FREE virus protection with AVG Anti Virus Free Edition.

www.avg.com

AVG Free is well known and well regarded virus scanner. It is not a full internet security suite. I use AVG Free on my Windows XP computer. It updates automatically each day for the latest anti-virus signatures; scans email and provides a safety check on web sites (e.g. on results from a Google search). Manual scans of single files, folders or USB memory sticks are quick and simple.

AVG Free has a major irritant. It takes around 90 minutes to do a (default) full scan on my desktop PC. As scans are set to run automatically every day I now set the scanner to start at 4.00am (when the PC is turned off) and start the scan manually when I think of it. It kind of defeats the purpose of up to date virus protection. Scan time can be reduced to around 45 minutes by de-selecting “scan inside archives”. Bill indicated AVG Free scans his PC in a matter of seconds. What is your experience?

FREE Voice and Video calls over the internet with SKYPE.

www.skype.com

The nitty gritty of Netmasters! Some members have been using Skype for personal calls for some time. Mark, Alan and David have recently installed the software and tested out video and voice calls. Next step – have a club member deliver a speech via Skype at home to the rest of the club at a meeting.

There are different versions of Skype to suit individual operating systems. Our three testers used Windows XP, Linux and Mac versions. No problems speaking (and viewing) each other.

Skype software is free and internet calls to other Skype users are free (V+VOIP). Skype offer chargeable options such as speaking from your computer to external local and international telephone numbers. There are options for conference calls (more than two parties) which I think are chargeable too. The main advantage of Skype is that it is world-wide and has literally millions of users. I have a niggling doubt about the definition of “local” calls with Skype. As a European company, are calls from Perth to Fremantle charged at the “international” rate? There may be advantages to use Australian VOIP software.

Using video uses Megabytes! On my niggardly 400MB ADSL1 plan, Skype uses about 5MB per minute. Irritants? Yes! Skype user documentation is woeful. Perhaps this is because the software is so widely used and known that there is no need for the company to provide detailed help files for a novice.

(It is planned that) one of our members will deliver a speech from his suburban home using video and voice over internet (VVOIP) techniques. The other club members will view the speech (in real time) on a large screen TV monitor at the Shelley home of David. The speech will be evaluated on line. This will be followed by an interactive discussion on the use of VVOIP for Toastmasters meetings.

The use of standard domestic facilities and inexpensive computer peripherals will be a critical test for the ultimate aim of Netmaster members in remote localities to join in a standard club meeting.

Netmasters members: ensure Thursday 3 September is free of other engagements so you can take part in this historic event. Watch for emails detailing the meeting agenda and the actual address in Shelley.