AVG defends mobile app after removal by Microsoft

AVG is sticking by its new antivirus software for Windows Phone despite a flurry of complaints and a decision by Microsoft to remove the app from the Marketplace.

Launched a week ago, the app by AVG was designed to detect and remove viruses on Windows Phone devices. But after a couple of external experts noted that there are presently no viruses on Windows Phone and that the software seemed to violate guidelines by capturing certain private data, Microsoft pulled the app from its online store late last week.

Responding to Microsoft's move, AVG's Chief Technology Officer Yuval Ben-Itzhak issued a statement on Friday in an attempt to address the two major complaints against the app, known as AVG Mobilation.

The first complaint centered on the app improperly using a geolocation feature to track Windows Phone devices and send certain data back to AVG. Ben-Itzhak acknowledged that the app does include such a feature but claimed that its only purpose is to help a user locate a phone should it ever be lost or stolen.
"This feature was a response to requests by many mobile users and is a functionality that exists in many other mobile products," Ben-Itzhak said. "To do this effectively, AVG Mobilation is enabled to uniquely identify a device and read its geolocation by utilizing the built-in GPS system."

Further, the user has the option of keeping geotracking enabled or opting out of it and of deciding whether or not to input an e-mail address, presumably to be informed of the phone's location.
he second complaint focused on the need for a Windows Phone antivirus app in the first place if no viruses yet exist on the platform. Here, Ben-Itzhak admitted that any viruses and malware aimed at Windows Phone 7 are relatively few at this point. But he added that the app is about more than just scanning for viruses.
"Protecting valuable personal information on mobile devices is not just about scanning for viruses and other malware," he said. "It is also about protecting against outside threats that are using the Internet as an attack vector, threats such as phishing attacks for instance."

Ben-Itzhak also compared Windows Phone 7 to Android, pointing out that three years ago, Android faced few viruses and malware. But as Google's mobile OS has grown in popularity, so have the threats against it.

In a blog published early last Friday before the app's outster from the MarketPlace, AVG said that it had actually worked with Microsoft to develop the software.

"Our teams were trained by Microsoft and our software was provided to the company for review and certification prior to release," AVG noted in the blog. "We did implement a number of requested changes provided to us by Microsoft."

Despite Ben-Itzhak's defense of AVG Mobilation, the app seems to have violated certain guidelines, at least according to Microsoft. The Windows Phone maker confirmed with CNET last Friday that it's currently working with AVG to make sure the app follows Windows Phone guidelines.

"AVG's app has been removed from Windows Phone Marketplace while we work with AVG to ensure that the app is in full compliance with our published policies," Microsoft said in a statement.

"While we never like to see our products pulled from app stores, we understand that Microsoft is simply following its established process for reviewing products once questions have been raised by individuals in the marketplace," Ben-Itzhak added. "We look forward to the product's quick return to the digital shelves of the Windows Phone 7 app store."

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Spring cleaning tips to revive your Windows PC

 

It's always exciting when you bring home a new computer. It feels so powerful and fast; you can't imagine ever needing to buy another one again. Unfortunately, neither your excitement nor your PC's performance lasts.

Whether your hard drive is running out of space or your system takes forever to run simple tasks, it might be worth your time to try and revive it before replacing it. Here are some spring cleaning tips to revive your Windows PC:

Free up disk space
The enormous size of modern multimedia files can eat up your hard-drive storage quickly. What once seemed like a laughable amount of storage, can suddenly become insufficient. But are you using that storage efficiently?

• Uninstall software. It's easy to forget about software you've installed but haven't used in a while. Get rid of trial software, games you don't play anymore, and other software you rarely use.
• Run the Windows Disk Cleanup tool and while you're there, go to the More Options tab to also clean up your system restore files.
• Empty your Web browser cache. Over time, you'd be surprised how much space a browser's cache takes up.
• Use CCleaner to automate your cleanup tasks. It's one of the best Windows utilities around.
• If your hard disk is still short on storage, try running WinDirStat to see what's taking up all that storage. You might discover forgotten files you no longer need.
• To free up even more disk space, consider using Duplicate File Finder to identify and remove duplicate files on your system.

Recover performance with software tools
Performance on Windows computers tends to degrade over time, but with a few OS tweaks, you can recover some performance.

• Defrag your hard drive. Especially after performing massive file deletion tasks, your hard disk is going to be heavily fragmented. Use the default Windows defrag utility or a third-party program like, Defraggler to speed up disk access.
• Make Windows start faster. You can use the Windows msconfig utility to prevent programs from starting up automatically, or use CCleaner. You can also bypass the Windows logo by setting the No GUI boot setting. For a more in-depth look at improving Windows startup, read Dennis O'Reilly's post.
• Check for updated hardware drivers for components like graphics cards, printers, and network adapters. Updated drivers often fix bugs and improve performance.

Increase performance with simple hardware upgrades
Simple hardware upgrades can make your system perform better than when it was new.

• Adding RAM is still one of the most cost-effective ways to improve PC performance. Check your system specs to confirm the maximum amount of RAM that can be installed. Also, remember that only 64-bit versions of Windows can see above 4GB.
• If you're still using a mechanical hard drive in your computer, migrating to an SSD drive will significantly improve system performance.
• Can't justify the cost of an SSD? Consider upgrading to a hybrid drive. A hybrid drive uses a small amount of solid-state storage along with a traditional mechanical drive to boost performance, for much less than the price of an SSD drive.
• If you're not up for migrating your Windows 7 system to a brand-new drive, SSD cache drives are an easy way to boost performance. They're small, inexpensive SSD drives that can be added to your system without having to migrate Windows or your data.

Check your Windows system security
While you're tuning up your system for performance, it's also a good time to check your system security.

• Make sure Windows Update is enabled and scheduled for automatic updates. Updates often contain security patches, so this is essential for keeping your Windows PC secure.
• Make sure you have a highly rated firewall and antivirus program installed with automatic updates turned on. Free security programs are OK in a pinch, but they're usually crippled in some way or don't measure up to the premium ones. Internet providers like Comcast and AT&T also provide premium security programs for free with service. And online retailers routinely offer huge discounts after rebates on security software.
• Consider adding a physical firewall to your network. An oft-forgotten benefit of Wi-Fi routers is the fact that they serve as a firewall between the Internet and your home network.
• Review your system backup plan. Don't have one? Get one. And here's the most important part about a backup plan: test the restore to make sure it actually works.

Clean your hardware the right way
Cleaning your computer gear not only makes them look nice, but also keeps germs at bay and can help your system run better.

• Clean and disinfect your keyboard and mouse. Computer keyboards can get pretty filthy from just normal use, not to mention from eating at our desks or working while we're sick. Studies have shown that keyboards have more bacteria than toilet seats -- ick!
• Clean your computer LCD display. Remember when your computer LCD display had that brand-new, fresh out-of-the-box shine? If it's looking a little dull lately, it might be time to give it a good cleaning.
• Clean the inside of your computer. Over time, dust buildup inside your computer could undermine its cooling efficiency, resulting in shorter life spans for your computer's components.

What to do with your old PC
If you've decided to go ahead and buy a new PC, you can still use your old one for some great things or sell it to put some cash back in your wallet.

• Turn your old PC into a media center PC, networked media storage, Linux test PC, home security monitor, or a backup storage device. Rob Lightner shows you how.
• Strip it for parts. One of the most reusable parts of an old PC is the hard drive. Pull the internal hard drive out and make your own an external hard drive out of it.
• If you're going to sell your old PC, we have some helpful tips on how to sell it.

That's it. Performing some or all of these tips should help keep your Windows PC running smoothly for at least another year. If you have questions on any of these tips, let us know in the comments below.

Lock and unlock your computer with a USB drive, secret-agent style

If you prevent access to your computer with just a password, you are missing out on an alternate (and more secure) way to lock down your computer.

Predator, a free Windows program, turns your USB drive into a key that locks your computer when it's removed. To unlock your computer, you'll have to plug the USB drive back in. (Talk about having secret-agent-style security.)

Anyone who attempts to access your computer without the USB flash drive will be hit with an epic "Access Denied" message. To get started, follow this guide:

Step 1: Download and install Predator. 

Step 2: Once Predator launches, plug in your USB flash drive. None of the contents of the drive will be deleted or altered in any way, so feel free to use your primary thumbdrive.
When you insert the drive, a dialog box will appear asking you to create a password. Click OK to continue. 

Step 3: In the Preferences window, take note of a few key settings. First, enter a secure, unique password in the "New password" field. If you lose your USB drive, you'll use it to unlock your computer.
If you'd like, you can check the Always Required box and you'll be asked to enter the password each time you use your thumbdrive to unlock your PC.

Finally, in the section under Flash Drives, ensure that the correct USB flash drive is selected. When you're done, click "Create key" and then OK.

 

Step 4: Predator will exit. When it does, click the Predator icon in the taskbar to restart the program. A few seconds later, the icon will turn green, alerting you that Predator is running.
Every 30 seconds, Predator will check to see that your USB drive is plugged in. If it isn't, your computer will dim and lock down.
Here are some extra tips: 

• To pause Predator at any time select "Pause monitoring" from the taskbar menu.
• If someone tried to access your PC while it was locked down, you'll see the activity log when you log back in. You can see the log at any time by clicking "View log" from the taskbar menu.
• Predator's Web site has several cool how-tos, including one that shows you how to program your computer to take a snapshot each time someone tries and fails to log in to your computer. Check it out.

One obvious flaw comes with this setup: you'll always be down one USB port. But if you're sold on Predator, consider purchasing a USB hub to compensate.

 

iCam is the cheap, easy way to get remote video surveillance

 

Video surveillance, often associated with bank-robbing and 7-11s, isn't just for retailers. Thanks to dirt-cheap apps like iCam, anyone with a computer and smartphone can set up their own video surveillance with little effort and without breaking the bank.
When you're on vacation, traveling for work, or even want to set up baby monitoring, iCam provides the tools to turn your computer's Webcam (or an IP camera) into a surveillance camera that you can monitor remotely with your smartphone or tablet.
You'll spend $5 total, and get access to features like motion detection, multi-camera monitoring, audio streaming, and even pan-tilt control for select IP cameras (more on that below.)
To get started, watch the video guide or follow the instructions below.

Step 1: Set up iCam on your computer(s)
Head to http://skjm.com/icam/support.php and download iCamSource for Mac or PC. Once installed, start the program and select your Webcam from the drop-down list next to Video source. Then, create a secure username and password. Use one that you'll remember, but make sure it's secure so that no one, especially friends and family, can crack it.
Finally, click Start. If iCam asks, give it access through your firewall. Repeat this installation for every computer with a Webcam you want to use for surveillance.
If you want more cameras for surveillance without the bulk of a laptop or desktop computer, consider purchasing an IP Webcam (check out iCam's recommendations). These are standalone Webcams that can connect to Wi-Fi to stream to surveillance, and can be panned and tilted using your phone or tablet. Here are the setup instructions for using an IP camera with iCam.

Step 2: Install iCam on your Android or iOS device
With your cameras set up, you're ready to start remotely viewing the surveillance with your mobile device. To get started, get the app for Android (Play Store link) or iOS (App Store link).
When you launch the iCam app for the first time, it'll ask you if you'd like to receive push notifications when it detects motion. Enable or disable notifications based on your preferences. My advice is to begin by enabling motion notifications, only disabling them if you realize it's unnecessary or the pop-ups come too frequently

Then, log in with the username and password you chose in step 1, and you'll see surveillance cameras appear on screen.
Please note:

• In order for this setup to work, the computers you use as surveillance cameras must remain on and connected to the Internet.
• Since the stills iCam records when it detects motion are kept on the computer that sees them, you won't be able to access those images while you're away. To get around this, consider storing the stills in your Dropbox folder. Head to iCam on your Desktop, click on the "Motion detection" tab, and click Change under "Motion events folder."

See All Live Webcams with a Google Trick

Here’s  a trick that will blow your mind. You can get access to all open public webcams through Google. There are many tricks by which one may get accessed to all the webcams running currently at a particular position and at particular time. However the Google Webcam trick seems to be one the easiest. Here are a simple few steps by which one may do the same.
Step 1: Log on google.com
Step 2: Type ‘inurl:/view.shtml’ as a query
Step 3: You may also try using intitle:”Live View / – AXIS” | inurl:view/view.shtml^ as a query.
Step 4: This would redirect you to a page with the home pages of these urls.
Step 5: The above query reveals the IP network webcams that have been indexed by Google. You can easily get access and locate those unprotected IP network cameras used that are released or leaked to the public internet insecure cameras by using Google.

Web Cam Image from Google Search

  
The world today has millions and millions of webcams and still more are popping out each minute. It is true to be said as the big business for every business. Even ordinary home owners these days have switched to the application of webcams in their houses. So, if you are using a webcam, encrypt the signal and protect yourself.