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zone

Unique search tool

This unique Firefox add-on takes the place of your context menu while you browse, but getting used to it might take a little time.

Drag & DropZone Searching's settings can be accessed through your add-ons menu. To activate the program, you'll need to drag and drop the shortcut icon to your toolbar. The Settings menu is the place to customize your zones. From there, you can add which search engines you'd like to include, as well as any Context menu items. You can select their position on your screen, background color, and opacity. While browsing, all you … Read more

ZoneAlarm goes Extreme

ZoneAlarm Extreme provides a high-end, all-in-one PC security and tune-up utility for users who are looking for a supermarket approach to their computer's ancillary functions. Under the Extreme roof, you'll get an antivirus, antispyware, firewall, and parental control utility. Additional browser, identity theft, and e-mail protection are also rolled in, while extras like the free 2GB of encrypted online backup and the tune-up utilities are accessible but have components that must be downloaded separately.

The interface is smooth and modern, with big labels to draw your eye to the biggest features in each pane. A left sidebar collects … Read more

Enhance your virus protection

ZoneAlarm Forcefield offers an extra layer of protection while browsing the Web by protecting users from spyware and phishing sites. While it did successfully notify us of suspicious content, we wouldn't rely solely on this program for protection.

Oddly, though the program claims to be free, a prompt appeared asking us if we wanted to buy now or continue the trial. Aside from this, we found the user interface very straightforward to operate. A toolbar appears in your IE window that can be minimized. There, you'll find a drop-down menu containing links to the publisher's Web site, … Read more

Spring forward, fall behind

Remember that month in 2007 when everybody was talking about the Daylight Savings changes? You do? Well, so did Microsoft, which is why they released updates to address the changes. Now, if you're running an older system without the benefit of Automatic Updates, or if you just like to stay "off the grid," there's this handy tool to ensure your aging or isolated system doesn't spring forward too late, or fall back too early.

This is the simplest of tools. There's no installation--just run the downloaded file. There are only two buttons, so even … Read more

AVG update cripples some Windows XP systems

On Tuesday an update for AVG 8 suggested that a Windows system file is a Trojan horse, and users who delete the file form the system could leave their Windows XP systems endlessly rebooting or unable to reboot at all. The problem only affects users of AVG 8 products running the Dutch, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish language versions of Windows XP. AVG immediately sent out a corrected update to its customers, including those using the free editions of AVG.

A representative for AVG said, "AVG is actively working to remedy the problem some users are experiencing related to … Read more

Color your typing skills

I remember learning how to type a long time ago with a fake keyboard sketched on a piece of paper. It was fun trying to imagine and remember all the keys' position, though I would never want to have to repeat that exercise. Good news is you don't have to, at least not the imagining part.

The color-blind need not apply, but KeyRight just recently introduced what is arguably the most colorful keyboard in the world. It's a part of the company's Look & Learn typing solution for those who want to quickly and accurately use a … Read more

AVG flags ZoneAlarm as malware

This post was updated at 3:30 p.m. PDT with comment Check Point.

Grisoft, makers of AVG antivirus, on Wednesday released a new update addressing a false positive in another security product.

On Tuesday, AVG users reported desktops warnings that their desktop was infected with something called Trojan Agent r.CX. Some files within zlsSetup_70_483_000_en[1].exe, a compressed file containing dormant set-up files for Check Point's ZoneAlarm, apparently set off the alarm. The ZoneAlarm user forum soon filled with concerned users.

Grisoft did not respond to a request for comment.

Laura Yecies, vice president and general manager … Read more

The 404 158: Where Randall Bennett is obsessed with the 404

On today's show: Randall Bennett, former host of The 404, makes a guest appearance on the show to announce his newest business venture, Ubisoft video game event, calls from the public, face tattoos, Play-Doh bombs in lingerie stores, no-ho zones, and the $1000 iPhone application.

After a very long hiatus shrouded in mystery, Randall Bennett finally comes onto the show to reveal what he's been doing for the past few months, and contrary to our assumptions, none of it involves sleeping in! Turns out, he's working with a company called Crowd Fusion, a new "Web publishing … Read more

Vulnerable to a DNS cache poisoning at home?

On Wednesday, an exploit code allowing someone to attack the domain name system (DNS) became available. No one has yet used the code, but the advice is simple: Patch. Now. While most of the burden is on the Domain Name System servers and the various systems that support them, the nature of the flaw is such that desktop clients also need to patch their software as well.

First, to determine whether your DNS system is vulnerable, use either of these tests:

Dan Kaminsky DNS Operations, Analysis, and Research Center

If the test returns a message similar to "Your name … Read more