MarcForrest.com

Category: Tech News

  • ESET Cybersecurity for Mac

    On Monday morning a really large package arrived for me at reception. After ripping the packaging off, I was presented with a couple of really cool gifts from the chaps over at ESET. ESET are one the worlds largest antivirus companies, and have been around for a couple of years. Included in the package was a disk which had the latest offering from the guys, ESET Cybersecurity for Mac.

    To give you a better idea about what the product is about, this from the ESET cybersecurity website:

    It is a generally accepted fact that Mac/Linux-based operating systems are safe, compared to Windows® platforms. However, no system exists in a vacuum and writers of malicious software are hard at work looking for weak-spots and devising exploits that can run across multiple platforms. Additionally, third party applications run on Mac systems can become easy targets for hackers. Unprotected Macs in a networked environment, where cross-platform sharing is taking place, can act as malware carriers.

    ESET Cybersecurity shuts down all attack vectors, neutralizing threats designed to attack Windows or Linux systems, along with emerging exploits against the Mac platform – to keep your sensitive data and identity protected around the clock.


    I installed my copy on my machine earlier this week, and had no issues at all. In fact, the setup & activation was so simple, it was over in a flash. Once I had activated my copy with the username and password that I had received, I rebooted my machine, and ran a full scan. The scan took about an hour and a half, and found no threats (sjoe) :)

    The very cool thing about this software, is if you run a bootcamp Windows partition, or use a virtual environment, you have full access to the Windows NOD32 antivirus software, under a license called “Unilicence”

    If you have a Mac, I would highly recommend grabbing yourself a copy of ESET Cybersecurity. A 1 year licence for 1 computer costs around R355. The Apple Retail stores around the country are also stocking them at the moment. You can also download a 1 month free trial from the ESET site to give it a run before you buy it.

  • XBox Kinect & XBox Live launch in South Africa

    I have never been much of a gamer. Mostly because I have never found something I have really enjoyed. I bought a Wii a while back, but never really got into it.

    But after seeing the Xbox Kinect in action at Tech-Ed a few weeks ago, I have to admit, I am very very keen to get one. The whole concept is brilliant, and especially for the kids, it is appealing, as there are no controllers which could accidentally get flung through the TV Screen.

    Last night Microsoft launched the XBox Kinect & XBox live  in South Africa. Kinect is an addition to your existing XBox, which is essentially an RGB camera which picks up your body movements. Similar to the Wii, but without the controllers. XBox live is a service which allows you to interact with friends over the internet, as well as play games against them.

    With the launch of Kinect there are a couple of great specials on at the moment.

    Kalahari has a XBox360 4GB with kinect for R3,599.
    Makro has the same deal for R3,699
    Musica & Take2 also have a couple of cool specials – XBox 360 250GB & Kinect & Kinect Adventures game for R4,299
    They also have a great special on without the Kinect :

    • Xbox 360 250G
    • Forza  3
    • Alan Wake Live Token
    • Live Chat Pad
    • Extra Wireless controller
    • Wireless headset
    • 3 Month Live Membership
    • 800 Points Live Card

    For only R3,499. You can also buy the Kinect separately from Kalahari for R1,899

    So far the following games are available for the Kinect on Kalahari: ( They all go for around R333)

    If you do pick up a new XBox, I suggest you also follow @Xbox360 and my mate @GlennZA on twitter.

    Are there any other specials I have missed ? I know I’m very very keen to make my way over to Musica shortly :)

  • iTunesUSA introduces payment via EFT

    Remember a while back I told you about the local site called iTunesUSA.co.za which sells iTunes vouchers at very reasonable prices ?

    Well, they have just introduced a new payment method  into their site, through PayFast, which allows you to purchase your vouchers using EFT through the site. Which means…no need for a credit card !!

    To make use of this awesome feature, once you have selected your voucher and go through to the payment section, select “Pay via Internet Banking“, as your option. You will then be given a selection of ABSA, FNB, Nedbank or Standard Bank. Once you have selected your bank, you are redirected to login to your internet banking, and you can make the payment. Payment is then sent through immediately.

    The beauty about this is that the iTunes voucher is delivered immediatly after you have made the payment. No 2 day waiting periods, and no need to fax proof of payment. I know I will use this option quite a bit.

    Another option which the guys offer is payment via UKash vouchers. These are vouchers you can buy at Pick n Pay or Checkers, and then all you need to do is enter the voucher number when making payment. Simple.

    If you have any questions, leave a comment below, and I will get the guys from the site to answer for you :)

  • We got featured on Mashable & Techcrunch !!

    Remember a while ago, I told you about a WordPress focused site, called Themergency,  that my mate Brad & I had setup ? The site focuses on all things WordPress, and over time has grown into a nice little wordpress resource. Admittedly we haven’t put too much time into it, but Brad has been developing a couple of cool plugins in the background.

    One of the plugins he has developed is called Twitter Blackbird Pie, which allows you to embed formatted tweets into your WordPress site, by simply pasting the URL into your post.Like this…

    [blackbirdpie id=”620419103064066″]

    [blackbirdpie id=”649278896734208″]

    [blackbirdpie id=”651996285632512″]

    On Friday, the guys from WordPress.com took the plugin & modified it a bit, and then added it to all WordPress.com sites. The story also got featured on Mashable & Techcrunch, 2 of THE LARGEST tech blogs on the internet, where they linked back to our original plugin.

    To say we are stoked is an understatement !!!

  • Get Phone Disk for Free

    I came across a very cool Windows/Mac app yesterday called Phone Disk, which is FREE until 1 Dec.

    The programme allows you to view folders and use your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch as a Disk on your computer, using your standard USB cable,even if it is NOT jailbroken.

    Features of the app include:

    • Open, copy and save files directly on device
    • Browse the iPhone in Finder and Windows Explorer
    • Fully integrated with OSX and Windows
    • Expands to work with multiple devices
    • Copy images and then view them on device

    The programme is FREE until 1 Dec 2010, so I suggest you get your hands on it ASAP.