Picks: Reviews of ViPNet Safe Disk, Nero 7, Schedule Wizard 2007, and PC Spy.

• ViPNet Safe Disk
• Version:
• System Requirements: Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP/Vista
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ViPNet Safe Disk, by Infotechs GmbH is an interesting utility that helps you to encrypt any data that you want to keep safe. The program has an intuitive interface and is easy-to-use, making it perfect for users with all levels of experience. In testing the program I found that it creates "containers" that can vary in size. I created one of 500 megabytes and another of 3.5 gigabytes, just to see how well it worked. Each container uses a drive letter so you can easily access the contents with most software. I even saved some software reviews into the one container and it worked perfectly. Each container is automatically closed or "unmounted" when you shut down Windows or when you use the program to close a container. I put a bunch of documents in the containers and I couldn't tell any difference in performance. Keep in mind that while you're working on files in a container they are constantly being decrypted and encrypted. So, I was pleased to see that there was no performance hit while working. Once you close a container everything inside it becomes gibberish. That is to say, it's rendered unrecognizable. Another cool feature, meant to protect you, is the ability to automatically disappear. For example, say you have a power failure while you're working in ViPNet Safe Disk. It will automatically close any open containers and hide the tray icon. Slick.

ViPNet Safe Disk lets you create as many containers as you want assuming you have enough drive letters to go around. You can also create containers in any size as long as you have enough disk space. The program also has a couple of "modes" that allow you to have a "James Bond" moment if you want. For example, you can utilize "Danger" mode which urgently closes containers or "Extreme Danger" which wipes out a container and everything in it. Seems a bit extreme to me, but I guess some people want that capability. ViPNet Safe Disk is loaded with nice features that let you use it the way you want. So, if you'd like to have data that you know is totally secure, this may be your solution. Check it out.

• Nero 7 Ultra Edition Enhanced
• Version: 7
• System Requirements: Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista
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Nero 7 Ultra Edition Enhanced, by Nero, Inc. is a full-featured program for doing everything with multimedia. It's been around for a long time and is quite popular with many users. I'm reviewing version 7.x and the current version from Nero is version 8. I won't even try to cover all of the things this product does. Suffice it to say that if it involves audio, video, computers, phones, TVs, or just about any other media, Nero & Ultra Edition Enhanced can deal with it. You can use it to burn DVD, Blu-Ray, CDs, and more. It can handle disk images, can format videos for you cell phone, and can help you record your favorite TV shows. Nero 7 Ultra Edition Enhanced can handle all of your audio files and will help you to get them on CD or even DVD. You can also use the program to backup files to CD or DVD. The program goes way beyond just multimedia by giving you features like the ability to recover from a system crash. Nero & Ultra Edition Enhanced is absolutely loaded with cool and powerful features. This is one of those products that you have to try for yourself to truly appreciate. I could write pages about what it does and how well it does it, but you need to see for yourself. It's a good-sized download, but worth the time. So, if you're looking for a product that will do everything you need with photos, video, audio, and more, this> may be your solution! Try it!

• Schedule Wizard 2007
• Version: 4.04
• System Requirements: Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP/2003/Vista
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Schedule Wizard 2007 , by Vince Sorensen is a nifty tool for scheduling the launch of programs, posting of email, reminding you of birthdays, showing you messages, and much more. You can use Schedule Wizard 2007 for all kinds of things to help make your life easier. The program is easy-to-use and perfect for users with all levels of experience. It also comes with a detailed help file so you can get all the help you need. Schedule Wizard 2007 lets you schedule events for any possible combination of day or time. The schedule interface covers just about any combination you can think of, quite impressive. You can schedule appointments, programs, messages, reminders, and scripts. The program can also play alarms which can be a handy feature when you're having a busy day. The script function gives you lots of extra power to really keep things flexible. You don't need to be a programmer to use these scripts, but they will make your events more powerful. For example, an action can be controlled by a wide range of criteria. Is a certain file present? Is a certain window open? How much time has gone by? And so on. Schedule Wizard 2007 can help you to schedule and automate a good part of your day and even the time when you're not at your computer. If you need a little help with your schedule Schedule Wizard 2007 just might be your solution. Give it a try.

• PC Spy
• Version: 2.53
• System Requirements: Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP/2003/Vista
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PC Spy, by Softdd, Inc., is, as you might guess from the name, a program that lets you spy on your computer. Well, not really on your computer, but on anyone who uses it when you aren't around. Children might be a good example. The program works in the background and secretly captures the screen, saving it to disk. By doing this you can later look and see exactly what Web sites were visited, if anyone was chatting, what programs were open, and lots more. You can password protect the program so only you, or other authorized users, can open it. Another cool feature is that the screen captures can only be viewed with PC Spy so those being spied on can't stumble up the screen shots with some other program. Cool. In testing it out I found you could set a specific start time. That means you have control if, for example, you only want the program to start monitoring after your children have gotten home from school. Ahh, and you can tell the program to automatically start so that if your kids reboot the computer the program will still be there silently capturing screens. It would also be a good tool to monitor employees who you think aren't always working on work-related items. I supposer there are a number of other scenarios where you could use PC Spy, but I'll let you use your imaginations. The program is quite easy-to-use and perfect for all users. One caution, however, is to be sure you don't forget you have the program installed. Even with the available compression of the screen shots, eventually you'll run out of disk space if you don't monitor the program. So, if you have people you feel you need to keep a hidden eye on, PC Spy may be the solution you've been looking for.

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