McAfee VirusScan 2009

Ease of Use:

If you use the default settings, setup is a breeze. The default settings provide very good protection against viruses, Trojans, worms, malicious ActiveX controls and Java applets.

The SecurityCenter has several tabs besides the VirusScan tab. There is one for Personal Firewall+, Privacy Service and SpamKiller. These are other programs offered by McAfee.

Effectiveness:

VirusScan boasts one of the best virus detection records. The software has received the VB100% award, the ICSA award and passed both level 1& 2 Checkmarks from West Coast Labs.

Updates:

McAfee VirusScan 9.0 automatically downloads updated virus definitions from the Internet on a regular basis. Staying up to date will dramatically decrease any possibility that a virus will infect your computer. On Average, McAfee comes out with new virus definitions on a daily basis.

You will have to register and login to get updates making the process longer than it needs be.

Feature Set:

McAfee VirusScan offers a rich list of features. You can set VirusScan to scan your computer at a preprogrammed scheduled time. The program also scans for spyware and adware.

You can't add several tasks to the Scheduled Scan. It would be great to be able to scan all files once a month and only program files weekly or any other tasks you would like to set up.

McAfee has an Antivirus Emergency Response Team that continually monitors the worldwide virus activities to provide you with the utmost safety. The always-on protection guards against viruses, spyware and other Internet threats that may enter your PC via e-mail, instant message attachments, Internet downloads, and web browsing.

One of the newest features is also one of our favorites. It's the QuickScan feature, which basically narrows virus scans to the most vulnerable and frequently attacked parts of your computer. This makes scanning much faster, although we still recommend doing a full scan periodically. Another great feature that can save you some time is SiteAdvisor. This system automatically gives you a visual signal in your browser telling you if the link you are about to click on will send you to a malware site. This can significantly decrease your infection rate, if used properly.

Ease of Installation:

We didn't encounter any problems during the installation process. Recently, McAfee has simplified the setup process, making installation faster than it used to be. But don't get too excited, installation times will still vary depending on the computer.

Help/Support:

McAfee has plenty of help options, including documentation, email and phone support. We were disappointed with their email response time - it took 5 days to respond and they didn't answer all of our questions, hence the low rating.

Summary:

McAfee is a name brand product that does an excellent job at detecting and removing viruses. Their update process can be somewhat tedious and their support department needs to answer their emails in a more timely manner.

Big week in Microsoft-Yahoo battle

This week is shaping up to be a big one in Microsoft's nearly 3-month-old effort to acquire Yahoo.

The software maker has set a Saturday deadline for Yahoo to come to the bargaining table or else face a proxy fight.

Coloring the state of things will be earnings reports from both Microsoft and Yahoo due this week. Yahoo reports Tuesday, while Microsoft is set to release quarterly numbers on Thursday.

Those reports are all the more significant in that Microsoft's bid (at least so far) is half stock. A good earnings report from Yahoo might put pressure on Microsoft to hike its bid, while a negative one might increase the heat on Yahoo to sell.

Other players remain in the discussion, with reports that Yahoo is still in talks about a partnership with AOL and continues an advertising test with Google. Meanwhile, Rupert Murdoch signaled Monday that he may not be totally against joining with Microsoft.

"Depends on the deal," he said at an event Monday, according to Reuters.

He indicated that joining with Microsoft is probably the only way News Corp. would be involved. "I certainly can't afford to bid against Microsoft (for Yahoo)," he said in a speech before the Atlantic Council.

Phenom-based PCs signal AMD-Intel quad-core rivalry

The arrival of consumer systems based on AMD's quad-core Phenom processor at retail stores will finally bring much-needed four-core rivalry to the high-end PC segment, where, until January, there was only one choice: Intel. Gateway Computer's Phenom-based models had a widely publicized debut at Best Buy this week, making the Irvine, CA-based company the second major U.S. PC vendor after Hewlett-Packard (HP) to adopt the Phenom processor. Earlier in January, Wal-Mart began selling the HP Phenom-based Pavilion M8330F desktop (which, according to Wal-Mart's Web site, is now out of stock).

Gateway's lineup boasts two high-end machines that use the Phenom 9600 (2.3 GHz), as listed on Best Buy, the largest U.S. electronics retailer. This marks a subtle but important shift in retail segmentation. Traditionally, AMD has done very well against Intel-based PCs at the low end but had little or nothing to show--in the last 12 months--at the very high end. The latest Phenom arrivals, however, sit at the top of the gaming and entertainment segments, a coveted Intel quad-core haven. For example, one well-equipped Gateway Phenom model is priced at a whopping $1,439.97, high for an AMD retail system. And, more generally, AMD is succeeding in the numbers game, too. Though the ratio of systems using AMD or Intel CPUs can swing radically quarter to quarter or even month to month, out of the 18 Gateway desktop models and package deals listed by Best Buy, 14 are based on AMD processors and only four on Intel chips as of January 31st. Out of the 21 HP models and package deals listed, 13 use AMD processors and eight have Intel chips. Granted, some of those systems are low-end, low-margin models, but the Phenom processor has given more balance to AMD-based lineups. Best Buy also lists three HP systems using the Phenom processor. And add Acer to the list too.

A few qualifiers are warranted, however. AMD needs to prove that it can ship quad-core processors in volume and be ready to face up to problems if they arise. Shipments of AMD quad-cores have been plagued by manufacturing delays and--according to AMD--a rarely occurring TLB bug. The company has said it won't be shipping the B3 stepping (the version that fixes the bug in silicon) of its quad-core processor until late this quarter or early next quarter. Let's hope the current B2 stepping (which relies on a software fix) of the Phenom is available in quantity and that the bug proves to be a non-issue for PC users (as opposed to server customers who use the Barcelona processor in applications more sensitive to the bug ).

Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway Hands

Hell's Highway reveals signature Brothers in Arms gameplay with a handful of exciting new enhancements.
In the crowded market of World War II-era first-person shooters, the Brothers in Arms series has carved a niche for itself on the technical strength of its squad-command mechanic and the emotional strength of its gritty, character-driven storyline. Last week we got a chance to play a not-quite-final build of Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway, and thus far it appears that developer Gearbox Software is sticking to its strengths. With the notable addition of new squad options, a slow-motion action camera, and vastly improved graphics, Hell's Highway is shaping up quite well.

The only thing that would make this scene prettier is a well-thrown grenade.The storyline follows the two protagonists from the previous Brothers in Arms games: Matt Baker (Road to Hill 30) and Joe Hartsock (Earned in Blood). At the beginning of the game, Gearbox treats us to a "Previously in Brothers in Arms..." segment designed to make sure that all players know the relevant series history. The central mission in Hell's Highway is to clear a stretch of road so that the Allies can move infantry and armor through to the front. When they discover that the area is saturated with elite German forces, they must fight to keep the narrow corridor from collapsing and preventing their retreat. As Baker and Hartsock struggle to keep themselves and their men alive, loose ends from the previous games will be tied up, and there will be no shortage of the dramatic and gut-wrenching plot turns for which the series is known.
The familiar mechanics of enemy suppression and squad command are back in full effect. Red circles above your foes indicate that they are on the attack, and laying down suppressing fire on them will quickly turn the circle gray. Suppressed enemies fire less often and less accurately, giving you time to maneuver yourself and your squad in relative safety. Squad commands are issued by pulling the left trigger and aiming to indicate your orders. Aiming at the ground will send your squad to that spot, and aiming at your foes will order your squad to hunker down and fire on the enemy. The familiar three-man assault squad can now be armed with a .30 caliber machine gun, and there's a new bazooka squad that promises to come in handy when, well, when is a bazooka not handy?
In a feature new to Hell's Highway, you or your squad can blow up any destructible cover that the enemy might be hiding behind. Wooden objects such as furniture, barrels, and fences can be obliterated with bullets or grenades (or bazookas), creating a wealth of new tactical opportunities. During our hands-on time, we destroyed tables to allow our squad unhindered passage to more solid cover, and grenaded an entire Nazi unit along with the white picket fence that they were taking cover behind. Grenade throwing has also been improved with the addition of a targeting radius that appears when you hold down the throw button, allowing for more accurate tosses.
Controlling your character works in much the same way as in previous Brothers in Arms games, with a few notable tweaks. Instead of merely ducking behind cover, you can now click the shoulder button to snap to the cover, or "dig in." Once dug in, you can fire around or over your cover by inclining the analog stick in the appropriate direction, and you can pop out by moving away from the cover or clicking the shoulder button again. There were a few times in our demo when we couldn't snap out or shoot around cover when we wanted to, but for the most part the mechanic felt well implemented. You can also sprint in a straight(ish) line, which is a handy new feature that makes advancing on suppressed Nazis or retreating out from behind a destroyed table a sight easier.

Bazooka squads make it hard out there for a Nazi.Should your cover be destroyed, you'll know you're in danger by the encroaching red haze on the corners of the screen. Gearbox was sure to point out that this was a risk indicator, not a damage indicator, because they said that in Brother in Arms, "Bullets are lethal." Fortunately, they are just as lethal for your foes, and when you pull off a particularly nasty kill, a new feature known as the action camera will engage. Time slows down, the view tightens on your enemies, and you see their deaths in exhilarating, gruesome detail. It's more akin to a live instant replay than to bullet time, given that it serves only to highlight a particularly skilled or deadly maneuver. On one occasion, we threw a grenade at the feet of two unsuspecting Germans, and right before the explosion the action camera kicked in. We watched in slow motion as their bodies flew into the air and three of their four legs detached at midthigh, landing a few yards away from their corpses. On another occasion, we sniped an enemy in the head, and the subsequent close-up showed skull and brain fragments exploding into the air. The action camera definitely livened up our play session, drawing hoots of grisly delight from spectators.
These macabre displays wouldn't be possible without the Unreal 3 Engine that powers Hell's Highway. Gearbox has been working on this game for more than two years, tweaking and customizing the engine all the while. The results are impressive, even in the unfinished build we played. The first level we played was set in a bombed-out hospital at night, where livid flames, drifting embers, and deep shadows created a grim, slightly eerie tone. Next, we watched a lengthy cutscene back at a British air-force base. The focus here was on character exposition through conversation and impressive facial detail. The stubbled, war-aged faces of the men were very expressive; clearly a lot of time has been spent to increase their ability to convey emotions through their expressions (and their peculiarly big eyeballs). The last level we played, Market Garden, found us fighting Germans in the Dutch countryside. Buildings, walls, and vehicles were richly textured, and the trees and grass looked verdant and alive. The Technicolor brightness seemed almost surreal, but the overall effect was beautiful and detailed.
We were able to confirm that Hell's Highway will include multiplayer modes, but all we know so far is that it will feature squad-based gameplay and dozens of player on each side . At present, the game looks impressive. The elements that have garnered praise for the series in the past are intact, and the new additions appear to be well-implemented enhancements.

Forget iPhone, the Gphone is here

Google, the nearly $13.5 billion search engine major, is believed to be a fortnight away from the worldwide launch of its much-awaited Google Phone (Gphone) and has started talks with service providers in India for an exclusive launch on one of their networks.
Talks are believed to be taking place with Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Essar, respectively India's first and third largest mobile telephony operators, and state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam.
Sources close to the development said a simultaneous launch across the US and Europe is expected, and announcements would be sent to media firms in India and other parts of the world. US regulatory approval, which is expected soon, is the only hurdle that Google is waiting to cross, they added. Google plans to invest $7-8 billion for its global telephony foray.
In India, it is also believed to be in talks with Indian providers to offer data and content and platforms including Instant Messaging (IM) and Search functions. However, these could not be confirmed.
A Google spokesperson said, "We don't comment on market rumour or speculation. However, Google is committed to providing users with access to the world's information, and mobile becomes more important to those efforts every day. We're collaborating with partners worldwide to bring Google search and applications to mobile users everywhere. However, we have nothing to announce at this time."
Reports of the Internet major getting into handset manufacturing as an answer to Apple's iPhone has been doing rounds in cyberspace and international media for some time. These reports suggest that Google has developed a prototype that will hit the markets in a year's time. The US-based company has neither confirmed nor denied these reports. The Wall Street Journal too had reported that Google had invested "hundreds of millions of dollars" in the project and was involved in discussions with US-based T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless.
Globally, Google is likely to participate in the upcoming auction for 700 MHz spectrum for which it is prepared to spend up to $4.6 billion. The firm is also introducing ads to YouTube videos which could be replicated on mobile phones. Ironically, Google recently partnered Apple to produce services such as e-mail and maps for its iPhone handset. And Eric Schmidt, Google's chief executive, said recently that more Google services for the iPhone would be rolled out.

The Grid: The Next-Gen Internet?

The Matrix may be the future of virtual reality, but researchers say the Grid is the future of collaborative problem-solving. More than 400 scientists gathered at the Global Grid Forum this week to discuss what may be the Internet's next evolutionary step. Though distributed computing evokes associations with populist initiatives like SETI@home, where individuals donate their spare computing power to worthy projects, the Grid will link PCs to each other and the scientific community like never before.
The Grid will not only enable sharing of documents and MP3 files, but also connect PCs with sensors, telescopes and tidal-wave simulators. IBM's Brian Carpenter suggested "computing will become a utility just like any other utility." Carpenter said, "The Grid will open up ... storage and transaction power in the same way that the Web opened up content." And just as the Internet connects various public and private networks, Cisco Systems' Bob Aiken said, "you're going to have multiple grids, multiple sets of middleware that people are going to choose from to satisfy their applications."
As conference moderator Walter Hoogland suggested, "The World Wide Web gave us a taste, but the Grid gives a vision of an ICT (Information and Communication Technology)-enabled world."
Though the task of standardizing everything from system templates to the definitions of various resources is a mammoth one, the GGF can look to the early days of the Web for guidance. The Grid that organizers are building is a new kind of Internet, only this time with the creators having a better knowledge of where the bottlenecks and teething problems will be.
The general consensus at the event was that although technical issues abound, the thorniest issues will involve social and political dimensions, for example how to facilitate sharing between strangers where there is no history of trust. Amsterdam seemed a logical choice for the first Global Grid Forum because not only is it the world's most densely cabled city, it was also home to the Internet Engineering Task Force's first international gathering in 1993. The IETF has served as a model for many of the GGF's activities: protocols, policy issues, and exchanging experiences. The Grid Forum, a U.S.-based organization combined with eGrid - the European Grid Forum, and Asian counterparts to create the Global Grid Forum (GGF) in November, 2000. The Global Grid Forum organizers said grid communities in the United States and Europe will now run in synch.
The Grid evolved from the early desire to connect supercomputers into "metacomputers" that could be remotely controlled. The word "grid" was borrowed from the electricity grid, to imply that any compatible device could be plugged in anywhere on the Grid and be guaranteed a certain level of resources, regardless of where those resources might come from.
Scientific communities at the conference discussed what the compatibility standards should be, and how extensive the protocols need to be.
As the number of connected devices runs from the thousands into the millions, the policy issues become exponentially more complex. So far, only draft consensus has been reached on most topics, but participants say these are the early days.
As with the Web, the initial impetus for a grid came from the scientific community, specifically high-energy physics, which needed extra resources to manage and analyze the huge amounts of data being collected.
The most nettlesome issues for industry are security and accounting. But unlike the Web, which had security measures tacked on as an afterthought, the Grid is being designed from the ground up as a secure system.
Conference participants debated what types of services (known in distributed computing circles as resource units) provided through the Grid will be charged for. And how will the administrative authority be centralized?
Corporations have been slow to cotton to this new technology's potential, but the suits are in evidence at this year's Grid event. As GGF chairman Charlie Catlett noted, "This is the first time I've seen this many ties at a Grid forum."
In addition to IBM, firms such as Boeing, Philips and Unilever are already taking baby steps toward the Grid.
Though commercial needs tend to be more transaction-focused than those of scientific pursuits, most of the technical requirements are common. Furthermore, both science and industry participants say they require a level of reliability that's not offered by current peer-to-peer initiatives: Downloading from Napster, for example, can take seconds or minutes, or might not work at all.
Garnering commercial interest is critical to the Grid's future. Cisco's Aiken explained that "if grids are really going to take off and become the major impetus for the next level of evolution in the Internet, we have to have something that allows (them) to easily transfer to industry."
Other potential Grid components include creating a virtual observatory, and doctors performing simulations of blood flows. While some of these applications have existed for years, the Grid will make them routine rather than exceptional.
The California Institute of Technology's Paul Messina said that by sharing computing resources, "you get more science from the same investment."
Ian Foster of the University of Chicago said that Web precursor Arpanet was initially intended to be a distributed computing network that would share CPU-intensive tasks but instead wound up giving birth to e-mail and FTP.
The Grid may give birth to a global file-swapping network or a members-only citadel for moneyed institutions. But just as no one ten years ago would have conceived of Napster -- not to mention AmIHotOrNot.com -- the future of the Grid is unknown.
An associated DataGrid conference continues until Friday, focusing on a project in which resources from Pan-European research institutions will analyze data generated by a new particle collider being built at Swiss particle-physics lab CERN.

iPhone 1.1.3 Firmware Update is Official

The iPhone got its expected firmware upgrade, delivering version 1.1.3 that we've seen and debated about before. It delivers new features like the ability to send SMS messages to multiple recipients at once, faux-GPS on Google Maps via triangulation, Google Maps showing the hybrid map view, drag and drop icons on the home screen and bookmarks on the home screen (i.e. Webclips). There are also some new features, such as videos with chapters, the ability to display lyrics on music.

iPhone Firmware Version 1.1.3

Apple(R) today announced a free software update for its revolutionary iPhone(TM) that allows users to automatically find their location using the redesigned Maps application*; text message multiple people in one message; create Web Clips for their favorite websites; customize their home screen; and watch movies rented from the new iTunes(R) Movie Rentals right on their iPhone. With its revolutionary multi-touch user interface and pioneering software, users caneasily add significant new features to their iPhone through software updates whenever an update becomes available. New iPhone products shipping from the factory will include the software update and existing iPhone customers will automatically get the update for free when they sync their iPhone with iTunes (http://www.itunes.com).
"iPhone doesn't stand still — we're making it better and better all the time," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "We've delighted millions of users with this revolutionary and magical product and it's great to share these improvements with them."
Maps, one of the most popular and helpful applications on iPhone, has a new interface that is simpler and easier to use and adds incredible new features such as the ability to find your location automatically. With just the tap of a button, iPhone can now triangulate your position using nearby Wi-Fi base stations or cellular towers. You can use this as a starting or ending point for directions or to find local points of interest. The new hybrid map view combines map view and satellite view so you can see major street names overlaid on satellite imagery.Users can now create Web Clips — icons on the home screen that take you directly to your favorite websites, including to the exact spot you have zoomed into. Web Clips are a great way to easily track websites that you frequently check such as news, blogs, sports sites and movie listings. In addition, users can now customize their home screen by repositioning any of the icons, and even create up to nine different home screens that they can easily flick between.
iPhone's new software update also adds the ability to send the same SMS text message to multiple people, and iPhone saves a history of your text messages, so with one tap you can send a new message to the same group.
With Apple's new iTunes Movie Rentals, movie fans can rent movies on their computer, easily and quickly transfer them to their iPhone, and watch them anywhere on iPhone's gorgeous 3.5 inch screen. Users can also now navigate forward or backward through their movies by chapters, select alternate language tracks and view subtitles, if available.
Pricing & AvailabilityThe iPhone software update 1.1.3 is available immediately for free via iTunes 7.5 or later for all existing iPhone customers in the US, UK, Germany and France. New iPhone products shipping from the factory will include the software update and existing iPhone customers will automatically get the update for free when they sync their iPhone with iTunes (http://www.itunes.com). iTunes Movie Rentals are available in the US only.
Further information for iPhone can be found at http://www.apple.com/iphone.