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Bresnan Security Suite

Our local cable Internet provider, Bresnan, starting sending out notices about their new security suite from Computer Associates. Computer Associates is one of the older technology companies and produces great software, and I haven’t seen the product yet, but based on the description in the email, I wouldn’t jump on board.

As with most suites, they are usually too big, too slow, and don’t protect you well enough. As of today, I recommend the Castellini on Computers Hybrid Security Suite:

1. AVG Anti-virus
2. Windows Defender
3. A router for your high speed connection
4. Windows Firewall
5. Monthly updates and scans with SypBot Search and Destroy and/or Super AntiSpyware
6. Cloudmark Desktop anti-spam
7. MOST IMPORTANT: ONLY browse the Internet with Mozilla Firefox

Ubuntu – Day 13

Haven’t used my computer at all today except to write this blog entry. I will answer some email later, but again, Ubuntu does that without any problems at all (except that I miss my Cloudmark spam filter). I have one more day before I return to my Windows machine and use it as my primary again. I did hook a regular mouse to this laptop and it makes it easier to run the machine than relying full time on the touch pad. Thankfully, this laptop has a button that can turn the touchpad off when I’m typing since my palms tend to rub on the touchpad and then throw me out of the box where I was typing.

Tomorrow night, I will give a longer summary of my 14 day Ubuntu report and how I feel it would work for other computer users.

Ubuntu – Day 4

I’m going to do a short written update to my Ubuntu trek, but record my first official “Shotgun Podcast” here shortly.

After only three days, I gave up on Evolution email as my email program. I like the program a lot, but unfortunately, I get way too much spam not to have a better anti-spam solution. So, I downloaded and installed Thunderbird today which while not perfect and far from my Cloudmark Desktop solution on my Windows machine, it is much better than the Evolution method.

Ubuntu – Day 1

I haven’t touched my Windows’ machine all day and won’t for the next 14. However, one program I already miss from my Windows’ computer is my wonderful anti-spam software called Cloudmark Desktop. Adam and I talk almost weekly about Cloudmark Desktop. We have both used it since we discovered it at the old Comdex computer show five or six years ago. Currently, they don’t have a Linux version of the software and don’t plan on it anytime soon. The Evolution program that comes with Ubuntu works very well, and I will test its anti-spam solution that is built-in and learn to tweak it over the next two weeks.

If anyone reading this knows of a fast, accurate anti-spam software for Evolution in Ubuntu, please let me know.

Back to work

I just got back in town a few hours ago. I have been returning calls and sifting through emails. One of the drawbacks to technology is that it makes it easier for work to stack up while you are gone.

I must, again, say how grateful I am for Cloudmark Desktop, an email spam filter that actually works. I had over 300 emails while I was gone, but only about 20 were actually worth reading. Cloudmark sifted all of the spam and none of the good stuff.

I can't figure out why more Internet service providers don't use Cloudmark to filter spam (Do you hear me ACS, Bresnan, AOL and every other ISP that uses a crappy filter that prevents the good stuff from getting through on a regular basis? I didn't think so.).

Sometimes the Internet doesn’t tell the whole story

My children were out of school today for the President's Day holiday. We had planned to go skiing with another family at our local ski resort. My son and I woke early and were eating breakfast and decided that we should check the weather on the mountain. We checked the resort's web site and the National Weather Service web site. Both indicated that it could be a 'breezy' day with a chance of snow. We finished eating, packed, and made the forty-five minute trek up the mountain. About half way to the resort, I noticed that the clouds were looking pretty dark (rainy not snowy) and the wind had picked up substantially. As we made the final ascent to the ski area, the wind picked up enough to shake the pine trees on the side of the road quite easily and I could feel the van struggling to keep its bearing. When we pulled into the resort, all the flags were flying straight out and not given any chance to relax. 

Spam on the rise again

I'm not sure what it it is about late summer, but I have noticed the last few years that my spam is at its worst in late July through September and then it tapers off again until the next summer. I have no idea what the correlation is, but it has been consistent the last three years. 

I don't worry about it, however, because my Inbox stays pristine with the help of Cloudmark Desktop. You have heard Adam and I rave about this product for nearly four years now. Without it, I would have probably given up email years ago! <

A week without a stylus

I lost the little pointer stylus for my Treo 650 last Friday. I am going crazy trying to get around in my PDA.

So far I have used my pinky nail, a toy sword from one of my kids action figures, the end of a USB cord, a plastic fork, a toothpick, and a ballpoint pen as a stylus.

I ordered a three-pack of new styli, but they won’t be here until the middle of next week.

For those that aren’t familiar with PDAs, being without a stylus is as debilitating as operating your TV without a remote.

On the positive side, I have setup a couple of people with Cloudmark Desktop over the past couple of days.

Why we recommend the stuff we do

Our listeners and subsribers have probably heard me say, "Don't let your kids fix your computer, no matter how old they are or who they work for."

I say this because many of my appointments come as a result of a full grown son or daughter who "works for Microsoft" or  "Is a computer tech for ___________ University" coming home and "fixing" the computer.

I have no doubts that said son or daughter is great at what they do while they are at their work, but there is a big difference between working in a controlled environment like a business or school and working on dozens of computers a week in completely unassociated environments.