Editor's Note: Going online for music is not without its hazards. In recognition of this fact, the "Dark Side" column has been started—to help readers cope with the occasional (and not so occasional) hassles of getting music on the Net.
If you own a Windows PC, you're probably already aware of the spyware problem: those annoying Internet-borne parasites that suck at the life-blood of your computer. One trip to an infected Web site and these beasties lodge in the innards of your computer, where they carry out their master's orders: to spy on you, to steal your information, to steer you to their Web sites. When the problem gets bad enough, your computer slows to a crawl and your music playback is aff-ff-ff-ected.
What's more, commonly used spyware removal software can fail to remove it, forcing PC owners to take drastic measures, such as editing their Windows registry (a dangerous proposition) or worse, reformatting their hard drive and reloading their software from scratch (the nuclear option). It's not a pretty picture.
If you're a Macintosh user, you may skip to the next article. Macs just aren't vulnerable to spyware in the same way that Windows machines are. But take heart Windows users: for you, the banquet is richest; not just in spyware but in online music as well. Four out of seven Giant Path recommended music services run only on Windows machines, including the best online jukebox and personalized radio services—a fact which counters the siren call of the Mac, at least where this music lover is concerned.
The Music Must Flow
With a little work, the spyware problem can be minimized, and the music will continue to flow.
The first step is to install at least one good anti-spyware software package and ensure that it gets updated regularly (the same as with a good anti-virus software package). I use two packages, Spybot Search and Destroy and Spyware Blaster. Both are free, though Spybot accepts donations (a cause certainly worth supporting) and Spyware Blaster charges $10/ year for automatic updates (if you perform the updates manually, it is free). I conduct Spybot scans once a day, while Spyware Blaster works in the background, blocking spyware. This combination has worked well for me. Two other well-regarded programs are Ad-Aware SE Personal (free) and Spy Sweeper ($29.95), the latter being the favorite of Wall Street Journal technology columnist Walt Mossberg. Also, make sure that your Windows machine is getting the latest security updates from Microsoft. The best way to do this is to enable "Automatic Updates" to Windows.
Update (3/15/2005) - PC World just ran an updated comparison of anti-spyware software programs, rating Sunbelt Software's Counterspy highest. I am currently running a trial version and am pleased to see more spyware being caught and disposed of.
Avoid Internet Explorer Where Possible
The next step is to avoid using Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser, the conduit through which most spyware is delivered. I recommend using the Firefox browser, widely acknowledged as more secure and up-to-date. Unfortunately, some Web sites developed using Microsoft-proprietary technology will only work with Internet Explorer—so use it when you have to, but only then.
Some of the better Internet radio services make use of Internet Explorer based music players, but often there is an alternative way to play the music. For example, Live365 offers the dedicated Radio365 software, which is a safer alternative to their browser-based Player365 player. However, this option requires that you buy the software or have a paying subscription to Live365. Live365 also will let you configure your default MP3 player (e.g. Winamp, Musicmatch, iTunes) to play your stations, and this costs no extra money. LAUNCHcast, unfortunately, relies more heavily on an Internet Explorer based player, but do offer one alternative: playing LAUNCHcast using Yahoo's Messenger application. If you're an MSN Radio user, I would stick to using it from within the Windows Media Player.
One other thing: if you use any of the file trading services, like Kazaa, be aware that by installing their software, you are probably consenting to a spyware infestation. So read the fine print and use some caution before installing file-trading software, or for that matter any software that is offered for free.
—Andy Breeding
Related Articles
Back to Online Music Updates
