No freakin’ way! Microsoft is offering a FREE download service for its latest security software? YES, you read that right. Early this week, we should be able to download the beta version of the latest to come out of the Microsoft development labs.
Dubbed the Microsoft Security Essentials package, the software is being touted by Microsoft as the complete computer security system. It is an anti-virus, anti-malware, anti-everything bad program all in one. The way it is supposed to work, it should detect, find, and then get rid of anything suspicious on your computer.
Backers of the product say that even the newest threats can be dealt with easily and quickly by Microsoft Security Essentials. It does so by immediately checking with online servers if it finds something that is even remotely suspicious, even if it does not fall under any known threat. Before the program is allowed to continue, it has to be cleared first. What about certain legit programs that might trigger the system? Designers say that it has a list of trusted sources, and will overlook activity by these.
Microsoft Security Essentials will be available for FREE download but will not be bundled with Windows 7, as this might start another spate of anti-trust issues. While we will only have the beta this week, the full version should be out by fall. At least we will have a couple of months to test the beta version and see if it actually works and if it’s better than what we are using now.
Categories: Downloading Legally, Freeware, Software
Windows 7 has been garnering much hype, as most Windows products usually do. I don’t really understand why as we all know that most – if not all – of their releases are always riddle with bugs anyway. Anyhow, Windows 7 is the newest product in Microsoft’s long line of operating systems and they are doing something different this time around.
Windows 7 is now available for download at Microsoft’s web site. This version is called the Windows 7 Release Candidate and is free to download for everyone. Basically, those who download this version will serve as a tester for Microsoft. I am sure that a lot of people will jump to get this offer, especially since there are a lot who cannot wait to get rid of Vista.
The software can be downloaded starting now until July 2009. Those who download and install Windows 7 can run it without problems (well, problems regarding license at least) till March 1, 2010. When that time comes however, the system will shut down every two hours. The release will also expire on the first of June 2010.
I suppose that it should be okay to download Windows 7, if only to say that you are one of the first in the world to have used it. More so, if you really hate Vista that much, you can only gain from trying out a new OS, right? As for me, I think I’ll stick with my XP for now. How about you?
Categories: Downloading Legally, Freeware
This weirded me out, really. I guess it has just never occurred to me that a big company such as Google would actually offer this much. And in China?
Then again, it all made sense after I read the whole news piece. So this is what’s going on. We know that China is perhaps the leading country when it comes to piracy. And I am not talking about music and movies only. Fake bags, clothes, and everything else are made in China!
Anyway, I digressed, but China is known for being the pirate’s haven. You can find practically any movie or music album in this country. And we know that various sectors from around the world have been trying to kill this lucrative business. Apparently, their efforts have not been that effective as the piracy business in China is still thriving.
Enter Google. They have started a new service, a free MP3 download service all throughout China. The aim is, obviously, to divert those who download illegally into downloading legally. Naturally, the only way to do this is to make available media for free.
And how exactly is Google going to be able to keep the service running if they do not charge the users? The answer is simple: through ads. The service is actually being backed up by 14 independent labels, who want to make a change and yet continue earning money.
Google has been testing this service since August of last year and it looks like it could fly. However, for those of us outside China, we will not be getting even a taste of the service. And why not, I ask?
Categories: Downloading Legally, Freeware, Music
As more and more people seek to get their hands on free music, more control has been put in place due to the huge amount of profits lost due to piracy. The problem is global and has become one of the most debated issues of today’s technology circles. Though most technology used in the piracy trade has roots in consumer electronics, they are always surely derived from some form of computer piracy which is used to obtain them from their sources. From illegal file sharing like P2P sites to illegally copied DVD’s and CD’s, they are all result of the utter failure of DRM software which was used to control them in the past.
They were either too obtrusive (denying full enjoyment of the product through huge overhead requirements) or too wasteful of resources (computer memory and processor power that nothing else can be done). The other side is that people always want a sense of control over their world as with hackers (who own and operate P2P sites and promote piracy all over the world) void of the constraints of laws and technology. It seems as if the battle for control between business and personal wants would always necessitate the cat and mouse game between people who want it and people who want to earn from it (music and video).
Proponents of free everything over the internet have been finding it harder and harder to share and copy files over the internet due to new and stiffer penalties imposed on those who are caught doing so. The new and improved anti-piracy laws carry stiff penalties and users risk even getting their internet service cut-off by providers should they be found and caught repetitively doing so. The next arena where conflict would arise would be the fact that the new search and discovery laws are indeed invasive for law enforcement are allowed to seize and conduct search on all if not most of suspected devices that may hold pirated materials. Proposals that would allow law enforcement to search wireless enabled devices without you even knowing about it is alarming for along with any possible pirated stuff, all the contents of your gadgets and gizmos can be copied along with it. There is a thin line between search/discovery and privacy that it is heavily debated over and over again to ensure that all basis are covered.
Any flaws in laws are quickly discovered and overcome by piracy advocates to allow them to continue with their illegal activities. Hopefully, stiffer laws and higher penalties would dissuade piracy allowing better control over media where DRM has utterly failed. Some media firms have even resorted to handing out free tracks and other freebies to get more to buy the legal stuff and they have also lowered subscription rates to online services allowing as low as $0.50 cents. Many other marketing strategies have been taken to dissuade and turn previously illegal users to turn legal but there are still millions of illegal users who use illegal songs downloaded from web sites and other sources. In my country, a trip to some malls can have you loaded with tons of illegally copied cds and dvds for a fraction of the cost of the originals even with regular police action.
Categories: Freeware, Random Thoughts
Downloading music is a lot of fun especially when you get the opportunity to actually sing along. Karaoke is probably one the best pastimes in the world but what is hard is that singing along to an mp3 is hard because you always need to look for the lyrics for each file.
That’s why I think a utility like Evil Lyrics is such a big help for closet singers. The free app automatically gets the lyrics to songs that are played on your PC’s default music app. The lyrics appear in a small window that you can customize. I’ve been using Evil Lyics for more than a year now and I am one happy user.
You guys should also try it.
Tags: Evil Lyrics
Categories: Applications, Downloading Legally, Freeware
The site is a part of the Creative Commons group of systems that is operated and maintained as freeware and as the platform on which it is built upon, all artists who upload their songs are royalty free. All the materials published on their web site are covered by the Creative Commons license which means the artists are not asking for fees for you to enjoy their music. All songs can be downloaded using the Http protocol free of charge, legally and without restrictions (DRM). They also support formats from Bit Torrent and eMule where music takes the ogg format for those who prefer P2P type sharing of files. The advent of the social net means people are again looking for an internet that is free of inhibitions and control as it used to be during the hey-days of the free internet. There was actually a time when you could get any form of information form anyone, even the US government through the internet as well as the many other sites that are now considered to fall under the blanket of National Security.
The site and the artists who share their work to the internet web site do not ask for payments for their work (royalty) but the site does allow users who download songs to donate to the artists they wish to support. They also take advantage of the technological advantages of having your work (as an artist) available to the rest of the world which is the best possible platform for exposure. Feedback on works is also allowed getting fans in contact with their favorite artists allowing both to benefit form the interaction offered by the web site. For some of the best free and independent music that is free and without strings attached, try Jamendo.com for your favorite songs and for the exposure you as an artist seek to further your work.
Tags: Free_Music_Downloads, OGG, Royalty_Free_Music, Torrent_Formats
Categories: Downloading Legally, Freeware, Music, Providers, Resources
In what has been called as the “Largest fake media file outbreak” in three years, nearly half a million people have fallen victim to a phony video or music track that has been packaged to look as an innocent MP3 file. Once the free track is downloaded, a required codec is prompted for and downloading it sends in tons of popups as the attached Trojan takes hold and kicks into action. This is as sample of how gullible people with little or no knowledge in computer security end up falling victims of such attacks that have files packaged as a legal format that is actually a malicious program in disguise. The article was posted in the BBC and the good news is that of the almost half a million infected people who have been victimized, only 10 percent actually installed the malware and ended-up with the pesky pop-up’s plaguing them as they try to get rid of all traces of the Trojan.
There is however an increasing problem with such types of attacks for they may encompass the wide variety of media files that are currently being used by people around the globe. Some of these files have been around from quite sometime such as MP3’s which have been one of the major reasons why digital music became a mainstay of music we enjoy today. They can be packaged as MP3’s, AVI’s or many other formats which do not have encoded security features included with the file. Updated Anti-virus software should deal with the problem easily but unprotected systems face a lot of annoying pop-up’s and other malware as the so-called coded that you download contains a variety of malware.
Tags: Fake Media, Malware, Trojans
Categories: Freeware, Music, Videos
There have been many gimmicks over the year which is usually a precursor of album releases. Sweepstakes for free passes, advertising gimmicks and many more have all had their shares of success. In the drive to develop newer ways of delivering the talent of their brood, music companies have gone far and wide for some of the craziest ideas on the planet just to hype an album’s release. In one of the previous posts, an artist worked hand in hand with a leading cellular phone manufacturer to release a new album as an added bonus for purchasing a new phone. The new phone came with the song already in it for consumers to enjoy even as they are settling their bill.
Artists on the other hand who do not have much backing from big record companies have been trying to get their work the exposure they need, first through YouTube then through social networking sites which promote their music. But keeping competitive with all the thousands of artists in the world not to count the thousands more who are around locally, artists have been finding it hard to get resources to fund further projects. Some big names in the business have put up heir own web sites to do their own promotion simply through word of mouth and search engines. Search Engine Optimization allows them to get their fans to visit their sites which they keep hooked with previews and free music they can listen to as they are browsing thought the site. They can even watch MTV’s of their favorite songs right at the convenience of their PC’s. What better way is it to promote an album than to give one out, for free. Yep, this might be the start of a new trend as the British band Cold Play has decided to offer their first single for free download, free as in no fees no per song charges and taxes to pay.
The move may help them promote their music for through social networking sites, people share interests and other information including their favorite songs and bands. Free marketing as the word get’s out and they include the music within their pages, they unknowingly promote the album for the band and record company. Record companies are having to agree to some odd ways for their artists to get the exposure with them not having to shell out cash for the price of an arm and leg. so check the free download from the ColdPlay site so you can get your hands on the free song, no charges guaranteed.
Tags: Album Releases, Cold Play, Launching
Categories: Downloading Legally, Freeware, Mobile Phones, Music, Providers, Videos
Nice section from ZDNet which discusses problems computer users from mall over the world encounter, offering real-life solutions and suggestions. The site is also a source of a lot of free stuff such as network scanners, tools, utilities and many more. They also offer a lot of help in the form of registry cleaners and other free stuff you can sometimes get for free, and purchase if you find them extremely helpful for full versions. These downloads are sometimes frustrating yet from time to time you’ll get your hands on a gem that’s worth all the waiting for the download to complete.
They have MP3 software, video, drivers and many more. The section on spy ware horror stories highlights the risks of not having enough protection from the many malware that are coming out all the time. They come in throngs and without proper intrusion protection, problems such as system slowdown, identity theft and other similar stuff happens. The best thing is to invest in a reliable intrusion prevention system that offers coverage of most bases (NO SECURITY SYSTEM IS PERFECT and due to the constant mutation of malware some will get through however expensive they cost). The best ones offer local scanning and active scanning on internet and mail traffic preventing hackers and their minion malware from getting through. If you do happen to have a licensed version of anti-virus protection software, keep them updated or better yet have them update themselves whenever there are available updates (this is set from their set-up options where you can set automatic updates to happen when possible.), which if you’re like me who is always online, would be a great idea for threats just keep coming.
If you do get infected or suspect you have some unauthorized program stealing data (which realistically speaking is not to easy to determine except if you’re a geek or very proficient in computers and programming), simply re-install your Operating System which by the way I hope is official for you’ll be missing out on important updates if its not.
Tags: Anti-Virus Software, Intrusion Protection Systems, Spyware, ZDNet
Categories: Downloading Legally, Freeware, Resources
Ares is one of those P2p Download sites which offer free file sharing (music, videos and just about anything that comes in file form), and they are getting good at it with little hassle about piracy, copyrights and intellectual property rights. Why? well like Linux, it’s open sourced which means there is no big company or companies for these corporate watchdogs to pursue and file cases against. As with any P2P site, there is a manager program that handles the files you download and share over the net with other users which can de downloaded for free. The system like the internet is in constant change due to it’s open-sourced nature, users who manage to develop additions or improvements to the currently in use send them to other members of the community to have it tested and subsequently added to the program itself. Users get the latest upgraded versions of the system when hey get update notices from the site. The site and users all use a new and different protocol which they boast is quite hard to detect by firewalls and other intrusion prevention measures. Downloads are fast and it is very quick to connect to the service which has over 100 million titles available for download over their network. Files downloaded from the site are also void of any DRM protection which allows users to play them anywhere using any digital player.
Studies conducted by independent people have shown that downloading music over the internet is responsible for some increase in record sales for cd’s and DVD’s for they fuel the desire and user’s know that the best stuff can be availed only from off the shelf-purchases of music audio cd’s. Which contradicts the general opinion fueled by corporate watchdogs that it discourages sales.
Tags: Open-sourced, P2p-Filesharing
Categories: Applications, Downloading Legally, Freeware, Music, Resources, Videos
