Altiris Software Virtualization Solution
juice.altiris.com/svs
With SVS, you can run apps virtually and enable and disable programs with a click of the mouse. When the app is disabled, it's gone without a trace; when it's enabled, it appears near-instantaneously. Free for personal use, SVS is great for trying out new applications as well as running apps that conflict with one another. Apps are stored as "packages" that you can either create yourself or find prepackaged by the dozens at SVSDownloads.com, from BitTorrent and Open Office to the FlightGear open-source flight simulator.
FreeProxy
www.handcraftedsoftware.org
When you're on an open wireless network, it's easy to become a little paranoid that someone is sniffing your traffic. Make your surfing invisible by setting your browser to access the FreeProxy proxy server running on your home PC, which you can connect to securely via the Hamachi encrypted link. (See page 70.) Follow the instructions on the LogMeIn Hamachi Web site and you'll be up in no time.
LogMeIn Hamachi
www.logmeinhamachi.com
There's a good chance that if you access your office from home or the road, you connect through a VPN that encrypts all the traffic between your PC and the office network. Similarly, LogMeIn Hamachi creates an encrypted tunnel between individual PCs so you can easily and securely access your home PC from anywhere on the Internet.
NetStumbler.com
www.netstumbler.com
NetStumbler detects 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11a wireless LANs. Run it on a laptop and you can get a good overview of your own Wi-Fi network (or that of others). It seeks out poorly covered spots, and detects overlapping networks that might be generating interference (including unauthorized rogue networks).
PowerGramo
www.powergramo.com
Careful—the person on the other end of your Skype call might be using PowerGramo, an add-on that records conversations. The free version will save the audio for your records, but you'll need to upgrade to PowerGramo Pro ($19.95) to record each person on a different track, which is useful if you use Skype to do interviews for podcasts.
Snort
www.snort.org
Snort is probably the world's most widely used intrusion detection and prevention software. It's open-source, with a huge community of folks working to improve it. The bad news is that unless you have a lot of expertise, you'll need to be prepared to spend much time reading and learning how to run Snort.
SightSpeed
www.sightspeed.com
SightSpeed provides the best in free (for SightSpeed-to-SightSpeed calls) video calls over the Web. It uses a proprietary VoIP/VoIM (short for voice over IM) system and Web service to carry full-motion 30-frame-per-second video calls, as well as voice, chat, conference calling, and more. You'll need a webcam that supports up to 30 fps and a broadband connection.
www.skype.com
Skype is by far the most popular PC-based VoIP service; it also works in dedicated telephones and other handheld devices. The Version 3.0 beta adds click-to-call to dial regular phone numbers from your PC, and Skypecasts—moderated discussions with up to 100 people.
SurfSpeed
go.pcmag.com/surfspeed
For years, we've enlisted the help of readers to test their Internet connection bandwidth for our surveys. We've automated the process with our own tool: SurfSpeed. The real power of this application comes after it reports to our servers and allows you to compare results with others in your ZIP code, state, or country or worldwide. Plus, you'll get a sense of how your ISP measures up to others. And so will your ISP when we publish the results!
UltraVNC
www.ultravnc.com
The simplest free solution to access your work PC from home is LogMeIn Free (not to be confused with LogMeIn Hamachi). For a more powerful Windows remote-access solution, try UltraVNC. It adds file transfer and text chat and is considered the best-performing flavor of the open-source VNC (Virtual Network Computing) protocol.
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