Digest of the digital lifestyle…
It seems that everything requires firmware updates these days. I just updated the firmware in my TV and DVD player. Mazda has been hounding me to bring my car in so they can update the firmware of my Satellite radio. If I don’t, I may lose station updates. Besides cars and home theaters, what different things in your life require upgrades??
Recently my copy of ZoneAlarm had problems when they released the latest uprade. I’ve used ZoneAlarm for years and its been much better than Norton. The error I’ve had on this latest version requires way too much hacking to get it working again. Meanwhile, I noticed that there was an “Install Kaspersky…” option on my Parallels menu. This actually installs a full version ($69 Value) of Kaspersky Suite onto your Windows VM. This is a great value. Some Mac users don’t realize that just because you can run windows on a mac, doesn’t mean it’s safe. It still needs to be protected from spyware, viruses, etc. I’ve been very happy so far with Kaspersky. It isn’t as intrusive as ZoneAlarm and adds some nice features as far as pop-up blocking.
So, if you’re in the market for a security suite for your PC, or if you are considering Paralles Vs. VMWare Fusion, don’t skip this major player.
Toshiba was (and may still be) running a promotion late last year wherein all new owners of a Toshiba HD-DVD player can mail in for 3 free HD-DVD’s. I sent in my UPC and rebate form right away. This was November. I called recently and they said sorry, the promotion was more popular than expected. OK, I guess I can understand that. I was told the discs would ship soon, and don’t worry you’re in the system, yadda yadda. Today I get a postcard in the mail with a new ship date and a proposition for me. If I don’t want to wait, I can cancel my order and get my UPC barcode back. Umm, anyone care to take them up on that offer? Do they even HAVE my exact UPC?? What would they even send me? I’m not going to find out, but thanks for caring Toshiba.
