Stardock's Fences

There are many desktop enhancements available today. They vary mainly on how they implement the enhancements that they support. These enhancements range from creating multiple desktops, providing additional toolbars, displaying calendars and to-do lists, and many others.

If you are like me who messes my desktop with lots of files and folders aside from the shortcuts generated by my installed software, then we may be in for a beautiful cleanup without deleting or transferring those files and folders. The answer is Stardock's Fences.

Fences is a very small software which you can download and install. It has a very small footprint on my system and works perfectly in tidying up my desktop. Fences groups files and folders into a container which has a label in it so you can drag anything to go in that container. Shortcuts also has a separate container as well as the usual links like My Computer, Recycle Bin, etc. Fences floats over your desktop and can be customized and you can add several containers to further group your items in your desktop.

You can download Fences here.

Hackers Attacking Philippine Goverment Sites

Just days into the new year, a string of cyberattacks plagued Philippine government websites. The latest of which is the attack on Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) last Monday morning. Site visitors trying to view the site saw the trashed homepage with a man waving a dirty finger. This comes after the Philippine government's decision to implement an automated election which is scheduled on May 2010. The TESDA site is not alone in its predicament. Earlier, several government sites are also vandalized which include the Department of Health, National Disaster Coordinating Council, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

The intention of the attack remains unclear since the site does not contain sensitive information. The website belongs to a government department which provides technical training to underprivileged students. Another angle of the motive which being looked at by government investigators is the upcoming automated election this May 2010. Judging from the statements posted by the hackers during their attack on TESDA, there may be a factor which the hackers want to expose several vulnerabilities on the technologies being employed by government websites. They may be also want to discredit the upcoming automated elections by creating doubts on the integrity of the results generated by the automated elections.

Another statement coming from the hackers is their sympathy to left-leaning groups and individuals which may prove that the attack is motivated politically.

The previous attack to some government sites have been traced and seems to originate from Indonesia.

I certainly hope computer experts from the government will look into the incidents very deeply since this may have implications to the integrity of the government sites. It is well-known that no system is fool-proof but we can take steps to mitigate the possibility being victimized.

Windows Seven

In the wake of Windows Seven's official launch in the United States, I tried to install an evaluation copy of the operating system. Much to my surprise, it doesn't slow down in my current hardware configuration. Windows XP Pro runs fairly well in my system which I used to test Windows Seven.

The operating system itself is much better than its predecessor. It runs on my system with only 700 mb of memory consumption and has 35 running processes. It feels like I am running my Windows XP but with much better interface. I haven't tested any software installation with Windows Seven and I expect it to outperform its predecessor - Windows XP and Windows Vista. If I could test Windows Seven any further, I will post a follow up on my progress.

I want to congratulate Microsoft for a fine job in Windows Seven. So far they show they can offer better than what was expected.

Unluckily, I have yet to find a driver for my motherboard.

System Configuration:
Intel Core 2 Duo 1.8Ghz
3Gb Kingston Memory
250 Gb Western Digital hard drive
Sony DVD Multi-Recorder
Onboard LAN, Video, and Sound

Norton Removal Tool

If you have been using Norton Anti-virus and have ran out of trial days, you may well use this tiny tool to remove everything Norton has placed within your system. Norton made it a habit of placing various files and registry entries in your system that removing it may caused us a major headache. Even after an uninstall, those files Norton created are still left in your system. Since my last test, this tool performed very well that I was able to remove a Norton product after its trial days has passed.

You can download Norton Removal Tool here.

Ashampoo Burning Studio 9

Lesser known than other burning suites today, Ashampoo Burning Studio 9 has exceeded my expectations. I've been using Nero from the time which writing speed would take 30 minutes of waiting for it to finish. Until I find it disappointing when I have to scrap my discs because Nero failed to write on it. I did not take time to investigate what caused Nero to fail burning my files. Then I found Ashampoo. It was introduced to me by a friend who sells remixed music. He said that better to switch than to waste time using Nero.

For quite sometime now, I have been using Ashampoo and I haven't got a problem. I usually back-up my files every month and every session turns out to be okay. I recommend Ashampoo to my officemates and now we all use Ashampoo except for one.

For me it is a good buy. I don't even have to worry about buffer underruns which I also experienced in Nero. Also Ashampoo has lots of other software you can try and purchase. From Office Productivity Suite, Firewall, AntiSpyware, Defragmenter, to Windows Optimizer. They have exciting products that may interest even the most skeptic buyer.

You can visit Ashampoo's website here.

Safari

I have never used a Mac in my whole life but I always admired Mac and wanted to use one if not for the sky-high price for acquiring one. I even tried a transformation tool for my Windows XP Pro PC t look like a Mac OS X. I like the looks of it though at times I am confused with the location of the buttons on every window.

Just recently, my officemate introduced my to Apple's Safari web browser. From then on, I can seem to unhook myself with Safari. Its got a nice layout and is very Mac. I must admit I am bored looking at my Windows XP PC for quiet sometime. I have been using Windows XP since college so I need a new look for my browsing needs. Besides, Apple promises that Safari is faster (although I doubt that) and much safer.

Safari goes well with Microsoft's Bing Search Engine. They both present a new look and innovation. Since I started using Safari I haven't experienced any trouble at all. I think it is nice to try something different sometimes. It breaks the everyday monotony.

You can download Safari here.

VirtuaWin

Ever wished you have enough space in your desktop for all your running application? Well, VirtuaWin is the right solution to your problem. It even lets you create up to 9 virtual desktops or workspaces!

VirtuaWin manages your virtual desktop enabling you to organize your workspaces more efficiently. It runs on a Windows platform from Win98 to Windows Vista and has a simple interface so you could never go wrong. With VirtuaWin, you can segregate your workspaces the same as mine. I could run all programming related applications in one workspace and open another workspace to run Windows Media Player and other utilities. In this setup I wont be bothered with non-work-related application in my working space. I could also minimize applications appearing in my taskbar so I wont have a scrollbar in it.

You should try using VirtuaWin and notice the difference in your productivity. Once you will get used to it you will get hooked to the feel of having an organized workspace.

You can download VirtuaWin here.

CodeGear Delphi 2009

After several years of using Borland Delphi 2006, the company I work for decided to give us something to experiment on. After six months of the current year has passed, we finally got our copy of Codegear's Delphi 2009.

CodeGear promised a lot when they released the new version. They now even support Unicode. They changed the look of the IDE to fit with the new versions of Windows operating system. The best part of the deal is that we availed of CodeGear's promo which allows purchasers to get a free software from CodeGear of the same or lesser value. We availed of their JBuilder for developing Java applications but we may not utilize it as our main development tool.

The sad part of acquiring a new IDE is that our previous applicatins will not compile on Delphi 2009. The components we used were not compatible with Delphi 20009. Components used in Delphi 2009 are also changed in such a way that backward compatibility with the components we used in Delphi 2006 will never happen. It gave us a terrible headache on how we can migrate our applications. We might not migrate after all. Just develop new applications with Delphi 2009 and applications developed in Delphi 2006 will be remain as is. It is discouraging to know that our applications will not compiler in Delphi 2009 but we really don't have a choice. So far Delphi 2009 is a superb IDE providing developers with rapid development tools to shorten the development time of applications.

More information on CodeGear Delphi 2009 can be found here.

Windows Defender

If your PC runs in Windows environment, you can protect yourself from spyware and unwanted pop up ads by downloading a free anti-spyware from Microsoft. Although Windows Defender's protection is meager compared to commercial anti-spyware solutions, it is better than having no protection at all. Besides, it is free to every licensed Windows user. Here is a product description from Windows Defender website:

Windows Defender is software that helps protect your computer against pop-ups, slow performance, and security threats caused by spyware and other unwanted software by detecting and removing known spyware from your computer. Windows Defender features Real-Time Protection, a monitoring system that recommends actions against spyware when it's detected, minimizes interruptions, and helps you stay productive.

The benefits of installing Windows Defender include:

Spyware detection and removal

• Windows Defender quickly and easily finds spyware and other unwanted programs that can slow down your computer, display annoying pop-up ads, change Internet settings, or use your private information without your consent.
• Windows Defender eliminates detected spyware easily at your direction, and if you inadvertently remove programs that you actually want, it's easy to get them back.
• Windows Defender allows you to schedule your scanning and removal times when it's convenient for you, whether it's on-demand or on a schedule that you set.

Improved Internet browsing safety

• Windows Defender helps stop spyware before it infiltrates your computer. Windows Defender also offers a continuous safeguard designed to target all the ways that spyware can infiltrate your computer.
• Windows Defender works without distracting you. It runs in the background and automatically handles spyware based on preferences that you set. You can use your computer with minimal interruption.

Protection against the latest threats

• A dedicated team of Microsoft researchers continuously searches the Internet to discover new spyware and develop methods to counteract it.
• A voluntary, worldwide network of Windows Defender users helps Microsoft determine which suspicious programs to classify as spyware. Participants help discover new threats quickly and notify Microsoft analysts, so that everyone is better protected. Anyone who uses Windows Defender can join this network and help report potential spyware to Microsoft.
• To help protect your computer from the latest threats, you can choose to have updates that counteract new spyware automatically downloaded to your computer.

Windows Defender is included with all versions of Windows Vista and is available to download for genuine copies of Windows XP Service Pack 2 or later, or Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 or later.

You can visit Microsoft's Windows Defender here.
Update definitions can be downloaded here.

HijackThis

If you are weary of malware or spyware hiding in your computer, one of the best tools to have in your arsenal is Trend Micro's free utility - HijackThis. This free software scans your computer and the registry for changed settings and registry entries. It then creates a log file that shows the list of registry entries that may or may not be manipulated by a malware. The downside of this utility is that it is not intelligent. When you decide to remove a registry entry, Hijackthis automatically removes it be it harmful or not.

But, do not worry too much. I have visited many forums dedicated on helping computer users interpret the log file HijackThis creates. Or, you can let a friend with troubleshooting expertise take a look at the log file.

To analyze your computer, start HijackThis and run a scan. HijackThis will display a list of areas on your computer that might have been changed by spyware. Do not change any settings if you are unsure of what to do. There are many popular support forums on the web that provide free technical assistance by using HijackThis log files to diagnose an infected computer.

You can download HijackThis, here.