First look: Microsoft Security Essentials impresses

"Microsoft's new antimalware solution, Microsoft Security Essentials, is now available for Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7. Ars puts MSE through its paces and finds an unobtrusive app with a clean interface that protected us in the dark corners of the Internet.

After a short three-month beta program, Microsoft is officially releasing Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE), its free, real-time consumer antimalware solution for fighting viruses, spyware, rootkits, and Trojans. MSE is yet another layer of defense the company is offering to help its customers fight the threats that plague Windows PCs.

Microsoft Security Essentials is available for Windows XP 32-bit (8.61MB), Windows Vista/7 32-bit (4.28MB), and Windows Vista/7 64-bit (4.71MB). The final build number is 1.0.1611.0. Microsoft warns that MSE should not be installed alongside any other antimalware application. Indeed, MSE's installer disables Windows Defender completely, which makes sense as it is a sort of superset to Windows Defender. It builds upon Windows Defender by offering both real-time protection and on-demand scanning for all types of malware."

Continue Reading

Review: Lenovo Ideapad S10 Netbook

Every sign we've seen thus far leads us to believe that netbooks are going to be very popular this holiday shopping season. With good reason, too – they fill a void which has existed since the dawn of mobile computing. Truly cost efficient, rugged, little notebook computers with enough processing power and screen resolution to get basic tasks done – nothing more, nothing less. Given that pocketbooks are hurting in the current economic climate, these new low-cost mobile systems become that much more attractive, besides being a downright exciting product category.

Many of the large-scale PC vendors have already developed, or are developing a netbook product for the end of the year. Dell’s Inspirion Mini 9, along with the Asus Eee PC and MSI’s new Wind netbooks appear to be some of the more popular models. As this year comes to a close, the pace of netbooks hitting the market has certainly accelerated, and we expect that to continue for the next month or so. One of the more exciting netbook models that came to market just recently is Lenovo’s IdeaPad S series.

read more | digg story

Mini-Laptops look like the Next Big Electronics Change

"While computer makers have pushed to build faster, more powerful laptops in recent years, the executives at Taiwan's Asustek Computer decided to try something different. They thought some people wanted a simpler computer. And they were right. Since its introduction last October, Asustek's Eee PC—a mini-laptop that retails for as little as $300—has become a huge hit around the world. The company expects to sell 5 million units this year. "We changed the concept," says Chief Executive Officer Jerry Shen. The Eee PC is a significant innovation in the PC industry," Huang wrote in a report last month, but "its success is unlikely to be sustained"

read more | digg story

Interesting news from Europe & USA

There have been a flurry of articles on the net this weekend and I am sure more will follow this week talking about the iPhone (part touch iPod and phone) that will start selling in the UK this Friday. The iPhone is going to do wonders for Apples bottom line and so far the iPhone has been a total success even though it's not selling overseas yet un-lockers have been shipping them to needy buyers. But that's not all Macintosh sales have seen a strong increase and that's good news all around. Those of us in the USA who travel can now enjoy the new AT&T international plan with rates starting as low as $25! 

What about those rude cell phone users doesn't it make you crazy the way they yell into their phone and then give you the evil eye for daring to look their way? Some people it seems lack the common sense to step out side or if that's not possible talk in a whisper. After all do we really need to know what outfit your wearing in the morning or what an idiot your boyfriend is? Well now there is a solution, however lets just say it's not legal but oh does it sound fun! 

Not only those who are developers might find the article "Why Cocoa Bloat is Nonsense" an interesting read. 

I am sure you have all had a chance to hear about how Leopard is a security risk because they have an open firewall. Well that's in part true ipfw only has one rule that allows all incoming traffic but then it routes that traffic to a new custom Apple firewall. So its a bit of a mystery as to why Apple went the custom route for their firewall but I am sure they will be forthcoming with details soon.

Asus is shipping the Eee PC starting at $399. This PC is running a custom Linux install that is said to be very simple for new computer users to learn. However the Eee PC seems to suffer from a lack a space to store your documents or even install new programs. The Eee PC is very small and light but still even if Im a new user I want room to grow. This weekend I know I saw an ad in the local news paper saying they were selling an Acer laptop with Windows Vista for $399 so I am not sure what the advantage of buying an Eee PC would be? I hear if you buy the Eee PC in bulk then the price drops to $199. I think Id save my money for a MacBook.