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Every computer needs a functional program to counter threats of viruses and malicious spyware, in both preventive and reactive aspects. Certainly, there is a plethora of quality anti-virus software in the market that a reasonable amount of money can buy. Given this market's high level of competitiveness, one would be overjoyed if there is software that provides rock-solid protection free-of-charge. Without a shadow of doubt, the AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition has indeed brought smiles to faces of millions of users around the globe.

AVG Free Edition is not a new entry into this market; in fact, it has been around for a few years. According to Grisoft (the manufacturers), AVG has a total user count of approximately 60 million worldwide. The software is free to download and offers fundamental protection against modern electronic threats like spyware, Trojans and root kits.

The software allows you to scan your computer selectively, or to scan the entire hard drive, which is the default setting. The Test Centre can be accessed from the basic navigation window. From the Test Centre, updates for the software can be downloaded from the Grisoft server, which is rather redundant, in my opinion, since automatic updates are run every 2 hours by default. The scheduler can be configured manually to arrange for scans every fixed interval, as well as to set the time when you want AVG to update its virus database. The scanner automatically integrates itself in Outlook and becomes the default email-scanner, and with manual configuration, it can work together with other programs as well.

AVG Free Edition also has a very useful Resident Shield, which offers 'real-time protection' of your computer and your files. This means that it works as you surf the Internet and open files, it guarantees that your files in your computer would not be infected by any potential harmful viruses that may be transmitted.

In the unfortunate event that a file does get infected and become corrupted, the AVG Free Edition is still fully equipped to handle that eventuality. The infected files are quarantined in the Virus Vault, and can be eliminated from the computer. Of course, system files will not be deleted but secured inside the Vault and access restricted to prevent the virus from triggering.

The basic difference between the paid version (AVG Anti-Virus Professional) and the Free Edition is that in the Pro edition, there is much more advanced options on the scanner, making the scanner a hugely versatile tool. Also, users of Free Edition are lower on the priority list when updating the database as Pro users will take precedence. However, these two issues are not a significant concern - home users do not need more than the basic scanning functions and control for home protection; and the Grisoft server is so fast that it does not make much of a difference, be it Pro or Free.

Holistically, the fundamental features of AVG Free Edition are more than satisfactory, and can definitely provide security against malignant viruses. However, a significant amount of spyware can still get back the Free Edition's defenses and as such, requires the download of another AVG product - the AVG Anti-Spyware. The Free Trial is available for download and once the trial period expires, some features will be locked but it still remains a functional anti-spyware program. The scanning process is comprehensive enough for domestic use and the Resident Shield is a potent line of defense against viruses. It requires very little computer resources and scanning is very fast compared to scanning on Norton or BitDefender.

What I was disappointed with was that the scanner on AVG could not scan external drives, for example my USB thumb drive. It will detect the virus and prompt you to quarantine files but is unable to get rid of the threat. Also, as mentioned earlier, the AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition remains vulnerable to spyware intrusions. Moreover, the nature of an anti-virus software is that it is not stand-alone and it should work hand-in-hand with programs like anti-spyware and firewalls to fully protect a computer from external threats and this means that you would have to purchase or download yet another program like ZoneAlarm.

All in all, it is an easy interface to work with, most functions being self-explanatory and I would highly recommend AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition to all home users who require protection against basic threats.

Click here to download the latest version of AVG Anti-Virus software
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The PDF format is definitely an industry standard for many documents, especially soft-copies of manuals that are distributed online. While Mac users (like myself) need not worry about opening and reading these PDF documents (since Mac OS X comes with the software Preview which is able to open both pictures and PDF files), Windows users are often stuck with having to download the Adobe Reader which is often slow and buggy since it takes up quite a lot of system resources for a program that's just used to open documents. Thankfully, there's now an alternative to the Adobe Reader: Foxit Reader, a free PDF reader for the Windows platform.

Despite the somewhat strange name, Foxit is actually a really good piece of software. It does one thing only: read PDF files of course, but it does that job pretty darn well. For starters, the installation file which you have to download is only around 2mb. As compared to Adobe Reader's installation file, which is 20mb, you'll be able to download Foxit Reader much faster. Obviously, a small installation file translates into an extremely lightweight program unlike the Adobe Reader. You'll immediately notice the difference in speed between Foxit and Adobe Reader the first time you run the program. Compared to Adobe Reader, Foxit is blazingly fast. When you open a PDF file, it almost immediately pops up (the speed depends on your computer of course) and you don't need to stare at a splash screen like the one found in Adobe Reader.

Once open, Foxit Reader takes up a lot lesser system resources as well, being a much more lightweight program. As long as your computer isn't too old, you should be able to scroll through most PDF files pretty smoothly. The search function also works faster as compared to Adobe Reader, allowing you to search for a particular word or phrase extremely quickly. All these features allow you to quickly browse through PDF files using Foxit instead of constantly having to wait for Adobe Reader to catch up with your actions. It has a standard PDF viewer layout, with all the pages listed at the side for easy reference and has most of the features you'd come to expect from such a program.

Of course, Foxit doesn't just display PDF files. There are several annotation tools available that allow you to make notes on PDF files. You can draw graphics, highlight text or add your own, then save or print out your edited PDF to keep. These tools will obviously come in very handy for many people who wish to make comments on a certain portion of a PDF file. If necessary, Foxit will also allow you to convert an entire PDF file into a simple text file so that you can easily manipulate the text, not that it's hard to manipulate it within Foxit in the first place. Best of all, Foxit is completely free to download for personal, non-commercial use. While some might be worried about any spyware or virus being included in the installation file, rest assured that there's no such thing in there (I've checked that out for myself).

There really isn't much else to say about Foxit Reader, after all it's just a PDF reader. However, I definitely recommend that everyone switch to using Foxit instead of Adobe Reader to open PDF files because it's a lot more reliable and stable. Furthermore, being a freeware program, there really isn't any excuse for you to not get this program now.

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If you do some typing work frequently on the computer, may it be for work, digitalising an essay or perhaps just writing a story, you would surely understand the enormous number of distractions which can easily throw you off your work path. It might be a random friend instant messaging you, or perhaps a bad habit of surfing the web at the same time and you have encountered an interesting enough article that it beckons you from your work. This is what exactly Writeroom/Darkroom is made for.

Writeroom is actually a program which was coded solely for the MAC OS, being advertised as an application which is able to keep out all the distractions from a writer. The program's slogan is "Distraction free writing", which is exactly the type of environment it tries to emulate for the users. It's a program which blocks out everything else except a blank screen for you to write on in full screen mode, and it also gives the basic utilities of being able to save, count your words and even a spell checker. What it basically promises is a place you can focus on your writing, nothing else.

When I personally first started up Writeroom, upon a friend's advice, the interface looked sleek and smooth. The basic skin, which can be customised, is just a black screen, with green text which appears when you start typing, giving the user a "matrix" feel. It blocks out everything else which might be present on the background, such as IM's popping up or even your Mozilla Firefox or Internet Explorer standing by with loaded contents. It reminded me of writing in real life, where the only things on your desk would be a writing pad and your stationery, just like a blank screen for you to type on.

However, despite what it was made for, a distraction blocker, it does not exactly grant full immunity to such distractions. In the end, it's just a helping tool, and writers still have to rely on themselves to be able to fully concentrate on their work. With easy hot keys to exit, and the usage of certain hot keys of whatever operating system one is using, you can easily tab away the Writeroom to other programs, overriding whatever use it may have. Furthermore, it does not exactly block out sounds in the background, so one would still hear the familiar pings of instant messages in the background and easily tab out to reply them.

In the end, Writeroom is still just a tool to help a writer get going, it still boils down to the person himself or herself to concentrate on their work. Still, it is a helpful program which can be downloaded here for the Mac version, or here, for a ported PC version.

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Web 2.0 has definitely ushered a lot more dynamic content on the internet, from sites like Friendster or MySpace which provide networking services to Youtube which provides a platform for users to share their videos online. More and more sites are popping up every now and then to provide us netizens with more and more ways to entertain ourselves online. Following this trend is a freeware program called Joost, which is essentially a system by which TV shows and other forms of video are streamed to the viewer for free over the internet.

First created in 2006 under the code name "The Venice Project", Joost is currently in its open beta stage and is available for download at their homepage since 1st October 2007. One of the merits of Joost is that it is a cross platform software, meaning it runs natively on both Windows XP and on Intel Macs, however, there is currently no native support for Linux users but it is possible to run it on a Linux platform using WINE like so many other Windows programs. Once downloaded and installed, all you have to do is open up the program and you'll be greeted by a very slick and clean interface which allows you to easily select what type of content you would like to view. All in all, the user experience of Joost is definitely top notch and as good as it gets. Once you start playing a video, there isn't much lag as long as you have a respectable internet connection.

When it comes to the content that can be found on Joost however, there's good news and bad news. The good news is: there are TV shows from many major television networks hosted on Joost, this means that you'll find shows like CSI, Just for Laughs and tons of music videos. All this content is for free since the system is ad-supported, which is a good thing. The bad news? Most of the popular content is only available in certain countries, for example people in the USA get practically everything, including all the good stuff, while Asians usually get stuck with the boring stuff like Happy Tree Friends or the Onion News Network. Most of these videos can already be found for free around the internet in sites like YouTube or Dailymotion, thus it makes Joost pretty redundant. The only remotely popular show I could find on Joost (I live in Singapore) was Just for Laughs, and even then they're only short clips of the various pranks. Understandably, Joost has to do this to prevent copyright infringement, but it would be nice to have all the popular content as well.

If not for the limitations on what content one could view depending on the location, this program would undoubtedly receive a 5/5 rating. With cross-platform support, a clean user interface and lag-free streaming, one could hardly ask for more. However, the problem is that only people in the USA and several other areas will be able to enjoy all the benefits of Joost, while the rest of the world is left hanging with either boring content or stuff that can be easily found for free elsewhere on the internet.

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The etiquette in real life dating is familiar to you. Online dating too is not different from it; you have etiquette in it too. Just because you don't see the other person right in front of you this does not mean that you can take advantage of this. It is the good advantage that it's offering you but if you don't choose to misuse it then you can get a real good experience through online chatting.

Always be careful while on online date. It is advised to keep your communication details other than your id away from your date online. This has proved out to be very effective and do not entertain the person on date for a personal meeting in real. You could get a totally different person from whom you had been dating till then. Make sure that you do not take it very serious and personal the relation you are keeping your date online. This is quite unlike your real life date.

Use clean language and gestures while on your date online. Try not to interfere into others private matters more than required and try to discuss topics of mutual interests rather than investigating personal details. Try not to be demanding too much demanding as you never know when your date will just disappear from your list from your botheration. Using simple usernames or user identifications will not mislead people from you. Mysterious usernames will definitely make people doubt on you and you can't blame them for being mysterious to you too. Some online dating websites really doing good service for their members.

Do not show haste in meeting your love interest online at a short notice, take time to know about each other, and then try to get in touch with phone connections and make sure you do not use your personal number for this use. A public booth will be the best choice as it will help you keep your personal numbers to be tracked and found out about your real identity. Be aware of the fact that online dates will add too much of glamour and drama in their stories and be alert when you start feeling the same. People very much tend to lie in such circumstances and try to attain maximum pleasure in the chats. While on chat be alert of the lurkers that you may come across and make you quite embarrassed of what you had in your chat. Be a little cautious and always alert in whatever you do while dating online. There are a lot of hidden troubles and every step you take has to be well balanced to ensure you won't have to fall in-between into dangers.

edealsUK is a cashback shopping portal where you can save up to 40% on your online shopping and it also lists free online dating agencies with cash back discount for your membership.

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