Free Cloud Anti-Virus

Are you sick with Free AVG or Avast anti-virus software? Or you are sick with paid personal anti-virus software like PC-Cilin or McAfee? Wait a minute, this is not an advertisement post, it's my experience as an anti-virus user.

I used to use the free anti-virus like Free AVG, Avast or Avira, but I’ve found that at some points as below:
1. In every version of AVG I’ve used – it stops updating automatically.
2. Most of the free anti-virus software don't have sufficient protection, especially on web surfing and thumb drive.

AVG Anti-Virus Free edition is the most famous AV software.

So a couple of months ago I decided to try another free Anti-Virus - Panda’s free Cloud Antivirus, and I'm happy with it for now. Updates happen in the background, files and problems are quietly taken care of, and it only ever bugs me if it needs my attention to decide what to do about a detected virus. Anyway, it only supporting Windows XP and Vista 32-bits.

Can Panda Cloud Anti-Virus take over AVG Free AV?

It works well with Comodo Firewall, it's 100% free as well. If you manage to install and use both protection software for your PC/notebook, it will be getting perfect. Trust me.

So what you waiting for? Try it today. Enjoy.

Download Web Sites Offline Tool

This month, I used to visit an encyclopedia web site to study it's content. Basically the contents are fixed but there are a lot of them. So it will takes some time to complete the content of the web site, and to re-read them if necessary. Because the web site contents are so interesting, if the web site or content is being removed, I'll really regret that I didn't save them page by page.

Wait. Page by page? If there are 100 pages, then I have to save 100 times? I told myself it's a very stupid way to do so, but I never try to look around before this. Sometimes when I found an interesting web site, I would like to read it without online. But I don't think I can do so, unless I manage to find a tool to save the pages.

Screenshot of HTTrack tool.

When I look around, most of the good tools are commercial software, until I came across an offline web site copier, HTTrack. Basically this software allows us to download web site to our local hard disk, including html, images and other necessary files. After performed the download, you can browse the web site from your local hard disk, as you were viewing it online. And most importantly, it is a FREE software for us to use.

Another beauty of this software is that it supports multi-platforms, including Windows 9x/NT/2000/XP, Linux,Unix and BSD. Pretty cool huh? Apart from multi-platforms support, it also allow you to choose multiple languages to suit for your needs.

Please don't use this tool to download your porn web sites offline ok!

I have used it for 2 weeks and I'm satisfied with this free software so far. Now I can sit back and enjoy my encyclopedia web site offline. You may want to try it out if you're interested. But please watch out if there is any web site patent infringement. =)

Best Defrag Tool

It's time to introduce good software to my reader again.

Today, I would like to introduce a better software to de-frag your hard disk. Like what I always emphasized, I hate using Microsoft windows default software, such as Personal Firewall, Internet Explorer and de-fragmentation tool. You can simply get a better alternative software from the Internet for FREE, why not!

Okay. I would like to recommend you Smart Defrag, issued by Iobit. Obviously, it's the best defrag tool I ever used. It's totally FREE and able to give you a complete diagnosis of your hard drive, de-fragment and speed up disk performance. It's a lot faster and better than using your default Disk Defragmenter, trust me.

To further convince you, let's look at the software price and features comparison in details as below.

It's also rated by CNet Download.com as Top Rated 5 Stars since September 2008.

Just make sure you download, install and schedule to run it every week, to ensure your hard disk performance is optimized and de-fragmented. Please try now!

Free Phone Call

No doubt, we can send SMS via the internet for free, such as sms.ac. It'll allows you send 20 sms for free once you register as a member. And you will entitle to send more, if you introduce new members to join. Hey, I did it 7 years ago, I'm not sure about now. The other free sms web sites are text4free.net, gizmosms.com, freesms.net etc. The mobile ISP I'm using, Digi also giving 3 sms for free daily. It's wonderful right.

But, is there any free phone call in this world?

I doubt, even it's VoIP. If there is a free phone call tool or web site, who else able to make profit in this industry? This is very true. There are thousands of VoIP web sites and software out there are under challenge and facing great competition from each others.

Have you ever think of replacing your landline with VoIP?

Unfortunately, I found out from the Internet that there is one VoIP company is giving FREE phone call! It sounds to be too good. I immediately try it out and confirm it is true! Check out this phone call web site immediately!

Well, as what we normally agree, there is no free lunch in this world. Evaphone only limit certain time for you to call per destination, per day. You can refer the destination list and time limit here. But you can miss call people unlimitedly. Better than none right.

If you think it is not cool enough, don't worry about it. You can make unlimited call to any landline and certain mobile numbers in the world within a month, and you just need to spend EUR$3.95. Yes, Skype is offering this subscription to it's members.

Let's just enjoy talking while you still can!

Hey, don't use it for this kind of House Call please!

Optimize your Firefox Automatically

Have you start using Firefox after my post?

Feel it is slower and not optimized? Normally you will need to tune your Firefox manually to optimize the your browsing experience. I can say it is difficult to do so, and time consuming.

With FireTune v1.2 available now, you can optimized your Firefox automatically, easily and with Free! It is compatible with Firefox version 1, 2 and 3. It is now more than 2.5 millions downloads and users claimed by Totalidea.

According to your specific computer speed and internet connection speed, FireTune will optimize Firefox internal settings for better performance. FireTune doesn't modify any executable and binary file. It is safe to be used.

User friendly & simple interface, you just need to click ONE option here.

Anyway, after I've tuned mine with FireTune, I've noticed a speed improvement of 1.98 seconds. Cool!

But how we know the speed has been improved?
There is an easy way to tell whether browsing speed is improved is to follow these instructions (specially thanks to Raymond for contribution the steps).

1. Clear the Cache of Firefox and close Firefox.
2. Open Firefox, go to http://www.numion.com/stopwatch/ and do a speed test on http://www.neowin.net/. Note down the time taken to completely load the website.
3. Clear the cache and close Firefox.
Note: Please go through step 1-3 a few times to get an average of load time before optimization.
4. Tune your Firefox with FireTune.
5. Start Firefox again, and repeat the speed test on http://www.neowin.net/
6. Compare the displayed result with the result from the test before the optimization.

Enjoy and we deserve to browse faster.

Bandwidth Speed Test

Do you know where to test your bandwidth speed?

If you yet to know, I would recommend Facebook bandwidth Speed Test. It's an Oklaa net metrics application, it is free, simple, consistent and accurate. It even allows you to categorize your result into home, work and others, you can try and see.

Apart from that, you also can use your highest bandwidth test result to challenge your friends by invite them to do a test.

So far my highest result at work is 8,650kbps and no one able to break it yet, so do come and challenge me at Facebook if you are confident with your bandwidth. ;)

If you don't have a facebook and don't wish to have one, just visit Speedtest.net for a free Oklaa net metrics test. Have fun.

Down Them All!

What? Down Them All? Sound familiar? yes, "Why just one when you can Down Them All." It's none other than Firefox most popular download manager and accelerator extension, DownThemAll. It is now already exceeded more than 9 millions downloads. With DownThemAll installed in your Firefox, you've gain advantage of download capabilities and speed in your browser.

DownThemAll lets you download the entire links or files found in the webpage. You can refine the downloads via fully customizable criteria to get only what you really want. Cool? Not cool enough, DownThemAll includes the advanced accelerator to increases your download speed which up to 400%!!! That's really impressive.

There are many other download managers/accelerators like Flashget and Download Accelerator Plus are also quite good, but I've use it for few years and I just fall in love with DownThemAll, I can't wait to share it with you.

DownThemAll is a very succeed download manager.

Any drawback huh? You totally don't have to worry about it. DownThemAll is completely FREE and open source, without adware/spyware embedded into the software. What it makes me happy is, it is only works under Mozilla Firefox extension. So if you're an IE user, just download and install latest Firefox 3 now. If you don't know how good is Firefox 3 , just refer to my previous post will do.

You can go http://www.downthemall.net to download DownThemAll now. The latest version is 1.0.3 released on 9th June 2008.

Happy DownThemAll~!

Looking for FREE Anti Virus?

Are you afraid of your PC/notebook/smart phone is vulnerable to e-threats such as virus, spyware, trojan or spyware? To secure against these threats, your windows perhaps need a comprehensive protection. The so-called comprehensive protection should consists of anti virus/spyware/phishing and personal firewall, Intrusion Detection System, and perhaps an anti spam if you are using Email client. I believe you already have at least one of them.

What can really secure my PC? Perhaps a pad lock?

There are many FREE version of anti virus software out there, few of the popular and widely use one are:
a) AVG Free AV
b) Free Avast! AV Home Edition
c) Avira AntiVir Free Edition
d) PC Tools AV Free AV
e) BitDefender Free AV Edition
Are you currently using any one of them? What's your comment about them?

BitDefender also want to gain certain market share on Free AV.

I used them before and I'm relatively okay with them. They are FREE and provide basic protection against virus, so I have no complaint about them at all. But, if you think they are good, then please do me a favor. Get a pen drive with any virus/spyware, plug it into your windows installed with any free AV above, and see what can it detects. Or you can just browse any software crack web site, and see what it able to detect. It's NONE. Even it detects, it detects only virus, not spyware or trojan, due to its limitations and it's FREE.

So what anti virus actually offering comprehensive solution we need? There are many paid version of anti virus offering such solution, among the famous and expensive one are Trend Micro Pc-cilin, Symantec Norton AV and McAfee AV.

Norton 360, brings comprehensive protection but it is sooOO expensive!

Why pay more if there is better and cheaper solution? I would like to introduce you Kaspersky Internet Security 2009, a new version of comprehensive anti virus solution from Kaspersky. Kaspersky AV is rated as top #2 anti virus software this year by toptenreviews.com .

BitDefender ranked #1? It must be cheating.

The cost of 1 year KIS license is relatively cheap, for about less than RM200, you can get a 3 users pack license already at any IT retail in Malaysia. Cool?
No, need to pay is always not cool enough, we need to save more instead. How about you can get it FREE trial for 6 months?! Okay, click here to download latest IS 2009 now, and apply the activate code below during installation.
T6B6K-8YK22-VBQH7-ZUZJG

You'll get it to run for 6 months, NO JOKE! For existing Kaspersky user who is still running older version, please upgrade now to enjoy the new version improvements (eligible to apply code above too!). Now you can throw away your free AV and try Kaspersky at home, office or any where you like. ;)

If you think it is really good after 6 months trial, just buy one to support and keep it survive.

KIS 2009 has a lot improvement made.

Besides, good news for mobile users, you can even get Kaspersky AV trial up to 1 year! La-la sound go here, select and download your mobile OS version now!

Please remember to update the pattern after install, and check the latest version of the software from Kaspersky web site from time to time. You also need to tune your first time AV settings to optimize your windows performance and get rid of the protections you don't need.

Kaspersky: I kill virus too, can I become a Legend too?

I have activated mine, you? Let's say bubye to virus and spyware. xD