Stories by Preston Gralla

AVG Internet Security 2011

AVG Internet Security 2011 is aimed at those looking for a do-it-all piece of software, offering anti-virus, anti-spyware, a rootkit detector and killer, firewall, link scanner, online shield, email scanner, identity protection, spam killer and more.

WinZip Pro gets better with v14.5

The world's most popular compression program just got better. WinZip 14.5 Pro (US$50, 3-day free trial) adds a slew of useful features to the venerable program's already impressive suite, most notably adding a Microsoft Office-style ribbon that puts all of the program's considerable power within easy reach. No longer will you need to hunt through deep levels of menus. You can now perform tasks such as burning .zip files to a CD or DVD, or sending a .zip file via FTP, with a single click on the ribbon.

Norton Internet Security 2011 public beta

As protections against garden-variety <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/s/topic/85/Malware+and+Vulnerabilities">viruses and malware</a> have become more effective, malware writers have turned to new ways to infect computers in the pursuit of profit. Two increasing threats are malware spread via bad <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9157638/Facebook_Complete_coverage">Facebook</a> links and so-called scareware -- malware that masquerades as virus-scanning software.

Outlook Social Connector a worthwhile add-on

<a href="http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9137060/Microsoft_Update_Latest_news_features_reviews_opinions_and_more">Microsoft</a>'s just-released beta of the Outlook Social Connector aims to solve a formidable problem: How to retain Outlook's centrality when social networking sites and services such as <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9157638/Facebook_Complete_coverage">Facebook</a>, LinkedIn and <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9157658/Twitter_update_News_blogs_opinions_and_more_about_the_microblogging_service">Twitter</a> have become increasingly important. It largely succeeds.

Would two Microsofts be better than one?

Nearly 10 years ago, on April 3, 2000, U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson ordered that Microsoft be broken up into two companies -- one to develop and sell operating systems, and the other to develop and sell other types of software. The order came as a result of a federal antitrust suit against the company and a finding of fact that said Microsoft had abused its monopoly power.

Windows Access Panel

<a href="http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,81837-order,3/description.html">Windows Access Panel</a> is a free, moderately useful program that can make it easier for you to change Windows settings that you otherwise wouldn't know how to alter. It doesn't actually give you any tools or access to settings that aren't otherwise available in Windows. Rather, it gives you one-click access to settings that normally require several clicks to reach. Instead of having to navigate your way through the Control Panel, or dig deep into menus, you can quickly get right to the setting you want.

Google's Chrome OS is a work in progress

Google released its Chrome operating system last week to a great deal of hoopla and debate — depending on your point of view, it was either the Next Big Thing or Much Ado About Nothing.

Office 2010 beta debuts major features

The just-released Microsoft Office 2010 beta shows Microsoft's vision for integrating Office with the greater Internet. Most notably, it introduces a potentially powerful Outlook feature that can combine your e-mail with social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn.

Opera 10 Web browser

Opera has always been packed with features, but it has yet to garner the same kind of publicity that Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Chrome enjoy. And that's a shame, because version 10 of the venerable Web browser adds a slew of clever features that anyone who surfs the Web will welcome.