Darren Straight's Blog

BitDefender, an award winning provider of innovative internet security solutions, has confirmed its latest range of powerful security software will be available in the UK from August 2010. The BitDefender 2011 range will offer comprehensive protection against the latest viruses, spyware, phishing and identity theft attacks and will comprise of Total Security, Internet Security and Antivirus Plus.

The new range offers a personalised experience and builds on the profiling concept in BitDefender 2010. BitDefender’s unique Adaptive Design user interface allows consumers to customise their dashboard to match their unique needs as well as create shortcuts to gaming or laptop modes, further optimising how BitDefender interacts with the system and network. Additionally, performance optimisation features help users keep their entire system safe without slowing down other applications and processes.

“Security isn’t simply a matter of locking everything out; it’s a series of carefully managed choices, balancing the needs of users with the realities of the digital world. Connectivity has taken the personal computer into new realms – online gaming, e-learning, collaborative workgroups – launching a new era of personal security,” said Vince Hwang, BitDefender Global Director, Product Management. 

“BitDefender 2011 products address this significant change in the security landscape by continuing to provide superior protection from online attacks, while offering major improvements to system performance and the ability for users to personalise their settings to best match their individual style and needs.”

BitDefender 2011 is designed to offer users a simplified experience and fit the differing needs and behaviour of the individual with lots of information to answer questions about online security. Total Security 2011 includes antivirus, firewall and network management tools, file encryption, online back-up and automatic hourly updates for a superior level of protection. Other BitDefender Total Security 2011 enhancements include: 

Protection

• Enhanced Detection – Every product in the BitDefender 2011 family provides multi-layered, proactive technologies to hunt down and eliminate the latest threats in seconds.
• Quick Scan – The inclusion of the Quick Scan feature means better detection and improved response time to the most frequent and riskiest activities on the computer.
• Search Advisor – The entire product line includes phishing warnings for search results and safety ratings for all websites that may contain spyware or inappropriate content.

Speed

• Smart Scan – Optimised scanning technology skips known safe files for faster scan speed and lower system load. It prevents slowdown by adjusting settings to match available memory.
• Enhanced Game and Laptop Modes – Special task modes ensure seamless and secure computing, prolong battery life, or reduce system load and interruptions by delaying requests during favourite activities.

Personalisation

• Adaptive Design – The new Adaptive Design user interface streamlines installation into push-button simplicity and allows users to choose Basic presets or move beyond to Intermediate or Expert settings.
• Dashboard Shortcuts – All BitDefender 2011 products enable users with specific needs – like parents and gamers – to create their own dashboard and shortcuts to frequently-used functions.
• Smart Tips – BitDefender now includes a series of personalised suggestions, warnings and safeguards that are relevant to the user’s recent activity.

All BitDefender products include a streamlined installation, smart user tips, a video library of tutorials to guide users through the product features and configuration, plus free 24-hour technical support. To access and test the host of new features available on Total Security 2011, download the Beta 3 at http://beta.bitdefender.com/.

Case-mate, maker of cell phone and Apple cases and accessories, has a new video series circulating on the web via YouTube.  Their first straight-to-web effort, these new clips range from eerie to “Dear, Me!” 

First up, Kung Fu Hustle meets Stanley Kubrick – to make a custom iPhone Case, you can make your own iPhone 3GS and soon for iPhone 4 case at www.imakemycase.com. I certainly do like some of the designs on there and the fact that you can actually design it yourself!

2010: A Case Odyssey

While next, one poor sap awakes to discover the plight of living with hands made from Steel Wool – and the damage that can be done to iPhone’s glass screen when making an emergency call.

Living With Steel Wool Hands (How I Lost My Nipple)

‘I dropped it from a hot air balloon’ and ‘my dog mistook it for his favourite toy and chewed it to bits’ are among the bizarre insurance claims made for lost and damaged iPhones over the last 12 months, it emerged yesterday.

Other unusual claims include ‘I lost it while skydiving’, ‘I dropped it in a blender’ and ‘It fell into the kettle’.

The weird and wonderful claims came to light in a study by gadget insurers www.protectyourbubble.com.

It also emerged one in five iPhone users have made an insurance claim during the past 12 months.

Most common claims include cracked screens, lost or stolen iPhones and iPhones dropped in the toilet or bath.

A spokesman for Protect your bubble said: “With so many people carrying an iPhone with them wherever they go, it’s no surprise that they are being lost or damaged in a host of unusual ways.”

“Most of us know someone who has managed to drop their iPhone in a pint of beer or down the toilet – but these bizarre claims we have uncovered must be one-offs.’’

The study also found 45 per cent of claims have been for accidental damage to iPhones.

One unlucky customer lost his iPhone after leaning over the side of a boat in Cyprus, to see it fall out of the rucksack and plop into the sea.

And one owner reckons he was happily sitting in the local pub, when a friend spilled his pint of beer all over his phone.

Another unlucky male drove sharply round a corner, to witness his beloved iPhone sliding across the dashboard and straight out of his open window.

Other iPhone insurance claims include losing the phone under the wheels of a bus after it flew out of a pocket, and a teenager being forced to hand over his phone to thugs after they threatened him with a machete.

And one coffee shop assistant was busy making an espresso for a customer, only to turn around and find he had walked off with his phone which was sitting on the side.

The spokesman for Protect your bubble added: “The amazing ways people manage to be separated from their iPhone goes to show that you never know what’s around the corner – and it pays to get your iPhone insured.’’

Other more usual claims include losing internet connection, screen freeze, pets knocking the phone off a work surface and the fact the phone doesn’t charge.

TOP 10 MOST BIZARRE IPHONE CLAIMS

1. I dropped it from a hot air balloon
2. I lost it while sky diving
3. It broke when my son used it as a table tennis racket
4. I lost it while building a sand castle for the kids
5. I accidentally buried it in the garden
6. It fell into the kettle
7. I dropped it in a food blender
8. My dog chewed it to pieces
9. Juice from a defrosting piece of meat leaked into it
10. It flew out of the car window

TOP 10 MOST COMMON IPHONE CLAIMS

1. Cracked screen
2. Stolen while texting
3. Couldn’t hear the other person when making a call
4. Leaving phone on the car roof so it falls off when driving
5. Pet knocked the phone off the surface
6. Stolen from handbag
7. Internet connection completely broken
8. iPhone doesn’t charge
9. Dropped in the bath / toilet
10. Screen freezes

Nintendo will kick off this year’s gamescom trade fair in Cologne on 18^th Augustwith a mixture of traditional classics and innovative games. Offering something for everyone, Nintendo’s booth at gamescom will be dedicated to games that will certainly cater for all tastes. From legendary franchises like Mario and Zelda to the exciting and innovative Wii Party, Nintendo offers a range of titles to get family and friends playing together all over the globe.

Charles Martinet – the voice of Nintendo’s plucky plumber, Mario, and many other Nintendo characters for more than 20 years, will be present at the show, where guests can play all of the Mario games that have ever appeared for Wii and Nintendo DS, including the latest cosmic funfest Super Mario Galaxy 2.  Visitors to the Nintendo stand will not only be able to get their hands on an exciting range of upcoming game titles – including The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Metroid: Other M, Donkey Kong Country™ Returns, Wii Party and many others – but popular TV celebrity Tim Feldner will be on hand to provide fun and excitement.

In fact, anyone planning on visiting the Nintendo booth in Cologne can look forward to an altogether engaging experience playing some of the most fun and exciting games in motion- and handheld gaming from both Nintendo and third-party publishers on Wii and Nintendo DS. Nintendo-published games available to experience on the showfloor include (release dates included):

• Art Academy: Learn Painting and Drawing Techniques with Step-by-Step Training (Nintendo DS) which launched on Nintendo DS on 6^th August will give you the opportunity to brush up your artistic talent this summer.  Your Nintendo DS Touch Screen will transform into your very own canvas, as you follow the step-by-step lessons. Art Academy offers lessons and art materials to get you started on your initial artistic journey, as well as containing more advanced art courses for more adventurous artists wanting to take their art to the next level.

• Metroid: Other M (Wii)is the incredible new Metroid game developed for Wii through collaboration by Nintendo and the world-renowned Team NINJA. Prepare yourself for a Metroid adventure like no other, as stunning action and a moving personal story come together in an unforgettable way across Europe on 3rd September 2010. Playing as Samus, players will seamlessly switch between third-person and first-person gameplay for the first time in a Metroid game. In another series’ first, Samus is getting more physical in Metroid: Other M, with a range of melee attacks up the sleeves of her Power Suit.

• More than 25 years after the launch of the first-ever Tetris® game, Tetris Party Deluxe (Wii & Nintendo DS) will be launched on 3rd September 2010across Europe for both Nintendo DS and Wii. This new version of Tetris Party will thrill both old-time Tetris fans and newcomers to the genre, as more than 20 modes, online battles and local multiplayer action have been squeezed into this fun-packed game.

• When Wii Party (Wii) launches across Europe on 8^th October 2010, there will be something for all generations. Pit your personalised Mii characters against each other in 13 different party game modes and more than 80 mini-games. For the first time, Nintendo is moving gaming out of the TV and straight into the room you’re in.  In House Party games – one of three modes in Wii Party – you’ll need to interact with one another in the real world to get the results you want in the game. Coupled with all that fun, also watch out for the many Party and Pair games which will keep your friends and family entertained for hours.

• Step into the latest adventure and enthralling mystery, as Professor Layton and his young apprentice Luke return in Professor Layton and the Lost Future (Nintendo DS) on 22^nd October 2010 for Nintendo DS. A brand new storyline and 165 new brain teasers, riddles and logic puzzles are all guaranteed to challenge and delight in the most epic and emotional instalment yet. Follow Professor Layton and his trusty apprentice Luke to seek out and solve puzzles in a future London to help save the city from a terrible fate! 

• Donkey Kong Country™ Returns (Wii)is a brand spanking new side-scrolling platformer from Retro Studios, featuring fully rendered 3D environments and launching across Europe later this year. Donkey Kong is back and this time Diddy Kong not only joins the quest, but for the first time the franchise features the availability for two people to play together at the same time – one as Donkey Kong and one as Diddy Kong. Players can navigate the levels separately or as one unit. Diddy Kong can ride on Donkey Kong’s back and hop off whenever he pleases, allowing novice players to ride on Donkey Kong’s back through more challenging areas of the game. 

• Golden Sun^™: Dark Dawn (Nintendo DS) is a classic role-playing game launching later this year which branches out with a new look, countless adventures and heroic battles. Golden Sun^™: Dark Dawn picks up 30 years after the first two games in the series left off, with amazing graphics and beautifully animated summoning abilities that span both Nintendo DS screens.

• Kirby’s Epic Yarn (Wii)caused much buzz and excitement at this year’s E3 Expo. Now you too can try out Kirby’s first console platform game since the Nintendo 64™ days. Step into Kirby’s world of cloth and textiles and enjoy the creative gameplay techniques which are woven directly into the game. In this one-of-a-kind platformer, explore high and low for hidden objects and fun adventure when it arrives in Europe in Q1 2011for Wii.

• Mario vs. Donkey Kong^™: Miniland Mayhem (Nintendo DS) which launches in Q1 2011 on Nintendo DS will see players draw red girders and control items with the Nintendo DS Stylus, and play games moving items such as pipes, springs and conveyor belts. The goal is to bring the Mini Toys to the door. Using an intuitive tool kit, players can create new level maps and share them with the public via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

• Worldwide anticipation continues to build ahead of the upcoming launch of The Legend of Zelda™: Skyward Sword (Wii) in Europe in 2011for Wii. For the first time, the precision of Link’s sword movements will be exactly replicated due to the required Wii MotionPlus accessory. Players can also enjoy the beautiful graphics which give you the feeling of walking straight into a painting. With a plethora of new gameplay mechanics, Link’s latest adventure has been given a refreshingly different feel from all the past titles in the series.

Social Media Revolution 2 is a refresh of the original video (Social Media Revolution 2009) with new and updated social media & mobile statistics that are hard to ignore. Based on the book Socialnomics by Erik Qualman.

Social Media Revolution: Is social media a fad? Or is it the biggest shift since the Industrial Revolution? This video details out social media facts and figures that are hard to ignore. This video is produced by the author of Socialnomics.

Social media has been growing massively in 2010 in the UK. This video was created by Simply Zesty who provide online PR and social media for brands and businesses in the United Kingdom. The research was done by The Oxford Research Agency (TORA) in the UK who are a partner of Simply Zesty.

Brits trust the internet more than friends and colleagues when it comes to handing over personal information, according to a study published today by data storage specialists NetApp.

The research, which polled 3000 adults, revealed that while the average adult freely divulges a string of personal details on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, most would not give friends or colleagues their PIN number.

Despite 86 per cent of adults saying they would never hand over their PIN to someone they know, one in twenty people have their home address visible on a social networking sites.

Similarly, whilst only five per cent of people would let their best mate have access to their PIN number, 50 per cent of respondents have their relationship status visible online. 28 per cent also have their partner’s name visible and 20 per cent have the name of their employer visible online.

Unbelievably nearly two thirds of people also have their date of birth on networking sites which is always a security question when telephoning banks or building societies.

Speaking on the findings Paul Wooding, Head of UK Public Sector for NetApp comments: “It’s ironic that so many people are cautious with friends and family when it comes to security details, yet include really personal data on social networking sites.”

“It’s really alarming that people have so much confidential information like a home address available on their Facebook profile. As soon as you update your profile saying you are off on holiday all your hundreds of friends and now potentially anyone searching on Google, will know your home is empty for the next few weeks.”

The poll also revealed that a blasé seven per cent of people said that the whole point of social networking sites was so people can keep track of you and know what you’re up to.

Although a quarter of people did admit that the amount of information they had freely available on the World Wide Web did sometimes worry them.

But when it comes to our nearest and dearest it’s a different story, with less than half of people trusting their partner with their PIN number for their main cash card.

But it’s not just our friends who we don’t trust – three quarters of people said they do not trust the government with their personal data and more than two thirds also said that they feel that the government acts like Big Brother, and knows far too much about them.

For more than half of Brits (52 per cent) the biggest bone of contention is the government having access to our medical details.

The next big issue for respondents was data records on salaries, which 20 per cent objected to being held by the powers that be. One in twenty British adults were also sensitive about the government holding information on the amount of benefits we receive.

These issues were reflected in the concern around the security of government data shown by the poll. 78 per cent of those polled advised that incidents of public sector workers losing laptops containing personal data on members of the public worried them, with medical information and then salary information being the items they are most worried about being leaked.

A spokesman for NetApp added: “The risks of the government data being leaked or lost is minimal to the risks of security lapses on social networking sites. People need to look after themselves and really think about the information they make visible.”

“Technology today means that organisations are well equipped to be able to store and manage data effectively. The fear is perhaps heightened because of high profile cases of data breaches but in reality many of us are sharing very personal and sometimes sensitive information with the whole world without giving it much thought.”

INFORMATION PEOPLE DIVULGE ON NETWORKING SITES
 
Full name: 92 per cent
Hometown: 62 per cent
Date of Birth: 59 per cent
Relationship status: 49 per cent
Secondary school: 40 per cent
Marital status: 33 per cent
University/College: 30 per cent
Partners name: 28 per cent
Employer: 20 per cent
Job title: 18 per cent
Parental status: 17 per cent
Primary school: 16 per cent
Children’s names: 9 per cent
Full address: 5 per cent

Although one in ten men (9 per cent) admits to working on holiday, the vast majority of Britons (92 per cent) believe that taking a laptop on vacation would not cause arguments with their partner or family. This is a chief finding of a nationwide survey unveiled today into Britons’ use of technology on holiday.

The online study of more than 2,200 members of the Great British public carried out by YouGov and Softwareload.co.uk, Deutsche Telekom’s online download portal for software applications, also found that whenever possible 13 per cent of Britons take their laptops on holiday with them. 16 per cent of men take their laptop away on holiday compared to just a tenth (10 per cent) of women. Just four per cent of women said they do a little work on holiday when they take their laptop with them on holiday. But technology hasn’t completely taken over; only five per cent of Britons say they would choose using recreational software on the laptop – such as educational software – while on holiday over reading a good book.

“While holiday is often a time to leave work behind and maybe even switch off the mobile, technology can enhance our holiday time with useful travel guides, language learning and translation apps available for laptops and mobiles,” said Dirk Lebzien, Head of Softwareload. “Our research shows that people are comfortable with their partner bringing their laptop computer on holiday with them, and thankfully few people are choosing work when on vacation.”

Softwareload’s study also found that a large number (39 per cent) of those surveyed are ‘embarrassed’ that they can’t speak the local language on holiday. Women (42 per cent) are slightly more likely than men (37 per cent) to feel embarrassed from just using English. 18-24 year-olds (43 per cent) and 25-34 year-olds (45 per cent) are more likely to feel embarrassed about not speaking the local language than any other group.

27 per cent of 18-24 year-olds said they would find translation software and offline maps stored on their mobile phone useful when on holiday, a higher percentage than any other group. Currently, although 31 per cent of UK holiday makers are aware that travel apps and dictionaries are available on mobile devices, only six per cent of Brits regularly use them, Softwareload found.

Beginner and expert animators alike can scoop a prestigious Raindance film award by producing a winning clip with free CGI software, Muvizu, which can be downloaded at http://www.muvizu.com/.

Muvizu is a free 3D animation application, integrated with an online collaborative community, that gives individuals or groups the power of the Unreal Engine 3 to create compelling videos in minutes, not months. You don’t need specialist kit or training, just a good idea.

The joint competition invites anyone to download Muvizu 3D and use it to create an animation of no more than one minute and thirty seconds.

Submissions close on 31 August 2010 and the winning films will be screened at the 18th Raindance Film Festival between 29 September and 10 October in London’s West End.

On top of worldwide recognition with Raindance, award-winning makers of high-end 3D systems Workstation Specialists are supplying the following prizes:

1. A high-end mobile graphics workstation: WSM – Power 15.6″ 3D Graphics Configuration with Intel® Core™ i7 720QM 1.60GHz 64Bit Quad-Core Processor;
2. A high-end graphics workstation: WS1600 High End 3D Graphics Configuration with Intel® Core™ i7 930 2.83GHz 64Bit Quad-Core Processor;
3.  A graphics workstation: WS1400 with Powerful 3D Graphics Configuration.

To enter:

Upload your video to YouTube through Muvizu in 720HD resolution (keeping the .set file) and set it to ‘Private’.

Start your film title with “Submission for Muvizu prize competition at Raindance Film Festival” then email the video’s url to raindance@muvizu.com together with your name and contact details.

Entrants must be 13 years or over to enter the competition individually, but a Muvizu gatekeeper account holder can submit an entry or entries on behalf of younger children.

Raindance Founder Elliot Grove said: “Raindance has always believed that filmmaking should be an experience which is accessible to anyone, and true to this, the wonderful people at Muvizu have created software which allows people to make animated videos without specialist hardware, software, or training.”

The Muvizu application, which includes all the assets and tools needed to create 3D movies, is available for free download from www.muvizu.com, a portal that enables users to collaborate on film, audio, and drama projects with easy-to-use tools and results you can view in real time. The philosophy behind Muvizu 3D is for content creators to put less energy into animating characters and more effort into directing them on-screen. The goal is to foster collaborative fillm-making by uniting people with contrasting skills through Muvizu’s virtual workspace and storyboarding capabilities.

The Muvizu website also offers new users tutorial videos to help get then started.