More IT Information

In a test commissioned by Microsoft and conducted by 3Sharp LLC, Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 was chosen as the best of eight anti-phishing products.
In the test IE 7 was compaired with Netcraft Toolbar, Google Safe Browsing on Firefox, Ebay toolbar, Earthlink ScamBlocker, GeoTrust TrustWatch, Netscape 8.1, and McAffe Site Advisor. The tests involved using the products over 6 weeks to enter 100 confirmed phishing websites and 500 legitimate sites. Internet Explorer 7's Phishing Filter performed the best and was able to catch the bad sites 172 times out of the 200 times tried and didn't give any false alerts on the good sites tested.
I question the accuracy of the test in the sense that it was initiated by Microsoft themselves. It would be far more conclusive if it was commissioned and carried out by a neutral party. That being said it does give hope that Microsoft is taking user's security seriously and trying to provide a more secure environment.

Labels: IE, microsoft, security

Microsoft has just released a patch for the VML vulnerability in IE, but it seems another bug has popped up this time for Microsoft PowerPoint 2000 to 2003 and PowerPoint 2004 for Mac.
The new vulnerability is being used to install a Trojan on the computer. This Trojan runs an executable file and installs two DLL files to function as backdoors. All information entered into Internet Explorer is posted to a web site on compromised computers.
Users need not worry too much about this, it is considered a limited risk due to the small number of victims so far. Also users need to run the malicious file for their computer to be infected so it is very easy to protect yourself from this exploit.

Labels: IE, microsoft, powerpoint, trojan, vulnerability

While many may have noticed I'm not a big fan of Internet Explorer not only for security reasons, but also because I feel there are better options that are more compatable with W3C HTML standards. IE is still important to have access to when testing the appearance of webpages.
For those with Linux, there is now an easy way to install IE. IEs4Linux is a script for installing IE version 6.0, 5.5 and 5.0 on Linux provided that wine is installed. So far the script supports many languages including English, Czech, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Slovakian, and Chinese.
Along with downloading and installing all three versions which are able to run side by side - impossible on a Windows system without some work, it also installs support for Flash through the ActiveX version of the Flash 9 player in IE.
The author does remind users that to use Internet Explorer legally you need to have a valid Windows license. Also as a result of installing Flash support as well, users should accept the Adobe Flash EULA.

Labels: IE, linux, wine

Starting in November schools in the UK will begin providing security presentations to teenagers. The presentations will be given by security professionals who volunteer their time for the service.
In these presentations the children will be taught about the potential dangers of the Internet and as well how the Internet can be advantageous to the teenagers. They will be encouraged to be responsible in their use of the Internet in order to make it safer. Personal safety, data protection and rights management will also be discussed.
This is something other schools around the world should consider introducing as well. I am sure there are many IT professionals who would be willing to donate some time to help children protect themselves. Teens tend to have a lot more free time than adults to spend on the Internet and also are more likely to take part in behaviors that can put them at risk. Knowing how to prevent risky situations will protect teens now and as they get older.

Labels: education, internet, safety

Yet another real-world reminder to not open strange attachments in your email is circulating the web. Win32.Warezov.at is the latest email worm to be found in the wild of the Internet.
This worm takes addresses from your address book and then using its own SMTP engine sends emails to those addresses to infect even more computers. There are many different subject lines, but the most common are "Mail System Report", "Mail Delivery System" and "test". Users are safe from the email so long as they don't open the attached file within these messages.
For those interested in details about where the worm copies itself and the changes made to the Windows Registry that information can be found here.

Labels: email, internet, microsoft, windows, worm

Heartworm is not something only dog owners should worry about anymore, it's also the latest worm to hit the Instant Messaging scene. W32.heartworm.a is a Microsoft Windows Live Messenger worm that provides the users with a link to a site stating that they have a greeting card waiting. When the user goes to that site they see a heart with a Portuguese poem. What they don't see are the files being installed to steal personal and financial information from computer owners.
What makes this dangerous right now is that for the time being, no anti-virus software will protect from this worm. On the bright side, that will change within the next few hours to a day or so. There is protection from this though. Don't view virtual cards unless the person says they sent you one and you know them.

Labels: IM, internet, worm

Anyone worried about giving their email out on different websites or to certain people, can worry a bit less.
Without any registration or work a person can give an account that can be later accessed to receive the email, while never giving you're personal account. myTrashMail allows people to make up any name @mytrashmail.com to receive a message at. This can be used when you must enter a email address for contests or for other registrations. It of course is not secure at all, but for such situations it may not matter.
If you do need a secure account, you can create such an account on their site with an address beginning with me. and ending the same as the standard accounts. These accounts can be used to receive passwords and other such information.
All of the accounts are completely anonymous and free.
The accounts are temporary though and the email is stored no longer than 30 days. The minimum time you have to access the account is 12 hours, so it does give enough time so you don't have to panic.
One problem you could face with the non-secure account is if someone else chooses the same name, they can access the email you received and possibly delete it, or you could access it first. Out of curtesy I would suggest not viewing other people's mail in such an account and especially not deleting it. I also strongly suggest deleting your own mail after you read it.

Labels: email, internet, spam

As a result of the very critical nature of the latest Internet Explorer vulnerability, a group called Zeroday Emergency Response Team (ZERT) has created and released a patch for IE.
The number of attacks has gotten so bad that at least once cybercriminals redirected 500 websites to point to a site that contains the exploit. People who were browsing sites that they normally go to could then be directed to this malicious site and be infected.
Microsoft has recommended that people not download patches from third parties and said that it was better if they got the updates from original software producers. I agree it is better, but waiting until October for patch Tuesday is a bit too long in the case of a something with this much danger.
ZERT as well addresses the issue of caution when dealing with third-party fixes because the patch doesn't go through the rigorous testing that Microsoft puts its patches through and therefor doesn't provide any guarantee that their patch works completely in every system. There is the possibility of compatibility issues with the patch or more vulnerabilities. ZERT has released the source code for the patch as well so people can see what it does before installing it.
Microsoft and ZERT both urge people to consider using the workarounds that Microsoft has released to protect their system from the exploit before installing the patch.
The official Microsoft workarounds can be found on this page after scrolling down to about the middle under the heading of Suggested Actions.

Labels: IE, microsoft, patch, vulnerability

Three different websites that are very closely linked allow users the ability to create texts, copyright them and discuss them with readers.
The original service was Numly which allows users to copyright their digital works using Electronic Serial Numbers(ESNs). These works can be webpages, blogs, or other files that can be uploaded. For non-paying members the file size is currently limited to 100KB.
Docly was the next service created. This allowed people to create documents online using an online wordprocessor and then publish the work online, sharing it or selling it. This of course works with Numly and includes an ESN. For those who want to sell their work Lulu self publishing is there to help people get a hard copy.
Now raply has been released. This allows people to talk online while browsing sites or while working together on a digital work, for example in docly or in Google's Writely. The idea behind the creation of raply is to allow authors and readers communicate with each other in the docly service.

Labels: internet, numly

For people who have children and teenagers who use the Internet, there is a wonderful site that describes the dangers (with some real life examples of what can happen) as well as ways to prevent such things from happening and tools to protect children from such dangers.
When talking about the dangers on the Internet, it details the definition of pornography both legal and illegal in an easy to understand way as well as giving the legal definition. It also goes into how a child might access pornography online and how it is harmful to children, sexual predators online and statistics and news stories.
There is a section for parents which answers common questions such as if your child is ready to use the Internet, gives the positive and negative aspects of the Internet, provides safety tips, give warning signs that your child may be looking at online pornography and provides a contract that you and your children can sign that if the rules are followed will keep you and your child safe.
The site also provides information about different tools that are available to protect children along with a list of sites that provide evaluations of different tools and tips as well.
If a cybercrime has already taken place with your child, there are links to different agencies that the crime can be reported to including the local FBI offices.
I have the personal opinion that children should be given as much of a free choice as possible including on the Internet and that it is parents' responsibility to monitor and make sure the child using the Internet responsibly, but I also know that children cannot be watched at all times and such tools are useful during those times. Children should be explained what actions are good and which are dangerous, which is especially where this site comes in handy.

Labels: internet, safety

Based on the firefox browser, Torpark provides anonymous web browsing from any computer.
Torpark fits on a USB Flash Drive and can be plugged into any computer to provide an encrypted anonymous internet connection. For anonymity it connects using Tor servers.
The only negative aspect users have to face is that Tor networks tend to be a little slower than a normal internet connections. Sometimes other difficulties can come up with using such a system, such as some pages not working exactly the way they should normally work, but the benefits are a lot more than the drawbacks.

Labels: anonymous, internet

Symantec has yet again expressed concerns over two of Vista's features. Windows Security Center and PatchGuard in 64-bit Vista both make it harder for third-party security software to run on Vista according to Symantec.
PatchGuard prevents software from accessing the kernel stopping the use of technology preventing the security software's code from being modified by malicious code. It also causes difficulty in protecting against exploits that take advantage of kernel bugs.
Symantec also warned that Vista users will as well have the possible problem of Windows Security Center and Symantec warnings popping up at the same time. With the two warnings popping up Symantec feels that users will become confused or being to ignore security messages. Of course it is possible to disable Windows Security Center when running other security software, which will eliminate this problem, but many users don't know how or feel comfortable doing this.
Symantec has said about Microsoft that "There is no question that they're leveraging a monopolistic position to limit customer choice". They haven't made any claims of antitrust violations though as Vista has yet to be sold on the market. It is highly possible that those claims will be made when Vista is released if the situation stays as it is.
Microsoft has been claiming the whole time that their blocking the kernel is in attempt to raise their security standards, which maybe it will a little. The problem stands that with the only kernel-level protection in Vista being Vista itself, malicious software creators can focus only on cracking that security and not worry about other third-party producers. This causes the security level to actually be lowered. Any bug in Vista's security system will open every system running Vista because no other software can be used to protect it until a patch is released by Microsoft which as we all know usually happens once a month as opposed to the more frequent updates to security software, usually being updated days or hours after new threats are discovered. 

Labels: microsoft, security, vista, windows

There is a lot of talk over secure passwords on the Internet. You don't have to go far to find someone saying how important it is to have a secure password for your accounts. What isn't so easy to find is information on how to create such a password.
Usually it is listed that your password should be alphanumeric and at least 6 characters long. I agree completely, the longer the better. Numbers, characters and symbols add to the strength of the password as well especially if the characters are both lower and uppercase. Preferably the combination should be random but with some meaning that you can remember. Of course this also shouldn't be information that is easy for others to guess, such as an address or birthday or even common dictionary words. For example, 3.T0.g3t.rE@dY is more secure than a standard phrase, while still being easy to remember.
Of course people should have a separate password for each account to prevent the situation where someone has access to all of a person's accounts after breaking one password. Of course in such a situation it may be hard to remember them all. While it's advisable not to write them down, if you do to remember them make sure you keep it in a place that is completely secure and of course do not tell people what your password is.
For important sites such as online banking and other financial institution and services it is a good practice to regularly change a password either monthly or bimonthly.
These practices should protect your accounts provided that your computer is free of any keylogging applications. Ideally having such passwords will leave you never having to worry about a password being stolen, but it isn't always the case, if it is wanted badly enough someone will continue trying until they succeed. That being said it will protect you considerably more than using your birthday as a password.

Labels: internet, password, security

For people who want to protect their computers from online attacks that seem to be popular again here are some tips.

• Of course using anti-virus software is one of the easiest. Updates should be installed regularly, preferably before you run it every time. Scanning your system should take place at least once a week as well.
• When receiving email attachments you should always scan them for viruses and if you are not familiar with the person who sent you the attachment, don't download it.
• Firewalls of course are a necessity. The best is to have a dedicated firewall, but running a firewall on your computer such as ZoneAlarm is better than nothing.
• Passwords as always are important. Creating a secure password is a necessity and changing them is also important. You should also avoid using the same password for every account as if one is cracked all of them are then known.
• Update your system regularly as well to keep every known bug patched. This will make it harder for someone to attack your system.
• Backing up your data is also very important. This is more of a protection from corrupt files or hard drive failures, but will still protect your data just the same.
• Also logging off the network when you are done using your computer is important to keep people from being able to attack your computer. Leaving your computer on allows people more time to try to break into your computer.

Of course these actions will not protect you 100% but they will make it a lot harder for someone to compromise your system or for you to lose anything important.

Labels: firewall, internet, password, security

Yet another vulnerability and exploit has been found for Microsoft products. This time it's Office 2007 and Internet Explorer using Vector Markup Language(VML).
This is a slight modification to a bug that was fixed in 2004. The impact of this exploit now is potentially larger as a result of Office's Open XML format which relies on VML.
Microsoft has created a scenario of how an attacker might use the exploit. Their idea is that the exploit will sit on a website. When a person views the site the exploit could give an attacker the same permission as the person using their machine locally. (Another note as to why you shouldn't log on as administrator in Windows and root in Linux.)
Of course this is only one method and others could be possible.

Labels: IE, microsoft, office, vulnerability

A new worm has been released that attacks AIM and possibly other instant messaging applications. The worm begins by sending a message linking to what appears to be a JPEG file to the instant messenger which installs the worm (csts.exe) when allowed to execute.
The worm then calls a domain that offers free webhosting in exchange for putting an advert on the page. Eventually a executable placed in the System32 folder of Windows will be created and when a user runs AIM a message will be set to their contacts which passes the worm on.
So far all of the instant messages have the same message, "hey would it be ok if i upload this picture of you to my blog?". Of course that can change in the future. The best solution is to not click on any similar link or any link you're not sure about until you check with the friend who sent it.
More detailed information about the worm can be read here.

Labels: AOL, IM, internet, worm

Many people by now have probably heard about the proof of concept exploit that demonstrated a weakness in IE's daxctle.ocx (Microsoft Direct Animation Path) ActiveX Control.
The flaw will cause IE to crash and enable someone to take full control of a system. This will not be patched until the next month, leaving all computers running Internet Explorer vulnerable until then.
One solution is to disable Active Scripting in IE. This involves going into the tools menu and clicking the security tab. From there setting the Internet and intranet security to the Custom level and within Settings in the Scripting section, clicking disable within Active Scripting.
Another possibility is to run one of two applications created to set or unset the 'kill bit' that will block the exploit. A standard Windows executable file and a command line version are available along with further information here.

Labels: IE, microsoft, vulnerability

TEDDY a program created in Japan gives users the ability to draw in two dimensions and have it rendered in 3D.
Having tried the program it doesn't seem as easy as demonstrated on the video, but that being said it is still a good start in the direction. It has a straight forward interface involving only the mouse or in the case of the video demonstration a light pen, which I'm sure is easier to use and control. The program still can be a lot of fun for children and artistic adults.
It runs from a browser as a Java applet or you can download the application. The download is only for Windows and Mac currently, but being Java based, I doubt it would be very hard to get it working on Linux as well. With the download users can save their creations as .obj files.
For those living in Japan, there is also commercial software available based on Teddy.

Labels: images, internet

There is a very nice article written about switching from Windows to Linux operating systems.
The writer lists expectations and advice on which distribution to use. Also listed are reasons people switch and advantages seen after switching.
Differences between the OS's are listed including things that make the learning more difficult. Such differences include the file system and the fact that everything is a file.
The article later goes on to debunk myths about Linux such as the ever so popular "Linux is too complicated". Of course the other myths include Linux being old-fashioned and graphics free or for geeks only. The biggest myth and probably easiest for people to think is true is Linux is difficult to setup. Personally, it's no more difficult than Windows, but only if you want it to be. It can be very very easy, too. But, going back to the myths, there is the other infamous myth of Linux not having enough applications and lack of support.
The article finishes with the software included with Linux that is very easy to learn and similar to Windows-based applications, such as Open Office.

Labels: linux, microsoft, windows

Sam Houston State University has recently changed their Cisco CallManagers and Nortel PBXs for Linux-based VOIP and messaging servers based on Asterisk.
This new system still includes call processing, voicemail and functions as a PSTN gateway, but at a lot lower cost.
The university made the decision to reduce costs associated with the Cisco products. Each phone connected to the Cisco CallManager required a separate license, while Asterisk servers require none. Cisco doesn't lose completely though, the university will still use all of the Cisco components they used before, except the servers.
The university is also happier regarding the security of the system. They say that 'if a bad exploit is found in SIP', they are able to fix it themselves instead of waiting for a Cisco-approved update.
For more information regarding the university's switch go here.
I like Cisco products for the most part and find much of their technology quite innovative and useful. Their products are of good quality and I can't say I have any bad word to say about the company. I especially like their power over Ethernet feature. I can understand someone not wanting to pay licensing fees if they can avoid it though. Of course this isn't all without any loss. some of the features provided by the Cisco CallManager are not available in the Asterisk servers.

Labels: asterisk, linux, OSS, voip

Oh the depths a spammer will go to say he's not a spammer.
Recently an Illinois company, e360 Insight, linked to a spammer filed a lawsuit against the UK-based Spamhaus. Because Spamhaus ignored the case, the court sided with the Illinois company and fined Spamhaus $11.7 million and ordered e360 Insight be taken off their Register of Known Spam Operations (ROKSO).
Like any intelligent company would do, they have ignored the court completely, as it has no UK jurisdiction and e360 Insight is related to spamming and should be listed on the site. Spamhaus has invited e360 Insight to file lawsuit in England where is says the courts do not accept "'SLAPP' suits and impose penalties for lying to the court."
Spamhaus' full response can be found here.
Spamhaus is a company whose goal is to protect Internet networks by tracking Spammers, Spam Gangs and Spam Services. It provides realtime anti-spam protection and helps Law Enforcement identify and persue spammers.
Their ROKSO list includes 200 "known Spam Operations". The requirements for being listed on the site involve being terminated by at least 3 ISPs for violations. Once on the list all IP addresses being used by the spammers and listed on the Spamhaus Block List. After 6 months of no spam activity, a organization or group will be removed from the list.
This is a very fair list. Anyone who isn't spamming will quickly be removed from the list, but those who continue to spam will stay on the list with as much information about them listed as is known. Other lists are less likely to remove a listing from their lists.
Spamhaus also provides a list of Consumer Alerts which help to educate users on protecting themselves and what not to do.

Labels: email, lawsuit, spam

Want extra file space on your computer? For Linux users Gmail can be an extra few gigs for files.
GmailFS is a Python based application that in connection with FUSE provides the ability to communicate with Gmail using standard Unix/Linux commands to manipulate and store files.
Anything can be stored with this system, but because there is a possibility that is is unreliable, it's advisable to keep important files on your system and store easily replaced files on the GmailFS.
For information on how this is done, you can buy the O'Reilly book 'Google Hacks' or you can read an excerpt from that book here.

Labels: gmail, Google, harddrive, linux

The code to exploit a vulnerability in Internet Explorer has been published. The vulnerability is similar to one that was patched in August. It involves using a weakness in one of the multimedia components of Internet Explorer.
Users must first view a website that was designed with the exploit inside. Once the user views the site, attackers can run unauthorized code on the computer.
Secunia researchers have managed to create a working version of the exploit for Windows XP with IE 6. Windows 2000 is also known to be vulnerable, but the presence of the vulnerability in other versions of Windows is not yet known.
To help people secure themselves from the exploit, the code (daxctle2.c) can be found here at xsec.org.

Labels: IE, microsoft, vulnerability

Google has just released a new version of Google Earth with the ability for users to actually learn about the location they are viewing.
Viewers can get environmental information from the United Nations such as crisis zones, areas that are becoming worse environmentally, and a 30 year history. Discovery Networks give a virtual tour of local attractions and natural wonders as well as videos about the significance and history of a place. The National Parks Service provides information on 10000 trails and 58 national parks. A Turn Here provides much of the same information as a tourist guide - information about not very well know but interesting places in a city and video guides of the city.
For more information and some pictures go to Google Earth.

Labels: earth, Google

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Banned Books Week, Google has listed the books that have been banned or challenged over the years. Some of which of course you can read on Google. All of them also have a list of libraries and bookstores across the US that carry the books.

Labels: books, Google, internet

Microsoft has a product to help students "succeed in school." Microsoft Student combines Microsoft Math, Research Tools (namely the Encarta encyclopedia), language and literature resources and different templets and toolbars.
Microsoft Math helps students solve math and science equations and is compared to a personal math tutor. The language and literature resources help improve writing and reading comprehension and has other features such as book summaries. MS Student as well includes templets and help for creating presentations and reports in Microsoft Office.
The product seems very user friendly and is created for junior high and high schools students. I would say it's definitely worth investigating the product and will probably be very helpful for students and at $69.95 it's not too expensive for students and provides a good all-in-one resource.

Labels: education, microsoft, office, student

Semantec has already addressed concerns about Vista's security protocols preventing other anti-virus and security firms from releasing software that will work with Windows Vista. Now the European Commission has stated that the security features in Vista could cause problems for Microsoft with EU antitrust laws.
The security is created in such a way that makes it hard if not impossible for external security applications to run properly on Vista. Also as it is usually said, two anti-virus programs should not be run at the same time, as they can either miss viruses or be oversensitive in finding a virus in a file that isn't. The inability to remove the security features of Microsoft could cause a similar situation.
Microsoft has stated that making Vista secure is what everyone wanted and that's what they are doing. Their methods behind that are a bit strange by my standards. I guess we all can make a safe operating system by not allowing any applications to run on it. Granted Microsoft has said that 3rd party security software can be installed at kernel level, but it has to be signed. Here's where we have the trouble as well. Signed and certified software for MS products costs money. I'm not going to even hazard a guess as to how much. Then we have open source security software which is free for the taking and is making no profit. How can such software gain the signature for Vista.
Microsoft is as well stating exactly what they did in the US antitrust case when they said Internet Explorer is required for the operation of Windows because of the way the code is written. Now the three main security features of Vista (BitLocker drive encryption, Windows Defender, and Windows Security Center) are all said to be written so deep in the code of Windows that they would be very difficult to remove and Microsoft has no idea of how to do it at such a late date.
Hmm, maybe they should have responded to the EC in March when they asked for the data, not August. Also how can other operating systems have a more modular approach to system design separating the kernel from other parts of the system and still remain secure while Microsoft can't? If any application is written with the code as tangled as Microsoft is stating these security features and Windows are, it is going to have a lot of problems. Their is a reason software design tries to be as modular as possible and why object oriented design has been created and become popular. If you break everything into modules it's easy to find the bugs and easier to fix them as well. It would also be easier to remove such features that prevent competition, like the feature of Vista that makes installing 3rd party security solutions difficult.
More information regarding Microsoft and the EC's current standings can be found here.

Labels: EC, microsoft, security, vista, windows

A critical vulnerability has been released for the Adobe and Macromedia Flash player.
The vulnerability allows people to take control of a users system by inserting malicious code in a web site using Flash. Flash does not deal with large dynamic strings at run time. Using rather basic Action script a movie can be created in such a way that will overwrite system memory. This allows for heap and stack overwrites among other things.
Users can be a little relieved that this is not currently exploited on the Internet and was only discovered as a proof of concept. That doesn't mean though now that it is known someone won't try to create an exploit.
Thankfully users with the latest version of the Flash Player do not need to worry, it has been fixed already. However, those who are still running an older version should consider updating.

Labels: flash, internet, vulnerability

Ubuntu Linux has several varieties, one of which I will focus on today because of its specific focus on children.
Many people may be thinking that Linux is not something for children, it's too complicated or something similar. It doesn't have to be and when it is running it isn't at all complicated. Windows can be complicated as well when installing it on a virgin machine.
The Edubuntu operating system is made especially for schools and educational environments. It was designed so a teacher or administrator could install and setup a classroom "quickly and easily". It was also created with the idea that if children like it they can get a copy of the operating system and all the software from their teachers and install it on a computer at home and share it with their parents and friends.
Edubuntu is released every six months. It's last release in June of 2006 included over 14000 applications that can be installed at the time of installing Edubuntu. These applications include an office suite (Open Office), professional desktop publishing software (Scribus), graphics packages, applications for teaching and learning, and resources for schools.
The software is already in use in schools and public institutions. ACTUS computer lab for the local community of Poznań, Poland, Mount Rainier Public Library in Mount Rainier, Maryland, and St. George Catholic School for Boys all use Edubuntu. Don't think they all are using it in English, Edubuntu is offered in many languages and if you're willing to help you can help translate it into your language if it isn't already, but most languages already have a translation.

Labels: edubuntu, education, linux, os, ubuntu

In the search for more ways to have broadband Internet connections, natural gas lines have joined in the possibilities.
The technique would involve sending radio signals through the natural gas pipe at up to 6000 megabits per second. The signal is decoded from the pipe to decode Internet, TV and phone content and a converter box in houses would send the signals to the correct device.
The problem with this is the number of houses who don't have natural gas. There are about 40% of houses without natural gas in the States. In Europe the number is a lot less though.
This is an interesting idea, but with so many homes without gas installation, it really is not a method of reaching more homes. The homes that would use this technology will more than likely be the same as those who would use cable or DSL connections. More useful is to try to reach people in more remote areas with broadband connections.
You can read more about it here.

Labels: broadband, gas, internet

I've been reading comments about the EU Commission's actions vs. Microsoft and a lot of people have the wrong idea about what the Commission is doing.
A lot of the comments mention things about witch-hunt tactics and think the Commission is trying to hurt Microsoft in some way and is being unfair because of not going after other companies such as Apple.
A person has to remember this is in regard to anti-trust laws and anti-monopoly, it's not about only providing their own products on the system or trying to prevent other software from running on the system, it's about being the one company with a tremendous amount of market share in comparison to all competitors while having business practices that try to force everyone to avoid competition. MS has the market lead, they do not have to try to step on the territory of people such as Adobe by trying to include their own document reader in their software with it greatly tied into the system and defaulting to it or prevent any other company from producing software completely compatible with the Office Suite by not releasing any standards. Of course also Microsoft's actions taken to ensure that companies do not release computers with other operating systems or with no operating system for people who either own a MS license and don't want to buy another that they don't need or for those who want to install Linux on their system and don't feel like building their own system nor paying for an OS that they have no intention of using.
Microsoft is trying to manipulate people into thinking that the Commission is being unfair against them and is not trying to cooperate. The problem is it is not the Commission's responsibility to tell any company if their software fits within the European anti-trust laws. It is the responsibility of Microsoft to know those laws, which they do, and produce a system that fits within them and try not to hold onto their monopoly. A company that releases good software and plays fair need not worry about holding onto market share, people will use the software anyway, some will try other software, but provided your software is stable enough for people's wishes and includes features that people want which is usually the case for Microsoft software, excluding the stability.
As an example, I personally dislike Windows XP, but find Office XP nice and it was the first version of Outlook I actually liked. If an option is provided people will pick and choose the things they like and market share will not decrease too much from playing fair.
When a company doesn't play fair though, people begin to hate all of the products because they dislike one that they have to have to use another. At the same time they also hate the company as a whole because of the company's business practices. This is the main reason for Microsoft to continue using those dirty tactics. Microsoft as a company has a sickness that involves being dreadfully afraid of failure. They have become such a huge company but still are terrified that they will fail and their practices show just that.

Labels: EC, microsoft

The lead vocalist and guitarist Steve Page from the music group Barenaked Ladies, has posted a comment on their website about their views on DRM.
The MPAA states that they are working in the best interest of artist they represent when filing lawsuits against individuals for file sharing on P2P networks. At the same time artists are stating a dissatisfaction with DRM and some even support the idea of P2P.
In many cases people download films or music to see if they like it and after listening to it, they get to know the artist and like the artist and buy the music.
Steve Page is one of those musicians who are against DRMs. His exact views can be read here.

Labels: drm, mpaa

I have written previously about DRM and the problems with it.
The 3rd of October has been declared "Day Against DRM". The idea is to inform the public about DRM and let public reaction put an end to such a technology that limits the ability for people to make copies of CDs or DVDs as backups for personal use only. It forces people to buy complete new copies of something that they themselves already own.
DefectivebyDesign is calling for ideas on ways to make people aware of DRM to be used on 3 October. There are prizes for the best ideas as well.

Labels: drm

For those people who are not fully happy with Windows, but don't want to pay the extra for a Mac or think Linux is too difficult for them, there is an option.
Linspire works almost exactly like Windows minus the crashing and viruses. Americans interested in the product can find it pre-installed on computers in K-Mart, Walmart and Sears.
While many may think that without Windows they cannot do the same things they normally would, it's not true. Open Office provides many of the same functions as MS Office and can save to the doc format. Firefox and other web browsers work fine in Linux, Internet Explorer will not of course without extra software such as Crossoveroffice or Wine. Of course chatting, listening to music and working with pictures. Of course there's also support for wireless networking and plug-and-play ability. Also for those who like to create web-pages there is are publishing tools. Most importantly, especially for new users, is the video tutorials to teach users to use the system.
Linspire is a good step between Windows and mainstream Linux. It requires very little learning for Windows users and at the same time still gives users a taste of Linux.
One minor problem of the system though is that it doesn't by default create a non-root account for the users and users would have to use a very Linux looking interface from the KDE desktop to create a normal user account. Without doing this the system is left rather insecure due to its default of only having the users log in as root.

Labels: desktop, linux, os, windows

People who want to help solve world problems such as finding a cure for cancer and AIDS or discover new structures of human proteins can do so now.
IBM sponsors the World Community Grid which links the computing power of all people who sign up no matter where they are. Their computers work while they normally would be idle to process huge amounts of data that require the use of huge amounts of computing power. With the World Community Grid, that power does not have to be owned by one person, nor does it have to be in one location.
For those interested in getting involved, a small application must first be downloaded to run the service. It is available for Windows 98 and above, Linux and Mac. Also people interested must become members for the system to keep track of the data.

Labels: volunteer

Those with children out there can find over 80 different free edutainment programs for children at Linux4Kids.
Let me point out the main negative aspects of the site before going into its use. Most importantly it is not the most friendly interface for people to search for some useful software. The interface consists of a table with the file name listed then date, file size, number of downloads, and a description of the file. To find anything a person would have to read or skim through the descriptions until they find what they want. Of course also the software is for Linux rather than Windows or Mac.
Those negative points being said, the software is very useful and interesting for children. It includes things such as applications to create flashcards, calculators - both standard and scientific, typing tutors and vocabulary learning applications. There are also games that provide a learning experience and some scientific applications such as a chemistry lab simulator. There are also several applications for teacher, one of which allows teachers to post materials and share course materials with other teachers and students, while another provides the functionality of a grade book.
Whether you're a teacher, student or parent this site is worth looking at. The software listed here can make your life a lot easier and the list is not so long that it would take no more than 10 minutes to go through the list. 

Labels: education, linux, OSS

Almost everyone knows of someone who doesn't live close, either in another state for the US or another country. With school started again, it may be your parents or your children. The question is, how to keep in contact without breaking the bank?
Of course those with Internet access can use the different Internet Telephony options, Skype of course being one of the most popular and easiest to use.
Skype allows you to connect without having to configure your firewall or anything. Calls are free to other Skype users on their computers, but of course calls to telephones does have a cost, although smaller than you would normally pay.
For a more secure option, there is Zfone which encrypts phone calls to make a secure connection. It currently works with other VOIP solutions and only provides the encryption functionality, but in the future there are plans of creating a stand-alone client. Unfortunately, thought it does not currently work with Skype.
For those who would rather not install any extra software there are some web based VOIP solutions.
Dialpad.com which is now part of Yahoo, allows users to freely call other computers as well as telephones at a cost exactly as Skype but doesn't require a download of any software.
Mediaring.com is another option, but this option only allows for calls to telephones. It does contain an address book and a diagnostic section to troubleshoot any problems. Net2Phone also provides the option of users making calls to telephones and not computers.
PC2Call.com also has similar features to Skype but doesn't allow for users to have numbers on the service for others to contact.
The differences between these are not very big. The software that has to be downloaded usually has more features such as an address book or some other features, while the web based is usually simpler but they all get the job done. Some may have better quality than others though. 

Labels: internet, skype, voip

Microsoft is at it again, using the same tactics they used during the anti-trust case in the US when Windows 98 was threatened to be delayed.
Their argument then was that any delay of Windows would have wide, negative effects on the personal computer industry.
This time around it's in Europe and not the US, but the tactics are similar with Microsoft trying to make themselves the victim saying that the European Commission will not respond to them and will not tell them what they need to do to have Vista released in Europe on time. Along with this a letter recently has been sent to the Commission stating how a delay will prevent European businesses from competing.
The European Commission has already stated that Microsoft has to be compliant with EU competition rules and once their software matches those requirements they will be allowed to release Vista. Microsoft has already been fined twice for a total of $998 million because of their inactivity in fulfilling those requirements and they haven't responded at all to the Commission until recently.
The lack of companies being able to receive Windows Vista in the EU will do nothing to prevent them from competing. Thousands of businesses around the world will not be updating their systems for many years yet. There are still businesses using Windows versions as old as Windows 98 and 95 without having any trouble competing. Not to mention the companies using Macs and Linux. The only company who will have trouble competing will be Microsoft due to their inability to release Vista on time. It will hurt their market share a bit, but it is their responsibility to provide software that does not try to promote a Microsoft Empire that forces people to use their computers within Microsoft guidelines and within their opinion of how a computer should be used.
If you want more information on the issue you can read here. 

Labels: EC, microsoft

We can add another area to the growing list of places that have switched to Linux.
Oxfordshire has switched over 282 schools over to Red Hat Enterprise Linux. These are not classroom computers like some systems have done, but the school servers. The project is designed to provide the schools with local web caching and to improve the response time for their "safe schools" Internet connection.
The school system decided on the system because of the cost and as well because of the stability and reliability of enterprise Linux.
Oxfordshire now joins New Zealand, India and New York school systems among others as the latest school systems to switch to Linux although others have also used Linux in a classroom setting. 

Labels: education, linux, os

Several solution providers have questioned whether Windows Vista is ready for release by the November release date for Enterprise.
The code appears to be alright, but there are some issues with hardware and speed. Vista is also said to be slower than XP. Another analyst said that it felt more like a beta three than a release candidate and is a bit suspicious of only having one release candidate before the actual code is released. There is a problem with Vista's interaction with existing hardware and software as well that causes problems for some with Vista RC.
Another big problem for many will be the price. At $400 Vista Ultimate is a bit expensive. A person can buy a complete computer for that much.
With Windows XP many chose to use the Professional version to the Home edition due to the added stability and added features. I see no difference with Vista, except the price of this is dreadfully high. Comparing prices with previous versions of Windows, the upgrade price of $199 and $259 sounds more like the price of the full package for the standard and high-end versions. Microsoft is facing tougher competition lately and as well has people a little upset over security issues and other flaws in previous versions of Windows, so they should do everything to produce Vista as close to perfect as possible and easy and pleasant to use as well. They should be trying to gain new users not just focus on the previous users. Apple Macintosh is slowly becoming more popular and Linux as well is a lot more user-friendly than it used to be with some distributions very easy for a standard user to get running and once running require no extra work. If Microsoft isn't careful, the flow of people leaving Windows for Linux or Mac will become stronger and more steady. People are beginning to see that there are other options and with the increase in the number of schools world-wide switching to more open-source applications, it will lead to more people doing the same at home.  

Labels: microsoft, vista, windows

 A very critical security advisory has been released today regarding a vulnerability in MS Word 2000 that is actively being exploited. The vulnerability has been reported in Windows 2000, 98, 95, ME, NT and XP systems running Word 2000, but there is a possibility that it is present in other systems as well.
The only solution currently is to not open any Word documents that you don't trust.
The Trojan.MDropper.Q, actually located in the document file, uses the vulnerability to install a form of the Backdoor.Femo backdoor onto the system. These are names used by Symantec while McAfee has discovered it as well and is calling it W32/Mofei.worm.
More information can be found from McAffee and Symantec on this issue.

Labels: microsoft, office, trojan, vulnerability

Ever have a problem looking for a map of a city online, especially smaller towns?
Map24 could be the solution for those problems. It currently offers maps of Europe, North America, Brasil, the Middle East and Australasia. Recently they have also added the ability to use the service with mobile phones and PDAs, so users can get directions when and where they need it most.
Using the service, it was quite easy to find several addresses in the US, Poland and Slovakia. Some of the addresses were impossible to find on any online map I've so far seen.
When there is a doubt about the address, the service will display a list of possible locations which are numbered on the map itself to allow you to easily orient yourself in the area. Another nice feature is the ability with the click of one button to zoom out to view the larger area and then zoom right back to the magnification you were viewing before. The hybrid and satellite maps were ok in the US, but for Poland and Slovakia the images were not clear and were only of the general countryside and couldn't be zoomed to street level with any clarity. Although if you're using this for it's ability to find addresses it's very good and comparable to commercially available software I've seen and in some ways better, as that software didn't have the ability to choose the address from a list of different possibilities if the address was incorrect, which I've seen quite often in some cities. 

Labels: internet, maps

Microsoft is in the process of creating an application that will help protect Internet Explorer(IE) users.
The project, named BrowserShield, is designed to catch and remove malicious code on Web pages as they are loaded and show users safe versions of the pages.
This can be helpful in preventing any problems from an unpatched IE or any new vulnerability that isn't patched yet. For people who do not have much knowledge about computers and the Internet, it could help them if they are tricked to go to a site that contains malicious code.
This is only a prototype currently, but if it works it could be one of the best things for Microsoft's security problems. When tested on eight vulnerabilities that were patched in 2005, it was able to completely protect the computer when used with a standard anti-virus and HTTP filtering. 
For more information click here.

Labels: browsershield, IE, microsoft, security

We've all received an email that is about something that appears very important. The question is do you send it to a friend or do you check to see if it's not a hoax.
Hopefully for the sake of your friends and the rest of the Internet that is teaming with such emails constantly being passed from one person to the next you check to see if it is a hoax and not send it.
The next question of course is how to check. Well there are website dedicated to doing just that. One of which is Truth or Fiction. This site has a subject list of all their recorded emails as well as the ability to search for the one you have using unique words from the message. A general idea of the subject of the email is given with the claims of the email and the truth behind it. Also you can find a copy of the email. Of course at the very top they tell you if it's truth, fiction or unproven.
There are of course other sites out there like Hoaxbusters, but Truth or Fiction seems to have the best interface and is the easiest to follow. Although Hoaxbusters does give you information about how to recognize hoaxes and the actions you should follow when you receive one.

Labels: email, hoax, safety

A very interesting technology has just been shown by Northwestern University and BBN Technologies. The technology is being called the first "quantum cryptographic data network".
The networks have been built and shown in both Boston and Cambridge and involve sending keys as packets of light along with the data. Any attempt at viewing the key changes the characteristics of the quantum particle instantly allowing the administrators to know that someone is looking at the data. Also to improve security, the key is not the same every time, new keys are sent.
This is a great improvement in security, but of course the only people who will see it are those using fiber networks. Until fiber is installed in people's homes this technology will not be accessable to smaller business and household users. That being said, the wait will probably not be very long either. 

Labels: encryption, security

Many children and teens bring their iPods to schools to listen to music, but why not use it as an encyclopedia too?
It seems someone has thought of it and created Encyclopodia which allows iPod owners to view the wikipedia encyclopedia on their iPods. Generation one to four as well as iPod minis and Photo iPod are supported. Fifth generation iPods, the ones including video support, are not supported and may or may not be in the future.
This application makes an iPod even more valuable for students. Yes, teenagers and many people love music, but something that teens and college students take to school normally also have an educational value by having an included encyclopedia as well as the music becomes twice as valuable.

Labels: education, ipod

A new program has been introduced into the world, although I wouldn't say it's a positive program.
Zcodec tries to fool people into thinking it is a video codec. After doing that it has the ability to change the results of web searches, install adware, and trick users into installing other malicious software such as Trojans.
The installation of this program involves installing 3 programs, one of which is a rootkit while the other two are executables.
One of the executable files is designed to modify search engine results to display a different page. This can be used to direct people to sites that pay hosts for each click that a user makes or they can be directed to pages that steal information from user's computers.
The other executable installs Ruins.MB Trojan. The purpose of this file is downloading other malicious programs.
Zcodec does not spread itself but rather relies on users downloading it. This makes it easy to prevent yourself from getting the virus if you know that Zcodec is in fact not a codec at all. Also to prevent yourself from other such files, an antimalware scanner that detects viruses, adware and other unwanted programs and prevents them from being installed and run on a system is a invaluable tool. Of course it's useless if you don't keep it updated and running at all times.
If you are unlucky enough to have this installed on your system, it can be removed and as well Panda Software gives some information on how to remove it from the _Restore folder in both Windows XP and ME. 

Labels: internet, security, trojan

Be careful of the Browzar web browser it is another one of those too good to be true computer experiences that is just that.
The browser is not actually a browser but it is an add-on to IE. It uses the Internet Explorer back-end and is only a different front-end interface. As a result any security or other flaws in IE will also be in this browser. It leaves a trace of what sites the users go to in the index.dat file of IE. One person tested this and discovered that when he logged into for example Google in Browzar and then closed that and opened the same page in IE, he was already logged in there. More proof that it uses IE as a back-end and is not so secure as if you were to do this at a friend's house or in a public place and forgot to log out, the next person who goes to that site, especially if it is close to when you left, will be able to use your account.
Another security issue is that it fails pop-up ad tests which test the ability of blocking malicious ads and just annoying pop ups. Adware is also given to users on the home page of browzar. For a browser that brags that it protects you from adware, it is just giving you the adware at it's homepage. 
More information can be found here.

Labels: IE, internet, security

Those people looking for ultra cheap computers can look to Office Depot this Fall.
Office Depot is offering a HP desktop computer with a Celeron D 352 chip, an 80GB hard drive and 256 MB RAM that normall sells for $429 for almost $200.
The system will cost $99 but will also include a $99 shipping fee. Still though at that cost it is very cheap. Of course it isn't exactly that easy as there is a $100 instant rebate and a $230 mail-in rebate. So plan on paying a little bit more and then receiving the money back again from the rebate.
While this is a fairly low end computer and is not likely to work with Windows Vista coming out, or be able to play any high performance games without significant upgrades, it can be a good starting place for a young child who you don't want to play a lot of games or for someone only looking for a computer to surf the Internet. Power is not that important to search online or write letters and this is a perfect option for someone's grandparents to get them connected to the Internet. 

Labels: computer

People who are interested in making cheaper long distance phone calls now have another option then using a computer running programs like Skype.
Skype has just partnered with Philips and Netgear to provide cordless phones with the ability to make Skype calls over standard telephone lines and Internet lines without the use of a computer. Users will be able to make and receive Skype calls and at the same time make calls over traditional lines as well.
This is a great step for people who don't want or don't feel comfortable being tied to a computer talking and want to be able to have more mobility while talking. Also with the ability to have multiple handsets, it even allows people to make multiple phone calls at the same time. The limit here of course being the ability of your connection.
Also being introduced is a Panasonic Wi-Fi Phone that will allow people to make and receive Skype calls using wireless networks at home, in the office or even at public Wi-Fi zones.
More technology like this is making for a situation where in the future people may not even use the current standard PSTN lines and all telephoning will be VOIP which I'm completely in support of since VOIP offers superior quality and is considerably less costly than PSTN. As more and more houses get broadband connections it makes perfect sense to move in that direction. Currently people are beginning to do without landlines and are only using their mobile phones, maybe the next move will be to only use mobile phones connected via VOIP. 

Labels: skype, voip

For those Mac users out there, there is a problem several MacBook users are facing of their systems shutting down randomly.
There is a website out about the shutdowns where people describe their nightmare stories. Also on this site is a few examples of fixes to the problem which is more important than the problem.
One MacBook user has solved his problem by booting with speedstep enabled that prevents his CPU from going faster than 1GHz. Another user has had the front panels and heatsink replaced along with some other parts and it is working for him. A German site suggests that it has to do with a shortcircuit caused by contact between a heatsink and heat sensor cable. The cable melts and shortcircuits the system. Apple has stated there to be working on a solution but none is available yet.  

Labels: Mac