Parallels Desktop will need no introduction to Mac users who use it to enjoy the best of both Windows and Mac worlds by running programs from the two different operating systems side by side on the same machine.

For them, and indeed many more Mac users, they’d be happy to hear that the latest, newly-minted version – Parallels Desktop 7 – now promises more than 90 new enhancements and features. Key among these is full integration with the latest Mac OSX Lion.

With Parallels 7, Lion functions such as full screen apps, Launch Pad and Mission Control can also be used for Windows programs. While Mac users can already install Windows using Boot Camp, which is included for free on a Mac purchase, Parallels’ advantage is that it can boot a Windows virtual machine and run it simultaneously alongside the Mac OS via its Coherence mode. This means you can effectively use a Mac program like iMovie or Garageband while tinkering with Windows-only programs side-by-side.

Alternatively, you can run a separate Windows desktop, which allows the Mac to  function exactly like a Windows desktop – from Start Menu to Windows Explorer to My Computer, and more, with all the good jazz that PC users know and miss.

For the new user porting from a PC to a Mac, Parallels 7 also includes file-transfer software that makes it easy to transfer the entirety of one’s PC into a Mac. Simply follow the instructions on the installation disk.

Interestingly, Parallels 7 runs smoother than its previous incarnation. Tests run by independent publisher MacTech claim that it starts up 60 per cent faster than Parallels 6 and is up to 45 per cent faster when dealing with 3D graphics for certain applications, such as games.

There is a noticeable improvement in performance when starting up Parallels and running graphic-intensive games from Parallels 6, which took about half a minute to start up and stuttered sometimes during in-game cinematics.

As a gamer who uses Parallels primarily for running Windows games on a Mac, I can say Parallels 7 is a solid choice for a virtual machine software. Side-by-side integration means that I can operate Windows games and programs while still maintaining Mac functionality within easy reach.

While it can be very resource-hungry to run high-end PC games like Mass Effect 2 on it (some graphic hiccups are to be expected), the new Macs with greater graphics capabilities should be able to support it just fine. Take note that Parallels does not yet support DirectX 10, so some applications may not work.

To fully utilize Parallels 7, you’d want a Mac with at least an Intel Core 2 Duo processor or higher, and 4GB of RAM if you intend on running Windows 7. Otherwise, the Mac will feel the effects of running two pretty resource-heavy operating systems and you’ll feel the dreaded lag.

Current Parallels users can upgrade for S$69, while a standard copy retails for S$129, with a student edition available for S$69.

As Mac OS X grows in popularity, with Apple selling a record number of Macs during its most recent quarter, malware writers are expected to be on the prowl for Mac users who haven’t seen a real need for antivirus software.

Last month, Mac OS X security was put to the test when a piece of malware masquerading as security software made its rounds on the Internet using SEO (search engine optimisation) techniques that placed it at the top of search results.

Once installed, the professional-looking program dubbed MacDefender displays porn sites and bogus virus warnings. This is followed by an option for users to fix the problems by buying a license for the fake software using a credit card.

Sure, Apple has baked in security features in Mac OS X to guard against malware:

Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard and Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard improve download validation by providing file quarantine in some applications, such as Safari, iChat, and Mail. This means that files you download via Safari, iChat, or Mail are checked for safety when you open them.

File quarantine-aware applications that download files from the Internet, or receive files from external sources (such as email attachments), will attach file quarantine attributes. When you open a potentially unsafe file in Finder, Spotlight, or from the Dock, the file quarantine feature will warn you about unsafe file types.

When you open a quarantined file, you will receive a dialog box asking, “Are you sure you want to open it?” You should cancel opening the file if you have any doubts about its safety.”

In addition, Snow Leopard builds upon this “unsafe file type check” by scanning for known instances of malware. When you open a quarantined file, the file quarantine feature will check to see if it includes known malware.

Apple maintains a list of malware signatures, though this list isn’t updated as often as it should. The OSX.OpinionSpy spyware signature, for example, was only added 10 months after the spyware first surfaced.

Apple has since released security updates to block the installation of Mac Defender and five known variants of the malware, including MacProtector, MacSecurity, MacGuard and the latest MacShield, during a month-long cat-and-mouse chase with malware creators.

If you think your Mac might have been infected this time, use the Icrontic Mac Defender and Mac Protector Removal tool and update your machine if you haven’t done so.

While Apple has acted on this latest threat, no operating system can be 100 percent immune to every threat, a fact which Apple acknowledged at the end of its Mac OS X security page. The commonsense thing to do is to install security software from the likes of Intego and Norton, which Apple reportedly uses on its own company machines.

It’s about time Mac fans squash their beliefs that the Mac is somehow impervious to malware.

Techgoondu had the chance to be at unConference 2009 held yesterday at the Biopolis, thanks to the kind folks at e27 who had put together an excellent program that brought together some of the top forward-thinkers in the region. Here’s a recap of what I felt were the highlights of the event:

Panel discussion: Innovation in Asia and where is it heading?

The panel was chaired by Benjamin Joffe, founder and CEO of +8* (Plus Eight Star). Participants included Scott Rafer, CEO at Lookery, Dr Gang Lu, co-founder of OpenWeb Asia, Dr Lai Kok Fung, co-founder and CEO of Buzzcity, and Wong Hoong Ann, founder of HungryGoWhere.com.

Each panelist was asked to share how he spotted the opportunity that led them to start their companies. Scott, who started MyBlogLog and sold it Yahoo later, noted that his venture was “almost accidental”, while Hoong Ann of HungryGoWhere identified the need for a marketing channel catered to F&B establishments, particularly among small restaurants. His business and ad model was changed many times, because “you need the flexibility to start a business.”

Dr Lai of Buzzcity, which started as as dotcom company specializing in WAP mobile communications, said his company did not plan for the company’s current successes in South Africa and Indonesia. It was only after the rapid rise in the number of users accessing the Web on the cellphone some time later that spearheaded Buzzcity’s business in the two countries.

Dr Gang Lu, shared his experience with start-ups in China, which comprises three groups. The first are the copycats who will copy successful products and business models, but “the problem is everyone else will be doing the same thing”. It will be hard for copycats to stand out from the pack. He noted that at one point, there were over 150 YouTube clones in China, but only 10 are surviving today.

The second group will take successful products and localize them accordingly in their target markets – an example would be Xiaonei.com, which is now more popular than Facebook in China. Finally, the last group of entrepreneurs would chart their own path through innovation that would eventually lead to their own unique products.

The panelists largely agreed that selling to businesses is always more profitable than selling to consumers, since consumers are typically unwilling to pay for Internet services – advertising is thus the most common way of monetizing their services. In some market segments, selling virtual goods has proven to be a viable as exemplified by Xiaonei.com and Kaixin001.com.

Panelists were also quizzed on what they were doing to mitigate the dependency on search engines, particularly Google, for their site traffic. Hoong Ann of HungryGoWhere.com shared his company’s brush with Google which reduced his business by half in a single day after his website was placed on page 945 in the search results. Dr Lai suggested that start-ups should grow their organic traffic, while Dr Gang added that they try to grow traffic from social media platforms, which allow them to seed communities and build their brands without Google.

Techgoondu also checked out some promising products and start-ups, and these caught our eye.

iTwin was born out of Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star) and will be commercialized by Exploit Technologies, A*Star’s marketing and commercialization arm. Essentially, it is a device that can be split into two halves. By plugging each half via a USB port into a home and remote PC respectively, a secured communication channel is established to allow the remote PC to access files on the home PC. In fact, the solution is so elegant that no password is required. The communication is encrypted and authentication is provided through a random key generated by the home PC’s device.

The folks behind iTwin expect the device to be launched by Fall 2009 at a price of between US$40 and US$50. Work is for the device’s software for Windows XP is almost completed, and there are plans to support Windows Vista and Mac OS X. The product roadmap also includes video conferencing applications and even mobile device file transfer.

Fusion Garage was founded by R. Chandrasekar, a familiar face in the Singapore tech circle. Chandra was the founder of Radixs, which previously developed the Motion Experience Interface (MXI) operating system and the Velvet Puffin integrated online service that marries social networking and instant messaging.

The company is currently developing the software for the CrunchPad, a web tablet hardware device conceived by the folks at Techcrunch:

The idea is to get a new type of device into people’s hands for as cheap as possible (we were aiming for $200, it looks like $299 is more realistic). It fits perfectly on your lap while you are sitting in front of the TV, so you can look up stuff on Wikipedia or IMDB as you channel surf. It plays Flash video flawlessly so you can watch movies and TV shows on Hulu or Joost or wherever. Or listen to music on MySpace Music. Or use TokBox to have a video chat with your parents. Then check email and call it a day. Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Hulu, Wikipedia, Google Docs and Gmail are the killer apps for this device.

Because the device skips the resource-sucking parts of the operating system and focuses on one application – the browser – very low end hardware can be used and still give users a desktop-like Internet browsing experience.

The team from Fusion Garage did not show off any working prototypes of the Crunchpad at the event. For more information, check out this video:

Targus has recently introduced a series of peripherals aimed at Mac users who tend to be a picky bunch when it comes to design. The Targus for Mac line includes the Bluetooth Laser Mouse (seen above), Wireless Mouse, USB Hub, Bluetooth Presenter, File Share Cable, Privacy Screen and Chill Mat. Techgoondu laid our hands on a few of these products which should go down well with owners of both new and old Macbooks and Macbook Pros.

Bluetooth Laser Mouse

At first glance, this Bluetooth enabled mouse is shaped somewhat like Apple’s Mighty Mouse which I have been using with my 2-year-old white Macbook. Ergonomically, it feels familiar and comfortable to hold and control mouse movements. The grey edges and base of the mouse is made of material that gives users with a good grip.

There are five buttons that are used to control various mouse operations, including two programmable buttons on the left edge. In Mac OS X system preferences, you can control the Bluetooth Laser Mouse’s tracking and scrolling speeds, which tend to be way faster than what I had set for the Mighty Mouse. For more accurate tracking, make sure you lower those speeds if you’ve been using the Mighty Mouse.

While you can still use the Bluetooth Laser Mouse without any software, the programmable buttons do require Targus’ driver software, which allows you to run AppleScripts, launch apps, perform keystrokes or predefined functions such as bringing up the Dashboard in click.

Clearly missing from the Bluetooth Laser Mouse is a mechanical scroll wheel. Instead, Targus has designed a touch scroll where you run you run your finger over an optical unit in the middle to scroll horizontally and vertically. This may take some getting used to, especially if you’re used to a conventional scroll wheel. In the beginning, I found the touch scroll a tad too sensitive, and had to reduce the scroll speed for greater control. The optical unit also serves as an indicator to warn you when battery power is running out via a blinking red light.

The Chill Mat is essentially a cooler pad that helps to lower the temperature of a running laptop, especially my Macbook which tends to get hot after a while. Powered by a USB port, the Chill Mat comes with two fans to cool your laptop and a mesh material underneath that keeps your laps cool. There is a switch for you to turn the fans on or off, but you can’t control the fan speeds. I found working on my Macbook more tolerable with the Chill Mat, though be prepared for battery life to take a hit and to sacrifice one USB port unless you’re using a USB hub.

This compact 4-port USB 2.0 hub will be welcomed by those who are looking for a matching product that goes well with Macbook designs. When not in use, the ports are protected by a wide rubber cable that fits snugly into the edges of the USB hub. As someone who hates wire clutter, it would have been better if there was some way of tugging the USB cables somewhere within the hub.

The Bluetooth Presenter is possibly the gem in the Targus for Mac line. This nifty laser pointer/slideshow controller/mouse hybrid is targeted at those who need to walk across a large room to connect with audiences during a presentation without being tethered to the laptop.

In Mouse Mode, the Bluetooth Presenter can be used as a mouse for you to start and navigate within an application. Like the Bluetooth Laser Mouse, you can program two buttons to run AppleScripts or even start your Keynote or PowerPoint application. Also, the volume control buttons at the side are especially useful when you need to raise the volume when showing stuff from video sharing sites.

At the center of the Bluetooth Presenter lies a touch scroll optical unit that brings up a laser pointer when depressed. Like the Bluetooth Laser Mouse, you control the mouse onscreen by running your finger over the optical unit which will emit a red light whenever the device is out of range. There is a tendency, however, for users to click on the optical unit to register a mouse click, rather than use the surrounding left and right buttons.

In Presentation Mode, you can start and stop slideshows with dedicated buttons at the top, including the ability to switch to a blank screen to prolong your laptop’s battery life if you’re not connected to a power point during a presentation. Bluetooth Presenter works with both Keynote and PowerPoint, but make sure you specify your presentation software in the Targus device settings.

The only problem I had with the Bluetooth Presenter was the need to increase cursor speeds when I’m using it in Mouse Mode since it appears to be less sensitive than the Bluetooth Laser Mouse that’s connected to the same machine. Although I have two mice connected, Mac OS X does not allow any way of specifying different cursor speeds for each mouse.

You’ve probably seen those Apple ads that proclaim that there are no/few viruses for Macs.

Well, it doesn’t matter that virus writers don’t bother with Macs because they only take up less than 5 per cent of the world’s personal computer market.

But guess what, now that Apple’s iPhone is hyped up to be the best thing that happened, security holes are appearing. According to a report in Computerworld, there are vulnerabilities in the software that can lead to users being “phished”.

The problems, it says, are to do with the Safari browser and Mail applications.

CW quoted security expert Aviv Raff, who reported the three loopholes, as saying: “By creating a specially crafted URL and sending it via an e-mail, an attacker can convince the user that the spoofed URL, showed in the Mail application, is from a trusted domain such as a bank, PayPal or social networks.”

If you are already dying to buy an iPhone, this won’t change your mind, of course. Just don’t buy into the hype that viruses are only for PCs and PC users.

Speaking of hype, older geeks wll remember how Apple used to make fun of Intel chips when it used Motorola ones, in ads that parodied Intel’s bunny-suited geeks. Guess what, today, it’s Intel inside for Apple, who now sings the tune that Intel’s the best thing ever!

Don’t want to clunk up the page, so first watch this (says Intel is crap):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6PoLiXCA40

then this (says Intel is cool),
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkL0mAApgkg&feature=related