Staying invincible - Big Geek Brings You a Double Whammy on the Internet Explorer

Everybody knows that Internet Explorer is unsafe. But, trust me, though there are many good options, some corporations and governments still stick to Internet Explorer as their preferred browser and many applications do not work properly on any other. Also keeping in mind that IE is fully integrated into the Windows operating system and you just can't uninstall it. So, how do you make sure you are secured and have the latest updates to avoid a cyber attack?

Stop piracy
It is important to stick to genuine software. All of us want to run the prohibitively costly Adobe Photoshop to edit our pictures. But it is better to opt for freeware applications that let you do similar functions. The same is the case with operating systems. If you feel you do not want to spend on Windows, go ahead and give Linux a try. Or else, check out cheaper Starter Editions that offer limited functions but are good for home use. Anyway, make sure your OS is genuine and not pirated.

Antivirus
A good antivirus does not mean that you got it from your friend who bought a CD, it just means you paid for the antivirus or got one free from a great company like avg.com. With companies losing revenue to pirated software vendors, more and more companies are dropping prices. So it makes more sense to buy a paid version. Check with your friends and read some reviews if you can’t decide which antivirus is better. As we spend more time online and with the threats becoming more potent, it is advisable to get an antivirus with an inbuilt firewall to protect your computer from getting hijacked. While products like Bit Defender and Kaspersky are cheaper, high-end products like McAfee and Norton Antivirus will cost more. The choice is yours; just make sure you are buying a legal version.

Updates
Having a legal version of a software itself removes a lot of bugs, but it is also important to update your system regularly. Though most OS come with a built-in auto update utility, I have seen users disable this to save their bandwidth. If you want to disable the automatic update, it is suggested that you manually check for updates every fortnight. Update your OS every 15 days and your antivirus, antispyware and firewall everyday

Storage & file transfer
With the floppy drive era over, thumb drives, memory cards and Bluetooth file transfers have become the latest way to get a virus. In case you use memory cards or pen drives it is always suggested that you scan them immediately on connect. It might seem like a waste of time, but the first five minutes is when the virus enters the system. Try not to share thumb drives and memory cards. If your friend wants a file, email it to him.

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The above article appared in the Indian Express on Sunday 24th of January 2010. The Above video was a part of the news builiten on CNN IBN

The Chinese Connection - Review Chinese Cellphones

I AM A bit wary of unknown brands, especially those stamped with the ‘Made in China’ tag. But it has to be accepted that they are hugely popular in India. For Rs 4,000, a Chinese phone can give you a 2.8” touchscreen with stylus, a good looking interface with graphics, a miniSD Card slot, dual SIM option, MP3 and MP4 players, a camera and some great speakers. Real value for money.

After I got to use one such phone during a recent visit to Jaipur, I decided to do a bit of research. All the shops I visited were keen to sell the cheaper option — their reasoning: why spend Rs 20,000 when you can buy the same for Rs 5,000.

CAMERA: Each model I checked had a different camera by a different maker, some even named after apparel brands.

But the fact is that all of them are horrible, with bad digital zooms.

However, they work, though you might not be able to take quality prints.

SCREEN: The 2.8” screen was clear and bright and good enough to display the vivid graphics. A colleague who owned a Chinese phone said his touchscreen had stopped working long back. He did go to get it fixed as the mobile was still on warranty, but the dealer had downed shutters by then. MUSIC: I loaded my Mini-SD card into his one such phone to play my Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan numbers. I must confess the the sound reproduction was quite good, a difficult proposition for most phone speakers.

VIDEO: It failed to recognise most DivX videos on the card — maybe some codecs were missing. I then used my phone to download some MP4 files from YouTube to my SD Card. The phone had no problem recognising or playing these.

USB: Most phones had a USB Port. I tried connecting one, but my PC did not recognise it as a mass storage device. But it will do, as USBs are becoming the de facto charge port option for phones and give frequent travellers like me more freedom.

DUAL SIM: Though only one SIM can stay active at a time, the phones give you the option while restarting to choose which of the two connections goes on standby mode. I was told by some shopkeepers that there were models which allowed incoming and outgoing calls on both cards. I liked this option as it gave me the freedom to use both CDMA and GSM in a single phone.

BATTERY: Both the phones I tried lasted through the day, with about one hour of talktime, which is good. But there are some serious negatives.

• am not sure whether stories of cheap phones exploding are true, but I would still not be sleeping with one of these charging beside my bed.
  
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  The keyboard will take some getting used to, as the keys are laid out awkwardly to accommodate the big screen.
  
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  Though you might not need it regularly, a touchscreen that doesn’t work can be a pain.
  
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  SD Card cannot be inserted without opening the phone.
  
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  The SD cards are usually unbranded and so it is better to change to a branded one for better performance.
  

But, overall, these phones, though called Nike or Mobichin, are good if you would like to have all latest features and still not end up paying a fortune for it.

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The Above article appeared in the Indian Express, on Sunday 26th April 2009