Windows: Do you feel you need more protection than your antivirus can offer? Download IObit Security 360 and you'll be able to protect your system in real time from spyware, Trojans, dialers, tracking cookies and other dangers. This free tool offers three scanning modes, includes a bunch of handy cleaning tools and is automatically updated over the Web.

Mac: If you're having trouble tracking invoices and bills, iBiz (now updated to version 4.1) is an easy to use time-billing and invoicing application that offers a host of integration options with your Mac. iBiz integrates with iCal and Address Book and most importantly for many people, offers tax support so that filling in those all important returns is slightly easier.

iPhone: Most of us will (thankfully) never get to launch a missile in real life. However, if you want to know what it feels like to press that red button then install Missiles on your iPhone. This fun free game sets you the challenge of seeing how far you can guide a missile. In order to get distance on your bombs you need to make them travel as fast as possible by repeatedly tapping the buttons.

Making programs that can't be uninstalled easily is a software crime in my book. It's bad enough when applications leave behind folders and files after you've dragged them to the Trash (I recommend free AppCleaner helping prevent this) but those that actually leave behind memory sapping and CPU guzzling processes are simply bang out of order.

Which is why if you've ever installed McAfee VirusScan (formerly known as McAfee Virex) on a Mac, you'll need more than the Trashcan to get rid of it. For ages, I had been mystified by a couple of processes running on my system labeled "VShieldCheck" that were sometimes hogging up to 30% of my CPU. A few Google searches later and I realized that these processes were associated with McAfee VirusScan for Mac which I'd tested and uninstalled over six months ago!

The solution I found is to use an uninstaller which comes bundled with the original download. However, I'd obviously deleted the original download a long time ago so my only option was to download McAfee VirusScan, install the darn thing again, and then use the removal tool to get rid of it once and for all. However, even more frustrating, to download it again, I needed to sign-up for a McAfee account!

To save you going through the same ridiculous process I had to, you now download the official McAfee VirusScan uninstaller on Softonic. No sign-ups or wild goose chases needed. Make sure that McAfee Virus Scan is definitely installed on your Mac (if not re-install it) and then run the installer.

It opens a dialog in Terminal where you have to enter your password. After that, removal takes just a couple of seconds and you're left with no nasty process remnants.

Incidentally, since removing the VShieldCheck processes associated with this program, my Mac has been running as quiet as a mouse. Especially when using Parallels, the cooling fans would scream like a jumbo jet taking-off and it's my guess that these virus scanning processes were going into overdrive and putting too much load on the RAM and CPU.

Thanks for nothing McAfee!

All Windows users, at some point of their lives, have experienced a BSOD. The first time you see one it's kind of terrifying, but as you get used to the system's up and downs you realize it's not that terrible. In fact, the worst thing about blue screens of death is actually understanding what they mean and using that information – on Google, mainly – to find a solution.

Here's when BlueScreenView comes in handy. This little standalone app recovers the dump file generated by any BSOD you've had lately and displays it again, so that you can take a deeper look at the displayed message, look it up on Google and hopefully find out what's wrong with your computer. BlueScreenView can display the blue screen as it appears, or simply as a list of failed drivers, which is probably easier to manage.

Oh, and in case you're wondering how I tested this program: no, I didn't wait for the BSOD to happen. I managed to provoke it myself with a quick Registry hack. So if you ever want to have a blue screen on demand (I wonder why, but hey, that's your business) this is what you have to do:

1. Open the Registry editor (Start menu > Run > regedit.exe) 2. Browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\i8042prt\Parameters 3. Now go to Edit > New > DWORD Value and name this new value 'CrashOnCtrlScroll' 4. Double click the newly created value and enter '1' in the Value Data field. Click OK. 5. Close the Registry editor and restart Windows 6. When the system has restarted, press and hold the Ctrl key on the right side of your keyboard and then press the ScrollLock key twice. Tada! Your BSOD is ready.

Note: As fas as I know, this Registry hack works only on Windowx XP.

There are an increasing number of online synchronization, sharing and backup solutions appearing on the market. This is mainly due to our increasingly mobile access-data-on-demand-anywhere lifestyles, with iPhones and Web 2.0 apps being a particularly big driver. One of the latest efforts at satisfying these needs is NomaDesk which has been around for Windows for some time now but has just been released for Mac. I took a look at it to see what it can offer.

NomaDesk bills itself as "The easiest and most secure way to share, synchronize and backup critical files; wherever you are, even off-line." Such a service does come at a price however - usually $15 per month for teams and $50 a year for individuals although if your data is important, it's a relatively small price worth paying. Fortunately you can have a free 30 day trial of NomaDesk before parting with any cash.

NomaDesk is available in two separate versions — a “Team Fileserver” for people who want to share and collaborate on documents, and a “Personal Fileserver” for those who use different computers but want to make sure information is synchronized.

Naturally, all files stored on NomaDesk’s servers are encrypted and password protected. Getting them there is also made as easy as possible. For example, you can e-mail them directly to the server and allowing others to access them is as easy as sending a link. In case the worst happens, there's a handy “Theftguard,” which enables you to remove data from your hard drive in a flash if your computer gets stolen. NomaDesk can remotely remove data at your request but the information is still securely saved on NomaDesk’s fileservers. The program also uses a “Delta-sync” feature which synchronizes only those parts of a file which have changed, saving you time and bandwidth. Meanwhile, if you've got an iPhone, you can access and modify your files extremely easily via a NomaDesk dashboard widget.

There are some major drawbacks I found to NomaDesk however. One is the lengthy setup process which requires a complete restart after installation and is really annoying if you've got lots of applications open. You also have to send a confirmation e-mail after the restart which all adds time onto the account setup process. Worse than this however are the frequent hang-ups and crashes when NomaDesk logs-in. Twice it hung my entire system forcing me to make a complete restart leaving me less than impressed.

However, these problems can probably be attributed to the fact that NomaDesk for Mac is still in Beta stage. When it is working properly, NomaDesk is extremely simple and easy to use. The cost of using NomaDesk may put off some but if your data is valuable, it could be a price worth paying once it's more stable.

As I mentioned in my recent post about stopping spam, we've decided to do a little test here at OnSoftware. Earlier today, I set up five new email accounts with leading webmail providers - Gmail, Hotmail, Hushmail, AOL and Yahoo. Now we're going to do something crazy, something that you folks should definitely not try at home - leaving them on the blog for all the world to see! We'll also use the addresses to apply to a not very reputable-looking Internet competition. I'll let you know if we win anything.

In a month or so, I'll go back to each account to see just how well each has done at keeping out the spam. Will it be my personal favorite, Gmail, or an old reliable like AOL? What about the underdog, Hushmail? All will be revealed...

softonictest@live.com softonicsptest@gmail.com softonictest@hushmail.com onsoftwaretest@aol.com softonicentest@yahoo.com

Ahh, spam. As old as the Internet itself and probably everybody's least favorite way to start the day. Although many modern email providers are good at weeding out the rubbish, it is still annoying when a wily email slips in, offering you cut-price Viagra or a mail-order bride. A recent article from PC Advisor reports that 1 in 6 people have actually responded to a spam email, a really worrying thought. Since a significant number of emailers out there still seem to be making rookie mistakes, we thought it was time for a quick reminder of the basic ways of keeping your account safe from spam. Read on...

The best tips are the simplest. First and foremost, protect your address. Remember how Gollum felt about the ring? Well, you should feel the same way about your email address. Don't give it out easily, and make sure friends and family know it's not for passing around. If you aren't sure that a person will treat your email address with the love and care it deserves - don't give it to them!

But, I hear you cry, what if we have to give out our email addresses, like when we are signing up for programs and websites? Well, that's why I recommend creating a dummy account and using it when you need an email address for anything that doesn't involve close (and therefore trustworthy) friends and family. You'll probably only use this account from time to time, so if any spam does build up in it, at least you won't have to look at it every day.

Even the most vigilant emailers, however, will occasionally find themselves with some spam, ranging from the obscene to the ridiculous. If you do find some, make sure to actually report it as spam, because it is only by learning from its mistakes that your service provider can improve in the future.

Windows: Chains is a great little 5-level demo which will keep you stuck to your screen until you've beaten it. Using a mix of classic chain-building-to-clear gameplay with a fashionable real physics element, it's superbly compelling. Mixed with cool, minimal graphics and hypnotic music - if you're short of free time, don't download it!

Mac: TimeMachine is usually the backup utility of choice for most Mac users but it doesn't always cater to the needs of those that need something a bit more flexible. Get Backup attempts to plug this gap as a tool that's suitable for both beginners and those with more professional backup needs. Everything from customized backups to automated backups is possible with Get Backup and it even allows you to compress them too.

Symbian: If you want to get the most out of your life then it's important to keep your brain in good shape. There are lots of ways you can do this - including installing Smart Educational Games on your phone. Smart Educational Games consists of a series of four mini games that test different types of knowledge, including math, memory, logic and geography.

Fed up of waiting for the Windows Mobile Marketplace to open its doors? Then use this time to check out the best of the existing apps for Pocket PC and Smartphone devices. Microsoft's new mobile app store will launch with 600 applications but we shouldn't forget that there's already a ton available to download now that will power up your mobile experience. Here are 20 that I strongly recommend you to take a look at.

fring -Ultra-handy way to chat over IM or Skype while you're sat on the bus

Nimbuzz - Another stellar instant messaging and VoIP app for Windows Mobile

Spb Mobile Shell - treat yourself to a much cooler and more powerful front-enda

Opera Mobile - Quite simply, the best way to browse the Web on a mobile phone

Google Maps - Who needs an expensive sat-nav system when you've got good old Google?

Kaspersky Mobile Security - Probably the most complete security tool for Windows Mobile

TCMP - Media player with enough guts to handle a massive range of formats

Skype for Pocket PC - Save yourself a heck of a lot of money on phone calls

vTap - Turn on the tap to a deluge of online videos

Facebook for Windows Mobile - Never lose touch with your friends. Ever

Mac: As the popularity of the Mac platform increases, so too does the risk of malicious attacks. Doorstop X offers a reliable solution, providing an extra layer of protection for your Mac. The firewall has been specifically designed with Leopard users in mind, and features an easy-to-use interface, which displays security information and settings in a series of window panes.

iPhone: TweetDeck is one of the most popular desktop Twitter clients out there - and at long last an iPhone version of the app has arrived. It hasn't half bad either. TweetDeck for iPhone displays everything that's going on on Twitter in a highly organized way. As with the PC and Mac versions, TweetDeck for iPhone uses a system of columns to make it easy for you to track who's doing what.

Windows: Singing along to your favorite bands is fun, provided you know the lyrics. And if you don't, let LyricsFetcher do the hard work for you. This app scans your music library in iTunes or Windows Media Player, finds the lyrics to all your songs in the blink of an eye, and pastes the information directly into the files's ID tags.

If you've never performed a backup of your hard drive, then you're risking potential disaster if it fails or that "on" switch simply doesn't work one day for some reason. We all come-up with poor excuses for not doing so - our external drive is full, we don't have time, we simply forgot etc. but CrashPlan is an application that definitely leaves no room for excuses. These are some of the ways you can backup with CrashPlan:

• Online Encrypted and unlimited size hard drive backups online for a modest fee
• PC/Mac Backup your hard drive to another PC or Mac and vice versa
• External Drive Backups performed in real time to USB and Firewire drives
• Friends You can even select a friend over the net to backup your files to

Best of all, not only does it work across platforms and is free but using CrashPlan couldn't be simpler.  I setup CrashPlan on a Mac and within a minute, a backup of my entire hard drive was being performed to my USB drive. Note that the program is only free for personal use (they've got a special CrashPlan Pro for companies) although it is supported by a few ads.

One of the worst nightmares I've had lately is about my precious Android-powered phone being stolen. It would be a complete disaster, no only because of the money value, but also because of all my personal information stored in that small device. So I started looking for a way to protect my HTC Magic in case it got stolen, and finally found this application in the Android Market: SimChecker.

With SimChecker you can configure your phone to send the coordinates for its current location, both by GPS and WiFi network positioning, as soon as the device detects a new, unknown SIM card. The coordinates can be sent either by text message to another phone number, or by e-mail to a predefined address. You can also check both options to be on the safe side.

In this way, as soon as somebody else tries to use your phone with a different SIM card, you'll get an immediate report about its location. What's more, if you enable text message alerts, you'll also get the actual phone number that SIM card is linked to, which may help you trace the phone back to the person who has it now. Another feature I'd like to see would be the possibility to automatically erase all your personal data from the phone in case it's stolen, but SimChecker doesn't include it - yet.

In any case, remember that the best way to keep your phone safe is taking proper care of it: don't leave it lying around, always use a blocking code and jot down the IMEI code in case you need to block it.

Windows: After a few months in alpha stage, Opera 10 has finally reached the beta milestone in its development. The new Opera 10 Beta web browser has a 40% faster engine and flawless support for Web standards, as well as a customizable speed dial, inline spell-check, automated crash reporting, and the so called Opera Turbo for fast browsing on slow connections.

Mac: If you don't trust Keychain on the Mac, then take a look at the newly updated 1Password. This tiny but powerful application allows you to store and manage multiple identities and passwords for use in all sorts of programs, websites or browsers. 1Password works with most major browsers and includes an extension to quickly access your credentials while you're surfing the net.

iPhone: Personally, whenever I go to a theme park I'm usually the one who volunteers to stay at the bottom and look after the bags. I did manage to pluck up the courage to install Rollercoaster Rush on my iPhone though. The aim of the game is to get your carriage from the start of the track to the finish without derailing it. Your only means of doing this is by tapping the right side of the iPhone to accelerate and the left side to brake.

BlackBerry: Did you know that BlackBerrys can help you lose weight? Or at least they can if you install Health & Diet Manager on them. This app allows you to take control of your nutrition and overall health, to help you lose weight and give you more energy. Health & Diet Manager helps you manage all kinds of aspects of your daily life, from tracking your health related stats (pulse, blood pressure, hours slept, etc.), to creating an action plan for your eating and exercise.

Mac: Nowadays, having a Mac doesn't mean you have to do without Windows. In fact, you can use both at the same time if you run one in a virtual environment like VirtualBox (now updated to version 2.2.4). With VirtualBox, you can install any version of Windows (as long as you have the boot disk), Linux, Solaris and just about any other operating system you can think of. Best of all, it's absolutely free to use!

Windows: Whenever you use any application on your computer, you leave certain traces on the system that not only compromise your privacy but also take up valuable disk space. With Wipe you can easily get rid of those usage traces, deleting history items, auto-complete entries and recent document lists in just two clicks.

Hulu looks set for UK launch in September [Daily Telegraph]

Rockstar co-founders form 4mm Games [gamesindustry.biz]

Universal and Warner sue internet TV station Zattoo [Last100]

Beautiful 'Rosie' Android UI video surfaces [AndroidGuys]

Mac OS X Java security hole exposed [TUAW]

Symbian boss talks up Symbian for netbooks (yeah...) [Engadget]

Rise of the zombie computer [BBC]

Firefox could be destroyer of Facebook [ReadWriteWeb]

Apple 'definitely not' buying Twitter [Guardian]

EA posts bad numbers for 2008 - buyout possible? [Mercury News]

Poll: Still use RSS? [PollDaddy]

Zooity - social network like it's 1987 [Zooity]

5% of Americans use Twitter [Digital Influence]