internet

Comodo Pro is excellent for amateurs, too

Sometimes programs are born great, and sometimes they have greatness thrust upon them. There's a third tack, too: some program grow into their skins. Comodo Firewall Pro is one of those.

Living under the radar for too long, at some point out of the limelight it became a solid, state-of-the-art firewall with little reason left to ignore it. Providing a smorgasbord of information and options for advanced users, simple enough for beginners, and yet runs smoothly and silently in the background, Comodo is a prime example of what a program that mucks about with your Internet connection should be like.

Episode 576: One man's burning NanoPants

Get serious with Internet Security 2008

As Trend Micro releases an upgrade to their PC-Cillin Web security product, they've renamed it Internet Security 2008.

It's a bit less glib and reflects the way in which malware attacks have proven to have serious, life-altering consequences in the real world. CNET's Rob Vamosi has given the trialware five stars, and it's hard to argue that Trend Micro doesn't offer a comprehensive suite of tools to keep you safe.

However, user complaints about previous versions indicate mixed reviews. Some loved PC-Cillin, others felt that the cure was worse than the disease. Take a look … Read more

A search engine for Internet radio

I love listening to any kind of radio--terrestrial, satellite or Internet--while going about my daily Internet pleasures.

But I have no patience and little time to search for cool new stations. I end up relying on the typical standbys and random recommendations from friends or colleagues.

Enter Iheard.

Fusa Capital launched a new search engine on Tuesday that brings the thousands of Internet radio stations out there to one Web site.

The engine includes both Internet-only stations, as well as simulcasts offered by AM and FM radio stations online.

Unlike Radio-Locator, which started from "MIT's List of Radio Stations on the Internet", … Read more

Senators face new pressure to renew Net tax ban

With only weeks to go before a federal halt to Internet access taxes expires, a handful of Senate Republicans is applying a new form of pressure on the Democratic leadership.

Sen. John Sununu (R-N.H.) on Wednesday reintroduced an identical version of his bill from January that would make permanent an existing moratorium set to end November 1. Unless Congress passes his proposal--or at least another temporary extension--there won't be anything stopping most state and local governments from taxing Internet access, including DSL (digital subscriber line), cable modem and BlackBerry-type wireless transmission services.

The difference this time is … Read more

McAfee announces 'triple play' in its consumer releases

McAfee on Monday released its 2008 line of security products, including McAfee VirusScan Plus 2008, McAfee Internet Security 2008, and McAfee Total Protection 2008.

In a move that McAfee hopes will distinguish it from the competition, the company is now offering three user licenses for all its desktop products, and is including its SiteAdvisor site-rating software in each product to protect against online fraud. Finally, McAfee is also including VirusScan mobile protection with its desktop Internet Security and Total Protection products.

This "triple play" perhaps makes McAfee's products more economical, but it remains to be seen if … Read more

Senators OK triple fines for ignoring Net child porn

A bill just approved by a U.S. Senate committee would slap steeper fines on Internet service providers that fail to alert authorities when they obtain knowledge of child pornography on their servers.

Federal law already requires ISPs to file such reports "as soon as reasonably possible" to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's Cyber Tipline--although they're not required to proactively search for the illegal images.

The Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act, which the Senate Commerce Committee cleared by a unanimous voice vote on Thursday afternoon, would triple the fines for … Read more

French woman uses eBay to fence stolen goods

A woman in the town of Pontarlier, France, saw a little boy steal some goods from a supermarket and slip out the door undetected thanks to a faulty alarm system.

That was in 2004. Nearly every day since, the woman is accused of walking out of the store with stolen goods that she later sold on auction site, eBay, according to a story in Thursday's edition of LeParisien.

Before being apprehended, the woman hauled in the equivalent of $120,000, according to the story. Some of the stuff she pilfered included video games, CDs, DVDs and razor blades.

In … Read more

YouTube star taps explorer in everyone

Hit the road.

That's the message that Matt Harding's feet tap out as he romps around in front of African elephants, lounging walrus and confused Buddhist monks in the video montage "Where the Hell Is Matt?" The clip, which features Harding doing a signature jig in exotic locations around the globe, became an online blockbuster after he posted it last year to YouTube.

The video has made Harding a source of inspiration to anyone with a desire to light out on their own world tour. He is now working on a sequel and visited San Francisco'… Read more

Bush administration endorses eternal Net tax ban

A soon-to-expire ban on Internet access taxes must be made permanent by Congress, two cabinet-level Bush administration officials urged Wednesday.

In a joint statement, U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez and Treasury Department Secretary Henry Paulson said the "vast potential economic and social benefits of electronic commerce" depend on immortalizing an almost decade-old moratorium on Internet access taxes and discriminatory e-commerce taxes.

"Preventing the taxation of Internet access will help sustain an environment for innovation, ensure that consumers continue to have affordable access to the Internet, especially high-speed Internet, and strengthen the foundations of electronic … Read more