If you are a Windows user, you are bombarded with viruses, spyware, malware, and rootkits – basically everything short of the kitchen sink to make your PC a spam relay unit.

You need heavy lifting tools to fight these common everyday annoyances.

Enter Rootkit Revealer:

RootkitRevealer is an advanced patent-pending root kit detection utility. It runs on Windows NT 4 and higher and its output lists Registry and file system API discrepancies that may indicate the presence of a user-mode or kernel-mode rootkit.

My advise to all Windows users: Just side with caution, keep your virus definitions up to date, do Windows update, install and antispyware program, and if you see something that looks unfamiliar just don’t click.

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Free remote [secure] file backup service anyone? Mozy [Berkeley Data Systems, Inc.] is offering just that. You download a client side file management utility [Windows XP] and select the filetypes that you want Mozy to monitor for data backups. Simple right?

Mozy is a secure, automatic remote backup and archiving service for any PC in any home or office. It’s simple to install and configure. No external hard drive, expensive subscription services, CD or DVD’s to burn. All you need is a broadband connection and you are ready to go!

But what about security? File size limitations? Mozy is proposing to offer the following:

• 1GB of backup storage, or 2GB if you fill out our survey
• Block-level differential backup
• Open File support
• 128-bit SSL Support (to secure your data during transport)
• 448-bit Blowfish Encryption (to secure your data on our server)

So what’s the catch? In order for Mozy to support its service, users must agree to accept email advertisements [read spam] for services which Mozy believes beneficial for users.

Stay tuned for a “long-term” test of the service. I decided to submit a few survey details for the optional storage limit increase to 2GB. I’m almost certain the survey results will be utilized for more “focused” spam.

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We have been online for well over a year, and we thought it was time to highlight some of our favorite and most popular posts.

UNEASYsilence was created to be a home for overlooked news, thoughts, or just ridiculous things. If you will, a synaptic misfire: a virtual holding cell for lucid insights, incoherent ramblings and undigested waste of a few million underutilized brain cells.

I’m sure the New York Times wouldn’t cover:
// Dog Condoms
// Prada Toolkits
// Gucci Ice Cube Trays
// Rogue Bluemen
plus, would they ask the question
// Who would stroke my hairy armpit? (Worth a click)

Being a first time blog publisher we realized it takes many redesigns to get it right. (Also we gave up poking fun at Dr. Phil)

Month after month, hits started to add up – and we started to get a feel for the site. Funny our first big hit came from Fleshbot! I guess everyone enjoys some risque material. (260 stories strong)

We were the first to:
// Unpack the Mac mini
// Release Treo 650 Wi-Fi drivers
// Show off the Mac OS 10.4 desktops
and
// welcome video weeks before it came out.

Did I mention it is easy to break into anybody’s voicemail, or spoof caller ID?

Then there was the whole OSX on Intel period that logged several million hits alone:
// How to Install Tiger on Your PC Without Wiping Windows ‘Non-Destructive’ Mac/Windows Dual Boot Installation
// OS X PROVEN hacked and running on an ordinary PC.

Stories like these have gotten us noticed on Engadget, Gizmodo, Slashdot, and Digg to name a few. Hell, just Google us!

But what is a blog without video clips. We need to thank Paris, StarWars Nerd, Dennis Leary, and T. O. for feeding our fire.

I think our favorite section on this site is the How-To category. We’ve covered:
// How-To: Use unsigned themes on Windows Windows doesn’t have to be ugly
// How-To: Download music videos using the .ASX URi & VLC
// How-to: Backup your Windows iTunes library
// How-To: Play WMV files in iTunes [OSX] Yes, poison your machine with Microsoft
// How-To: Download 700K music video streams from Yahoo What’s that? Cease what?
// How-To: Hacking Hotel PPV Stop bending over for hotel charges
// How-To: Avoid traffic tickets or How-To piss off State Troopers
// How-To: Dial your Voicemail for FREE!
// How-To: Backup Del.icio.us to Gmail

STOP! Hammertime! Make sure you protect your banana.

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We’re not all about the geek factor, and we know our readers aren’t either. We love to poke fun at Catty politicians and adore the fact that our Rockin’ President does an equally swell job as a dancing Dr. Suess character. Also we are not afraid to ask hard hitting questions such as if Skeletor is really gay?

Is this an accurate representation of our site? We’re not sure. All that we ask is that you enjoy your stay, use our search feature, and drop us a line if you have anything to say.

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Note: Any trademarks, service marks, or brands are property of their respective holders. Any linked information is property of the original author, and we provide those links for informational purposes only.

No matter how meticulously you remove cookies and cleanse spyware and adware from your PC, snoops can still track your movements on the Web. The telltale sign is your IP address.

For a Web server to send your browser information, the server needs to know that you’re at 192.168.234.10, for instance. Some Web servers can reveal the city you’re in, the Internet service provider you use (or the company you work for), and the type of connection you have–in other words, a lot more than a cookie ever could.

Fortunately, a free tool named Tor from Electronic Frontier Foundation can close this privacy loophole. Tor–a World Class Award winner last month, and available at tor.eff.org–strips the identifying IP address from the headers of each data packet that leaves your computer, by bouncing the packet through a special network of computers called “onion routers.” The trade-off for this kind of anonymity, of course, is the speed of your Web browsing. Bouncing from server to server takes time. Tor’s advantage over previous anonymizing services is that it can anonymize more than browser communications. Tor works with apps like Thunderbird, Outlook, and Eudora–and with IM programs.

Before you can use Tor, you must download a small freeware app called Privoxy). After installing Privoxy, you must alter a line in one of the program’s settings files so that Privoxy can talk to Tor (click here for instructions).

Without directions to send their data through Tor, your apps won’t know how to transmit packets over the network. In Internet Explorer, click Tools, Internet Options, then the Connections tab, and then the LAN Settings button. Check Use proxy server for your LAN and click Advanced. In the HTTP field, type localhost; and in the Port field, enter 8118. In Firefox, go to Tools and click Options. Click Connection Settings, and in the field labeled ‘HTTP Proxy’ fill in the same information as outlined above for IE.

You’ll have to enter these proxy settings into each app you want to use with Tor, and you’ll lose a little extra time to Web browsing each day. But if you want complete privacy, it’s a small price to pay. [via]

Download Tor

Download Privoxy

This probably won’t be of any interest to privacy minded individuals.

Plazes is a free “social networking” service which utilizes your current local network connection to pinpoint your current location.

Plazes is a location based service so it makes a lot more sense if you are using it with your location being known to the other users. You need to be online to use Plazes. The system uses a fingerprint of the network you are logged onto as a unique identifier for a specific Plaze. The key is being connected with the geographic location of your network (i.e. your Plaze) on our server.

This isn’t your typical plain jain network tracking service. Users are able to tag (or geotag) their surrounding areas allowing them to a.) find users in the area, and b.) locate places of interest ie hotspots, restaurants, offices, ect. Note that you do need to install software on to your computer in order to use the service. Reminds me of MSN’s Virtual Earth “Locate Me” tool.

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If the service sounds somewhat appealing, you may want to consider checking Meetro. Meetro is a proximity instant messaging service. Upon registering, you’re required to enter your address which Meetro uses to locate other Meetro users in your proximity. Great if you’re trying to find another lonely individual within walking or driving distance. I tested the service briefly. Apparently there are 3 Meetro users within 1.0 miles, and 15+ within 100.