I’ve been wrestling with my file server for most of the past five days. I decided to upgrade the OS from Slackware 13.0, which was running like a charm, to 13.1, primarily hoping there might be drivers to better support my new 17″ monitor which I picked up for 40 bucks from a fellow who […]
Philadelphia Inquirer has a story of a bizarre cyber-feud. It’s a story of involving dirty tricks, impersonation, divorce, broken families, and, ultimately, a likely jail term. An excerpt: The two reclusive computer experts staged their vicious fight on a cyberspace battlefield, each intent on the other’s destruction. One, who has built a career out of […]
Microsoft has announced a new Windows security update that every Windows user, no matter what flavor of Windows he or she is using, needs. According to the BBC, shortcut files (*.lnk), such as those used for desktop shortcuts, can be injected with malicious code which executes when the user clicks a link. Microsoft taking this […]
I don’t concern myself too much with browser cookies, because I’m pretty conservative in my browsing habits. I spend most of my browsing time at legitimate news sites and blogs–I don’t care if the Denver Post or Project Gutenberg leaves footprints behind on my browser and my hosts file blocks most of the sites that […]
A staple of shows such as World’s Dumbest and Most Shocking are scenes of lamebrain crooks trying to tow ATMs from convenience stores. That’s a pretty stupid crime from the git-go. When I worked for a manufacturer of security hardware and software, I got to know a lot of folks who work for security retailers, […]
The Guardian warns of two new major malware attacks circulating via Facebook. The first instance is actually a genuine IQ test, which takes control of your profile and signs you up to a $10 per month premium mobile phone service. If you spot a link along the lines of ‘I’m NEVER texting AGAIN’ in your […]
From Merriam-Webster, one of the oldest meanings of the word “hack,” dating from the early 1700s: 1 : working for hire especially with mediocre professional standards 2 : performed by, suited to, or characteristic of a hack It was not so much that Twitter was hacked. It seems, instead, that Twitter had hacks. The Guardian […]
I am no stranger to 3D modeling and motion capture. Thanks to a good friend, I have learned all about it. In fact, he just set up a motion capture studio less than two weeks ago. I saw Motion capture on games, but I never saw it in a different type of production. That is […]
Settling on my house sale has turned into an ordeal that has consumed all my psychic energy, with delay following delay on the other end (it’s not the buyer–it’s the lender). It’s tentatively scheduled to be over tomorrow, but I’m still waiting for the fat lady to sing. In the meantime, I’ve been pretty worthless […]
I am using the foursquare application on my iPhone. Been doing that for a couple weeks now. I am the mayor of a few locations and know where my friends are. But then again, I know where my friends are. In this world of connection, we need to look at this data overflow and who […]
The story of the Lower Merion School District’s surreptitiously using webcams to spy on students has made a big ripple in the Tech-o-Sphere. The school district issued Macs to all high school students and failed to disclose that it could remotely activate the webcams over the internet. It got caught and has claimed that it […]
Editors Disclaimer: This StorageWorks x510 Data Vault is a review unit sent to me from HP. They asked me to test and report my findings. Although the Data Vault is a review model, my review is based on honest observations. Any questions – please refer to the review policy page for more information When I […]
The BBC reports that a phishing scam involving torrents has been uncovered. Their headline implies that it targets Twitter. It doesn’t, not specifically. Twitter seems to have been responsible for revealing it. The way it worked was really quite clever. After a while, the malware would phone home with the list of usernames and passwords. […]
MarketWatch reports that, according to Roel Schouwenberg of Kaspersky Lab Americas, Android and iPhone handsets will be the next target for hackers. Kapersky is a leading manufacturer of anti-virus software. (Full disclosure: I have used Kapersky products for years and found them reliable. I have Kapersky on this Linux box even as I type.) Interestingly, […]
The Guardian takes a long look at trends in malware. Among the trends they note are these: The authors of the article also find a disconnect between the eagerness of some governments (the Guardian is a British paper) to clamp down on illegal file-sharing, as with “three strikes you’re out” laws, while doing little to […]
2GB Totally Free Online Backup! Compliments of Mozy – Use code “Geek” for 10% off other plans In this screen cast, we look at some steps you can take to prepare for your Windows 7 install. The biggest is backing up your data so you can bring it back on the new system. In this […]
The Guardian reports that thousands of Hotmail accounts have been compromised in a phishing attack. Hotmail users are urged to change their passwords immediately. I know one person who uses Hotmail. In other news, my younger son tells me he has been unable to log into his Yahoo mail account. Both Opera and Internet Explorer […]
I wrote about this a couple of weeks ago just through happenstance. Todd Cochrane mentioned it in Friday’s podcast. The Guardian reports a new twist. Roger Thompson of AVG thinks that the bad guys have figured out how to automate creation of phony Facebook accounts. In the case I know about personally (link above), the […]
Geekazine is proud to be sponsored by Mozy online backup. This is a way to backup your computer to an off-site location and preserve your data. I know I have a lot of personal information including podcast recordings that need to be protected from damage, theft or failure of the computer. If you use code […]
Possibly, argues some persons interviewed by the New York Times. Attacks against operating systems are decreasing in favor of attacks against vulnerable programs and against websites. This is no surprise. Computer security–indeed, most security–follows a “catch-up” model: assess what’s going on and defend against it. As defenses improve, attackers naturally move on to different targets. […]
I have two topics in this post because I find both interesting, but don’t think I have enough to say about either to warrant two posts. In the Guardian, Cory Doctorow expresses his skepticism about cloud computing. I’m not going to try to excerpt it, just recommend it as food for thought. This other one, […]
100 – a look back at the Podcast – Thanks to Frank for helping out – Summer of Podcasts Winners – New Computer install – ASUS M4A78t-e with Phenom II X4 – 945 – $50 GC given away, open call for more email. My ultimate disgust with Starbucks & AT&T WiFi. – Not too impressed […]
When I first saw reports–I think on Reuters–that the DDOS attack that brought Twitter down and Facebook to a crawl on Thursday was directed at knocking one blogger in Georgia (country, not state) off line, I was somewhat skeptical. But this morning it was in the New York Times, so It Must Be True ™ […]
Wait. I have to check my Facebook. No Messages? OK. Here I go. iPhone Week 2 I sat down with a friend last night who also got one of the new 3GS Models. We went back and forth on what we liked and didn’t. He had a lot of paid apps, while I haven’t purchased […]
You might remember the products. You might remember the hype. Then, you are tooling down highway 41 years later and all of a sudden you think to yourself – “Hey, whatever happened to…” Failed ideas. Maybe it was a great idea, but wasn’t made right, or design errors brought it down. Maybe it was just […]