Java flaw poses widespread security threat

At the time of posting, details are scarce. I'm not even satisfied there is a problem. This CNet article is all I have found, so far. More details as they become available.

Jack

Cell Phone Spying Service Leaking Data? - Security Fix

drat, they aren't the same size...

Wow this is scary, especially if you have a blackberry or windows mobile "smart" phones (sorry, couldn't help myself on the quotation marks lol)
The Washington Post Security Column elaborates on the issue:




"Last week, the geek news world was abuzz with news of a spying service that lets people intercept text messages, call logs, e-mails and other information from BlackBerry and Windows Mobile-equipped smart phones. But it appears the privacy threat is even bigger: According to evidence unearthed by at least one security researcher, the company that offers the intercept service has left its database freely viewable to anyone with a Web browser. "

Go read the rest of the details...

Cell Phone Spying Service Leaking Data? - Security Fix
--MissM

Microsoft facing US$1.15bn Xbox 360 repair bill

MS has now admitted that ALL of the XBox 360 units built to date are faulty, by virtue of poor design. They are NOT going to replace them. Rather, they have extended the warranty to three years, as we said on the show last week.

The new warranty policy is not going to completely compensate (as an example) a user who has had to return their unit multiple times and been without it during those periods. I have to wonder if this increase in warranty coverage will be seen as sufficient by consumer protection agencies and lawyers. I predict there will be litigators flocking around this one and hearings in front of various consumer agencies.

Jack

Mac OS X with 100 bugs: Still safer than Windows?

I think OS X is still safer than Windows. Obviously the security types are not sure. But in the absense of wide-spread attacks and compromises, I am still telling folks they will be safe for the Mac.

I send my clients and friends a little security newsletter from time to time to remind them of best practices and keep track of threats they need to know about. In it, I am still recommending the Mac OS X as safer than Windows.

Jack

Firefox and IE together brew up security trouble | Tech news blog - CNET News.com

To update Jack's post below, apparently both Firefox AND IE have issues.

UPDATE: Blame them both.

That's the latest update from security researchers who initially laid the blame on Microsoft's Internet Explorer for the latest zero-day exploit that also can afflict those using the Firefox Web browser.

Users could face a "highly critical" risk if they have both IE and Firefox version 2.0, or later, loaded on their computer. The trouble begins when browsing a malicious site while using IE and it registers a "firefoxurl://" URI (uniform resource identifier) handler, which allows the browser to interact with specific resources on the Web. As a result, users may find their systems remotely compromised.

[snip]

"Firefox is the current attack vector, but Internet Explorer is to blame for not escaping...characters when passing on the input to the command line," said Larholm, in response to a reader's comments. "I agree that Firefox could have registered its URL handler with pure DDE (dynamic data exchange, the protocol for information exchange) instead and thereby have avoided the possibility of a command-line argument injection, but IE should still be able to safely launch external applications."

Firefox and IE together brew up security trouble | Tech news blog - CNET News.com

Some of my normal buttons are missing (dang link button won't work, or I'd post to Jack's post, yeah that's how its supposed to be done, check to see if its been posted before posting.:P) while I create this, but the link above has all the info.
--MissM

Critical Firefox security flaw discovered

Ahhh, browsers! Doncha just love 'em? They keep our lives so interesting! And often in unexpected ways, too.

This flaw looks like a real gem. No doubt the Mozilla folks are hot on the heels of this one. It will no doubt be repaired soon.

The original Secunia advisory is here for those of you with a masochistic bent.

Jack

Zone Alarm free for Vista out

Don't know how long this has been out but, I just noticed it. The install was a nightmare. It hung. Windows complained about the true vector service numerous times. However, it does seem to be running OK , after a re-boot.

Vista SP1 beta 1 to launch in mid-July | All about Microsoft | ZDNet.com

"Just when Microsoft had customers, partners and competitors all believing that it was going to delay the first service pack for Vista — not releasing a first beta of it until just before year-end — the company is set to deliver Beta 1 of Vista SP1 in mid-July"

Lets see what this Service pack does for Vista.
AlaskaJoe

Microsoft readying Vista's first service pack beta for July release? - Engadget

More news about the rumored (in January, tyvm) service pack for Vista... As Engadget reports:
Interestingly enough, "various unnamed sources" have purportedly stated that Microsoft is actually prepping Vista's very first service pack beta (aw, how cute) for a "mid-July release." To be precise, word on the street is pointing towards July 16th, but the final version of Vista SP1 isn't slated to land until "sometime in November."
Ok it really validates both versions of the rumor :)
Microsoft readying Vista's first service pack beta for July release? - Engadget

--MissM

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 07-08-07

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 07-08-07. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific thats 1PM to 4PM Eastern. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.

Links from the Gregg Zone!

1) To start off this round I thought I would put up a site that can help you sort out some of the crazier stuff we get sent to us. I have gotten so many emails, chain letters with the most unbelievable stuff, the example am using is a recent email I got about a mule attacking a mountain lion. The best way to check these out is either at snoops here is the link to the mule story. http://www.snopes.com Another good place to investigate these would be at About.com they had five versions of the letter, snoops had two, but included an interesting history. Here’s the about link. http://urbanlegends.about.com

2) This is for the people out there who like to use herbs, this is the best herb site I have found, lots of information with out the sales pitch I play here a lot and have not seen an ad for anything. If this is an area of interest to you will be glad you checked this out. http://www.henriettesherbal.com

3) Being here in Alaska and trying to understand why I have so much trouble adjusting to the 22 hours of light, yea the days are that long. Any it has been driving my circadian rhythms totally out of whack, since I got here, not sure what to expect when I get back to Las Vegas, but anyway doing a little research on the subject I ran across this site from Australia on Edgar Casey I linked an article on light and the pineal gland, melatonin, light, jet lag, and their relationships pretty interesting. http://www.cayce.egympie.com.

4) And to close it out for the week a little shot for the c2c group. If you are a fan I know you are familiar with this guest Dr. Turi, he was pretty accurate with his predictions. If you have not visited his site it has some interesting reading. http://www.drturi.com

Sun ODF Plug in 1.0 for Microsoft Office Available Now as a Free Download

Sun has their converter for Microsoft Office that translates Open Document Format (ODF) docs (text, spreadsheet, database and presentations) to Microsoft formats. This one is the one you want. Microsoft's own is clumsy and unreliable. (Not that one would expect them to pour their hearts into the effort.) So for now, this is the one you want. I've tried it and it works well enough and transparently.

Jack

Live Earth on MSN: The Concerts For A Climate In Crisis

unfortunately, and expectedly, it works better in IE. But the talent level is amazing, I've seen Genesis, Linkin Park, some blonde chick... [snicker]. Check it out (If you aren't broadband impaired, sorry)
--MissM

Live Earth on MSN: The Concerts For A Climate In Crisis

Its also on Bravo Channel, if that's available. NBC will have a prime time special too, I believe. "Check your local listings."

How Vista Lets Microsoft Lock Users In

This is Cory Doctorow's take in Vista's capability for "lock-in" of customer's information. Writing in Information Week, he takes a very dim view of our future.

Jack

Boing Boing: Laptop typewriter mod

I can't imagine any more appropriate combination of geek for at least one person, who reads this blog. ;)
Xeni Jardin blogged about this very unique laptop mod:
Wow, what a work of art. Writer Mary Robinette Kowal modded her laptop so that the keyboard would resemble keys on an old-fashioned portable typewriter.

Boing Boing: Laptop typewriter mod
Would one be able to resist trying to smack the return thingy (lol, I have no idea what that's called). Oh I wonder if its one of those smackable"Motion Sensing," hackable apple laptops??
--MissM

Microsoft July updates

To quote the blog post:

Next Tuesday, we’re currently planning to release six security bulletins:

· Three Microsoft Security Bulletins affecting Microsoft Windows with a Maximum Severity rating of Critical. These updates will require a restart and will be detectable using the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer.

· Two Microsoft Security Bulletins affecting Microsoft Office with a Maximum Severity rating of Critical. These updates will not require a restart and will be detectable using the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer.

· One Microsoft Security Bulletin affecting Microsoft .NET Framework with a Maximum Severity rating of Critical. This update will require a restart and will be detectable using the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer.

Additional details about the bulletins and the affected versions can be found in the Advance Notification posted on the web.



We are also planning to release an update to the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Too.

Finally, we are planning to release four high-priority non-security updates on Microsoft Update and one on Windows Update.

The complete post is here.

--MissM

AMD posts blatantly deceptive benchmarks on Barcelona

George Ou never has seemed one to shoot off his mouth. I've always found him to be considered and fair. So for him to so directly confront AMD is indicative of how strongly he feels AMD's actions are wrong.

Jack

Forget about the WGA! 20+ Windows Vista Features and Services Harvest User Data for Microsoft - From your machine!

More and more, Vista seems like a plague inflicted on the world's computing public. When I interact with Vista, it certainly seems that way to me and I wonder how users put up with it. They do, though, and usually without much thought at all. What that means is that Vista is here to stay.

Here's another compendium of woes for users of Vista. Don't read this directly before or after a meal. It's that strong.

Jack

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 07-01-07

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 07-01-07. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific thats 1PM to 4PM Eastern. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.

Rival malware gangs wage turf war

Well, here's one that will keep you up at night. The bad guys are fighting over who gets to infect your computer. Too bad this sort of thing doesn't divert them from their "work". Unfortunately, it doesn't. Be afraid.

Jack

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 07-01-07

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 07-01-07. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific thats 1PM to 4PM Eastern. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.

The Gregg Zone !!

1) I’m starting off this week with something I ran across because of a conversation with Riley. I was asking his opinion on the WiFi radios, after our talk I was looking into them on the net and ran across this site. It is meant for use with the WiFi radio but works using the computer instead. There are over 6000 radio stations world wide, and more than 20,000 streams. I only listened to the radio for a while; I find it interesting to hear news, and political opinion from out side of the country. While not all countries have radio in English a surprising number do. For instance if I had time right now I would be listening to the London radio stations, as they just found the two bomb rigged cars found, and the Irish airport incident just happened. Any way here is the link. https://www.reciva.com

2) Here is a link to Michael Moore’s movie “Sicko” the complete movie, just in case anyone is interested. As of the time of writing this I have not watched it, but I intend to later in the week if I get a chance. http://www.opposingdigits.com

Alan Kay: The PC Must Be Revamped!

Alan Kay has won a Turing Prize and (obviously) has spent a lot of time thinking about personal computers. He considers the PC as we know it to not have lived up to it's potential. In this essay from February of this year, he explains how and why.

I find this sort of thing fascinating and hope you do as well.

Enjoy,
Jack

Proof that Al Gore Really Did Invent the Internet

Enjoy,
Jack

Name that parallel processing machine 100X faster than current PCs -- seriously

The contest is not the story, nor is the fact that someone tied a boat-load of processors together. The news is the new software that ties it all together. Evidently, real progress has been made.

This is the sort of stuff that excites me (which leads my wife to say I need to get out more). I'm trying to understand the nuts and bolts of the advance, but I have to admit that this really is rocket science and I'm not up to grasping it all. Not by a long shot!

The big deal is that if this advance makes it to "real life" computing on our desktops we could see performance that would have been reserved for mainframes or small clusters a decade ago, or less. Just the thought of that gets me salivating like Pavlov's dogs.

Jack

Donations to Help Keep Seti Alive

I know many of us here participate in SETI@HOME. They need money. If you can spare $10 please donate. I have.

Parachute formation video

This is too kewl. An amazing production. [h/t Dvorak for the link]
--MissM

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 06-24-07

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 06-24-07. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific thats 1PM to 4PM Eastern. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.

Kudos to Dell

Earlier this year, I bought a refurb computer from Dell. The boys needed to be upgraded from 98, not to mention other system updates (those darn games need great video). Its a nice system, Intel Dual Core, 2GB RAM, DVD+R, DVD-R/W, 256MB Video RAM, for less than $600 as I recall. Before we went on vacation,
the power blinked off, during a storm, and when the power came back on the Dell gave me a BSOD. Restarting didn't fix it, and I didn't have time to look at it before vacation. [time lapse music here]
Booted the Dell, to see if the computer elves had done their magic, but alas, no joy. The error message on the BSOD said "Unmountable_boot_volume." Next boot, I hit F12 and selected HD Diagnostics, and once the sector read errors started, all blocks subsequent failed, with an IRQ timeout message. I went to Dell's support site, and selected the chat support option (since I tried to search for the error message and only received BIOS doesn't detect my hard drive fixes). A new window opened and I was connected with a Dell Support Agent (Shirish). I passed on the same info as above, and the Agent told me that the hard drive had failed and they would send another. I told them that I was comfortable installing it myself. I passed on the serial number of the drive, my address was confirmed. Shirish asked if there was anything other issues and I told her that I would like the installation discs shipped also. The reply "No problem." Shirish was very pleasant to chat with, and within 5 minutes of the window opening, I had a very satifactory resolution to my problem. I confirmed I would get email status reports and closed the window. Next day, DHL delivered my hard drive! I expected it after the weekend, at best, but it arrived the next day. Today, I received a follow up call from Dell, and told them how pleased I was at the speedy service.
I myself have blogged about Dell's various forays into an online presence, both their successes and stumbles (often in the same post). Oops, looks like Jack has blogged about Dell more. :)
Kudos to Dell!!

Analysis: DRM may be why Microsoft flip-flopped on Vista virtualization

This ComputerWorld story is plausible enough, though you might have to put on your tinfoil hat to get through it. Still, I have my doubts. Please; tell me what you think; jackAToncomputers.info

Jack

Links from the Gregg Zone!

1) To start off the week, this is a quick link for a colorgenics test, kind of interesting it gives you a personality reading based on your color preferences. Like a horoscope, not sure where I stand on either of those issues, I had my horoscope done a while ago, and was very impressed with the results.
http://www.i-am-bored.com/

2) Just in case you missed it I thought I would put up a link to the largest pyramid found on earth in Bosnia? That’s right, check it out, when you get to the link click on the arrow on the right it will take you to the next page where there are a couple of videos, and links. http://www.bosnianpyramid.com/ It sure surprised me, I ran across this a while back, if you want more on it just google, there has been quite a lot written on it.

3) This is a link to a blog Jack sent me about colonizing other planets. I have not had a chance to read it as I write this, but will check it out in the morning. http://www.antipope.org

Vista – XP Downgrade Rights – Hot Microsoft Subject

Sorry I have not been blogging this week. I've had one of "those" weeks. Nothing wrong but a lot more to do than usual.

I can't count the mentions of this I have seen this week. I chose this particular article because it lacks the hysterical tone so many of the others had. Personally; I could not force Vista on any company with which I deal. I downgrade them to XP, period! Evidently a LOT of others feel the same.

Jack

Beware! from BBC NEWS || Hackers target 'legitimate' sites

Hot off my RSS feed. The BBC reports:
More than 10,000 websites have become unwitting hosts of malicious software, say security experts.

Those visiting the hijacked pages risk having keylogging software installed on their PC if it is not protected with the latest patches.

The webpages compromised are all legitimate sites devoted to subjects such as tax, jobs, tourism and cars.

The sites are thought to have been booby-trapped using a malware kit, called MPack, sold commercially online.
[snip]
Security experts say the attack code is "browser aware" and will tune its attack depending on the web browsing software used by a visitor. Attack code is present for Internet Explorer, Firefox and Opera.

The article concludes with "Many anti-virus companies have already updated their security software to defend against the attacks used in this outbreak." Be careful surfing out there!
--MissM

BBC NEWS | Technology | Hackers target 'legitimate' sites

On Computers Radio Show Podcast 06-17-07

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 06-17-07. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific thats 1PM to 4PM Eastern. If you prefer, you can download the same file here via ftp.

22 Confessions Of A Former Dell Sales Manager

This article on The Consumerist magazine's web site probably would have faded from view without getting all that much attention were it not for the fact that Dell went to some length to have it pulled (unsuccessfully).

There are some tips here for purchasing Dell hardware, especially computers, and for dealing with Dell's notorious offshore support structure.

I thought some of you might want to know.

Jack

The Gregg Zone !!

1) First up, not sure how many of you are Leno fans, but if you have not been to “Leno’s Garage” it is well worth checking out. He has a very large collection, and has a video for most of them. Some are incredibly interesting. Did you know the electric car was in New York just after the turn of the century, complete with charging stations all over the city? Check out Lenos video on the 1909 Baker. Think hybrids are new not so, check out; Lenos 1916 Owens Magnetic. Just a couple of things found here. http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/

2) Speaking of cars and concepts have you heard about the new “Automotive X Prize” not exactly a small reward for doing something cool, more like a super prize for solving a large problem? As in twenty-five million dollars, for a car that meets the standards they are looking for. The average Ford Model T got twenty five miles per gallon of gas; the average car today gets eighteen. So what went wrong, the X prize people are putting their money where their mouth is, trying to fix this problem. This first link is for a New York Times article http://www.nytimes.com, this next link here is for the X Prize site with rules and guide lines. http://www.xprize.org/

3) One of my interests is the effect of changes in our society generated by our ever changing internet; this next series of sites is along that line. It seems YouTube is going to get into politics, I suppose when you think about it they have been having an effect for a long time. This is an article about the project up coming; You Tube is going to formulate a platform using YouTube to present questions in an up coming democratic debate, personally I can’t wait. http://www.iht.com

Microsoft, Mozilla execs respond to Safari on Windows announcement

I think it is fair to say the industry response to Safari for Windows ranges from lukewarm to non-existent.

We'll be talking about it Sunday, but for now, trust me; there is no reason to get excited unless you've installed Safari and gotten hacked.

Jack

10 reasons why the Black Hats have us outgunned

This is realistic and so a bit depressing. However; it's told with just a bit of humor, is relatively short and well written. Well worth your time.

Jack

FBI Unveils Movable Feast with 'Operation Bot Roast' - Security Fix

The Security Fix column at the Washington Post is an excellent column, and today's details an FBI investigation about botnets. The article begins:

The FBI said today it has identified more than 1 million personal
computers that have been infected with computer worms enabling the attackers to control PCs for criminal purposes such as sending spam, spreading spyware and attacking Web sites.

The FBI used details it gleaned from an ongoing investigation called "Operation Bot Roast" to highlight a few recent arrests of individuals accused of running botnets and to raise public awareness about the problem, which the agency called "a growing threat to national security, the national information infrastructure and the economy."

go read the rest of the article and let us know what you think in comments.
--MissM

FBI Unveils Movable Feast with 'Operation Bot Roast' - Security Fix

Larholm.com | Safari for Windows, 0 day exploit in 2 hours

As Aaron poster earlier, Safari browser was announced Monday early, and available for download later in the day. But, it only took 2 hours to find an exploit, as the article below explains.

I downloaded and installed Safari for Windows 2 hours ago, when I started writing this, and I now have a fully functional command execution vulnerability, triggered without user interaction simply by visiting a web site. I will not sell this one to ZDI or iDefense but instead release it here, as I have done lately with a number of 0day vulnerabilities. This place is where you get my latest research [link below or in title]:)

Larholm.com - Me, myself and I � Safari for Windows, 0 day exploit in 2 hours

--MissM
[h/t GeekBrief.tv ]

Quick First Review of the Dell Ubuntu Notebook Computer Inspiron E1505N

"Quick First Review" does not really reveal much. No faults and a happy camper on first impressions. I just thought to post this for those who are curious.

My pal George got his Inspiron 1505N the other day. Much to my frustration, he did not unpack it before reporting to the hospital to have his appendix out. Best wishes, George, but my patience is wearing thin and I'm about to break into your house to try the thing out and satisfy my curiosity. (Just kidding.)

Jack

Four Critical Fixes Coming for Windows, IE, Mail

eweek writes:
Microsoft will send out six security bulletins, four of them for problems rated "critical," the company's highest severity rating, on Patch Tuesday, June 12. All four of the most serious vulnerabilities, in Windows and in IE, can lead to systems getting hijacked.

Three of the critical problems are in Windows; one is in Internet Explorer, one is in Outlook Express and Windows Mail, and there is one "important" fix for Visio. Also, a moderate bug has been found in Windows.

Four Critical Fixes Coming for Windows, IE, Mail
--MissM

Safari for Windows

I don't know if this belongs in the "heck" freezes over category, but Apple has released its Safari browser for Windows.

Any takers?

Vista not playing well with IPv6

This has been known for a while, but not widely because it is far from being a problem for everyone. I'm not actually sure how many folks it affects at all. I post this because if you know about it you might be able to solve some otherwise baffling network problems.

Jack

Mac vs. PC cost analysis: How does it all add up?

The "math" in this Computer World article is suspect, in my opinion.

I'd buy a Mac in a heartbeat if I had that sort of money. But I'd run Linux on it. If I left the Mac OS X on it, I'd have to purchase a LOT of software to meet all my needs. There just isn't a lot of freeware or free/open source software (FOSS) for the Mac and the proprietary stuff I would have to purchse is expensive. That's where the big difference lies for me. With the PC and Windows, I can use FOSS to fill out my software needs. With Linux, all my needs are met with FOSS. But with the Mac OS X, I would have to buy a lot of additional software.

Even with all that, this is an interesting comparison. Just don't trust other people's numbers too far.

Jack

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 06-10-07

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 06-10-07. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific thats 1PM to 4PM Eastern. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.

The Gregg Zone !!

1) First up this week I have just run across a computer thing that has me concerned. They are called web beacons, and I’m hoping to generate some discussion on the radio show Sunday about them. I use some yahoo services and when I ran across articles talking about these web beacons I started asking questions, and not liking the answers, at least so far. You might want to “opt out” on these if you yahoo.

http://www.rense.com

http://antivirus.about.com

2) Next up, how about alchemy. This is an interesting site, to read about alchemy, mostly PDF files; it was interesting to me to read the papers originally written a very long time ago. Translated into language of our time, I have to wonder would some one vocalize such concepts, with the limited vocabulary of those days. It would be necessary to express complex ideas in terms of that day. While I’m sure we do a very good job with verbatim translation of the words. I’m not so sure we do well with the innuendo’s and slang of the time, it is difficult enough for me to follow today’s vernacular when there are regional, national, racial, terms and phrases that elude me entirely. For instance I was captivated for a while reading the “Golden chain of Homer” the parallels kept popping into my brain. How would someone of that time describe concepts of modern science? Somehow even if the subject was expressed well for the language of the day, and contained great detail, I fear the translators would favor views that supported their beliefs, they did not have the equipment to run an experiment, therefore they must have meant something else. Anyway if you have ever wondered about alchemy this might be worth checking out. http://www.hermetics.org

3) Just for fun have you ever played at the “Where’s George” site they will track a bill what ever denomination you want, if you get a stamped bill you can see where it has been, or at least where it was recorded by some one like me, I usually go there and write a short note, where I got it. I got one the other day here in Alaska, on the site I found it was last recorded in Vancouver Washington. Where someone had went out on the town with Drake, Larson, and Kristi, to “spend a lot of where’s George bills” it traveled 1,534 miles in 77 days 6 hours and 38 minutes, or 20 miles a day. I can keep a log of various bills. I was doing this when I was in Las Vegas, and found it interesting. http://www.wheresgeorge.com

Symantec tests bot-killer

Here is what seems like a good idea. It's NOT ANTI-VIRUS. It's software that examines the behavior of executables and deals with them if it thinks they're bot controlling software.

It's a free and open beta if you want to give it a shot.

Jack

Anatomy of the Linux kernel

Ever wonder how an operating system kernel works? Just what it does and how it does it? How about the Linux kernel in particular?

This page at the IBM Developer Works site will tell you a lot, in language anyone can understand, without being "dumbed down". Quite an accomplishment, that. It's not a tremendously long read. Just one extended page, and it has some diagrams that will help you understand things.

I recommend this one highly.
Jack

Kaspersky, Grisoft, F-Secure fail VB100 security test

I post this mostly for those who are running AVG, which is Grisoft's anti-virus. It might be time for a change.

Jack

courant.com | Amero Granted New Trial

I had mentioned this travesty of justice before, and this week was supposed to be sentencing, which could have been up to 40 years. As a result of a state police forensics examination AFTER the guilty verdict, the judge ruled that a new trial was in order. I've posted the highlights of an article pointed to by the Sunbelt Blog.

NEW LONDON -- A Superior Court judge Wednesday granted a new trial for Julie Amero, 40, a Norwich substitute teacher whose faulty computer spewed pornographic images in her seventh grade classroom. [snip]

But today, Smith [the prosecuting attorney] said state would take no position on Dow's motion for a new trial, making it unlikely she will be tried again. Smith also acknowledged that erroneous information about the computer was presented during trial.

--MissM

courant.com | Amero Granted New Trial

Spyware skirmishes: Spy versus antispy

Yet another sordid tale of legislation, litigation and speculation over personal computer security. This one has the possibility of wide repercussions. An interesting read at CNet.

Jack

Inkjet images don't just fade; they can vanish

The link will take you to a New York Times article on CNet.

We've wondered aloud on the show about the longevity of CDR and RW as well as DVDR and RW media burned at home, but the subject of printed documents and photos has not come up, that I can recall. Here is a hint at the life expectency of photos printed on ink-jet printers. There isn't a lot of data here, because not a lot of reliable data exists. However; there is a rating system detailed here that may guide you when buying a new printer. Plus, there are web links that may take you to more data as it develops.

Jack

HP says no to Intel's Turbo Memory

A couple of listeners have gently chided me over my insistence that flash memory technology is really limited in how much of a performance boost you can get out of it. Now, HP agrees with me. (I will not say that I told you so, but I did tell you so, didn't I?)

Everyone else will jump on the bandwagon because they can, while it appears HP alone will take a realistic and pro-consumer stance on this.

Jack

Web, computer "widgets" offer branding opportunities

Don't you just love how we are hit (and hit hard) by web advertising at every turn?

While some of the widgets offered may indeed be desireable, at least to some, all this seems to me to be another way for advertisers to clutter up my desktop, load my system and generally degrade my computing experience.

We will have to see how this comes out, but I have little hope.

Jack

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 06-03-07

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 06-03-07. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific thats 1PM to 4PM Eastern. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.

APOD: 2007 June 3 - Shuttle Plume Shadow Points to Moon

This picture was too pretty to not post :)
Good morning. Join us (info here) to listen and chat live!

--MissM
APOD: 2007 June 3 - Shuttle Plume Shadow Points to Moon

P.S. posting the url of the picture never works, or I'm too impatient :P

The Gregg Zone !!

1) First up this week online calculators; this is where I started with personal calculators, for travel expenses, tax returns, currency, mortgage, investment returns and finances, http://www.btimes.co.za/This is where I wound up, a site I found for online calculators that is very extensive. Want to calculate carbon decay? How about calculating how much water to use on your corn crop, based on time and temperature charts for your county? This site has calculator links for everything 28,880 of them, by 4,415 contributing individuals, and businesses. http://www.martindalecenter.com

Here is another site with some interesting decision making tools, like memory tools and tricks, time management, problem solving, etc. Mostly free, but you can spend money if you want. I liked the tools here quite a lot, and will be back to try and find some new ways to teach this old dog some new tricks. http://www.mindtools.com/

2) The rest of today is about savants, this line of interest was rekindled in me due to seeing a kid on Jay Leno’s “Tonight Show”. An amazing six year old kid playing the piano, not only could he play, and remember over 200 songs. But, what I found almost as amazing as his piano skills; was the interview part of the show. I thought his language and understanding skills, were almost as impressive. In the interview part of the show he was more like a high school age kid or young adult, than a six year old kid. I have two sites here for you, this first one is about his Leno appearance http://www.accesshollywood.com, and this second one is a link to Ethan’s web page, where you can not only find his repertoire, complete with videos for a lot of them, but also his history, event schedule, and other tidbits you might find interesting.. http://ethansmusicsite.com/

3) Watching the Leno show sparked memory of a B.B.C. documentary I had seen quite a while back. I remembered how impressed I was with the subject matter, which I thought was some how related to this kid playing the piano, I was driven to do a search on the net. Google rules!! This is a very cool program. The movie is about a young boy savant, but he is different because, he is not impaired like most other savants, and he is far more rounded in his abilities. The movie is about B.B.C. taking him to several universities here in the states for testing, he does some impossible math, including reciting pi out to 25,000 decimals, stops at the correct place without assistance, and he does it without a single error it took him 5 ½ hours. While on trip with B.B.C. he learned a new language in one week (Icelandic one of the most difficult). In a previous interview somewhere, he had said he could learn a language in seven days, so the B.B.C challenged him to do it in route, while on the trip he learned the new language in one week (Icelandic one of the most difficult). I suppose I could draw a thousand parallels to implications with the Leno show. For instance, pay close attention to the kid hit in the head playing stick ball in New York, after getting hit; he gets up, and suddenly has a remarkable (to say the least) ability, if you give him a date, any date, he can tell you not only what day of the week it falls on, but if since his accident he can also tell you the weather in his town. Here is the B.B.C. movie link, “The Boy, With the Incredible Brain” (48 min.) http://video.google.com Now my question to you, would be… should you chose to try and answer, is this; Given that incredible stunt in Las Vegas on the B.B.C. trip (intuition over memory), a three year old boy is playing a piano without lessons (and at six he’s on Leno), a kid hit in the head can do past weather reports, even though he never read them. A boy of two is able to read, and memorize the first several volumes of the encyclopedia; he knows the alphabet, and how to read, without being taught, in the video he sits down and plays a piano as an adult without lessons (interested? See next link). What I want to know is where does the information come from? Can I learn to do this; is it possible for me to do this also, after all the kid from New York was an acquired savant, so can I also acquire it? Answer: Yes!!!! See the last link entry.

4) The next link is for “Tim Peak the Real Rain Man”; they speak for them selves, just amazing stuff. http://www.youtube.com/The link is for a 5 part google movie, but a google search on rain man will bring up a lot more.

5) Just in case you want to be a “savant for a day” I have a links for that, first a link to a New York Times article on how it is done, and what to expect, here’s that. http://www.nytimes.com Now for a place to visit where you can experiment with the process http://www.transcranial-magnetic-stimulation.com/

The Ultimate Reset Button

A stylish, emphatic and dramatic way to deal with "Bill's Revenge." What more can I say?

Jack

Yoggie Pico offers a Linux-based firewall inside a USB key

I guess this is more than just a gadget, but it's tempting to dismiss it as one. I'd really like to see some tests, but the idea is interesting and if it works as advertised it might be the cure for some folks. Besides a firewall, there are other security apps that make network access away from home safer.

Give it a look. I think you too will like what you see.
Jack

Apple plugs two QuickTime holes

The link will take you to the appropriate download page. You know who you are.

Jack

Review: Vista, XP Users Equally At Peril To Viruses, Exploits

The link is to part 1 of a 3 part article that concludes Vista is only marginally safer than XP. This is one to follow.

Jack

Microsoft Announces Surface

Major Nelson's Blog was the first video I saw of Surface, and its impressive. Major Nelson writes:

That’s the big rumor that was burning through the web today. Todd over at the Seattle PI has a write up on the official announcement tonight, and more importantly…videos (like the one above) that demonstrate the concept. Here are more stories on Surface from Google News.
--MissM

P.S. There's a woot-off goin' on!! (You can tell cause of the flashing lights, check out the forum for a list of what they've had and woot trackers) :)

Google acquires 'sandbox' technology for secure browsing

Here's something really interesting, though there is no real indication where it will lead. Even so; another skilled and sizeable player in the war against malware is welcome. This short article announcing Google's entry into security matters is interesting and has links to the software they just acquired that still work.

Jack

In the Overkill Dept; Panasonic premieres 12.2 megapixel compact

This really is overkill. There is no other word to describe it. I know there are some folks who really do need very high resolutions but the rest of us simply don't need it. I have to regard this sort of camera as a reflection on how cheap disk storage is, and little more.

Gail has been educating me on cameras of late and I may change my tune, but for now, I have to regard this as an unnecessary luxury.

Jack

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 05-27-07

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 05-27-07. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific thats 1PM to 4PM Eastern. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.
This is just a 2 hour show, we lost our internet connection at the start of the show today.

The Gregg Zone !!

1) This is a copy of an email I got today, thought it might be an interesting subject to talk a moment about it, in regard to how the internet is changing the way things are done in a post-connected world, we can Donate to a charity not with money, but a min. of time to click.

Subject: free food for animal shelters
Hi, all you animal lovers. This is pretty simple... Please tell at least ten friends to tell ten today! The Animal Rescue Site is having trouble getting enough people to click on it daily to meet their quota of getting free food donated every day to abused and neglected animals.
It takes less than a minute to go to their site and click on the purple box "fund food for animals" for free. This doesn't cost you a thing.
Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate food to abandoned/neglected animals in exchange for advertising.
Here's the web site! Pass it along to all the people you know.

_www.theanimalrescuesite.com_ (http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/)

AGAIN, PLEASE TELL AT LEAST 10 FRIENDS!!!

Thanks,

2) I kind of like subjects that go against the status-quo, because they stretch my perception. This is about one of those; http://michaelnetzer.com/ this site has the audio with no commercials, and a pretty decent review of Art Bell’s interview with Neil Adams about the Expanding Earth Theory. If you are not familiar with this theory, which not only counters continental drift, but also the very formation of the universe. You really should check it out. It sure made a lot of sense to me. I would also suggest running a youtube search, and check out some of the video’s.

3) This is a site that was suggested to me by Jack, he seems to understand the kind of stuff I like to cruse. This is pretty neat site for those who have an interest scientific side of things, they have open sourcing publication of science papers. It is interesting to see how ideas are presented, and some insight into the process. http://www.plos.org/

Remove Spyware Free - Best Anti-spyware

I have used counter spy to fix other people's computers when I had tried everything else but reformatting (its a control issue :P), and it WORKED! I've been a fan of Sunbelt Software for several years. Their CEO has a blog (I've referred to many times), and they have a presence on Second Life, where they are giving away Counter Spy to 10 lucky people a day! Back on topic (cough cough)... So they've offered a competitive upgrade price of 9.95 for any anti-malware tool (paid OR free)! So I wanted to pass it on.

--MissM
I apologize if this sounds like an ad, but I've been really impressed with the whole organization and their products and wanted to introduce y'all to Sunbelt Software. :)

Remove Spyware Free - Best Anti-spyware

Closing the book on Apple's Mac mini

Appleinsider is saying the Mac Mini is due for EOL. Make up your own mind. They make a convincing case.

Jack

With its fifth security update for 2007, Apple patches 17 flaws

Another massive patch fest for Apple. You'll hear a lot of bad-mouthing of Apple for this, which I don't quite get. Everyone needs to patch as vulnerabilities are found. At least Apple is apparently keeping up with things.

The link will take you to fairly detailed information at CNet.

Jack

Chris Pirillo stars in Life 2.0

Chris Pirillo is an ex Tech TVer who co-hosted and hosted Call For Help. He's been broadcasting video of his computer desk all the time, for a few weeks now. Its fascinating to me to watch his mini-shows, he incorporates the chat room, video, his wife ;) I thought the following might be of interest to anybody wanting to talk to the hosts live. Maybe, we could talk them into it? Whaddya say?? Chris highlights what he labels Radio Station 2.0, the next level in Conference Calling Services:

It just occurred to me: all of these conference calling services are a nanometer away from reinventing the way call-in radio shows are done.

There are hundreds (if not thousands) of services that will allow you to hold conference calls - some are free, some aren’t. Some are better suited for private calls, some aren’t. There’s a conference calling solution for everybody. Well, almost everybody.
[snip]
Last night, we did a little conference calling experiment. They assigned me a conference ID to share with the world, then asked me to instruct the callers to press 9 to “raise their hands.” When these callers indicated that they wanted to talk, Erik (from Gaboogie) took them into a private conversation to find out what they wanted to know.
[snip (you will have to click on the url to read what is .....)]
Boom. Evolutionarily revolutionary. Conference calling is about to get VERY hot…

Conference Calling Services: Radio Stations 2.0? ~ Chris Pirillo

--MissM
OT : My shared google reader items

Unsecure Passwords on Gaim/Pidgin

I've been blindly using GAIM for quite a while now and I was completely unaware of the issues detailed in this post on OS News.com. What's worse is that I have been recommending it and I know a LOT of people have taken it up on my recommendation. Especially on Windows.

While this problem applies to both Windows and Linux, it is worse on Windows. I think I shall quit using GAIM on Windows, but continue to do so on Linux. The post puts things in what I think is a clear perspective and I recommend it. It also has the advantage of being short and to the point, with links to further information.

Jack

One of the best HDD utilities is free

I carry a whole bunch of these tools with me whenever I go to work on a computer. You never know when you will need them, after all. As the article says; these are among the best. Get your copies now and squirrel them away against future need. And while we're talking about the excellent Seagate/Maxtor tools, I'll remind you to get tools for a lot of different maker's products, as well as those not tied to any one brand and put those where you can find them, too.

Jack

Michigan man arrested for using cafe's free WiFi from his car

A Michigan man is being prosecuted for using a cafe's free WiFi... from his car. Sam Peterson was arrested under a Michigan law barring access to anyone else's network without authorization, according to Michigan TV station WOOD. Since the cafe's WiFi network was reserved for customers, and Peterson never came into the cafe, he was essentially piggybacking off of the open network without authorization.
[snip]
Coincidentally, the cafe owner that Peterson was leeching WiFi off of didn't even realize that what Peterson was doing was a crime at the time. Neither did the police officer. "I had a feeling a law was being broken, but I didn't know exactly what," Sparta police chief Andrew Milanowski told the TV station.

The article goes on to detail several arrests made in Florida, Alaska, Illinois and Washington. The point is to be aware of local laws, and whether you want to share your wireless connection openly, or not.
Michigan man arrested for using cafe's free WiFi from his car
--MissM

Internet pioneer to oversee its redesign under government contract

I guess it's nice that the powers that be are looking to the future, but I have to wonder if anything will come of it. The inertia of the millions upon millions who are currently using the Internet mean that moving to any kind of changed system will be tough. I guess this is one to watch, but I don't have my hopes set too high.

Jack

First OpenOffice virus emerges

Every article about this says something about how they must be dancing in the halls at Microsoft. Somehow, I doubt it. This is basically a proof-of-concept, written in Sun's "Star Basic" language, so the risk is very, very low. Still, it is likely a portent of things to come, and this runs on Linux, Windows and the Mac. There are enough Open Office users now that this sort of thing will come up more and more.

Jack

Dell Linux Machines Coming 24 May

Here's the details. They don't differ much from what we've said on the show.

Jack

Microsoft reveals new anti-Linux weapon

Seeing as there has been all sorts of angry or gloom-and-doom press about Microsoft's latest broadside against Linux, I thought I would post this, which I found fairly funny.

Enjoy,
Jack

Cheetah's GPSMirror detects red-light / speed cameras - Engadget

In the chat yesterday a few people mentioned looking for new GPSs, and then I read the following at engadget:

Cheetah has introduced a GPSMirror that can detect just about anything you'd need to know about whilst cruising down the highway. Sporting a SiRF Star III GPS receiver, anti-glare coating, and the ability to divulge alerts via voice, visuals, or frighteningly loud sounds, this rear view mirror replacement purportedly keeps you informed of upcoming speed cameras [in North Carolina, speed and red light cameras were deemed unconstitutional because of the percentage of the proceeds that went to education. In Charlotte, the receipts were split 50/50 with the picture takers, but because of the lottery, the percentage of receipts has to be higher. So, the city had to give the short fall to the board of education and it was too expensive for the city. :)] of all varieties, radar / laser detectors, and accident zones. Additionally, the device can even display your speed from behind the mirrored glass in case the speedometer in your '72 Beetle has been pleasantly perched on zero for the past decade. The unit supposedly plays nice with your current radar / laser detector, and can relay data via its aural abilities to slow you down. Speedsters can pick up the GPSMirror now for £199.99 ($395), and thanks to the PC-based interface and internet database downloads, there are no monthly fees for its handy services.

--MissM
Cheetah's GPSMirror detects red-light / speed cameras - Engadget

More Firefox Bloat? Say It Ain't So, Mozilla

This is the sort of thing I was talking about on the show. In fact; it seems as if about half of the blog discussions link back to this story. Despite that, the subject is a growing concern. Also at the same site is this slightly lame list of alternatives which is suspiciously short on truly viable ones that can be used on Windows.

Anyway; I wanted you to see where I started with the subject.

Jack

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 05-20-07

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 05-20-07. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific thats 1PM to 4PM Eastern. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.

Links from the Gregg Zone!

1) If you are in any way, for or against what is happening on our planet, no matter what your politics or religion, or for that matter lack of any of them. No matter the depth of your apathy you should check out this YouTube flick, a twelve year old girl from Canada addresses the United Nations, about 7 min. http://youtube.com/

2) If you like to search around the net you might like this site, they claim to list almost a thousand search engines world wide, and adding more daily. Don’t know why, but it seems you can find stuff on these other engines that does not show up on google, although I suspect that they are in the google search, just on page three million and six or something, but that may have a new solution in the works. I will be asking for more discussion about this subject on this week’s show, if the engines use different criteria to complete the search, and if that might create an advantage to widen one’s searching tools, using different engine. Also about Google’s new web history, see next link for more. http://www.escapeartist.com/

3) Another item on searching I ran across an article linked here, about Google going universal. http://apnews.excite.com The article is about changes in their search engines. A lot of the changes seem to be a result of Google’s acquisition of YouTube and sound pretty interesting to me. Another thing I found when I was at the Google site looking for more info. They have a program called web history, at least for me this is going to be great, it keeps track of every web site you go to, has a search bar there just for your history breaks everything down into categories like video clips, web sites, images, etc. for a test I just searched maps, it instantly came up with the 89 maps I have looked at since I have been here. I always seem to be loosing a site that I like, no more. You might like to check this out also. Here is a link to the announcement of the new service from 4-19-07 http://googleblog.blogspot.com/

4) An offering for the Art Bell crowd found on one of the above search engines, a site that I have not seen before using Google, in reference to the last referral. This is a link to that area 51 call that got knocked off the air. Says the mp3 takes fifteen min. to load, took about ten sec. for me, if you do listen to it be sure to listen through the silences to the end. It is only about five min. http://www.metatech.org/ Here is one more A B type site I found interesting, lots of A B type material here with links. http://www.ancientx.com

Windows Home Server versus Linux or BSD

The link is to a blog entry by George Ou on ZDNet. I'm not much interested in the blog this time as I am by the list of features to be part of Windows Home Server. Read it and see why I think this is the most interesting and exciting product by Microsoft in a looooong time.

Jack

People Will Click On Anything

I can't make a comment on this one. It's a very short read and you should read it, if only for laughs.

Jack

Boing Boing: HOWTO Beat the stock market: buy customer service

Cory Doctorow highlights a link that concludes one can profit in the stock market by investing in companies that get 80% or above on a customer satisfaction survey. My initial thought was that this was PROOF that customer service pays off!! A point that needs way more attention!
From Boing Boing:

A study in the Journal of Marketing concludes that you can beat the market consistently by buying stock in companies with high customer satisfaction ratings:

"Using a back-tested paper portfolio and an actual case, the study's authors found that companies at the top 20% of the the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) outperformed the the stock market, generating a 40% return. Over time, the portfolio outperformed the Dow Jones Industrial Average by 93%, the S&P 500 by 201%, and NASDAQ by 335%. "

Boing Boing: HOWTO Beat the stock market: buy customer service
--MissM
[picture credit]

Vista Sideshow products start to trickle out

Okay; No sly digs at MS because it seems like even they got caught flat-footed by Vista's release. I promise. :)

Here is a short article on some products aimed directly at Vista users. I think the remote controls look great and I have some interest in the tablet, as well.

There will be a lot more of this sort of companion product in the coming months. Manufacturers held back, for some reason, and are only now starting to appear. I'm sure I'll be posting a lot of this sort of thing as time goes on and I look forward to it.

Jack

Defeating UAC with a two-stage malware attack

Ryan Naraine's blog entry on ZDNet explains the essentials of the attach that bypasses Vista's User Account Control (UAC). This is a theoretical attack at this time, but by all accounts it appears to be viable. It's worth checking out, even if you're not a security fanatic.

Everyone knew at least some of Vista's security features would be compromised eventually. Even Microsoft was under no illusions on that score. At least this one, while major, is able to be countered with patches. And I still think Vista is at the least marginally more secure than any version of Windows before it. Only time will tell if I am right or wrong.

Jack

Re: calculating time remaining moving, deleteing, copying files verry slow

The link is to a forum post at Microsoft's TechNet about how moving, deleting or otherwise manipulating large files seems to take forever on Vista machines. I don't know if this applies to all Vista machines or just some, but it certainly did apply to mine and is one of the most aggravating things about Vista, in my opinion. The thread is one of the longest seen lately on TechNet.

Microsoft has little or nothing to say on the subject (depending on your interpretation and opinion of their statements) and the idea of a fix has not been mentioned. At least not yet.

Jack

Reminder: Monday is Wiretap the Internet Day | Wired Blogs

May 14th [today] is the official deadline for cable modem companies, DSL providers, broadband over powerline, satellite internet companies and some universities to finish wiring up their networks with FBI-friendly surveillance gear, to comply with the FCC's expanded interpretation of the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act.
[snip]
Now that speed and efficiency is coming to internet surveillance. While CALEA is all about phones, the Justice Department began lobbying the FCC in 2002 to reinterpret the law as applying to the internet as well. The commission obliged, and last June a divided federal appeals court upheld the expansion 2-1. (The dissenting judge called the FCC's position "gobbledygook." But he was outnumbered.)

Reminder: Monday is Wiretap the Internet Day | Wired Blogs

On Computers Radio Show Podcast 05-13-07

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 05-13-07. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific thats 1PM to 4PM Eastern. If you prefer, you can download the same file here via ftp.

"Links from the Gregg Zone!"

1) Okay, here we go this is one of my favorite mysteries of all time. I have been looking into this since before I got my first computer; let’s see now that’s about fifteen years? Give or take two or three, anyway I first ran across this subject a very long time ago, and still look into it occasionally to see if anything new has cropped up. As of today they still have no answer, it all began in 1795, yes that would be well over two hundred years ago. There have been six people loose their lives, several family fortunes (some very big ones) lost. A U.S. President Teddy Roosevelt, movie star Errol Flynn try and fail, several large companies formed and broken, and countless engineers fail in their endeavors to solve the mystery. If you are not familiar with this one you really should check it out, it is going on right now to this day. That latest link I found is current, Feb. 2007
I am referring to Oak Island in Nova Scotia, they have dug and drilled over two hundred and thirty feet, through oak platforms, iron plates, stone floors, caverns, spruce platforms, layers of coconut fibers (nearest coconut tree 1500 miles away, remember 1795). There are elaborate tunnels that flood the shaft built into the system, it is said that it is an engineering masterpiece. No one even knows what is there, if anything, the original thought was Captain Kidd the pirate buried his treasure here, that changed when they found stone tablets over a hundred feet down that originated in Egypt (traced by geologic composition of the rock) with Coptic (speculation more than one translation) writing on them, speculation goes from treasure, to libraries (they found sheepskin with writing) even to the Holy Grail, Ark of the Covenant, and Knights Templar. The possible connection I’m offering is even further out there than that. This is really one of the most interesting treasure stories ever. I have put up two links, just because I think it deserves some extra attention. You can watch some video here; there are several, plus some info. http://www.oakislandtreasure.co.uk/ This is the latest one I found I guess they are turning it into a tourist attraction, complete with lectures and guided tours, wish I lived in the Northeast.
2) I think there may be a connection between this event, The Shag Harbor U.F.O. Incident, and the Oak Island story. They are both within a few miles geographically, both under ground (or water), both unsolved, both seem to require a technology unavailable to the time, and place. It would be an interesting angle for the Art Bell types to research. This is one of the best documented in the field usually rated in the top five, the link is for a YouTube video series by Discovery Science five in all about ten min. each. If you want to read more just google Shag Harbor U.F.O. Incident, there is a lot out there. http://www.youtube.com/
3) This one is just for fun a Japanese candid camera type show; I liked it, but consider the source. http://www.youtube.com/

You can see some of the pictures from GeekMeet2007 at http://GeekMeet.OnComputers.info

Extending OpenOffice.org: Must-have OpenOffice.org extensions

Thanks to John B. for this one.

While still new in development terms, these are handy extensions for Open Office users. I've already installed and am using Tabbed Windows extension and while I have to say it is almost crude, it is also incredibly handy to have.

Enjoy,
Jack

One in 10 web pages laced with malware - Google

The link is to a 9 page PDF file which details the Google research that led to the headline above. I found it disturbing, though, oddly enough, not at all surprising. And I guess I'm pretty proud of my security management here at the "ottershouse" LAN because we have not been infected or affected by this.

Those of us who code or maintain web pages are going to have to clean up our acts, but the real need is for browser tools and security applications to combat this and protect the user base who are not technically apt enough to protect themselves.

Along with everything else I do, I think I am going to have to collect a software suite so "my" users can surf with some confidence. There are a lot of tools available and I will share what I find with you as it works out.

Jack

Experts scramble to quash IPv6 flaw

Sheesh!! IPv6 is not even widely deployed, yet, and they have found a serious flaw with it. A VERY SERIOUS FLAW!!

Those of us using IPv6 protocols in networks need to watch for patches. The rest of us will get them as they are available. I mostly posted this because I found it disturbing that the best effort of a huge number of engineers could be so fatally compromised so easily.

Jack

Clearing swap and hibernation files properly

The link will take you to a pretty good article on cleaning up your machine, from a privacy standpoint. Thomas C. Greene writes well and though the article is just a bit long, he confers a LOT of very good information.

This isn't for the tinfoil hat brigades. It's for real people who might have information on their machine they would rather have control over.

Jack

Malware Update with Windows Update

The link is to a Symantec Security Response Team page.

It seems that the mechanism used in Windows Update and especially automatic updates can be compromised. In fact; it already has been. Microsoft will have to fix this and I'm sure they will. I hope this time it happens soon.

At the heart of this is the same old problem with ActiveX controls. Microsoft is frankly silly to persist in using ActiveX for anything, as it is repeatedly compromised and in fact the presence of ActiveX is in this case, as in many others, compromising an otherwise splendid service. I doubt they'll wake up and really change this, though, as they have failed to do so for years on end.

Jack

iPods can make pacemakers malfunction

The small study referenced here used only iPods, but when I think about it I have to wonder about all sorts of other personal electric devices. Some more study needs to be done, to state the obvious.

Please note that I resisted the temptation to state how I always knew iPods were evil.

Jack

Update: Microsoft goes all-critical to patch 19 bugs

Okay; I'm posting this Thursday night and Patch Tuesday is past. Still, I think you all ought to see this.

Also, there have been sporadic reports of issues with some of the patches. Use care when applying this set. Check forum and newsgroup posts for possible problems. Also, check the Microsoft Knowledge Base numbers associated with patches.

I had a couple, related to a rather obscure BIOS/hardware configuration that is probably not worth mentioning here.


Caveat emptor
Jack

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 05-06-07

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 05-06-07. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific thats 1PM to 4PM Eastern. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.
This was the Geek Meet 2007 show, you can see video of us all by listening to the 45K Windows Media feed. You can find that link at http://OnComputers.info

Complaints: AT&T DSL Downgrades Email, That You Pay For, To Include Ads - Consumerist

w0w that's crap. And makes me reconsider my future broadband options....
Consumerist has a jpg of the actual letter, but the summary of it is:

AT&T DSL subscribers who use their ISP email will now have the pleasure of seeing ads in their email service. That they pay for. Did we say that already?

We're not sure whether this means ads will simply appear in the email interface or be inserted at the bottom of emails but reader Crayonshinobi is not happy.

Of the announcement that landed in his inbox this morning, he says, "I'm finding it ridiculous that all of our pay services now have to come bundled with advertising...and it was really slimily written too...until now, as a DSL subscriber, I received the non-ad supported webmail service, so by placing ads in my webmail, you've just removed services from me in effect...Thankfully, I use firefox with adblock...so if there are ads...I won't be seeing them anyway."

Complaints: AT&T DSL Downgrades Email, That You Pay For, To Include Ads - Consumerist
--MissM