Eset NOD32 Antivirus

Installed a trial version of this software on a Windows Vista SP1 computer. The antivirus and antispyware consist of real-time file system protection, email protection and web access protection.

Automatic updates can be set and it will inform you when finish. It supports scanning a file or folder in Windows Explorer.

For antivirus, it passed Eicar anti-malware tests except downloading eicar.com.txt, eicar_com.zip & eicarcom2.zip via https. For antispyware, it passed all Spycar tests.

Using Windows Mobile 6 LG KS20 Phone

• Check software version

Tap Start > Settings > System tab > About

• Check firmware version

Tap Start > Settings > System tab > System information > Version info

• Check ROM & RAM

Tap Start > Settings > System tab > System information > Memory

As with all Windows devices, they are prone to programs still running in memory even after exiting and programs hanging. You need to do a soft reset.

• Perform Soft/Normal Reset - clears all active program memory and shuts down all active programs

1. If the phone doesn't hung, press the Power button to turn off and on phone
2. If the phone hangs, re-attach the battery and press the Power button to turn on phone

• Perform Hard/Full Reset - restores to its default settings, any programs installed, data entered and settings will be lost

1. Press the POWER button to turn off phone
2. Press and hold both buttons (Send + Volume down) and at the same time, press the Power button.
3. Hold all buttons until the blue LED light comes on & off.
   

LG KS20 Phone

I bought this 3.5G phone running Windows Mobile 6 Professional because the offer is too hard to resist with free desktop charger, additional battery & bluetooth headset and the technical specifications are just great. The 2MP camera supports autofocus and flash.

My package comes with phone, battery, USB data cable, 1GB microSD card, leather case as well as headset. It supports HSDPA which is faster than the Qtek 9100 using GPRS otherwise you can also use the built-in Wi-fi connection. The 2 buttons on the right side can be customised to open any programs or activate functions. LG has customised the Today screen with a toolbar at the bottom of the screen. The toolbar allows quicker access to programs, phone, messaging and internet explorer.

Connecting to Internet Using GPRS/HSDPA

To configure the settings manually on Qtek 9100 & Nokia E51 to mobile network:

APN
SingTel/Optus - internet
M1 - sunsurf
StarHub - shinternet or shwap

Qtek 9100 (Windows Mobile 5 Professional) - GPRS

1. Tap Start > Settings > Connections tab > Connections
2. Select Add a new modem connection under My ISP
   
3. Enter any name for the name for the connection
4. Select Cellular Line (GPRS)
5. Tap Next
6. Enter the above correct APN as the Access point name & tap Next
   
7. Leave User name & password as blank and tap Finish
8. Tap Advanced tab > Select Networks
9. Under Programs that automatically connect to the Internet should connect using:, select My ISP
10. Tap ok
    

Once connected, you can monitor connection time by tapping on the GPRS icon at the top of the screen.

Nokia E51 (Symbian OS 9.2) - HSDPA

1. Select Menu, Tools > Settings > Connection > Access points > Options > New access point
2. Enter any name for Connection name
   
3. Change Data bearer to Packet data
4. Enter the above correct APN for Access point name
   
5. Leave User name as None
6. Leave Prompt password as No
7. Leave Password as blank
8. Change Authentication to Normal
9. Leave Homepage as None

When you open browser, choose your connection name as the access point. You can check your usage by selecting Menu, Connectivity > Conn. mgr. > Active data connections

Comparing Opera Mobile Browser With Nokia S60 Browser

I tested Opera Mobile browser version 8.65 on my Qtek 9100 running Windows Mobile 5 Professional and Nokia browser on my Nokia E51 running Symbian OS 9.2 S60 Release 3.1. Both browsers do not support Sun Java Runtime Environment and Adobe Flash Player which is a pity.

Opera Mobile browser

1. Can clear history, cookies & cache
   
2. Can switch between portrait and landscape screen
   
3. Enable JavaScript
   
4. Block pop-ups
5. Enable security protocols SSL 2, SSL 3 & TLS 1
6. Support drag and scroll
7. Can be installed in memory card
   

Nokia browser

1. Can clear privacy data such as cache, cookies, history & form/password data
2. Can rotate screen
3. Support Java/ECMA script
4. Block pop-ups
5. Turn on mini map for faster browsing
   

Using Symbian Series 60 Phone

• Check firmware version

Enter *#0000# in the standby mode

• Check IMEI

Enter *#06# in the standby mode

• Check Bluetooth MAC address

Enter *#2820# in the standby mode

• Check WLAN MAC address

Enter *#62209526# in the standby mode

• Perform soft reset to restore all original phone settings. (It's safer to remove SIM and memory cards first. For Symbian OS 9.1, programs installed will be deleted but contacts, messages, country, date, time & connection settings won't be deleted. For Symbian OS 9.2, programs installed, contacts, messages, country, date, time & connection settings won't be deleted. )

Enter *#7780# in the standby mode
Enter 12345 as the default Lock Code

or for Symbian OS 9.2 & above only

Press Menu, Tools > Settings > General > Factory Settings
Enter 12345 as the default Lock Code

• Perform hard reset (Backup your contacts to SIM or memory card and messages to memory card and remove them first. Programs installed, country, date, time & connection settings, contacts, messages will be deleted)

Enter *#7370# in the standby mode
Enter 12345 as the default Lock Code

or for N-series only

Turn off phone. Press and hold *, 3 & multimedia keys and turn on phone. Release when Nokia logo appears.

Nokia E51

I've returned my Nokia N78 running the latest Symbian OS 9.3 S60 Release 3.2 because the camera flash is on permanently even when the flash setting is off otherwise the 3.15MP camera with autofocus will be very suitable for my travel and I don't have to carry another camera for places that disallow flash photography.

Also, I found that bookmarks created in the Nokia browser cannot be open even after the latest firmware update.

Next on the list is Nokia N81 which is cheaper but when it was delivered, it is DOA (Dead On Arrival). After turning on, I can hear the starting sound but no display.

With the bad experiences on N series, I decided to go back to E series ie Nokia E51 running the more stable Symbian OS 9.2 S60 Release 3.1. The camera is only 2.0MP without autofocus and flash. So far, I did not encounter any issues and bookmarks created in the Nokia browser can be open.

Australian APC Magazine September 2008

Features

1. Supercharge Vista & XP
   
2. Search Engine Optimisation

Cover DVD (Free Paid Full Version)

1. Titan Backup 2.0
   

Personal Computer World October 2008

Features

1. Convert VHS to DVD
2. Wireless home network streamers

Cover CD (Free Paid Full Version)

1. Iolo Search and Recover 5
   
2. Paragon Total Defrag 2009
3. BB Flashback Express 2
4. Ashampoo UnInstaller Platinum 2
5. Iolo System Mechanic 8

PC Pro October 2008

Features

1. Defy the credit crunch
   
2. Has Open Source sold out?
3. Is Phorm really that bad?
4. Star Cores: Computers in space

Cover DVD (Free Paid Full Version)

1. O&O UnErase 2
2. Titan Backup 2
   

PC Advisor October 2008

Features

1. The complete Windows wish list
2. Meet tomorrow's mobile phones
3. Organise your life online

Cover DVD (Free Paid Full Version)

1. Serif MediaPlus 2.0
2. BullGuard Backup 8.0 (6-month licence)
3. Ashampoo Burning Studio 2008 Advanced
4. Serif ImpactPlus 4.0
   

Computer Shopper October 2008

Features

1. Buy a PC in 15 minutes
2. Photo-Editing Masterclass
3. The Code-Breakers

Cover DVD (Free Paid Full Version)

1. Carrara 5 Pro
   

Nokia N78

After a year of using Nokia E65, it's time to change. With the positive experience, I've decided to stick to mobile phones running Symbian OS instead of Windows Mobile. I chose Nokia N78 rather than the more expensive Nokia E66 which is a replacement for E65.

After testing, Phone, SMS, E-mail, Wi-Fi and GPS are working well except that I'm unable to open saved bookmarks in Nokia browser. The latest firmware available is 12.046 and mine is 10.136. There are 2 ways to use OTA for the upgrade as follows:

1. Key *#0000#
2. Options > Check for updates

or

1. Menu, Tools > Utilities > Dev. mgr.
   
2. Options > Check for updates

Since both methods showed no updates, I downloaded Nokia Software Updater. It took at least an hour to install and upgrade the firmware on a Windows Vista SP1 computer. You need to use the provided USB data cable in PC suite mode for upgrade. A SIM card is required but not the memory card. During upgrade, I even answered a call without affecting the upgrade. After upgrade, your phone records in SIM card are still there. You can confirm the upgrade is successful with *#0000#. But sad to say the bookmarks problem still exist.

Australian PC User September 2008

Features

1. Security Software
2. Peer-to-peer Mega Guide
3. Gone But Not Forgotten

Cover DVD (Free Paid Full Version)

1. Ashampoo Burning Studio 2008
2. Serif ImpactPlus 4
3. Zoner Photo Studio 10 Xpress
4. Kaspersky Business Space Security 5 users
   

Using ZoneAlarm ForceField

ZoneAlarm ForceField from Check Point features a Private Browser where it claims that nothing from the browsing session is recorded. Also, the Site Status provides information on the websites you visit. The Protection Activity shows amount of possibly harmful data prevented from reaching your PC, number of threats stopped and number of downloads scanned.

Keeping Safe from Malicious Websites

Nowadays, it is easy to get infected by just visiting malicious websites which you don't know. How do you keep yourself safe?

1. McAfee SiteAdvisor - the free plug-in works with Internet Explorer 6 & 7 and Mozilla Firefox 2 & 3 in Windows Vista SP1 & XP SP3. But if you've Internet Explorer 7 running in Protected Mode in Windows Vista, you'll have to purchase SiteAdvisor Plus. You can check websites manually online without installing.


2. AVG LinkScanner - the free LinkScanner Lite plug-in works with Internet Explorer 6 & 7 and Mozilla Firefox 2 & 3 in Windows Vista SP1 & XP SP3. You can check websites manually online without installing.


3. ZoneAlarm ForceField - the paid software works with Internet Explorer 6 & 7 and Mozilla Firefox 1 & 2 in Windows Vista SP1 & XP SP3. As of now, the latest version of Mozilla Firefox 3 is still not supported. You can't check websites manually online without installing.
   
4. Norton Safe Web - this is still in beta and there is no plug-in available. You've to check websites manually online.

Recursive DNS

Besides the tests mentioned before to check whether your ISP has patched their DNS servers, you should also do a cross-pollination check if you own a website.

Ensure that your DNS servers are authoritative and not recursive as shown.

Free ZoneAlarm ForceField on Patch Tuesday

For today only, you can download a free full license of ZoneAlarm ForceField which will be valid until 12 August 2009. You need to provide first name, last name and a valid e-mail address. What does this software do?

1. Protects your identity by blocking phishers and stopping keyloggers
2. Blocks unauthorized downloads and software installations
3. Erases your surfing history for complete privacy
4. Works great as an extra layer of protection to your existing security software

It works with Internet Explorer 6 & 7 and Mozilla Firefox 1 & 2 in Windows Vista SP1 & XP SP3.

AVG Internet Security 8 Update Failed

This morning, AVG reported no error after an automatic update. But, when I checked the statistics, the last update is 12 Aug 08 and virus DB is 270.6.0/1602.

On checking AVG website, the latest virus DB is 270.6.1/1605. I did a manual update twice but it failed. I downloaded the file manually from AVG and the first update changed virus DB to 270.6.1/1602. The second update did not change 1602 to 1605 because the installation is corrupted. After downloading again, the same problem happened.

Testing Antivirus & Antispyware Software

To ensure that your antivirus and antispyware software are properly installed and configured, it is paramount that you test them before using your computer. At the minimum, both software should pass the following tests:

1. Antivirus - Eicar
2. Antispyware - Spycar

You can use Internet Explorer 7 or Mozilla Firefox 3.01 to run the tests. Your antivirus and antispyware software should detect the threats when you download.

Threat Detected in AVG 8

Recently, I upgraded Spyware Doctor from version 5 to 6. It was working fine until this morning when I started my computer. The resident shield in AVG 8 detected Trojan horse BackDoor.Hupigon4.ZSN.

I did an online search but did not find anything. It might be a false positive. Also, I found the computer to be slow in starting up. In the end, I uninstalled Spyware Doctor 6.

Australian PC Authority September 2008

Features

1. Online Banks Exposed
2. LCD and hard disk tests

Cover DVD (Free Paid Full Version)

1. Iolo System Mechanic
2. Serif WebPlus 8
   

East-Tec Eraser 2007 Build 8.5.2.111

Installed this software from the CD of Personal Computer World August 2008 on a computer running Windows Vista SP1. After choosing Basic or Advanced option in the Privacy Guard, it resulted in an application error.

Monitoring the Reliability of Windows Vista on Acer Aspire One

I've been using Windows Vista on my Acer Aspire One since it was installed on 29 July 2008.

You can monitor the reliability using Reliability Monitor by typing perfmon on the search bar after clicking Start.

So far, it was very reliable except on 30 July 2008 when I was forced to shutdown using the power button as shown. The index started from 10 and dropped to 9.17 on 29 July 2008.

Best Value Intel Pentium Dual-Core Notebook in Australia

Acer Aspire AS5720Z-1A1G -A$591 with GST

1. Intel Pentium Dual-Core T2310 (1.46GHz), 533MHz
2. 1GB DDR2 667MHz RAM
   
3. 120GB 5400rpm SATA HDD
4. 15.4" 1280x800 Widescreen XGA
5. Intel GMA X3100 (up to 384MB shared video memory)
6. Wireless 802.11 b/g
   
7. DVD SuperMulti Double/Dual Layer Drive
   
8. Windows Vista Home Premium
   

Nokia Map Loader Version 2.02

The latest Nokia phone E66 is still not supported. But the good news is that Windows Vista is now supported. You can download from Nokia. This works with Nokia Maps 2.0. Nokia N82 is now supported but it is using the older version of Nokia Maps 2.0_2102_3.1_u.sis. Nokia N96, N78 & 6220 Classic are using the latest version as shown. E66 should work similarly with the version for N82 as both are having the same OS version.

Nokia Phones for Nokia Maps 2.0

Model	E66	E51	N78	N81
Features	3.5G Wi-fi GPS 2GB microSD	3.5G Wi-fi 512MB microSD	3.5G Wi-fi GPS 2GB microSD	3G Wi-fi 2GB microSD
OS	Symbian 9.2 S60 Rel 3.1	Symbian 9.2 S60 Rel 3.1	Symbian 9.3 S60 Rel 3.2	Symbian 9.2 S60 Rel 3.1
Camera	3.15MP autofocus flash	2MP	3.15MP autofocus flash	2MP flash
Display	TFT 16M 240x320 2.4"	TFT 16M 240x320 2"	TFT 16M 240x320 2.4"	TFT 16M 240x320 2.4"
Size	107.5 x 49.5 x 13.6mm 121g	114.8 x 46 x 12mm 100g	113 x 49 x 15.1mm 101.8g	102 x 50 x 17.9mm 140g
Stand-by time Talk time	264h 7h 30 min	310h 4h 20 min	320h 4h 20 min	410h 4h