*HOT* Tech News And Downloads, I Would Read This Thread And Post Any Good Info

Mathematician: Yankees Will Dominate Baseball This Year
By Andrea Thompson
LiveScience Staff Writer
posted: 04 April 2007
11:57 am ET


The New York Yankees will win a whopping 110 games this season, more than any other major league team, according to a mathematician who applies math to real-life situations.

The projection comes from a model that Bruce Bukiet of the New Jersey Institute of Technology developed and has used and updated for the past six years to predict how many games each team will win during the 162-game season.

So far, Bukiet is on track. The Yankees won their season opener against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on Monday.

How it works

Bukiet’s model also predicts the outcome of individual games, a resource for those who like to place wagers.

The projected results of games are determined by how each hitter should perform against each pitcher.

Bukiet, a Mets fan who started the project to show kids how math can be used in fun ways, uses the model only to predict outcomes in baseball and cricket. The reason it works well for these sports, Bukiet told LiveScience, is the games are “a whole sequence of one-on-one events” that are easier to compare than team sports where multiple players affect the outcome of an event.

Bukiet starts each season with the most likely starting line-up for each team and uses data from the past three years for each player to compute how many runs each team will score in a given game.

Of course, he cannot account early on for unknowns such as trades, injuries or the unpredictable performance of rookies.

Best batting order

When Bukiet first developed the model, he used it to determine the best batting order out of 360,000 possibilities. One of his surprising findings was that pitchers, who typically are last in the order when there is no designated hitter, should actually bat second-to-last to optimize runs. And the team’s top slugger should bat third rather than cleanup (or fourth in the order).

Bukiet says his model can also determine how many more or fewer games a team would win if they traded a certain player. Managers also could use the model to set salaries based on players' hit predictions, he figures.

Were the model to be commercialized, it could be updated on a play-by-play basis, which fans could monitor to see how every play changes the outcome of a game. “I think some fans would think that’s cool,” Bukiet said.

While Bukiet is the first to admit he’s not a baseball expert, in five out of the past six years, he says that his model has produced more correct than incorrect predictions.

“I thought it was neat that you can do just as well as the so-called experts,” he said.

The detailed projections are available here.

* Study Reveals Baseball's Great Clutch Hitters
* Baseball Science: Better Hitters See Ball as Bigger
* Study Finds Kids Can't Hit Slow Pitches
http://www.livescience.com/othernews/070404_baseball_math.html

 

Seas Could Rise Dramatically in Rapid Ice Melt
By Kristin Elise Phillips
Scienceline
posted: 04 April 2007
09:01 am ET

Something is missing from the estimates of future sea level rise in the recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: the potentially catastrophic impact of a rapid melt of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets.

The IPCC asserts that melting by dynamic processes is too poorly understood to be included in scientific simulations, but many scientists disagree and believe that the report underestimates the threat that global warming will pose to coastal cities over the next century. Dynamic melting begins at the base of an ice sheet, where it meets the ground. As ice turns to water, the whole sheet can move as if part of a stream.

Sea level could rise rapidly if dynamic melting pushes ice from land to ocean.

“The IPCC does not include dynamic processes where the ice flows rather than melts,” said Michael Oppenheimer, a geoscientist at Princeton University. “The bottom line is that the ice sheets are a big threat.” Oppenheimer estimates that the volume of water trapped in the Greenland ice sheet is equivalent to over twenty feet in sea level rise, and the western Antarctic ice sheet is equivalent to about fifteen feet.

The IPCC report estimates that sea level will increase between seven inches and two feet by the year 2100.

Ice sheet flow was omitted from the report despite recent observations of the thinning of ice shelves and streams because some scientists are concerned that these are “transient effects,” not necessarily due to global warming, according to Jonathan Gregory. Gregory, a meteorologist at the University of Reading in England, is an author of the report who thinks sea level changes will be slow. “Sea level is more of a long-term issue,” he said. “The time scale for ice sheets to melt is centuries.”

Aside from dynamic melting, global warming largely raises sea level through two other processes: the gradual melting of ice sheets and the thermal expansion of the oceans because of increased temperature. Imagine the ocean as a big fishbowl- the volume of water would increase by both adding melt from ice initially stored outside the bowl and by heating the fishbowl itself.

According to Dean Roemmich, an expert on ocean currents at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography in California, one quarter of the inch-per-decade sea level rise over most of the 20th century is from thermal expansion and the remainder is due to gradual melting of ice. This combination of melting and expansion caused sea level to rise between an estimated six and nine inches over the course of the last century.

“When we talk about global warming, we are talking mostly of the oceans because the atmosphere has little capacity to hold heat,” explains Roemmich. He and other scientists estimate the oceans have absorbed more than eighty percent of the heat produced by human emissions.

One problem in projecting oceanic change is that no one is sure exactly how and where warmer temperatures will influence thermal expansion in the oceans. “Heat is not stored uniformly throughout the ocean,” explained University of Reading’s Gregory; the current models just aren’t good enough yet. An international group chaired by Roemmich has deployed about 3,000 flotation devices to collect data on the oceans, which Gregory said should help refine future models of sea level change.

But the ice sheets are “already frittering away at the edges, adding to sea level rise,” emphasized Princeton’s Oppenheimer. Glaciers are shrinking and ice shelves such as the Larsen B, a shelf about the size of Yosemite National Park, are falling into the seas, he says.

Ice movement was incorporated into the models of a study published this January in the journal Science by Stefan Rahmstorf of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany. His team projects a sea level rise between twenty inches and four and a half feet by the end of the 21st century. This is faster than the current IPCC predictions. Furthermore, a recent review by Rahmstorf and colleagues demonstrates that sea level rise has been following the upper limits of previous predictions—such as those from the 2001 IPCC report.

“What we are doing is irreversible,” warned Oppenheimer. “The last time the earth was as warm as it will get this century, the sea level was four to six meters [or 12 to 18 feet] higher.” That was 125,000 years ago. At that point in earth’s history, of course, there weren’t billions of human beings living on the earth’s coasts. Today, for example, an 18-foot increase in sea level would swamp the barrier islands south of Long Island and flood JFK International Airport.

This article is provided by Scienceline, a project of New York University's Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program.

http://www.livescience.com/environment/070404_GW_ice.html

 

Are Cheap DVD Burners Worth the Trouble?

Patrick Schmid, Achim Roos

April 5, 2007 10:05
Just Any DVD Burner Will Not Do

It has been over a year since we last took a look at DVD burners. One reason for the delay is that there were few developments on which to report ever since the write speeds hit 16X. Manufacturers then focused on value-added features such as built-in disc labeling called LightScribe. Another reason is the incredibly cheap price level: It is absolutely possible to purchase a DVD burner for as little as $25. But there still are differences in quality.

There are various reasons why you might want to purchase a DVD burner for your PC. On one hand, it can serve as a versatile and inexpensive storage device, as recordable DVDs store 4.7 GB on single-layer discs or 8.5 GB of data onto double-layer media (DL). This provides plenty of space for storing your family pictures, wedding videos or other data. On the other hand, DVDs are the most popular medium for digital movies and audio. Most DVD players and recent car audio solutions support audio and video playback of various popular formats, and a single-layer DVD can hold over eight hours of DivX or XviD video in standard definition or 750 MP3 songs in 192 kb/s quality.

Another invaluable advantage is how DVD readers and writers probably are the most widely used storage devices today. Every new PC or notebook carries an optical drive and can at least read DVDs and CDs, and more and more computers have DVD writing capabilities. Rewriteable media allows users to re-record data many times instead of creating single-use DVDs (called WORMs - Write Once, Read Multiple). While DVDs are not extremely durable, the discs will store your data safely for several years. For very important data, we recommend redundant storage - even if your discs are kept in a safe place.

There are so many different DVD recordables and DVD writers. We recommend opting for branded products, especially the recordables, as we've already seen physical degradation of so-called no-name recordables only a few years after they were written. Storing data on a DVD is an irreversible process that burns physical marks into the dye layer(s), which is why we recommend relying on brands that you know and trust. Rewriteables utilize a phase-change recording layer, which can be altered approximately 1,000 times.

DVD Basics

There are DVD-ROM drives (Read Only Memory) and DVD burners (writers, recorders). Both read all types of DVD media, but only DVD burners write onto compatible discs. Data is read or written from or to the dye layer using a 650-nm wavelength. DVD-R by the DVD Forum was the first DVD standard, but it wasn't quite accepted by all device manufacturers, because it carried sectors which could not be written for the purpose of preventing illegal copies of copyrighted material. Some industry members them founded the DVD+RW Alliance, which developed its own standard. It's incompatible, but technically similar.

While the first DVD burner generations only supported one of the two standards, today's drives are capable of handling both (although only DVD-R products may carry the DVD logo) and there is no price difference between DVD-R and DVD+R anymore. Also, it doesn't matter which standard you use for data storage.

Single-layer discs are incredibly inexpensive and can be written in fairly quickly in five to six minutes at 16X write speed. The double-layer media (DL) is still somewhat expensive and requires at least 20 minutes to finish the 8.4 GB task. This is because the write speeds max out at 10X for DL, and the two layers have to be written consecutively.

Most DVD burners still use an UltraATA interface, but more and more devices come with modern Serial ATA interfaces. SATA has the advantage that you don't have to configure anything - just plug the device into an available SATA port. UltraATA devices require a jumper to be set to determine whether the drive runs in master or slave mode.
Performance Basics

There are two different ways of operating drives that are based on rotating media. This can be at constant angular velocity (CAV) or constant linear velocity (CLV). Hard drives typically operate at a constant angular velocity, which means that the absolute velocity increases towards the outer areas of the rotating platter by maintaining a fixed rotation speed of e.g. 7,200 RPM. Optical drives such as CD or DVD drives utilize either the technology, or a combination of both technologies, called PCAV (partial constant angular velocity). And there is the option of running drives in ZCLV mode, which holds a certain speed for a given zone on the disc.

While rotation speeds are very important, vibration is a serious issue that requires attention. For this reason, many drives have vibration sensors, which throttle media rotation speeds in case of read or write failures.

Optical drives show considerably slower access times than hard drives. Typically, the laser unit is driven by a small motor, guided within a little concentric rail. The results are access times that are at least 10 times longer than with hard drives. But as many applications for DVD storage require sequential reading of information, access time can be considered secondary.
Lightscribe

Labeling your own DVD is an interesting topic. The typical approach is to use a thin, permanent marker to write your title on the upper side of the DVD. This can be done with most DVDs you buy in retail channels. However, this doesn't look very professional. LightScribe is a technology that uses a drive's DVD laser unit that allows you to etch text or images onto the surface. As you can imagine, LightScribe requires appropriate recordable media and you have to insert your DVD upside down to be able to "lightscribe" it. More information can be found here.

LG's current DVD burner is called Super Multi GSA-H42L and it supports all DVD formats at up to 18X write speeds for DVD+R and DVD-R. It is also compatible with 6X DVD-RW and 8X DVD+RW. Double-layer discs can be written at 10X speeds. Last but not least, DVD-RAM is supported at 12X speed. CD speeds are supported at up to 48X (read and write).

According to LG's specifications, the burner's average access times are 140 ms for DVD-ROM, 175 ms for DVD-RAM and 120 ms for CD-ROM. The drive comes with 2 MB buffer, a buffer under run protection feature and it utilizes an UltraATA interface. The H42L supports LightScribe, whereas the GSA-H42N does not. We found the price difference to be small enough to justify the extra expense for the H42L with LightScribe.

The retail package comes with beige and black front panels for the drive, which allows the user to adjust its appearance to the color of the computer case. The drive is very quiet, but its DVD ripping speed was clearly too long, as Pioneer and Sony finished the same task 40% faster (11 minutes versus 27 minutes).

Pioneer can be called a Pioneer for optical drives, as the firm has always rapidly come to market with new technologies. Examples include Blu-Ray burners BDR-101A and 101ABK (black), which the firm has been offering for a while.

The DVR-112 comes with an UltraATA interface, and it offers up to 18X write speeds for DVD-R and DVD+R, up to 10X write speeds for DVD-R dual-layer discs and fast 18X speeds for DVD+R dual layer. Rewriteables can be written at up to 8X speeds for either standard. DVD-RAM is supported at up to 12X speeds.

The drive isn't as quiet as the LG, but the difference is tolerable. It was the fastest drive to rip an entire 7.52 GB DVD; the process was completed in as little as 10 minutes and 40 seconds. DVD creation time was quick, but the drive took almost 13 seconds to load, spin-up and recognize a disc. LightScribe is not supported, either.

This is the first of two Samsung drives we received. The SH182 is an UltraATA device, while the SH183 (see next page) is equipped with a Serial ATA interface. Both devices are called Super-WriteMaster DVD Writers and offer up to 18X recording speeds for DVD-R and DVD+R media. DVD-RW can be written at up to 6X, DVD+RW at up to 8X speeds. DVD-RAM writing is supported at up to 12X speeds. Samsung-specified access times are 130 ms for DVDs and 110 ms for CDs.

Samsung offers a low-noise operating mode called Magic Speed, and there is a feature to adjust the disc rotation speed to the quality of the inserted DVD. Finally, the drive carries 2 MB cache and a buffer under run protection feature. LightScribe is supported as well.

The Samsung drives' performance is acceptable when it comes to burning single-layer DVDs. DVD ripping performance was in the mid range as well. We liked how newly inserted discs were recognized quickly, but the SH-S182 as well as its SH-S183 counterpart took too long to import digital audio into Apple's iTunes 7.1.

Samsung's SH-S183 is the Serial ATA version of the SH-S182. All the write speeds and features such as LightScribe, Magic Speed and the buffer under run control are included with the S183 as well.

Both Samsung drives were fast for ripping a DVD-9, but they were the slowest models for burning a DVD with 4.3 GB of data. Then again, both drives are quick in loading and recognizing an inserted disc, which took roughly 10 seconds. Unfortunately, both are slow at ripping digital audio into iTunes 7.1.1.5. The other drives took less than three minutes while the two Samsungs required almost seven minutes for the task.

Optiarc represents Sony and NEC's optical drives alliance. The AD-7170S is a modern drive that supports the latest read and write speeds for all sorts of DVD and CD media, although LightScribe is not supported.

DVD-R and DVD+R writing is supported at a maximum of 18X speeds. DVD+R double-layer can be written at 8X speeds and the DVD-R DL at 6X speeds. The same applies for rewriteable discs for the two DVD standards. This drive comes with a Serial ATA interface, which makes it very simple to install; simply plug it in and you're done.

The Sony/NEC AD-7170S was quick, and ripped our 7.52 GB video DVD in only 11 minutes and 13 seconds. Only Pioneer's DVR-112 was faster. The DVD-creation time was quick as well, but the drive isn't the fastest in loading and recognizing a newly inserted DVD. However, it was very fast at importing digital audio.


We were glad to see that all five drives were able to execute all of the tasks that comprised our tests. We had them rip a DVD with DVD Decrypter, write a DVD with Nero and extract audio into Apple iTunes 7.1. In addition, we measured the time the drives required to load and recognize a freshly inserted disc.

The LG GSA-H42L is slow at ripping DVDs, but it is quiet and it comes with different front panels, so you can adjust the appearance to your computer case. The drives from Pioneer and Sony offered the best performance, but both don't support the LightScribe feature to label your discs using the drive laser unit. The Pioneer DVR-112 is a bit noisier, but supports faster speeds when writing to DL media.

Our recommendation goes to both the Sony/NEC AD-7170S and the Pioneer DVR-112. Both drives showed excellent performance when ripping and writing DVDs. The only drawbacks are missing support for LightScribe and somewhat longer times required to recognize new discs.

PLEASE GO HERE TO SEE THE TOTAL ARTICLE AS I COULD NOT POST ALL THE INFO AND GRAPHS AND PIXS

http://www.tomshardware.com/2007/04/05/are_cheap_dvd_burners_worth_the_trouble/

 

The MPAA's Singapore lie,

p2pnet.net news:- In a new 'educational' material flooding Singapore schools, Hollywood's MPA has been caught out in one of the most blatant propaganda lies yet seen.

Anti-p2p leaflets from Hollywood MPAA clone the MPA (Motion Picture Association) are being fronted by something called the HIP Honour IP alliance.

Through it, Time Warner, Viacom, Fox, Sony, NBC Universal and Disney are inundating all 164 of the country's secondary schools and 16 junior college students with an indoctrination booklet written and published by the MPA, "outlining the dangers of illegal peer-to-peer file sharing".

Any dangers, such as they may be, come wholly and solely from the MPA and similar entertainment cartel-owned units.

The country's 23 National Library branches will also be receiving 'Illegal File-Sharing: The Risks Aren't Worth It' and backing the studios up is the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore.

Schools staffs, paid from school fees and local taxes, will be expected to disseminate the corporate squibs and MPA representatives will be readily available to 'help' teachers 'educate' students.

The front cover (right) shows a frightened girl chewing her fingernails as she peers at some unidentified horror on her laptop screen.

Says the booklet, "pirates frequently make 'spoofs' of titles available on peer-to-peer networks, so what you think you are downloading might in fact be a fake".

But, this is one of the most blatant examples of an out-front corporate lie ever. Because what's 'fake' is the statement itself.

By far the vast majority of, if not all, spoofs come from cartel-hired online bounty hunters such as the Mediasentry, whose 'evidence' of file sharing has been repeatedly discredited, or from the likes of the Warner Music, EMI, Vivendi Universal and Sony BMG music cartel, who admit, "inserting promotional material into the decoy files, and then planting those files prominently on file-sharing sites".

The idea is either:

* People download a 'spoof' file mistakenly thinking it's the real thing and one or other of the enforcement organisations hopes to later use any associated IP address to produce a subpoena; or
* The Big 4 and other marketeers can then, "turn what is now an anti-piracy tool into an advertising medium".

Stay tuned

Slashdot Slashdot it!

Also See:
iproduce a subpoena - The RIAA vs Don Leadbetter, February 5, 2007
advertising medium - Big Music spoof 'marketing' ploy, October 19, 2006
http://p2pnet.net/story/11908

 

How to Secure Your Wireless Network
Following a few easy steps can ensure that no one intercepts your Wi-Fi traffic.
Becky Waring
Monday, April 09, 2007 01:00 AM GMT-08:00


Almost all of us have jumped onto someone else's unsecured Wi-Fi network. There's little harm in that if you're just an honest soul looking for an Internet connection.

But if you're the owner of an unsecured network, you should be aware that the world's not made up entirely of honest souls--and it's not hard for the dishonest ones to see exactly what you're doing on your network. Sound scary? Here's how to fix the problem.
Q. What are WEP and WPA encryption, and which should I use?

A. The first line of defense for your Wi-Fi network is encryption, which encodes the data transmitted between your PC and your wireless router. Unfortunately, most routers ship with encryption turned off, and many users don't turn it on, leaving themselves completely exposed. If you haven't already, enable your router's encryption, and use the strongest form supported by your network. The Wireless Protected Access (WPA) protocol and more recent WPA2 have supplanted the older and less-secure Wireless Encryption Protocol (WEP).

Go with WPA or WPA2 if at all possible, since WEP is relatively easy to crack. (You have to use the same form on all devices on your network; you can't mix WEP and WPA.) The keys used by WPA and WPA2 change dynamically, which make them nearly impossible to hack. Use a strong password for your encryption key, such as a combination of letters and numbers of 14 characters or more.

If you have an older router that supports WEP only, you'll be safest if you use 128-bit WEP keys--but also check the manufacturer's Web site for a firmware update that will add WPA support. If it doesn't look like an update is likely, consider replacing old adapters and routers with newer models that support WPA. Look for a router that supports the hybrid WPA + WPA2 mode, which lets you use the stronger WPA2 encryption with adapters that support it, while still maintaining compatibility with WPA adapters.

Make sure you change the default network name and password on your router. Doing so will make it much more difficult for hackers to break into your router and commandeer its settings.
Q. If my router has a firewall, why do I need these added security measures?

A. The firewall built into your router prevents hackers on the Internet from getting access to your PC. But it does nothing to stop people in range of your Wi-Fi signal from getting onto your network--and with the latest high-performance equipment, your Wi-Fi signal could reach clear down the block. Without encryption and other protective measures, anyone can use readily available tools to see all your Wi-Fi traffic.

For extra protection, you should run software firewalls on the individual PCs on your network. Some good options are Zone Labs' ZoneAlarm, available as a free download or in the ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite 2006, and Agnitum's Outpost Firewall Free.
Q. How can I secure my notebook at public Wi-Fi hotspots?

A. Since public hotspots generally don't use encryption, you should assume that anyone can see your Internet traffic unless you take precautions.

* Make sure it's a legitimate hotspot: Nefarious types have been known to set up pirate routers with familiar SSID names like "wayport" or "t-mobile," and then use them to capture unsuspecting users' log-on information and other private data.
* Verify that your PC's software firewall is turned on, and that Windows' file-sharing feature is off; it's off by default in Windows XP with Service Pack 2. To check this setting, open Control Panel and choose Windows Firewall (you may have to click Security Center first in XP or Security in Vista). In XP, select the Exceptions tab, and look in the Programs and Services to make sure "File and Printer Sharing" is unchecked. In Vista, click Change settings, then select the Exceptions tab and follow the instructions for XP.
* Never send bank passwords, credit card numbers, confidential e-mail, or other sensitive data unless you're sure you're on a secure site: Look for the lock icon in the bottom-right corner of your browser, as well as a URL in the address bar that begins with https. Such sites build in their own encryption.
* Always turn your Wi-Fi radio off when you're not at a hotspot: Hackers can use it to create peer-to-peer Wi-Fi connections with your computer and access it directly.
* For better security, consider signing up for a paid subscription to a hotspot network such as Boingo or T-Mobile. Both companies provide connection software that encrypts your sessions automatically.

Q. What's a VPN, and how do I get one?

A. The best way to protect a public wireless link is by using a virtual private network, or VPN. VPNs keep your communications safe by creating secure "tunnels" through which your encrypted data travels. Many companies provide VPN service to their mobile and offsite workers, so check with your IT department for connection instructions.

You can also use a paid service such as Boingo's Personal VPN (free trial with Boingo subscription, $30 to keep), JiWire Hotspot Helper (10-day free trial, $25 per year) or Witopia personalVPN ($40 per year). All three of the services are simple to install and use.

You have one more security option: If you don't mind connecting through your home or office PC, you can log in to a public hotspot securely by using such remote-access programs as LogMeIn or GoToMyPC.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,130330/article.html

 

Top 10 Cell Phones
These are the best standard cell phones today, but ratings and rankings can change quickly due to pricing and technology changes, so check back frequently for the latest info.
By Liane Cassavoy
Wednesday, March 28, 2007, 02:00 PM GMT-08:00
Test Center About the Test Center
How We Test • What Our Ratings Mean • How the Charts Work
Compare
Use the Check Boxes to see a Side-by-Side Comparison
Rank Name PCW Rating
1
BEST BUY

RIM Blackberry Pearl
RIM Blackberry Pearl
Design: Candy bar
Carrier: T-Mobile
OS Supported: J2ME
Price When Reviewed: $250
Check latest prices
Bottom Line: This sleek cell phone adds a serviceable camera and multimedia features to BlackBerry's already terrific e-mail capabilities.
(Last Rated: March 26, 2007)
Full Review • Test Report

84.9Very Good
2
Sony Ericsson W810
Sony Ericsson W810
Design: Candy bar
Carrier: Cingular
OS Supported: Proprietary
Price When Reviewed: $175
Check latest prices
Bottom Line: Sony draws on its Walkman roots to create this impressive cell phone/music player hybrid device.
(Last Rated: March 26, 2007)
Full Review • Test Report

83.9Very Good
3
Motorola RIZR Z3
Motorola RIZR Z3
Design: Slide
Carrier: T-Mobile
OS Supported: Proprietary
Price When Reviewed: $150
Vendor's Web Site
Bottom Line: This well-designed multimedia phone focuses on user satisfaction, though its keys are a bit sticky.
(Last Rated: March 26, 2007)
Full Review • Test Report

82.6Very Good
4
Motorola RAZR V3i
Motorola RAZR V3i
Design: Clamshell
Carrier: Cingular
OS Supported: Proprietary
Price When Reviewed: $200
Check latest prices
Bottom Line: Motorola's latest Razr features improved battery life and a built-in version of iTunes, but it won't replace your iPod.
(Last Rated: March 26, 2007)
Test Report

81.5Very Good
5
Samsung SCH-u740
Samsung SCH-u740
Design: Clamshell
Carrier: Verizon
OS Supported: Proprietary
Price When Reviewed: $200
Vendor's Web Site
Bottom Line: This phone features an innovative dual-hinge clamshell design with a QWERTY keyboard that makes for easy typing.
(Last Rated: March 26, 2007)
Full Review • Test Report

80.5Very Good
Free Cell Phones
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www.LetsTalk.com

6
Sony Ericsson W300i
Sony Ericsson W300i
Design: Clamshell
Carrier: Cingular
OS Supported: Proprietary
Price When Reviewed: $180
Check latest prices
Bottom Line: This budget music phone sports a light, compact design, but is a little hard to navigate.
(Last Rated: March 26, 2007)
Full Review • Test Report

80.0Very Good
7
Nokia 5300 Xpress Music
Nokia 5300 Xpress Music
Design: Slide
Carrier: T-Mobile
OS Supported: Nokia Series 40
Price When Reviewed: $150
Check latest prices
Bottom Line: This handset offers excellent music playback features and works well as a phone, too.
(Last Rated: March 26, 2007)
Full Review • Test Report

79.9Good
8
LG EnV
LG EnV
Design: Clamshell
Carrier: Verizon
OS Supported: Brew
Price When Reviewed: $250
Check latest prices
Bottom Line: It isn't the slimmest cell phone around, but the EnV offers excellent messaging features and great multimedia options.
(Last Rated: March 26, 2007)
Full Review • Test Report

79.0Good
9
T-Mobile SDA
T-Mobile SDA
Design: Candy bar
Carrier: T-Mobile
OS Supported: Windows Mobile
Price When Reviewed: $200
Check latest prices
Bottom Line: This bulky handset offers built-in Wi-Fi, so you can browse the Web and send e-mail and instant messages quickly and easily.
(Last Rated: March 26, 2007)
Full Review • Test Report

78.8Good
10
Samsung SGH-T719
Samsung SGH-T719
Design: Clamshell
Carrier: T-Mobile
OS Supported: Proprietary
Price When Reviewed: $150
Check latest prices
Bottom Line: This handset offers impressive e-mail features, thanks to its built-in BlackBerry software, in a sleek form factor.
(Last Rated: March 26, 2007)
Full Review • Test Report

go here to get more info
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,125396-page,1/article.html

 

Norton Removal Tool (SymNRT) 2007.2.07.3
Author: Symantec
Date: 2007-04-09
Size: 798 Kb
License: Freeware
Requires: Win 2K/03/XP/Vista


The Norton uninstall tool uninstalls ALL Norton 2004/2005/2006/2007 products from your computer. It also uninstalls Norton Ghost 10.0/9.0/2003.

Removes:
- Norton AntiSpam 2004 2005
- Norton Antivirus 2003 - 2007
- Norton Ghost 2003 , 9.0 and 10.0
- Norton GoBack 3.1 - 4.2
- Norton Interet Security 2003 - 2007
- Norton Password Manager
- Norton Personal Firewall 2003 - 2007
- Norton SystemWorks 2003 - 2006
- Norton Confidential Online 2007

Windows 98 and ME users should download this version.

download here
http://www.majorgeeks.com/Norton_Removal_Tool_SymNRT_d4749.html

 

ireland, Too bad they don't make removal tools for McAfee, HP, AOL and etc. That would make life a lot better. Thanks ireland for the Norton removal tool.

 

McAfee Consumer Product Removal Tool 2.0.109.1
Author: Mcafee
Date: 2007-03-16
Size: 549 Kb
License: Freeware
Requires: Win XP/2K/2003


Running the McAfee Consumer Product Removal tool (MCPR.exe) removes all 2005, 2006, and 2007 versions of McAfee consumer products.

Affected Products:
- McAfee Security Center
- McAfee VirusScan
- McAfee Personal Firewall Plus
- McAfee Privacy Service
- McAfee SpamKiller
- McAfee Wireless Network Security
- McAfee SiteAdvisor
- McAfee Data Backup
- McAfee Network Manager
- McAfee Easy Network
- McAfee AntiSpyware

Using McAfee Consumer Product Removal tool:
- Double click the MCPR.exe
- A Command Line window will be displayed, and then close automatically.
- Wait for a second Command Line window to be displayed. Note: Do not double-click MCPR.exe again, you may have to wait up to 1 minute for the next window to appear.
- After the second window appears, the program will begin the cleanup.
- Observe the installation, which could take several minutes. The following message will be displayed in the Command Line window: The machine must reboot to complete the un-installation. Reboot now? [y.n]
- Press Y on the keyboard.
- Wait for the computer to restart.
- All McAfee products are now removed from your computer.

download here
http://www.majorgeeks.com/McAfee_Consumer_Product_Removal_Tool_d5420.html

 

Thanks again ireland, I was in Major Geeks to get the Norton removal tool and didn't look for McAfee but will look from now on at any site you post. Thanks

 

The fastest way to defragment your computer?
Apr 09, 2007 - 10:18 AM - by Digital Dave
The main site this was listed on has been "dugg", so a mirror site has been brought up.

Is this really the fastest way?

The never-ending two-step defragmenting process of Vista can soon become a thing of the past. With certain tools, we were able to cut defragmentation time of 25 GBs of files with Vista Ultimate from 82 minutes to 6 minutes!!! That is defragmenting 10X faster than the built-in Vista defragmenter! The tutorial also works with Windows 2000 and XP.




Defragment 10X faster
15Feb07

The never-ending two-step defragmenting process of Vista can soon become a thing of the past. With certain tools, we were able to cut defragmentation time of 25 GBs of files with Vista Ultimate from 82 minutes to 6 minutes!!! That is defragmenting 10X faster than the built-in Vista defragmenter! The tutorial also works with Windows 2000 and XP.

Right now, many things are probably whirling around in your head:

- Is this true? Yes, it is.
- Does it work? Yes. We will show you charts on hard drive fragments before and after defragmentation.
- This has got to cost money. Absolutely free.

These “certain tools” we will be using are called contig.exe and PowerDefragmenter.
When we used these two programs, the results were as follows:

(Skip to the tutorial.)

Hard drive before defragmenting:

b4dfg1.jpg

8 minutes later:

afterdfg3.jpg

However, using the Windows Vista Defragmentation tool took longer… much longer. To further exaggerate the comparison, we ran the Vista Defragmentation Tool AFTER we had already defragmented that same drive with Contig and PowerDefragmenter. It took 8 minutes alone to analyze the drive. By now, contig.exe and powerdefragmenter would have already finished defragmenting a drive. On top of that, it took Windows Vista 75 more minutes to defragment the hard-drive. As you can easily see, the new tools we will introduce to you will greatly cut your defragmentation time.
Please note a different tool was used to display the charts above. The charts did not come from the programs used in the tutorial.

Tutorial:

The two programs that we have talked about work together to defrag your computer.
Click on the following programs to download them:

contig.exe (scroll to the very bottom of the page)
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/FileAndDisk/Contig.mspx


Power Defragmenter here and its free
http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/Hard-Disk-Utils/Power-Defragmenter.shtml



Once you have finished downloading these files, make sure they are both in the same directory or folder.

samedir.jpg

No installation is required. The next step is to run Power Defragmenter. Click next, and you will arrive at the screen below:

pwrdefgwdw.jpg

You may then select from the following options:

Defragment File(s): Allows you to defragment up to 4 files
Defragment Folder(s): Allows you to defragment up to 4 folders
Defragment Disk: Allows you to defragment a disk
PowerMode(TM) Disk Defragmentation: Defragments at a power equivalent to two consecutive defragmentations. Time does not necessarily double.

After you click next, just choose the desired drive, and you’re good to go.
When you are finished, the command prompt window will read “Windows Disk Defragmenter…”

Update: This is the only down-side to contig. It does not really tell you how well the fragmentation process went but as you could see from the visuals above, it is quite effective. If you wait 3-5 minutes before closing the window after the process is finished, the following statistics will be displayed:
- Hard Drive Space
- Free Space
- Largest free space extent
- Percent File Fragmentation

finish.jpg

Follow-up:
Many are saying that Microsoft said it is unnecessary to defragment NTFS. While that may be true, many are noticing an increase in performance once they defrag their system, including myself. This article is a tutorial on how to speed up the defragmentation process, not one that is asking you to defragment your drive if you don’t think you need to. To defragment or not to defragment is entirely up to you. Sorry for all those confused.

- Albert
Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.

http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache...5/defragment/&hl=en&lr=&c2coff=1&sa=G&strip=1

 

OPTIMIZING FIREFOX ..........Best Picks Shortcuts, Speedups, Extensions .....

Optimizing Firefox (Best Picks: Shortcuts, Speedups, Extensions)
(free).....GO THERE!
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/optimizing-firefox/

 

Ultimate Boot CD 4.0.3
Author: UltimateBootCD.Com
Date: 2007-04-10
Size: 90.4 Mb
License: Freeware

You need the Ultimate Boot CD if you want to:

Run floppy-based diagnostic tools from CDROM drives. More and more PCs are shipped without floppy drives these days, and it is such a royal pain when you need to run diagnostic tools on them.

Free yourself from the slow loading speed of the floppy drive. Even if you do have a floppy drive, it is still much much faster to run your diagnostic tools from the CDROM drive, rather than wait for the tool to load from the floppy drive.

Consolidate as many diagnostic tools as possible into one bootable CD. Wouldn't you like to avoid digging into the dusty box to look for the right floppy disk, but simply run them all from a single CD? Then the Ultimate Boot CD is for you!

This will create an ISO image which you can use to create a bootable CD with your favorite CD burning software.

DOWNLOAD HERE
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4981.html

 

Ashampoo FireWall 1.20
Author: ashampoo GmbH & Co. KG
Date: 2007-04-10
Size: 4 Mb
License: Freeware

If you don’t have a degree in computer science, using a firewall program can be quite frustrating. In addition to all the confusing jargon, current firewalls are getting to be very big programs. Sometimes you have the feeling that you’re installing an entire office suite instead of a basic network tool.

The brand-new Ashampoo FireWall is different. It’s Configuration Assistant guides you through every step of the the simple setup process. And Easy Mode makes using it a breeze – you don’t need any special technical knowledge and everything is explained clearly.

Ashampoo FireWall is also amazingly compact. Even with its four additional security tools it’s a tiny program that uses very little memory and computer resources. You get the heavy-duty protection without heavyweight overload on your system.

Here are some key features of "Ashampoo Firewall":

· Heavy-duty firewall protection: Monitors all your computer's network activity and protects you against both incoming and outgoing connections.
· Easy Mode: Get full protection in seconds with Easy Mode and the Configuration Assistant. No expert knowledge required.
· Expert Mode: Experience users can activate this mode for powerful additional capabilities.
· Simple and compact: Self-explanatory user interface. Very small program that uses minimum memory and resources.
· Learning Mode: Automatically identifies programs that try to make connections and lets you decide whether you want to allow them. One-click operation in Easy Mode or full configuration in Expert Mode.
· Rules: Create rules for every program that controls how they can access the network. One-click in Easy Mode or full configuration in Expert Mode.
· Block All: One-click panic button for emergencies that lets you block all traffic, for example if you are under attack or suspect that a malicious program is active.
· Monitor local connections: Ashampoo FireWall can also monitor the local connections used inside your computer. Useful for identifying suspicious activity. Can be enabled or disabled.
· Monitor LAN connections: Monitor all the local LAN traffic into and out of your computer. Can be enabled or disabled.
· Connection log: Detailed logging of all internal, LAN and Internet connections with date, time, application, port used and IP address.

DOWNLOAD HERE
http://www.majorgeeks.com/Ashampoo_FireWall_d5241.html

 

AVG Free Edition 7.5.446a991 {HOT)
Author: GRISOFT Inc.
Date: 2007-04-10
Size: 20.2 Mb
License: Freeware

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition is a free anti-virus protection tool developed by GRISOFT for home use. We invite you to join the millions of satisfied customers worldwide who have downloaded the software and now enjoy the benefits of AVG Anti-Virus Free.

DOWNLOAD HERE
http://www.majorgeeks.com/AVG_Free_Edition_d886.html

 

Patch Tuesday resumes with 'critical' Windows fix

Microsoft on Tuesday plans to release five security bulletins, four of which will address Windows flaws.

The bulletins, part of Microsoft's monthly patch cycle, will provide fixes for an undisclosed number of security vulnerabilities, Microsoft said on its Web site Thursday.

Earlier this week, the company rushed out a "critical" patch for Windows that fixed seven flaws in the operating system, including one that is being used in cyberattacks.

At least one of the four additional security alerts for Windows will be tagged "critical," Microsoft's highest severity rating. Security issues tagged as critical typically could allow an attacker to gain full control of an affected system with very little, if any, action by the user.

In addition to the Windows fixes, Microsoft plans to offer a patch for its Content Management Server. The product, designed to let organizations manage Web content, has a "critical" vulnerability, Microsoft said.

Microsoft has no patches on tap for Office, despite three vulnerabilities in the software that have been disclosed but have not yet been patched, according to eEye Security's zero-day flaw tracker. There are also two zero-day bugs in Windows, according to eEye. In addition, eEye has reported five flaws to Microsoft that have yet to be patched.

Also on Tuesday, Microsoft plans to release an updated version of its Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool. The program detects and removes common malicious code placed on computers.

Last month, Microsoft did not release any security bulletins. Microsoft gave no further information on the upcoming alerts, other than to state that some of the fixes may require restarting the computer or server.
http://news.com.com/Patch+Tuesday+r...3-6173707.html?part=rss&tag=6173707&subj=news

 

New Spam mail secretly verifies your email account

spam A new spam campaign doing the rounds looks fairly innocent but its sole purpose is to verify that your email address is active. This will inevitably lead to your email address being added to multiple spam lists. The main problem with this particular spam is that the email is hard to spot and simply opening it will quietly alert the spammer your email address is active.

The email thanks you for using the digital locker at Windows Marketplace and goes on to give you details of how to download your purchase which in this case is Windows Vista Ultimate Upgrade. The spam only has links to msn.com that forward to Windows Marketplace. Computer Security Research - McAfee Avert Labs Blog Linked by shanmuga Tuesday, 10th April 2007 2:12AM



One Spam to Not Open…

Thursday April 5, 2007 at 11:35 am CST
Posted by Kevin McGhee


Trackback

A new spam campaign doing the rounds looks fairly innocent but its sole purpose is to verify that your email address is active. This will inevitably lead to your email address being added to multiple spam lists. The main problem with this particular spam is that the email is hard to spot and simply opening it will quietly alert the spammer your email address is active.

The email thanks you for using the digital locker at Windows Marketplace and goes on to give you details of how to download your purchase which in this case is Windows Vista Ultimate Upgrade. The spam only has links to msn.com that forward to Windows Marketplace.





Hidden in the html there’s a blank white image that tries to load from a link as follows:

The spammer has cleverly used a PHP script to send him your email address when the image tries to load. The script then returns a link to the blank white image (http://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx/dot_clear.gif) that is barely noticeable in the spammed email.

We have seen this spam from the following:

From: “Web Useds”
From: “Web Services”
From: “Web Help”
From: “Support Services”
From: “Sales Depot”
From: “Digital Plaza”
From: “Digital Locker”
From: “Customer Support”
From: “Buy now”
From: “Web Depot”
From: “Ref Depot”

And the subject of the email is usually one of these with random numbers in square brackets:

Subject: [635] Important info regarding your Order
Subject: [7738] Your Order
Subject: [4241] Support Request

Or sometimes just has your email address in the subject:

Subject: youremail@yourdomain.com

So if you notice any emails like these its best to avoid opening them, it’s also advisable to set your email client to ask before downloading images if this feature is available.

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 5th, 2007 at 11:35 am and is filed under Uncategorized, Spam and Phishing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
http://www.avertlabs.com/research/blog/?p=247

 

Firefox's Lack of Low Privilege Heightens ANI Patch Urgency

ff1 The security researcher who discovered the ANI vulnerability has pointed out that Firefox users who don't install the ANI patch are in danger of files being overwritten in an attack, given that the browser lacks a low privilege mode.

Firefox users have a greater need than do users running IE in protected mode to install the patch for the animated cursor flaw that caused Microsoft to rush out a security bulletin on April 3, given that Firefox lacks a low-privilege mode.

Alexander Sotirov, the security researcher at Determina who first discovered the ANI flaw and reported it to Microsoft in December, has posted a video depicting successful ANI vulnerability exploits on both Internet Explorer 7 and Firefox 2.0 running on Vista in default mode. Firefox's Lack of Low Privilege Heightens ANI Patch Urgency Linked by shanmuga Tuesday, 10th April 2007 2:09AM


Firefox's Lack of Low Privilege Heightens ANI Patch Urgency
By Lisa Vaas
April 5, 2007

Updated: The security researcher who discovered the ANI vulnerability has pointed out that Firefox users who don't install the ANI patch are in danger of files being overwritten in an attack, given that the browser lacks a low-privilege mode.


11 comments posted
Add your opinion


Firefox users have a greater need than do users running IE in protected mode to install the patch for the animated cursor flaw that caused Microsoft to rush out a security bulletin on April 3, given that Firefox lacks a low-privilege mode.

Alexander Sotirov, the security researcher at Determina who first discovered the ANI flaw and reported it to Microsoft in December, has posted a video depicting successful ANI vulnerability exploits on both Internet Explorer 7 and Firefox 2.0 running on Vista in default mode.


PointerClick here to read more about why the ANI vulnerability never should have happened.

In the video, Sotirov notes that turning on Protected Mode works to protect Vista running IE. Although the exploit gives an attacker access to all files on a system, Protected Mode prevents those files from being overwritten.

It turns out that Firefox uses the same vulnerable Windows component to process .ani files, Sotirov says in the video, "Which means it can be exploited in a way similar to Internet Explorer."

Sotirov demonstrates opening a URL exploit while running Firefox and successfully getting a command shell connection. The shell again gives access to all system files, along with the privileges of the currently logged-on user. But because Firefox has no low-privilege mode similar to IE's Protected Mode, an attacker can also overwrite system files as well.

eWEEK.com Special Report: Keeping Pace with Microsoft's Patches

This is only the most recent in a string of security concerns around Firefox. In the past months, a Firefox bug that could allow a malicious Web site to appear authentic was uncovered. Mozilla released updated versions to deal with that vulnerability in February.

Not that Firefox is less secure than IE; MS07-017 will patch the animated cursor vulnerability in both. It's just that Firefox users have no protection from a Protected-Mode style of low privilege setting. But as one reader pointed out, considering that Vista Protected Mode matters only if users have Vista, that makes sitting ducks out of just about everybody.

"For the vast majority, the only real answer is immediate testing and deployment of the MS patch," the reader said.

The Mozilla Foundation, which supports Firefox, said in a statement that the ANI vulnerability can be exploited through both Firefox and IE. Mozilla is encouraging all Windows users to apply Microsoft's update immediately. The foundation also said that it is investigating issuing a workaround within Firefox in an upcoming security release.

Editor's Note: This story was updated to correct the impression,
given by the previous headline and first sentence, that Firefox is more vulnerable to ANI exploits than IE. The author regrets the misimpression.
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,2111290,00.asp?kc=EWRSS03129TX1K0000614

 

Has the end arrived for desktop antivirus?

desktop Some industry analysts are proclaiming the traditional antivirus method for detecting and eradicating viruses, trojans, spyware and other baneful code by matching it against a signature to be "dead."

They say signature-based checking can’t keep up with the flood of virus variants manufactured by a criminal underworld that is beating the antivirus vendors at their own game. And they are arguing it’s time for companies to adopt newer approaches, such as whitelisting or behavior-blocking, to protect desktops and servers. Is desktop antivirus dead? - Network World Linked by shanmuga Tuesday, 10th April 2007 2:03AM


Is the bell tolling for desktop antivirus technology?

Some industry analysts are proclaiming the traditional antivirus method for detecting and eradicating viruses, trojans, spyware and other baneful code by matching it against a signature to be “dead."

They say signature-based checking can’t keep up with the flood of virus variants manufactured by a criminal underworld that is beating the antivirus vendors at their own game. And they are arguing it’s time for companies to adopt newer approaches, such as whitelisting or behavior-blocking, to protect desktops and servers.

“It’s the beginning of the end for antivirus," says Robin Bloor, partner at consulting firm Hurwitz & Associates, in Boston, who adds he began his “antivirus is dead" campaign a year ago and feels even more strongly about it today. “I’m going to keep beating this drum. The approach antivirus vendors take is completely wrong. The criminals working to release these viruses against computer users are testing against antivirus software. They know what works and how to create variants."

The fundamental problem “isn’t about viruses, it’s about what should be running on a computer," Bloor says.

Instead of antivirus software, he says, users should be investing in whitelisting software that prevents viruses from running because it only allows authorized applications to run.

Whitelisting products are available from SecureWave, Bit9, Savant, AppSense and CA, the first traditional antivirus vendor to see the light, in Bloor’s view.

Others are joining Bloor’s way of thinking. Andrew Jaquith, a security analyst at Yankee Group, in December published a research paper entitled “Anti-Virus is Dead: Long Live Anti-Malware." Yankee Group’s research indicates that there’s an "explosion" in cumulative malware variants, with 220,000 cumulative unique variants expected in 2007, a tenfold increase over 2002 levels.

The antivirus vendors simply can’t keep up, Jaquith says, noting that some antivirus lab managers privately complain this flood of virus variants, which force signature changes every 10 minutes, adds up to the equivalent of a denial-of-service attack against them.

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/040507-desktop-antivirus-dead.html

“Most antivirus labs work the same way; they get more samples than they can handle on a daily basis," Jaquith says. “They triage based on severity. The antivirus people are like folks with nets trying to catch the big fish, so if you’re a bad guy, you want to be a minnow and get through the driftnet."

The best thing about antivirus signatures is that “they’re accurate and the false positives are very low," Jaquith says. But the purpose in writing the “Anti-Virus is Dead" paper is to “bust everybody’s bubble that this stuff is keeping people safe and the notion it will solve your malware problem."

Jaquith says he’s enthusiastic about behavior-blocker technology incorporated in Sana Security’s Primary Response or Prevx’s Prevx1.

Behavior-blocking antimalware software works by observing the behavior of applications running in memory, and blocking those deemed harmful. Sana Security’s CEO Don Listwin says Primary Response looks at 226 software characteristics deemed to be bad behavior and stops code trying to execute.

“We indict them and take them out," Listwin says. But he acknowledges there can be false positives, adding that antivirus scanning is “complementary" to what Sana Security provides in behavior-blocking.

Not all analysts are ready to jump on the antivirus-is-dead bandwagon.

“Antiviral on the desktop is certainly still a must have, though mostly as a removal tool," says Gartner analyst John Pescatore. He says his firm advises clients to buy antivirus integrated with some host-based intrusion-prevention system (IPS), noting McAfee, Symantec and others have started adding IPS to block malware where signatures don’t exist.
When is the funeral?

If antivirus is dead, the question is when to hold the funeral.

Jaquith’s paper points out that “antivirus products enjoy a privileged position in enterprise budgets" and “no other security product boasts nearly 100% penetration."

Research firm IDC estimates the antivirus market today accounts for $2.1 billion on the consumer side and $3.1 billion for the enterprise. That’s expected to grow to $3 billion and $4.5 billion respectively by 2010. Continued

While traditional antivirus vendors are willing to acknowledge there could be improvements, they are somewhat taken aback to hear industry analysts proclaim antivirus is dead.

“That’s a bit radical," says John Maddison, general manager of network security services group at Trend Micro, which has no immediate plans to adopt whitelisting or behavior-blocking. Trend Micro is innovating with what it calls reputation services to check IP addresses and e-mail to determine if incoming code originated at a reputable source.

“If you asked people to give up antivirus, you’d find few that would do that," Maddison says.

Many corporate security managers concur.

“I wouldn’t let go of our signature-based control," says Doug Sweetman, State Street’s senior technology officer in corporate information security, who adds State Street has licenses with five antivirus vendors because the competition is beneficial during negotiation time. But he adds: “It’s a commodity."

Sweetman also says State Street has embarked upon a “desktop lockdown" that will not allow unauthorized applications on employee computers to run.

Kathy Larkin, director of information security at Prudential Financial, said she doesn’t find the argument that desktop antivirus is dead to be convincing. “I think antivirus is worthwhile and will be around for a long time."

However, some antivirus vendors, when asked how fast it takes to turn around a virus signature, acknowledge it’s tricky.

“It takes two to four hours to turn around a signature for a severe rating," says Brian Foster, Symantec’s senior director of product management. He adds that he can’t say how long it might take for anything else. The majority of antivirus malicious code tracked by Symantec are variants “where someone has tweaked it, changed the payload," Foster says.

While Symantec’s antivirus software can catch and stop variants through heuristics, a signature is needed to eradicate the specific variant code from the machine.

Foster says Symantec is adapting by incorporating new technologies, such as IPS, into its products and notes the antivirus products of the future will be working through far more than signature-based eradication. Continued

Jaquith is ready to give credit where he thinks it’s due, and his paper cites McAfee and Symantec as traditional antivirus vendors that are moving to augment signatures with adjunct technologies that include behavior-blocking.

Taking the plunge

While most network executives probably wouldn’t be willing to jettison traditional antivirus software for alternatives such as white-listing or behavior-blocking, there’s evidence a few are taking the plunge.

“There is that thought, that you still need antivirus and it’s something you should have," says Brent Rickels, senior vice president at First National Bank of Bosque County, in Valley Mills, Texas. “It’s been around so long but it’s no longer adequate in this fast-changing world.“

The bank, which has about 6,000 customer accounts, still uses gateway-based antivirus filtering and restricts Web surfing among employees to reduce risk of downloading malware.

But the bank jettisoned its Symantec desktop antivirus about a year ago in favor of SecureWave’s Sanctuary product for the desktop, which Rickels says is less expensive.

“It builds a whitelist of [Dynamic Link Library] files allowed to run, and if it hasn’t authorized the file, it won’t run," Rickels says. The only downside he has found in using it for more than a year is that it takes administrative time to adjust the Sanctuary software to recognize the propriety bank applications or software patch updates from Microsoft.

But Rickels says the tradeoff is worth it. “We go through those drills, but I can control that vs. the unknown of viruses. Signature-based antivirus is like using a shield with holes in it."