Kaspersky Internet Security 2014 review: An all-around performer

The best security suites are the ones you never notice, because they work silently in the background. But when you want to dig into the settings, you’ll appreciate dealing with a well-designed user interface that even a novice can understand.

Kaspersky Internet Security 2014 ($60 for one year of protection on up to three PCs) is one such suite. It offers great protection, and its design works well on touch and nontouch systems.

In AV-Test’s real-world battery of tests involving Web and email threats, Kaspersky blocked 100 percent of zero-day attacks, matching the performance of Eset Smart Security 7, F-Secure Internet Security 2014, Norton Internet Security 2014, and Trend Micro Titanium Maximum Security 2014, and making it one of the strongest security suites in our roundup. AV-Test’s baseline security program, Microsoft Security Essentials, blocked just 71 percent of zero-day attacks. Kaspersky also sailed through our malware zoo test (identifying and blocking widespread known malware that had been discovered within the previous month), stopping 100 percent of attacks.

Kaspersky Internet Security 2014: ready for touchscreens.

Kaspersky’s algorithm is tight: Internet Security 2014 didn’t flag a single nonthreatening website as risky, nor did it falsely block or issue warnings to users installing legitimate software. During system scans, Kaspersky didn’t flag any legitimate programs as unsafe. The most trigger-happy packages in our roundup—F-Secure, Vipre Internet Security 2014, and Webroot SecureAnywhere Internet Security Complete—registered five false positives each.

Internet Security 2014 is also one of the lightest-impact suites in our roundup, scoring a 1 (a mark bested only by the far less effective Webroot SecureAnywhere suite) that reflects minimal adverse impact on overall system performance.

Installing Internet Security 2014 is easy. You have just four screens to click through, and the suite doesn’t try to push additional software or settings changes. The only potential hiccup during installation arises if Kaspersky detects “incompatible” software, such as a rival antimalware suite, in which case it asks you to uninstall the offending program. Uninstalling a competing suite may require a reboot, but simply installing Kaspersky’s suite does not.

Kaspersky’s interface is optimized for Windows 8 without having too distinctly a Metro style. Though buttons are large and easy to click, not every setting is a colorful square.

The main screen features a big computer icon with several large button icons beneath it. A checkmark on the computer icon indicates protection, and you can click the icon for details about any security issues. The buttons provide quick links for scanning your system, updating your security database, and accessing Safe Money, which protects your online banking and payment information. Tap an arrow to the right of these links for access to features including reports, parental controls, and quarantined files.

The top level of the settings menu is designed to meet the needs of regular people, with easy, touchscreen-friendly toggles and plain-English explanations for all settings. More-experienced users can click top-level settings to find additional options.

Kaspersky Internet Security 2014 is a well-rounded suite, with excellent protection, minimal strain on system resources, and a user-friendly interface. Its jargon-free settings explanations won me over last year, and now its protection capabilities are just as impressive.

Sarah is a freelance writer and editor based in Silicon Valley. She has a love/hate relationship with social media and a bad habit of describing technology as "sexy."
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Review: Trend Micro Titanium Internet Security 2013: An all-around winner

Sarah is a freelance writer and editor based in Silicon Valley. She has a love/hate relationship with social media and a bad habit of describing technology as "sexy."
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Trend Micro Titanium Internet Security 2013 ($50 for one year and three PCs, as of 12/19/12) certainly lives up to its name. This “titanium” security suite doesn’t let anything get through—in our tests, it earned excellent marks in just about every category. It also has a fairly user-friendly interface and a quick installation process, which makes it an all-around great pick.

In our real-world attack tests, which indicate how well an antivirus program will be able to block new malware attacks as it encounters them in the wild, Trend Micro’s suite completely blocked every threat that it faced. Needless to say, this means that the program will likely be able to keep you very secure, even when new malware programs are introduced in the future.

Trend Micro nabbed high marks in most of our other security tests. In our malware-zoo detection test, which exposes the program to a collection of malware that had been introduced in the preceding four months, Trend Micro’s package detected 100 percent of known malware samples. In our false-positive test, which checks to see whether a product mistakenly flags a known safe file as being dangerous, Trend Micro identified just one safe file (out of over 250,000) as malicious.

In addition, the suite did very well in our system cleanup test: It detected and disabled 100 percent of infections, and it managed to fully purge the system of 80 percent of those infections. This result puts it in second place, tied with G Data and Kaspersky, for total cleanup rate.

Trend Micro Titanium Internet Security 2013 is also a fairly speedy and lightweight program—most of the time. In our performance tests, the program added just 0.3 second to startup time (compared to a system that had no antivirus program installed), and 3 seconds to shutdown time. However, we found that it dragged down file copy operations more than most of its competition did.

The suite’s scan times were on the slow side, too, with an on-demand (manual) scan taking 1 minute, 50 seconds (as compared to the average time of 1 minute, 33 seconds), and an on-access scan requiring 5 minutes, 41 seconds (as compared to the average time of 4 minutes, 50 seconds).

Installing the Trend Micro package is a breeze—you have just three screens to click through and an optional registration screen (which asks only for your email address). Note, however, that the program does try to install three separate Firefox add-ons: a browser exploit prevention add-on, which blocks malicious code from running; a certificate add-on, which checks the safety of websites, links, and wireless network connections; and a toolbar add-on, which also apparently checks the safety of links.

Trend Micro’s user interface is relatively easy to understand, though it’s not as polished or attractive as AVG’s, F-Secure’s, or Norton’s. The main window has five tabs along the top: an Overview tab, and others for PC/Mobile, Privacy, Data, and Family. The Overview tab shows your protection status, along with some additional stats (such as how many threats have been stopped). This screen also has a scan button, a settings button, and a security-report button.

The PC/Mobile tab shows PC- and mobile-related security features, such as the system tuner and the rescue-disk creator, as well as links to get Trend Micro’s apps for your Android devices and Mac systems. The Privacy tab deals with social networking, the Data tab covers data security along with Trend Micro’s secure erase feature, and the Family tab holds parental controls.

The settings pane, which you can access via the first tab, features basic settings for virus and spyware controls, Internet and email controls, and exception lists. You’ll also find a button for other settings, such as system startup, network settings, and the background picture for your main window. Trend Micro’s settings don’t seem to be overly geared toward the advanced user, but the suite could still do a better job of explaining the settings and features within the program.

Overall, Trend Micro Titanium Internet Security is a great choice. This security suite boasts excellent performance, a quick installation process, a user-friendly interface, and speedy scans. Its settings pane is a tad confusing, but that’s a minor issue considering the protection you’ll be getting.

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Samsung Galaxy Player 4.2 Review: Great All-Around Android Player

Available in two new sizes, the Samsung Galaxy Player is a Wi-Fi-connected Android media player that complements Samsung's popular Galaxy phone lineup--with the advantage that it doesn't require you to be tied to a phone contract or monthly data fees. The smaller Galaxy Player 3.6 costs $150, while the larger Galaxy Player 4.2 sells for $200 (prices as of June 1, 2012). Both have 8GB of storage space. In this review, we'll focus on the Galaxy Player 4.2, which matches up against the $200 Apple iPod Touch better than its smaller cousin does. The 3.6 and 4.2 models follow the Galaxy Player 4.0 and 5.0, which Samsung released only about six months ago.

Design

The numbers in the various Galaxy Player names refer to their diagonal screen size. Thus, the Galaxy Player 4.2 has a 4.2-inch display. Its bezel, especially on the sides, is very thin. Though the iPod Touch has only a 3.5-inch screen, most new smartphones have screens slightly larger than 4 inches now; and Samsung's Galaxy Note boasts a 5.3-inch display.

Despite its large screen, the Galaxy Player feels very thin (at 0.35 inch, it's a tad thicker than the 0.28-inch thick iPod Touch) and light (it weighs just 0.25 pound, as does the Touch). The trade-off for its lightness is that it feels as if it were made of cheap plastic. The glossy black plastic is a fingerprint magnet, too, which further detracts from the device's aesthetics.

The 800-by-480-resolution display doesn't quite achieve retina-display density, but it looks crisp and bright. The 4.2-inch screen is slightly too large for me to comfortably navigate one-handed, using my thumb, but I have small hands. Adults with average-size hands should be able to reach across to the far corner just fine. Ultimately, the screen size strikes an almost ideal balance between being comfortable to hold and being comfortable to view content on.

Unlike its smaller cousin, the Galaxy Player 4.2 comes with dual front-facing speakers--one above the screen and one below it, in portrait orientation. Sound from the speakers is strong and clear, though a bit thin due to their small size. Below the screen, a physical Home button sits between the capacitive buttons for Back and Search.

Similar to the smaller player, the home button and volume rocker are on the right side, and the Micro-USB port and headphone jack are on the bottom. The large back panel is removable, so you can have access to the battery and the MicroSD card slot. You'll have to take out the battery to get to the card, so it's not a quick swap, but at least the fixed storage (at 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB) is expandable, unlike on the Sony Walkman Z Series.

The Galaxy Player 4.2 also has rear- and front-facing cameras. The quality of the 2-megapixel camera on the back is adequate for a quick tweet or Facebook post, but not much else. The front-facing camera has VGA resolution (as does the one on the iPod Touch)--good enough for video chats.

Performance and Specs

The Galaxy Player 4.2 runs Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread, and packs a 1GHz processor and 512MB of RAM. In my hands-on use, the Player ran smoothly for casual gaming; FIFA 12 played smoothly most of the time, but the intro video dropped a few frames.

For connectivity, you get Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, and GPS. The GPS locked onto my location quickly, but in the absence of cellular data to update the maps, turn-by-turn navigation was impractical. Samsung includes an FM radio, too, incase you get tired of the tunes you've loaded. It will only work with the headphones plugged in, however, because it uses the cable as the antenna.

Samsung promises 8 hours of video playback or 60 hours of audio playback between charges of the Galaxy Player 4.2's 1500mAh battery. Oddly, Samsung rates the same-capacity battery on the smaller-screened 3.6-inch player for just 5 hours video or 30 hours of audio. In my use, the battery seemed to be draining faster than its spec would suggest; if you're a commuter, you'll want to charge it at work during the day so you can use it on the trip home.

Software and Extras

The Galaxy Player 4.2 comes with the full suite of Google apps, including access to the Play Store marketplace, Maps, Gmail, GTalk, and other official Google apps. Samsung augments the stock Android experience with its TouchWiz interface; if you have a Samsung phone, you should feel right at home with this overlay.

Other notable preloaded apps are Quickoffice, Samsung Smartview remote control software to turn the player into a remote for a connected Samsung TV, and Kies air to manage the player over a Wi-Fi connection from a browser.

To show off its gaming potential, the Galaxy Player 4.2 also comes with Need For Speed Hot Pursuit, Angry Birds, FIFA 12, and a link to trials of more EA games.

The stock headphones that come with the Player of reasonable design, and the same design as on the Player 3.2. The in-ear buds come with a choice of three sizes of rubber tips, and I was surprised to find that the middle size actually fit comfortably and stayed in my normally hard-to-fit ears.

Media

The Galaxy Player 4.2 doesn't have the range of equalizer options that the Walkman Z Series does. Still, the sound is strong and clear, though not as rich or full as the Sony. The 4.2's biggest advantage is its dual front-facing speakers, which outperformed the muffled little rear speakers on both the Galaxy Player 3.6 and the Sony Walkman.

The screen falls short of full 720p resolution, but 800 by 480 is sufficient for clear video. Playback is smooth, even in the action scenes of a 720p film. The Galaxy Player 4.2 can handle playback of ASF, AVI, FLV, MKV, MP4, 3GP, and WMV videos. Audio playback includes AAC, FLAC, MP3, Ogg, WAV, and WMA.

The video and audio playback apps on the Galaxy Player 4.2 are easy to use and offer lots of options for organizing and sorting music and videos. You can add new files to the device by plugging in the USB cable and then dragging and dropping them directly to the player itself or to its MicroSD card if you have one installed. You can purchase music and video files from the Google Play store, or you can stream them from apps such as Pandora and Netflix.

Bottom Line

The Galaxy Player 4.2 is a good all-around performer with a nice big screen, strong audio and video performance, solid gaming options, and passable rear- and front-facing cameras. For the price of an iPod Touch, you can have a larger screen, front-facing speakers, and expandable memory. For buyers seeking an Android-powered alternative, the Galaxy Player 4.2 is the best choice.

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Google Chrome: Still a Strong All-Around Browser

Chrome's minimalist design isn't eye-catching, but its lean toolbar leaves more room for viewing Web pages. And what Chrome lacks in flashiness, it more than makes up for in performance. Google's browser really shone in our JavaScript test, leaving its competitors in the dust. JavaScript is used in many popular websites--Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Reddit, etc.--because it makes those sites more immediately responsive and those JavaScript heavy pages will perform better in Chrome. The browser also performed admirably in our speed test, fully loading an image-heavy page in just over five seconds.

Along with impressive performance, Google's browser has some other useful tricks up its sleeve. For starters, tabs are run as separate processes so that if one crashes, it doesn't take the entire browser down with it. If your wanderings take you to a foreign language Web site, Chrome will recognize the language and offer to translate it for you in a matter of seconds. The translations, which are powered by Google Translate, are not always completely accurate--but they can be helpful in giving you a basic idea on what the page is about. Chrome is one of the most secure browsers on this list because it is sandboxed: The plug-ins Chrome uses are limited to accessing information only within the browser itself and cannot read information from other areas on your computer. Sandboxing allows Chrome to prevent malware that uses plug-in exploits from spreading through your PC.

Mobile users will be glad to know that if you own an Android phone or tablet running Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), you can sync your Chrome bookmarks and web history to your mobile devices.

You can customize Chrome with web apps, themes, and extensions to fit your preferences. Chrome has a built-in web store that makes it easy to search for and install add-ons to the browser. Add-ons range from simple things, like an Evernote plug-in, all the way up to full games like Angry Birds or Bastion. And, unlike in Firefox, you don’t need to restart your browser every time you install a new extension or app.

Still, Chrome lacks an integrated RSS reader, so you'll need to come up with your own solution if you subscribe to multiple RSS feeds.

Note: The Downloads button takes you to the vendor's site, where you can download the latest version of the software.

--Megan Geuss

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