to ensure tasks accomplishment and other errands everyday. However, if the PC is not functioning well, this will trigger a problem to the user. The user must make it a habit to check the computer daily since it can not be avoided that errors may arise anytime, whether caused by internal functions of the computer or from the outside environment. If a problem in the wireless network connection arises, just do the following steps to cure it.

Examine the Hardware

Usually, improperly connected hardware is the major cause of network connection problems. Check the network adapter switch, reset modem and check for problems with the network adapter. If a laptop is being used, se to it that the network adapter switch is turned on. There are numbers of laptop that has a physical switch somewhere on the front, side or top of the laptop that turns network adapter on or off. Usually, the laptop has an indicator light that tells whether the wireless network adapter is enabled or not. Check also the network adapter in the Device Manager and verify the status of the network adapter by doing the following steps:

Hit the Start button and type “device manager” in the search box.
Choose Device Manager in the resulting list. If the computer requires for an administrator password or confirmation, supply the necessary information to proceed with the process.
Double-click Network Adapter then right-click the network adapter.
Select properties and then under Device status, check if the device is working properly.
Select Enable Device to enable network adapter if it is disabled.

Utilize the Automated Troubleshooter

To start with, use the Network troubleshooter and then test the internet connection. To open the Network troubleshooter, simply right-click the wireless network connection icon in the notification area of the taskbar then selects Troubleshoot problems.

Update drivers

Network adapter driver is an application used by the computer to communicate with the wireless network adapter. Network adapter drivers which are corrupted or obsolete prevent network connection to fail.

Just execute these steps properly and the problem in wireless network connection will surely be resolved.

This was a guest post by David Ritchie, who is a software developer and technical writer interested in antimalware doctor.

[How to] Dual Boot Chromium OS with Windows

Ajit Pillai — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:16:10 +0000

Chrome OS was announced by Google in July of 2009, they also announced Chromium in November which was the open source version of Chrome OS. Chrome/Chromium OS is based on Linux and it resembles Google’s popular web browser with the same name. Unlike Chromium OS which can be run on any hardware, Chrome only works with specific hardware partners of Google. Currently there are many Chromebooks which are being manufactured by various manufacturers and some of them are already available. A developer who goes by the name of Hexxeh was able to successfully port Chromium on Windows Desktops & Laptops. In this guide I will show you how to dual boot Chromium OS with Windows 7. This customized Chromium OS build is called as Flow, there are some bugs, but I am using it for some time now, and am happy with it.

Note:

Please read the procedures more than twice before actually doing it.
You need two USB drives with more than 2Gb of free space

Downloads:

Download the the latest Chromium OS image for your pen-drive from here
Download Image writer for Windows from here
Download WinRAR from here (Skip this if you already have WinRAR installed)
Download GRUB 4 DOS from here
Download Gparted live .iso from here
Download Tuxboot from here

Procedure:

Installing Grub4DOS

Extract all the contents of grub4dos.zip which you downloaded earlier to a folder, now copy the files grldr.mbr, grldr and menu.lst to your C drive (Not in any folder).
Open command prompt by typing cmd in the search area and pressing enter.
Give the following command: BCDEDIT.EXE /create /d “Google Chrome OS” /application bootsector
Now a GUID code will pop up on your screen, copy this code to notepad and keep the notepad open
Now give the following command: BCDEDIT.EXE /set {GUID code from notepad} device boot
Give another command: BCDEDIT.EXE /set {GUID code from notepad} path \grldr.mbr
Now give the command: BCDEDIT.EXE /displayorder {GUID code from notepad} /addlast

Installing Chromium OS to your USB drive

Insert USB drive, now install and open Windows Image writer application
Now go to the place where you downloaded the vanilla chromium OS and extract it to .IMG file using WinRAR
Go to image writer, choose the letter of your drive, now click on the folder icon and go to where you had saved the Chromium O.S image
Click on start, it will copy all the files to your pen drive and also will make your pen drive bootable

Installing Gparted on to a flash drive

Take another USB drive, insert it in your desktop/laptop (Remove the pen drive in which you installed Chromium OS)
Install and run Tuxboot
Select Gparted live from the dropdown list
Browse and select the Gparted live.iso which you had downloaded earlier
Now choose the USB drive which you had just inserted
Now click on OK and let it copy

Boot and test Chromium OS from USB drive

Remove the USB drive in which you had installed Gparted live
Now switch off your Desktop/Laptop with the USB drive in which you installed Chromium OS still attached
Boot into BIOS and choose to boot from USB drive in settings
Now do a reboot, you will be booting into Chromium OS (Be patient, it takes some time to boot)
Now if it does not load or if there is a problem then keep on trying 3-4 Chromium OS boots up, if it doesn’t you can come and ask us here (It took me 5 attempts to finally boot into Chromium OS the first time)

Running Gparted

Turn off your laptop/desktop
Now with Chrome USB and Gparted CD still inside the comp, boot to Gparted live CD
Now make a minimum of 4 GB of free space from your Windows partition using Gparted
Now using Gparted make 2 partitions of the 4Gb free space of which one will be ext2 of 1 Gb, rest of the partition will be in ext3 format
Now using Gparted copy the ext2 partition from the USB drive (Chromium OS) to the ext2 partition which we just created, and the ext3 partition of the USB drive(ChromiumOS) to the ext3 partition we just created

Select the Windows partition and set it up as session and resize/move

Let’s boot Chromium OS kernel using Grub4Dos, shall we?

Once you have done the above procedure, press exit and boot into Windows again
open menu.lst in your C drive with notepad in edit mode
now type in:

timeout 0
default 1
title ChromiumOS
root(hd0,2)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda3 rwnoresume noswap i915.modeset=1 loglevel=1 cros_debug
quiet

4. Save and reboot, now you will get the option to boot into Windows and Chromium OS
5. You will have to use an Ethernet cable the first time you boot into Chromium OS as it will ask your Gmail ID and password for signing in

I would like to thank Hexxeh for all his work in porting Chromium OS to laptops, desktops, etc!

Update: Our friend tfrendo has a fix for error 15. Quoting him directly from the comments section

Guys, even I encountered the error 15 but I resolved it by making a small change in menu.lst on the root parameter:

root (hd0,X)

Please note the SPACE after keyword root.

Also very important is the value of “X”. I got this from GRUB by typing the cmd “FIND” which listed all partitions.

On the kernel line the value of “sdaY” is also very important and has to be the partition called “C-ROOT”, the ext2 partition.

Ubuntu 11.10 vs Windows 7 – Who Wins?

Deeptaman Mukherjee — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 14:26:20 +0000

Operating System (OS) plays a very important role in a desktop or laptop or your mobile phone. It is system software that prepares the ground for playing different applications by effectively translating user commands to be processed on the hardware. It unleashes the hardware’s capability to perform multiple tasks enthusing users all the time. The system will be live as long as the OS is live. The proprietary software from Microsoft, Windows has made its way in the lives of millions of people across the globe. Windows is able to lead the OS market even though there is competition from Mac OS and UNIX based open source software, Ubuntu.

We shall find the pros and cons of Ubuntu 11.04 vis-a-vis Windows 7.

Even though Ubuntu is evolving over a period of years as an open source OS, it was not much successful in desktop line with some exception in deployment in servers and embedded systems. As Ubuntu is free software, you are free to use and distribute. You can customize the OS to the maximum possible extent. The only cost involved in procuring Ubuntu OS is your download time from the site. On the other hand, Windows 7 is to be purchased and there is no chance for customization.
Comparatively, the boot time with Ubuntu is quicker than Window 7. Ubuntu is faster on both old and new hardware whereas Windows 7 is faster than Vista on old hardware.
While Ubuntu can detect some hardware peripherals automatically, for some you need to work with command line which will be a tedious process. Almost all device manufacturers will issue a drivers CD, so working with Windows 7 is easy and at the same, Windows 7 has not completely resolved driver issues.
Coming to multimedia, DVD playing capacity will not come with Ubuntu. It has to be installed separately. Windows 7 fares better with Media Center with its ability to organize pictures, audio and video files.
For software applications you need to download applications in the lines of iPhone to perform certain operations on Ubuntu. You can download these applications from Osalt. Ubuntu offers Open office for word processing and Gimp, photo editing software. These are open source software. Ubuntu handles mail through ‘Evolution’ client. It is difficult to install Skype or Google Earth by average users in Ubuntu. It has to improve in this aspect. With Windows 7 you need to purchase MS Office or you can install free software, Open Office or Gimp. Outlook works as email client in Windows 7. Windows 7 comes with windows live messenger and Internet Explorer 8.
Ubuntu comes with Ubuntu software center to add and remove applications. Ubuntu fares well with ‘Cloud Computing’. ‘Ubuntu One Service’ is the free cloud storage offered by Ubuntu. You can save files up to 2 GB on Ubuntu one service. The service is integrated with OS. More space can be availed by pay plans. It is possible to share files which are on cloud storage. User interface of Ubuntu has to improve a lot. It lags behind Mac and Windows. Even though it will be entertaining to use Ubuntu by checking the new stuff released frequently, it is not a stable OS for production purposes. On the other hand, Windows 7 fares well as production software.
While the learning curve is more with Ubuntu than Windows 7, it offers great security closer to 100% whereas there are so many security issues to be fixed on Windows 7.

Ubuntu 11.1 aka Oneiric Ocelot will be released on 13 October 2011 and would not include the classic GNOME desktop as a fall back to Unity, unlike Ubuntu 11.04 Natty Narwhal. Instead, 11.10 will include a 2D version of Unity as a fallback for computers that lack the hardware resources for the Compiz-based 3D version.

Download Angry Birds Rio Game for Windows for Free

Raju PP — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 12:11:22 +0000

Second Angry Birds post for the day and it’s a complete co-incidence! This is a quick update to let you guys know that you can now download Angry Birds Rio game for Windows at absolutely no cost, courtesy, the Intel AppUp center.

Register with Intel AppUpSM Center by September 29, get a FREE copy of the Angry Birds Rio app—then help the birds help their friends from the film Rio. New registrants only.

Angry Birds has been hugely popular and that too on multiple platforms. It is still the best selling game on Apple’s iOS and one of the most downloaded games on Google’s Android as well. Few months back, Rovio, the developer of Angry Birds announced that the game will be made available for Windows PC through Intel’s AppUp center, a marketplace for Windows apps. But it was not available for free though.

If you are a fan of Angry Birds and like to play the full version of Angry Birds Rio on your notebook or netbook, here is the best chance to grab it for free. All you need to do is, download and install Intel AppUp center from here, Sign-up for a new account (even if you have one already) and then check the My Apps tab of AppUp for the free app!

Remember, the offer is valid till September 29th only and is available for exclusively new registrations.

[via]AvinashTech

Four Amazing Freeware Tools for Windows

Deeptaman Mukherjee — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 05:21:21 +0000

Freeware are basically software applications which are used to enhance your work on your computer, saving you a lot of time and energy. With the advent of computer age and networking, works in digital media can be modified, copied and distributed instantaneously. Freeware creators usually retain the copyrights or the license of the work in contrast to Open source software. It means that one cannot modify the source code. But the good news is that the freeware is allowed to be distributed and can be used for free of charge or at an optional fee by whoever wishes to use it for an unlimited period of time. Thus, it gives the maximum benefit to the end user.

Once you determine that a particular freeware is safe and is from a trusted company, it can do wonders to your work. Today, there are thousands of freeware available that people no longer prefer buying software. Freeware junkies are as many as the number of freeware softwares available. Here I would want to throw light on some of the most useful and maybe, less-known freeware to make your Windows experience even more worthwhile.

1. Mozilla Thunderbird -

Thunderbird has come as a rescue for those who desperately need an alternate to Microsoft’s Outlook Express. It is an easy-to-use interface, flexible and is a stable email application. It’s fully customizable just like the Firefox browser (though has limited themes) and would serve as a great add-on to your computer. It works well with both Windows and Mac OS. And guess what? It’s absolutely free. Well, what else can you ask for?

2. Team Viewer -

Team Viewer is a very popular and an effective screen sharing software allowing you to remotely share your screen, mouse, keyboard to another computer when both are connected through internet. It is designed for personal use (non-commercial) and if needed very often, install it rather than running the software. It also integrates file transfer among both the partners participating in the session. Apart from sharing files, you can also carry a text chat and with its new beta version, you can also carry voice and video chat. And most importantly, it’s free requiring no sign-ups.

3. Softmaker Office 2008 -

Ever considered replacing Microsoft’s Office Suite? Yes. Then you need to definitely try Softmaker Office 2008. It is far more stable than Openoffice.org (another freeware substitute). It’s really fast and is available with Windows, Pocket PC’s and Linux (including Ubuntu). It contains a basic maker, Presentation, Text maker and Plan maker. It’s tools are generally compatible with files in the older Microsoft Office formats, though not with the latest Microsoft Office. It’s useful features provide you everything you will need.

4. MalwareBytes Anti-malware -

You seriously cannot do without a security solution to your computer. Given that there are many such protection and malware removal tools in the market/net today, would you mind installing a free, simple yet powerful anti-malware tool? I know, You wouldn’t. Malware Bytes Anti-malware (MBAM) is an effective solution to detect and remove various numbers of malware and spyware. Very easy to set-up, this free application updates itself on a regular basis providing full scans for all the drives. Though it gives live protection only to its registered users, it is a great tool to have on your PC.

Mac OS X Lion Theme for Windows 7

Karthik Bose — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 12:01:05 +0000

Apple released the final version of the hugely awaited Mac OS X Lion 10.7 yesterday and it comes with more than 250 new features including considerable changes to the look and feel of the operating system. If you are a Windows 7 user, who loves to play around with Windows 7 themes in order to experience the different user interfaces, here is a great news for you. You can now download a Mac OS X Lion Transformation pack for Windows 7!

This is very similar to the Mac OS X Snow Leopard theme for Windows 7 which we had written about long back. The Mac OS X Lion theme pack is pretty detailed and does a good job of giving you the OS X Lion experience on your Windows 7 PC!

The installation is straight forward. You will be given an option to install UX theme patch in addition to some files like wallpapers, visual styles etc. Choose the options you like and click on Install. Once the installation is done, the PC will restart and you will be greeted with the login page of Mac OS X Lion!

Download Lion Skin Pack

Note: You will find the download link on right sidebar of the page linked above. Standard warnings apply. It is always recommended to create a system restore point first before making changes to your system.