blocking

One of parents' biggest Internet worries is "adult content," i.e. pornography. Anti-Porn from tuEagles is an easy-to-use program that helps parents take control of what their kids are exposed to online. Its filters block suspicious sites. If the parents or guardians (or whoever holds the password) approves of the site, they can allow access. Parents and adults can restore unfiltered access quickly without shutting down Anti-Porn by toggling to Parent mode. Anti-Porn takes screenshots and logs online activity when it's running, so parents can see just where their kids are hanging out online. It can even … Read more

Iran is following through with previously reported plans to move its citizens onto a domestic Internet network, Reuters reported. Meanwhile, the country is about to start blocking Google, also according to Reuters. It's unclear whether the two moves are related.

A government deputy minister today announced the domestic Internet plans as a way to improve cybersecurity, adding that all government agencies and offices have been connected to the "national information network." The next step would be to connect everyday citizens to the network as well, he said.

Separately, state television reportedly announced Google's search engine and … Read more

When I first wrote about iMessage last year with the release of iOS 5, I made a huge mistake. I had gone through and edited all of the screenshots, but forgot to blur out an e-mail address linked to my iMessage account. Readers noticed this, of course, and began sending me iMessages almost immediately.

I heard from a lot of nice readers, and I also had the occasional person who would send me multiple messages at all hours of the night. It took me a few weeks to figure out how these people knew how to contact me, but even … Read more

Review: Symantec has moved Norton 360 to the same release schedule as Norton Internet Security and Norton AntiVirus, making them into a three-tiered strategy for consumer security. Norton AntiVirus is the entry-level product, with Norton Internet Security occupying the middle rung and Norton 360 aimed at people who want the most bang for the most buck.

Notoriously slow to respond to trends, the consumer security field is surprisingly not taking Windows 8 lying down. Norton and many of its competitors are optimizing their suites for Microsoft's new operating system ahead of its release, and Norton is combining that strategy … Read more

USB disks let you add unlimited storage to your desktop or laptop (especially laptops!) for movies, songs, images, backups, and other bulky data. USB thumbdrives and portable storage devices let you carry gigabytes of data with you. The USB interface means compatibility with almost every PC. And here's the problem: huge capacity, total portability, universal compatibility, and absolute indispensability work together to render your USB disks and devices especially vulnerable to viruses and other malware. USB Disk Security from Zbshareware Lab is an effective solution for securing your USB disks and data. This easy-to-use shareware is widely compatible with … Read more

AT&T plans to launch a service that will allow customers to report and block stolen mobile devices.

The service was initially reported by the Verge earlier today.

The service would let a customer block data, voice, and text message access to the phone or tablet but keep their account information in place, avoiding the hassle of creating a new account and SIM card.

It's part of a broader effort the national carriers agreed to in cooperation with the Federal Communications Commission. In April, the carriers agreed to work together to compile and manage a database of stolen … Read more

The Pakistani government blocked access to Twitter over potential "blasphemous" caricatures of the prophet Muhammad, according to several reports.

Twitter was asked by the government to stop a discussion about a contest over Muhammad caricatures, something it refused to do. As a result, access to the site has been blocked, according to the Express Tribune. The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority passed down the directive to Internet service providers in the country, and said it couldn't say how long the site would be blocked.

Access to Twitter in Pakistan was later restored on orders from Prime Minister Yousaf Raza … Read more

Microsoft aims to give parents more control over their children's computer use on Windows 8 with a new feature announced this week.

"With Windows 8, you can monitor what your kids are doing, no matter where they use their PC," Microsoft's senior program manager for Family Safety Phil Sohn wrote in a blog post. "All you have to do is create a Windows user account for each child, check the box to turn on Family Safety, and then review weekly reports that describe your children's PC use."

With these controls and weekly reports, … Read more

I sympathize with the hordes of urban dwellers who begrudgingly subject themselves to the purgatory of daily public transportation -- the screeching teenagers, sticky floors, and potpourri of smells are part of the reason I ride a bicycle. That said, there are things you can do to ease the pain of your commute.

First, don't look at anyone -- gawkers are universally creepy, so pick a spot on the ground and stare. Next, source a pair of headphones using the following criteria as your buying guide: durable, compact, noise-isolating, and "closed-back," meaning they won't betray your privacy and leak your music to fellow commuters.

This list includes both circumaural (over-ear) and in-ear, bud-style headphones. Both styles are suitable for noise isolation, though you may prefer active noise-canceling headphones if your ride is extra-annoying. If not, earbuds with well-fitted tips (silicone or foam) can be just as effective at muting the world around you.… Read more