Computer, Gadgets and All Things Digital

Do I Need Antivirus For Mac? This is a common question asked by many Macintosh users particularly by new Mac Leopard and other version of Mac users. Even though there are much fewer viruses, Trojan and spyware for Mac computers than Windows, Macs machines are not  immune are also vulnerable to the above threats. Bellow are several best antivirus software for Mac.

ClamXav — Free Mac Antivirus Software

ClamXav, is a free Mac antivirus software designed based on popular open source ClamAV engine to scan  and  detect virus thread in your Mac machine. Despite being a free antivirus for Mac ClamXav Mac is rich in  features is straightforward when you compare its effectiveness, speed, or usability with paid  antivirus software that cost a lot more.

In addition The ClamXav Mac antivirus scanner provides limited realtime scanning, enable you to scan email, on-demands scans, and support for several languages:

Norton AntiVirus 11.0 for Mac

Although it does not win favor with many Mac users  Norton AntiVirus 11.0 for Mac  is one of the most effective antivirus software. It automatically detects and removes viruses and protect against the latest threats with set-and-forget convenience. It also is able to scans, detect and clean email attachments and downloaded.
Norton Anitivirus for Mac is reportedly in development for five years, this software will also protect your  Mac from being a carrier of Windows viruses
Norton Antivirus 11.0 for Mac features the many basic feature such as : real-time, on-demand  scanner and also and email attachment scanner. There is also signature-based vulnerability scanning to help you protect against well-known security intrusions. Price : Start from $105.50

Intego VirusBarrier — Mac Antivirus Software

This software has won many praises prom Macintosh users and  is regarded as one of the best antivirus protection  software for Mac which also includes full anti-malware protection along with firewall, network protection, parental control, anti spam, anti-phishing, anti-spyware features and many more. Intego only releases software applications that are compatible with  Apple products and  even though  it is less known compared with other household  name security vendors such as McAffe or Norton Intego products including the “Virus Barrier” are among the reputable Apple applications. Price : Start Free to try (30-day trial); $49.95 to buy

MacScan v2.8 — Mac Antispyware from SecureMac

MacScan detects, isolates, and removes spyware like applications such as keystroke loggers, and Trojan horses to protect your Mac computer.  MacScan is also capable of cleaning junk or unused  internet files, cookies and history.
MacScan will isolate all evidence of spyware type applications to a secured, single location; including the programs, extensions, preferences and any log files then create a report of all activity.
In contrast to the majority of the other  Mac antivirus programs, MacScan does not protect against Windows-based malware and viruses. Yet, MacScan does defend against the kinds of threats that pose the biggest security  threats such as  spyware, keyloggers, backdoors, remote access Trojans and spyware. Price : Trial / USD 29.99

McAfee VirusScan for Mac

McAfee VirusScan for Mac provides complete, proactive malware protection for Mac systems and users. Using proven protection methods, it stops all types of viruses and malicious code, including spyware, adware, Trojans, and new, unknown threats from infecting your computer. McAfee is among the leading names in computer protection, although they’re not perfect, they possess a great reputation. McAfee VirusScan for Mac is effective at detecting the latest risks and protecting from new ones. The main protection derives from threat signatures that match every file as it’s accessed in real time. Mac also comes with proactive heuristics to assess file behavior to discover previously unidentified security threats. Moreover, manual scans could be carried out on any file or sector, including archives. Price : USD 100

Sophos AntiVirus for Mac

Sophos Antivirus for Mac Home Edition provides advanced protection free of charge for home users. A paid version is available for business users.  And the good news is , Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition is not just compatible with Mac it is also able to find and eliminate Windows viruses. I have personally use this antivirus program on my Mac PC and find it very intuitive and straightforward. While it takes the scanning and updating not quite fast, this antivirus software deserves to be classified as one of the best antivirus software for Mac. Sphos antivirus works on the background watching for potential security threats such as malware, Trojan horses and viruses. Price : Free

BitDefender Antivirus for Mac

Another one of the best antivirus for Mac  OS X which has won many awards , BitDefender Antivirus for Mac is a robust Mac antivirus application which is effective at defending Mac OS X from all kinds of malware. Even conventional PC malware that doesn’t affect OS X can nonetheless be kept on your Mac, squandering space and posing a risk if it gets passed on. BitDefender can detect and eliminate both Windows and Mac viruses and is compatible with almost all Mac Versions notably Mac Tiger, Mac leopard and Mac Snow Leopard. Currently the program is price at around USD 39.95 for a year’s license, a very competitive price tag for a robust antivirus program.

So if you ask the question Do I Need Antivirus For Mac? The answer is a resounding “YES”

Got sick of the Ipad and Android hype? Or you’re not a type of casual user who prefers productivity devices that can do exactly the same computing jobs as your PC  does or you’re simply a die hard Windows fan and looks for Ipad alternatives ? Just take a look at the following top three best Windows 7 tablet PC for the year 2011

Asus Eee EP121 Windows 7 Tablet

The EP121 is one of the largest windows 7  tablet on the market, featuring a 12-inch display screen and weighing around  two-pounds, so quite heavy compared with other tablets. In comparison, the Apple iPad has a.7-inch LCD screen and weighs  one pound less  than the EP121. The tablet sports a 1,280-by-800 screen resolution, which is quite  interesting  due to the fact it really is depending on a 16-by-10 element ratio that almost all laptops have moved from, in favor of the 16-by-9 one particular.

Asus Eee EP121

Just like its notebook siblings,  Asus EP121 is rich in features and has  almost the same as middle end notebook hardware specifications such as USB 2.0 port, mini HDMI, 2 MP front facing camera and a SD card reader but unlike other tablets the EP 121 comes with no rear camera. Other standard features you will find on other tablets are also available such as Wifi and Buetooth.

What makes Asus EP121 stand out among the crowd is it is powered by the powerful Intel Core i5 clocked at 1,33 GHz and up to 4Gb of DDR3 memory, enabling you to run resources-hungry applications such as Photoshop or Dream Weaver. One notable shortcoming of this Windows 7 tablet is its battery life which is just 4.5 hours. It is also quite heavy and pricey compare with other tablets.

Asus Eee EP 121 comes in two models , the first one runs on 4 GB o SDRAM, while the second runs on 3 GB SDRAM.

Asus Eee EP121 Key Features and Specification and Price

• Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
• Display: 12.1-inch multi-touch pressure-sensing capacitive LED-backlit HD display (1280 x 800)
• Processor:Intel Core i5-470UM processor (1.33 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 1.86 GHz)
• Graphics: Intel HD graphics
• Wireless: 802.11 b/g/n (@ 2.4GHz), Bluetooth v3.0
• Camera: 2.0 megapixel
• Card Reader: 2-in-1 Card Reader (SD/MMC)
• Input / Output: 1 x Mic-in, 1 x 2-in-1 audio jack, 2 x USB 2.0 ports, 1 x mini-HDMI port
• Dimensions: 12.28 x 8.15 x .66 –inches (W x D x H)
• Weight: 2.53 lbs
• Asus Eee EP121 Price : Start from $1,061.37

Acer Iconia Tab W500

The design and feel of this windows 7 home premium-run  tablet  is incredible. The touchscreen display is  responsive and high definition videos look fantastic on it. Acer Iconia Tab W500 comes with 2 gigabytes of system memory and 32 Gigs of  SSD. Just like Asus Eee EP 121 you have a full-blown features out of this Windows 7 tablet. Wifi connections worked well and contrary to some suggestions,  the keyboard dock  is quite easy to connect to the tablet  yet keep in mind you can’t use it on your lap if you don’t use a notebook tray or flat hard surface to put it on then on the lap.

 Acer Iconia Tab W500

Acer Iconia Tab W500 Key Features and Specification and Price

• 10.1” HD Multi-Touch LED-backlit TFT LCD Display: (1280 x 800) resolution, wide viewing angle
• AMD Dual-Core Processor C-50
• 2GB DDR3 Dual-Channel Memory
• Windows® 7 Home Premium 32-bit
• Microsoft® Office Starter 2010
• ATI Radeon™ HD 6250 Graphics
• 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™
• High-Definition Audio Support
• 2- USB 2.0 Port
• HDMI™ Port with HDCP Support
• Full-Size Acer FineTip Keyboard
• Acer Iconia Tab W500  Price :  Start from USD 549

HP Slate 500 Windows 7 Tablet

A HP Touchpad predecessor and one of the first Windows 7 tablets to hit the markets, HP Slate was initially touted by Microsoft’s CEO as the real Ipad competitor. HP Slate 500 is powered by a 1.86GHz Intel Atom Z540 processor, 2GB of RAM, 64GB SSD and packs Broadcom’s Crystal HD accelerator for handling 1080p video. The tablet comes with keyboard dock to transform it to a laptop-like or more precisely netbook-like device. It  comes with a HDMI out port if you wish to hook it up to a bigger screen. The Slate has a front facing VGA cam and rear 3 megapixel camera.

HP Slate 500

The HP Slate 500 Windows Tablet PC has  a 9-inch display screen and is mainly  targeted at business users, rather than ordinary consumers such as those Android and Ipad users. I  got an opportunity to play with the HP Slate 500 lately, and found it to be a lightweight, sturdy tablet, with a slick design and many hardware advantages over the iPad, particularly when it comes to ports and connections.

The Slate 500 comes with an SD card slot, USB port, and a docking connector. The bundled dock comes with an HDMI output, two additional USB ports, and a second headphone/mic jack.  The HP Slate 500 runs on  1.86GHz Intel Atom Z540 processor, 2GB of RAM and  a 64GB SSD hard drive.

HP Slate 500 Key Features and Specification and Price

• RAM: 2000 MB RAM Type: SDRAM
• Hard Drive  Size: 64 GB
• Size (LWH): 9.21 inches, 0.58 inches, 5.91 inches
• Weight: 1.72 pounds
• HP Slate 500 Price : Start at UDS 800

Since the Ipad booming almost all major tech manufacturers have jumped on the same wagon to tap the newly-created niche market initiated by Apple. Most major vendors have launched their own tablets with the majority of them opting for Google’ Android Operating system. One of the new comers to the tablet market is Taiwan-based Asus which has recently rolled out its newest tablet Asus Eee Pad Transformer.

Asus Eee Pad Transformers, Specs and technical Details

Asus Eee Transformer Pad runs on the latest Android 3.0 OS or commonly referred to as Android Honeycomb. Honeycomb is the right choice because it uses the OS that is designed  specifically for tablet devices unlike its predecessor  Froyo that is actually designed for Smartphones.

Design

As the name implies, Transformer has a feature  enabling it transform into a notebook. This can be done through the available dock which sells separately. Although sold separately, the dock has a design similar to the tablet and when combined the tablet and the dock constitute a netbook with battery and USB ports.

The back of the Eee tablet Pad has a quite rugged texture with geometric patterns . The Transformer’s textured rear offers an extra level of grip in contrast to smooth tablets such as the iPad 2, that are vulnerable to slippage. Like most tablets the Eee Pad front end contains wide black frame coated by metallic materials with perforation holes.

The front end of the Eee Pad dock also uses the same metallic material used  in the tablet. This makes Transformer looks like an ordinary  notebook when combined with its dock. Eee Pad uses 10.1 inch screen and is powered by In-Plane-Switching technology that enable it to  flip 178 degrees.

This device comes with an HDMI connection to play movies in High Definition television. Speakers can be found on the right and left ends. There are two cameras, a 1.2-megapixel front facing camera and a rear-end one  a 5-megapixel rear-facing one. They are both situated close to the top center of the tablet. On the right side are the SD  card slot, a Mini-HDMI port, a microphone pinhole, and a headphone jack. On the left are the power/lock button and volume rocker. Unfortunately , there is no USB port in the tablet. The absence of the USB port is apparently intentional to encourage users to purchase the dock which includes two USB ports, an SD card reader port, and its own battery.

The standard features  of a tablet are available with the Transformer such as Bluetooth 2.1 for audio and peripheral support. The Wi-Fi antenna supports bands up to 802.11n. Embedded sensors for screen brightness, accelerometer, and gyroscope are all also  included.

Asus Eee Pad Transformer comes with  no cellular option or  is a Wi-Fi-only tablet.

Pros:

• Using Honeycomb Android OS
• Dock keyboard has a battery
• Interesting Design

Cons:

• Not yet widely available for specific applications in the Android Honeycomb Market
• Sometimes still need to touch the screen even if connected to the dock like a notebook

Asus Eee Pad Transformer Specifications:

• Screen: 10.1 “LED backlight WXGA (1280×800); multi-touch touch 10 points; anti-scratch
• Processor: Nvidia Tegra 2
• Memory: 1GB
• Storage: 16GB or 32 GB
• Connections: WiFi 802.11 b / g / n, Bluetooth
• Camera: 5 MP (back) and 1.2 MP (front)
• Ports: 2 in 1 Audio (mic and headphones), Mini HDMI 1.3a, microSD
• Dock: chichlet full QWERTY keyboard, touchpad single button, 2 x USB, multi memory card reader (SD Card, SDHC, MMC).
• Weight: 680 grams
• Dimensions: 271 x 171 x 12.98 mm (tablets only)

Creating and changing your user profile in Windows 7 is an easy task to do. But the problem is  after doing so the user folder name doesn’t change. So how to change both to the same new name? Just follow the bellow step-by-step instructions:

Rename User Folder in Windows 7 Step-by-step:

• First of all change your user account name by accessing the Control panel. Click Start Menu then Control Panel.

• On the Control Panel Windows click on user account name link

• Type in your new user account on the box bellow your profile picture and then click on the “Change Name” Button

• The next step would be to change your folder profile. First of all you need to create a new account with administrator rights to execute the next steps. This new account is  only needed to change the folder profile name. You may remove this account after you use it to change the folder profile name. To create a new account click Manage Another Account > Create a new Account

Type in the new account. Make sure you assign  “Administrator” right  for this new account.

• Log off your computer and then log in with the newly-created account
• Open Windows Explorer and then navigate to C:\users
• Right click on the folder you want to rename and change it to the same name as your new  user profile with which you log in to your Windows 7
• At this point you have successfully renamed your Windows 7 user folder but to avoid possible error you need to perform a registry edit. Go to registry editor by typing “Registry” (without quote) in Start Menu. Navigate to the following registry value :HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList . Righ click on the profile list and navigate to  “Find” Menu
• Type in your old user in the search box and then hit ‘Find Next”.  Navigate to the “ProfileImagePath” located on the right pane of the registry editor and click twice on it
• Edit  the registry value to rename it to your new user profile.

• Done

Antivirus is an essential part of your computer to protect you from malicious viruses and Trojans which can make your computer vulnerable to personal data theft. Bellow are a list of antivirus / Best  Antivirus For Windows 7 . All the antivirus listed bellow is also compatible with Windows 7 64 bit:

What is the best Antivirus for windows 7?

1.Kaspersky Antivirus
Kaspersky Internet Security brings together the critical security of the sophisticated anti-virus application along with various other levels of protection. This antivirus program also features parental controls to keep your children from unwanted contents. Innovative technologies offer real-time defense, keep an eye on suspicious activities, and stop harmful activities before they are able to bring about harm  whilst working quietly in the background. KIS 2011 works fantastically and flawlessly with Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit. Over the past month that I have used it, I’ve encountered no noticeable bugs, hiccups and computer slowdown. One shortcoming of this Russian-made antivirus is it is pretty slow when scanning large hard drive.

Key Features:

• Real-Time Defense against viruses, spyware, Trojans, worms, rootkits, botnets and many more.
• System Watcher proactively picks up harmful process on your computer
• Application Control helps prevent unsafe programs from damaging your computer
• Vulnerability Detection seeks out compromised applications and suggests patches

2. Avira Anti Virus Premium:

Avira Premium not just  provides thorough defense against viruses and malware when surfing and emailing. The antivirus will  also filter out incoming and outgoing email messages , whilst the back up feature creates a backup copy of your important data. Overall, Avira Antivir Premium comes at reasonable prices for an individual use. This can be a great solution and, unlike its free version,  it will not annoy you with  pop-up messages notifying you to upgrade to the paid version.

Key Features:

• AntiVir terminate all sorts of viruses in their tracks
• AntiAd Spyware gets rid of spyware and adware
• AntiRootkit finds hidden rootkits
• QuickRemoval eliminates viruses with a single click of the mouse button
• NetbookSupport for low-resolution laptop computers.

3. Trend Micro Titanium Antivirus

What makes this antivirus is among the best antivirus for  Windows 7 is the so-called cloud-based protection, meaning its users are essentially sharing the latest threats online to cope with up-to-the-minutes viruses. Using robust user friendly interface  Trend Micro Titanium Antivirus+ makes use of the so-called cloud technologies to immediately eliminate viruses and spyware before they infect  your computer, which is a totally new approach to secure your computer. The anti virus keep updating itself to  keep your pc protected against the newest online threats. Utilizing fewer than half the disk space and memory of conventional security products, Titanium Antivirus + is light-weight on your system resources which means that your computer works faster.

Key Features

• Powerful, fast and easy to use interface
• Real-time updates to  protect you against the latest online virus threats and in the long run
• Light on resources which means that your computer works faster
• Meant to be easy-to-use and implement with easy screens and graphical reports
• Utilizes fewer than half the hard drive space and memory space of other security products

4. Shield Deluxe 2011

Shield Deluxe is an affordable yet one of the most robust and powerful anti virus protection for Windows particularly Windows 7. It is powered by  BitDefender which has a reputation for protecting thousands of its corporate clients against outside intruders.

Key Features:

• Uses minimal computer resources hence will not slow your computer down
• Real time threats detection
• Low price

Total Virus and spyware protection

5. Norton Anti-virus 2011
Norton Anti-virus 2011 may perhaps be the most well-known antivirus  in antivirus and is one of the best virus protection for Windowa 7 around. Norton Anti-virus 2011 picks up and stops infections, spyware, together with other risks laying in wait to infect  your computer, to help you chat, email, and share files securely. It offers rock-solid protection against hidden risks hiding in downloads, emails, and messages without slowing down lower your PC’s performance.
The latest antivirus from Norton is comparable to similar products from other antivirus vendors, and a lot of the standard features are also available in those programs. Once set up and configured, Norton Antivirus 2011 is going to perform automatic tasks such as installing updates, running background scans and displaying notifications of downloaded files or informing about viruses, Trojans and other malicious files.

Key Features

• Norton AntiVirus 2011 provides fast, robust defense that protects against infections and spyware
• Eliminate viruses as well as other threats before they are able to do harm
• Stay safe with up-to-minute protection which will not slow down your computer
• Discover and remove spyware cybercriminals may use to steal your private data

6. Panda Antivirus Pro 2011

Panda Anti-virus Professional 2011 is not only an anti-virus: It offers a number of utilities and additional features for the satisfaction and total satisfaction. This latest version includes Panda USB Vaccine to safeguard your USB drives from infections, and Panda Safe Compact disc to sanitize all kinds of adware and spyware on your pc even when Home windows doesn’t boot. The brand new multimedia/gaming mode allows you play games without interruption, and also the Home Network Manager enables you to determine the status of your house computer systems.

7. Zone Alarm Antivirus
Known as the leading Firewall software, Zone Alarm has also incorporated Antivirus into its product lines. Like its firewall product the antivirus has won many positive reviews and awards. One notable con of  Zone Alarm antivirus is it takke up a lot of memory resources . Yet overall for it’s worth every penny.
Key Features:
ZoneAlarm Antivirus incorporates browser security features including Advanced Download Protection; Detects the newest  threats in downloads that you initiate–before they reach the computer, and heuristic analysis and program check. Extra layer of keylogger protection–encryption helps ensure only the designed program can see your key strokes. When combined with its powerful firewall,  Zone Alarm antivirus  is the invincible  guard  to protect you from hackers and any malicious programs. Many hail this antivirus as the best antivirus for Windows 7.

See also : best firewall for Windows 7

Antimalware Doctor has infected and brought havoc to thousands of computers around the world. It infects your computer and disguises itself as is it were an anti-virus application. Antimalware Doctor executes a bogus scan of your computer and informs you that the computer is infected . Antimalware Doctor then tries to rip you off  under the pretext of removing the infection. Furthermore, Antimalware Doctor can slow down your computer, alter your Internet configurations, create desktop shortcuts and send your computer countless popup ads. It changes the default homepage of Internet Explorer to an ads farm. You can remove Antimalware Doctor manually by deleting the infected files and registry values. The following antimalware doctor manual removal procedure is only a temporary solution, you’re advised to perform the latest anti virus to completely get rid of this annoyance.

If your computer is infected you will get a fake alert notifying you that your computer has been infected via popup window like the bellow picture:

The Fake Alert

Antimalware Doctor Manual Removal

1. Access your Task Manager by pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL and stop antimalwaredoctor.exe that runs in background

2. Delete Antimalware Doctor registry: You can locate the registry key by typing “regedit” in Search program and files box in Windows 7 or  if you use XP or Vista,

you can access the registry editor by  clicking on Start–> Run  editor . Navigate to the following registry key in the left pane of the Registry Editor and delete them.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Antimalware Doctor Inc\Antimalware Doctor
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Antimalware Doctor
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\\CurrentVersion\Run Antimalware Doctor.exe

3. Delete the following files : enemies-names.txt and Antimalware Doctor.exe, you can find these two files typing them in search box and delete them

Note: Before accessing the registry editor it’s highly recommended to backup your registry setting just in case you do not do  the right thing. If you are not sure you can perform the above antimalware doctor manual removal you are advised to use the most up-to-date anti virus or anti spyware

Reference : http://www.fasterpccleanclean.com/remove-antimalware-doctor

As I am now a freelancer for a tech tabloid thanks to a friend recommendation and since the review I made is in a non English language I though it would be fine for me to share the English version of my review in this humble blog, of course I requested a permission first  before I did so. The first day of my stint really excited me because I was trusted to make reviews of couple of  gadgets that not publicly  available yet, essentially making me among the few who are lucky enough to get a hold on the newest devices before others do . Three days ago I was lucky to get a hold of the Touchpad,  tablet from HP  slated for release this summer, and was  assigned to write  HP TouchPad Review.

HP Touchpad

HP Touchpad Specs and Technical Details

Just like Sony, HP is a laggard I the booming tablet market. After acquiring Palm , HP is aggressively introducing smartphones to compete with the likes of Iphone, Samsung Galaxy and other best selling smartphones and now a tablet called  HP TouchPad.  The long-awaited, Linux-based  WebOS-run tablet weighs less than 1 kg and is only 1.3 cm thick. It has a 9.7-inch screen  display  with 1024 x 768 pixels. HP TouchPad  is powered by 1.2 GHZ Qualcomm Snapdragon dual core  processor and comes with two models. The first  model  comes with a memory capacity 16 GB while the second has  32 GB. The Touchpad supports WiFi connection and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR. It is equipped with 1.3 MP front camera for videoconferencing and video calls. HP partnered with  the Amazon Kindle and  a number of publishers such as Time magazine, Fortune, and Sports Illlustrator to enable its users to access and shop thousands of ebooks and contents.

On first day I toyed with the this device I was very impressed with its  responsiveness  and with the quality of its sound speakers which are powered by  audio technology from Dr. Beats. The tablet uses Dre. Web browser that, unlike Ipad and Ipad 2 supports Flash and Open GL and HTM5. I can simply say the browser is surprisingly fast and responsive.

While the iPad and iPad2, Samsung, Motorola Xoom and other Android-run smartphones also feature multi-tasking, the way WebOS handles it is extremely elegant. The TouchPad  has a so-called like Just Type features that enables you  to synch all your contacts from the cloud. With this feature you don’t need to sift through pages and pages of icons or lists .With the above features HP Touchpad is really one of the serious and best alternatives to Ipad. Of course this won’t be an Ipad killer since the pioneer like Ipad is really hard to beat yet if you want to give another OS a chance, the HP Touchpad is a great choice. It of course lags behind Apple and Android in terms of the number of apps available from its online app store since it is only in inception stage. Apart from the lack of apps   I have so far no complaint and  found no downside of this device during its stay with me while writing this brief  HP Touchpad review.

The Western Digital MyBook World Edition NAS drive makes remote access and file sharing easy to implement. The Western Digital MyBook World  comes in two variants , the regular MyBook World Edition  drive that contains a 500GB hard drive, and  the MyBook World Edition II which incorporates two  500GB drives or 1 Tb in total . The 500GB single-drive version sells for  $380, which makes it an affordable choice  for network back up and file sharing. One notable shortcoming is however, it doesn’t incorporate a print server or a media server. Nonetheless should the slow transfer speeds do not discourage you, this is an excellent option for anytime-anywhere access as the data transfer, since the data transfer  in my opinion, is pretty slow.

Nonetheless, WDC loaded lots of functionality into MyBook World Edition . You can easily gain access to your files via HTTP, FTP, CIFS or SFTP, as  it integrates pre-installed media server software. It it offers you access via SSH to the Linux-based Operating system operating under the hood. It is able to do everything – network hard drive, Mac Time Machine, automatic backup, internet access for files and many more.

The pros: Very easy  to set up remote access and file sharing; The Western Digital MyBook World Edition provides support for Gigabit Ethernet; built-in  backup application allows you to recoverfiles.

The Cons: The write and speed transfer is quite slow  no print server or media server

The Western Digital MyBook World Edition Features

What makes the MyBook World Edition NAS drive stand out from similar products  is its remote access feature. You will find implementing remote access with Western Digital MyBook World convenient than others.

The majority of the  similar  products with remote access capabilities require  you to open ports on the router and configure dynamic DNS services which is something a novice find not easy to do. The Maxtor Fusion Personal Web Server is just one such device. Others use a workaround that needs you to upload the files you wish to access to Web server that acts like a cloud. Though this option is simple to apply, it takes  a careful execution to be sure that the files you need will actually  be accessible.

Western Digital has an agreement with  MioNet to provide remote access to MyBook World Edition . MioNet is software company that makes remote access software  that enables users to access remote drives and computers  as if you we accessing those hard drives from your local computer. MioNet makes a customized remote access  application for the MyBook World Edition that operates much like its own stand alone product.

Western Digital MyBook World Edition Review Conclusion :

The Western Digital MyBook World Edition is a reliable and quite affordable  NAS drive that makes remote access and file sharing a breeze . The downside is its slow data transfer speed

See  Also : backup software review

Remote backup , online backup is a service that offers users a system backup and storage of computer files provided by online backup companies which offer the backup service online to end users usually business entities and corporations

Online backup systems are usually a client software running on a schedule, usually once a day , most often the backup is performed  at night while computers are not in use. This backup software collects, compresses, encrypts and transmits the data on the servers of the service provider of remote backup or offsite equipment.

There are many remote backup  services  on the market – all with different features, service levels and the type of encryption. The providers of remote backup usually focuse on niche  market segments. Backup systems can be offered as  a local network-based services such as Active Directory, control of the remote client, an offer or open the backup file.

The services offered by remote backup services are typically as follows

Encryption

The data must be encrypted before being sent over the Internet, and must be stored in an encrypted state. Encryption must be at least 256 bits, and the user should be able to use your own key, which should never be sent to the server to use.

Network Backup

A network backup can backup  multiple computers, servers and storage devices connected to the network in a local network accessible from a single computer.

Continuous Data Protection

Service provides continuous data backup, or according to  a schedule. Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages. Most backup services on programming and support for a predetermined time. Some services provide continuous data that are used by major financial institutions and major online retailers backup. However, there is usually a compromise with the resources and system performance.

Restoring files from the file

The ability of users to recover data from choosing without the help of a service that allows users to files with names and / or folders. Some services allow users to select files from the search for file names and folder date, file type for which backup and labels.

Online access to backup files

Some backup service companies allow you  to access the backup files via a Web browser. Some don’t but the majority of them offer this functionality.

Data compression

The data is typically compressed using a lossless compression to minimize the amount of bandwidth used.

Differential data compression

To reduce network traffic, only the binary data that has changed from one day to the next, that are transferred to the backup servers.

The use of the bandwidth

Users can configure the backup services to use more or less  bandwidth more or less, you can change this settings  in different times of the day.

What are the advantages of remote backup?

Remote backup has advantages over conventional methods of data backup:

• Perhaps the most important protection is that the backups are stored in a different place than the original data. Traditional backup requires manually off-site backup media
• Remote Backup does not require user intervention. The user does not need to tapes, CDs, change the label or other manual steps.
• Unlimited data storage.
• Backups are automatically created.
• Files are saved correctly. Backup software is often installed with a list of ordinary files to backup. This set of files usually represents the system state when the software is installed, and often missing critical files such as files that are added later.
• Some remote backup services will work continuously, backing up files as they are changed.
• Most services, remote backup keeps a list of versions of your files.
• Most services, remote backup with a 128-448 bits to transmit data on unsecured connection (eg Internet)
• Some services can reduce backup remote backup transmits only changes the bits of binary data

Disadvantages of remote backup

• Remote backup has some disadvantages:
• Depending on the available network bandwidth, data recovery may be slow. Since the data is stored externally, the data must either be accessed via the Internet or sent via a disk from the service provider of online backup.
• Some emergency services have no guarantee that stored data will be kept secret – for example employees. So, to recommend the most, that the files are encrypted.
• It is possible that the service could fail the remote backup or purchased, the profit from the accessibility of data or costs continue to affect service.
• If the password encryption is lost, no data recovery is possible. But with managed services that should not be a problem.
• The home broadband  internet users usually is subscribing to a data plan with monthly limits which prevent them from performing backup of large files

Hybrid online backup

Hybrid online backup (usually  referred to as  hybrid cloud  backup) is a backup method that combine  local backup with offline backup to protect against local disasters.

See also :  backup software review

Referebces : Wikipedia , Guide To Online Backup

After a long wait I finally got my hands on the  Samsung Galaxy Wifi Only , a new variant from a bitter and most serious  competitor of Apple’s Ipad thanks to a friend of mine, a tech magazine journalist who often make reviews of the latest gadgets.

Samsung Galaxy Tab Wifi Only

The Galaxy Tab Wifi as its predecessors is powered by Google’s Android OS version 2.2 (Android Froyo) , the Tab has a 7 inch screen  is roughly  half the size of the iPad. At the first day  I used the Samsung Galaxy Tab Wifi for watching movies while on the go. It came as a pleasant surprise to me that the screen and resolution were of superb quality. You can conveniently watch your favorite movies in virtually any video formats as it supports a variety of video files such divx, xvid, mkv codec movies.

On the second day I used it to surf the web and read e-books , a nice alternative to the Kindle if you’re more convenient reading on a smaller display using Kindle for Android app which allows you to buy hundreds of e-books from Kindle store. Unlike on Ipad or Iphone you can access flash sites and enjoy movie streaming without hassle since the Galaxy Tab Wifi supports Adobe Flash player. While reading e-books I could  see the text clearly without any notable noises. You can navigate from one menu to another and perform multi tasking easily. Amazingly the menu tabs are highly responsive just like Ipad and Iphone.

Galaxy Tab Wifi only is loaded with lot of useful applications and as the advert says it does many things. The only con I found on  this device is few apps are somehow displayed on the center for unknown reasons.

Bellow are key specs and technical details of Samsung Galaxy Wifi

• Product Dimensions: 4.7 x 0.5 x 7.5 inches ; 13.6 ounces
• Runs on Android Froyo (2.2); CPU: 1GHz A8 Cortex Processor;
• Battery: Li-Polymer, 4000mAh
• Memory: 16GB Internal Memory; Up to 32GB Expandable Memory using microSD
• WiFi: 802.11 a/b/g/n; USB 2.0; Bluetooth 2.1 Connectivity
• Support almost all popular audio formats such as MP3, OGG and Video formats
• Display: 7.0″ WSVGA Display; 600 x 1024 Pixel Display Resolution; 3.54″ x 6.05″ Display Size; 16M TFT Display Technology
• Price: Samsung Galaxy Tab Wifi Only sell for around 350 dollars