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Can you trust anti-virus rankings?

It seems no-one can agree on a universal set of tests for anti-virus software, with Eugene Kaspersky the latest to weigh-in on the topic, criticising the well-known Virus Bulletin 100.

While major AV vendors promise solid protection for your PC, you might think twice if you read any of the major security bulletins, which regularly pan the big brands.

Kaspersky is one of several big anti-virus brands to fall foul of the VB100 tests, reportedly failing to pass a recent test of security software on Windows Server 2008, along with F-Secure and Computer Associates.

And if that doesn't make admins leap for the "uninstall" option, perhaps this one will. Security outfit Secunia tested 12 major Internet security suites against 300 exploits, and came up with the stunning conclusion that "major security vendors do not focus on vulnerabilities".

Unsurprisingly, anti-virus vendors are irritated at statements like this, including Kaspersky CEO Eugene Kaspersky.

"I don't want to say it's rubbish," Kaspersky told PC Authority. "But the security experts don’t pay attention to these tests. It doesn’t reflect the real level of protection."

"The products which have a very poor level of protection, they have the certificate, while products which have a very high level of protection, they don’t have the certificate."

It seems the industry still can't agree on the best way to rank AV vendors.

Kaspersky criticised anti-virus tests that focus on static exploit scanning alone. "To have true test you have to put malicious file on the Web, then click it, or have an infected exploit which sends exploit to machine. These tests are really expensive and take a lot of time and hardware."

The Secunia tests in particular seem to have generated disagreement over testing methodologies. Secunia's recent drubbing of most major brands brought the issue of PoC (Proof of Concept) testing to the forefront - a method that involves code that triggers a vulnerability, but doesn't actually carry a virus "payload". Real exploits were also part of the test.

At Kaspersky, bloggers have pointed out that they don't focus on detecting PoCs, calling it a "dead end", and saying their antivirus database focuses on "real threats and exploits."

Other have questioned the relevance of major anti-virus rankings altogether, with some criticizing signature-based detection as the problem (something anti-virus vendors are supplementing with behaviour-based detection).

Kaspersky says behaviour based blocking, that stops applications once suspicious behaviour is detected, would be a good feature in Windows 7.

"Application control is one of the most promising technologies which can bring the net a layer of security. Just to run apps with different rights. I call it application harassment."

"The problem is that in the industry there’s no other complete tests," says Kaspersky. Many sites including PC Authority refer to VB100 results in their reviews, though we also refer to behaviour based blocking where relevant.

Until anti-virus vendors figure out a way of replace signature-based scanning entirely, the best thing you can do, in addition to having full anti-virus protection, is to patch your PC.

Read our review of Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2009.

Computer mouse heading for extinction

Are the Wii MotionPlus and iPhone examples of how we'll be using PCs in years to come? Experts say the humble input device is being usurped by touch screens and facial recognition.

The computer mouse is set to die out in the next five years and will be usurped by touch screens and facial recognition, analysts believe.

Gartner said that innovations from electronics firms creating new interactive interfaces for gaming and smartphones are driving the demise of the mouse.

Steven Prentice, vice president and Gartner Fellow, told the BBC that devices such as Nintendo's MotionPlus for the Wii and Apple's iPhone point the way to the future, offering greater accuracy in motion detection.

"With the Wii you point and shake and it vibrates back at you so you have a two-way relationship," said the analyst.

"The new generation of smartphones like the iPhone all now have tilting mechanisms or you can shake the device to do one or more things."

Prentice also highlighted home entertainment efforts from Panasonic which employ hand and facial recognition techniques to display information in place of a conventional remote control.

However, while the mouse's 40 year-old reign is coming to an end, the keyboard is here to stay, according to the analyst.

"For all its faults, the keyboard will remain the primary text input device. Nothing is easily going to replace it," he said. "But the idea of a keyboard with a mouse as a control interface is breaking down."

Also see our review: SpaceNavigator - time to throw away your mouse?
The most curious thing about 3DConnexion's new joystick-like device isn't that it reminds us of old rotatable arcade controllers. No, it's meant for CAD, but also among the list of suggested apps is Second Life.

Also see: Rumor mill goes into overdrive: Microsoft and Sony to unveil Wii copycat?
All eyes are on Microsoft and Sony to release their own killer versions of the Wii motion controller at this year’s E3 gaming expo. Meanwhile, Nintendo’s Wii just keeps getting better.

Also see: FIRST LOOK: Razer Lachesis, the new flagship gaming mouse
The acclaimed Razer series gets an unconventional design upgrade - different, but it gets our thumbs up.

Microsoft Revamps Windows Live: Adds Facebook-Like Features

Microsoft is giving Windows Live a serious makeover. The company today announced plans to roll out a wide range of new beta Windows Live services intended to help you aggregate all aspects of your online life--including several popular third-party services--under one Microsoft roof.

Windows Live emerged from its initial beta incarnation only a year ago. The new services dovetail with new versions of those initial services as well as with downloadable Windows Live Essential desktop applications, all already available in beta form.

The updated services include Hotmail (which now offers unlimited storage, faster performance and an improved spam filter) and Windows Live SkyDrive (which upped its free online storage limit from 5GB to 25GB of data).

The big news, though, is the announcement of relationships with over 50 third-party services ranging from Digg, Flickr, and Pandora to StumbleUpon, Twitter, and Wordpress. Through these partnerships Microsoft is able to create what it calls a "What's New" feed that can be shared with other Windows Live friends via your Live Messenger account, your Windows Live Home page, and other Windows Live services (see image).

What's New feeds can be personalized to reflect any updates you make or receive, either from a Windows Live service or one of the third-party services. For example, What's New could show Tweets from your Twitter friends, or let your friends know that you've posted new photos to Flickr.

The beta online services announced today will not be available immediately, but will be introduced gradually to Windows Live users starting in December, Microsoft says.

Windows Live Profile

The new Windows Live services include:

Windows Live Profile: This service, which Microsoft envisions as a possible browser home page, allows you to manage what you want to share with others. Here, for example, you can choose to broadcast a complete list of all your What's New feeds, and to view updates from your friends.

Windows Live Photo: A photo sharing and photo organizing site optimized to work with Windows Live Photo Gallery (a Windows Live Essentials desktop application).

Windows Live People: A central repository for storing information about and keeping in touch with all your online contacts, be they address book entries, Windows Messenger buddies (Microsoft's partners do not include any of the other major IM services such as AOL's or Yahoo's), Photobucket friends, fellow Yelp users, and so on.

Windows Live Groups: A bulletin board for teams, clubs, and friends who wish to collaborate online. Tools include shared calendars, photo and file hosting, and group or individual chat.

Windows Live FrameIT: An online service that works in conjunction with Net-connected digital picture frames. FrameIT allows you to display your RSS feeds or Windows Live Photo gallery on digital pictures frames made by PanDigtal, PhotoVu, ViewSonic, and others.

More Than Window Dressing

In addition to rolling out new services, Microsoft has given Windows Live a facelift. The overall interface is now less crowded with blocks of personalized content.

Another nice customization feature is the ability to add a personalized slideshow in the upper right-hand corner of your Windows Live Home page. The slideshow (see below) images are pulled from your Windows Live Photo collection.

Microsoft makes some serious strides into the future of cloud computing with this update to Windows Live. I like what I see, but if MIcrosoft is serious about aggregating online services, it should bring in more of the giant services that already have millions of members. Noticeably missing from Microsoft's long list of partners are AOL, Facebook, Google, and MySpace.