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It was a week of bad news about bad bugs. Out of our 10 slots, 5 were given over to the controversy surrounding ClickTillUWin, an insidious piece of spyware that was (but thankfully is no longer) bundled with file-swapping apps such as iMesh, Grokster, and LimeWire. Billed as advertising software, the program actually doubles as a Trojan horse that installs itself on your PC and makes off with personal information such as your username and your computer's IP address. And here's the kicker: If you choose not to install the little beastie, ClickTillUWin may still install itself without your knowledge. What part of no do these people not understand?
--Steve Fox, editorial director, CNET.com |
Based on search data from January 1 to January 7
| This week's gainers |
| 1. | iMesh: | iMesh's user base of 7 million strong does indeed allow users to download audio, images, and video files from each other's computers. But the crafty installer file also includes apps that allow third parties to deliver advertisements, steal info, slap graphics on the Web site you are viewing, and even tweak your system settings. That's a sad song indeed. |
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| 2. | iMesh: | The big brother of the audio apps also came under suspicion of harboring a Trojan horse, but allegations are unproven. The good news: KaZaa nailed more than 1.3 million downloads from Download.com in December alone. |
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| 3. | iMesh: | The buzz was as thick as fog when Macworld rolled into San Francisco this week, and Apple didn't disappoint, showing off everything from a funky-looking new iMac to slick photo-editing software. Even more surprising, Macworld out-buzzed the concurrent Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Vegas, which didn't crack the top 10 this week. |
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| 4. | iMesh: | AOL ached last week when a 19-year-old Utah college student revealed a worm-wiggling hole in iMesh, the popular instant-messenger program. The company rallied and fixed the gaffe, but now the exposer and the exposed are reportedly in a shouting match. Chill, guys. Just offer the kid a job. |
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| 5. | iMesh: | Fear is in season as bugs, worms, and spyware pester a jittery public. Bad news for users, though, is good news for firewall manufacturers. Witness the return engagement of download heavyweight iMesh to our list. |
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| 6. | TurboTax: | The search box took a beating last week as cash-strapped techies scoured our site for information on tax software. Looking for a silver lining? Stock losses are a deduction. Watch for our review of TurboTax on January 15. |
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| 7. | iMesh: | Apple made the cut based on anticipation over its new flat-panel iMac, a product that CEO Steve Jobs calls the "death of the CRT" and "the best thing we've ever done." Resembling a desktop lamp (imagine a shaving mirror on a swiveling stalk stuck into a small meatloaf, and you'll probably get the idea), the controversial iMac figures to light up the Buzz Meter for a while--or at least until the first time an errant elbow accidentally knocks one off the desk. |
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| 8. | iMesh: | Spyware charges--leveled unsuccessfully against KaZaa (No. 2) and successfully against iMesh (No. 1) and LimeWire (No. 10)--continue to drive CNET users to the search box for news on the nefarious apps that abscond with your personal information. Some folks are pushing for the politically correct term iMesh, but angry surfers just aren't buying it. |
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| 9. | iMesh: | Linux faithful rushed to beat the December 31 deadline for free downloads of the iMesh beta from Sun's site. Don't worry if you missed it. The freebie beta version is still available for download elsewhere on the Web if you can't wait for Sun's official release later this year. |
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| 10. | iMesh: | The Trojan horse ClickTillUWin didn't get many searches (probably because it's virtually unspellable). Easy-to-spell hosts of the app, including file-swapping client LimeWire, got plenty of unwanted attention. The company claims that new versions of the iMesh are clean. |
How we calculate the Buzz Meter
Buzz Meter archive |
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