zip

Perhaps the most recognized name in all of archivedom, WinZip 14.5 debuts a new look cribbed from Microsoft Office and several new features, including advanced Windows 7 compatibility and archive management tools.

The interface is the most radical change to the program. For years, WinZip flirted with variations on its big-buttoned skin, but adapting the ribbon concept to its tools makes sense for two reasons. First, controversy for the ribbon toolbar aside, it makes the program instantly recognizable to anybody working with Microsoft Office. Secondly, the old WinZip was inadequate for the breadth of tools that the program offered. … Read more

Security researchers have discovered flaws in common file formats, including .zip, which can be used to sneak malware onto computers by evading antivirus detection.

Eight vulnerabilities were found in .zip, supported by Microsoft Office, along with seven others in the .7zip, .rar, .cab and .gzip file formats, said Mario Vuksan, president of ReversingLabs Corp.

The vulnerabilities could be used by attackers to hide malware that could then be slipped past antivirus software via an e-mail attachment and used to compromise a computer, he said.

"The file goes straight through Gmail or Hotmail because it's a trusted format," … Read more

SAN FRANCISCO--I have to admit, in the six weeks since I got back from covering the Winter Games, there has been a bit of post-Olympic letdown.

So, when British Columbia tourism officials set up a zip line in San Francisco and brought a few Olympians to town, I decided I had to check it out, even if the tech angle was a little weak (as my editor was quick to point out).

For the Canadians, it was a chance to show San Francisco some of what Vancouver has to offer. In addition to the zip line, British Columbia has filled … Read more

RAR Expander is a free utility for expanding archive files with the .rar format (typically received from PC users). The Mac OS used to come bundled with software that could expand .rar files, but now you need to install a separate program--such as RAR Expander--if you need to work with them.

RAR Expander doesn't have a particularly pretty interface, but it expands files quickly and reliably. All you have to do is choose Expand from the app's File menu (which is the only command in the app's File menu), browse to find the .rar archive that you … Read more

In OS X, the Finder comes with a handy archiving option (called "Archive" in OS X prior to Leopard, and "Compress" 10.5 and above) that is available in the contextual menus as well as in the File menu. This feature will compress all selected files and folders into a ZIP archive for easy transfer to hard disks, network shares, or internet folders. In Snow Leopard, some people have had problems with the archive process, where it will pause indefinitely and fail to complete the compression.… Read more

YouSendIt Express provides a nifty alternative to e-mail accounts that use online browsers. Though its ability to quickly send large documents is great, its special features come at a price, literally.

The program's interface is easy to navigate, since it mimics a very basic e-mail program's layout. We didn't like having to register online, but YouSendIt's simplicity proved to be worth the extra work. We were able to build an address book, write e-mails, and even attach large files with no problems. The program took more than a minute to e-mail a moderately sized photo, which … Read more

ZipRealty is an online real estate agency that's practically ancient in terms of Internet history. A survivor of the late 1990s dot-com bust, ZipRealty gives users home listings and values across more than 1 million homes. Home owners can also list their home right on the site, and have ZipRealty help sell it. The benefit to sellers is that there's usually a lower commission charge than they'd get from local real estate agencies.

The site also features a price-tracking tool to search homes with reduced prices, and a tool that tells you what your home should be … Read more

Currently, most tripod legs are hollowed and allow the extensions to fit inside. Tamrac has taken a different approach and designed what is possibly the most innovative tripod we've seen this year.

The ZipShot is a compact, three-legged support whose design is inspired by collapsible tent poles. With a rugged bungee cord inside the legs, users just have to pull apart the joints and fold the tripod. The rounded edges at individual sections help to guide the aluminum legs to join together.

Tamrac rates the ZipShot as able to support up to 2.8 pounds, which means the tripod … Read more

Hermetic Systems' Data Destroyer is a disk-wiping utility that can render data unrecoverable by overwriting it multiple times. It will scrub your hard disks, floppies, and ZIP disks clean. It will delete individual files, whole directories, or entire disks full of data. You can select the type and number of purges, or overwrites. Data Destroyer will even estimate how long it will take to perform the selected number of purges. It meets stringent U.S. Department of Defense standards for data disk sanitization, too. If it's good enough for the Pentagon, it'll probably meet your needs, too.

Data … Read more