Review of Parallels VM for the Mac February 26, 2009
Posted by jimintriglia in Apple Mac, Microsoft Windows, PC Security, Personal Computing.add a comment
Cameron Sturdevant of eWeek has written a review of Parallels VM software for the Apple Mac. I chose VMware for my MacBook Pro with no regrets; I’ve been running my Microsoft Windows XP applications flawlessly under SP3.
If you are a fan of Acronis True Image and Kapersky virus/firewall software, the Parellels software may be a better deal as compared to VMware. The license fee for both the Acronis and Kapersky software is included in the cost of the Parellels software.
I’ve used Acronis for many years and Kapersky Internet Security 2009 to protect all of my home and business PCs with excellent results.
Parental Controls for the Home Network December 28, 2008
Posted by jimintriglia in Home Networking, Internet/Web Services, Learning through Fun, PC Security, Personal Computing.add a comment
Santa brought my son a Wii to replace his aging Playstation game console. The latest generation of the Wii gaming console is designed to connect to the Internet to enable updates to the Wii console and allow multi-user play with gamers all over the world. The Wii also enables users to surf the Net right on their TV.
Having a gaming console that is Net-aware presents an all new dimension in the gaming and simulation experience. It also presents a challenge for parents respective of securing their home network and protecting their children from inappropriate Web content and applications.
To continue the level of parental controls that I had established on my son’s
laptop, I now needed a home network solution that would enable me to apply parental controls to Net-enabled gaming consoles like the Nintendo Wii and DS portable gaming platforms. Enter the iBoss Internet Parental Control router from Phantom Technologies.
The iBoss is a wireless G router designed to enable parents to assert parental control over their home Internet connection. The product manages both wired and wireless Internet access by personal computers, gaming consoles, anything that can connect to the Internet via the home network.
The iBoss won the 2008 iParenting Media Best Product Awards from family organizations and was received accolades in an online parental control forum. As Phantom Technologies was running a holiday special for the iBoss at $99.95 and offered a 30-day free trial, I decided to give it a go and placed my order.
From the reviews that I have read, the iBoss looks like a terrific solution. In addition to providing parental controls for the Wii, it will also provide an additional layer of protection for my sons laptop, which also has NetNanny parental control software installed.
December 26, 2008
Posted by jimintriglia in Internet/Web Services, PC Security.Tags: internet content filtering, network security, parental control
add a comment
Many high school teenagers likely received their first WiFi-enabled laptop computer for Christmas this holiday season. While enabling a teenager more latitude to work where they choose to work in the house (thanks to Wifi), how does a parent keep their kids safe while accessing the Internet?
I’ve successfully used NetNanny parental control software on my home PCs for several years now, with excellent results. NetNanny is fully configurable, allowing administrators to set Internet access and web content filtering at a fairly granular level.
NetNanny offers a free 14-day trial, runs on Microsoft Windows or Apple PCs, offers multiple PC licensing and was a PC Magazine Editors Choice for 2008/2009.
