zone

A couple of weeks ago, I gave you some of the top antivirus apps for your PC. The programs I listed were my picks for reliable free and shareware antivirus software that you could use right away.

Though having a good virus program is crucial to online safety, it's not enough to stop all intruders. Another extremely important line of defense is the software firewall. Some believe you need a hardware firewall (like as a function of your router, for example) to keep all intruders away from your system. But for most people (me included), a good software firewall offers plenty of protection against attacks and also against software on your hard drive that might be trying to contact "the mother ship" without your knowledge.… Read more

Tell me what to do here, folks.

I encountered a rat's nest of problems with geotagging recently because I'd left my camera clock to local time on a vacation eight time zones away. Some have suggested to me that I change my camera clock to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), the closest thing the planet has to an absolute time zone reference point, as an easier way to embed location information in my digital photos.

I've been reluctant to make the GMT switch because I didn't want a photo I took at, say, 8 p.m. California … Read more

Turns out the "explosion-proof" computer that's been making the rounds on the gizmo circuit may be safe to use at the gas pump, but it won't do you any good to sit on it while cruising Karbala.

The Ruffneck Zone 1 Computer can be used for virtually any application, in the harshest of environments by the most careless and abusive operators, according to Computer Dynamics. It has a 15-inch touch screen that's readable in any light condition (including direct sunlight), is impact-resistant and can be operated by gloved hands. But no, it's not bomb-proof.… Read more

Digital cameras keep getting better, and as a result, just about anyone can get an extremely high-quality camera without breaking the bank. These days, you can get 7.1 megapixel cameras for less than $200. It doesn't seem like it was that long ago when a 2-megapixel camera went for twice that much, but one of the great things about technology is it always gets better--and cheaper!

If you're a serious photographer you probably like to use a full-strength image editor for color correction, filters, and other advanced features. But if you just use your camera for holidays and family events, how do you manage and display your pictures? There are a number of online sites like CNET Webshots, Flickr, and Shutterfly, which do a nice job of presenting your pictures, but if you want to keep your work local before pushing it out to the Web, want to post pics to your personal site, or want a few more customization options, a downloadable program might be your best bet.… Read more

If there's one thing that the Black Hat 2007 conference in Las Vegas taught CNET Senior Editor Robert Vamosi, it's that criminals hackers, forgers, and malware chefs are getting more creative in their villainy, not less.

While stocking up on quality security software is an advisable method for keeping your distance from boogie-man code, the antivirus and removal applications are a lot more effective when used correctly. Some programs, such as Hijack This and CCleaner, benefit from deeper instruction; that's where CNET Download.com's security center steps in. Here you'll find guides for getting started … Read more

In the rapidly changing world of computer technology, the laptop Power Downloader purchased only a couple of years ago has quickly become obsolete. In order to keep up with the most advanced Internet criminals, Power decided that it was time to upgrade his trusty laptop. Once he found the right one with the fastest processor, extra RAM, and the latest features, he brought it back to the Power Lair for the most important part of the process: downloading software!

While it seems like his computer goes out of date rather quickly, Power Downloader's favorite programs for a new computer … Read more

MediaZone will debut Social TV here at CES 2007, a mix of Internet television, MySpace, and instant messaging.

It's professionally produced online content that can be streamed or downloaded from the ad-supported site. The idea is to let users give feedback on, chat about, and rate programming, as well as forward the good stuff to friends. It's like YouTube, but from pros. Social TV aims to create global online TV channels that can be launched without the restraints of traditional television.

MediaZone has a shared-streaming technology allows users to securely share video packets, which lower the distribution cost … Read more