I called last year's security suite from CA a Frankenstein's monster patched together from a collection of mediocre security tools. CA took that comment to heart, in part, and hired experts to devise an attractive and thoroughly integrated interface. ...

Components fully integrated in new user-centric interface. Firewall stealths all ports and resists direct attack by malware. Good at blocking rootkit installation. Rates Web sites, links. Good parental control

Slows system performance. Default settings allow Internet access for unknown programs and can silently block good programs. Spam filter non-functional until trained. Rudimentary backup. Site rating marks valid sites as risky

CA hired experts to completely overhaul its suite's user interface. The result is unique, stunning and user-friendly. Alas, the security components housed in that gorgeous shell are hardly changed. They're still second-rate, and the suite's default ...

I got excited at Check Point's initial release of ZoneAlarm Extreme Security, because it combined the company's full-scale security suite with the virtualization-based protection of ZoneAlarm ForceField. ZoneAlarm Extreme Security 2010 ($69.95 direct ...

Full-disk encryption. Online backup. System tune-up. Advanced scan of downloads. Comprehensive, accurate antispam component. Effective antiphishing protection. Credit monitoring and identity theft recovery. Browser virtualization. Private browsing. ...

Has serious problems installing on malware-infested systems. Slowed boot time and system performance. Rudimentary parental controls. So-so malware removal

ZoneAlarm Extreme Security 2010 boasts impressive features, including full-disk encryption. But it slows performance, installing it is torture, and its anti-malware scores are only so-so. It's still a good product, but I'm not quite as thrilled with ...

security geeks can be scary for the average user, and F-Secure's suites have long had a geeky air. That all changes with F-Secure Internet Security 2010 ($59.99 direct for 3 licenses) and its all-new task-focused user interface. The changes aren't ...

New task-oriented interface simplifies access. Real-Time Protection Network improves detection. Performance impact reduced. Effective firewall blocks exploits. Repeated malware scans are fast

Big trouble installing on infested test systems. Phishing protection not functional. Limited parental controls. Malware blocking can slow system. Malware information links unreliable

The 2010 edition of F-Secure Internet Security has a new, easier-to-use interface and improved detection capabilities courtesy of a new protection network. This year's suite has less impact on performance than last year's, and its firewall now ...

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Clean design. Opera Link syncs your bookmarks and settings. Turbo speeds up slow connections. Visual tabs give mini previews of sites. Built-in BitTorrent client

No longer the speed leader. On-page search and password saving less slick compared to other new browsers. No private browsing mode

Opera continues to innovate with the latest version of its browser, introducing visual tabs and Opera Turbo (for speeding up slow connections). But this underdog favorite is starting to suffer from speed problems and its lack of a private browsing mode.

Trying to get together a group of people for one event can be a huge pain, requiring endless e-mail threads and bouts of phone tag just to nail down a time and place that works for everyone. Doodle makes it easier. This an event-scheduling service ...

Simplifies event coordination. Easy to use. Well suited for businesses

Lacks the sleek look and sophisticated functionality of competing services. Doesn't let you confirm attendance

Doodle is a serviceable, no-frills event scheduling solution that makes it easy to coordinate meet ups. Because of its limitations, it's not ideal for party planning, but it should suit business users looking to set up meetings.

As any veteran of the employment market—whether as a worker or a browser—will tell you, the best jobs often come from whom you know rather than what you know. Social-networking sites have been a boon for job seekers looking to make, keep, and bolster ...

Strong contact management and comparison tools. Thousands of discussion groups

Very Eurocentric. Many basic features require paid upgrade to Premium Membership. Of limited use to everyday job seekers

Although it may be a useful social-networking service for frequent pond-hoppers, Xing is somewhat lacking in utility for American workers who want to stay in the United States.

With Google dominating search and Bing coming on strong, Yahoo's saving grace is that it still packs a lot on its home page. The new Yahoo is really a hybrid of a portal, such as PageFlakes or its own My Yahoo, and a pure search engine. Bing and ...

Dynamic, easily customizable home page. Good maps and directions. Excellent source of financial and sports information. Integrates with third-party services like Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace. Search Pad lets you keep track of research projects

Ads can be excessive in search results. Popularity-contest features detract from search. Search results are neither as well organized as Bing's nor as timely as Google's

Yahoo's search home takes a different approach than Bing's and Google's, offering lots of quick access to Web content rather than just an unadorned search box. This makes it a good place to start your Web day, but Yahoo! Search lags behind the ...

Panda Security seems to have settled on a look it likes for its security suite. Except for a different background color, Panda Internet Security 2010 ($79.95 direct for three licenses) looks identical to last year's version. For this revision, Panda's ...

Small impact on system performance. Effective antiphishing. Simple, accurate spam filter. Excellent malware removal

Big problems installing on some test systems. Parental control is limited to content filtering. Malware removal required hours of tech support. Terrible malware blocking

Panda Internet Security 2010 has less impact on system performance than its predecessor, and it's more effective at blocking phishing sites and removing malware. Otherwise, it's unchanged. I had serious problems getting it to install and run on some ...

The folks at Mozilla have deemed the changes in this incarnation of the popular Firefox browser significant enough to skip the planned version 3.1 and instead bump up the release number to 3.5. And I agreeit's a big improvement. By its appearance, you ...

Private browsing mode. Fast JavaScript performance compared to previous version. Support for forward-looking Web standards. Most customizable browser, with its themes and extensions. Cross-platform versions for Mac and Linux

Startup significantly slower than competition's. JavaScript performance trails competition slightly

With version 3.5 of its browser, Firefox shows its willingness to champion emerging Web standards and continue to improve speed. Add the new private browsing mode, improved tab handling, and incredible customizability, and you have a winning ...

a decision engine, and only that. Type in a question or dilemma and the new site takes you through a series of questions either related to your quandary of the moment or to your personality in general, and then dishes out an answer, based on other ...

Decisions were sound. Clean layout. Social featuresDigg-like topic list, Twitter-like activity feed, and rich user profiles

Somewhat invasive about personal information. Answers depend on human input, so your question may not exist in the system

Hunch is a well-implemented decision engine that uses the wisdom of the crowds. It's a social network to boot, where users get cred for providing good answers.