Quick Takes
A powerhouse living-room PC; Mailblocks improved; convenient Wi-Fi spotter; affordable PC security.
A Powerhouse Living-Room PC
Photograph by Rick Rizner
The PC Power & Cooling
SleekLine 3000MX targets power users seeking a compact system that's capable of handling home-theater PC duties. My shipping unit--loaded with a 3.2-GHz Pentium 4, 1024MB of DDR-400 SDRAM, and two hard drives configured in a 240GB RAID arrangement--ran quieter than most desktops, though louder than the fanless Hush and Tranquil PCs. In performance, the $2999 system trounced both, however, garnering an impressive
PC WorldBench 4 score of 136.
Tom Mainelli
Mailblocks Improved
The Web-based e-mail service Mailblocks can effectively block junk messages by using challenge/response technology that forces senders to prove that they're real. In the past, however, people whose addresses had been verified by one Mailblocks user would be challenged anew each time another friend or colleague began using Mailblocks. The updated service keeps track of all verified users, eliminating repeat challenges. Other improvements include customizable challenges and a very much needed spelling checker. The yearly fee remains $10.
Tom Mainelli
Convenient Wi-Fi Spotter
Photograph by Rick Rizner
When you use Wi-Fi on the road, you have to boot up your notebook to see if you are within range of a signal. Enter Kensington's $29 WiFi Finder, a credit card-size device that checks for a usable 802.11b or 802.11g wireless signal in your location. A red light means no signal; a single green light, a weak one; and three green lights, a strong one. In my tests, however, recognition was erratic.
Michael Lasky
Affordable PC Security
Photograph by Rick Rizner
If you're after corporate-level data security but don't want to buy 500 licenses, consider SecurSoftware's $130
SecurLock 1.3. The latest version adds data shredding to the software component's long list of capabilities. Other features include USB token-and-PIN-based Secure Login; an array of unique user name/password combinations that you can drag and drop where needed; and encryption to protect your attachments, folders, and files.
Rex Farrance
