The free anti-virus programs keep getting better

For the past several years, I recommended AVG, it was free and effective.  My only issue with it was the continual nagging to upgrade to the paid version.  It was not required, just lightly and continually suggested to the point of being irritating.  As such, I moved on and suggested Microsoft Security Essentials.  It had my key features, primarily being free, amongst also being effective.  The biggest feature that it had over AVG was that it did not bother you to upgrade to anything.  It sat quietly in your system tray, so quietly in fact that I often got calls from customers asking if they had an anti-virus program on their system.  Being bored with MSE, I looked for another option.  I had a feeling that there maybe something better out there that was free.  Many tech professionals never get virus infection because we tend to know what to do and not do.  However, in my case I need to use one just to keep up with all the customers I have that DO need an antivirus.  I need to know what is good and does not nag.  I moved on to Ad Aware Antivirus security suite.  I read many outstanding reviews that indicated that it was a great anti-virus program.  I agree, it does occasionally ask about upgrading, but nothing like AVG did.  Well, it seems like I am coming full circle, the new reviews of AVG 2012 Free are outstanding and maybe it may be a time to give it another try.  Whichever you choose, it is nice to know that most of the free options are good options.

Who would have thought IE9 would be the safest browser?

Not me, at least based on the last 10 years of history with using the browser.  According to the security firm, NSS they tested the major browsers on their ability to detect and avoid malware.  NSS Labs identified this type of malware as "a Web page link that directly leads to a download that delivers a malicious payload whose content type would lead to execution, or more generally a website known to host malware links."

NSS Labs also tested how long it took each browser to block malicious URLs after they appeared on the Internet. In this category, IE9 again won, catching 99 percent of new URLs in the first hour they were added to the pile of corrupt websites. Safari fared the worst, catching 6.4 percent of the bad sites within the first hour.  The issue is not just that it caught the malware, but it caught it at a rate substantially higher than any other browser.  Just a few years ago, Internet Explorer was labeled as the worst Internet browser in the world, and now... a 180 degree turn.  Read the article here.

A bad week for security at Apple.

Apple computers are considered top of the line in security.  Most Apple users do not use Anti-Virus software because there is typically no need.  With such a stellar reputation in security of their products, you would think that would follow in the day to day operations of their company, apparently not.  Apple has, yet again, lost another prototype Iphone in San Francisco ( in a bar, just like last year).   You would think there would be a policy of not taking prototype Iphones into San Franciso bars from this point forward.  Not to be outdone, In Stamford Connecticut, a customer had her computer repaired at the Genius Bar and instead of giving her the backup hard drive that they made for her, they accidentally gave her a hard drive that was a backup of the internal file server.  What did this hard drive have on it?  According to the customer it had "confidential docs, internal manuals, Apple's sales [techniques], an Apple store work checklist, products layout, time schedules, pictures and videos of Apple corporate activities that only Apple employees can see, videos of store meetings, business structure and much much much more."

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-20100509-248/apple-customer-accidentally-given-store-hard-drive/#ixzz1WoQTt39w

CORRECTION: I still do not trust that store..

A couple of days ago I posted a complaint about a certain National Electronics chain that advertised a 2TB hard drive, but amazingly did not have any anywhere in this area code when I tried to purchase one.  Well, I was wrong, they do have some.  It appears that they are engaging in another practice of putting out 1 or 2 a day and claiming that that is all they have.  It is another old game to keep people coming into the store.  I purchased one on Tuesday at a certain store, was told that was the last one.  On Thursday, I stopped by again and surprise, there is another one on the shelf.  Again, I was told this was the last one.  Amazing....

Does anyone actually use their cell phone to talk anymore?

Apparently not, according to a new report from J.D. Powers.  In comparison to our use in 2009, we talk 77 minutes fewer than we did back then.  The average user sends and recieves over 500 text messages a month.  We only talk 477 minutes on average now.  No wonder unlimited talk plans are the rage, nobody is talking anymore to take advantage of them.  Check out the report at JDPower.com.

Finally, a place to buy an overpriced HDMI cable

I get asked often where to get a HDMI cable.  They are overpriced everywhere.  The cable is not much different from any other cable you would buy for any other device, but for some reason everyone charges too much for them.  The cheapest that I found was Wal-Mart for around $35.  This will not do as they are about $2 on Monoprice.com.  For those who do not like to shop online, I found a happier medium for you.  Try Five Below, the new "dollar store" in the area, they have them for....$5.  It seems fitting that I discover this 2 days after I order one online for $3.  Well at least I have an extra set now.