SpywareBlaster 4.2

Reviewed by: Seth Rosenblatt on December 05, 2008

SpywareBlaster started out as a malicious software blocker focused on ActiveX-based attacks. It has kept that component and expanded, and now can block all kinds of spyware that gets delivered through your Web browser, although its defenses are most useful for Internet Explorer users.

The dedicated IE tools are useful. Users can block all Flash content, create encrypted backups of the Hosts file, manage browser page settings, block cookies, and create customized ActiveX blocks. Firefox and Netscape-specific protection only offers cookie blocking, but you can create a customized blacklist that will function across multiple browsers. Users can also create a system snapshot for PC recovery in case of a devastating attack. The interface is designed well, uncluttered and easy to navigate. For $10 a year users can get automatic definition file updates and tech support, otherwise those must be done manually.

It's a little surprising that there's no support for Opera, and there's a noticeable lack of spyware removal capabilities. Although we appreciate the good job that SpywareBlaster has done in the past, this current version doesn't hold up very well against other security products that prevent attacks and remove infections.

AntiLogger 1.9.2.117

Reviewed by: CNET staff on April 22, 2009

AntiLogger attempts to provide your computer with a different layer of security from other similar products. By operating as an active defense, as opposed to a reactive one, this program thinks it could be the answer to your problems.

This program has a simple interface that is very easy to understand. While AntiLogger takes care of complicated tasks such as detecting and isolating keystroke monitoring bugs, screen-capture-making viruses, and other unwanted attackers, users are given simple choices that make defense easy. You can run only certain defenses or choose from a brief list of customizations. And, when new programs are downloaded, AntiLogger goes to work assessing its danger and giving users the option to disallow its download. This is a fantastic addition that makes the potentially dangerous world of downloads slightly less risky.

Overall, the limited flexibility makes this an ideal program for all level of users. Those used to the look of traditional security programs, which show how many files have been scanned and how long you have until completion, may not like the static look of AntiLogger, but users who just want to know things are being taken care of without too much effort on their part will like what this 21-day trial program puts on the table.

Spybot - Search & Destroy 1.6.2

Reviewed by: CNET Staff

Spybot - Search & Destroy has been in the antispyware game for a long time offering features we've come to expect in the best apps in the category, but bugs and false positives make it difficult to recommend.

The program checks your system against a comprehensive database of adware and other system invaders. It also features several interface improvements, including multiple skins for dressing up its appearance. Scan results now appear arranged by groups in a tree, and a sliding panel lets you instantly view information about a selected item to help you decide whether to kill it or not. The Immunize feature blocks a plethora of uninvited Web-borne flotsam before it reaches your computer. Other useful tools, including Secure Shredder, complement the program's basic functionality for completely destroying files. Hosts File blocks adware servers from your computer, and System Startup lets you review which apps load when you start your computer.

Unfortunately, the program has the tendency to lock up at times and even during the install process for this review, we encountered several errors. The ambitious feature list and functionality make Spybot a good choice for those in search of a second antispyware program, and recent updates have made it run faster. It still makes errors in flagging spyware that isn't, and overall there are others in the category that do a better job.

Apple Safari 4.0.2

Reviewed by: Seth Rosenblatt on June 09, 2009

Initially met with some skepticism, the Windows version of Apple's Safari browser has developed into a strong Web-surfing candidate. Previous versions felt unfinished, but Safari 4 can stand should to shoulder with the other major Windows Web browsers--depending on what kind of experience you want.

Safari lacks most customization features. Skins and other aesthetic tweaks exist in the Mac version, but not here. Just about the only thing you can alter is the font. However, the new version represents a radical departure in look and feel, and the changes are for the better. Safari now looks much more like Google Chrome, although the tabs are placed below the navigation bar, not above it. The status bar and menu bar do exist, but they're hidden by default. You can make toolbar changes and customizations by clicking on the gear icon--another similarity to Chrome.

Both browsers are built on the open-source Webkit rendering engine, although they use different JavaScript engines. Safari's Nitro is definitely fast, although Apple's claims that it's the fastest browser on the market might depend more on your hardware than anything else. In our testing, it ran a bit slowly after heavy tab and video playback, and still consumed more RAM in general than Firefox. You can also opt out of automatic updates when you install Safari.

Features unique to Safari 4 include Cover Flow, for visually searching your history and bookmarks, and Top Sites. This presents a "speed dial"-style list of favorites on blank tabs, melded with the visual flair of Cover Flow. There's a decent built-in roboform, too. Overall, this Safari is the best one yet, and graduates from mere Windows-based developers' tool to a reasonable choice for average users.

Fences 0.96

(From Stardock ):

Fences is a revolutionary new program that lets users clean up their desktop icons in moments. Users draw "fences" on their desktop which enables users to drag and drop icons into them. Users can have fences show and hide by double-clicking on the desktop. In addition, users can control which icons show and hide when the desktop is double-clicked on allowing for easy desktop clean-up.

BumpTop 1.0 build 3038

Reviewed by: Seth Rosenblatt on April 07, 2009

BumpTop replaces your desktop with a visual environment unlike any you've used. It's a bit like a futuristic gesture-based interface, but it's tied to your mouse. Were it capable of simultaneous Web browsing, its utility would be much more apparent.

BumpTop makes the items on your computer's desktop more like their real-world counterparts. Icons and folders are assigned a virtual weight based on the amount of memory they take up and their importance to you. You can move them by click-and-drag, or fling them across the BumpTop space. The program determines their importance based on how often you use them, but you can also alter that by hand. In a way, BumpTop takes the "Cover Flow" concept to the next level. Stack items to keep them organized, flip through them as you would a photo album, sprawl them across the desktop arbitrarily, or order them in staid grids. Circular wheel pie menus make options a mouse flick away, and the 3D "walls" make for fast posting to Facebook, e-mailing, and Twittering.

To alter a group of items, you lasso them--but you probably haven't used a lasso like this before. Unlike the square-edged standard Windows lasso, this one lets you select objects by drawing circles around them. Icons can be more scattered without it slowing your work flow because factors like angle, size changing, proximity, and icon flipping all impact on how you interact with your desktop. There's a built-in photo viewer, and although it doesn't allow for user interactions yet, the Safari and Chrome browsing engine WebKit is baked in, too.

If WebKit moves toward integrating browsing with your desktop in a customizable manner, and more gesture-based hardware support becomes commonplace, it could push how we use our computers into a whole new dimension.