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July 8, 2003 |
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Blubster says you no longer have to run from the law and the RIAA; you can hide behind its anonymous network. But the RIAA says there's nowhere to hide if you're sharing copyrighted goods. Who's right? We check out the latest so-called masked networks, as well as alternative browsers. |
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Blubster
Now that the RIAA is officially targeting individuals who trade copyrighted material over file-sharing networks, will folks stop using P2P to get their music and movies? No way! Most file swappers are looking to play a little hide-and-seek, thanks to the latest move by file-sharing networks to hide their users' identities. Blubster has gotten the most press in the last week with its new version, 2.5. "Blubster facilitates an anonymous community and does not compile, store, or otherwise retain data about users, searches, or files," says its description at CNET's Download.com. And CNET readers are already on the ball, looking for more information and getting the app. But there is some question as to whether Blubster really does mask a user's identity, since it can't conceal IP addresses that copyright investigators can use to get to you. A slightly clunkier network that does hide IP addresses, Freenet, may emerge as the only alternative. If the RIAA doesn't fear Blubster, what does it think of Freenet? Find out in this exchange between Freenet creator Ian Clarke and Matt Oppenheim, RIAA's senior vice president of business and legal affairs. |
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Browsers
If you thought the browser wars were over, I'm sorry to say that they're not. For some of you, that's great news; you were looking for an alternative to the reigning champ, Microsoft Internet Explorer, anyway. Bottom line: Lots of changes are happening. First, there was some talk that Microsoft was thinking of phasing out standalone versions of the popular Web browser. Then, Microsoft announced that it would stop making an IE for Mac, since Apple seems to have the bases covered with its Safari browser, which our editors liked, except for its lack of security features. So now may be the time to think about switching. If you're a Mac user, your decision is made for you. The rest of us just have fewer options, since the last versions of Netscape and Opera didn't really warrant a switch, according to our editors. But Netscape just issued version 7.1. We'll give you an update on any changes there within a week. |
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MSN
Don't call it an update, says Microsoft, but its new MSN update looks like one to us. It apparently looks new to you as well, since many of you are looking for info on the new MSN 8.0, as most everyone is calling it. So what's new? The new version adds a number of "subtle but welcome improvements," says our review, including a fully functional e-mail client with solid junk-mail filters, a slick interface, and sophisticated parental access controls. Combine these with MSN's reliable performance and 24/7 toll-free support, and you get a great all-in-one Internet package, which could serve as a better alternative for disgruntled AOL users and those with families. But our editors recommend that anyone using another ISP, such as EarthLink, not worry about switching. For any of you searching for MSN for our take on the new Messenger client, check out the glowing review here. |
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Google
I can't deny that I'm not only a big fan of the Google search engine, I'm also a big fan of the Google toolbar. And, like you readers, I love it when a good product gets better. That's why we all wanted to find out more about what's new in Google's update. For starters, Google's Toolbar 2.0 includes a superhandy Popup Blocker and AutoFill, which automatically fills out Web forms with information stored locally on your computer. But most cleverly of all, Google is taking advantage of its acquisition of Blogger creator Pyra by including BlogThis, which lets you immediately create a posting on your blog about a site you are visiting. By clicking the BlogThis button, bloggers can automatically insert a link and highlighted text into their blogs instead of having to move back and forth and cut and paste between the Web page and the blogging tools. Is it any wonder these guys have the top search engine? |
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Nero
CD- and DVD-burning aficionados know that Nero has always made a quality product; Nero Burning ROM 5.5 was our Editors' Choice because it offered powerful tools for experienced disc authors and yet was simple enough for newbies to use. So, many of you were looking for our take on the upcoming Nero 6.0 Ultra Edition, which is set to hit the streets on July 18. But we're currently still evaluating this bundle of burning joy; expect to see it in the next week. For now, we'll give you a quick preview of the promised list of features: full video editing, DVD playback, better backup options, and MPEG-4 video encoding and playback. It looks like this new package, if it delivers, could be an awesome one-stop shop for audio- and videophiles. But it's not cool until we say it is, so keep your eyes open for our editors' review. |
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