Core Data Recovery

Archive for the ‘Product Reviews’ Category

I’m running a real world test using linux to give you guys some numbers.

I’m doing a sector for sector copy of a 1 Terabyte SATA II western digital drive to another 1 Terabyte SATA II Western digital thru usb.

I’ll post the results on my blog.

For the record I’m using a quad core Intel chip, Biostar board, Thermaltake USB docks (2 of them)

Right now it looks like drive to drive copy using:
ddrescue -n /dev/sdb /dev/sdc

it looks like it’s going to take about 16 hours of transfer time (estimated at this point) to copy between the drives.

I’m going to try 2 different platforms and drives and give you guys some real world numbers here.

I use SATA II External Thermaltake drives for data transfer of striped array members for their ease of use and hook them up with ESATA as a rule.

It will be interesting to see the performance difference for the copy, of course copying from drive to drive amplifies difference in speed.

(My blog is at http://www.coredatarecovery.com)

Drop.io is a service, They free drops of up to 100 Megabytes. Bigger drops cost a little but work well.

Their service is secure and encrypted and the drop is password protected as well.

You can specify the drop to last 3 days and then it dissapears.

Perfect solution if you need to transfer critical files to your customer.

Bit Defender is my anti-virus of choice. I Highly recommend this product and have for over 3 years.

Tested against my virus collection this one scored a 100%.

This product uses the least processing power to perform it’s tasks than any of the other products I reviewed.

I have this product installed on 4 computers personally.

I found this software easy to install and use. The interface was clean and worked well.
Tested against my array of viruses, It scored a 99% Effective rating and used less overhead than Norton 360.

Key Technologies

* Protects from viruses, Trojans, worms, spyware, adware
* Scans files, email, and internet traffic
* Protects Instant Messengers
* Protects From Unknown Threats
* Analyzes and closes Internet Explorer vulnerabilities
* Disables links to malware sites / phishing sites
* Global Threat Monitoring (Kaspersky Security Network)
* Blocks all types of keyloggers
* Automatic Database Updates
* Free Technical Support

If you would like to purchase this software and save money, here’s a link.

Save 33% when you purchase 3 year single and multi-user licenses of Kaspersky Internet Security 9.0.

I reviewed the original Myvu about a year ago, and while it was a fun gadget, it had some limitations. The new Myvu Crystal solves the first one by displaying in 640×480 pixels instead of 320×240. Huge difference, and for me, the difference between preferring to just watch on the iPod screen and using the Myvu. The glasses themselves are also less nerdy looking as well. And, while the improved resolution makes me want to use video eyewear a lot more than before, its real value shines when paired with video games. Not only is it more realistic to simulate actual body movements (think any of the golf games, for example), the Wii is just made for something like this in the first place. Racing and flight simulator games are at their best here.

This may be of interest to you if you are interested in an encrypted VPN solution for your remote workers to share files between them. I have tried this out on 3 computers and it seems to work well. I was impressed with how simple to setup this product. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Press release:

GIGATRIBE LAUNCHES WEB 2.0 FILE SHARING SERVICE

IN THE U.S.

SHARE LARGE FILES: VIDEOS, PHOTOS, MUSIC, & MORE

TOTALLY PRIVATE & ENCRYPTED — FREE!

GigaTribe’s 900,000 Members Share Files for FREE with UNLIMITED FILE SIZES & USERS

through the Internet in an EASY-TO-USE Peer to Peer Environment

November 17, 2008, Suresnes, France –GigaTribe www.gigatribe.com, the revolutionary free Web 2.0 file sharing software community launched today GigaTribe in the U.S. market. A FREE software community, GigaTribe lets you easily share entire file folders of photos, videos, music, and other files with your “tribe” of friends, family, and coworkers quickly and securely in a private, completely encrypted peer to peer (P2P) environment. GigaTribe will be introduced in the U.S. for the first time at the Euro Tech Showcase, held November 18-19, 2008 in Redwood City, CA.

Sharing large files or sensitive documents with friends, clients, and coworkers shouldn’t be as hard or as expensive as it is with other services, that can charge up to thousands of dollars a year. GigaTribe is entirely free, with the option of a GigaTribe “Ultimate” upgrade with more advanced features (such as faster downloads), priced at only $29.95/year. In addition, GigaTribe does not require any extra steps to share a file. Once you select which folders you want to share with your groups, those folders are instantly accessible to your friends. You can add new files to those folders or change those files at any time. There is no need for any additional steps, no uploading, no size limitations, and no security threat.

Share Large Folders of Video & Photos with Your ‘Tribe’ – No Resizing Needed

With the growing amount of photos, videos, music, and data files collected on our hard drives from consumer electronics gadgets, such as digital cameras, iPods, and cellphones, sharing these files with friends and coworkers can be extremely difficult to manage, especially when you are adding new files to your folders or frequently updating files; have large video or other files; or don’t want to spend time selecting which files to send to which person in your group from a party or special event.

GigaTribe instantly provides access to those files as soon as you change them on your computer. Photos and videos remain in their original full size, and resolution is never lowered for posting, as required by most photo and video-sharing sites, such as Youtube.com. In addition, with GigaTribe’s instant messaging feature, you can also chat with your friends to tell them about your new updates or other projects.

Completely Encrypted & Private

GigaTribe is completely encrypted and private. It lets you share entire file folders — no matter how large they are – with ONLY your selected group of users. You simply invite your friends to join your private network. When they join, you select which group they belong to and which files they will be able to see and download.

“Security is our top priority. When it comes to sharing your personal photos and videos, you need to be absolutely sure they will only be available to the appropriate contacts. GigaTribe provides users with this assurance that their private information will always remain protected,” said Alexis Leseigneur, CTO, GigaTribe.

Business Application: Set up an Instant Virtual Private Network (VPN) Small Business Network for Free

In addition to sharing your photo, video, and other files with friends and family from parties or special events, small businesses can also use the free GigaTribe to set up an instant Virtual Private Network (VPN) to quickly share file folders with co-workers. Set-up is easy, with no hardware, technical knowledge or network administrator required.

GigaTribe “Ultimate” Upgrade – Access Your Computer Anywhere You Go

GigaTribe also offers a more advanced “Ultimate” version, which provides faster downloads and allows you to access your computer’s hard drive anywhere you go through the Internet by logging onto www.gigatribe.com/private with you user name and password. This is a service that typically costs hundreds of dollars a year through other vendors — with GigaTribe pricing is only $29.95/year. Other features offered by GigaTribe “Ultimate” include the ability to download multiple files simultaneously and unlimited tech support by email.

GigaTribe Features (Free):

• Share large photo, music, video, and data file folders with friends, coworkers, and family through GigaTribe’s P2P site.
• 100% encrypted and private – only the people you have chosen will see the folders you choose.
• Set up groups – you can select which folders are available to which groups of people (i.e. friends, family, work, etc.)
• No limit to the amount of data you can share.
• Small Business Networking – easy way to set up a network in any office to share folders with coworkers.
• Easy to use – anyone can share his or her own content – no technical knowledge required.
• Instant Messaging Feature – lets you chat online with your ‘tribe.’
• Improved User Interface
• Easy to Install
• New shortcut buttons help you easily perform most common actions.

GigaTribe “Ultimate” Upgrade Features (Priced at only $29.95/year):

• Faster downloads.
• Remote Internet Access — access your computer anywhere you go from the Internet.
• Protect shared folders with a password.
• Unlimited Email tech support.
• EasyConnect service.
• Unlimited amount of simultaneous downloads.

900,000 GigaTribe Users and Growing

GigaTribe has more than 900,000 users sharing files online. The free GigaTribe is available immediately with all the basic features, including file sharing and chat. GigaTribe “Ultimate” is also immediately available for users who want more options, including remote Internet access of their computer and faster downloads, priced at only $29.95 a year ($4.99 per month). For more information, see www.gigatribe.com.

About GigaTribe

GigaTribe is a free and secure private P2P community driven platform. Users can share an unlimited number of files (home movies, pictures, documents, etc.) of any size with their chosen community. Gigatribe has over 900,000 users located throughout Europe and the United States. For more information: www.gigatribe.com.

Every time I get a new laptop bag to test, I marvel at how I managed to do without some of the new features. The Energy Collection of bags from Belkin are designed to complement the Studio collection of Dell laptops. And, the color combinations are actually nice, especially for a PC. The shoulder straps are wide enough, the zippered front pocket stays flush and slim when not in use, but expands for bulky or large items, and there’s a handy pouch for power cords and devices.

I might test gadgets for a living, but I love to just leave it all behind and enjoy a few days fishing with not much more than a sleeping bag, my tackle and some minimal grub. However, there are times when I wished that I could charge up my cell phone or use some other gadget but have forgotten the charger at home. The Brunton Solaris i6 lets you charge anything you want, without a wall outlet. The bundle comes with iPod cable, vehicle charging cable, multi-linking cable and battery clamp cable. Great for backpackers, campers or just road warriors, the entire bundle weighs less than half a pound.

These days, laptops aren’t just something you use when you’re not at your desk. And, while they’ve come a long way from even a couple of years ago, laptops are still hard on your neck and back, and they have chronic problems with overheating. Solve both of those problems with the Cricket Laptop Stand What I like so much about this gadget is the fact that it’s tiny and light (it’s won several design awards) and yet allows for adjusting any size laptop to any height. It supports laptops up to 12 pounds. It also solves the pesky problem of overheating.

I predict that solar powered gadgets will be more and more plentiful as manufacturers realize that even appearing more green sells more gadgets. Downside? Solar power takes a long time to charge most devices, and my short attention span starts looking for the pink bunny box or the wall outlet. However, Solio threatens to change all that, or at least provide reliable charging when traditional sources are not available. A fully charged Solio can recharge the typical cell phone about twice, or give about 20 hours of iPod time. Of course, that’s fully charged, but even one hour of sunshine will generate 20 minutes of talk time or 50 minutes of MP3 music. A visit to Solio’s site reveals an impressive number of reviews from serious adventurers (ever heard of the Polar Challenge?) and African villagers who are using Solio for power when there is nothing else available. So, from the standpoint of supporting a company that is really pushing technology for those that need it most, I can get behind the product. But, it also works. It’s amazingly hard to find an emergency power outlet in most airports these days, and Solio lets me charge while multi-tasking (or at least trying to). Carry on.

Solio products charge up internal batteries and then when you need to charge your device, they provide the appropriate juice for that product to charge.

www.solio.com