Bug Fix It pays to inoculate your computer to keep it safe. The best antivirus solutions are not free, but they are not costly either.
Last week we looked at some free anti-virus solutions for computers. Hopefully some of you have experimented with them and come to your own conclusions. This week it is the turn of the popular paid solutions. There are a number of anti-virus players out there, and it is not possible to cover each one in an article like this. Let us look at four major players who offer anti-virus suites.
Symantec’s Norton 360 V6 [Rs. 1,649/user/year]
Norton 360 combines a backup client, an anti-virus and 2GB of online cloud storage into a single application. Choose important files that you just can’t do without, Norton will keep them clean and keep a backup on its Internet cloud servers, automatically.
One challenge for all PC owners at home is to control what your children use online, making sure they don’t stumble across unwanted content, monitoring who they chat with and how much time they spend on social media. The 360 lets you do all of these, and lets you block and monitor their usage, keeping them safe.
The 360 can even check for threats that originate in email, instant messages or online, not just from downloaded files. Installation is a breeze, but it’s available only for MS Windows.
The icing on the cake: it can check for threats in email, instant messages or even Websites; has insecure site warning, a built-in PC tune up engine and optimised PC performance; and a 24×7 Support, by phone or live chat.
Trend Micro Titanium Max Sec 2012 [Rs. 1,300/user /year ]
The Titanium also has a backup client built in, and comes with 10GB of cloud (Internet storage) space. It also includes a limited edition for Apple in the same box. This part, though, is not a full fledged antivirus, but it does warn you to stay away from links and websites that it suspects are illegitimate.
Parental controls allow you to setup a schedule of when your kids can access sites you listed as safe, though there is no detailed report on their online activities like there is in Norton.
The Titanium detects spam mail better, and also increases the effectiveness of the bulit in Windows firewall. In user tests I found advanced users loved the Norton interface, but in general, users found Trend Micro’s basic Interface more useful.
The icing on the cake: If you lose your laptop/PC, you can remotely lock out files.
McAfee Total Protection 2012 [ Rs. 1,699/user/year ]
Also available only for Microsoft’s Windows, Total Protection comes with 2GB cloud parking, built-in age-based rules that let you set up multiple profiles for your children, and a surfing report that shows login times and total time spent online. It also ships with a tool called digital data shredder, which permanently destroys sensitive files so that they can not be recovered using any data recovery software.
A great new utility is the pre-install scan: it scans the PC before installation, clearing out any infection before you even install the antivirus.
The icing on the cake: A built in URL shortner that shortens long URLs to make it easy for you to share them with friends.
Bit Defender Total Security 2012 [ Rs.2,800/user /year ]
The most expensive of the lot, Bit Defender however is a favourite among its loyal users. Main features: free 2 GB of cloud space; an autopilot, which makes optimal security related decisions on its own rather than prompt you on what it should do; and a virtualised browser mode that isolates your web browser from the operating system — this means your online activities and the OS are maintained separate spaces, enhancing your PC security.
Catch: Windows only.
Total Security also comes with a tune-up that optimizes the performance of your PC. According to AV Test (www.av-test.org), Bit Defender tops in terms of virus protection — the reason why you bought an antivirus in the first place.
The icing on the cake: Rescue mode, which reboots your PC in a trusted environment and disinfects it, in case the antivirus was shut down and you managed to infect the PC.
It’s pure music. This boom box plays audio without CD trays or wires and can be controlled without any buttons @ RS. 70,000
On a full charge, it delivers 8 hours.
The box just sits there, wrapped in nothing but a perforated aluminium grille. It has no visible lights or cables. There’s just a leather strap with a button that announces the box’s B&O lineage. But look closer and there’s more. The anti-slip tray on top has four buttons. Turn it around and there’s a small door, which hides a charging cable and a USB connector, with which you can charge other USB devices.
The Beolit feels like a baby, especially when you pick it up. Switch it on, and it’s like there are musicians in the room. The whole experience is beautiful.
On a full charge, it delivers 8 hours. Using Airplay, it can link up with iOS devices and stream music wirelessly. If you’d rather use a non-iOS device, the Beolit can be linked via a 3.5 mm jack.
Setup is simple. Before the first use, you need to hook it up with a laptop and complete the Wi-Fi security protocol. You are now ready to go.
The Beolit generates sound using two 2 inch tweeters and a 4 inch woofer, and you’ll be surprised how loud it can get. You can adjust its volume by either walking up to it and fiddling with its buttons, or using an iOS device in your hand.
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The Above review appeared in the Open Magazine, Issue 16, Volume 07, Dated 14th May 2012. To read the article, the side items and other brilliant articles from the Magazine, please pick up the Print Copy.