It appears that with each day that passes by, our computers are exposed to more and more viruses, which subsequently make our systems break. The problem is, there is only a small amount we can do to cover our computers in such a case, except for installing the best antivirus software possible. The importance of this software is extremely significant, as without it, our computers will get broken and eventually stop working all together.

One thing that needs to be mentioned about antivirus software is this, no piece of software is the same as the last, so it is important to understand the features available in comparison to what is required. Whilst antivirus software was originally produced to protect computers from contamination, it is a harsh reality that a lot of the lesser quality pieces, offer little coverage and can some times even increase the issues computer users face.

So realistically, computer users should be looking for the superior quality piece of software that they can source. Of course, this is a lot easier said than done, as a quick search brings up plenty hundreds of different pieces of software.

Leaving computers exposed to viruses is a big no. Viruses can literally tear a computer apart and in the process, all important documents and files can be collected by the virus and distributed elsewhere. It is a big surprise how many people decide it is fine to leave their computers exposed.

These are not the only reasons why computer owners should fear computer viruses though. The majority of computer users have important information or files that have a great significance and even more importance. Leaving a computer in a state where it could quite easily lead to these files being exposed online or in the worse case lead to them being deleted.

Not all users are totally clued up when it comes to their system. All antivirus software does is creates a wall around important and sensitive information. By doing so, it obstructs the path of viruses so that they can not obtain this information, or completely wreck it. Remember, weak barriers will lead to the information and files being accessed and in some cases deleted which is why antivirus software is so important.

The great thing about antivirus software these days is it smoothly works with a computer system. It can highlight any viruses or threats quickly and can find a suitable solution to get rid of the problem. This means the damage is reduced.

Whilst antivirus software will locate a virus before it has chance to do anything serious, sometimes it can have already started its work. In this case, files may be damaged slightly and the software will take precautions to repair the files if this is a viable option. Of course, without this software, the user would most likely lose the files all together.

Jake Dean writes articles on various topics and subjects including antivirus software along with other information on free antivirus software downloads.

For busy offices that need to be able to print and fax, a multi-purpose machine is a great choice. The Okidata C5550N Printer performs many tasks very admirably. No one can complain about office equipment that will save them both time and money. All you need is the OkiFax 5680 I-Fax cartridge.

With the great fax options, you can send to a single recipient or many at once. You can send to phone numbers, emails address or even both at the same time. This means this machine has full Internet faxing capabilities. Retrieving a fax is not a problem as long as you have email access. No more worries, if you forgot to print something.

To make things even faster and easier, this OkiFax has an email key. Entering email address is a speedy process. To save even more time, you can make use of the 40 one-touch or 150 speed-dial settings. It also allows you to save up to 20 groups or manually dial up to 50 numbers. You can send that fax to everyone you need to, all at once. The OkiFax Series printer toner cartridge is great too.

Not only will this all-in-one machine save you time, it can also save you money. A super fast 33.6 kilobyte per second modem transmits each page in about 3 seconds. This helps cut down on the charges for toll calls. There is, of course, no dialing necessary if you are sending to email addresses.

No more sorting piles of papers to find that certain fax you sent, last week. You can digitally archive them in both TIFF and PDF file formats. The DPI of 600 ensures that all pages are clear and readable. It also transmits 8 pages per minute. It is one fast, quality piece of machinery.

With internal memory that lets you scan and store 200 pages at once, jobs are much easier. You do not even have to worry about power failure. You will not lose a thing thanks to a back-up battery that lasts for 20 hours. If you need to be able to store even more pages, just purchase the optional additional memory.

It comes with a standard 250-sheet tray and addition 30-sheet ADF tray. If you need to do larger jobs, you can also purchase an additional 500-sheet tray. Whatever size the job is that you need to print or fax, this printer is ready to perform.

With all of these capabilities, it is really no surprise that it can also function as a copier. You can use it to make up to 99 copies at a time. Unlike similar products, this one scans in a mere 2. 85 seconds. So, you will not have to stand there waiting a long time for your first printout or fax.

Would you rather send that fax as normal letter size, but it is on longer legal sized paper? Not a problem. This machine can automatically convert it for you. It also switches trays, without your having to tell it to do so. The mailbox feature allows you to create 16 of them. You can also protect them all with passwords. This means sending private information can be done safely and securely.  The Okidata OkiFax 5680 I-Fax printer toner cartridge will live up to all of your expectations.

By Chris Scott Barr

There was a time not all that long ago where Mad Catz was a brand associated with cheap gaming accessories that no one really cared all that much about. After the acquisition of Saitek, the company really turned things around. I had the pleasure of checking out their latest line of products, each one a quality piece of hardware. In fact, the first one I’m going to show you isn’t even related to gaming.

We’ve seen a number of solutions for controlling your living room PC and Mad Catz has their own. Under the Eclipse brand, the new litetouch keyboard is a sleek peripheral that wouldn’t look bad at all sitting on your coffee table. It’s a little smaller than your average desktop keyboard, thanks to the F-keys being dropped down and the arrow keys (and a few others) being brought in to the left of where they’d normally sit. If it’s going to be sitting out, smaller is generally better.

Where you’d normally find the number pad is instead a small LCD screen. When turned on, you’ll see one of three different sets of virtual buttons displayed on the screen. You have ‘number pad mode,’ ‘media mode’ and ‘MyEclipse mode.’ The number pad is pretty self-explanatory, as is the media mode. The MyEclipse mode has 12 keys with pre-defined icons which can be programmed to open an application, or up to three individual websites. There are also an extra 5 keys that can be programmed to do virtually anything else.

Also found on the litetouch keyboard is a trackball and left/right mouse buttons. After all, what good would a living room keyboard be without the ability to control your mouse pointer? The litetouch keyboard will be available this Spring in both wired and wireless varieties. Look for them at $99 and $129 respectively.

[ Eclipse ]

Ever wanted to hear your dulcet tones on the Internet but didn’t know where to start? Read our handy guide to recording, editing and hosting your podcast and you’ll be there in no time. We can’t guarantee you’ll be popular, but at least you won’t stay silent.

1. Get the right hardware

It’s fairly obvious that if you want to record yourself speaking you’ll need some way of getting audio on to your computer. There are plenty of ways of doing this, but you’ll want to get the best quality piece of kit you can afford if you want to sound good and minimise the amount of tidying up you’ll have to do later. Podcast Pick: My absolute favourite mic for podcasting (and indeed many other uses) is the Blue Microphones Snowball USB mic. At around £85 it’s not the cheapest option but it’s used by professional broadcasters and podcasters alike. Simply plug it in to a spare USB port and you’ve got a quality audio recording device for vocals, instruments and ambient sounds…