Surf in safety with TrendProtect (IE/Firefox)

Internet Explorer and Firefox only: TrendProtect is a browser plug-in that helps you avoid unsafe web sites.

Using a variety of methods, TrendProtect analyzes individual pages (not just entire sites) and alerts you if it detects anything malicious. It also analyzes Google, MSN and Yahoo search results, flagging each link with a familiar red-light/green-light color code. You can mouse over any link to see more information.

Unnecessary, you say? IE 7 and Firefox have their own such security features? Consider this: I recently stumbled upon an eBay phishing site, and to my surprise, neither Firefox nor the Google Toolbar caught it. (Another surprise: Internet Explorer 7 did.) TrendProtect did seem to slow Google searches a bit, but that's a small price to pay for an added layer of protection.

TrendProtect is free. It's available for Internet Explorer and Firefox, but only the Windows versions of each. —Rick Broida

TrendProtect [Trend Micro via PC Magazine]

PHP 5.2.2

PHP is a widely-used general-purpose scripting language that is especially suited for Web development and can be embedded into HTML. Much of its syntax is borrowed from C, Java and Perl with a couple of unique PHP-specific features thrown in. The goal of the language is to allow web developers to write dynamically generated pages quickly. It is a project of the Apache Software Foundation.

Download: PHP 5.2.2 For Windows | For Linux (Tar.bz2)

Intel Graphics Accelerator Driver for Vista 15.4.0.1255

This driver is written specifically for the Intel® G965, Q965, Q963, 946GZ, 945G, and 945GZ Express desktop chipsets and the 945GT, 945GM, 945GMS, and 940GML Express mobile chipsets, and will not function with any other product.

Download : Intel Graphics Accelerator Driver for Vista 15.4.0.1255

AOL Falls to Third Largest ISP

In yet another sign of the ubiquity of broadband, AOL said yesterday it now counts only 12 million subscribers - a far cry from the company's peak of 26.7 million in 2002. AOL is now only the third largest ISP, behind both AT&T with 12.1 million subscribers and Comcast with 12.9 million.

AOL has ceased marketing its dial-up and high-speed Internet services, instead focusing on its advertising-based Web business. The company says 8 million users have signed up to the free offerings, although nearly half are former AOL ISP customers. Still, the company remains upbeat about its progress, saying users are now spending more time on AOL Web properties, meaning advertising revenues should increase.

Kaspersky Internet Security 7.0.0.60 Beta beta

Publisher's Description:

Kaspersky Internet Security technological prototype represents a new generation platform for creating applications specifically designated for complex protection of personal computers and workstations. Uniting the substantially improved functional abilities of version 5.0, Kaspersky Lab protection products with the latest technological innovations introduced by the company the Kaspersky Internet Security solution secures the most effective and complete protection of a computer from all sorts of electronic threats - malicious programs, hacker attacs and spam.

Screenshot:

Download Now

File Size: 21,520 KB

Sun to Help Bring OpenOffice to Mac

"Aside from our compilation efforts, the majority of our work can't be completed until these APIs are in place or at least designed to a point where we can begin figuring out how to marry them to Mac OS X. There is no active coding at this time," said developers.With the aid of Sun, however, the native Mac OS X version of OpenOffice could get back on track. Sun plays a major role in the development of OpenOffice on Windows, which has its roots in Sun's StarOffice suite.

OpenOffice has seen much success on Windows following the release of version 2.0, but its Macintosh brethren has remained stuck in the past without a native port. Engineers at Sun are hoping to change that, lending their support to building an Aqua version of the free Microsoft Office alternative.

While an X11 version of OpenOffice has been available for Mac users, that release required first launching the X Window system - something few consumers even had installed. The OpenOffice development team put the full Aqua port on hold in 2003 with a goal to have it ready during 2006.

At the time, the delay was attributed to API changes happening in the core OpenOffice code base prior to the release of version 2.0. But a major effort to startup the port once again has failed to materialize since.

"You can imagine my excitement when I first heard about renewed efforts to make an Aqua port reality. And now finally I can spend my paid time to add to this great effort. At first Herbert Dürr and I will contribute to the Mac port, however there certainly will be other Sun developers involved in their areas of expertise when the need arises," said Sun engineer Philipp Lohmann in a blog post.

Lohmann explained that Sun's decision to join the porting project comes due to the increased usage of Apple computers. "If you look around at conferences and airport lounges, you will notice that more and more people are using Apple notebooks these days," he said. "We are supporting this port because of the interest and activity of the community wanting this port. The new invigorated effort in Mac/Aqua-porting (basically since CWS aquavcl01) is an obvious indicator."

For now, the plan is to develop OpenOffice on Mac using the Carbon framework rather than Cocoa.

1 GB Creative Zen Stone for $39,99: "That Doesn't Impress Me Much!"

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Here's another desperate move that intends to take Apple by surprise. Creative just released its latest solution to handling the iPod Shuffle issue: the Zen Stone. I'm pretty sure you read all the rumors about the under $50 Creative's Zen Stone imminent launch.

Well, watch out! Creative throws the Zen Stone hoping they'll gun down the one-eyed 80$ 2nd G iPod shuffle (what a creative move). It's their first completely screenless flash player actually. And it's not even selling for a cent short of $50, but somewhere under $40. It's actually priced at 39,99$.

The main ingredients are: an already familiar softly rounded plastic case, USB 2.0, 1 GB storage space and two AA batteries that will run a 20 hours long guitar solo playback (250 songs). Since it's a USB Mass Storage-Class (MSC) device, it allows you to drag and drop files without any software.

You can stuff the Stone with MP3, WMA, WAV files and Audible formats 2 and 3. Stuff music in a screenless Stone, that's a first alright! Will it sink faster than an apple? Maybe.

Apparently, the price list for the accessories explains the 40 bucks chief ingredient. Here it goes: a clip ($9,99), a keychain ($12,99) and an armband ($15,99). You could also choose the TravelSound Zen Stone docking solution for $39,99 (available starting this July). So, the clip costs ¼ the price of the Stone? Nice pricing strategy. Very creative indeed!

The 1 GB Creative Zen Stone flash player will be available starting from the 14th of May in six colors: black, white, red, blue, green and, er, pink.

Enhance Firefox Live Bookmarks with LiveClick

Windows/Mac/Linux (Firefox): If you're one of the many folks out there who subscribes to your favorite feeds using Firefox's Live Bookmarks feature (and there are a surprising number of you), the LiveClick Firefox extension adds several worthwhile enhancements to the default Live Bookmarks functionality.
In addition to per-bookmark notifications (which is great), LiveClick makes Live Bookmarks a lot more usable, adding options to mark items as read, integrate Live Bookmarks with an actual bookmark to the feed's homepage, and use the site's favicon rather than the default RSS icon for the bookmark. If you keep up with your favorite feeds using LiveBookmarks, LiveClick looks like a must-have. LiveClick is free to download, works wherever Firefox does. Thanks Jeremy! — Adam Pash
LiveClick [Mozilla Add-ons]