In one of the first independent tests of third-party security suites on Windows 8, nearly all antivirus and anti-malware software tested well. What may surprise you is that even without a third-party suite, Windows 8 is relatively resistant to modern threats like zero-day attacks, according to the report.

Independent German security suite evaluators AV-Test.org publish bimonthly tests that rate the effectiveness of the biggest Windows security suites out there, and rated all 26 of the suites they tested on Windows 8 in January and February as "certified," including Windows 8 itself. This is because Windows 8 comes with the antivirus and anti-malware measures of Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) built in and turned on. Basically, there's no such thing as an "unprotected" Windows 8.

"Windows 8 comes with Windows Defender," said AV-Test CEO Andreas Marx in an e-mail requesting clarification on the scores. "[It's] under a different name and quite nicely integrated in Windows 8, but the 'Protection' results are not much better when you compare Windows Defender (on Win 8) with MSE (on Win XP, Vista or 7)," he said.

Related stories:

• Microsoft challenges poor grade for Security Essentials
• ... [Read more]
  
  

BrightNest has thousands of tutorials for maintaining and improving your home, and it lets you schedule routine tasks so you don't forget them.

Like most homeowners, I've got furnace filters to replace, smoke-alarm batteries to check, a central air conditioner to maintain, and so on. I also have a septic tank and water softener that need occasional attention.

Unfortunately, I'm terrible at tracking this stuff, meaning important tasks often get overlooked or neglected -- sometimes at their peril (and my expense).

Related stories

• The 404 900: Where we have sweet dreams of rhythm and dancing (podcast)
• IceBreaker system wards off pesky deadly icicles
• Power outlet wall solves your electrical needs

BrightNest for iOS lets me schedule these and other home maintenance jobs, thereby ensuring they don't get forgotten.

The app does require y... [Read more]

Mozilla is taking a new look at the WebP image format it once rejected after some large Web sites encouraged the Firefox developer to take a fresh look and after Google released a freshly upgraded version.

WebP, which derived from the VP8 video compression technology in the WebM project Google launched three years ago, is part of the search giant's effort to speed up the Web. In WebP's case, that speedup comes through use of an image compression technology Google says produces more compact files than either JPEG or PNG.

WebP can be used where both JPEG and PNG are used today. In the former case, that's typically "lossy" compression situations, where the compression algorithm produces drastically smaller images by discarding some of the original image's information. PNG, in contrast, is often used for "lossless" compressed images such as corporate logos where the original data is intact.

WebP, though, hasn't caught on widely on the Web overall, in part because image-editing software and big-name browsers besides Google's Chrome don't support it. So the possibility of WebP support in Firefox has to be welcome news at Google.

Related stories

• Google to fix some WebP image format shortcomings
[Read more]

Sorenson Squeeze 9 makes life easier for high-end video producers.

Higher-end video producers anxious to adapt to the new realities of online video will be pleased to know that Sorenson Squeeze 9 (Windows trial; Mac trial), released today, is trying to ease development of streaming-media Web sites.

Web video is a flagship feature of the newer HTML5 incarnation of Hypertext Markup Language. Adding the support is intended to make video as easy to use on Web pages as JPEG is for images. But it's not always so simple to use in the real world, so Squeeze 9 now generates video files and accompanying code quickly so Web developers can use those files.

"It didn't seem like people were grasping that they could create that sort of content," said Mitchell Holyoak, Sorenson Media's vice president of engineering.

Related stories

• Google, Nokia face off in video codec dispute
• ... [Read more]
  
  

CSS Variables, a handy technology to ease Web page programming, could be one casualty in Safari with Google moving its resources to its browser engine, Blink.

Google engineers wanted to "fork" the WebKit browser engine project that underlies both Safari and Chrome so they could accelerate the pace of Chrome development and adopt changes too extensive to fit into a single open-source project. Even though splitting Blink away from WebKit may make each browser engine more nimble, it also means it's harder to cooperate.

Related stories

• WebKit fracture puts a pinch on open-source browser efforts
• Blink, Google's new Chrome browser engine, comes to life
• Googlers exultant over launch of Blink browser engine
• Google parts ways with Apple over WebKit, launches Blink
• ... [Read more]
  
  

Drivers who use mapping software on their phones to find out where they're going may not be paying enough heed to where they're going.

At least that's one way of characterizing a recent ruling by a California court.

Issued late last month and made more widely known by a tweet today from law professor Orin Kerr, the ruling says handling a cell phone while driving, even if "solely for its map application," is every bit as illegal in the Golden State as holding the phone to your ear while talking, or using your thumb (or other digits) to text.

A man cited under Section 23123 of the California Vehicle Code had argued on appeal that the section's language implied its application was limited to drivers who hold a cell phone while using it to converse. And since the defendant wasn't conversing, but was simply using mapping software, he shouldn't have been subject to a ticket.

Section 23123 says, "a person shall not drive a motor vehicle while using a wireless telephone unless that telephone is specifically designed and configured to allow hands-free listening and talking, and is used in that manner while driving."

But Judge W. Kent Hamlin of the Superior Court of California, County of Fresno, wrote in his ruling that:

Our ... [Read more]

The Google TV Remote app for Android gains voice search.

The official Google TV Remote app for Android has received its first software update in years, adding in a number of new features.

Perhaps most notable in the change log is the addition of voice search support, which provides a more robust user experience.

With the update, users can now search for movies, television shows, and other content across the platform.

Previously, hardware limitations prevented users from being able to use voice as an input method.

The latest version of the Google TV Remote includes a new D-Pad navigation as well, which allows you to navigate more naturally.

Prior to the update, users had to swipe across the directional pad in order to navigate from option to option.

The app update isn't groundbreaking at all, but it is refreshing to see that Google is still paying attention to this app.

With Google I/O 2013 taking place in a little over one month, it's possible that we could see more on the Google TV front.

The Google TV Remote app is available as a free download in Google Play and works on devices running Android 2.2 and up.

Related stories:

• ... [Read more]