InkSaver - Save money on inkjet printer cartridges
Just bought two copies of
InkSaver. This neat utility changes the default printer settings to use less ink while maintaining picture and text quality. InkSaver has a one click disable/enable feature, so you can print crystal clear reports and then go back to the default saving mode.
Costs 35$, worth every penny.
I had a problem with the first copies' registration key, but the quick response from their tech support solved it. With the second copy, I used the built-in registration applet (under the Help menu click Register) and had no problems at all.
Itai
Kaspersky Anti Hacker - Review
Kaspersky Anti-Hacker v1.7 is a relatvly new firewall for home and home office users.
1. Outside Protection
Anti-Hacker protects your computer completly. The user must remeber to check the "stealth mode" checkbox in order to get full protection.
2. Inside Protection
Anti-Hacker monitors application activity and requires your approval for new software. It identifies software type quite well.
3. Advanced users
Kaspersky has an intuitive user interface for new application rules or packet rules. For example, when asked to approve a new software you can click customized and then change instantly the rule using a few mouse clicks. The seperation between application rules and packet rules allows to permit a certain activity for all applications (for example connecting to a DNS server).
Much much bettern that Norton's.
4. LAN support (irrelevant for standalone PCs)
I tried to work with a license server on my PC that serves other computers on my Local Area Network. Unfortunatly, it worked only when Stealth Mode was unchecked, even when I gave it full permissions to work. This is a real drawback if you must setup an intranet server of some kind (proxy server,license server,etc...) on the same computer that connects your LAN to the internet.
5. Documentation
The software is so easy to use, that no documentation is necessary. Anti-Hacker comes with a 100 PDF userguide that explains each step for those that want to understand more.
6. Mother control
Kaspersky allows to easily change between training mode (for advanced users) and do-not-bother-me mode for my mother. This is a great advantage for those of us that setup the firewall for somebody that always clicks the "I Agree" button.
Overall, I would recommend Anti-Hacker for standalone PCs.
Itai
Home Office - Online Security
What are the basic security steps needed for your Home Office PC ?
1) Windows XP.
Windows XP best feature is the Restore Point. It allows you to undo installation problems and goback to a safe system restore point. However, sometimes you will need to use the Windows Rescue Disk.
Take the time and create one !
2) Windows Update
Visit
Windows Update and install Service Pack 2. Vist the site repeatedly until you have installed of the latest critical security patches.
Do not forget to
turn on automatic updates.
3) Baseline Security Analyzer
Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer helps you tweak Windows XP against hackers.
4) Norton Internet Security 2005
This peace of software got some bad user reviews in ZDnet - most concerning installation problems. However, technically speaking this is the best package availalble:
Best Antivirus, Smart Firewall, Intellegent Antispam and fairly well AntiSpyware.
A)
Try NIS2005 before you buy
B) Follow the
installation instructions to the letter (including "
what to do before installing")
C) Install only on drive C: (not D , E , F ... - to avoid problems with Liveupdate). If you stil expirience activation problems see the
activation hotfix or
activation troubleshooting.
D) After the installation enter the control panel click Liveupdate and change to express mode. This will ensure automatic updates from Symatec Website.
E) Visit
Symantec Security Check to make sure you set up your firewall correcty.
Itai
Home Office - Hardware
1) If you are enjoying hot summers - buy Intel. AMD works good in Canada. If all you need is office applications buy Intel Celeron - its cheaper than Intel Pentium and works just as good.
2) Buy a UPS for every computer. Its worth every cent. Your PC will live much longer.
3) Clean dust behind the computer. Do not let the Power Supply to choke from dust.
4)
HDDLife keeps track on your hardisk physical condition. Every hardisk has the ability to restore data since it has some redunduncy. So - as it grows older, the redundancy is lower and your data is more at risk. HDDLife lets you know that, before the disaster happens.
5) SmartSync Pro
SmartSync Pro is the best file synchronization program available. Make sure that you keep your important files in more than one hardisk - schedule for daily or weekly synchronizations.
6) SpaceMonger
Out of disk space ???
Use SpaceMonger to map your hardisk graphically.
Itai
Microsoft's Antipiracy initiative
Microsoft has finally started dealing with the biggest problem in the software industry today - piracy.
Stage 1:
Microsoft developes an ActiveX component that determines if your Windows-XP copy is geniun using digital signatures.
Speculations 2:
Microsoft will offer the service to major software vendors, so IT managers will be able to scan all Windows PCs in their organization and detect "unsigned" software.
Speculations 3:
Microsoft will allow IT managers to block Windows from installing "unsigned" software completly.
Speculations 4:
Governments outlawing "unsigned" software. By that time each citizen will have an approved Digital Signature that will allow him to sign his own software.
Funny, the CD plays now
Last night I had the strangest dream :)
Is .NET really s l o w ???
ACT! is a very propular Contact Management for salesmen. The latest version was released (after 2 year) is ACT! 2005. The
user reviews in pcmagazine are very very bad. It seems the main problem is that it is s l o w.
"The main problem we encountered is that it is agonizinly slow loading and although we have speeded up actual usage by changing our computers settings, it is still slow to go from screen to screen.
We contacted ACT and they admitted to a problem with the Microsoft.net Framework. They are working on it and I suggest to wait unitl there is an upgrade." (October 2004)
"I returned my copy for a refund as I found the slow response time to be unacceptable."(October 2004)
Is .NET really that slow? or is it just bad programming ?
I'm waiting for the upgrade before I will buy my copy.
AutoPlay Internet Explorer
Today I wanted to create a CD that automatically opens Internet Explorer with a certain HTML page. It seems this simple act is not so simple. The best reference I found was
MSJ from 1999.
The solution below works on Win2000 and WinXP. Notice that Norton Antivirus asks the user to permit the script to run.
File: Autorun.inf
[autorun]
OPEN=Wscript autorun.js
File: Autorun.js
// Create an instance of the scripting Shell Object
WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell");
// Have the Shell Object call ShellExecute on our HTML
// file
WshShell.Run('iexplore "' + WshShell.CurrentDirectory + '\index.html"', 3, 0);
// Destroy the Shell Object
WScript.DisconnectObject(WshShell);
Personal Web
Both
Yahoo MySearch and
Google Desktop are able to limit search results to preffered website. Yahoo requests to manually specify pages to be indexed, while google index any webpage you have visited. This allows to manually or automatically create personal webs on specific subject or interest.
The next obvious step is to allow users search in your personal web. Children safe browsing, people with common interest, virtual online libraries , curiosity about others, ideas for birthday present ...
P.S.
Copernic Desktop might also be of interest.
I decided not to use the desktop search engines because of their privacy policy.
Update 7-feb-2005. MSN Desktop Search privacy policy is good enough. And their software works !!!
