Both of them allow you to block malicious programs before they start, they monitor your PC for any program connecting to other locations. This means that if you’re hit with an exploit from an email or anything like that, Zonealarm can help stop the program in its tracks before you’re even infected. Now, some exploits can bypass zonealarm and comodo, but it’s rare, and no matter what you’re running at that point you’d be infected anyway.

For basic security, I always recommend people run either ZoneAlarm or Comodo along with NoScript on Firefox. As I mentioned in previous posts, reading over your email very carefully and verifying links is something you should always do. It gets pretty easy to see which ones are phishing/exploits/malware once you’ve seen enough of them. They play new tricks a lot but they’re still easy to spot once you get the hang of it.

Anyway, ZoneAlarm gets an A+ rating from me, it’s something that truly can protect you if you use it wisely. If you don’t read over the prompts at all and properly configure Zonealarm, things might not be protected as much as you’d want.

Anyway, give Comodo or Zonealarm a try and see which one you like the most. Either one will protect you very well when used correctly.

Funny enough, it’s really not difficult to setup your own DNS, but getting the users to actually use it and switch from their ISPs default DNS which only works with ICANN domains can be the difficulty.

That, and figuring out where the revenue is going to come from to keep the alternate DNS servers running, and a few other things… However, it’s inevitable and these things will be figured out eventually. There is a project based on the Bitcoin code called Namecoin that aims to solve the “control” issue – in that no one is really in control of the system or profits from it. It’s still only in beta, however something like this would truly be “open” and no one could take control of the network in anyway, which would completely upset governments. You can check out this project here: http://dot-bit.org/Main_Page.

OpenNIC is a bit too centralized. With Namecoin, once you register a domain, no one can take it away from you. You own it, plain and simple. That’s how the code works, similar to bitcoin. When you own a bitcoin you own it, that’s that.

Anyway – as I said before – peering into my crystal ball I see alternative DNS taking over and a bunch of small search engines dedicated to each type of DNS until one reigns supreme and maybe, just maybe knocks out ICANN. All because the US Government is trying to control the uncontrollable. The internet is decentralized, and governments have to learn they have no control. If they try to control it – new technologies come out to keep the internet open and free for everyone.

The big players are Real-debrid, multihosters and a few others. As file hosting services go up and down like flies, these services have come into existence.

Right now, it’s best to only order smaller packs, you never know how long these services are going to remain active. It’s all a crap shoot. Sometimes file hosting sites have a lot of issues with speed, and services like these may have trouble keeping up with accounts and such to allow their users to download from all the various file hosts.

There is a simpler solution out there to file hosts however, and I’d advise anyone looking at getting files to take a close look at Usenet. I have a Usenet Tutorial up and running for those of you who are interested. Otherwise these types of services are currently the easiest to use in the file hosting space.

They’re also pretty standard with the features they have. The one issue you might have with them is content, as they are not used all that frequently. For a better experience, you might want to check out Usenet. Here’s a tutorial on usenet.

So after a few months of using the 2D HD picture, which I was highly satisfied with I found out that glasses were actually $19 for the 2011 Samsung models. I also found that some 3D Bluray players on eBay that are slightly damaged but still work fine are around $60. So 3X $19 glasses = $57 + $60 bluray player = $117 to “upgrade” to 3D. I’m not including the plasma’s cost because I was going to buy that anyway no matter what. Suddenly this doesn’t look like such an expensive proposition.

Some movies have done a rather poor job implementing 3D and others look stunning. For example, Resident Evil Afterlife looks amazing in 3D and actually saves the film itself, making it entertaining enough that you are still enjoying the mind numbing action. In 2D I would’ve probably turned it off after awhile because there was basically no plot and just nonstop action. 3D saved this movie. It seems like it was just a tech demo for 3D rather than a “real” movie.

Thing is, film makers need to get an understanding of all the aspects of 3D and then implement them into “good” movies. That could definitely make it worth it. Some of the IMAX presentations like Under the Sea can be breathtaking, and then other 3D movies forget that they’re even 3D, the movie would be basically the same in 2D.

So the question is, is it worth it?

I would have to say it’s probably worth it IF you already have the TV, might as well spend a little and get the 3D stuff. If you’re upgrading your TV right now it’s probably worth it since the current good TV models are all 3D.

Basically, don’t don’t buy a TV just for 3D. Buy it for the HD display and 2D first and foremost, and if it has 3D, it might be worth picking up the extras to enjoy it. There’s not that much 3D content out there right now worthy of buying an entire setup, so just stick to your current TV.

Fad or Not?

Who knows. I didn’t spend much on it, ($117) so it doesn’t bother me if it sticks around or not. My TV displays the best 2D HD images I’ve ever seen.

It seems like a lot of companies are throwing a ton of money at 3D and really, if they get the hang of it I know movies can be beautiful in 3D, there’s a few gems out there that show the power of 3D. It’s a pretty solid tech, I mean colors aren’t lost and the picture can look great. The main issue right now is crosstalk which I’m sure can and will be resolved in the future for the most part. It’s pretty non-existent as it is. The glasses don’t annoy me but maybe it’s because I wear prescription glasses anyway and wearing 1 more pair really doesn’t bother me.

The only other problem I’ve noticed is slight dizziness from 3D. I used to never get dizzy while watching 3D, however I’ve just barely recovered from vestibular neuritis. So that’s probably the cause.

Then again, that also means you lose some freedom, and it could be a little more risky to host your own files there if they were accidentally identified as DMCA material. Mediafire and a few others have been known to remove anything that has links on a blogspot blog or other locations, so you have to be careful if you don’t want your files deleted.

Overall, so long as you keep everything private you upload to Mediafire, it’s a good host that could definitely meet your needs. The only real downfall of Mediafire is that it’s centralized, so if Mediafire goes down your files could go with it.

For a more open environment for your files you can learn to upload to and download from Usenet. With retentions the way they are you can almost expect any file you upload to be around for a very long time. (Downloading & First Setup Tutorial, Uploading Tutorial)

It seems pretty standard for a file host. $13 per month or 9.99 €  seems a little bit on the expensive side to me, especially since you never know how long the file host is going to last. If you want something stable the best option is always Usenet. The cost is going to be similar to file hosting companies but speed and reliability are going to go far beyond. To learn more about usenet, follow my tutorial.

• Unlimited download speed anytime

• No waiting time before downloads

• Unlimited parallel downloads

• Download accelerators supported

• No registration needed

• Remote HTTP uploads

• Resume paused downloads

• Upload files up to 2GB in size

• No daily limit on downloads

This is a pretty standard list of features for a premium account. However, it costs about the same amount as Usenet costs per month, and in general Usenet is by far superior.

For a more in depth tutorial on usenet, refer to my guide.

Once you sign up and maybe buy something, they redirect you to sites similar to beezid.com (which is a legitimate penny auction business) but they are misleading consumers into believing it’s something that it’s not.

This seems to just be a marketing trick. If you want real penny auctions with an established company, visit beezid. Yes, you have to buy bids, but that’s the way it is with all penny auctions. Why go with nomorerack when they could have possible issues, I mean look at the BBB reports on nomorerack.

Penny auctions are where you buy bids and bid on a particular item. What you end up paying is whatever the bid is when the time runs out.

So the answer is yes, people are getting iPads for $20 or lower on these sites, but not all the time. It can be somewhat difficult to snag a deal on these sites. Beezid is one of the most reputable penny auctions out there at the moment, so if you want to give it a try, beezid is a good place to start.

If it sounds too much like a roll of the dice, don’t bother with these “Liquidation, Warehouse deals” or any other site where you buy bids and bid on something.