detection

Show viruses, malware the door

Avira's AntiVir has been a player in the security world for some time; however, in 2008 its status boomed because of its remarkably strong detection rates. It still remains near the top of independent antivirus efficacy tests, but while the 2009 version more or less kept pace with the competition, the 2010 edition isn't quite as good as it could be.

Both longtime and new users alike will note the pop-up ad that appears whenever a program update is downloading; it has been the unaddressed focus of critical and user dislike for several years. While the occasional ad … Read more

Motion-aware phones may be your new nemesis

Trust the Japanese to come up with this. By analyzing how smartphones with built-in accelerometers relate to everyday actions, i.e. walking or running, KDDI Laboratories has apparently found a way to help supervisors do their jobs better.

The motion patterns from the cellular are sent to a back-end analytical server, which then matches and determines the type of actions associated with the phone. Of course, the accuracy of such an implementation will get better over time as more data is collected, but it's really all moot if you don't carry the handset with you when you're … Read more

Porn Detection Stick seeks out salacious images

Porn lovers or those who, you know, just read the articles, might want to take notice: a device from Paraben can be plugged into a computer's USB port and detect pornographic images on a hard drive.

The Porn Detection Stick is an interesting--and for some, worrisome--device. A porn investigator can pick up this handy device for about $100, plug it into the USB drive of any Windows-based PC, and run the Porn Detection program.

The software searches the hard drive using "advanced image analyzing algorithms that categorize images as potentially harmful by identifying facial features, flesh tone colors, … Read more

Keystroke keyholer

This aptly named program offers a detailed look at the browsing habits of anyone using your computer. Despite a few minor interface annoyances, it's a capable tool for capturing keystrokes.

At first glance, Keylog Detective's interface appears a bit cluttered, but it's easy to navigate. Prominent buttons for capturing and viewing keystroke information line the top and left side of the window. Click the Start Capture button and the program will immediately start recording your every move. You can view each session's keystroke details as well as any Web sites visited or programs accessed. The program'… Read more

CROSSHAIRS to protect vehicles against bullets, RPGs

DARPA has ordered a new system that could make taking a shot at the U.S. military's 38-ton sitting ducks just a little more problematic.

CROSSHAIRS (Counter Rocket-Propelled Grenade and Shooter System with Highly Accurate Immediate Responses) is a modular, vehicle-mounted, threat detection and countermeasure system that locates and engages enemy shooters. It will take on bullets, rocket propelled grenades (RPG), Anti-Tank Guided Missiles and even direct fired mortars, whether on-the-move or sitting still, according to DARPA.

The sole source $8 million contract went to Mustang Technology Group to integrate and test the system on the massive MRAP (Mine … Read more

Malware remedy

Correction: Although this review was written for Spyware Doctor version 8, a typo misstated the version number as version 7. That has since been corrected.

Spyware Doctor 8 offers users a superb collection of malware prevention and removal tools, but its infamously strict trial restrictions makes it difficult to evaluate. With quick scanning and multiple tools for stopping malware before it infects your computer, the paid version is a solid spyware remover.

Installing the program annoyingly requires you to reboot the computer, but as soon as Windows finishes loading, the program will start scanning for malware. Impressively, the scan took … Read more

Snow Leopard: Date detection in Mail working properly?

Users are experiencing issues regarding Snow Leopard's Mail program no longer recognizing data in messages. Typically, common information relating to dates or contacts is recognized by Mail as such and users are able to create iCal events or Address Book contacts from messages they receive in Mail. This function, however, seems to be not working properly for some users.… Read more

Handy spell checker

TinySpell is a free tool that checks spelling in any program. Accessing the program is as simple as right-clicking on its icon in your computer's Quick Launch tray. It displays a tiny window, making it easy to use alongside other programs. TinySpell will alert you if you misspell a word, or you can type a word directly in its window to check your spelling.

Most computer programs have spell check built-in, but in some programs the spell check is cumbersome to use or not easily accessed. TinySpell can bridge that gap. We thought it was quite handy to have … Read more

New Ad-Aware offers behavioral detection

Lavasoft has updated its popular malware and spyware detection and removal tool Ad-Aware. Rather than a dramatic redo, version 8.1 builds on the improvements made in the previous version. The new version is faster, has better removal abilities, and introduces a behavioral detection engine.

Called Genotype, Ad-Aware's heuristic-based behavioral detection engine isn't explicitly called out in the interface. However, I noticed that files that had been flagged falsely as threats in earlier versions were no longer called out as such, and the Quick Scan was able to complete in about three minutes, as opposed to 10 minutes … Read more