tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-222279952011-07-28T22:07:57.452-04:00Computer tips and technology news from an IT professionalCBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.comBlogger1601100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-71118265366747711722009-08-15T12:22:00.002-04:002009-08-15T12:30:09.968-04:00

A report on Browser Security testing by NSS Labs shows that Internet Explorer 8 security is far better than Firefox, catching 81 percent of "live threats" vs. only 54 percent caught by Firefox 3, which came in second place.The tests include rating the browser's protection against malicious software using socially engineering and phishing attacks.The lab tested the most recent versions of

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-76222682789733513322009-06-21T23:36:00.000-04:002009-07-21T23:39:35.530-04:00

Pew Research has a neat online quiz, "What kind of a tech user are you?".It's fun, fast, and easy. Me? I'm a "Digital Collaborator". How about you?

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-85977704840890593572009-05-24T14:43:00.013-04:002010-01-03T23:21:20.630-05:00

Social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace come under heavy attack, especially from phishers.There are an average of three different Facebook phishing campaigns every day, reports the Washington Post.One prime attack method is to have a link that appears to go to Facebook and even displays what to be the official Facebook logon page. The logon display is actually not at Facebook -- it

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-81735273327129526852009-05-01T21:26:00.003-04:002009-05-01T21:34:44.171-04:00

In respect to the latest in a series of security vulnerabilities with Adobe Reader and Adobe Flash, Adobe says, "We are in the process of fixing the issue, and expect to make available product updates for the relevant supported Adobe Reader and Acrobat versions and platforms by May 12th, 2009.""SANS NewsBites" newsletter editors comment that users of Adobe Reader and Acrobat may want to consider

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-56921015536668913622009-04-30T16:22:00.004-04:002009-04-30T16:29:39.701-04:00

A recent article in Windows Secrets newsletter, "Viral inviters want your email contact list", stated, "The arms race between the script builders and big-name Web services is just beginning. The massive data collections that the scrapers are able to accumulate are simply too valuable to pass up.The problem will only get worse as social-networking sites create linked systems. For example, the

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-82455705117890105472009-04-20T21:50:00.003-04:002009-04-20T21:57:41.333-04:00

Researchers have found malware in pirated copies of Apple's iWork ’09 and Adobe Photoshop CS4. What's worse, the malware has created the first botnet for Macs.The Mac OS has been overdue for malware attention by hackers and "safe" only due to much lower market share than IBM-clone PCs. Mac users can expect to see more such attacks.iBotnet: Researchers find signs of zombie Macs

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-36723613601433077792009-04-03T23:55:00.002-04:002009-04-04T00:03:21.570-04:00

Beware of fake antivirus software. And beware of a pop-up notice that you have a virus or "might have" a virus (unless the pop-up notice comes from software you already own).A type of software that tricks you into installing it, then demands payment "or else" is called ransomware. And it's spreading.One nasty piece of ransomeware seems to be a legitimate program called Antivirus2009. But after

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-45664895875739001022009-04-01T21:51:00.002-04:002009-04-01T21:59:02.387-04:00

A PC World test found that some search sites had random details about co-workers' and acquaintances' college roommates and boyfriends from the 1980s, political donations, shopping preferences and musical tastes.Social networking sites give a false sense of security and if left "open" to all can result in a lot of personal information being harvested (sometimes called "scraped") by criminals.A

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-58999876763803975012009-03-26T20:36:00.004-04:002009-04-04T00:04:29.289-04:00

I installed the newly released IE 8 and am already liking the enhancements.Web Accelerators looks like something I'll use a lot, for example:http://www.microsoft.com/windows/internet-explorer/videos.aspx?mname=acceleratorsAutomatic Crash Recovery (tab closes, not all of IE).Web Slices.Faster page display.Better pro-active built-in security (domain highlighting, SmartScreen filter -- sites ID'd

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-85391751432189591072009-03-21T18:24:00.004-04:002009-03-21T18:36:35.150-04:00

We get lots of email messages every day. How do you tell what's a fake (and likely to try to hurt you) and what's not? Carnegie Mellon's Software Engineering Institute produced a set of checks that are still valid. It's the KREVS "test".The Know test. Do you already know the sender?The Received test. Have you received safe emails from the sender before?The Expect test. If the email has an

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-53521753453515704422009-02-04T19:40:00.001-05:002009-03-26T20:40:12.490-04:00

Social network site users tend to be more trusting than they should be about emails from "friends". They seem to assume that since they have to login to the account that messages from others are "safe". Criminals know that.So with increasingly sophisticated social engineering, criminals are successfully attacking social networking services. Angry Facebook members created a special facebook page

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-69663612870442929292009-01-28T14:59:00.002-05:002009-01-28T15:08:07.687-05:00

Be very wary of emails you did not expect to get and of any web pages they may link to. Just because an email or web page looks nice or is interesting or you are just plain curious is no reason to start clicking away.A case in point is the recent malware that pretends to be about President Obama (or for you Irish folks, O'Bama). The Microsoft Malware Protection Center (MMPC) blog has more about

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-15746909759054963622008-12-20T14:16:00.003-05:002008-12-20T14:26:12.470-05:00

During 2008, the rate at which the number of web pages infected with malicious software (malware) increased rose from one every 14 seconds to one ever 4.5 seconds. [See "Forecast: Security Threats for 2009"]So what can you do?Don't "assume" a web site is safe to visit. Don't "assume" a link in an email is safe to click on.Don't "assume" an email from a friend was really sent by them.Use

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-46889458849634980062008-12-20T13:49:00.004-05:002008-12-20T14:16:05.434-05:00

Firefox has often been touted as fundamentally "more secure" than Internet Explorer. If you have been led to believe that, you need to look at some cold, hard facts:From March to September 2005 (yes, even as early as 2005), FireFox had 40 vulnerabilities to IE's 10. [ZDNet article]From April through September 2005, the number of published Firefox exploits was 11 compared to IE's 6.The most recent

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-36946073350649478392008-12-12T20:17:00.003-05:002008-12-12T20:28:05.076-05:00

A recent New York Times story highlighted a couple of Computer Science students at Georgia Tech who show us all some of the exciting possibilities of helping others through computing.The project students started out small -- based on some blood suppy spreadsheets at the CDC in Atlanta. As they delved into the real issue and talked with real users in Africa, the project has blossomed into a

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-43943260738395769862008-11-28T11:30:00.003-05:002008-11-28T12:29:43.020-05:00

Beware of malware called Sinowal (also as Mebroot) captures bank and similar data. A gang of Internet criminals have been using this and even morphing the malware to temporarily fool antivirus software.Windows Secrets contributing editor Woody Leonhard likens Mebroot to "a parasitic operating system that runs inside Windows". [Disclaimer: I subscribe to the paid version of "Windows Secrets"

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-79715732256146135392008-11-26T00:29:00.002-05:002008-12-12T20:29:30.291-05:00

Secunia Personal Software Inspector (PSI) is now officially out of beta and at version 1.0 (well, OK ... version 1.0.0.1). I have used versions prior to 1.0 and found them excellent. I'll be downloading, installing, and running PSI 1.0 today. I encourage you to do the same. This free software checks your programs for any updates.While Microsoft Update (or the lesser Windows Update) does a great

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-42648808148855615352008-11-11T12:56:00.002-05:002008-11-11T13:00:29.317-05:00

If you use Adobe Reader 8.12 or earlier or Adobe Acrobat 8.12 or earlier, update them now! Adobe has released security updates to critical vulnerabilities.Better yet, for Adobe Reader, upgrade to the version 9 -- it's free. Both programs come configured to automatically check for updates, but some people turn that off. Leave the auto-check on -- protect yourself.

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-24669539320863530752008-06-16T11:43:00.003-04:002008-12-12T20:30:06.211-05:00

While not revolutionary or even truly evolutionary, version 3 of the Mozilla Firefox web browser looks very good. Some of its new features may even get me to use it as my default, which is now Microsoft Internet Explorer 7. Some of the new features I look forward to most relate to security and ease of use:Site ownership. The "Passport Officer" lets you know who really owns a web site. This helps

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-92014665987994425222008-02-01T18:04:00.000-05:002008-02-02T17:20:06.575-05:00

For many people, the "padlock" symbol showing in their browser status bar means "safe" or "secure". Actually, it only means that someone has bought a certificate and is using SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) -- encryption. Since it's possible for criminals to buy a certificate and use SSL, the padlock is no guarantee that you won't get duped or have your identity stolen. What's important is to know

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-32610033069036331052008-01-21T12:57:00.001-05:002008-12-12T20:31:53.276-05:00

When you need a map, use the right one for the job. If what you need is a road map, you don't need Google Earth or Microsoft Virtual Earth, for example. Google Maps or Microsoft's Live Maps. Basically, I avoid the resource-intensive and thus also slower 3D apps such as Google Earth when I don't really need them to get the job done. Here are what I see as the strengths of some common mapping apps:

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-85563078423112643872008-01-21T12:28:00.000-05:002008-02-02T17:21:38.124-05:00

Internet Explorer 7 is a nice browser, but certainly not perfect. I also have Firefox installed on my PC, though I routinely use IE7. Among other things, online Blogger post editing seems to come out better than Firefox. No browser is perfect.Case in point -- spell checking. I like the Firefox spell checking feature. Well, if you are an IE7 user, there's a free spell check add-on (but I like the

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-47799400987575985022008-01-07T20:20:00.000-05:002008-01-07T20:36:32.419-05:00

USB 3.0 is being developed and it's 10 times faster than USB 2.0 -- from 480Mbps to about 4.8Gbps! That's significantly better than firewire. The product was recently demonstrated with an optical cable but the same type connector. The blazing speed could download a high-definition movie in about 70 seconds.It may have better power efficiency for attached devices. That could use less power on

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-88044132629366157592007-12-28T16:49:00.000-05:002007-12-28T16:59:15.271-05:00

Anti-scammer tips:Use a different name on eBay than on your webmail. Scammers target an email name on gmail, hotmail, and similar online webmail apps.If it sounds too good to be true, it's not true.- Based on a blurb in the December 28th SANS emailed newsletter (not online yet). You can subscribe to get security "NewsBites" by email.

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-58507670095154120712007-12-28T15:44:00.000-05:002007-12-28T15:47:05.105-05:00

Secunia's Personal Software Inspector (PSI) is now in Release Candidate 1 (RC-1). Of ZD Net's top 10 free security utilities you should be using, they say, "Number one is the Secunia Personal Software Inspector, quite possibly the most useful and important free application you can have running on your Windows machine."http://content.zdnet.com/2346-12691_22-95490-1.htmlThe latest update features

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-8718387000665297092007-10-24T01:04:00.000-04:002007-10-24T01:08:28.603-04:00

Several security updates came out recently for products other than Microsoft ones, although a couple apply only if you are using Internet Explorer version 7. If you have the following software, make sure you get the patches:Adobe Acrobat 8Adobe Reader 8.1.1Apple Quicktime 7.2Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.8

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-90075710704485162452007-10-20T21:22:00.000-04:002007-10-20T21:33:22.748-04:00

Microsoft now has Windows Live beta versions of several online apps in beta version. These include:Windows Live Photo GalleryWindows Live MailWindows Live MessengerWindows Live WriterWindows Live OneCare Family Safety (online security)Windows Live Skydrive (file storage)

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-39640338815763214972007-10-20T21:14:00.000-04:002007-10-20T21:19:09.591-04:00

US-CERT says that new variations of the Storm Worm have been appearing in email messages as fake YouTube video links.The emails arrive with headers such as, "LOL, that is too cool..."The email claims to be a video of you that has been discovered. The message contains a fake link to youtube.com. The link acually sends you to a malicious website that downloads and runs malware.

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-78123910606749837252007-09-27T19:52:00.000-04:002007-09-27T20:05:09.230-04:00

Adobe Reader has a serious vulnerability that could be exploited by a maliciously created PDF. The flaw could be exploited to take control of computers. So far, Adobe has no patch for itUntil this vulnerability is patched, do not open a PDF file you get unless it's from a trusted source and you were expecting the file.If the source is trusted but the file unexpected, contact the sender before

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-47274137538627459842007-09-14T13:15:00.000-04:002007-09-14T13:23:17.328-04:00

The US-CERT site has some excellent Cyber Security tips. A recent one is "Identifying hoaxes and urban legends". The article is in clear English, not geek language, and covers:Why hoaxes are a problemTypes of chain lettersDeciding if an email is a hoax (or legend)

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-69370351119086681152007-08-29T16:32:00.002-04:002008-12-12T20:30:42.276-05:00

If you use Microsoft Windows, you are likely familiar with Windows Update, the free service that installs security patches, bug patches, and some enhancements to Windows. But you really need much more.You need to get updates for other Microsoft prograns, such as Microsoft Office. You can do that by installing "Microsoft Update ".Next, download and install the Secunia Personal Software Inspector

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-68706288666182808872007-08-21T21:20:00.000-04:002007-08-21T21:32:48.467-04:00

Many programs these days need updates, not just your operating system (e.g. Windows). As an example, today's Windows Secrets points to the following common programs:Adobe ReaderMacromedia FlashApple QuicktimeSun JavaMozilla FireFoxMost of these programs default to checking for updates. But if you ignore the update message or if it only checks once a month, you can be way behind in plugging

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-25399885236045192042007-08-21T21:00:00.000-04:002007-08-21T21:13:49.130-04:00

I got some new ideas on improving security of my personal information from tips emailed to me at work. Use the tips below to better protect your personal information:When printing checks, print only your first initial and last name. A check forger will not know what first name to use.Do not list your phone number on a printed check. Write it in by hand, but only when required.Do not sign your

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-74976349744365503542007-08-16T18:57:00.000-04:002007-08-16T19:02:51.057-04:00

Google has ambitious plans in expanding its easy-to-use applications to Google Health. One thing that concerns me is the potential for harvesting of personal medical data.Google can't be 100% attack-proof, no matter how security-conscious they are. So I'd expect that eventually a hacker would break into at least some people's health information.Also, you give a doctor access to your online

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-47266555054881573142007-08-16T18:33:00.001-04:002007-08-16T18:44:22.308-04:00

Google has announced that it will include Sun's StarOffice as a free download as part of Google Pack. Previously, a StarOffice download form Sun cost $70. Since Google let's you select exactly which apps you want as part of Google Pack, this is a no-brainer.If you are an average home user, why pay for Microsoft Office when you buy a PC? Just download StarOffice as part of Google Pack.I'll shortly

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-4865753619668362722007-07-21T11:32:00.000-04:002007-07-21T11:37:34.755-04:00

Microsoft's "Local Live" map site includes some "Bird's Eye" views that are of high quality. Not all areas of even major cities are covered by the "Bird's Eye feature, though. Also, some of the images are of lower quality than those of Google Maps. Overall, I like Google Maps the best.Both Microsoft and Google have a map view that shows roads plus satellite. Between the Google "hybrid" view and

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-68638265816592166282007-07-21T11:29:00.000-04:002007-07-21T11:31:49.101-04:00

National Public Radio's web site has a quiz that tells you what your chances are of becoming an identity theft victim. Dare to take it?

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-42431675672233240932007-07-04T15:07:00.001-04:002007-07-04T15:13:14.669-04:00

Microsoft offers a security portal page called "Microsoft Malware Protection Center". It lists and links to the top 10 most active malicious software families, most active family variants, most active email threats, and spyware/adware removed from PCs.The site officially launches in "early July", but the links to threat information are already active.

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-90948630680395202962007-06-13T13:13:00.000-04:002007-06-13T13:32:30.078-04:00

AMD, Dell, the EPA, Google, Intel, Microsoft, the World Wildlife Federation and others have joined in a common goal to reduce power consumption by computers. The goal of the Climate Savers Computing Initiative is to reduce power consumption by 50% by 2010.A specific target is a 90% efficiency for computer power supplies. This change alone would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by millions of tons

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-11154510774901695612007-05-07T21:50:00.000-04:002007-05-09T18:02:26.086-04:00

Even firewalls can let in exploit code from malicious (or hacked) web sites. That's where LinkScanner (and its paid subscription brother LinkScanner Pro) from Exploit Prevention Labs (XPL) comes in. LinkScanner checks the results of searches and shows icons that reflect the safety of the site. Hovering your mouse cursor over an icon adds details.CNET and PC Magazine both have reviews of

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-17500259655473005672007-04-21T22:56:00.001-04:002007-05-08T19:28:37.101-04:00

[video removed - was not working]This looks like the coming of Semantic Web that Tim Berners-Lee talks about. It looks extremely useful.[May 8, 2007 update]Some reviewers seem to be treating Scrybe as a calendar. It's really more of a shareable organizer concept - calendar, to do, and notes, for example.The YouTube video link was not working here or on the Scrybe site. So I have removed it and

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-41542018724200081972007-04-21T18:42:00.000-04:002007-04-21T18:52:49.849-04:00

Thunderbird 2.0 email software is now available from Mozilla -- the folks who bring you the FireFox web browser. I have in the past used Outlook Express, Outlook, and Eudora email clients. But my current choice is Thunderbird.My fast take on version 2.0:Spiffied up icons (in general)Weird looking sideways folder iconsSome nice new featuresOne big disadvantage: Mozilla still has not built in the

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-67154986146097596672007-04-17T19:47:00.000-04:002007-04-17T19:50:24.644-04:00

Current image searches give only fair results, but researchers are working on the problem. Here's a couple of articles in MIT Technology Review:Better, more accurate image searchSoftware learns to tag photos. The test used Flickr photos to assign up to 15 tags per photos. ALIPR (Automatic Linguistic Indexing of Pictures) uses statistical methods to analyze a photo one pixel at a time and

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-37192700096843564862007-04-13T12:26:00.000-04:002007-04-21T20:03:05.042-04:00

I was going to gush over a make-your-own-map site, MultiPlottr I discovered recently. Then I noticed that Google has enhanced Google Maps to include "My Maps".With both MultiPlottr and Google's My Maps, you can add several map points and assign text to the point for display in the normal Google pop-up balloon. But Google's My Maps appears to offer more and has the Google ease of use and cool

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-34180963928275114372007-04-11T19:33:00.000-04:002007-04-12T18:57:03.735-04:00

Rootkits are nasty buggers. Antivirus software doesn't detect them and they can be a bear to detect and destroy.Now comes Anti-Rootkit Free from Grisoft, makers of AVG Antivirus Free Edition.A test of the fast scan on a home computer took 10 minutes. The interface is attractive yet very simple to use.

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-63269000597213857452007-04-11T09:38:00.000-04:002007-04-11T09:46:41.218-04:00

Paul Thurott's Windows SuperSite is an excellent source of information. He has started a page on Windows "Vienna" (a.k.a. Windows 7 or Windows Seven). If you're the curious type, surf away and enjoy.Paul also mentions that Windows Vista SP1 will amount to a major release -- it will include a kernel update to the operating system (OS) and will coincide with the release of the Longhorn server

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-64247782967652053392007-04-02T23:34:00.000-04:002007-04-02T23:39:38.410-04:00

If you are a computer geek or just plain irritated at movie script writers or directors that appear clueless about computers (or both, like me), you'll appreciate reading the "Usability in the Movies - Top 10 Bloopers" by usability expert Jakob Nielsen.

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-61137503939727983362007-03-28T12:54:00.000-04:002007-03-28T12:55:48.876-04:00

Some key findings in Symantec's Internet Security Threat Report include:The major malicious software thrust is stealing your money. Over 5,200 Denial of Service (DoS) attacks per day.The bad guys are attacking medium-risk vulnerabilities as a way to run more attacks.Attackers are increasingly attacking multiple vulnerabilities at once, not just exploiting one vulnerability.Some key links:Symantec

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-54886431982270205602007-03-28T12:39:00.000-04:002007-03-28T12:56:19.571-04:00

Symantec has issued its semi-annual report on Internet Security Threat Trends for the last half of 2006. One finding is that Microsoft offers patches for vulnerabilities faster than the other four vendors checked.In decreasing order of fast response (1 = best, 5 = worst), they are:MicrosoftRed HatHPAppleSun

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-78978518048520055312007-03-24T14:07:00.000-04:002007-03-24T15:16:14.766-04:00

Google has quietly added some nice features to Google Maps. The latest additions I noticed are:"Traffic" button. If Google has the data, you get a "mashup" that shows freeways and red, yellow, or green status for various freeway sections. The Traffic button is an on/off toggle, unlike the Maps, Satellite, and Hybrid buttons.Example: Sacramento, CABuilding shapes. At the closest two zoom views,

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-61046853790062236832007-03-18T16:14:00.001-04:002008-12-12T20:31:16.008-05:00

Some web sites don't respond well to Internet Explorer 7. That's usually because they have hard-coded various browser versions into their web page code and have not updated it to add IE7 to the list.So though many (most?) web sites have updated their code or never hard-coded the browser versions to start with, some present challenges. On the other hand, I have not run into any public web pages

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-12139742880268579522007-03-17T15:54:00.000-04:002007-03-17T16:12:50.284-04:00

A new Zealand study of office workers has found that people who work for hours while sitting down have a higher risk of blots clots from deep vein thrombosis (DVT) than airline passengers.Many of us spend hours at a computer at work. Then a lot of us then work or "play" on a computer after getting home. This study, with results that we perhaps expected anyway, is a reminder that most of us need

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-2262395256938441662007-03-09T15:44:00.000-05:002007-03-17T16:16:09.785-04:00

Java versions seem to come out faster than new bottles of flavored water. Keeping up can be hard.Want to find out what the latest versions are and what you actually have? Go to Java Tester. Just click on the test link and read the results. Scroll down to see the version you have, but read the rest of the stuff too.

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-131280440088074612007-03-06T22:35:00.000-05:002007-03-06T22:46:00.627-05:00

Comodo offers several free security-related software products to protect your PC:Comodo Firewall Pro. Comodo Personal Firewall 2.0 got the PC Magazine "Editor's Choice" award in 2006.Comodo AntivirusComodo AntiSpamComodo iVault (protect passwords to various programs and web sites, credit card information, and more.I use the ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite. And free programs rarely rate as high

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-57168125188038051722007-02-07T21:58:00.000-05:002007-02-08T18:00:07.280-05:00

Doctor Percy Julian. Chemist. Brilliant. Determined. Forgotten. Black.Black History Month is an appropriate time for networks to feature shows about significant contributions of Blacks, whether American or not. But I wish these didn't seem timed for Black History Month. How about just working on a good project and releasing it when ready? Let's not limit recognition of the significant

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-23351496942797181032007-02-07T00:16:00.000-05:002007-02-07T22:11:26.406-05:00

Adobe has released Adobe Reader 8.0. Adobe considers it a critical update to version 7 for security reasons.Get Adobe Reader 8.0.Caution – Adobe will install Yahoo! Toolbar by default unless you specifically deselect (disable) that. I do choose not install Yahoo! Toolbar or Google Toolbar. I use IE7 and avoid the extra "overhead" that the toolbars introduce, to say nothing about possible glitches

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-75701213997003417212007-02-06T21:46:00.000-05:002007-02-08T17:46:09.718-05:00

Today, February 6, is Safer Internet Day, observed by over 40 countries. This year's focus is on mobile phones and child safety. The European Union (EU) has a special ins@fe site, which features a special worldwide blogathon for Safer Internet Day.Among U.S. sites, the U.S. Department of Justice sponsors iSafe, with an iLearn section that aims at several groups: teachers, over-50, parents,

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-27986001229362518112007-01-25T02:17:00.000-05:002007-02-07T22:13:03.159-05:00

Weathermole is a great sample of what developers can do when they combine Google maps with other data. Such a merging is called a "mashup".In this case, the developer merged NOAA weather data to Google maps data. The resulting mashup lets you specify a ZIP code or a major city, then provides forecast text and images below the U.S. map.

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-70476151908598753182007-01-25T01:56:00.000-05:002007-02-07T22:13:47.842-05:00

Wired magazine has some great articles. You can now find the Wired technology news feed in the right column of this blog.But if you, like me, also have a string interest in science in general, check out "What we don't know" at Wired. The list has 40 questions, from the humorous to some truly "big" ones.

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-48878815875357557742007-01-25T01:13:00.000-05:002007-02-07T22:14:05.857-05:00

Qualcomm is going to cease development of its popular email client software, Eudora. Instead, it is giving its code to the Mozilla folks, who also produce Thunderbird.At first I thought that Eudora would get merged into a slightly changed Thunderbird. But no. The aim by Mozilla, with the help of current Eudora staff, is for the new open-source email client program to maintain the "Eudora user

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-77218534906544167142007-01-24T23:24:00.000-05:002007-02-07T22:14:37.945-05:00

A malicious bugger named Trojan.Peacomm is making the rounds. This nasty thing can hide its files and processes, making it quite hard to detect. It arrives:As a file installed on your computer by other malware (malicious software) or As a file you unwittingly download when visiting malicious URLs.It is also currently arriving in email Spam, with the emails using subject lines related to specific

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-60515271684646849562007-01-07T14:52:00.000-05:002007-02-07T22:15:30.355-05:00

You remember the film "Weird Science"? Well, PBS airs "Wired Science" tonight. It's from Wired magazine and one of three pilots for one possible series.Watch, then you can even add your opinion as to whether PBS should make Wired Science a series.

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-60690678020513114662007-01-06T17:25:00.001-05:002007-02-07T22:15:53.901-05:00

Wireless drivers are under attack by hackers. So far the wireless products affected include ones from Apple, Intel, Broadcom, Cisco, Linksys, Dell, Netgear, D-link.Tens of millions of desktop and notebook computers plus other wireless devices are vulnerable. If you use a wireless device, check the manufacturer's web site to see if they offer a driver update.Reference: Wireless security starts

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-83785351318030044662007-01-06T17:17:00.001-05:002007-02-07T22:16:12.751-05:00

Over 50 percent of people use the same password for nearly every site they visit and that requires one, says PC World about a Jupiter Research study. That's just asking for trouble.On the other hand, it's not reasonable to expect people to remember a bazillion usernames and passwords. So what do you do? Some people store the sites and passwords in a file on their PC. Not good. If their PC is

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-6062655411006522182007-01-06T16:33:00.001-05:002007-02-07T22:16:36.587-05:00

Mark Edwards, "Windows IT Pro" magazine, sees the following threats for 2007:Vista exploits.Exploits of RSS and Atom syndication feeds ... you know, feeds like this blog! Whoa, Baby!Exploits of multimedia content, including MySpace and YouTube.User education will still be a low priority for businesses.Increasing identity theft, Spam, and malware.Increasing malicious use of botnets. The full

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-1167784069970672272007-01-02T19:17:00.000-05:002007-02-07T22:16:57.026-05:00

Windows' "Automatic updates" only downloads "critical" updates. Windows Update and Microsoft Update, which has MS Office updates too, both have a ton of security patches plus added features you can download. The optional updates and hardware-related updates do not automatically download.So periodically manually surf to the Update site (Windows Update or Microsoft Update) and check out the other

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-1164600927966297522006-11-26T23:13:00.000-05:002007-02-07T22:17:30.004-05:00

If you dig a hole "clear through the earth", will you really come out in China?Find out with this very clever Google Maps mashup by a Brazillian developer.Clever and fun.

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-1164480120635907282006-11-25T13:28:00.000-05:002007-02-07T22:17:52.302-05:00

Internet Explorer 7 has many new features to help you as you surf. One I like is the "Zoom" feature.First, let's be clear. "Zoom" is not the same as "Text size" in IE 7. Changing the text size does only that -- increases or decreases the size of the text on the page. If what looks like text is really part of an image, it does not change. "Zoom" make the entire page enlarge or shrink. That also

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-1164379966535596852006-11-24T09:39:00.000-05:002007-02-07T22:18:21.039-05:00

Family members vary in the degree of risky computing behavior they perform. You can help lessen the chances of getting infected by taking the below steps:Create a separate user account for each family member.Only assign the type account really needed. Try to use "User" level for most. Assign "Power User" with caution.Never sign on and do normal work with an account that's a member of the "

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-1164379111599037002006-11-24T09:29:00.000-05:002007-02-07T22:18:45.804-05:00

It's OK to be paranoid if people really are out to get you. And that's the case with "greeting card" attacks. As the Christmas season nears, the number of attacks involving faked greeting cards rises.The attack arrives in your inbox as a message (perhaps looking like it's from a friend) with a link to a "Greeting Card". If you click on the link, you may even see some sort of online greeting. But

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-1162677964162669202006-11-04T17:06:00.000-05:002007-02-07T22:19:03.212-05:00

It's a bit off-topic, but here's a motley collection of recent web and science-related news links...M.I.T. and Britain's University of Southampton plan to offer a research program in Web Sciences.[Required free registration]Commerce, NASA IGs investigate White House for muzzling scientists and altering scientific reports.Midterm elections may affect science.

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-1162058005638847022006-10-28T13:53:00.000-04:002007-02-07T22:19:18.342-05:00

The Cyberguys site, which I like a lot, has some more neat gadgets (I choose to get emails about the latest offerings).1GB Biometric flash drive (Sandisk Cruzer) -- swipe your fingerprint to access your dataMicrosoft Optical notebook mouseFlat speakers, USB-powered, with battery pack -- for notebook use?1GB Compact Flash Card (SanDisk) for only $29Wireless PC headphones (Logitech)USB cup warmer -

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-1161990814977248612006-10-27T19:12:00.000-04:002007-02-07T22:19:53.273-05:00

You wouldn't mail an unsealed envelope because anyone with access to it could read the contents. And they just might steal the information or contents. So remember to take precautions when you are online. Here are a few:Make sure that you only buy products or services, pay bills, or provide personal data from a secure web page. This means the website encrypts the information.Check the web address

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-1160146187371571982006-10-06T10:49:00.000-04:002007-02-07T22:20:26.643-05:00

You may want or need to hold on to Windows XP instead of upgrading to Vista. If so, you should know that you can still get some of the benefits of Vista by adding on to XP. Here are some cool add-ons, (courtesy of an article by Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows). These are free unless a price is listed. Read Paul's article for a more in-depth review of each category.Desktop search: Windows

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-1159034201950921262006-09-23T13:56:00.000-04:002007-02-07T22:21:07.834-05:00

Fred Langa, author of the LangaList newsletter, offers great tips. His 2002 series on cleanup of multiple versions of Windows is still a classic. The linked page contains:Basic cleanup for all versions of windowsAdvanced cleanup batch file (Win 9x)Advanced cleanup for other versions of Windows (including XP)Sageset tipsSagerun tipsCleaning of temporary files foldersAdvanced use of cleanup

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-1158292845809966072006-09-15T00:00:00.000-04:002007-02-07T22:21:47.106-05:00

There are a bazillion ways to enjoy Google. Now there's a book, "55 Ways to Have Fun with Google", that lets others in on Google entertainment.This unique book is available as a purchase or even as a free PDF or MS Word download. Just make sure you read the Creative Commons license.

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-1157723179828056802006-09-08T09:46:00.000-04:002007-02-07T22:22:00.503-05:00

If you have an HP printer in one of the following series (at work or home), check whether the power cord has been recalled.DeskJet 800 seriesDeskJet 900 seriesPhotoSmart 1000 seriesPhotoSmart 1100 seriesPhotoSmart 1200 seriesPhotoSmart 1300 seriesHP power cord recall page

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-1155823389867744162006-08-17T10:03:00.000-04:002007-02-07T22:22:23.496-05:00

The DShield organization, which appears affiliated with the SANS Internet Storm Center, collects information about what attacks are being seen at computers. If you have a broadband internet connection (DSL or cable modem), you really need a firewall. And if you have a firewall, it should be set to generate a log of incoming and outgoing communication attempts.The DShield site puts received data

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-1155769903300785912006-08-16T19:11:00.000-04:002007-02-07T22:22:45.369-05:00

Computers are everywhere and we spend a ton of time using them. But we often neglect to take care of our bodies, which hammer away at keyboards, tenaciously gripping mice, and sitting uncomfortably for long periods of time -- all the while staring at flickering monitor screens.About.com has a series of pages with tips to reduce strain on your body while you use your computer. Give yourself a

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-1155164903166502972006-08-09T19:08:00.000-04:002007-02-07T22:23:16.816-05:00

The Microsoft Windows drivers for the Intel 2200BG and 2915ABG PRO/Wireless Network Connection Hardware have a secuity vulnerability and should be patched.How do you tell if you need this? Use Device Manager:Select the Start ButtonRIGHT-click on "My Computer"Select "Properties" from the pop-up menu.Select the "Device Manager" buttonExpand the "Network adapters" section if it's not already

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-1154811683174789952006-08-05T17:01:00.000-04:002007-02-07T22:23:50.138-05:00

Reuters (the news people) have an interesting "Emerging Technology" blog. If you're a technology news junkie, add this one to your list. And here's a few more, in no particular order. Surf. Enjoy.Tech & Space blog (Angela Gunn, USA Today)cNet Tech Blogs - an umbrella blog for all their tech blogsGizmodo (gadgets)EngadgetWired NewsTechnology News (Popular Mechanics)Reiter's Wireless Data Web

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-1154727167271381722006-08-04T17:32:00.000-04:002007-02-07T22:24:33.765-05:00

Surf Control reports that computer hackers are now using a Google Toolbar look-alike application. The fake app tries to lure you into installing a malicious program. Be paranoid. Be very, very paranoid.

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-1154385581791837972006-07-31T18:35:00.000-04:002007-02-07T22:24:55.650-05:00

The CyberGuys site intrigues me more every day. They seem to stock a lot of specialty items related to the electronic age. Here are some of the latest items that seem quite useful as well as unique:Plusdeck2c - converts cassette tapes to MP3 format. Put them on an MP3 player, computers, USB stick ... whatever. Music to go. And the sound doesn't get scratchier with age! Coming in September will be

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-1152905493298536152006-07-14T15:31:00.000-04:002007-02-07T22:25:07.928-05:00

Protect your portable data! A long time ago (a few years), floppy diskettes were all we had to worry about getting infected. And they could only hold 1.44MB of data. Protection? Well, we pushed that little slider to make it "read only". So what can we do now that we have portable everything? One device getting more attention is the now common USB flash drive. Some call it a "jump drive" or "pen

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-1152770051295479912006-07-13T01:54:00.000-04:002007-02-07T22:25:36.081-05:00

M.I.T. is researching use of nanotubes as mini-capacitors in batteries that would recharge within seconds and could be recharged thousands of times. The researchers are drooling at practical uses in everything from hearing aids to cars.Carbon nanotube (Wikipedia)Capacitor (Wikipedia)

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-1152719916063713912006-07-12T11:58:00.000-04:002007-02-07T22:26:01.871-05:00

PhotoJoJo has some good tips, including photos. Make your own fisheye lens for under $10, for example.If you enjoy using a digital camera for more than "snapshots", this site is for you.

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-1152573572437342572006-07-10T19:19:00.000-04:002007-02-07T22:26:19.750-05:00

Microsoft now offers, for free, Private Folders 1.0, using password protected folders. It is a step to protect sensitive data from prying eyes. Though billed as being for a computer that multiple people use, it may also help protect against data theft by hackers and thieves. Then there's file and folder encryption too using XP's Encrypting File System (EFS). The Federal Government will soon

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-1152143508681756392006-07-05T19:51:00.000-04:002007-02-07T22:26:39.312-05:00

"Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!" Results of a recent study show that using a cell phone while driving is as dangerous and sometimes even more dangerous than driving under the influence.In the study, many cell phone users crashed into the pace car ahead of them, but none of the DUI ones did. Yikes!A commenter at a CNET blog posting on this report says that the problem is "self-phones" -- phones

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-1151965069041366672006-07-03T18:17:00.000-04:002006-08-05T16:49:47.993-04:00

You probably know about the free Adobe Reader, which reads PDF files. But did you know that there are lots of other free PDF readers, some of which are as small as 1MB in size? One great use is as a slimmer PDF reader for a utilities collection on your USB flash drive.[update 8/5/06] FoxIt Reader for Windows

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-1151777788676033432006-07-01T14:16:00.000-04:002006-07-01T14:16:28.680-04:00

People from hand tremors can use Mousecage software to let them control a mouse much better. Related link: Free IBM utilities help seniors

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-1151768946611240242006-07-01T11:49:00.000-04:002006-07-01T13:48:00.783-04:00

I've been impressed with Cyberguys as a source of unusual and helpful computer accessories. If you are computer-friendly, you'll enjoy looking over their wide range of items. Here are a couple that caught my eye lately:Optical "travel" mini-mouse with retractible cord -- for notebooks. (We ordered these at work)A flexible USB connector that rotates in two directions.USB PnP turntable - Digitize

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-1151365866387668542006-06-26T19:51:00.000-04:002006-06-26T19:51:06.426-04:00

Microsoft's "Windows Live Safety Center" offers a free, yet customizable "full service" online checks of your PC. It checks for: Viruses and other malware Wasted hard disk space Maintenance issues Internet connection security Invalid registry entries You must download scanning tools, but that goes fast (at least on my broadband). Also, click on "Customize" and uncheck scan options you you

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-1151100498088252002006-06-23T18:08:00.000-04:002006-06-23T18:08:18.123-04:00

A recent PC World article lists the 10 security risks you don't know about. Among the tidbits is the fact that the latest attacks target cell phones with phony text messages.  The messages claim that you have been subscribed to a dating service and if you don't cancel, you'll be charged.  This nasty social engineering aims to dupe people into actually visiting the listed web site. The web site

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-1150755145185317702006-06-19T18:12:00.000-04:002006-07-04T14:13:52.496-04:00

Teens and preteens may be totally naive about the social trickery and manipulation so common on parts of the Internet, yet savvy about computers in general. Parents can't protect their kids from dangers they don't understand.The fact that postings in a blog or MySpace type web site are very public, not private, never crosses the minds of many youth. An aggravating problem is that their parents

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-1150494670294219762006-06-16T17:51:00.000-04:002006-06-16T17:51:10.713-04:00

CNET Shopper's "Deal Exchange" offers ever changing deals on a wide range of merchandise.  Most have expiration dates. Recently a $900 Canon Rebel camera was on sale for $621, for example. Check it out.

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-1150393515085127062006-06-15T13:45:00.000-04:002006-06-15T13:56:01.350-04:00

Microsoft announced 21 bugs (vulnerabilities) and their patches on Tuesday. On Wednesday, hackers were already exploiting 7 of these to attack PCs. Note that some of the patches are for Microsoft Office products. So if you normally only run Windows Update, be sure to check Microsoft Office Update.The moral? Don't wait -- update your computer when a software vendor offers new security patches.

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-1150392470811992052006-06-15T13:27:00.000-04:002006-06-15T13:27:50.856-04:00

Do you use WiFi? Make sure you read Fred Langa's "Wireless Poachers, Wireless Guests" article in Information Week . Fred Langa's newsletter, the LangaList, is a real gem.  The "Plus" edition is budget-priced and a great value.  The Basic, ad-supported, version is free but the Plus edition contains extra articles. A recent Plus version newsletter lists 4 steps to improving your wireless security.

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-1150312218812113352006-06-14T15:10:00.000-04:002006-06-14T15:10:18.883-04:00

Prevent "gotchas" -- backup your Outlook "Personal Folders" (PST file) every so often. Also burn that to CD or save it to a different drive in case your current drive "goes south".  Microsoft offers a free MS Outlook plug-in for Outlook 2000 and 2003.

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-1150223638362621782006-06-13T14:33:00.000-04:002006-06-13T21:56:25.056-04:00

You should protect your lap from notebooks, which can heat up to over 150 degrees F. That can be too hot for comfort. Men should also remember that excess heat in "that certain area" can be harmful. The solution? A laptop desk.A laptop desk can also let you work at a better angle to the keyboard.Here are a couple of Froogle search results:LapDeskLaptop lap deskCleaning the notebook (or laptop

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22227995.post-1150063189042510812006-06-11T17:59:00.000-04:002006-06-11T17:59:49.046-04:00

An alternative to WinZip gets better compression and is free. WinZip used to be a one-time license -- buy it and get updates free for life.  No longer (so much for promises -- the ability for the company to unilaterally change this must've been in some fine print I didn't read). Fred Langa, in his Langa List newsletter, says he's changing over to 7-Zip as WinZip licenses expire. I just may be

CBruleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607767373605474904noreply@blogger.com0