|
|
We’ve researched and put together a list of the top free anti-virus software. Most current antiviruses have at least reasonably good detection rates of all forms of malware. Malware includes viruses, trojans, worms, spyware, adware, dialers, keyloggers and rootkit threats that perform malicious activities on a computer. These are the best antivirus programs that are completely free and work similarly to expensive programs from companies like Norton and McAfee. Let’s make 2011 the start of clean, virus-free, and safe computers!
Avira AntiVir Personal Edition for Windows We like this for it’s easy-to-use interface, very light on resources, and it’s outstanding detection rate of malware. There is a configuration you have to complete after installation which might be difficult if you're a computer novice. Does not include web or e-mail scanning capabilities, but if you open an infected email, AntiVir will still do its work.
Works on Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP and Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Server 2008. Avira also makes a version of AntiVir Personal for UNIX.
Microsoft Security Essentials Microsoft Security Essentials definitely makes it to the top of this list because it updates automatically, removes threats, light on resources, good at removal of existing malware; plus it has no nag screens or annoying ads, and is incredibly easy to use. Great for average users because of the minimal user interaction required. No registration is needed, other than a quick validating of Windows and a genuine copy of Windows is required to install.Very easy to see if your computer is secure from threats green icon next to your clock means good; red icon means something is wrong.
Supports Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP
Avast! Free Antivirus / Avast Home Edition for Windows Avast! has the most features, with full real-time capabilities, including web, e-mail, IM, P2P and network shields, boot-time scanning, and a behavioural blocker. Avast is also light on resources and can detect previously unknown viruses and other malware. Registration of Avast! is required to use it more than 30 days but registration is free and simple. You also have to re-register annually, for free, of course.
Supports Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP and Windows 2000
Panda Cloud Antivirus It’s simple interface and completely automated features make Panda Cloud Antivirus an excellent choice for average users. The only free cloud-based scanner, it does its job from "the cloud", thus freeing up your computer to work like it should while still protecting it from malware.
Supports Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP
AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition AVG Free Edition is the smallest antivirus scanner and is the best choice for an older PC with limited system resources. It is a complete antivirus and antispyware tool, includes an email scanner, link scanner, scheduled scanning options, automatic updates, and more.
AVG Anti-Virus Free works on Windows XP/2000/NT/ME/98
ClamXav 2.1 for Mac This is the only free anti-virus for Mac users. The newest version ClamXav 2.1 for Mac includes these features: new, simpler interface, launch speed is considerably faster, save your favourite scan locations for easy access, customise the toolbar - or hide it entirely, infected files are listed more clearly, send selected files to quarantine or trash with one click, and much more.
Comodo Antivirus The Comodo Antivirus has it’s Defense+ technology that, by default, assumes unknown files are threats instead of safe. Does not attempt to install unrelated software. Note that its has no business use, personal only. We also like that it does not attempt to install unrelated software
Works on Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP
PC Tools iAntivirus for Mac PC Tools iAntivirus guards against Mac-only malware, including viruses, worms, trojans, spyware and adware. It does not cover Windows-based malware, which helps keep performance costs and system impact low but may not be a good antivirus solution in a mixed Mac/Windows environment.
PC Tools iAntivirus is free for home (and home office) use and currently works with Intel-based Macs running OS X 10.5 only.
Immunet Protect FREE To use Immunet Protect FREE, you must be connected to the Internet at all times. We like this because you never have to update it, has completely free telephone based support, and can be run alongside some of the other best free antivirus tools like AVG Anti-Virus Free, Microsoft Security Essentials, thus increasing your overall protection.
Works on Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP.
digital-defender Antivirus digital-defender Antivirus has a relatively small installation size, daily virus definition updates, and full antivirus and antispyware features.
Supports Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP.
Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition detects both Mac and Windows malware.? It also offers business-grade protection free for home use
Posted 387 days ago
|
|
|
|
At skimp.org, we aim to be a community of savvy shoppers, so we’d like to share with you some useful tips for choosing which brand is best for Blank Media-- DVDs and CDs. Individual results may vary, depending on the burner and how the media chooses to cooperate, though typically not by much. - The best media generally comes from Japan and Singapore. The worst typically comes from Taiwan or China (in stores) and Hong Kong (online).
- It is not the brand of the blank media that is important. What is important is knowing the MANUFACTURER of the discs. There are 1st class, 2nd class, and 3rd class manufacturers. 1st and 2nd class manufacturers are good buys. Don’t even consider discs from 3rd class manufacturers-- not worth it, no matter how cheap they are. So, with this said, all you need to know is which brands are from which manufacturer, and you’ve got yourself a good buy.
- Some of the more popular 1st class manufacturers: Verbatim, Pioneer, Mitsubishi, JVC Taiyo Yuden, Hitachi Maxell, Sony (Daxon) from Japan, TDK. Some brands from these manufacturers include: Verbatim, Pioneer, Taiyo Yuden, Sony, Prodisc, Panasonic, JVC
- Some 2nd class manufacturers: Fuji, Ricoh, Ritek, Prodisc Media, CMC, Optodisc, Moser Baer, Sony (Daxon) from Malaysia. Some brands from these manufacturers include: Memorex, Imation, Maxell, Phillips, RiData, Verbatim “Life Series” & “Value Series”, TDK, Office Depot, Office Max, Staples.
- It is recommended to stick with 1st class media, since you are dealing with your files here-- documents, pictures, videos-- which we assume are important, that’s why you’re storing them. Use 2nd class media if your budget commands it. And again, don’t waste your time and money on cheap, 3rd class media.
Posted 441 days ago
|
|
|
|
Holiday travel... What fees are YOU willing to pay for?
Holiday travel is usually inevitable. While the holidays should be happy, fun, and festive, traveling during this time of year poses to be the most expensive and most stressful. The onslaught of new fees and charges from airlines makes it even more unbearable-- if that’s even possible with the already too familiar crowded airports, irritated travelers, lost luggage, and delayed/cancelled flights. So ask yourself this, “Is paying a little extra during this stressful travel time of year actually worth it?”. If you plan ahead knowing what extra fees you’ll want to pay for (or cannot avoid), it could make it less painful. Remember, Planned Spending is Savvy Spending!
We’ve rounded up some of the fees and charges (values are just approximations) that frustrate us and give our own two cents: - Checked Bags ($15 or more)
- SHOULD: If you’re traveling with kids, you might find it more convenient to check in your luggage, rather than lugging a huge piece of carry-on.
- SHOULDN’T: For short trips, which is usually the case for holiday travel, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that all your stuff is with you. What’s more frustrating than tracking your luggage throughout your holiday trip? We think it’s not worth paying this extra fee, given all the headaches that come with checked bags. If you were bringing gifts, we say spend the money buying online and sending them directly or shipping the gifts ahead of time.
- Food ($2-$10)
- SHOULD: We think buying food on-board is a last resort, unless it’s a super long flight and you don’t have space for a lot of food. Same thing for buying at the airport, but bear in mind that even if you were a trooper with packed snacks, unavoidable delays and cancellations will make purchasing food inevitable... and convenient.
- SHOULDN’T: Airline food is barely filling, and for the price they ask, it’s not worth it. Pack a few snacks (especially if you’re traveling with kids) like sandwiches and trail mix (things that will hold you over) and you’re all set with the free beverage they offer.
- Holiday Surcharges ($10-$30)
- SHOULD: If you’re dates are not flexible, there is no way to avoid these fees, so there’s really no pro to paying these annoying surcharges. It’s just there.
- SHOULDN’T: If you are able to work with your dates, you can avoid paying the highest surcharges if you fly on December 17, 18, 19, 25, and 31, or on January 1. It’s a small window, but at least there are some dates to work with. Also, not all airlines have these surcharges. American, Continental, Delta, United, and US Airways do not charge the fee.
- Blankets/Pillows ($7-$15)
- SHOULD: This is more of a preference. With long flights, it could be what keeps you comfy and sane. If you’re a stickler for hygiene, having a new pillow or blanket (as opposed to the re-used ones they hand out) could make it worth it.
- SHOULDN’T: If you buy, remember that you have to squeeze this item into your carry-on. We recommend bringing your own (especiallly if your kids have a favorite pillow or blanket). Yes, it is more to carry, but at least they’ll have something comforting and familiar amidst all the chaos and stress of traveling.
- Extra legroom ($10 to $50 or more)
- SHOULD: For us, this is one of those fees that are definitely worth it, for a lot of extra comfort, relaxation and space to stretch out.
- SHOULDN’T: If cost is an issue for you, then pick your priorities. Also, for shorter flights, this may not make that much of a difference.
- In-flight entertainment — ($5 to $7)
- SHOULD: Search out carriers with seat back TVs and free entertainment, such as JetBlue and Virgin America. If you don’t have an iPod or other means of entertainment, we say this is worth the $5-$7 for a movie to help pass time (true for kids and adults)
- SHOULDN’T: If you have your own MP3 player or some portable device to watch movies, we say pass this up. You can also bring a book, a deck of cards, or actually take this chance to spend time with your travel buddies-- it’s called conversation :)
Posted 446 days ago
|
|
|
|
There are a lot of rebate offers out there to lure all you holiday shoppers. Here are some tips and information to avoid becoming a rebate offer horror story: - The discount after the rebate offer doesn’t reflect the demand for the product. Most of the time, rebates are offered on new items as soon as it is available to retailers. It’s simply a pricing strategy to increase sales. In other words, rebates don’t always equal a good deal.
- Discount retailers like Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and even Amazon rarely offer rebates, but their prices are competitive. So, shop around first; you might find the same low price without the hassles of rebate forms and submissions.
- The reality of procrastination. The later you mail out and submit your rebate forms, the less and less likely you will get around to doing it. This increases the likelihood that you will lose money on rebates. And we all know we procrastinate!
- Now that rebates come in prepaid cards with VISA, MasterCard, or AMEX on them, it gets more complicated. These prepaid cards don’t provide the same protections as a credit or debit card. The entire value of a rebate card could be lost unless a stolen card is reported to the issuer in as little as 24 hours.
- Not all rebate cards can be cashed or deposited, it depends on the options that come with the card.
- Just like gift cards, there is the chance you could put it away and forget about it or not use the entire value.
So, the next time you see a too-good-to-be-true rebate offer, think twice... or more!
Posted 449 days ago
|
|
|
|
Okay, holiday season is here... well, that’s what the stores are putting in our heads. To get us in the mood for toy browsing and shopping, some stores have released their Big Toy Books and Toy Catalogs. Some catalogs have normal retail prices, but some have good deals and discounts on top toys, so it’s definitely worth browsing. As we say here at skimp.org-- “Planned Shopping is Savvy Shopping!” Here’s what’s out there so far:
Target Toy Book
Target’s pre-Black Friday Toy Book includes deals on dolls, action figures, video games, movies, and general toys for all ages. They’re calling it the “Great Holiday Toy Sale” and will run from Wednesday, November 3 until Wednesday before Thanksgiving, November 24 for both in-stores and online. These deals are not the really slashed prices... we’re sure they’re still saving that for Black Friday. The Toy Book also has a few pages filled with $5-$10 coupons for toys.
Some noteworthy deals: Laugh ‘N Learn Kitchen on sale at $29.99 (from $39.99) and some toys are 50% Off like the Chico Shopping Cart on sale at $11.49 (from $22.99) and a Fisher-Price Trio Bat Cave at $17.49 (from $34.99)
Walmart Toyland Catalog 2010
The Walmart Toyland Catalog sale is from Sunday, November 7 to Wednesday, November 24. The Toyland Catalog has some awesome deals on movies, video games, dolls, action figures, sporting goods and top toys of the year.
Toys R Us Big Toy Book
The Toys R Us "Big Toy Book" is an 75-page catalog that features hundreds of toys and video games on sale. The sale runs until Wednesday, November 24 A lot of the items in the Toy Book appear to be at their normal retail price. However, there are some discounts available on a few of the items, so it’s still worth browsing through.
Kmart Toy Book
The sale runs until Wednesday, November 24th with discounts on more than 330 products. You can find good deals on a variety of electric cars, dolls, action figures, board games, stuffed animals, sporting goods and more. The items will be available both in-stores and on their website.
Posted 474 days ago
|
|
|
|
Every Friday starting today until Black Friday, Amazon will be holding an early Black Friday sale in the gold box section of their website. Gold Box deals (Deal of the Day and Lightning Deals) sell out quickly so keep checking throughout the day for new products that will appear every 1-2 hours. Some deals today include: TIP: You won't be able to view the deal until its designated time slot.
Posted 474 days ago
|
|
|
|
It’s the battle of the pre-Black Friday sales... Now Best Buy has also released details of their pre-Black Friday sale. Their sale begins a day earlier than Walmart’s “ Amazing Electronics Event” and runs this Friday, November 5 and Saturday, November 6. It’s called the " Shop Early Save Big Event", and it looks like it will be at stores only based on the website information. Up to two hours before the 10 a.m. store opening, employees will hand out tickets to customers starting at the front of the line for select limited quantity items.
One of the best deals we saw is an eMachines 15.6-inch laptop with 2GB memory and a 250GB hard drive with a sale price of $279.99 (from $399.99).
Some other great electronics deals from Best Buy’s sale is a Dynex 32-inch Class 720p LCD HDTV for $259.99, the lowest price we’ve seen for a 32-inch LCD HDTV. Also on the sale is an Insignia HD Camcorder for $174.99 (from $299.99). They’ve got a selection of Wii games, too, at $20 Off each.
Most of the items are one per customer, so you need to be aware of that. Many items are stocked with a minimum 2-4 per store. Take a look at their ad for more specific details.
Posted 475 days ago
|
|
|
|
The " Amazing Walmart Electronics Event" will start in-stores at 8AM on Saturday, November 6. It is not clear what time online sales will start, but we are guessing 4AM-5AM EDT on Saturday. The sale runs into Sunday, November 7, but the best deals will probably be sold out by then. We suggest shopping online first and then going to the store for items you may have missed out on.
Here are some items that have been announced as part of the sale. We’re hoping other items will be added to this list: NOTE: If you view the Walmart prices before the sale, you will notice that they are still higher than the sale prices.
Posted 476 days ago
|
|
|
|
What makes a hot toy list? Is it what manufacturers say? Is it what retailers say? Is it what bloggers and so-called experts say? Or is it ultimately what your kids write down (or repeatedly tell you) on their wish lists, Santa lists, and Gotta Have It lists? We’re betting it’s the latter.
So, what we’ve done is we did our research, we looked at top sellers and new arrivals, and much awaited items. We came up with our own list of toys we think are cool and awesome. On this list are toys we think your kids are going to ask for. Even if these toys are not on your kids’ lists, we think they will still love getting them AND will still make you super cool moms, dads, aunts and uncles! We hope this list makes your holiday toy shopping a bit easier. - Imaginext Bigfoot the Monster (also on ToysRUs, Best Toys Guide, and Amazon hot toy lists), $90.87
 - LeapFrog Leapster Explorer (also on ToysRUs and Amazon hot toy lists), $59.99
 - Speakal iPanda 2.1 Stereo iPod Docking Station with 5 Speakers (also on Amazon hot toy list), $72-$120
 - LEGO Board Games: Toy Story, Star Wars, Harry Potter, etc. (also on ToysRUs hot toy list), $19-$40
 - Nerf N-Strike Stampede ECS Blaster (also on ToysRUs, Best Toys Guide, and Amazon hot toy lists), $44
 - Cloud B Twilight Turtle Constellation Night Light (also on Amazon hot toy list), Available in Sea Turtle and Lady Bug, $22-$25
 - Mattel Sing-A-Ma-Jigs (also on Amazon and ToysRUs hot toy lists), $12.99 each or $39/set of 4
 - vTech V.Reader (also on Amazon and Best Toys Guide hot toy lists), $59
 - The Zhu Zhu Pet Hampsters (on Best Toys Guide hot toy list) - These could be hard to find. The newest additions are called Kung Zhu Pets - ToysRUs has biggest selection $9.99
 - My Pillow Pets (also appears on ToysRUs and Best Toys Guide hot toy lists) $19-25 - these are selling out fast
NOTE: Prices are from 10/27/10 and may have changed.
Posted 477 days ago
|
|
|
|
Target just released information regarding their Black Friday 2010 plans. Aren't they great? Here are the highlights:
Toy Catalog Published Online - 10/31 - This will contain 48 coupons
4 Day Sale (Pre-Black Friday) 11/21- 11/24 - Deals on more than 170 items including toys, electronics, and movies
- Coupons will be available in the 11/21 weekly ad
Thanksgiving Day Sale (online only): 11/25 - Will feature online-only deals not available in the 2-Day Sale
- Free shipping when you spend $50 or more anytime between 11/21 and 12/11
2 Day Sale: 11/26 (BLACK FRIDAY!!) -11/27 - 11 more doorbuster deals (more than ever before) for a total of 25 bargains
- Use a REDcard at checkout for an additional 5% off.
- Spend $100 or more before 10am on Black Friday and get a $10 Gift Card for a future day of shopping
- Visit the MyTargetWeekly ad site on Nov. 17 for more info about the 2 Day sale and to sign up for alerts
- Store maps will be provided at Target.com on 11/24
Posted 481 days ago
|
|
|
|
Black Friday 2010 is fast approaching and a few stores have already released their ads.
These are the first of the bunch, so expect many more in the next few weeks. We've added a Black Friday tab which we will keep updated with ads as they come out. Check often.
Posted 484 days ago
|
|
|
|
Want some extra spending cash, some grub, or some new gadgetry? We've added a bunch of new prizes for Twitter users on the Prizes tab under the Twitter Wall-o'-Prizes section. Enter to win 'em all... just follow the instructions on each prize opp, it's simple!
Posted 487 days ago
|
|
|
|