Geek News: Latest Technology, Product Reviews, Gadgets and Tech Podcast News for Geeks

Sophos Offers Free Anti-Virus for Macs

Posted by Andrew at 1:00 AM on November 4, 2010

Sophos logoThere’s no doubt that Apple Macs and Linux PCs are far less likely to suffer from virus infections or malware when compared to their Windows cousins, but there’s also no doubt that newer technologies such as cross-platform scripting can lead to vulnerabilities across the board.  Besides no-one wants to be blamed for passing on a virus infection as payload in a file, even if your computer isn’t actually infected.

McAfee and Kaspersky have had Mac security products for awhile and now Sophos joins the list by offering its Anti-Virus Home Edition for Mac and best of all, Sophos is offering it for free!

Apparently “based on Sophos’s flagship security software, which protects over 100 million business users worldwide”, the software has protection, detection and disinfection capabilities for viruses and malware on OS X.  It will also detect Windows viruses present in files but aren’t activated.  As with most Windows anti-virus products, the Sophos Anti-Virus Home Edition runs in the background, scanning files on-access. You can read more about the technical specs and download the software here.

I’m not a Mac user, but if I was, I’d already have Anti-Virus Home Edition downloaded and installed.  Yes, I know that it’s arguable that there aren’t any OS X viruses right now, but you can bet that they’re coming and when they do, the viruses will burn through the Mac community like wildfire as most people don’t have protection.  It’s free to download so what have you got to lose except a few CPU cycles?

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Posted in Apple, mac, Virus

Comments 1 Comment

Ending A Relationship

Posted by tomwiles at 10:21 PM on July 1, 2010

Our relationship had always been so full of promise and fun. Being gone so much of the time due to my job was certainly a strain. Even so, when I was around, I didn’t make many demands.

Something was coming between us. Lately I’ve been looking elsewhere and slowly began finding satisfaction on the Internet. The thought of divorce has been crossing my mind over the past few months. It was a painful decision, but I knew it had to be made.

Today I decided it was time to sever our ties.

I’ve been a Dish Network customer for about 10 years – until today.

What came between us? I’ve been experimenting with the idea of getting TV content from various sources on the Internet. I’ve tried connecting both Mac with Front Row and Windows Media Center laptops to an LCD HDTV. A full-fledged computer is very flexible in that it can play virtually any file type, but the clunky, complex hands-on Interface is not designed to be operated from an easy chair. I want as much content as possible integrated into one place.

In the meantime I stumbled across some software called Playon TV available at http://www.playon.tv. The software comes with a 30 day trial and works with the DLNA and UpNP network device standards. The software sells for $39.95. Playon TV is designed to be installed either on a computer or a home server on the home network. Playon TV enables streaming of Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Videos, Pandora, etc. to a DNLA/UpNP device like the WD TV Live Plus, X-Box 360, etc. There are also plenty of free third-party plugins for Playon TV that add a mind-boggling and growing variety of content to the Playon TV network share. It works well with my hacked Apple TV with XBMC.

Yesterday I visited my local Best Buy store and bought a Western Digital WD TV Live Plus to connect to the small HDTV in my kitchen. The WD TV Live is a very small set-top box that comes with a small remote control that has an Ethernet port in and an HDMI port out. Straight out of the box it does an excellent job of playing Netflix and is capable of playing back 1080P content. Only the Plus version plays Netflix.

The WD TV Live Plus combined with the Playon TV software convinced me it was time for radical measures. This afternoon I cancelled my Dish Network account and will save $97 dollars per month. I also bought a second WD TV Live Plus unit to connect to my main HDTV/surround sound setup.

At $97 dollars per month savings the two WD TV Live Plus units will have paid for themselves within 3 months.

Can I live without access to Dish Network? I think it’s going to be similar to a few years ago when I dropped my wired phone line. There was a bit of an emotional attachment that I had to let go of, but once I cut the cord it was no big deal.

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Posted in Apple, application, internet, mac, Media, Media Center, New Media, Software, TV, Windows

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Pursuit Of The Ultimate Media Extender

Posted by tomwiles at 5:05 PM on June 29, 2010

Hacked Apple TVFor some time now I’ve been experimenting with different ways of getting Internet-based video to my widescreen LCD HD televisions.

Often people think, why not simply hook up a regular desktop computer up to the TV. A desktop computer can be set up to play back virtually any video file type. The problem is, desktop and laptop computers are optimized for use on a desktop, not from a living room chair.

Is the ultimate media extender a set top box of some sort? The trouble with most set top boxes is that they are either walled gardens, or they miss the boat in very important ways.

A media extender should be able to play files stored on a home network, as well as be able to easily stream from services such as Netflix, Hulu, etc. Once set up, everything should be accessible through a simple remote control. Also, for my purposes, I’m willing to pay up to $250 for a box for each television in my house. It should also be able to play ripped DVD collection files that have been ripped to a central home server or network attached storage device.

I’ve hit on an interesting combination that seems to do everything I want it to that involves hacking a standard Apple TV and adding Playon TV server software to another computer on my home network. Playon TV software sells for $39.99.

Recently I purchased a commercial Apple TV hack called ATV Flash, which sells for $49.95. You download either the Windows or Mac version and install it on your computer. When you run the program it will ask you to insert an empty USB memory stick that it will write the installation files to. Then you plug the USB memory stick into your Apple TV and power it up. It will upgrade the Apple TV to be able to play a much wider variety of files, as well as adding Boxee and XMBC playback. It also retains all of the standard Apple TV functionality.

Next, I added the Playon TV software to my HP Windows Home Server. It could have easily been any other computer on my home network that meets the software’s minimum performance requirements. Once Playon TV was installed, I added my credentials for my Netflix account, as well as my Hulu account.

Finally, on my hacked Apple TV I simply start the XBMC application and navigate to UpNP devices on my home network, where Playon TV shows up. I now have access to Hulu and Netflix right on my Apple TV.

The Apple TV itself does not have enough processor horsepower to play back Netflix or Hulu Flash streaming without stuttering and freezing. However, playing it through the Playon TV software causes much of the processing to take place on my Windows Home Server machine, which has plenty of horsepower. Playon TV works by converting the Hulu and Netflix Flash streams into UpNP streams that the hacked Apple TV running XMBC can easily play without stuttering.

So, with this setup I’ve got access to all of my regular iTunes material, including HD and SD video podcasts, as well as a wide variety of streaming material from popular services such as Netflix and Hulu. It would be easy for me to buy additional Apple TV units, apply the ATV Flash hack to them, and attach them to other HDTV’s in my house.

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Posted in Apple, application, geek, Hacker, ipod, itunes, mac, Media Center, Microsoft, TV, videocast, Windows

Comments 1 Comment

MacHeist Good deal?

Posted by KL Tech Muse at 11:00 AM on March 14, 2010


If you are a Mac user you have probably heard of MacHeist. MacHeist is a package program that is release occasionally. It contains several programs, which if you brought alone would cost several hundred dollars. When you buy the MacHeist package you get all the programs for less then $20.00. The programs that are offer with MacHeist vary with each release and the date of release is unknown. This latest MacHeist which is now over, had the following programs in it: MacJournal, RipIt, Clips, Flow, CoverScout, Tales of Monkey Island, RapidWeaver and Tweetie. The MacHeist Web site says that they sold over 175,000 copies of the software and raised over $1,250,000 for charity. I admit I am one of those who purchased the MacHeist package this time around. I was already going to buy Ripit and was interested in Clips, so it made sense.

If you are a user and are interested in any of the programs in the package MacHeist seems like a no brainer. It is also a good deal for the charities, and MacHeist itself. There, however is a fourth group that maybe the losers in this scenario. That group is of course the developers of the various software. For example if you brought Rapid Weaver as a stand alone package it would cost you $79.00. With MacHeist you are getting it plus five other programs for a little less the one-fourth the price. So why do they participate in the MacHeist. It can’t be that the money is being given to charity, as Merlin Mann said on Macbreak Weekly 184 if you want to give money to charity, then give to charity. Is it a way to foster good will, that is the willingness to sell product A at a lost for a short period of time, in the hope that the buyer will buy product B at full price down the road. I don’t have an answer to this question, but there is obviously a reason developers participate after all this is the third year of the MacHeist program.

There is one area that I don’t totally agree with Merlin Mann. He thinks that as a user you should not purchase a MacHeist bundle, but if you really want the product you should pay full price. I disagree with him on this, my way of thinking is that MacHeist allows me to have programs that I wanted but couldn’t afford. I have always wanted to use Rapid Weaver, but I could not afford it, the chance of me buying it at full price was very small. Therefore the creators of Rapid Weaver didn’t loose $79.00, because they never would have gotten it in the first place. Also, I didn’t force the developer to participate, I just took advantage of their participation. If you are a mac user did you purchase the MacHeist package. If you are a developer did you participate in the program, if so why or why not, I would be interested to hear either way.

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Posted in Apple, application, mac

Comments 1 Comment

Checking Your Website with Browsershots

Posted by J Powers at 1:10 PM on February 21, 2010

I always forget about this website.  When I finally go there to check my site amongst OS browsers, I always find one small problem. Quick change in the CSS and everything is all better.

I am talking about Broswershots. They simply take my site and call it up using different browsers on all Operating Systems. Linux, PC, Mac and BSD checking the following browsers:

  • Avant
  • Chrome
  • Dillo
  • Epiphany
  • Firefox
  • Flock
  • K-Meleon
  • Galeon
  • Iceape
  • Iceweasel
  • Internet Explorer
  • Kazehakase
  • Konqueror
  • Minefield
  • Navigator
  • Opera
  • Safari
  • SeaMonkey
  • Shiretoko

I can also view the many versions of the browsers. Let’s say I am optimizing for Internet Explorer. I can check IE 4.0, 5.0, 7.0 or 8.0 on a Windows format. Check the boxes, enter the URL and away we go.

What Dillo sees of my websites from Browsershots

The process is not instantaneous. The service will set a 30 minute time limit which you can extent, but you have to physically be there to do so. If you checked all boxes, then you will definitely need to extend the process a couple times. It can also really show you how slow your website might load if you have an influx of users. One website I checked came up with all versions in about 10 minutes, yet another website (a little more PHP process driven) took a little more time.

Once your screenshots appear, you can view and download. Of course, this is dependent on the Internet connection at both sides, so you may have to request a new screenshot if you don’t see the proper results. For instance, IE 8.0 came back with a blank screen. I then told Broswershots to retry and the end result was perfect.

This website is pretty useful in detecting problems. Although I do have a PC, Mac and Ubuntu machine, I am really happy I don’t have to load up every browser on those machines. It’s about 80 different browsers and their versions to choose from. I am hoping soon they will also check across phone browsers. That will be a perfect addition to Browsershots.

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Posted in Info, internet, Linux, mac, Software, Windows

Comments 1 Comment

WebnoteHappy – Strange Name, Great Program

Posted by fogview at 4:27 PM on June 30, 2009

WebnoteHappy_128I’ve been using WebnoteHappy for the Mac for a few weeks and love it. I’m always surfing the Internet researching things and have tried various ways of capturing content on web pages that I visit and want to remember. The common way to do that is with your browser’s bookmark feature. I used that for a while but wasn’t happy with the results. In the Windows world I use a program called Azz Cardfile, that allows me to paste the contents of a web page or a link to the page in what looks like an electronic card file. I can then add notes about the site and click on the link within the card file to go back to the site in my browser. The notes are searchable too.

When I moved over to the Mac world, I missed Azz Cardfile, but I finally found something better from HappyApps.com. WebNoteHappy works with your browser to capture (bookmark) a link to a web page you find interesting. You can then add notes and other information and even search your links and notes and launch the web page in your browser. This program also allows you to create folders to help you organize what you find. You can even create Smart Folders where you set up rules to automatically move items into folders. All the links and notes are stored in a common library and only pointers are stored within the folders so items can reside in multiple folders. As an example, I have a Photographer folder with a Wish List subfolder. I also have Wish List folder under Gadgets and the program allows me to store the same item in both places (if it’s photography related).

WebnotHappy

When you install the program it places a “bookmarklet” in your browser’s toolbar. When you find a web page that you want to remember, just click the “Webnote It” bookmarklet, and it opens up WebNoteHappy and generates an entry. You can then type any notes you want about the site and even add tags.

The program sells for $24.95 USD and you can try it for 30 days before you buy it. There is also a free WebnoteHappy Lite program that works the same way except it doesn’t have folders to organize your bookmarks. The program works with both Firefox and Safari browsers.

I started out with the Lite version and moved up to the paid version because I found the program was a great time-saver for me. When I installed the paid version it found all the items I had saved in the Lite version and I didn’t loose a thing. After I upgraded to the paid version I had a few questions and received very fast response to my questions.

If you use a Mac and want to get a little more organized, give WebnoteHappy or WebnoteHappy Lite a try.

73’s, Tom

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Posted in Firefox, Information, internet, mac, review

Comments 2 Comments

Four Things the Mac OS Does to Confuse a Windows User

Posted by fogview at 10:43 PM on May 31, 2009

First off I will say that I love the Mac OS and I love the Windows OS. (How about that for staying neutral?) Listeners to my Fogview Podcast know I switched to the Mac about six months ago when my main Windows XP computer died. I had an iMac that I was using for video editing and my photography work so I started using that for my daily work. I know there are a lot of Mac fan-boys out there but I’m not one of them. A computer is a computer and each type has it’s advantages and disadvantages. I enjoy using and learning about the Mac OS but I still do a lot of my work on my new Windows Vista machine.

I found that the Mac has it share of “spinning beach balls” just like Windows has it hourglass when the CPU is overloaded and can’t do one more thing. I have programs crash on the Mac just like they crash on Windows. I don’t have to worry about viruses and spyware on the Mac like I do on Windows, but I know that could change in the future.

Mac_exampleWhat I would like to mention is the four things that still confuse me as a newbie “Mac switcher.”

  1. Closing a window on the Mac doesn’t close the program.
    I can’t tell you how many times I’ve clicked the close window icon and realize later that the program is still running. Most Window programs go away when they are closed.
  2. The program menu bar is at the top of the screen instead of at the top of the window. This is related to the first item because if I close a program’s window (i.e. iTunes), I now see another program underneath it but I’m still in the program I thought I closed. If I try to access the menu for the program that I see on the screen, I will be accessing the menu for the program I thought I closed. (See the screen shot on the right for an example of what I’m talking about: iTunes menu and Aperture window)
  3. Control = Alt and Alt = Command keys
    Yes, the keys are switched, at least for how I normally think of them in Windows. For example, I press Ctrl-C to copy in Windows, and Command-C in Mac. Alt-tab to switch programs in Windows and Command-tab in Mac. (The last two are not switched, which only adds to the confusion.)
  4. Home and End act like Page Up and Page Down instead of begin/end
    If I’m typing something in Windows, the Home/End keys will move the cursor to the begin/end of the line I’m typing. On the Mac it generally shifts the content of the window up and down on the screen and doesn’t change the cursor location. (I realize that each program can use the Home/End keys as they see fit, but in the Windows world these keys always seem to work the way I expect — or at least the way I’ve come to expect of them.)

Of all the differences I mentioned, #4 is the one thing I have not been able to get use too. I’m always trying to use the Home/End keys on the Mac to move my cursor around when editing text (I admit that I make lots of typing mistakes). I try to use it when entering URLs into the browser, Google search strings, emails I’m composing, and blogs entries (like this one), and I’m always surprised at the results. I would love for a Mac user to tell me what keys will do a similar thing on the Mac.

Learning to use a Mac has been a fun thing and helps to keep my brain engaged. I picked up a great book that helped answer the question of “How do I do that on the Mac.” It’s called “Switching to the Mac, The Missing Manual” by David Pogue. I highly recommend it if you’re thinking about switching too.

I’m not a Mac expert but I will write more in the future about my experience navigating in a Mac world from a Windows map. Stay tuned.

73’s, Tom

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Posted in mac, Operating Systems, osx, vista, Windows

Comments 3 Comments

Using Automator

Posted by KL Tech Muse at 9:26 PM on May 27, 2009

The following video was created showing one of the many possibilities for using Automator. I know Automator has been around for awhile, but if you are switching over to a Mac, it maybe something that is unfamiliar to you. If you want to learn more about Automator I would recommend going to Automator World, which is an excellent reference guide.   There are Automator scripts already set up for you to download and use or they can be used as templates.  There is also a forum where you can ask questions.

Automator, does take some time to learn, but it is well worth the effort.  I am still learning things about it all the time. My recommendation is to keep trying different things to see what works. The one thing that I find helps, is if I write down the steps one at a time and then find a action that matches those steps in Automator.   If you learn Apple Script, then you can use it along with Automator to create even more powerful processes to run.

I set up this process because I have two Macs. One is a Mac Mini which is downstairs with Miro installed on it and a Macbook upstairs. My video’s are on an external drive attached to my Apple Express base station.   There are times when I am  upstairs and I want to play the videos that had been downloaded using Miro.   Using Automator, I have set up a process that allows me to do this. The following video is how I did it.

Using Automator to Auto Play Videos Continuosly from kim landwehr on Vimeo.

If you run the process you will get the following result.

Once you are finished, playing the videos I would delete the ones you no longer want and move the ones you want to save to a different folder.

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Posted in Apple, application, mac

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Mac OSX 10.5.3 is out

Posted by susabelle at 11:26 AM on May 28, 2008

This morning, Apple posted an update to OSX Leopard to 10.5.3. Run the software update to get the newest version. Apple has posted information on this update.

There are a lot of issues fixed for this update. If you use a USB audio or video device, this will fix any stuttering issues. Another big issue it fixes, certain hard drives that didn’t, will show up in Finder.

For those of you who connect up your Mac to Active Directory, this fix will improve binding and logon. It also fixes a delay people were reporting when logging in a .local domain. Most importantly, you should now be able to change your password at the login window if you are using a Mac OSX 10.4 Open Directory Server.

The update will also help those who use AirPort and Time Capsule. Other updates are with iCal, iChat, Mail, Spaces, Parental Controls and VoiceOver.

No word yet on if it will help anyone running Hackintosh. Of course if you do try the upgrade, make sure you have your system properly backed up.

Posted in mac

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Mac Minute to Shut Down

Posted by susabelle at 4:49 PM on May 22, 2008

Upon careful consideration and with deep sadness, I regret to inform Stan’s MacMinute readers that we are unable to continue operating the MacMinute website at this time. It is not that we do not have the passion, nor is it because of the emotional pain attached to it. Due to reasons that are completely beyond our control, we are neither able to sell nor operate MacMinute.

This is part of the post found at macminute.com by his sister, Julie. Stan Flack – founder of MacMinute had passed away a month earlier and his family has been taking care of his estate. Since Stan was a major part of his website, the information has remained stagnant since April 11th.

Stan was one of the first online web pioneers in Mac information. He was part owner of MacCentral in 94, which 5 years later he sold to MacWorld. Stan took a small sabbatical, then came back in 2001 with macminute. Stan reported on everything Mac for the last 7 years.

What I take from the post is that they might be looking for someone to take the reins over. It would be a sad day if we were to loose the 7 years of content that site holds. I know I have been to that site about a hundred times or more – It would be devastating if it wasn’t part of any Mac fans’ daily read.

Posted in mac

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