DoubleSixx

Trend Micro released its 2010 security products earlier this week, with three programs offering varying levels of security and service. The comparatively barebones Trend Micro Antivirus + AntiSpyware clocks in at $40, with the basic suite Trend Micro Internet Security available for $10 more and $70 for the premium Trend Micro Internet Security Pro. They all come with a full-feature 30-day trial.

There’s a lot that’s new in the Pro version and some of that filters down to the other editions. Users can expect to get full Windows 7 support, auto-run disabling for USB keys, gaming, and video-watching awareness so that scans don’t begin while you’re relaxing, and notably a behavioral detection engine that Trend Micro calls the Smart Protection Network.

Like its competitors Symantec and Kaspersky, Trend Micro’s engine utilizes anonymous data from its client base to determine when a program is behaving suspiciously. From there, it will either automatically kill the process or ask for user input. As malware and virus makers get smarter and find new ways to avoid detection, the need for behavioral monitoring will only increase.

There are a series of performance enhancements, too, at least according to Trend Micro. Trend Micro is claiming that boot times are 20 percent faster, that the programs use 40 percent less RAM, that the download itself is 25 percent smaller, and that the quick scan on Windows Vista and Windows XP is 20 percent faster.

Many of the other feature changes amount to tweaks. However, for the price it’s undeniable that you’re getting your money’s worth in the Pro version. Smartphone security support for Windows Mobile and Symbian, customizable data protection to keep names, phones numbers, and credit card numbers from leaving your computer, and a dynamic firewall make it a must-consider if you’re in the market for a robust suite. Full reviews for each product are available here: Trend Micro Antivirus + AntiSpyware, Trend Micro Internet Security, Trend Micro Internet Security Pro.

Do you use a security suite? Which one? Let me know in the comments below.

Source :

http://download.cnet.com/8301-2007_4-10319963-12.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20

Apparently Microsoft isn’t doing everything with Windows 7 differently from how it did Windows Vista.

As was the case with Vista, Windows 7 will get its formal launch< in the Big Apple. CEO Steve Ballmer will preside over the Oct. 22 event, with the usual array of hardware partners showing off their latest wares.

Microsoft used a human billboard to help mark the NY launch of Windows Vista.

(Credit: Caroline McCarthy/CNET News)

But that’s not the only Gotham event for Microsoft in October. The company is also doing a consumer open house at the Park Avenue Armory, led by Robbie Bach, on Oct. 6. Microsoft plans to highlight everything from the Zune and new phones to hardware products like keyboards and mice.

Microsoft is hoping to turn that event into an annual event.

New York was also the site of Vista’s launch, which included a fancy lunch at Cipriani with the press, a human billboard as well as a trip to Best Buy for Steve Ballmer.

Microsoft finalized the code for Windows 7 last month. It will hit retail shelves and start showing up on new PCs on Oct. 22, though some large businesses with volume licenses can already get the code if they wish.

Source :

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10319392-56.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20

Now that you’ve dumped your gas-guzzling pick-up, maybe it’s time to move that old fridge from the garage.

The Department of Energy is sponsoring a $300 million program, funded by the economic stimulus plan, that will let consumers get a rebate on an EnergyStar-rated appliance. It’s modeled roughly like the Cash for Clunkers program, which is now ending, although trading in older home equipment isn’t required.

The Energy Department has begun awarding funding for individual states. Maryland is getting a $5.4 million slice and will run the program through the Maryland Energy Administration, according to an article on Wednesday in the Baltimore Sun. Pennsylvania has also applied and is expected to receive $12 million, according to a report in the Reading Eagle.

The program will be designed by individual states and U.S. territories, all of which are expected to participate. The rebates themselves could be administered directly by states, utilities, or some other third party, a Department of Energy representative said on Thursday.

States have flexibility to determine what will be covered but the Energy Department has suggested home goods that consume the most energy, including: air conditioners, washing machines, dryers, heating equipment, and refrigerators and freezers.

The final funding applications are due back to the Energy Department by the middle of October, which means that the rebates could be available later this year or early next year.

Utilities around the country already offer rebate programs for moving to more efficient home equipment. An often-cited example is the California Energy Commission which has set strict efficiency standards for refrigerators and other equipment, which has helped keep per capita electricity consumption nearly steady since the 1970s.

Already in place is an Energy Department program which will give homeowners a 30 percent tax credit up to $1,500 for energy-efficient equipment upgrades.

Source :

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10319268-54.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20

Apple’s expected September event may see the introduction of new iPod models, according to a report on AppleInsider.

(Credit: Apple)

The fact that Apple would use a September event to launch new iPods wouldn’t be a big surprise, but the new iPod Nano and iPod Touch will reportedly have cameras. AppleInsider didn’t cite sources for this detail but said it “has it on authority” and that it has been able to “independently confirm” the information.

The addition of cameras would increase the functionality of iPods, making them dual-purpose devices.

AppleInsider, Boy Genius Report, and other rumor sites have also speculated that iTunes 9 will debut in September and add social networking to the music organizer, among other changes.

A new digital album format will likely debut in September, as well. Code-named Cocktail, Apple’s new album format is said to include photos, lyric sheets, liner notes, and clips from music videos.

It also seems clear at this point is that an Apple tablet will not make its debut during the September event.

Apple hasn’t officially announced the event yet, though it is expected to take place after Labor Day weekend. For the past several years, the company has gathered in September to launch its newest iPod products for the holiday-shopping season.

Source :

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10319162-37.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20

The 787 Dreamliner was first unveiled to the public in July 2007.

Boeing announced on Thursday that the first flight of its 787 Dreamliner is now expected by the end of the year, with first delivery anticipated for the fourth quarter of 2010.

The Dreamliner has been grounded by a series of delays since its rollout in 2007. Boeing said the latest schedule change is due to its need to reinforce an area within the side-of-body section of the plane. The company also plans to add several weeks to its schedule to reduce risks in the flight test and the aircraft’s certification.

“This new schedule provides us the time needed to complete the remaining work necessary to put the 787’s game-changing capability in the hands of our customers,” said Boeing CEO Jim McNerney. “The design details and implementation plan are nearly complete, and the team is preparing airplanes for modification and testing.”

Boeing said the team reinforcing the side-of-body area has finished initial testing and is finalizing the design of new fittings to ensure structural integrity. The first 787 test airplane and the static test unit have been prepared for the new fittings, with installation expected to begin in the next few weeks. The test that discovered this issue will be repeated and the results analyzed before the first flight takes off.

Boeing revealed the Dreamliner in July 2007 to a huge, excited throng of thousands. At that time, the company said the aircraft would take its first flight in late 2007 and carry its first passengers in spring 2008.

But delays quickly set in. Boeing was soon forced to revise its initial estimates, saying first flight would occur in the fourth quarter of 2008 with first delivery in the third quarter of 2009. Then in December 2008, Boeing said a machinist’s strike had caused yet another delay, with first flight reset to the second quarter of 2009 and delivery in the first quarter of 2010.

Once the Dreamliner gets off the ground, Boeing expects to manufacture 10 planes a month by the end of 2013.

Source :

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-10319203-76.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20