Ludovic Fauvet is mad as hell—and he’s not taking it anymore. The VideoLAN developer is calling out companies that bundle adware and spyware with the open-source VLC media player, says ZDNet’s Ryan Naraine. These companies, Fauvet says, have been distributing tools that “trick” consumers into downloading malware. Fauvet has outed 25 companies that he says bundle “crapware” with the VLC media player. READ MORE
If you get a computer virus it’s your own fault–you shouldn’t have been fishing around on sketchy sites looking at porn or downloading pirated music, videos or software, right? Wrong. As ZDNet’s Ed Bott point out, even an innocent-looking ad on a legit site can cause a person problems. READ MORE
It wasn’t long after we started hearing about a Google Chrome extension that lets people extract Facebook contacts into services like Google+ that Facebook started blocking it. “Facebook is trying so hard to not allow you to export your friends. They started to remove emails of your friends from your profile by July 5th. (The extension) will no longer work for many people,” writes Mohamed Mansour, the extension developer, who says he will build and maintain a new version. READ MORE
IBM is looking to make cities a bit smarter techwise, while picking up a few bucks in the process. The company has developed the IBM Intelligent Operations Center for Smarter Cities, integrating its various applications in a single system. Basically, the system is a set of analysis tools that would help cities better assess and manage their resources and services. READ MORE
Would you pay $28 a month for a netbook-like device with cloud back-up, built-in security, always-up-to-date software and a free replacement every three years or as needed? Google is betting that you would. This deal (and $20/month for schools) is clearly intended to lure business customers to its newly announced Chromebooks and away from Microsoft, with its never-ending cycle of new Windows versions and security updates. READ MORE
If your company uses Windows, you’ve probably been irked more than once by the smugness with which Mac users brag that they don’t have to worry about viruses or other malware. Same goes for Linux users. Turns out they’re both wrong. The Danish security firm CSIS has discovered a new do-it-yourself malware kit targeted specifically at Mac OSX being sold quietly in underground forums under the name Weyland-Yutani BOT. READ MORE
ZDNet, which is loosely connected with PC Magazine, is offering a free report on how to protect your small business. You can download the report in the link below. Info about the report: “Protecting electronic information and communications against internal and external threats, data loss, downtime, or disaster is more than just important-it’s the foundation of your customer relationships, and the core of your business. Download this guide to review possible defenses against internal and external threats, with faster, more reliable recovery from disruption and disaster, to safeguard your customers, employees, and your business future.” Small Business Protection Guide [ZDNet]
Since April 2000, Inc. has enlisted entrepreneurs to rate Web sites in various categories for its Best of the Web feature. Gathered here are their top picks. Most of these Web sites were rated “A” sites. (In May 2001, the letter-grade system was dropped. Now judges are asked to pick their top site.)Because the Web is such a volatile business environment, it’s hard to keep up with all the sites — even top-rated ones — that have gone out of business. We’ve omitted ones that we know are defunct. If we steer you wrong, please let us know. Adventure Travel From rafting to African safaris, plan your next vacation.www.adventureseek.com www.altrec.com www.iExplore.com Art DealersBuying art for your office is easy.www.visualize.com BarteringBring in new business and hang onto your cash.www.bigvine.com (Now merged with AllBusiness.com) Corporate GiftsAn easy way to send a thank-you gift to an important client.www.redenvelope.com Office FurnitureFurnish your office from the ground up.www.officebydesign.com PDA SoftwareBuy software for your personal digital assistant.www.handango.com www.zdnet.com www.palm.com PrintingSelf-service printing Web sites help you create your own documents and customized products.www.printomat.com Road Warrior TravelHelp for the average small business traveler.www.office.com/travel/www.trip.com Skills TestingHR sites can test skills from programming to accounting before you decide to hire.www.webvaluate.comwww.reviewnet.netwww.brainbench.com Services for SoloistsInformation for the solo business owner.www.guru.com Tax HelpTax pointers without having to hire an accountant.www.bankrate.comwww.irs.ustreas.gov/bus_info/sm_bus Telecommunications ServicesBuy telephones, T1 lines and long-distance plans.www.telecomsmart.com Time TrackingLet these sites do the dirty work of tracking billable hours and invoicing,www.elite.com Virtual TrainersThese sites can help you plan physical activity and dieting.www.active.comwww.asimba.com
Best of the Web Our CEOs toured Web sites that sell software for personal digital assistants. What they found, what they liked, and what they found lacking When a CEO I know flies cross-country, he looks for bright lights on the ground. Not that he cares about the view. He wants to send and receive E-mail on a wireless Palm VII. With a foldout keyboard on the tray table, he types messages with a simple text editor until a populated area comes within range. Then he does quick uploads and downloads — literally on the fly. When his plane touches down, he can switch the use of his personal digital assistant (PDA) seamlessly from business to pleasure. During the taxicab ride from the airport, he often dials up Moviefone.com and punches in the zip code of his hotel. By the time he arrives at his destination, he knows which movies are playing where and how many minutes he has until show time. “It’s one of the little things I like the most,” says the CEO, who flew 90,000 miles last year alone and has owned five PDAs since he first bought a BOSS, a long-forgotten ancestor of today’s devices, in the late 1980s. “When I show up late in the evening, I don’t need to spend time looking for a movie. I already know what I want to see.” In some cases, when he has just enough time to drop his bags at the hotel before heading to the multiplex, the Palm makes a significant difference. Without it he would be unable to squeeze 100 minutes of entertainment into a 15-hour workday. Some CEOs buy their first PDA when their shoulders get sore. A few months ago, Sharon Middendorf grew tired of lugging a laptop computer wherever she went. The lead singer and songwriter for the New York CityÂbased rock band Motorbaby, Middendorf is also CEO of the eponymous Motorbaby.com. After some early successes, her band was signed to a major record label. But after the deal fell through, she decided to market and promote the group herself. She recently released a new CD, Rush, but her high-velocity core business is licensing her music for films such as Troma Entertainment’s Terror Firmer and television shows like Jack & Jill and Baywatch. “I have to have so much contact information with me all the time,” she says. “When I travel, even when I’m just walking around New York, I need my database.” So Middendorf bought a Handspring Visor and began the process of deciding what software she needed to run her life. It started with contact management, but other applications are migrating slowly from her calendar to her handheld. She still, however, makes appointments on paper. “I prefer to see things on the page and write them down,” she says. The next application? Probably an MP3 player — a module that Handspring conveniently offers as a Visor attachment. Middendorf is one of the nine CEOs who rated Web sites for downloading software for handhelds. The panel included more experienced users than beginners, but the real difference among our CEOs lay in their lifestyles. And that proved to be the crucial difference. It seems that who you are dictates what you download. Our executives visited the sites to report on the lay of the land as well as to download freeware and shareware. We chose six sites that are getting particularly good buzz. Two sister sites, CNET.com and ZDNet.com, are probably better known as news and information sites, but visitors can find a wide range of software and hardware accessories for all kinds of computers, including handhelds, on them. Palm.com, Palmgear.com, and Handango .com are more tightly focused on handheld applications, and each aspires to be a complete, one-stop shop. Tucows.com is all about downloads — for every type of computer, including handhelds. Speaking of downloads, it seems that the men and women of the corner office have indeed mastered them. During our panel’s testing of the following sites, not one reviewer found it necessary to call customer service. And few even had to turn to the Help or FAQ sections — in fact, the favorite response of panelists queried about the sites’ online-help function was “N/A.” But our CEOs did look especially closely at product quality, as well as site reliability, navigation, and all-around ease of ordering. Here’s what they found. Handango.com This was among the most popular sites with our CEOs, though some loved it for the same reasons that others found it superfluous. One exec felt it would be easier to bypass this middleman and go directly to the producer. Others praised the site for keeping up with the rapid changes in wireless products and services and for offering a broad selection of software. Some panelists complained that the site had uninspiring graphics and was slow to download. (One CEO even reported that his browser had crashed in the process.) But overall, most of our Handango visitors said they would go back. ZDNet.com A technology-news site as well as an E-commerce outlet, ZDNet got high marks for ambition and scope. Veteran users returned over and over to browse for software and read the extensive PDA “Tips and FAQs.” Most saw the site as a useful resource for beginners, but one naysayer considered ZDNet “crowded and busy” — he reported suffering from “information overload” during his visit. The CEOs said that ZDNet filled their orders reliably, although two thought that the checkout process was confusing. The site earned kudos as a research tool. The worst things that anyone could say about the site’s huge selection of freeware and shareware were that full versions of the programs weren’t available on the site and that leaving ZDNet to visit manufacturers’ sites was a bit of a hassle. Palm.com Palm won the trust of our panelists simply because it is the official site of manufacturer Palm Inc. Who would know the product better, our CEOs wondered, than the people who make it? “It seems to be PDA central: everything you ever wanted to know about your Palm,” one CEO raved. Sure, the panel found some faults. One reviewer who tried to take some items out of the shopping cart before checkout suffered through a few confusing moments. But overall, panelists liked the site’s clean layout and good prices. (It should be noted that part of Palm’s software section is powered by Palm Gear HQ, the force behind Palmgear.com, reviewed here as well.) CNET.com Like its sister ZDNet, CNET offers news as well as downloads — and the mix proved controversial here as well. “Clear, complete information on each application was the best value of this site,” one enthusiast remarked. Panelists judged CNET as a great place to compare prices, although some complained about the sheer volume of information. One called it a resource for the “information junkie,” even as another warned of overdose, saying it was just too hard to navigate between news and downloads. Still, even he said he would go back: instead of “Just say no,” the consensus seemed to be “Use responsibly.” Tucows.com This site was branded “cartoony” by one serious soul but praised as colorful by others. Although everyone liked the Palm OS selection, some panelists complained that the downloads weren’t available directly on the site. “Almost everything on the site is either shareware, freeware, or demos,” complained one reviewer who wanted to buy full programs without clicking over to manufacturers’ sites. But the most serious criticism concerned other extra clicks. One CEO complained about having to specify the download location that was closest to him geographically before being allowed to search for software; he said that if he hadn’t agreed to evaluate the site, Tucows would have lost his business immediately. When it came to rating ease of ordering, those extra steps cost the otherwise well-received site some points. Palmgear.com Unlike Palm, which received stronger written evaluations than grades, Palmgear was damned with faint praise. In the categories of selection, navigation, and especially value, our panelists gave the site very low marks. The effort required to slog through a confusing selection of products was the determining factor. “Lots of software in inventory, but it is difficult to find what you need,” one CEO said. Difficulties in determining the price and especially the memory requirements of applications immediately discouraged some visitors. Since most handhelds have only 8MB of memory, many users will no doubt want to know the file size of the software they’re interested in. The Bottom Line On the whole our panelists wanted to cut to the chase. When placing an order, they wanted to get in and get out. “I would like to see the information broken out by device,” one panelist said. “If you have a Palm VII, you should be able to search only for Palm VII software.” Like many users, he was concerned about file size and hoped that more concisely written software applications would be available soon. “I kept seeing a lot of applications that were memory hogs. Some of them were 4MB or larger,” he said. Our panel clearly saw CNET and ZDNet as the information leaders among the sites — not just for industry news but for price comparisons. Tucows and Palmgear made our panelists click through too many hoops when they ordered software, and Handango reportedly crashed a browser. If who you are determines what you download, then what you like in a Web site may determine where you download it from. Folks who like to window-shop will flock to sites like CNET and ZDNet that are crowded with information. Those seeking a more streamlined experience will like Palm for its broad selection of software and ease of navigation. Ron Feemster is a freelance writer based in New York City. The Savvy CEO’s Guide to PDA Software Comments Would CEOs go back? What is the site good for? CEOs’ quick take www.handango.com “Yes.” “Extensive software listings.” Varies from “very professional” to “out of business soon” (a comment on the quality of the site, not its financial health). www.zdnet.com “Yes, to browse.” “Product information, tips, and FAQs.” Judgments from “great for beginners” to “information overload.” www.palm.com “Yes, as needed.” “Ordering hardware, software, and accessories.” “Very fast and easy to navigate.” www.cnet.com “Yes, occasionally.” “Product price comparisons.” “Clear, complete information.” www.tucows.com “Maybe.” “Very fast downloads.” “If you want freeware, Tucows has it.” www.palmgear.com “Once in a while.” “Difficult to find things.” “Needs an overhaul on the user interface.” Grades Navigation Selection Ease of Use Reliability Value Average Grade www.handango.com A A- A A B+ A- www.zdnet.com B A A A A A- www.palm.com A+ A B A A+ A www.cnet.com A- B B A A- B+ www.tucows.com B- C C A- A- B www.palmgear.com B B B B B- B Our Panelists Doug Carlson, cofounder and president, Knowledge Strategies Seth Christian, CEO, HotelTools Robert Karpman, president and cofounder, Socket Media Tim Longnecker, principal and CEO, Dynamis Solutions Sharon Middendorf, CEO, Motorbaby.com Ron Reed, CEO, Fullscope Marcus Samuelsson, chef and co-owner, Aquavit Howard Sherman, CEO, Roundhouse Scott Snyder, CEO, OmniChoice Please e-mail your comments to editors@inc.com.
