Friday, February 29, 2008

LinkScanner Pro



I downloaded the trial version of LinkScanner Pro. It works with Internet Explorer 7 and Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.12 to keep your surfing safe. It will block exploits and web sites with any exploits. You can test if it works. Before clicking any website links, you can check them with Quick Scan when you right click. It can also filter Web search results with Google, Yahoo or MSN. This is similar to McAfee SiteAdvisor but I prefer SiteAdvisor because as you browse, a small button on your browser toolbar changes color as shown. LinkScanner Pro does not show any color coding on browser toolbar.
The differences between the Pro and lite versions are the Pro version will block threats your firewall lets in, secure vulnerable Web-connected applications, automatic real-time site risk analysis, always-on exploit blocking, automatic expanded threat detection and alert reporting and logging.

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Australian APC Magazine March 2008

Features
  1. Build the perfect 24/7 PC
  2. Unlock Vista's secrets
Cover DVD (Free Paid Version)
  1. Wise-FTP 4
  2. 1.abc.net File Configurator 2.02 (Windows XP/Vista)

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

PC Pro April 2008

Features
  1. Real trouble in virtual worlds
  2. Is the internet doomed?
  3. 80 expert Windows tips
Cover DVD (Free Paid Full Version)
  1. Iolo System Shield 3.1 Internet Security 1 year license
  2. Ashampoo PowerUp XP

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Zyrex Ubud or Everex Cloudbook

Zyrex Ubud looks similar to Everex CloudBook but available in Indonesia. The technical specifications are as follows:
  1. VIA C7-M, ULV 1.2GHz Processor
  2. 128KB L2 Cache Memory
  3. 1GB DDR2-533 SO-DIMM, one slot, max 1GB
  4. 0.3MP Camera, Bluetooth Ready, 2xUSB 2.0 ports, 1xDVI port, 4 in 1 card reader slot (34/54mm) & 1xDC-in jack
  5. Integrated in VX700 Video
  6. Compliant with HD audio, 1xheadphone / line out jack, 1xmicrophone in jack
  7. 30GB 1.8” HDD
  8. 802.11b/g Wireless, 1xRJ 45 port for 10/100 Mbps Ethernet LAN
  9. 230(W) x 171(D) x 29.4(H)mm under 0.97 Kg
  10. 4 cells Li-Ion battery / 14.4V 2200 mAh
  11. 7" WVGA 800 x 480 Pixels Display
  12. 80 Keys with inverted T-cursor keys and windows hot keys Keyboard
  13. Micro Pad with 2 Click Buttons
  14. Built-in 2 high quality speakers (1.5W)
  15. Windows XP Pro
As compared, Cloudbook has only 512MB memory with gOS Rocket operating system. CloudBook retails for US$399 whereas Ubud retails for Rp4.999.000.

Monday, February 25, 2008

gOS Rocket Beta on Eee PC

Downloaded gos-live-2.0.0-beta1.iso and burnt it to a CD. Booted up on Eee PC as a live CD. The desktop shows 0.16.999.041. The network adapter was detected but not the wireless adapter. Assigned a static ip address and DNS. Unable to see Firefox icon at the bottom of screen or by right clicking the desktop. But, able to run Firefox by clicking G about icon or G->Applications->Internet->Firefox Web Browser or clicking any icons at the bottom of screen. The version is 2.0.0.11 and Java Runtime Environment is not preloaded but the latest version of Adobe Flash Player 9.0.115.0 is preinstalled. Able to surf the Internet and the history, cookies and cache can be deleted after browsing.

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Computer Shopper April 2008

Features
  1. Software Money-Savers
  2. Know Your Place
Cover DVD (Free Paid Full Version)
  1. Encyclopædia Britannica 2008 Concise Encyclopedia
  2. Acronis True Image 8

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Kaspersky Anti-Virus 7.0 with MojoPac on Eee PC

Decided to test this software since manual updates for programs and virus definitions are available online. Managed to install this software within MojoPac on Eee PC after a long time. But after restarting the MojoPac environment, the software hung the Eee PC. Uninstalling the software resolved the issue.

Friday, February 22, 2008

Peculiarities of MojoPac

I have tested 2 MojoPac devices (Kingston 1GB microSD card & Sandisk Cruzer 512MB U3) with 2 laptops (Asus Eee PC & Lenovo Z61t) and the results are as follows:

Kingston 1GB microSD card
  1. Can be installed with MojoPac in Eee PC and can access Internet within MojoPac using internal network adapter in Eee PC or Huawei E220 USB modem without disabling the firewall in the host computer.
  2. MojoPac cannot run in Lenovo Z61t. The error message is that it is not a USB 2.0 compliant device.
Sandisk Cruzer 512MB U3
  1. Can be installed with MojoPac in Lenovo Z61t and can access Internet within MojoPac using internal network adapter or external Linksys WPC300N PC card by disabling the firewall in the host computer. But using the host computer, I can access Internet using internal network adapter or external Linksys WPC300N PC card in Lenovo Z61t without disabling the firewall in the host computer.
  2. MojoPac can run in Eee PC and can access Internet within MojoPac using internal network adapter in Eee PC or Huawei E220 USB modem by disabling the firewall in the host computer. But using the host computer, I can access Internet using internal network adapter or Huawei E220 USB modem in Eee PC without disabling the firewall in the host computer.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Unsuccessful Update for AVG Antivirus in MojoPac

Previously, I was able to update the definitions files manually for AVG antivirus in MojoPac after installation. But, from yesterday onwards, the update was unsuccessful.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

PCLinuxOS 2007 on Eee PC

Downloaded pclinuxos-2007.iso and burnt it to a CD. Booted the live CD on Eee PC and Compaq TC1000. Only the network adapter in Compaq TC1000 was detected and assigned a static ip address. Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.3 with Java runtime environment is supported. After surfing the Internet, the web history, cookies and cache can be deleted.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Kubuntu 6.06.1 LTS (Dapper) on Eee PC


Tested Ubuntu 7.01 live CD on Eee PC and Compaq TC1000. In both laptops, the network adapters are not detected but the wireless adapter is detected in TC1000 and it supports WPA2 Personal wireless encryption. Next, I tried Kubuntu 6.06.1 live CD. It also does not detect the network adapter on Eee PC. But in Compaq TC1000, the network adapter was detected and assigned a static ip address. Managed to access Internet using Conqueror 3.5.2 but the Java runtime environment is not pre-loaded. Unable to delete web history, cookies and cache after surfing Internet.

Monday, February 18, 2008

Knoppix 5.1.1 on Eee PC

Unable to boot the live CD due to display issue on Eee PC and it hung. Tested on Compaq TC1000 and it booted up properly. Able to detect the network adapter and assign a static ip address.
There are 2 browsers available. Konqueror browser does not have Java runtime environment pre-loaded. Ice Weasel browser is similar to Mozilla Firefox but older version 2.0.0.1 pre-loaded with Java runtime environment. After surfing the Internet using Ice Weasel, I was able to delete history, cookies and cache.

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Xubuntu 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon on Eee PC

Tested the desktop CD which is a live CD as well on Eee PC without installation. The Atheros L2 fast ethernet network adapter is detected but not the wireless adapter. After assigning a static ip address to the network adapter, I am still unable to ping to my own ip address, the router or access the Internet. Encountered the same issue with another laptop Compaq TC1000 with a different network adapter.

Saturday, February 16, 2008

AVG Antivirus Free with MojoPac on Eee PC

Decided to test this software since manual updates for programs and virus definitions are available online. This software can be installed in MojoPac but the resident shield does not load so on-access scan will not work. You can update the program and virus definitions files manually if the automatic updates are blocked by the firewall in the host computer. The on-demand scan via Windows Explorer is definitely faster than ClamWin Free Antivirus.

Friday, February 15, 2008

Avast! Antivirus with MojoPac on Eee PC

In MojoPac, I installed Avast! 4 Home Edition Free but on-access protection (resident shield) is not functioning. It gives the error message as shown. Following the instructions did not resolve the issue. Since manual updates for programs and virus definitions are not available online, I uninstalled this software.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

ClamWin Free Antivirus with MojoPac on Eee PC

My host eee PC is running iolo antivirus and it is able to detect the anti-malware test files. But inside MojoPac, running the same test fails. Thus, I installed ClamWin Free Antivirus which is supported with MojoPac. You can schedule automatic virus database update but it did not work. I have to download and update manually. Also, on-access scan is not supported while on-demand scan is slow. In the end, I have no choice but to uninstall this software.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Personal Computer World March 2008

Features
  1. Build a better website
  2. PC warranties
  3. Advanced searching
Cover CD (Free Paid Version)
  1. O&O DiskImage 2 SE without bootable Start CD (Windows 2000/XP/Vista)
  2. Magix Music Maker 14 Silver (Windows XP/Vista)
  3. PC Tools File Recover 6.2 (Windows 98/ME/2000/XP)
  4. Large Software PC Tune-Up 1.0 (Windows 2000/XP/Vista)

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

MojoPac Freedom on Eee PC

On my Eee PC, I installed the free MojoPac Freedom on my Kingston 1GB microSD card. After installation, you can speed up your mojo. You can use any USB 2.0 compliant storage device with at least 128MB free space to install MojoPac Freedom. This is a desktop virtualization software which creates an environment whereby my microSD card becomes the c:\ drive to install applications. This allows you to carry your applications and data files for use on any Windows XP PCs. Another advantage is that it will prolong the life of the SSD on the Eee PC since there are less writes on the SSD.

Monday, February 11, 2008

iolo System Shield Internet Security 3.1

I installed a trial version of iolo System Shield Internet Security 3.1.15. It consists of iolo AntiVirus 1.5.1, antispyware and firewall. The firewall component is not installed as I am using another third party firewall.
The security tools included are:
  1. Scan for Spyware
  2. Scan for Security Flaws
  3. Configure Automatic System Defense
The last option allows you to configure System Guard, Startup Guard, Process Guard & Browser Guard. System Guard will automatically response to configuration changes after a certain period of time. You can set the default response to allow change to proceed or prevent change from proceeding. In Startup Guard, you can edit blocked or allowed list for startup programs. When enabled, Process Guard controls whether certain programs and processes can run. For a program or process not explicitly Blocked or Allowed, the IntelliDefense feature can block it from running based on its threat assessment. You can protect Home and Search Page settings using Browser Guard. The options are to lock home & search page (always block changes) or prompt for authorization when home & search page changes are detected.

Sunday, February 10, 2008

PC Pro March 2008

Features
  1. AMD vs Intel
  2. The e-crime epidemic
  3. CCTV for free
Cover DVD (Free Paid Version)
  1. Acronis True Image 8

Saturday, February 9, 2008

Australian PC User March 2008

Features
  1. Notebook Mega Test
  2. To The Rescue
Cover DVD (Free Paid Version)
  1. VSO Software BlindWrite 6
  2. Ashampoo PowerUp XP Platinum 2

Friday, February 8, 2008

Australian PC Authority March 2008

Features
  1. Google Earth
  2. Intel vs AMD
  3. Internet Security
Cover DVD (Free Paid Version)
  1. Kaspersky Internet Security 7 (6-month)
  2. O&O Disk Image 2 SE
  3. AV Music Morpher 2.0

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Australian PC User February 2008

Features
  1. Crank it up - Huge PC Component Shootout
  2. Fast & free upgrades
  3. Crysis on Vista
Cover DVD (Free Paid Version)
  1. Ashampoo Office 2006
  2. Xequte EZ-Pix 6

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Disabling AutoRun In Windows XP/Vista

It is important to be wary about plugging your removable storage drives and memory cards into unknown computers as they can easily be infected by worms and malware.

To avoid having your computer infected by a virus, you should disable Windows AutoRun feature on your computer, using up-to-date anti-malware software and making sure it is turned on and set to scan removable drives.

Here's how to do it in Windows XP/Vista.
  1. Click Start, then click Run
  2. Type regedit, click OK
  3. Click HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\ Services\Cdrom. Double click "Autorun" the value is set to 1 by default, change it to zero & click OK
  4. Restart

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Webroot Spy Sweeper 5.5

I installed this software from the CD of Personal Computer World February 2008. This version is 5.5.7 Build 48 and cannot be updated to the latest which is 5.5.7 Build 124.
However, the spy sweeper definitions can be updated to the latest. The licence is valid for 1 year.

Monday, February 4, 2008

Computer Shopper March 2008

Features
  1. Happy Birthday Shopper!
  2. When Good Buys Go Bad
  3. Play Away
Cover DVD (Free Paid Full Version)
  1. Iolo System Shield 3.1 Internet Security 1 year license
  2. Paragon Drive Copy 8 Personal Special Edition
  3. Ashampoo Office 2006

Sunday, February 3, 2008

Comparing Nokia Maps with MapKing Maps

Nokia Maps (Tele Atlas & NAVTEQ)
  1. Accurate simulation of route from A to B using shortest route
  2. Free download for all countries
  3. Can search by building names using keyword searches or street names using address
  4. Can start simulation for any country from route A to B without using gps with voice prompts for turn by turn directions if you have downloaded the country map
  5. Need to purchase navigation license for use with gps
MapKing Maps
  1. Can search by post code, building or street names
  2. Voice alerts for speed cameras
  3. TTS (Text To Speech) is supported
  4. Free download for Singapore, Malaysia from malsingmaps.com
  5. Need to purchase MapKing software for use with pda

Friday, February 1, 2008

Testing Nokia Maps on Symbian OS Mobile Phone with Bluetooth GPS

Since I have a Nokia E65 running Symbian OS S60 3rd edition, I decide to test it with Nokia Maps & Holux GPSlim240 bluetooth GPS.
  1. Download Nokia Maps on PC & transfer to microSD card of Nokia phone.
  2. Install nokia_maps_1_0_s60_3rd_ed.sis on Nokia phone.
  3. Select Menu -> Installations -> Maps.
  4. Select Options -> Settings -> Network, change Use network to Never so that you won't incur GPRS charges.
  5. Select Exit & Yes.
  6. Download Microsoft .Net Framework 3 & Nokia MapLoader on PC.
  7. Install dotnetfx3.exe & MapLoaderSetup.exe on PC.
  8. Connect Nokia phone to PC using data transfer mode.
  9. Ensure PC is connected to Internet.
  10. Run Maploader and follow instructions to upgrade MapLoader from version 1.1 to 1.3.
  11. Run Maploader.
  12. Choose maps & voices to download which will automatically transfer to microSD card of Nokia phone. (Singapore - 2.6MB, Malaysia - 14.8MB, Australia - 104.1MB, Netherlands - 73.8MB, Germany - 320.1MB)
  13. Select your country on the map shown and select Options -> Use this place.
  14. You can zoom in & out using * & # respectively.
If you don't have a GPS, you can still see turn by turn instructions or simulate a route from A to B with voice navigation and find place using address, keyword search for building names or nearby.

But, even with a GPS, you still need to purchase the navigation feature before you can add navigation for turn by turn voice instructions. I can test the connectivity between phone & GPS using bluetooth and obtain the GPS fix after several minutes. You can see the GPS status as well as current location.