Kaspersky Internet Security 7.0 : The Big Daddy of Internet Security Suites

Kaspersky Internet Security 7.0Kaspersky is another one of the many antivirus makers that’s gone the complete Internet Security system way – not a bad thing. It’s known to be a resources hog, so we checked if anything had improved with this edition.
The suite takes care of all your security worries.. files, mail, system network security etc. All the basic controls for the components can be accessed from the main two-pane layout window. Modifying settings means you to go to another window which houses all the settings for the components, and there are plenty of them.
The core antivirus feature is standard and allows you to scan files and folders along with boot sectors, Registry, Memory, startup programs, etc. The Anti-Spam has a nifty training feature that learns by looking at mails in your mailbox through a wizard to provide more accurate spam protection. The firewall monitors for incoming and outgoing threats and notifies you immediately. Any attacks targeted at your computer can be set to have the attacker’s machine blocked for a set period of time.
The firewall also takes care of the blocking of ad banners and pop-ups from websites as well. The parental control is useful is not only stopping access to inappropriate sites, but also in setting limitations on time spent at the computer and on the internet. User accounts on Windows can be set to parent, teenager, Child and by default, all user are set to Child.
Strictness of all the features can be adjusted using a slider. At the same manual changes can be made. This is especially useful for spam filtering, parental control and the firewall. Heuristic scanning is available in most of the modules, but not enabled in all of them by default.
The help file doesn’t carry any screenshots, but the explanation is adequate and easy to understand.
Kaspersky’s Internet Security Suite is a pretty good choice for anyone looking for a complete security solution, its right up there with the best security suite money can buy at the price of $79.95/Year of license. There are no missing features, and everything is implemented well. New users might be a little confused by all the terms and huge list of options, though.

Popularity: 14% [?]

BlackBerry Curve 8300 : Business with Pleasure

BalckBerry Curve 8300The BlackBerry Curve 8300 is the littler sibling of the BlackBerry 8800. Most phones from BlackBerry are business centric, but the Curve incorporates multimedia features.
Silver tone makes for a cool, refined look. The slim profile means the Curve 8300 is very comfortable to hold and carry around. Its full QWERTY keys are small yet well shaped out. Tacticle response are brilliant.
The 2.5 inch 320×240 screen is adequately large and the images are crisp, good enough for the intended use: preliminary as a PDA phone. The 2MP gave us good results in daylight, but in low lit conditions, the images are washed out. The flash tends to over saturate the subject to some extent in close ups.
The mini USB port doubles as a charging point. You can use the device as a mass storage and access the 64MB of internal memory; memory expansion is possible via the MicroSD slot. The MicroSD slot, being under the battery compartment, isn’t hot swappable.
Media manager, based on Roxio Software, comes with the BlackBerry Desktop Manager Suite. This allows BlackBerry to integrate multimedia technology and capabilities like ripping audio CDs to the phone, managing playlists on it, and more. BlackBerry Curve 8300 comes with the personal manager and organizer apps that most smartphones come with. Synchronize the calender, memo, task-lists, etc. with your PC via Bluetooth or USB, or even with your corporate network if your company runs a BlackBerry Enterprise Server.
The speaker independent voice dialling application called VoiceSignal workes really well. The 8300 performed well in our network reception test, with very few call drops. There is no Wi-Fi or 3G support.
Priced at $599, The BlackBerry Curve 8300 is a good bye for those who demand executive features (PDA Functionality) and a bit of multimedia. However, lack of Wi-Fi should be noted.

Specifications at a glance:
Dimensions : 107mm x 60mm x 15mm
Weight : 111g
Network Support : Quad Band (GSM 850/900/1800/1900)
Display : 2.5-inch, 320 x 240, 16bit
Memory Slot : Yes, MicroSD
Camera : 2MP
Connectivity : USB, Bluetooth, GPRS, EDGE

Available Memory Cards for BlackBerry Curve 8300:
Micro-SD card
Micro SD memory
Memory Stick Micro
M2 memory
M2 card

Popularity: 14% [?]

LG Black Label Series KE970 “Shine” : if only looks could matter

LG Black Label Series KE970 ShineNot all manufacturers are innovators of style. Ever since it launched the Chocolate a year ago, LG has been on to something is its new classy mobile line-up, of which the Black Label Series KE970 (a.k.a. shine) is what we got to lay our hands on. Encased in a full-metallic body with with a rich brush finish, the K970 is as rugged as a tank. It is wider than most mobiles. The highlight here is its 2.2-inch LCD, which not only looks good while it is on, but doubles up as a mirror when not lit up!
The keys offer good tactile feedback. LG has introduced the scroll button for the first time, but we found it rather inconvenient: it is very frustrating to keep scrolling through long lists and Web pages. Probably because of the scroller, the UI is vertical menu-based rather then icon-based-rather unintuitive. The Shine has an excellent 2.0 MP camera with auto focus. It is certified by Schneidr Kreuznach, the German company that certifies photo-optics. The camera does live up to its hype, and is one of the best we have seen thus far. You can choose from a host of different resolutions and there are five white balance settings, along with a few artistic effects. The camera is a bit sluggish, though. The media player is decent. Bluetooth 1.2 with A2DP support lets you listen to your music in full stereo on a supported buletooth handset.
There is support to view most common office formats, but there’s just 50 MB of internal memory, and you’ll need to use the microSD slot to add more-irritatingly, it’s not hot-swappable. lost Mobile Track (LMT) function is inbuilt to allow you to trace the phone in case you lost it.

Available Memory Cards for LG KE970:
Micro-SD card
Micro SD memory
Memory Stick Micro
M2 memory
M2 card

Popularity: 36% [?]