Webwatcher Software Giveaway ($97 value!)

Two weeks ago I posted my review of WebWatcher parental control software and now I have a giveaway to offer to one of you! This is an excellent program for anyone wanting to make sure they know what is going on when your children or anyone else is using the computer. It may not be something that everyone thinks they want or need, but I have been and will continue to recommend it as a must have software for any PC user!

About:

WebWatcher gives parents the crucial information they need to gain insight into their children’s digital lives. And parents can choose whether to simply monitor activity (and then engage in education with their child) or to block certain activity altogether. Awareness recently announced new capabilities to monitor social networking sites Facebook and MySpace, as well as text messages on smartphones!

Win it!

One lucky reader will win a registration key for WebWatcher!

Open to Canada and the US

Ends November 22nd

How to Enter:

Visit WebWatcher and tell me something you learned or what your favorite feature is.

Extra Entries:

Follow me on Networked Blogs

Add me as a friend on Facebook

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Follow my blog via Google Friend Connect

Leave a relevant comment on any of my non-giveaway posts**

Subscribe to my blog via RSS or email {One entry, even if you do both}

Add my button to your blog and let me know where to find it {2 entries}**

Post about my giveaway on your blog, using "Misfit Momma" for the link {2 entries}

Tweet once per day:

I just entered to #win WebWatcher {Parental control and monitoring software} from Misfit Momma! http://dld.bz/4NKK The #giveaway ends 11/22

**See Giveaway Rules

Possibly the most important software on my computer - WebWatcher

A while back I allowed my son to make his own email account. Long story short I found some emails that I didn't approve of when he left his email logged on one day. Not too long after that I was offered the chance to review a software program called WebWatcher and once I did a little reading to see what it was it almost sounded too good to be true. Almost.

About:

WebWatcher gives parents the crucial information they need to gain insight into their children’s digital lives. And parents can choose whether to simply monitor activity (and then engage in education with their child) or to block certain activity altogether. Awareness recently announced new capabilities to monitor social networking sites Facebook and MySpace, as well as text messages on smartphones!

Installation and setup is pretty straightforward after a very quick 12.8MB download. You will then need to go into the settings to decide whether you want to record emails, chats, keystrokes or websites. You will also decide if you want to block specific programs or websites, set alert words, or turn on the smart camera which will take screenshots of specified activity. You must install the software on the computer you wish to monitor, but the setup can be done from any computer.

Once installed, you can remotely and discretely monitor the computer from anywhere online. No need to sneak onto their computers while they are away to check history, no need to worry if they change the password. Webwatcher is targeted towards parents in order to monitor the potentially inappropriate web activity, but as you can imagine could also be used to keep an eye on unfaithful spouses, employees, babysitters and more.

Webwatcher is totally invisible to the user and no one will ever know it is there. The computer monitoring software doesn't appear in the Registry, the Process List, the System Tray, the Task Manager, on the Desktop, or in Add/Remove Programs. There aren't even visible files that can be seen.

No, I have no shame spying on my Husband, or anyone else who uses the computer in my house for that matter. Don't hate.

Recorded Data is organized and very easy to navigate by using the tabs - Email, IM/Chat, Keystrokes, Web Activity, Websites, Searches Performed. Screenshots are organized by two categories; Alert Words which triggers a one time screen shot whenever one of your preset alert words is present, and Smart Camera which continuously records your preset websites or applications at set increments.

Could WebWatcher really record everything? One thing that I was anxious to find out was whether if WebWatcher would also track web activity that was masked by Google Chrome's "Incognito" mode and I was happy to see that it did! If the computer is disconnected from the internet (ie. a Laptop) the software will even continue to record and it will then upload the data to your online account once it is reconnected.

Another nice feature is that it doesn't only record what is said in chats, but it also records what wasn't said. Confused? I'm sure we have all done it. You type out your thoughts, reread them and realize you might get into some trouble, hit delete and sugar coat your response. Webwatcher will keep track of the text that is deleted with a keylogger, even if it was never sent. This also allows you to see passwords which would otherwise be blocked from view.

One feature that I haven't had a chance to put to the test was the content filtering. Here is what their site has to say about it:

If you wish to block websites, WebWatcher's unparalleled blocking capabilities will allow you to block websites based on both website addresses and/or the actual content on the page. Utilizing a proprietary blocking tool, WebWatcher instantly scans the content of any web page the person you are monitoring attempts to access to determine if it is a page that they are allowed to visit. If they are allowed to view that page, the page is displayed as normal. If that page is a page that you have deemed to be inappropriate, the page will instantly be blocked. All the person will see is a generic error message so that the user doesn't know websites are being blocked. Our content filtering technology scans websites in real-time so that new and unknown sites can be blocked on-the-fly. As well, this all happens without any negative impact on the speed of web browsing.

You really don't need to know a lot about computers to be able to figure out how to use WebWatcher. It's incredibly easy to install and use. It's expensive, but if you are worried about what your child, spouse, or anyone else is doing on the computer it's worth every penny. One parent even caught a child predator.

If you wish to monitor more than one computer, you do need to purchase a new license for each one but they offer discounts for multi-license purchases.

I see that they have recently come out with a similar software to record text messages on smartphones. I have never owned a smartphone, but there was a time that I scoured the web desperate to find something to record text messages. I couldn't find anything at the time, but it would have been extremely beneficial to me if I could have so I am happy to see that I now have an option to purchase mobile phone monitoring software if the need arises again.

{Cool for School} Spellquizzer

SpellQuizzer is spelling software for children that need help learning their spelling and vocabulary words.Check out the information below from SpellQuizzer.com:

End the nightly spelling practice battles
Getting a child to practice his spelling words can be a struggle. When done manually it's a slow and tedious process for him as well as for you. SpellQuizzer makes it fun and easy. You'll no longer have to struggle to get your child to sit still while you go over his spelling words with him. With SpellQuizzer, students can enjoy practicing their spelling words. SpellQuizzer takes the fight out of the equation.

How the SpellQuizzer spelling software works
Using SpellQuizzer you can enter the child's weekly spelling list and make audio recordings of the words in the list. The software then quizzes the child, playing each word back to him one at a time, checking his spelling as he types in the words. SpellQuizzer corrects him when he types in a word incorrectly, and re-quizzes him on any words he missed once the first pass is completed. Just set up the child's list on Monday, and have him spend no more than five to ten minutes a day letting SpellQuizzer quiz him. By the end of the week he will be ready for his Friday spelling test at school. SpellQuizzer is also ideal for spelling bee preparation.

Spelling software vs. traditional spelling practice
Spelling software helps students learn their spelling lists more quickly than traditional manual practice, such as writing down words by hand, because it is less of a chore for the child. Children today associate computers with fun and writing on paper with work. As such, they are more eager to practice their spelling words using spelling software like SpellQuizzer, than the old way of practicing where they sit at a table writing down their words over and over again. You can make spelling practice even more fun for the student by recording amusing sentences in the spelling software, or using a funny voice when you record your spelling lists.

The SpellQuizzer web site has pre-made free spelling lists that you can download and use with SpellQuizzer or you can simply enter the words that they bring home from school. Users are also able to export and import SpellQuizzer spelling lists to share with other SpellQuizzer users! If you happen to make a mistake as you are entering the words, the spellchecker will warn you to let you know. Since you are able to create your own list of words, SpellQuizzer can compliment virtually any spelling curriculum and even benefit homeschoolers. The entire program is extremely easy to use for both parent and child and takes just minutes from downloading to being ready to use.

I found that it is possible to use SpellQuizzer without a microphone or speakers using a reminder phrase so you can go over your child's spelling list with them, and quiz them with SpellQuizzer this way as well. While using the voice record feature would be easier for your child, this may be a way to challenge them further by testing their memory.

Win it!

Everyone is able to download a free 30 day trial to determine if SpellQuizzer is right for your child, but one of you will win your own Single PC License (RV $29.95)

How To Enter:

For your mandatory entry, please check out The SpellQuizzer spelling program website and tell me why you would like to use this software with your child.

Extra Entries:

These entries are optional , and worth 1 extra entry each unless otherwise specified! Please make a separate comment for each entry ~ If you enter all in one comment it will only count as ONE entry! Please leave your email in your first entry if it is not in your profile.

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Follow my blog via Google Friend Connect

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Add me as a friend on Facebook

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Share my giveaway on your blog for 2 extra entries

Enter any of my other current giveaways for an extra entry each!

Add my button to your blog and let me know where to find it for 2 entries!

New: Leave a relevant comment on any of my non-giveaway reviews

Tweet about this contest once per day and leave me the link :

I just entered to #win *SpellQuizzer* the spelling software for kids from Misfit Momma! http://dld.bz/wjYc The #giveaway Ends 9/30

This Giveaway is open to Canada and the US and will end on September 30th at 11:59pm Central time. The winner will be notified by email asap and will be posted on my blog once they have confirmed! Please reply to my email within 48 hours or I will pick a new winner! I received a registration key for SpellQuizzer for review and no other compensation.

{Cool For School} BitDefender ~ 2 Winners!

Description

BitDefender Total Security 2010 combines comprehensive proactive protection from

Internet security threats with backup and system maintenance features creating the

ultimate and least intrusive data security solution.

Compatible with: Windows XP/Vista/7 (32b & 64b) with IE 6 (+)

This review was a little hard for me to write, not because I have any qualms with BitDefender's performance - But because once you have taken around 10 minutes to install and set it up on your computer it is very easy to forget it is even there. Unlike other security programs I have used which only annoyed me with alerts that blocked everyday actions I was trying to do, BitDefender rarely demands interaction from users. Of all antivirus programs I have used in the past BitDefender has been by far the easiest to install and use.

The other programs which I have tried aggravated me to the point that for a long time my computer had no protection at all. I of course knew it was risky, and if I had known about BitDefender sooner I would have been using it for sure. When I won it, I didn't install it right away. I knew it was offering antivirus, anti spyware, anti-phishing and anti-spam protection. I knew I would be able to encrypt my files and chat logs as well as optimize my performance, take advantage of backing up my information online, establish a firewall, have access to parental controls and have network protection for my entire home.

Yes, I knew all of that and still waited several weeks before attempting to use BitDefender. I quickly found out that my fear of installing yet another high maintenance security program was unnecessary. You can match the user interface to your level of comfort by choosing Basic, Intermediate, or Expert settings and even create shortcuts to frequently used controls. With automated, hourly updates and 24-7 technical support you can surf the web with absolute confidence.

You can configure the settings in BitDefender to match the way you use your PC. "Typical" is primarily used for everyday browsing and multimedia activities, "Parent" mode can be set while your children are playing, and my personal favorite - "Gamer" mode. Each of these settings also gives you the option to choose whether if you are using a network so you can remotely manage other BitDefender products in your home network, or Laptop mode which ensures the battery of your laptop will last longer by not performing tasks that require extra power.

BitDefender also offers BitDefender Quickscan which is a free online tool that scans your computer for viruses in under 60 seconds to detect any malware infecting your machine. Nothing is worse that going to do some homework and realising you have a virus. Computer problems can be extremely costly to repair, so instead of spending $50-$200 to have your problem diagnosed, simply go to the Quickscan website and start your free scan now.

A few months ago, I blogged about how my Warcraft account was hacked and that I had won a BitDefender Total Security 2010. Well, I contacted the company and told them I was going to be writing a review and they offered 2 copies of

BitDefender Total Security 2011

for 2 Canadian readers! It is a digital download, and they will send you the registration key that will be good for one year, for up to 3 computers! This has a value of $69.95 for each winner and was just launched on August 17th!

How To Enter

Take a look around at BitDefender and tell me why you would like to win!

Canadians Only Please!

BONUS ENTRIES !

These entries are optional , and worth 1 extra entry each unless otherwise specified !

Lots of extra chances to help you WIN !

Please make a seperate comment for each entry ! If you enter all in one comment it will only count as ONE entry !

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Follow My Blog via Google Friend Connect

Add my button to your blog

Add me as a friend on Facebook

Like Misfit Momma on Facebook

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Subscribe via RSS or email

Follow @BitDefender on twitter

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Enter any of my other current giveaways for an extra entry each

Share my giveaway on your blog for 2 extra entries !

Tweet about this contest once per day and leave me the link :

#Win BitDefender Total Security 2011 on Misfit Momma's blog! http://dld.bz/swVy The #giveaway Ends 9/8! ~2 Winners, Canada Only~ RV $69.95!

This Giveaway is open to Canada Only and will end on September 8th at 11:59pm Central time. The winner will be notified by email asap and will be posted on my blog once they have confirmed ! Please reply to my email within 48 hours or I will pick a new winner!