by PC World staff
Just being you may be gift enough, but surely there are times when it isn't as easy as it looks. So show your appreciation during the gift-giving season by surprising yourself with one of these great presents. Remember, when you're buying for yourself, the thought isn't what counts!
Creative Zen X-Fi
The amazing Creative Zen X-Fi is an outstanding all-around digital music player, boasting many features that stand up nicely to the latest versions of Apple iPods. The X-Fi has great sound, superb headphones, an amazing feature set, expandable storage via an SD card slot, an easy-to-use interface that will please users who don't want to work with a touch screen, and--here's the kicker--the ability to stream and download music from your PC wirelessly. It looks great, too.
The masses may continue to think iPod first when they need a new MP3 player--but the X-Fi is an innovative, feature-packed player, and it's an absolute steal for the price.
Samsung PN50A760 HDTV
The Samsung PN50A760 HDTV combines cool multimedia capabilities and great image quality. In PC World lab tests, this Samsung plasma HDTV was the only model in its size category to earn a rating of Very Good for image quality.
At $2500, the Samsung PN50A760 is pricey. Still, you get what you pay for in image quality and extra features.
For more HDTV coverage, see "Top 46- and 47-Inch HDTVs" and "The Top 42-Inch HDTVs."
Apple iPhone 3G Smart Phone
Apple's iPhone 3G still stands in a class all its own. While this smart phone is not perfect, its lower entry price compared to the first model, 3G radio, GPS, and business-friendly security features broaden the iPhone's appeal--and cements Apple's position as a defining force in the cell phone industry. And the iPhone 3G is even relatively durable, as our video of iPhone stress tests proved.
In general, when it comes to mobile apps, Web access, and media playback, it slaughters all comers.
Sony Cybershot T700 Digital Camera
The fashionable Sony Cybershot DSC-T700 camera offers plenty of features--most of which are flat-out fun.
A trend-setter in cameras, Sony's main innovation with this good-looking touch-screen camera is its 4GB of on-board storage, as well as a few other features that may be irresistible despite the camera's $400 price tag.
The T700 also sports the highest-resolution LCD in its class. In fact, at 3.5 inches diagonally, it very nearly constitutes the entire back of the camera. Aside from the power and shutter buttons, the touch screen contains all of the camera's controls. The unit is slim and compact, too, measuring a little over a half-inch in depth and weighing a slightly heavy 5.6 ounces.
On the exterior, this camera looks cool. The T700 has a brushed-metal finish that
comes in several colors (red, pink, silver, and gray). Our test unit was gray, and out of the box its iridescence was mesmerizing: Tip it one way, it takes on a violet sheen; another direction, it becomes a slight pink or blue. It also has a neat sliding cover that's an attractive and functional design choice.
For more, see "Top 10 Point-and-Shoot Cameras."
HP Mini 1000 Netbook
The HP Mini 1000 Netbook is HP's second-generation foray into the netbook arena. This model has a couple of advantages over its predecessor, the HP 2133, which we reviewed back in early April.
Gone is the Via C-7M processor; gone, too, is the pipe dream that any current netbook could handle Windows Vista. The Mini 1000 that we received for testing runs Windows XP, and packs Intel's 1.6-GHz Atom processor, 1GB of RAM, and a 4200-rpm, 60GB PATA hard drive. With that configuration, it falls in with the rest of the current mini-notebook pack.
With the Mini 1000, HP does a good job keeping most of the things that worked on the 2133, while upping the performance and managing to cut prices in the process (well, not counting the beautiful, fashionista-oriented Vivienne Tam edition).
Thankfully still present in this model is the fantastic keyboard. The oversized, square keys look like they belong on a full-size laptop. In fact, the main QWERTY and number buttons are large enough to fit your entire finger. No need to carefully hunt-and-peck on this keyboard.
I found the audio impressive, and it matched my experiences with the earlier model. The ingenious top-mounted speaker also serves as a sturdy hinge for the device; this design saves space. And while I'm not one to say that you could use the Mini 1000 as some incredibly dorky boombox, it does get decent audio without turning into a crackly mess.
For more on netbooks, see our ranked "Top 5 Netbooks" chart.
Solio Battery Charger
If one of your new year's resolutions is to reduce your carbon footprint, try a solar-powered battery charger. With the Solio solar-powered charger, all you need is the sun to keep your gadgets' batteries filled to the brim. The Solio will charge all your devices, from phones and iPods, to digital cameras, to game players and GPS. Charging the Solio for an hour in the sun will provide about 25 minutes of phone talk time.
Linksys WRT610N Dual-N Band Wireless Router
The previous version of the Linksys WRT610N router was one of the first draft-802.11n Wi-Fi routers to support simultaneous 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz networks, making it a great choice for supporting both legacy Wi-Fi gear and future streaming media devices.
Linksys has updated that dual-band wireless-N unit with this model, the WRT610N. With USB drive sharing as a bonus, this router can support 2.4-GHz legacy devices and 5-GHz clients simultaneously.
In PC World tests, the previous generation Linksys outperformed five other routers that we tested at the same time in overall speed and range.
For more, see "The Truth About Superfast Draft-N."
HP TouchSmart All-in-One PC
HP nailed the design aesthetic with this 22-inch TouchSmart All-in-One: This model would look equally at home in your living room, bedroom, or office. It comes with five USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire port, gigabit ethernet, a slot-loading DVD player, an S-Video input, and 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth built in.
For even more elbow room, HP recently released a 25.5-inch model.
Paying the $1500 price buys you a system with classy design, the versatility to handle everyday tasks, and the ability to do some light multimedia lifting. It doesn't have enough oomph to serve as a gaming or graphics PC, but it pulls ahead of other recent all-in-ones with its ability to handle most productivity tasks easily.
For more desktop PC reviews, see "Top 10 Value PCs."
Garmin Nuvi 360 GPS Device
The compact Garmin Nuvi 360's accuracy, features, and battery life make it a great value.
You get first-rate maps and an intuitive interface (with features like 3D maps and pronunciation of street names).
The Nuvi's SiRF Star III GPS transceiver latches onto satellite signals quickly, and the routes the device suggested were timely and accurate. The device's smallish (3.5-inch diagonal) display can't fit in the amount of information shown on devices with 4.3-inch screens; it is easy to read even in bright sunlight, however, and the touch-screen controls make entering street addresses and changing settings quick and simple. The unit's Safe mode (off by default) prevents you from changing certain settings, to help you avoid getting distracted while driving. You can enter a code to prevent unauthorized use, too
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Monday, December 8, 2008
Eight easy steps to iPhone security
by Tom Yager
As someone who's been around the block a few times with mobile technology, I get a kick out of lengthy treatises on the practices one should follow to keep the information on your iPhone secure. They follow a commonsense pattern: Use a PIN, set the device to auto-lock after a minimal delay, set it to blank itself after a limited number of invalid unlock attempts, block access to the App Store, use Safari's security defaults, and use WPA2 security for Wi-Fi. This is helpful, but it isn't enough. Users of the iPhone, and mobile devices in general, deserve the big picture regarding the balance of security and convenience.
When you leave the store with your shiny new phone, you accept sole responsibility to protect your investment. It's not the manufacturer's or seller's job to keep your property safe. They've built in mechanisms that, if used as documented, will reasonably protect your phone and the information it contains. If the phone gets swiped, pillaged, or vandalized, it is either your fault or bad luck, and when bad luck plays a hand, it's likely that you contributed to the circumstances. Here are eight uncommon things you can do to steer the odds in your favor.
[ Follow these links for more on iPhone: " iPhone 3G enterprise scores are in," " Why iPhone won't yet rule the roost in the enterprise," " How to make the new iPhone work at work," and " Top 10 iPhone apps for the techie." ]
1. First and foremost, never, ever leave your iPhone unlocked. You've heard that, but you haven't heard how to make it painless: Practice. Whenever you'd ordinarily be bending paper clips or generally goofing off at work, sit in your chair and lock and unlock your phone over and over again until it's as natural as twiddling your thumbs. Practice with your nondominant hand. Practice with one hand concealing the other. Practice with your eyes closed. Practice with the display facing the floor. When entering your PIN becomes ingrained into muscle memory, you'll never be tempted to disable the lock to save time, and even sharp-eyed shoulder surfers can't watch you enter your PIN. As a bonus, you will never forget your PIN. Try it; it works.
2. Keep up with Apple firmware updates. Apple's well-publicized flaw that allowed access to the address book via the emergency call mechanism was repaired, but only if you applied the patch. Unfortunately, Apple requires the use of desktop tools for firmware updates: Users must run Apple Software Update on their Mac or PC to grab them from iTunes when they become available. I think that's poor design, especially when BlackBerry and Android demonstrate the ease with which OTA updates can be performed. In an enterprise setting where OTA firmware updates aren't possible, IT should send iPhone users a broadcast SMS alerting them that they
need to dock to iTunes to load an urgent fix. When running iTunes at a work desktop is forbidden by policy (as it should be), easy access to IT-controlled update stations should be arranged.
3. Put your iPhone on a leash. Keeping your phone with you provides the only impenetrable shield against theft or tampering. A comfortable, fashionable holster that suits your style makes it less likely that you'll nonchalantly toss your phone in your bag when you leave the house. Don't choose a jacket pocket, a backpack compartment, or any container from which you walk away. In the same vein, don't let anyone borrow your iPhone. Even your best friend could leave your iPhone, take out his curiosity on your device, or get hoodwinked by a malicious hacker. Treat your iPhone as you do your wallet.
4. Secure your iTunes host. Your PIN affords you little protection if someone gets hold of your computer. That's because your PC or Mac keeps a complete image of the flash memory in your iPhone. From this recovery image, a skilled hacker could read all of the data on the phone. It only takes a few seconds to move that firmware image from your disk to a thumb drive. And it takes little time or skill to replace that image with one that can reflash your iPhone's firmware with something nasty. The smartest way to go is to keep your iPhone backups on your own thumb drive. This makes automatic restores and updates slightly more challenging, but it's worth it.
5. Don't jailbreak your iPhone. The iPhone jailbreak process purposely disarms the mechanisms that Apple created to protect your data. With App Store, a trusted party tests and vouches for the software, and Apple can trigger an uninstall of an app if a risk is discovered later. The protections offered by open source projects --multiple contributors, readily viewable code, and a central location for comments and fixes -- don't exist in the jailbreak world. I'll grant that jailbreaking an iPod Touch or a retired iPhone can be good fun. Relying on a jailbroken iPhone as your primary mobile device is idiotic.
It's so quick and easy to jailbreak an iPhone that it takes a minimum of social engineering to trick a trusting user into bypassing Apple's built-in guard against modified firmware. It's a simple sell: By holding down one key while clicking Restore, you don't waste time waiting for new firmware to download from Apple. Don't fall for it. Always download firmware directly from Apple.
6. Hide sensitive data in plain sight. The iPhone has no device-wide data encryption. It does support encrypted databases, but the inconvenience of having to unlock the data every time you want to read it may limit your use of it. As an alternative, hide some of your most sensitive data in plain sight by scattering it across nonobvious places, like your iPod library and browser bookmarks. Embed what you really need to protect in nontext form, such as buried among lots of images or audio, to avoid discovery by string scanning of your desktop or firmware. As a bonus (or not, in some cases), using iPod files syncs your secrets across iPod, iTunes, MobileMe, and AppleTV.
7. Use FileVault on the Mac or EFS on Vista. On a Mac, create a separate user account with a strong password, apply FileVault protection (using System Preferences), and activate and manage your iPhone exclusively from that account. If you never leave that account logged in, you can reinforce other desktop protection methods or skip them entirely. On Windows Vista, consider using Encrypted File System (EFS) to encrypt the entire iTunes file tree. Neither of these methods protects data on your iPhone, but it does guard against insertion of doctored firmware or simple copying of data.
8. If you use the iPhone professionally, use Exchange Server for its back end. Exchange Server keeps backups of all messages and mail settings, and most important in my book, it supports remote device blanking. In fact, Exchange is the only way to blank a remote iPhone. One drawback of remote blanking from Exchange Server is that it takes several hours -- eight, by Apple's estimation. But because the mail client is always running, a remote blank can only be circumvented if the thief is smart enough to disable your Exchange account before you discover your iPhone is missing. That's something he can't do because, of course, you've PIN-locked your device. Make sure that you or your IT department knows how to blank your device, and don't be shy about triggering a remote blank even if you just suspect your device is missing. You can always recover your data if you find your device.
Several service providers offer hosted Exchange Servers for a small monthly fee. Call to make sure that the provider offers either Exchange Server 2003 with mobile extensions or Exchange Server 2007, and ask whether users are allowed access to Exchange Server's management console. Without management console access, you can't remotely blank your phone.
Apple designed the iPhone as a consumer device, so it's heavy on convenience and light on security. If you want protection, you have to accept some pain. Fortunately, it doesn't take a lot of time or tech savvy to keep what's in your iPhone for your eyes only. The oft-repeated recommendations alluded to in the beginning of this story are all worthwhile, but if you augment them creatively, you'll befuddle the bad guys with techniques they hadn't considered and that don't yield to automated cracks. Never overlook unorthodoxy as a means of protection
As someone who's been around the block a few times with mobile technology, I get a kick out of lengthy treatises on the practices one should follow to keep the information on your iPhone secure. They follow a commonsense pattern: Use a PIN, set the device to auto-lock after a minimal delay, set it to blank itself after a limited number of invalid unlock attempts, block access to the App Store, use Safari's security defaults, and use WPA2 security for Wi-Fi. This is helpful, but it isn't enough. Users of the iPhone, and mobile devices in general, deserve the big picture regarding the balance of security and convenience.
When you leave the store with your shiny new phone, you accept sole responsibility to protect your investment. It's not the manufacturer's or seller's job to keep your property safe. They've built in mechanisms that, if used as documented, will reasonably protect your phone and the information it contains. If the phone gets swiped, pillaged, or vandalized, it is either your fault or bad luck, and when bad luck plays a hand, it's likely that you contributed to the circumstances. Here are eight uncommon things you can do to steer the odds in your favor.
[ Follow these links for more on iPhone: " iPhone 3G enterprise scores are in," " Why iPhone won't yet rule the roost in the enterprise," " How to make the new iPhone work at work," and " Top 10 iPhone apps for the techie." ]
1. First and foremost, never, ever leave your iPhone unlocked. You've heard that, but you haven't heard how to make it painless: Practice. Whenever you'd ordinarily be bending paper clips or generally goofing off at work, sit in your chair and lock and unlock your phone over and over again until it's as natural as twiddling your thumbs. Practice with your nondominant hand. Practice with one hand concealing the other. Practice with your eyes closed. Practice with the display facing the floor. When entering your PIN becomes ingrained into muscle memory, you'll never be tempted to disable the lock to save time, and even sharp-eyed shoulder surfers can't watch you enter your PIN. As a bonus, you will never forget your PIN. Try it; it works.
2. Keep up with Apple firmware updates. Apple's well-publicized flaw that allowed access to the address book via the emergency call mechanism was repaired, but only if you applied the patch. Unfortunately, Apple requires the use of desktop tools for firmware updates: Users must run Apple Software Update on their Mac or PC to grab them from iTunes when they become available. I think that's poor design, especially when BlackBerry and Android demonstrate the ease with which OTA updates can be performed. In an enterprise setting where OTA firmware updates aren't possible, IT should send iPhone users a broadcast SMS alerting them that they
need to dock to iTunes to load an urgent fix. When running iTunes at a work desktop is forbidden by policy (as it should be), easy access to IT-controlled update stations should be arranged.
3. Put your iPhone on a leash. Keeping your phone with you provides the only impenetrable shield against theft or tampering. A comfortable, fashionable holster that suits your style makes it less likely that you'll nonchalantly toss your phone in your bag when you leave the house. Don't choose a jacket pocket, a backpack compartment, or any container from which you walk away. In the same vein, don't let anyone borrow your iPhone. Even your best friend could leave your iPhone, take out his curiosity on your device, or get hoodwinked by a malicious hacker. Treat your iPhone as you do your wallet.
4. Secure your iTunes host. Your PIN affords you little protection if someone gets hold of your computer. That's because your PC or Mac keeps a complete image of the flash memory in your iPhone. From this recovery image, a skilled hacker could read all of the data on the phone. It only takes a few seconds to move that firmware image from your disk to a thumb drive. And it takes little time or skill to replace that image with one that can reflash your iPhone's firmware with something nasty. The smartest way to go is to keep your iPhone backups on your own thumb drive. This makes automatic restores and updates slightly more challenging, but it's worth it.
5. Don't jailbreak your iPhone. The iPhone jailbreak process purposely disarms the mechanisms that Apple created to protect your data. With App Store, a trusted party tests and vouches for the software, and Apple can trigger an uninstall of an app if a risk is discovered later. The protections offered by open source projects --multiple contributors, readily viewable code, and a central location for comments and fixes -- don't exist in the jailbreak world. I'll grant that jailbreaking an iPod Touch or a retired iPhone can be good fun. Relying on a jailbroken iPhone as your primary mobile device is idiotic.
It's so quick and easy to jailbreak an iPhone that it takes a minimum of social engineering to trick a trusting user into bypassing Apple's built-in guard against modified firmware. It's a simple sell: By holding down one key while clicking Restore, you don't waste time waiting for new firmware to download from Apple. Don't fall for it. Always download firmware directly from Apple.
6. Hide sensitive data in plain sight. The iPhone has no device-wide data encryption. It does support encrypted databases, but the inconvenience of having to unlock the data every time you want to read it may limit your use of it. As an alternative, hide some of your most sensitive data in plain sight by scattering it across nonobvious places, like your iPod library and browser bookmarks. Embed what you really need to protect in nontext form, such as buried among lots of images or audio, to avoid discovery by string scanning of your desktop or firmware. As a bonus (or not, in some cases), using iPod files syncs your secrets across iPod, iTunes, MobileMe, and AppleTV.
7. Use FileVault on the Mac or EFS on Vista. On a Mac, create a separate user account with a strong password, apply FileVault protection (using System Preferences), and activate and manage your iPhone exclusively from that account. If you never leave that account logged in, you can reinforce other desktop protection methods or skip them entirely. On Windows Vista, consider using Encrypted File System (EFS) to encrypt the entire iTunes file tree. Neither of these methods protects data on your iPhone, but it does guard against insertion of doctored firmware or simple copying of data.
8. If you use the iPhone professionally, use Exchange Server for its back end. Exchange Server keeps backups of all messages and mail settings, and most important in my book, it supports remote device blanking. In fact, Exchange is the only way to blank a remote iPhone. One drawback of remote blanking from Exchange Server is that it takes several hours -- eight, by Apple's estimation. But because the mail client is always running, a remote blank can only be circumvented if the thief is smart enough to disable your Exchange account before you discover your iPhone is missing. That's something he can't do because, of course, you've PIN-locked your device. Make sure that you or your IT department knows how to blank your device, and don't be shy about triggering a remote blank even if you just suspect your device is missing. You can always recover your data if you find your device.
Several service providers offer hosted Exchange Servers for a small monthly fee. Call to make sure that the provider offers either Exchange Server 2003 with mobile extensions or Exchange Server 2007, and ask whether users are allowed access to Exchange Server's management console. Without management console access, you can't remotely blank your phone.
Apple designed the iPhone as a consumer device, so it's heavy on convenience and light on security. If you want protection, you have to accept some pain. Fortunately, it doesn't take a lot of time or tech savvy to keep what's in your iPhone for your eyes only. The oft-repeated recommendations alluded to in the beginning of this story are all worthwhile, but if you augment them creatively, you'll befuddle the bad guys with techniques they hadn't considered and that don't yield to automated cracks. Never overlook unorthodoxy as a means of protection
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