Etch-A-Sketch iPad Case
And yes, there’s an app for that.

HTML for Babies
Now your infant can learn web design before he or she can walk.

Tron Legacy / Tron Classic on Blu Ray
Admit it, you’d rather have a real-life lightcycle. Who wouldn’t?

Computer Engineer Barbie
It’s about time, although it’d be really hard to walk across a data center in those heels.

Chocolate Han Solo In Carbonite
A delicious bounty of chocolate goodness.

I wish all of my readers a safe and happy holiday season! In January we’ll talk about how Mistyped Web Sites Lead To Malware. Subscribe free to Tech Tips for bonus tips, tricks and product reviews, and don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @trionaguidry for breaking computer news and other geeky stuff.

Internet Explorer 9 marks a turning point for Windows users. Because IE9 doesn’t run on Windows XP, we are now divided into Windows 7 and Vista “haves” and Windows XP “have-nots”. This is important because, as Web sites evolve to take advantage of new browser capabilities, WinXP users will find themselves left behind. I wrote before about how this affects your plans for upgrading to Windows 7, and I’ve got more advice below. But first, let’s take a look at the new versions of IE9 and Firefox 4.

IE9 sports a new look-and-feel, plus many new features. Most important from my perspective is increased security. InPrivate mode (available since IE8, and now improved) blocks third-party sites from seeing what you are doing elsewhere. Tracking Protection allows you to prevent sites from tracking your Web history in order to advertise to you, similar to a “Do Not Call” list.

Speed is also improved with IE9. When you open sites in different tabs IE9 runs them as separate processes, meaning if a site crashes one tab it doesn’t take your whole browser down. One new feature which may confuse you at first is the One Box, which combines the address box and the search box into one field. On the whole I think this will make things simpler because people are often unsure which one to use (especially if they are also innundated with toolbars that have search boxes). All in all, IE9 is a welcome upgrade that will likely spawn similar features in other Web browsers.

And, of course, one of its biggest competitors is Mozilla’s Firefox. Firefox 4 also has a new interface, following the latest trend in browsers to minimize their own clutter and maximize space for Web sites. Menus are hidden, accessed through the Firefox button at the top, but you can re-enable them if you want them the way they were in previous versions. One aspect of the interface I particularly like is Panorama, a feature that allows you to group tabs and switch between them easily. This is great for people who tend to have a lot of sites open at the same time.

Like IE9, Firefox 4 has added Do Not Track and Private Browsing capabilities, and includes improvements in speed, performance, and stability. It also isolates tabs within their own processes to prevent crashes. Access to add-ons has been streamlined. Users of multiple computers (especially those with both PCs and Macs) will like Firefox Sync which synchronizes your bookmarks, passwords, history, and open tabs, although you have to set up a Firefox Sync account to make it work.

Both browsers support HTML 5, and this is where we get into our “haves” and “have-nots.” HTML 5 is a new version of the code that drives the majority of Web sites and will quickly become the new standard. The good news is that, unlike IE9, Firefox 4 runs on Windows XP. Although that gives XP users some breathing room, it doesn’t change the fact that you can’t install IE9. Web browsing aside, installing the latest version of IE is important for your computer’s security because, even if you’re not using IE, viruses can still take advantage of its vulnerabilities to infect your computer. For that reason all Windows XP users should be on Internet Explorer 8, the latest version available to them.

The bottom line is that both IE9 and Firefox 4 look like excellent improvements to your Web browsing experience. Give them a try and let me know what you think!

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MSE includes basic antivirus and antispyware tools plus a firewall. It was originally designed for consumer use in the USA and as a way to cut down on rampant virus problems overseas. As such, while it’s better than nothing, it doesn’t provide the features or functionality of a genuine security suite.

One of the problems with MSE is that too many fake security programs try to emulate it. Just because something looks vaguely Microsoft-y doesn’t necessarily mean it’s genuine. Also, Microsoft is primarily an operating system and productivity software company that does not specialize in security. They may have inadvertent blinders on when it comes to securing their own products, whereas the third party vendors may have more innovation in that area because they are thinking outside the Redmond box.

There is also the danger of homogeneity. When everything on your network uses the same software, you are more susceptible to viruses and malware that exploit the vulnerabilities of that software. In other words, if you live in an XYZ Brand world protected by XYZ Brand tools and along comes a virus that exploits XYZ Brand weaknesses, you’re a sitting duck. That’s true whether XYZ Brand is Microsoft, Apple, or anyone else. Diversifying affords you more protection.

Therefore, I’m sticking with my usual recommendations: AVG, Trend Micro, Avast, Kapersky, and many of the other great security programs out there.

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1. Apple iPad
   The iPad is one of this year’s top tech gifts, and it’s more than just a gimmick. The iPad is changing the way we use computers. With the power of the Internet plus the wide variety of apps available at the App Store, there’s very little you can’t do with an iPad.
2. Speck Cases for iPads, iPhones, and Laptops
   Of course, once you get that iPad you’ll want to protect it. Speck makes great cases for iPads as well as for iPhones and both PC and Mac laptops.
3. Adobe Photoshop Elements 9.0
   This software program for Windows and Mac lets you edit and organize your photos.
4. Sid Meier’s Civilization V
   This turn-based strategy game for Windows and Mac is highly addictive (just ask my husband).
5. USB Fridge
   Need a cold drink in a hurry? The USB Fridge plugs into your computer’s USB port and promises to chill a can of your favorite drink in minutes.

Happy Holidays to all of you!

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For a long time the free version was enough. Then I began to notice a trend. People running AVG were becoming infected with threats not detected by the free version. So I began recommending the paid version of the suite, known as AVG Internet Security. However, after testing AVG 2011, I have some qualms about this new version.

First, AVG 2011 is a memory hog. If you have an older computer it may slow you down, although this could be said of any security program. Reports of bugs in AVG 2011′s LinkScanner also give me pause. This will slow down your computer as well as your network. Not everyone has experienced this, however; PC Magazine reports that their tests showed AVG had a small effect on system performance.

On the plus side, it’s easy to use and offers solid protection. I also like the LinkScanner feature that checks your Facebook posts and marks them as safe. My hope is that AVG will resolve any issues and that AVG 2011 will continue to provide people with strong security software.

What are your alternatives? I still don’t recommend Norton or McAfee because they’re also memory hogs (especially Norton). But, I’d rather have you using one of those than nothing. What I really want is a security suite with a high detection rate and a small impact on system performance. You could try Kapersky Internet Security 2011, although its interface is not as friendly for non-technical users. Trend Micro Titanium Internet Security 2011 is good but scored weak on malware removal. Webroot Internet Security Complete 2011 is another option. The thing I don’t like about it is that its firewall constantly pops up warnings, a big turn-off for most users.

In short, there is no one right answer to security software for Windows. If you have an older computer, you’ll want a solution that doesn’t bog you down. If you have a mobile computer, you’ll want strong WiFi protection. If you don’t do much surfing, a free solution may suffice. The best way to determine your needs is to have a computer professional assess your environment and make a recommendation.

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The mostly widely anticipated feature is the new Outlook for Mac. Although Outlook previously existed for Mac, it was clunky and slow. It was discontinued and replaced by Entourage, which was widely panned by the IT community for not communicating properly with Microsoft Exchange servers. With this new Outlook, Mac users finally have a version that looks like the PC one and knows how to talk to Exchange (versions 2007 and up). Even better, Mac Outlook can import data directly from PC Outlook. However, it can’t sync calendars with iCal.

Word, Excel and PowerPoint have all been finetuned, both in features and in speed. Mac Office 2011 is lightning-quick compared to its predecessors. It uses the Ribbon toolbar but also maintains familiar menus. Most PC functions are replicated, with only a few exceptions. It offers the ability for multiple users to edit the same document when used in conjunction with Sharepoint or Microsoft’s SkyDrive cloud-computing storage. And many users are heralding the return of Visual Basic after an outcry over its removal several versions back.

Kudos to Microsoft’s Mac group for coming up with a Mac version of Office that finally equals its PC counterpart. Office 2011 For Mac is slated to ship October 26, 2010.

In the past, users of Office were able to purchase upgrades instead of paying full price for new versions. In my opinion, discontinuing this option is a mistake, given the economy and the fact that many Office users see no reason to upgrade.

Microsoft faces competition from the free OpenOffice as well as from cloud-based services like Google Docs. Perhaps Microsoft’s reasoning behind the discontinuation of upgrade pricing is to lure people to the cloud-based version of Office 2010 (which is available free for consumers on Windows Live via an ad-supported service). If so, alienating previous customers is a gamble that may not pay off.

What do you think? Do you plan to upgrade to Office 2010 and if not, would upgrade pricing have altered your decision?

A NAS is a unit containing one or more hard drives with a network jack. The biggest advantage of a NAS is that it is much less expensive than a server. Instead of spending thousands of dollars for the hardware and software needed to run, say, Window Server, you can spend mere hundreds for one terabyte (that’s 1,024GB, or about 728,000 floppy disks!) of storage capacity. And the device is barely the size of a shoebox.

The key to NAS is its redundancy. NAS writes your data across multiple hard drives using a technology called RAID. The drives are hot-swap, meaning you can replace them while the unit is running. You can also add additional storage capacity simply by sliding in a new drive.

NAS is cross-platform. If you work with both PCs and Macs, you can connect both easily and conveniently to the NAS. You can set up file shares, users and groups on a NAS, just as you would on a server. Some come with built-in backup software. Configuration is done through a simple web interface.

NAS is a terrific server replacement for any small business or home office in need of centralized storage at low cost.

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One of my favorites this year is the ioSafe Solo, a hard drive built to resist water and fire. It has a large capacity and is a great choice for a backup drive in case of a business disaster. www.iosafe.com

I also like the NovoThink surge, an iPhone case that includes a hybrid solar charger. www.novothink.com

Mobile mavens may enjoy the Verizon MiFi 2200, which offers WiFi access via Verizon’s 3G network. No more searching for hotspots! www.verizonwireless.com

For the graphic designer on your list there’s ColorMunki, which helps maintain consistent color across all of your software and devices. It’s great for anyone who needs exact color matching for advertising or other purposes. www.xrite.com

Finally, clean your computer with the DataVac Electric Duster from Metrovac. This handy tool replaces canned air products with a cordless fan designed for use on computers and other electronics. www.metrovacworld.com

In January we’ll talk about Fixing Printer Problems. Through December 31st, new subscribers to my Tech Tips email list will receive my tip sheet on Creating Strong Passwords. Click here to sign up.