Filed under: Internet, Security, Freeware, Browsers, DLS 101
DLS 101 - free tools to help you surf and download safely
Web browser toolbars
These options all work in Internet Explorer and Firefox.
McAfee SiteAdvisor and WebOfTrust (pictured) are great ways to use the "power of the crowd" to keep you safe. Both services keep tabs on the reliability, safety, and trustworthiness of websites. They'll alert you with a big red flag if something nasty is headed your way.
There's also Finjan Secure Browsing, which checks web pages for malicious code and alerts when it finds potential spyware activity on a page.
Many antivirus provider's now include a browser toolbar with their software when you purchase it, including Norton, McAfee, and AVG. They all provide a little extra protection for you while you surf.
Web tools
Sure, your antivirus program scans files when they arrive, but why not check that file out before it comes anywhere near your hard drive? NoVirusThanks is a web-based service to scan files before you download them. Click "scan web address" and paste in the link to the file you want to check.
Maybe you're fairly new to bittorrent. Want to make sure you're downloading what you think you're downloading? Check out Vertor (verified torrents). You can see still images captured from that movie you were going to download, preview audio tracks, and see what files are contained in other torrents. The capture above is from Big Buck Bunny, an open, Creative Commons animated movie.
If you don't want to install a toolbar, you can still check a site's WebOfTrust ratings by visiting mywot.com and using the search box in the top-right corner of their page.
Unshorteners
Short web links are all over the place now, especially on sites like Twitter and Facebook. Want to find out where links like http://tr.im/tzLB or http://bit.ly/DkPYG are sending you?
LongURL Please offers a Firefox add-on which supports 73 different shortening services. It'll de-scramble any links it finds on a web page so you can see exactly where you're going to end up. FF users who run the Greasemonkey add-on can also install TinyURL Decorder. Opera users can grab the LongURL userscript (which supports 208 services).
Browsing with Internet Explorer, Chrome, or Safari (or anything else)? Use the form at LongURL.org or the Long URL Please bookmarklet to check those links before you click. Not sure what a bookmarklet is? Check out Vic's DLS 101 post!
So, just how good at time waster games are you? Think you've got the stuff? Well, The World's Hardest Game 2.0 doesn't think you do.
Yes, amazingly, it's possible to have a sequel to a game called "The World's Hardest Game". It doesn't seem logically possible, since if the first one was actually the world's hardest, how could another one come along and share the moniker? It made me doubt the name in the first place. That is, until I tried the game.
The mechanics of the game are very simple. You are a small red square, ...
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
ZFpzvada said 3:40PM on 8-18-2009
Dear P-3 where I can buy P3 and i believe it very easy carry any place fly or train or car for case happen... if i will drive thru on desert and stuck my car how i can call to AAA towing etc easy call to relay and if i stop at deaf friend for visit sometime they gone and dont know when they come back home but P3 is help to deaf people yes,,,,, I have only computer and VP200 here but i would like P3 for trip and where i can got it ? thanks
Patz
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