How To Password-protect your folders with free docLock

If you share your PC with friends, family members, co-workers, the occasional IT guy, etc., there may be files and folders you want to keep private. You know, financial data, company secrets, certain sensitive video files--that kind of thing. (Hey, I'm not here to judge.)

Out of the box, Windows doesn't give you the tools you need to password-protect files and folders. For that, you'll need a third-party utility. Most of them cost anywhere from $30-50, but if you're quick with your clicking finger, you can score one absolutely free.

Today only, Giveaway of the Day is giving away docLock for Windows. It regularly sells for $49.95 (though it's currently on sale for $29.95 from developer Large Software).

docLock provides military-grade security for any files and folders you want to protect. You can assign your own password or let the software generate one for you. And locking/unlocking is as simple as dragging and dropping to the docLock window or right-clicking the item and choosing docLock from the context menu.

If you need to share a protected file/folder with someone or take it with you, docLock gives you the option of making it portable--meaning it can be unlocked just by supplying the password (i.e. docLock itself doesn't need to be present).

Like all Giveaway of the Day deals, this one expires at midnight. To take advantage of it, you must download and install the program today. (And, yes, if you reformat your hard drive or migrate to another PC down the road, you'll lose access to the software. It's really intended to be a kind of extended trial.)

Bonus deal: Also today only, you can score a TrendNet TPL-303E2K Powerline Adapter Kit for $49.99 shipped. It uses your existing electrical wires to establish a high-speed Ethernet connection between your router and a PC, game console, Blu-ray player, or whatever. These kits normally sell for at least $100.

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How to Keep Malware Off Your Android Phone

Although some of these apps might look suspicious, others bearing names such as "Quick Notes" or "Chess" seem innocent enough, and you might not think twice about downloading them.

Tips for a Malware-Free Smartphone

Following are five quick tips to help you keep your Android handset free of malware.

1. Always research the publisher of the app. What other apps does it offer? Do any of them look a bit shady? If so, you should probably stay away.
2. Read online reviews. Android Market reviews may not always be truthful. Check around to see what reputable Websites are saying about the app before you hit the download button.
3. Always check app permissions. Whenever you download or update an app, you get a list of permissions for it. An alarm clock app, for instance, probably shouldn't need to look through your contacts. The general rule of thumb: If an app is asking for more than what it needs to do its job, you should skip it. 
4. Avoid directly installing Android Package files (APKs). When Angry Birds first came to Android, you could get it only through a third party. This is called "sideloading," or installing apps using an .APK file. Although Angry Birds wasn't malware, in general it is highly advisable not to download and install .APK files that you randomly come across. Most of the time you won't know what the file contains until you install it--and by then it's too late.
5. Put a malware and antivirus scanner on your phone. Although many people still think that antivirus scanners on phones are useless, maybe outbreaks such as this one will change minds. Several different big-name security companies already offer mobile-security options, many of them free. I myself had downloaded "Spider Man," which is on a bad-apps list. My Lookout software identified it as a Trojan horse.

Infected-Apps List Published by Android User 'Myournet'

• Advanced Currency Converter
• App Uninstaller
• Chess
• Dice Roller
• Falling Ball Dodge
• Falling Down
• Funny Paint
• Hilton Sex Sound
• Hot Sexy Videos
• Photo Editor
• Scientific Calculator
• Screaming Sexy Japanese Girls
• Spider Man
• Super Guitar Solo
• Super History Eraser
• Super Ringtone Maker
• Super Sex Positions

Infected-Apps List Published by Android User 'Kingmall2010'

Advanced App to SD
Advanced Barcode Scanner
Advanced Compass Leveler
Advanced File Manager
Best password safe
Bowling Time
Magic Strobe Light
Music Box
Sexy Girls: Japanese
Sexy Legs
Super Stopwatch & Timer
Supre Bluetooth Transfer
Task Killer Pro

Infected-Apps List Compiled Under the Developer Name 'we20090202'

• Advanced Sound Manager
• Basketball Shot Now
• Bubble Shoot
• Color Blindness Test
• Finger Race
• Funny Face
• Magic Hypnotic Spiral
• Omok Five in a Row
• Piano
• Quick Delete Contacts
• Quick Notes
• Super Sexy Ringtones
• Tie a Tie

Also on the lists are the foreign-language apps shown at left.

Lookout Mobile Security, which provides security software for mobile phones, posted on its blog a list of 56 Android applications that have been infected with DroidDream, a new type of Android malware that roots your phone and gains access to as much personal information as it can. The apps also can open a backdoor, allowing more executable code to download to your phone without your being aware of it.

A few of these apps have already been downloaded by at least 50,000 users, making this one of the most widespread cases of Android malware to date. Although the apps in question have been pulled from the Android Market, Google is investigating them and has not yet moved to wipe them remotely from users' phones.

Lookout has issued an update to its mobile security software. If you have downloaded any of these apps, the company advises that you run its malware scanner and e-mail the Lookout support center. Mashable (also posted a list of infected apps complied by Myournet) suggests returning your phone to your carrier, as your data and security may be compromised.

With more and more malware emerging for the Android platform every day, users would do well to be careful and pay strict attention to what happens on their phones. You have to remember that smartphones are essentially computers--and all computers are vulnerable to attack by malicious software.

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Gmail Hacks: Tips and Tricks You May Not Know

Google Mail is without doubt one of the most popular online email services. What makes it so interesting is not only the functionality that it provides out of the box but also its extensibility. The following article contains five Gmail tips and tricks that you may not know about:

Trick 1: Select multiple messages

Tired of clicking individual messages but don't want to select all of them? Select the first message in the set, hold the shift key, then select the last message of the set.

Trick 2: Bypass the blank message prompt

Do you send messages where the subject is the entire message? Then you're familiar with the prompt asking you if you're sure you want to send the message without text in the body. To bypass the prompt, type "EOM" or "(EOM)" at the end of the subject to tell Gmail that it's the end of message.

Trick 3: Use address aliases

Gmail doesn't offer traditional e-mail aliases, but you can add a "+" to the end of your username to create one. For example, messages sent to username+alias@gmail.com is sent to username@gmail.com. This can be useful for setting up filters or figuring out who's selling your e-mail address to spammers.

Trick 4: Dots or no dots, it's your username

Did you know that Gmail doesn't recognize dots as characters within a username? That means that if your e-mail address is username@gmail.com, then user.name@gmail.com and u.s.e.r.n.a.m.e@gmail.com are also yours.

Trick 5: Send & Archive at once

If you send messages and immediately archive the conversation, you can save yourself a step by adding a Send & Archive button. Go to the Labs section of your Mail Settings and enable the Send & Archive button.

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