Leo and The Boys are Back; Next Up, All Leo All the Time?

Leo Laporte and the old tech gang from the Screen Savers have released their second podcast and you can download the MP3 file at the links below. Listening to these guys talk tech is enjoyable and you almost feel like you’re eavesdropping on a party-line call, a voyeuristic pleasure no longer available and completely unfamiliar to an entire generations in today’s world of technology. I’m hoping Leo and friends take a cue from Martha Stewart and jump on the Sirius bandwagon; we could have all Leo, all the time!
ROTSS via BitTorrent
I’ve installed the BlogTorrent tracker to offer BitTorrent feeds of the ROTSS shows. You can download directly from http://leoville.tv/bt or subscribe to the RSS feed at http://www.leoville.tv/bt/rss.php (this will work with your podcast client). I’ll use that from now on to provide an additional access route to the show. I am also working with Michael Freedman at Coral to figure out what went wrong this morning. If you use do use a BitTorrent client (like Azureus) to download these files, please help your fellow fans out by leaving it open for a while after the download completes. Thanks!The Laporte Report]

Open Source Updates

Secunia announced the following open source systems are the subject of update or security bulletins: Red Hat (1, 2), Gentoo, Trustix, and Sun Solaris.

Multiple Platforms.com Tip of the Day: Helpful Web Sites Continued

The tip of the day is a link for snail mail and will help you calculate postage rates of any item you might ship through the United States Postal Service.

Multiple Platforms Word of the Day: CPU Cache

4.25.05

File Sharer’s Beware: Virus Targets You

A virus created by a mean-spirited cracker or the record industry depending upon whom you listen to is circulating as a “DVD-cracking program” and when this evil code is installed, it erases your MP3 files. Sophos disclosed the virus last week, and it may have started in France according to security experts quoted in the article. Read more about the issue here:
Virus pits itself against music pirates
File sharers are the target of a virus that deletes music collections. [CNET News.com]

Trend Micro Slows PCs

PC World is reporting that a Trend Micro Antivirus update released over the weekend by the security company contained a flaw that is causing PCs to slowdown. The customers that were most affected by the problem are in Japan, and the company has already released a patch for the problem. If you are a Trend Micro Antivirus users, you can find out more about this issue from the following article: Trend Micro Antivirus Update Slows PCs
Faulty file drained the processing power of PCs that had downloaded the update, company says. [PCWorld.com - Latest News Stories]

Snail Mail.app?

On the same subject of speed, or the lack thereof, according to MacFixIt a common annoyance for those that have installed the latest update from Apple (OS X 10.3.9) is a slow down in their Mail.app application. Problems include freezes, slow retrieval of the mail, and pauses while synchronizing folder or servers. The web site suggests you obtain an earlier version of Mail.app; or you could switch to Thunderbird as I recently have. It provides everything Mail.app does and more. You can read more about the Mail.app issue at MacFixIt:
Mac OS X 10.3.9 (#8): Sluggish Mail.app performance, solutions; Drive/media mounting issues; more
Sluggish Mail.app performance Readers continue to note sluggish performance from Mail.app after installing Mac OS X 10.3.9. In fact, this has become one of the most widely reported problems [MacFixIt]

XP Pro x64 Launched and Reviewed

CNET reports that Microsoft will announce that Windows XP Pro and Windows Server 2003 will be available in the 64-bit edition later today. Meanwhile, PC World has a review on the former and you can read about both these issues by following the links below: Microsoft launches 64-bit Windows
Long-awaited versions of the OS geared for speed finally see the light of day. [CNET News.com] We Test Drive Windows XP Professional x64 Edition
After putting the final version of the OS through its paces, we find no major surprises. [PCWorld.com - Latest News Stories]

Open Source Updates

Secunia announced these updates: Gentoo (1, 2, 3), Red Hat, and FreeBSD.

Multiple Platforms.com Tip of the Day: Helpful Web Sites Continued

After starting this line of tips associated with helpful web sites, I keep finding more to add to bookmark as your favorites and today the link is for www.Recalls.gov, a great source for any product that is the subject of a recall.

Multiple Platforms Word of the Day: Cache

Wikipedia supplies the Multiple Platforms word of the day, cache: “In computer science, a cache (pronounced kăsh) is a collection of data duplicating original values stored elsewhere or computed earlier, where the original data are expensive (usually in terms of access time) to fetch or compute relative to reading the cache. Once the data are stored in the cache, future use can be made by accessing the cached copy rather than refetching or recomputing the original data, so that the average access time is lower.

4.22.05

Upcoming Earth Day Prompts Computer Makers Green Streak

While some computer makers trumpeted their green ways (Dell, HP, and others), another popular platform (Apple) took some heavy hits from environmental groups:
Tech giants boost recycling efforts
On the eve of Earth Day, Dell and Hewlett-Packard discount programs for reducing electronic waste.
Photos: For old PCs, the end comes in pieces [CNET News.com]
Jobs defends Apple's record on environment
As protesters picket the computer maker over its recycling policy, Apple's CEO calls the criticism misplaced.
Photo: Lobbying for a green Apple [CNET News.com]

Meanwhile, The Mean Streak Still Lingers

In the ever-increasing rhetoric regarding which platform is the best, the Apple chief has added another two cents worth:
Apple's Jobs swipes at Longhorn
Blog: As an avid softball player, I know that when you get a nice flat pitch, you swing for the fences. Apple Computer CEO... [CNET News.com]

More Suggestions For Greening Up Computer Users

PC World has some great suggestions for recycling your tech toys in keeping with the recognition of Earth Day:
Easy Ways to Recycle Old PCs and Cell Phones--Really!
Safely getting rid of all your dead or outdated technology: We show you how simple it can be. [PCWorld.com - Latest News Stories]

One More Update for Apple Users

Apple has released another update, OS X 10.3.9 and that improves or corrects Java and security issues. This patch may fix your problems if you are experiencing difficulties after installing the latest update from Apple. This is why I try to remind you that most IT gurus that are not associated with a operating system provider suggest you wait five to seven days after the release of an update before you installing. To learn more about this latest repair, click on the link for MacNN:
Apple releases Java Update for Mac OS X 10.3.9
Apple today release Java Update for Mac OS X 10.3.9 via its web site and the Mac OS X Software Update.. [MacNN]

RealPlayer Update Still Making Headlines

The update available for users of RealPlayer is still at the top of the headlines for most tech news sources; make sure you download and implement this patch if you use RealPlayer. Accelerate Your Mac is featuring the following article:
Mac RealPlayer/RealOnePlayer Updates (Security related fixes)...
Mac RealPlayer/RealOnePlayer Updates (Security related fixes) [AccelerateYourMac News Headlines]

Tiger a Tad Early

MacFixIt is reporting that some lucky Apple customers are receiving their pre-ordered copies of Tiger, the new operating system for Macheads; I pre-ordered a copy from Apple but I'm still waiting. Meanwhile, MacFixIt has more suggestions regarding the patch from Apple noted above and you can read more by clicking on the following links:
Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) arriving in users' hands
Several MacFixIt readers are reporting that they are receiving their pre-ordered copies of Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger), a full eight days ahead of schedule. One reader writes: "Appar [MacFixIt]

Mac OS X 10.3.9 (#6): Terminal fix for Safari Java issues; Problems starting Classic (cont.); more
Safari 1.3 Terminal fix for Java issues Since the release of Mac OS X 10.3.9, we've been covering significant issues with Java -- both in Safari and in Java [MacFixIt] 

Problems With iPod Shuffle USB Connection

Another report from MacFixIt today addresses problems experienced by some iPod Shuffle owners when using certain USB connections and if this has been annoying you, read more about the subject here:
iPod Shuffle: Only recognized when connected to specific USB port
Yesterday we noted one reader's issue where the iPod Shuffle is only recognized by his Mac mini when the device is plugged into a certain USB port. We've now received reports from more readers, wi [MacFixIt]

Open Source Updates

Secunia released the following bulletins: Slackware (1, 2, 3, 4), Gentoo, Debian, KDE, and Trustix.

Tip of the Day From Multiple Platforms.com: Helpful Web Sites

We wrap-up this week of suggestions for helpful web sites with a new URL for Leo Laporte, The Tech Guy On KFI: www.leo.am/. Leo answers questions on all things digital on KFI AM640 in the Los Angeles area from 11 am to 2 pm on the weekends. You can also listen to Leo via the Internet stream, just visit The Tech Guy’s web site and click on the KFI logo.

Who is Leo Laporte?

According to Leo’s bio on his web site, “Currently Leo hosts a radio technology talk show on KFI AM 640, Los Angeles every Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 2pm, and Call for Help, a daily hour-long television show produced  in Toronto and aired throughout Canada. He also appears regularly on many television and radio programs including Live with Regis and Kelly.

He also continues to write. This year Que introduced The Leoville Press. The first four volumes in the press are in bookstores now: ‘Leo  Laporte's 2005 Technology Almanac,’ ‘Leo  Laporte's 2005 Gadget Guide,’ ‘Leo  Laporte's 2005 Mac Gadget Guide,’ and ‘Leo  Laporte's Guide to Tivo.’ Leo Laporte's Holiday Gift Guide, a magazine published by Curtis, is on newsstands now.”

4.21.05

RealPlayer User Need Patch

If you use RealPlayer, you should update your application ASAP to prevent crackers from exploiting a flaw graded 'highly critical. Secunia and eWeek both have reports regarding the bug and the fix for the same:
High-Risk RealPlayer Hole Patched
The buffer overflow flaw affects multiple versions of the media player and could open the door for code execution attacks. [eWEEK Technology News] Realplayer/RealOne RAM File Processing Buffer Overflow Vulnerability
Piotr Bania has reported a vulnerability in Realplayer and RealOne, which can be exploited by malicious people to compromise a user's system. [Secunia - Latest Secunia Security Advisories]

Google Tool Will Story Search History

According to PC World, Google has released a new tool that will store your personal search history. Your history will be protected by a password and stored on Googles servers.
Google Feature Logs Users' Histories
Password-protected My Search History stores search results on Google servers. [PCWorld.com - Latest News Stories]

Firewire Creates Problems for New Apple Update

MacFixIt has more suggestions for those experiencing problems with the latest update from Apple. Remember to close all applications, disconnect any Firewire devices, and repair permissions using Disk Utility (accessed through Applications/ Utilities) before and after installing updates. Check out the following from MacFixIt for more on this subject:
Mac OS X 10.3.9 (#5): FireWire drive mounting problems; More Safari fixes; Firefox; LimeWire; more
FireWire drive mounting problems As reported yesterday, a number of users are reporting problems mounting FireWire drives after updating to Mac OS X 10.3.9. In some cases, this issue can be [MacFixIt]

Lance Armstrong Will Retire After Tour

Lance Armstrong has announced he will no longer race bicycles against some of the greatest athletes in the world, but he will continue his battle against cancer and you can help; order your Livestrong bracelets by clicking on the link on the left side of this page and support the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
Armstrong Says He’ll Call It Quits After Tour De France
April 18, 2005 3:48 p.m. EST
JASEN LEE, All Headline News Staff Writer
Atlanta, GA (AHN) – Confirming what he has been eluding to for months, Lance Armstrong officially announces he will retire after competing in the 2005 Tour de France. [All Headline News]

Open Source Updates

These open source systems have updates according to Secunia: Fedora (1, 2, 3), Redhat, and Conectiva.

Tip of the Day From Multiple Platforms.com: Helpful Web Sites

The Federal Communication Commission has a nice web site, visually pleasing and loaded with helpful information and links. One of the links featured is for information on VoIP.

What is the FCC?

Wikipedia has this definition for the FCC, “The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent United States governmentagency, created, directed, and empowered by Congressionalstatute.

The FCC was established by the Communications Act of 1934 as the successor to the Federal Radio Commission and is charged with regulating all non-Federal Government use of the radiospectrum (including radio and television broadcasting), and all interstate telecommunications (wire, satellite and cable) as well as all international communications that originate or terminate in the United States. The FCC took over wire communication regulation from the Interstate Commerce Commission. The FCC's jurisdiction covers the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. possessions.”

4.20.05

Sober Worm Returnth

Maybe it was never really gone, but according to security experts, the Sober worm is making a return visit and this time the crackers are after the e-mail addresses of all your friends. The subject line includes the following: "I've got your e-mail on my account". Check out the following article for more information:
Sober worm makes a comeback
Mass-mailing pest is spreading again, harvesting e-mail addresses for spammers, security companies have warned. [CNET News.com - Security]

Getting Scrubbed Ain't Easy

CNET is running a story about the difficulties of scrubbing a hard drive before disposal. If you're considering dumping an old hard drive, read this item first:
Skeletons on your hard drive
It's a tough task to clean every scrap of information--including sensitive data--off discarded PC drives, experts say.

In This Corner: AOL Takes on Phishing Sites

Stepping up to the plate in the battle to stem phishing attempts, AOL will begin to identify and block web sites that are created by crackers to extract you secure information. PC World has this on the subject:
AOL Fights Phishing
Internet giant begins a campaign to identify and block fraudulent Web sites. [PCWorld.com - Latest News Stories]

Apple Has Another Update

Apple released another update on Tuesday, this one to patch a glitch with iSync. For more information on this issue click on the following story:
About Security Update 2005-004
Release date: Tue, 19 Apr 2005 17:35:20 -0500 [Apple Computer Top Mac OS X Documents]
Apple releases Security Update 2005-004
Hot on the heels of Mac OS X 10.3.9, Apple has released Security Update 2005-004, which fixes buffer overflow in iSync could lead to local privilege escalation. Apple's description reads [MacFixIt]

Next PeoplesChoice Could Be the IRS

According to a report from Reuters, the Internal Revenue Service has a database ripe for the picking and millions of American tax payers might be at risk if the holes aren't plugged soon:
IRS Flaws Expose Taxpayers to Snooping, Study Finds
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Computer-security flaws at the U.S. tax-collection agency expose millions of taxpayers to potential identity theft or illegal police snooping, according to a congressional report released on Monday. [Reuters: Technology]

Flaw in Netscape

Secunia is warning Netscape 7.x users of two bugs graded ‘ßmoderately critical’ that can allow crackers to remotely control your PC. The solution according to Secunia is: “Disable JavaScript support and do not install untrusted search plugins.”

Open Source Updates

Open source users have the following updates available according to Secunia: Fedora, SuSE, Red Hat (1, 2), Gentoo (1,), and Debian (1, 2).

Tip of the Day From Multiple Platforms.com: Helpful Web Sites

Today our tip is a link to Consumer.gov/, a web site devoted to helping the consumers in the United States find details on all things that are consumer related; this site is a virtual clearing house of links for the consumer.

What is Consumer.gov?

According to the Consumer.gov web site, “FirstGov for Consumers -- is a  "one-stop" link to a broad range of federal information resources available  online. It is designed so that you can locate information by category -- such as Food,  Health, Product Safety, Your  Money, and Transportation. Each category has subcategories to direct you to areas within individual federal web sites containing  related information.”

4.19.05

Screen Saver Fans Rejoice: Podcast of The Gang is Back

If you were a fan of the old Screen Savers, you are going to be glad to hear that a podcast of the gang will be available weekly. Leo Laporte, Patrick Norton, Kevin Rose, and the lab master Robert Herron are starting a program to judge interest and this effort may evolve into a new show available by cable or the Internet, depending upon opportunities. To download the podcast visit The Laporte Report or click on the link below:
The Revenge of the Bleep
It is done. The first ROTSS has been posted. Subscribe to the podcast to get it by midnight every Sunday, press the play button to the left, or download it directly.

It’s a 56kbps MP3Pro file weighing in at around 14MB. Join Patrick Norton, Kevin Rose, Robert Heron, and me for 34 minutes of Skyping fun as we discuss driving in the dust, cell phones, Kevin’s new webcast, systm, and the demise of TechTV. We plan to do this weekly with a rotating cast of characters. Your input is welcome. (Anyone want to design a logo?) Theme music this week from Wayne and Wax’s CD “Boston Jerk.”

Incidentally, I’m very happy to report that another Screen Saver alumna, Megan Morrone, delivered twin boys on Friday, Huck and Milo weigh in at over seven pounds each. All are doing well, but don’t expect Megan to make an appearance on ROTSS any time soon! [The Laporte Report]

Reminder: Update Firefox and Mozilla

A follow-up on our report from yesterday: make sure you update your Firefox and/or Mozilla browsers to keep your PC safe. PC World has the following regarding the update:
Security Holes Bite Firefox
Mozilla Foundation patches eight flaws, six of which also affect Mozilla suite. [PCWorld.com - Latest News Stories]

Some Problems Reported With Apple Update

MacFixIt is reporting that some Mac-heads are experiencing problems with the new update from Apple, OS X 10.3.9/. The Safari update is causing the most annoyances and MacFixIt suggests re-installing the patch issue by Apple previously for Java, I have also included a link CNET's story regarding this issue:
Java glitch hits OS X update
Recent update causes Java-related headaches for some Mac owners, Apple has acknowledged. [CNET News.com]
Mac OS X 10.3.9 (#3): Fixes for Safari crashes, slow performance; Multiple user account issues, solutions; more
Safari 1.3 Re-applying Security Update 2005-002 for launch problems, crashes Two workarounds have been most consistently able to solve major problems (for som [MacFixIt]

Speed Up to Safari

Caution: Read the item above before jumping on this next story. According to MacMinute, the speed of Safari is greatly improved with the latest update from Apple, OS X 10.3.9. The source MacMinute quotes claims that the speed of Safari has increased by thirty-five percent:
Safari gets major performance boost, other improvements
While undocumented in the release notes, last week's Mac OS X 10.3.9 update includes a new version of Safari that brings substantially improved page load times... [MacMinute]

Open Source Updates

Secunia has announced the following bulletins open source systems: Gentoo (1, 2), Debian, Mandrake, Fedora (1, 2), SuSE, and Sun Solaris.

Tip of the Day from Multiple Platforms.com

Another web site today that provides useful information for a variety of products is the Consumer Information Center a part of the FCIC (see below for definition); they even have a section for computers with a free tip on online security.

What is the FCIC?

The Federal Citizen Information Center provides this definition for FCIC, “For over 30 years, the Federal Citizen Information Center (FCIC) has been a trusted one-stop source for answers to questions about consumer problems and government services. Consumers can get the information they need in three ways: by calling toll-free 1 (800) FED-INFO, through printed publications, or through information posted on FCIC’s family of websites: www.firstgov.gov;www.pueblo.gsa.gov; www.kids.gov; www.consumeraction.gov/.

4.18.05

Secunia Warns of 'Highly Critical' Flaw in Mozilla/Firefox

Secunia has released security bulletins graded 'Highly Critical' for the popular Mozilla family of browsers, Firefox and Mozilla (0.x to 1.7.x). The solution for both issues involves updating your browser to the latest version. I also included a story from eWeek regarding the latest versions of both browsers from Mozilla:
New Firefox, Mozilla Versions Plug Critical Security Holes
Third critical security update in less than two months fixes nine bugs in Firefox. [eWEEK Technology News]
Mozilla Multiple Vulnerabilities
Multiple vulnerabilities have been reported in Firefox, which can be exploited by malicious people to conduct cross-site scripting attacks, bypass certain security restrictions, and compromise a user's system. [Secunia - Latest Secunia Security Advisories]
Mozilla Firefox Multiple Vulnerabilities
Multiple vulnerabilities have been reported in Firefox, which can be exploited by malicious people to conduct cross-site scripting attacks, bypass certain security restrictions, and compromise a user's system. [Secunia - Latest Secunia Security Advisories]

Microsoft Will Bombard Airwaves

If you think that advertisement for political contests starts prematurely, then you will love Microsoft’s new ad campaign that will celebrate the 20th anniversary of Windows 15 months early:
Microsoft plans massive Windows ad campaign
Advertising campaign will last for 15 months as Microsoft gears up for 20th anniversary of Windows. [CNET News.com]

Apple Releases One More Patch

Apple has released an update for their Panther operating system, OS X 10.3.9 and as usual you might want to wait five to seven days before installing this fix from Apple. To help you learn more about this issue, I have included headlines and links to the following stories:
About the security content of the Mac OS X 10.3.9 Update
Release date: Fri, 15 Apr 2005 18:18:16 -0500 [Apple Computer Top Mac OS X Documents]
Mac OS X 10.3.9 (#3): Fixes for Safari crashes, slow performance; Multiple user account issues, solutions; Third-party applicati
Safari 1.3 Re-applying Security Update 2005-002 for launch problems, crashes Two workarounds have been most consistently able to solve major problems (for som [MacFixIt]
Mac OS X Security Update Fixes Multiple Vulnerabilities
Apple has issued an update for Mac OS X, which fixes various vulnerabilities. [Secunia - Latest Secunia Security Advisories]

Open Source Updates

Secunia released the following bulletins for open source users: Gentoo (1, 2), Debian (1, 2), and SuSE.

Tip of the Day from Multiple Platforms.com: Helpful Web Sites

Last week the link Multiple Platforms provided for the Internal Revenue Service was a popular click-through and served as inspiration for this weeks tips from Multiple Platforms.com/, helpful web sites for you; today we feature a link to the United States Product Safety Commission. This web site lists products that are the subject of recent recalls and provides links to many useful sites with safety associated themes.

What is the CSPC?

According to Wikipedia, “The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government created in 1972 to protect “against unreasonable risks of injuries associated with consumer products”. As of 2004 its chairman is Hal Stratton.

The CSPC has the authority to regulate the sale and manufacture of most consumer products, with the exception of those regulated by other agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).”

4.15.05
More Bad News for ID Theft

As if we haven't digested enough bad news associated with ID theft, CNET has more fuel for the fire in regards to the loss of sensitive credit data to crackers. This round it is GM MasterCard and Visa credit card holders that have made charges at Polo Ralph Lauren.
Credit card data theft could grow in scale
Blog: Both MasterCard and Visa have confirmed a security breach at a U.S. based retailer that may have compromised the credit card... [CNET News.com] 

Attack of the Kelvir

The instant messaging system of Reuters news service was attacked by the Kelvir worm (learn more about Kelvir at Secunia) and the response from Reuters included shutting the system down:
Worm attack forces Reuters IM offline
The media company confirms that it shut down its instant messaging system after a new Kelvir worm attempted to spread over its network. [CNET News.com - Security]

Does He Know Something We Don't?

The Register is featuring an interesting article on President George W. Bush; according to the article, the President worries over Internet security and fears someone might read his 'personal stuff'. Does the President know something that the rest of us don't?
George Bush fears email privacy breach
'I don't want you reading my personal stuff', prez tells press [The Register]

Banks in Britain Have it Spot On

The banks in Britain are becoming pro-active in the battle against Internet crooks and providing their customers with a device to verify their identity, read more about this issue in CNET:
British banks to provide extra Web security
Customers to get hardware device to bolster authentication when banking online. [CNET News.com - Security] 

Struggling With Taxes, You're Not the Lone Ranger

If you are still struggling with your taxes, take heart because you are not alone. In fact, the news is so slow, it almost seems that many of the tech news organizations are away filing their tax forms. See the story regarding this issue below or if you are in search of TurboTax advice, see the tips and extras from yesterday's news.
 Last-minute tax filers hit the Web
Millions of people visit IRS.gov and other tax-related Web sites just days ahead of Friday deadline. [CNET News.com]

Leo Speaks Geek We Can All Understand

Leo Laporte is The Tech Guy on KFI and he is back from his trip to Europe and ready to answer your questions from 11am to 2 pm on AM640 in the Los Angeles area or you can listen on the Internet; just visit Leo’s web site and clink on the KFI logo. After help record the show notes for Leo the over the past two weekends, I’m looking forward to just ‘listening’ to Leo and not worrying about finding the link he’s referring to.

Open Source Updates

Secunia has these updates for the open source user: Ubuntu (1, 2), Solaris, FreeBSD, Fedora, and SuSE.

Tip of the Day from Multiple Platforms: IRS Web Site URL?

(Re-published from yesterday) It is nice to know that I won’t need the URL of the Internal Revenue Service having already filed electronically with TurboTax, but in the event that you still need a last minute form (like an extension: Form 4868) here is the URL for the Tax Men and Women at the IRS: http://www.irs.gov/. Good Luck.

What is DEA?

Wikipedia has this explanation for DEA, “Disposable email addressing (DEA) is the name of an alternative way to share and manage email addresses. The idea behind DEA is to create a new, unique email address for every contact or recipient. This makes a point-to-point connection between the sender and the recipient.

Subsequently, if the address is compromised or abused in any way, it can be easily cancelled (or "disposed") without affecting any other contact. If an address is cancelled or replaced, no more than one person/contact has to be notified of the change.

By comparison, the traditional practice of giving the same email address to multiple recipients means that if that address is subsequently cancelled, many legitimate recipients will have to be notitified of the change and their records updated - a potentially tedious process.

The key element with DEA is that a different, unique disposable email address is created for every recipient, and that it is shared only once.

Most likely, but not always, a DEA is cancelled because the email address is being used in an illegitimate manner. This may occur because an email was accidentally released to a spam list, or because the recipient was purposely deceptive and unscrupulous. Whatever the cause, DEA allows the user to take unilateral action by simply canceling the address in question. Later, the user can determine whether to update the recipient or not.

For convenience sake, disposable email addresses typically forward to one or more real email mailboxes where the messages are received. The recipient of a DEA never needs to know the real email address of the user. If the DEA is managed in a database, it is also possible to quickly identify the expected sender of each message by retrieving the recipient of each unique DEA. Used properly, DEA can also help identify which recipients are handling email addresses in a careless or illegitimate manner. Moreover, it can be an effective tool for spotting counterfeit messages, or phishers.

DEA is most useful in situations where you suspect the email may be sold or released to spam lists or other unscrupulous entities. The most common situations are online registrations for things like discussion groups, bulletin boards, chat rooms, online shopping, and download websites.

At a time when email spam is an everyday nuisance, and identity theft is a real danger, DEA can be a convenient tool for keeping someone safe and sane.”

4.14.05

Windows Problem Serious

The Microsoft Windows flaw we reported on yesterday has earned a ‘highly critical’ rating from Secunia and elicited an acknowledgement from Microsoft according to a report from CNET. The hook for this open door to your PC uses a ‘.mdb’ file that opens in Microsoft Access.
 Possible Unpatched Office Flaw Investigated
Vulnerability was not one of the eight patched by Microsoft on Tuesday. [PCWorld.com - Latest News Stories]

Comcast Users Can't

Comcast were without service for the second time in less than a week although this customer has yet to be impacted, the same can not be said for a portion of Comcast's seven million subscribers. CNET has this article:
Another broadband outage strikes Comcast
Three-hour outage comes after a similar domain name server issue downed the service for six hours last week. [CNET News.com] 

Thirty Dollars Off .Mac Account

Now you can get a .Mac account for $69 or try it out free for sixty-days by clicking on the link to the left or here.

Open Source Updates

Secunia announced these updates for open source systems: Gentoo (1, 2, 3), Mandrake (1, 2), Fedora, Ubuntu, and Debian (1, 2).

What is the IRS?

Today many of us are thinking of the IRS as the Internal Revenue Service, but those who spend time in the chat room have a different interpretation of IRS. For those chatting, IRS is shorthand for: ‘I Respect Someone’ according to Answers.com,

Editors Note: I published the following tips and comments on April 4, 2005 and for the benefit of those who work best under pressure, here they are again:

Do You Have SP2?

If you haven’t installed Microsoft’s SP2, you might want to before you try and use TurboTax (see the items below: Multiple Platforms Tip of the Day) and if you are not sure if you have the update installed, follow this path to find out: Start/ Control Panel/ System. The system window will display the operating system installed and if you have installed the update, you will see the words Service Pack 2. Remember to completely clean you PC of spyware and viruses before attempting to update to SP2. A majority of those Windows users that experienced problems with the update had spyware or virus issues before the installation of the patch and these bugs created some serious problems. Those of us that installed the patch on a clean system experienced little or no disruption in normal operations.

Multiple Platforms Tip of the Day: What Version is This? TurboTax Cares!

Sometimes the difference between a successful update and a failed attempt comes down to the issue of compatibility, and in the case of TurboTax, the wrong version of Internet Explorer can produce migraines, profanity, and an oath to use another tax preparation software in the future. The version required for Windows users is IE 6 and if you are not using it, you won’t be able to update TurboTax. TurboTax also functions much better (only?) with Service Pack 2. I had no problems using the Mac version of the software (in fact it was a easier than ever), but I have included directions for Apple users to check their versions of IE too. Note to PC users: to see how easy things are in the Mac world compare these two operations.

PC Tip of the Day: What Version of Internet Explorer is Installed

Microsoft has a rather long and complicated way of determining which version of Internet Explorer you have installed; but I found a much easier path: Start/ Search/ then choose “All files and folders” and search for “Shdocvw.dll” (without the quotes). When the search is complete, right-click on any of the matching results and you will see a dialogue box and the first entry will display the version of IE you currently have installed. Click on the General tab and you can see exactly when the file was last modified and accessed.

Apple Tip of the Day: Check IE Version

Apple users really have it easy when checking a version of any software, just click on the name of the application in the toolbar and select “About (this program)”. That’s it; no searching, no reg edit searches and no stinking badges…

More About TurboTax Issues

Another bug-in-the-ointment for PC users trying to update TurboTax is the presence of a pop-up blocker. To disable your pop-up blocker using Internet Explorer choose Tools from the toolbar of IE, then select Pop-up Blocker and click on Turn Off Pop-up Blocker. Don’t forget to turn it back on when you are done updating TurboTax. This same feature keeps many of the students at our school from taking online quizzes and surveys. Pop-ups, can’t live with ‘em, and cannot live without ‘em.

4.13.05

New Critical Flaw Times Five for Microsoft

You'll will want to update your Windows products after Microsoft released their monthly security update and in doing so, spread the chum for phisher and crackers. According to PC World, Microsoft is recommending customers update immediately. I would wait five to seven days and most computer experts not affiliated with a software maker suggests the same; but don't procrastinate because the bad guys will take advantage of these open invitations.
Microsoft Discloses Five Critical Security Holes
Company's monthly report warns of flaws in Windows, IE, Word, and other programs. [PCWorld.com - Latest News Stories]

Five Plus One Equals Six

According to CNET, the flaws mentioned above aren’t the only problems for Windows users; another problem has been disclosed and this issue is not covered by the patches released Tuesday.
Unpatched flaw found in Microsoft software
Software maker investigates report of hole in Office and Access--and of published exploit code that could let attackers take control of PCs. [CNET News.com]

More on New Math: So We Left Off a Zero

What is with this new math anyway? Is it so-o-o complicated that it is becoming difficult for companies to estimate the number of people their latest security lapse has affected? All those zeros to account for and so little time. LexisNexis is an example of this difficulty with new math and accidentally left off a zero in their initial damage estimate. It seems that 310,000 individuals may have had their information compromised (a polite euphemism for stolen); the company first guesstimated the damage at 31,000. Remember, the identities being hijacked are not exclusively from those of us that use the Internet, and some of these companies are actually gathering this information at the request of the US Government as a counter measure to nefarious activities. Nevertheless, the latest flap has the US Congress interested and CNET has more:
LexisNexis flap draws outcry from Congress
It took mere hours for LexisNexis' latest embarrassing data leak revelation to spur cries of condemnation from Congress. [CNET News.com - Security]

Screen Goes Away on Some iBooks

MacFixIt is reporting an that some iBook owners are reporting a problem with their display loosing the backlighting and the fix is to use an external light source to navigate back to the restart menu. This seems to be a problem for both the new G4s and the old G3s.
iBook brightness mechanism failing: In most cases, a software problem; other Macs affected
Yesterday we reported on a problem where the brightening mechanism (fluorescent tube) fails on various iBook models. Though this first appeared to be a hardware problem, it now appears to be software ...[MacFixIt]

Will Tiger and Microsoft Get Along

Microsoft responded to the announced release of Tiger, Apple's new operating platform (10.3.4). Although you might expect a gap the release of the new operating system and full compatibility it appears that Microsoft has been busy working on their products for Mac and Word, Excel and other applications will be index capable to take advantage of Spotlight, Apple's new desktop search tool. You can read more from the following article from MacMinute:
Microsoft comments on Tiger compatibility
With today's announcement of Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger availability, Microsoft has provided an update on compatibility between the new operating system and the products of its Macintosh Business Unit... [MacMinute]

Phishers and Scammers Use Death of Pope

Demonstrating that there truly is no honor amongst thieves and robbers, the bad guys of the Internet are using the death of Pope John Paul II according to CNET.
Spammers exploit pope's death
Blog: Nothing is sacred for spammers--not even the death of Pope John Paul II. ZDNet UK reported on Tuesday that spammers...

Security Tip of the Day: What is Secunia?

We rely on Secunia to provide you with updates on security issues for Multiple Platforms, so what is Secunia? Wikipedia provides this definition, “Secunia is a computer security service provider best known for tracking vulnerabilities in more than 4500 pieces of software and operating systems.

Numbers of "unpatched" vulnerabilities in popular applications are frequently quoted in software comparisons. Secunia also tracks currently active computer viruses.”

OpenOffice has Problems Now

Secunia and CNET have information on a new malady faced by users of OpenOffice and according to both sources, a patch is available at OpenOffice.org/.

Open Source Updates

Tip of the Day from Multiple Platforms: Get a Security Blanket

What is one of the most secure methods to protect your PC or Mac? A router will provide a great deal of protection and even eliminate the need for a firewall for your PC according to Leo Laporte, The Tech Guy on KFI. A router provides you and your favorite Multiple Platforms system from outside intrusion using a NAT technology (see definition below). Linksys BEFSR41 EtherFast Cable/DSL Router with 4-Port 10/100 Switch

What is NAT?

4.12.05

Microsoft Takes Offense Against Alleged Counterfeiting

Maybe their emboldened by Apple's latest string of court victories, whatever the motivation might be, Microsoft is following the lead of Apple in using the courts to silence their annoyances. PC World reports that Microsoft has filed suits against eight computer builders accusing them of using counterfeit software and these are not off-shore fly-by-night knock-offs; the companies named are all from the USA.
Microsoft Files Eight Counterfeiting Lawsuits
Suits allege those sued used counterfeit software. [PCWorld.com - Latest News Stories]

Open Source on Mac Mini

Want to try out open source on a Mac? Then check out the following item from the MacMegasite regarding running BSD or Yellow Dog Linux on a Mac Mini:
Running Linux and BSD on the Mighty Mac Mini is a good thing
NetBSD and Yellow Dog Linux have both begun to support the Mac Mini. This article looks at the open source operating system options on this new contender in the embedded PowerPC platform space. The article provides the current state of Linux and NetBSD support on the Mini. If you need a stable kernel, a C compiler, and network support, the code is high-quality and the price is unbeatable.[MacMegasite]

Apple Chief on Time's Top 100 List

Apple boss Steve Jobs is on Time's list of the top 100 most influential people according to an article from MacMinute; read more about the issue by selecting the following link:
Apple's Jobs makes TIME 100 list
Apple CEO Steve Jobs was among those on this year's TIME 100 list of the world's most influential people... [MacMinute]

Apple Announces Release Date for Tiger

Apple has set April 29, 2005 as the release date for their new operating system, Tiger OS X 10.4/. The Apple web site has the details on the new features, two hundred new tools according to Apple, and many of those are sure to appeal to Mac-heads, if you’re interested in a $35 savings on Tiger, check out the item below.

Tiger is a Top-Seller on Amazon.com

Apple’s new operating system OS X 10.4 (AKA Tiger) is the number one seller at Amazon.com/, and you still have time to save $35 off the retail cost by pre-ordering Tiger. It is no longer a rumor Apple will let go of the Tigers’ tail in 17 days and if you snooze you will loose on this deal. Please help support this web site and use the link below. Thanks!

Pre-order Tiger Save $35

Internet Explorer is Still Popular With Multiple Platforms Visitors

The month of March continued a trend I’ve observed at Multiple Platforms.com, a slight decrease in the percentage of users choosing Internet Explorer as their browser of choice, but it is still the number one browser used by visitors to this site and our other web site, www.californiafairsandfestivals.com/. Here are the statistics from Multiple Platforms for March:

MS Internet Explorer 53 %

Safari 13 %

Unknown8.1 %

Mozilla 6.6 %

Firefox 6.2 %

NetNewsWire 4.9 %

Netscape 3.9 %

OmniWeb 2.3 %

Opera 0.7 %

Konqueror 0.2 %

Tip of the Day from Multiple Platforms: Free Music Download

Remember that you get at least one free download from the iTunes Music store every week. Last week I downloaded two great songs free! To get your free download click on the link on the left side of this page, and if you purchase any music or stories from iTunes, please use the same link found on the left side of this page. Every tune you purchase from iTunes earns this web site a small commission to offset the large cost I am going to be charging to my credit card to support this web site for one more year.

Open Source Updates

Secunia released the following updates for open source systems: Gentoo, KDE, and SuSE.

What is Phreaking?

According to Wikipedia, “Phreaking is a slang term for the action of making a telephone system do something that it normally should not allow—in the words of one former practitioner, "making the phone company bend over and grab its ankles". Sometimes, phreaking will be considered illegal, like in the act of toll fraud. Other reasons why many people attempted (or succeeded in) phone phreaking during the 1960s and 1970s included the (then) very high cost of long-distance telephone service, and a desire to rebel against the AT&T telephone monopoly.

A phreak or phreaker is a person who engages in the act of manipulating phones in this way. The tools of the phone phreak are electronic devices known as boxes, originally the blue box, but later the black box, red box, beige box and clear box and many others. However, phreaking does not necessarily mean that you are using a "color box" tool.

Most of the techniques formerly used in phreaking are no longer effective due to changes in the telephone system. Some of these changes were evolutionary, and some were designed specifically to disallow such access. Moreover, at least in the United States, the cost of telephone calls has diminished to the point where few would find it worthwhile to engage in toll fraud; and there are numerous competing providers of telephone service (except for most wired local service which remains controlled by regional Bell operating companies—remnants of the former AT&T telephony monopoly in the USA).”

4.11.05

Russia to World: Our Crackers are the Best

Russia is proclaiming that their crackers are the best in the world according to a report carried by CNET. What will be next, inclusion of cracking as an Olympic sport?
Russian police: 'Our hackers are the best'
The Russian police's cybercrime division has warned that Russian hackers are the best in the world. [CNET News.com - Security]

Pop-ups In Games Coming Soon

If you think that pop-up ads are a bother when you’re surfing away, how would you feel if they start popping up in your gaming time. CNET reports that this is the future and the future is closer than you might think. Read the following about the new torture to be inflicted on gamers everywhere. Sorry, you can’t frag the ads but I’ll bet many try!
Play to pay: Service inserts ads in games
Start-up will launch in-game ad network with help from game publishers and mainstream advertisers.
Photo: Ads get some action [CNET News.com]

Troubleshooting iTunes Downloads

MacFixIt has advice for users of iTunes Music store that encounter trouble loading purchased tunes on their iPod. Check out the following story:
What to do if iTunes-purchased tracks won't transfer to iPod
A growing number of MacFixIt readers are reporting an issue where tracks purchased through the iTunes Music Store do not automatically transfer to an iPod during the on-connect synchronization pro [MacFixIt]

Open Source Updates

Secunia has released update bulletins for SuSE and Ubuntu.

Tip of the Day from Multiple Platforms: Firefox Fix

Dr. W from Northern California is responsible for the inspiration behind the tip of the day from Multiple Platforms; she wants to stop Firefox from automatically filling in the URL in her toolbar. For Mac users like Dr. W, use these directions from an open Firefox browser follow this path: View/ Toolbars and select Auto Form Toolbar; this will add the toolbar to your browser. Then click on ‘configure’ from the Auto Form toolbar and in the dialogue box that opens select ‘Disable Mozillas (SIC) Form Fill’ from the Automation section found on the General tabbed page. This will disable the annoying fill in option that's been bugging you. Now you can remove the Auto Form Toolbar from your browser by going to View/ Toolbars and then click on Auto Form Toolbar (uncheck it) and you are done. PC people must use a different method: from an open Firefox browser, choose Tools/ Options/ Privacy and click on Saved Form Information. Make sure the box that states ‘Save information I enter in web pages…’ is unchecked. I also used the opportunity to ‘Clear All’ the stored information by selecting that choice at the bottom of the Options Window. Now hit OK and close Firefox, when you re-open the browser auto fill will no longer annoy you. What’s that, auto fill is cool and you want it but don’t have it? Just reverse the directions above and you will be in auto fill nirvana.                                                             

What is Phishing?

According to Leo Laporte, The Tech Guy on KFI most computer users are confused by ‘geek speak’; that is the reason I include the ‘what is’ definition daily and further, the aforementioned story by The Tech Guy gives me reason to repeat items featured previously. For an explanation of phishing we turn to Wikipedia, “In computing, phishing is the act of attempting to fraudulently acquire through deception sensitive personal information such as passwords and credit card details by masquerading in an official-looking email, IM, etc. as someone trustworthy with a real need for such information. It is a form of social engineering attack. (See an example.)

The term was coined in the mid 1990s by crackers attempting to steal AOL accounts. An attacker would pose as an AOL staff member and send an instant message to a potential victim. The message would ask the victim to reveal his or her password, for instance to "verify your account" or to "confirm billing information". Once the victim gave over the password, the attacker could access the victim's account and use it for criminal purposes, such as spamming.”

4-08-5

Crackers Send Fake E-Mails Using Microsoft's Name

Crackers are again trying to infiltrate your system, this time disguised as an e-mail message from Microsoft according to CNET. If you click on the link provided in the message, your PC will be hammered by the Troj/DSNX-05 Trojan horse attack; Microsoft has a web page devoted to ascertaining the validity of a message that appears to be from the software maker.
Fake Microsoft security updates circulate
E-mail campaign designed to lure people to a bogus Microsoft Web site is making rounds as part of attempt to install Trojan horse. [CNET News.com]

Microsoft Has Good Side: Helps Bust Creeps

It is tempting to bash Microsoft and many times they have it coming, but this story by CNET exemplifies the some of the good work the company is performing.
Microsoft tool helps combat threat to kids
Product created with Canadian authorities has already helped nab one alleged child pornographer, company says. [CNET News.com]

Tuesday's Microsoft Patch Important

Speaking of Microsoft, the patch that will be issued this Tuesday will contain patches for Windows and Office that are important from a security standpoint. According to the e-mail I received from Microsoft, several of the updates have been graded critical and one of the flaws repaired is an MSN issue, the latest entryway for crackers and phishers. CNET has the following report on this issue:
Critical Windows patch on the way
Microsoft's monthly batch of fixes will tackle important flaws in Windows, Office and other applications. [CNET News.com]

Virtual Grading is Here

I have to admit that after grading a never-ending stack of papers for the last two weeks this story has significant appeal to this teacher. A University of Missouri professor has developed a program that can save up to two hundred hours a semester. I'm sure the next step will be to reduce our pay, but as a graduate teaching assistant they will not hurt my bottom line greatly: nothing from nothing leaves nothing!
Teachers leave grading up to the computer
University of Missouri sociology professor develops program that grades essays and saves more than 200 hours of work a semester. [CNET News.com]

Ad-aware Users Have Update Available

If you use Ad-aware (and you should) an update is available according to VersionTracker. If you haven't run Ad-aware for several weeks, time to let it perform its magic again.

Ad-aware SE Reference File - SE1R3R37 07.04.2005
latest reference file [VersionTracker: Windows]

Names Been Changed to Protect the Innocent

What’s in a name, the potential for a lawsuit apparently if the name of the company is Mandrake. BetaNews is reporting that Mandrakesoft is changing their name to Mandriva and the open source distro called Mandriva Linux; check out the story for the gory details:
Mandrakesoft Becomes 'Mandriva'
Linux vendor Mandrakesoft has announced it will change its company name to Mandriva following its merger with Conectiva and a legal battle over using the name Mandrake. The company's popular Linux distribution will now be called Mandriva Linux, and officials ask users to begin promoting the new name. Mandrakesoft Becomes 'Mandriva'
Linux vendor Mandrakesoft has announced it will change its company name to Mandriva following its merger with Conectiva and a legal battle over using the name Mandrake. The company's popular Linux distribution will now be called Mandriva Linux, and officials ask users to begin promoting the new name. [BetaNews.Com]

Open Source Updates

The following operating systems are the subjects of Secunia bulletins: Fedora (1, 2) and Mandrake (1, 2, 3).

Multiple Platforms.com Tip of the Day: A Real Live Endorsement -- CarsDirect.com

We used it and although buying a car is not usually described as painless, this came close to just such an experience. And can you say fleet prices? We paid under invoice and then some for our new car. If you live in Northern California, you should point your search towards Vacaville Volkswagen and say hi to their fleet sales manager Adam from me. If you are interested in a car anywhere (new or used), please help this web site and use the link below for your online shopping pleasure.

What is RSS?

Wikipedia defines RSS as,"RSS is used to provide items containing short descriptions of web content together with a link to the full version of the content. This information is delivered as an XML file called RSS feed, RSS stream, or RSS channel. An orange rectangle with the letters XML is often used as a link to a site's RSS feed. In 2004 and 2005, use of RSS spread to many major news organizations, including Reuters and the Associated Press, after several years of use by weblogs, technology publications and other early adopters. The first online news site to use RSS feeds was Variety.com in June of 2002. Under various usage agreements, providers allow other websites to incorporate their "syndicated" headline or headline-and-short-summary feeds. RSS is widely used by the weblog community to share the latest entries' headlines or their full text, and even attached multimedia files. (See podcasting, broadcatching and MP3 blogs.) A program known as a feed reader or aggregator can check RSS-enabled webpages on behalf of a user and display any updated articles that it finds. RSS saves users from having to repeatedly visit favorite websites to check for new content or be notified of updates via email. It is now very common to find RSS feeds on most major web sites, as well as many smaller ones."

4-07-05

Sharing Your Music Library Has New Meaning

A club in Boston is taking the sharing of music libraries to new levels with a promotion that lets customer become an .MP3J according to a story from Boston.com/. Allston’s Common Ground Bar and Grill started the weekly event to let patrons share the music on their iPod or MP3 player with everyone. I like the term: .MP3J it is almost as slick as the term ‘clinking’ coined by Leo Laporte, The Tech Guy on KFI a speech shortcut for ‘click on the link.’

Free T-Mobile Hotspot Service for .Mac Members

If you are a .Mac member, or sign up to become a member you can try out T-Mobile’s HotSpot Service free for thirty-days. Apple will also award those that sign up for the annual plan with 20 free iTunes songs. This is just one of the benefits available to .Mac members. You can sign up for a .Mac account and help support this web site by clinking on the .Mac logo on the left side of this page.

Tiger is a Top-Seller on Amazon.com

According to ActiveMac, Apple’s new operating system OS X 10.4 (AKA Tiger) is the number one seller at Amazon.com. You can save $35 of the retail cost by pre-ordering Tiger. Help support this web site and use the link below. Thanks!

Pre-order Tiger Save $35

Google Will Increase Gmail Storage

Google will be expanding the storage capacity of their Gmail accounts, increasing the pressure on other email providers to ante up or shut up. The new storage capacity will be a whopping 2GB according to a story by CNET. I have 50 more Gmail invitations to share with readers of Multiple Platforms.com and if you would like a Gmail account all you need to do is an email to: http://mailhide.recaptcha.net/d?k=01_CYdbG3G8Bh7MdskTeTP0w==&c=pKEf2yrBRdKaLmzwt1ln6WdZae-yMxuGo0u42mijLo8=/ and include the phrase: I want a Gmail account. I would LOVE to extend invitations to the first fifty emails I receive and all I ask in return is for you to tell your family and friends about Multiple Platforms.com/. For more information on Gmail, you can visit Google’s web site.

Open Source Updates

Secunia announced that these open source systems have updates: FreeBSD, Red Hat, Gentoo (1, 2, 3), and Ubuntu.

Multiple Platforms’ Tip of the Day: OpenOffice Works For All

I have reviewed the OpenOffice application that is available for the PC platform previously and I’ve found it to be effective as a replacement for Microsoft’s Office. This past weekend I got a chance to take the Mac version for a test drive and of the two available for this platform, I really like the smaller application NeoOfficeJ from OpenOffice.org/. The program does all the things we expect a word processor to do and in some cases more. The interface is intuitive and it converts Word and AppleWorks documents with little to no loss of formatting. This is an excellent freeware tool available for Multiple Platforms users and you should try it out. It does require the installation of X11 if you haven’t already installed it on your Mac and the program is included in the download package from OpenOffice.org/.

What is Freeware?

More tech news is blog style. Hope you enjoy it!

PowerBooks Have Ram Problem

Some PowerBook users are having issues with the lower memory slot. Check your RAM by clicking on the Apple logo in your tool bar and then choose 'About this Mac'. Visit MacFixIt to read more about the PowerBook's problems.
RAM slot(s) failing in some PowerBooks
A growing number of readers are reporting an issue where the lower (or less frequently, upper) memory slots in some PowerBooks fail, leaving users with less available RAM than is actually installe [MacFixIt]

Duke Dudes Get Tunes Again

Duke University will continue their policy of distributing iPods to incoming freshmen according to the MacObserver:
Duke University Renews iPod Initiative
Duke University, which made headlines last year by giving iPods to all 1,600 freshmen, will continue... [The Mac Observer]

Computer Associates' Flaw Exposes Users to Denial of Service

According to CNET, Computer Associates' eTrust Intrusion Detection System has a serious flaw that can leave users open to a denial of service attack from crackers; read more by clicking on the following link.
CA security system vulnerable to DoS attacks
Flaw in Computer Associates' eTrust Intrusion Detection System could make it susceptible to denial-of-service attacks. [CNET News.com - Security]
Secunia also has a bulletin regarding this event if you would like a more detailed explanation of the flaw:
CA eTrust Intrusion Detection CPImportKey Denial of Service
A vulnerability has been reported in CA eTrust Intrusion Detection, which can be exploited by malicious people to cause a DoS (Denial of Service). [Secunia - Latest Secunia Security Advisories]

Review of Suse Linux 9.3 Professional

LinuxToday has a review of SuSe Linux 9.3 Professional, read more here:
Mad Penguin: First Look at SUSE LINUX 9.3 Professional
"SUSE has been one of the major players on the desktop for as long as I can remember, and for good reason..." [Linux Today]

4-06-05

This Postcard Isn't a Pretty Picture

Another fun use of the Internet has now been co-opted by crackers. Read about the latest threat, postcard Trojans at PC World.
Web Postcards Hide Trojan Horse Programs
Instead of friendly greetings, malicious software installs on your PC. [PCWorld.com - Latest News Stories]

Daily Dose of Despair

Just like clock work and dependable as that old rooster, here is your daily dose of bad news from Internet security gurus. See what all the crowing is about at CNET.
Bigger phishes ready to spawn
Phishing attacks may have slowed, but their sophistication is increasing at a rapid pace. [CNET News.com]

Microsoft: We're Better Than You Are

Speaking of crowing, Microsoft is claiming their study demonstrates the best operating system comes from Redmond, WA according to a report from
Microsoft touts latest Windows v. Linux study
Blog: Another Microsoft-funded study has been released that says Windows is better than Linux. This time the issue is reliability. ... [CNET News.com]

Not So Fast

Not all the noise from Microsoft was as happy at the above item, read more about the latest delay at CNET.
Windows supercomputer version delayed
Microsoft had hoped to deliver it by fall, but now says a final version won't arrive until early next year. [CNET News.com]

Class Action Suit For Alleged Spyware Infiltration

More evidence that we are sick and tired and we're not going to take it anymore is demonstrated by this story from eWeek.
Spyware Lawsuit Alleges Computer Hijacking
The class-action lawsuit accuses DirectRevenue of using spyware to infiltrate users' computers, learn their Internet browsing habits and track their Internet use. [eWEEK Technology News]

Open Source Updates

Secunia released the following bulletins for the open source world: Fedora (1, 2), Red Hat (1, 2), Trustix, and Ubuntu (1, 2).

Multiple Platforms’ Tip of the Day: Get Your Mail

Mozilla has a great e-mail client, Thunderbird. I had tried it several months ago, but hadn’t migrated to it from Apple’s e-mail client, .Mail; and now that I have my only thought is: why did I wait so long. It has an incredible array of features that everyone from computer newbies to power-users will find useful. Mozilla offers the application for Multiple Platforms although I haven’t tried it on my PCs (because I don’t use my PCs for email, period). I have talked to several PC users that are using Thunderbird and they all gave positive reviews of the tool. I like it because it allows you to digitally sign and encrypt outgoing messages and has an RSS reader included. Read more about Thunderbird at Mozilla.org/.

What is an E-mail Client?

According to Wikipedia, “An email client (or mail user agent [MUA]) is a computer program that is used to read and send email. Protocols supported by email clients include POP3 and IMAP. IMAP and the updated IMAP4 are optimized for storage of email on the server, while the POP3 protocol generally assumes that the email is downloaded to the client. The SMTP protocol is used by most email clients to send email. In addition to the fat client email clients presented here, there are also web-based email programs such as SquirrelMail, Gmail and Hotmail. America Online also has an email client as a component of its Internet access program.

Another important protocol supported by most email clients is MIME which is used to send binary attachments. Attachments are files that are not part of the email proper, but are sent with the email.

MAPI (Messaging Application Programming Interface) is a proprietary Microsoft WindowsAPI which can be used to access the Microsoft Exchangeemail server or to interact with the Microsoft Outlook client.”

4-05-05

Turning the Tide on Phishers

A plethora of stories regarding phishers permeates the tech news today and most of these stories are of the positive variety including the arrest of a man in Estonia that has reportedly transferred millions of Euros from banks throughout Europe. CNET reports that the man may have infected hundreds of computers with a Trojan horse program and then extracted vital information. Google is also joining the battle against phishers and is pro-actively protecting their Gmail customers from suspicious messages. According to CNET, Google is displaying the following warning for any communications that look shady: "Warning: This message may not be from whom it claims to be. Beware of following any links in it or of providing the sender with any personal information." And as I was writing this item, a message with the following subject line arrived in the inbox: “YOU ARE WINNER(CONTACT YOUR AGENT)”. All I have to do is click on a convenient link to claim my lotto prize from the Lotto International/ World Gaming Board. WOW, I have been approved for a payment of $500, 000 (USD)! Well, that seals it, who wants to be paid in dollars with the current de-valuation? If it had been in Euros, I would have clicked on that link in a heartbeat. Oh well...

Mozilla Firefox Flaw

Secunia reports that Mozilla’s Firefox browser has a flaw caused by a JAVA script engine issue. Secunia recommends that you, “Disable JavaScript support.” If you would like to read a less technical account of the problem, eWeek has an article on the issue.

IM Becomes Risky Business

CNET features another story today about the increase in attacks by crackers exploiting instant messaging programs. The report states that these types of attacks have increased a whopping 250 percent during the first quarter of this year! In a related story, an e-mail worm named the Chod.B can arrive through the your e-mail and then uses MSN messenger IM client to infect other PCs. Security experts called this latest morph of a virus “alarming”, according to CNET.

Microsoft Offers Freebies for Tablet Users

If you are a Tablet PC owner, make sure you check out the Experience Pack that will be available free from Microsoft later this week. According to PC World, the included Ink Desktop application will let you write directly on the screen and provide computer navigation functions. Check out the story at PC World or click here to get the Experience Pack.

Open Source Updates

Secunia has released these bulletins for open source users: Gentoo, Debian (1, 2), Ubuntu, Conectiva, SuSE, and Linux.

Multiple Platforms’ Tip of the Day: VoIP Recommendation

If you are looking to add a phone line for your home or business, Skype might be your solution. I have wanted an additional line for business purposes but the high cost and a low-budget prevented me from pursuing that goal; now thanks to Skype I have two business lines: one each for the east and west coast of the USA. The phone lines also include voice mail and for 10 more Euros, I added SkypeOut so I can dial landline phones through my Mac. Skype also sells traditional handsets that connect to your PC to use as a conventional phone system. The bottom line: two new business lines-in