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FixMeStick

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The FixMeStick
Developer(s)FixMeStick Technologies
Initial releaseMay 9, 2012
PlatformmacOS, Microsoft Windows
Available inEnglish, French, Dutch, German
Websitewww.fixmestick.com

The FixMeStick® is a plug-in bootable USB device that scans your computer before it starts, the FixMeStick removes infections that conventional antivirus software can’t detect. Montreal internet security entrepreneurs, Marty Algire and Corey Velan, started FixMeStick in 2011 with the desire to provide consumers with a simple way to clean viruses from their computers at home. The FixMeStick is compatible with both PCs and Macs. The FixMeStick is not yet compatible with APFS Operating Systems or tablets/iPads.

History

2011-2013: The FixMeStick was developed with the purpose of providing an easy-to-use routine virus removal solution for the average user. At the time of its launch, it was compatible with Windows XP, Vista, 7, and later added support for 8, 8.1, and 10 when each were released. The FixMeStick was released on May 9th, 2012, and became available for purchase through the FixMeStick website and Amazon. A year later the FixMeStick could be found for purchase in major retail stores in Canada. 2014: On January 15, Algire and Velan appeared on CBC Television’s Dragons’ Den. They asked for a CAD$500,000 investment in exchange for a 20% share and each dragon made an offer. Algire and Velan started a Kickstarter campaign shortly after their appearance on the show to design a FixMeStick for the macOS. Over 1000 backers pledged to hit the 50k dollar goal, and the first FixMeSticks for Mac were shipped out to backers on June 6, 2014. 2015: The company focused on sales by distributing the FixMeStick in major U.S. retailers including Best Buy, Walmart, Target, and Office Depot. A Lifetime FixMeStick also became available on the Home Shopping Network in the United States. 2016: A five-year revenue growth of 2,372% provided the company with the 33rd ranking in Canada’s PROFIT 500. The Lifetime FixMeStick became available on The Shopping Channel in Canada, as well as QVC in the United Kingdom. 2017: FixMeStick expanded its retail locations to the UK and became available in ASDA and Maplin stores. 2018: The FixMeStick became available in France on QVC, and FixMeStick was back on Dragon's Den for an update show on January 18th. A major update was released to the multi-scanner that removed Kaspersky's antivirus engine and added the McAfee antivirus engine. With McAfee, FixMeStick also started using the Global Threat Information system.

Features

The FixMeStick is a Linux-based device that runs before the infected operating system boots, enabling the FixMeStick to remove difficult infections, rootkits, and bootkits. It contains an embedded multi-scanner powered by scanners from Avira, McAfee, and Sophos, and connects to the McAfee GTI and OPSWAT Metadefender file reputation servers to achieve up-to-the-second threat detection. The FixMeStick also updates its malware definitions via an internet connection each time it runs a scan. Together these two cloud-based file reputation services make up the FixMeStick ScanArray. The purpose of FixMeStick’s ScanArray is to provide the FixMeStick with fast file reputation information for suspicious files not yet identified as malicious. ScanArray plus the three embedded scanners on the FixMeStick provide the efficiency of 10 antivirus programs.

Reception

The FixMeStick has a 4 out of 5 star rating and has an editor’s rating of “excellent” on PC Magazine. It also holds a 4 out of 5 star user rating on Facebook, 4.5 out of 5 stars on HSN, and 3.9 out of 5 stars with 1816 user reviews on Amazon.com.. The FixMeStick is also frequently reviewed in various technology blogs.

References

  1. McGill Entrepreneurs
  2. Market Wired
  3. Canadian Business
  4. Dragons’ Den, Retrieved 2015-09-11
  5. Kickstarter, Retrieved 2015-09-11
  6. "Architecture of FixMeStick's parallel multi-scanner and cloud file reputation service". fixmestick.com. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
  7. Vancouver Sun, Retrieved 2015-09-28
  8. PC Magazine, Retrieved 2017-06-22
  9. facebook.com/FixMeStick, Retrieved 2017-06-22
  10. HSN.com, Retrieved 2017-06-22
  11. Amazon.com, Retrieved 2015-06-22
  12. "FixmeStick - What a great idea - @FixMeStick". The Geek Blog. Retrieved 2017-06-22.

  1. McGill Entrepreneurs
  2. Market Wired
  3. Canadian Business
  4. Dragons’ Den, Retrieved 2015-09-11
  5. Kickstarter, Retrieved 2015-09-11
  6. "Architecture of FixMeStick's parallel multi-scanner and cloud file reputation service". fixmestick.com. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
  7. Vancouver Sun, Retrieved 2015-09-28
  8. PC Magazine, Retrieved 2017-06-22
  9. facebook.com/FixMeStick, Retrieved 2017-06-22
  10. HSN.com, Retrieved 2017-06-22
  11. Amazon.com, Retrieved 2015-06-22
  12. "FixmeStick - What a great idea - @FixMeStick". The Geek Blog. Retrieved 2017-06-22.
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