Show Notes from the podcasts of
Life In A Multiple Platforms World
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Podcast show notes 3.16.05
Ready or Not, Safer Computer Coming Soon
The move toward safer computing is on as most of the major PC builders will begin delivering computers with ‘trusted computing hardware’ that will prevent crackers from accessing “security sensitive applications” according CNET. Unfortunately, Microsoft will not implement the software required to utilize this safety feature until the release of long-delayed Longhorn. The companies responsible for the development of this module concluded that if it were a problem of the ‘chicken and egg’ variety, they would take the lead and release the hardware sans Microsoft support.
Divorce and Moving Less Stressful than a Virus
The BBC has an interesting report on the stress-level caused by a computer virus and how little prevention most IT personnel exercise on a system-wide basis. According to those interviewed, the stress caused by a computer virus was similar to the emotional distress caused by divorce, separation, and moving; yet, only a small segment of those surveyed had complete protection in place and often left notebooks used outside the office completely unprotected.
Start Your Own Blog
Yahoo has jumped on the blogging bandwagon and is offering you a chance to start your own blog and the price is right: free. You can read more about it in CNET or just sign-up for a Yahoo ID and you are on your way to joining the blogosphere; try it, you will like it!
Thirty-two FAQs About iPods
The Apple Computer Knowledge Base has a list of the 32 most frequently asked questions regarding the iPod. The number one question is: Is iPod compatible with my computer? The answer to that is most of the time. The most FAQ for Multiple Platforms users: “I have both a Mac and a PC. Will my iPod work on both?
And the Answer is: No, not at the same time. iPod is configured for either Mac or PC. You can use the iPod Software Updater utility to restore iPod to work with a Mac or a PC (depending on which version of the utility you use). The iPod shuffle is an exception in that it is formatted as FAT32 and can work with both a Mac and a PC without reformatting.” Therefore, the iPod Shuffle is a Multiple Platforms users best friend!
Open Source Updates
Secunia released these updates for open source users: Linux Kernel (1, 2), Fedora, Gentoo, and Mandrake (1, 2, 3). Remember, you can check Multiple Platforms daily for all the open source security and update bulletins.
Stories from 3.15.05 included:
FTC Closes Phony Anti-Spyware Software Maker
The FTC has closed down a software maker that claimed to help remove “nonexistent computer spyware” according to CNET. The company that sold the product Spyware Assassin used pop-up ads that claimed the users computer was infected with spyware and claimed that their software could restore the computer to a clean state, a condition that already existed in many cases according to the FTC.
Microsoft Has New Import Tool Available
Microsoft has released an oft-requested tool for Mac users, .PST Import Tool for Mac. This tool will allow Mac-heads to import their files from Outlook 2001 into Entourage 2004 according to a story carried by MacCentral. To download the free tool you can visit the Microsoft support site.
Mac Users Get Doom 3 First!
The PC gamers of the world will be shocked as they are forced to watch their Mac brethren load up Doom 3 weeks before it will be available to them according to a report from CNET. A story about the release carried by MacCentral states that Aspyr Media Inc. plans to release the game by March 19, 2005 and MacCentral has benchmarks on the game available at their web site.
Shuffle in Style
I just stick my iPod Shuffle in my shirt pocket or wear it under my shirt when necessary, but if you would like a shirt with a pocket designed especially for your Shuffle surf over to the MacDailyNews and check out their story on the latest fashion trend. Beware: MacDailyNews presents you with a pop-under ads; I forgot to remove them from my RSS feed subscriptions and got another annoying ad. Come on MacDailyNews, you do not need to do this to your visitors! Removal process started, good-bye MDN…
News from 3.14.05 included
Phishers Turn to Pharmers
The newest term to add to your geek-speak repertoire is pharming (see the definitions from Wikipedia below) and according to a report in Wired, the newest wave of scammers is scooping up victims in large volumes. The fraud involves redirecting victims from a legitimate web site to a bogus site that attempts to extract sensitive information from the unsuspecting visitors. The fake web sites are often very realistic-looking according to Wired. You should not follow links provided in an email message or from web sites to banks and financial institutions without verifying the URL. If you feel that the message might be legitimate, open a secure browser (like Firefox) and type in the domain name of the business in the address bar. A new virus circulating can reportedly compromise this method too, I will provide more details as they become available.
Netscape Returns
Netscape 7.2 has been released and according to PC World, several of the new features may be useful for PC users that have yet to migrate away from the still venerable Internet Explorer. Tab browsing, a Quick Launch option that allows fast access to the Internet and more are features included in the latest release.
Give Stuck CD the Boot
I had this problem last week: a CD was stuck in my iMac and I could not get it to eject. I remembered that holding the mouse button down while booting causes the CD to eject and I watched with relief as the tray slid open when I re-started. If that would have failed, there are other methods available and MacMerc provides four options in their Power User Monday Tip of the Week.
Apple Tip is for a Safari Tune-up
MacFixIt has a suggestion for solving the conflicts in Safari post-installation of Apple’s update 10.3.8; the solution is to install a previously recommended application Safari Enhancer. This tool allows you to disable Safari cache and alleviates the problem. I already use Safari Enhancer, which might explain why I didn’t experience this particular issue; although I had another connectivity issue that was system-wide and not browser specific that I corrected using Preferential Treatment to search for corrupt .plist files.
Multiple Platforms Tip of the Week: Tutorial on Identifying Phishing Scams
The Multiple Platforms tip of the week comes from Microsoft and is in the form of a tutorial to educate us on identifying and controlling phishing attacks. Visit the Microsoft support site to view this tip.
What is Pharming?
Wikipedia supplies this definition, “Pharming is the exploitation of a vulnerability in the DNS server software that allows a hacker to acquire the Domain Name for a site, and to redirect traffic from that website to another website. DNS servers are the giant computers that "run" the Internet.
If the website receiving the traffic is a fake website, such as a copy of a bank's website, it can be used to "Phish" or steal a computer user's passwords, PIN number or account number.”
3.11.05
Say It Isn’t So
PC World is reporting that Mozilla will stop developing the Mozilla browser suite and concentrate on their Firefox and Thunderbird applications. Mozilla is our favorite browser and I had been testing beta versions of Mozilla 1.8.x/. Bummer!
Topics:
More on backing up:
I am constantly reminding you to backup you systems and today I offer, for your perusal, two free applications to help you backup your computers. A great tool for Mac-heads is RsyncX and I found that at MacUpdate. I’ve used this tool daily to backup and sync my iMacs and iBook. During the last podcast I talked about CarbonCopy, but I like RsyncX better. PC users can use a free tool recommended by PC World, SyncBack v3.2.4/. I tried the application and it worked perfectly.
Backups Can Save The Day
I the previous item for a reason; in my zeal to test new applications available I inadvertently cleansed my main iMac too much using an application named OnyX. This is not meant to be a slam against the aforementioned tool, but exercise caution when using the cleaning function. I’m still not sure which option I shouldn’t have used, but the result was an iMac that wouldn’t start. I was able to boot up to my external hard drive within minutes, but restoring the iMac was not as swift. Remember, before toying with new applications have a backup of your system ready; and test that readiness by booting up to that backup!
My iBook saga—off to repair and back worse for the wear, I couldn’t hook-up with DHL and that wasn’t to swell, here it sits and I could just… well you can probably think of something that rhymes with sits as well as I can.
More Apple issues:
The iBook recall program: http://www.apple.com/support/ibook/faq/
15-inch PowerBook G4 Battery issue:
http://www.apple.com/support/powerbook/batteryexchange/
Hot iMacs: Power Supply Problems for iMac G5
A troubling report from MacFixIt, some iMac G5 owners have reported power supply problems and in at least one incident the overheating power supply of a sleeping iMac failed to shut down. There is no information from Apple regarding this latest report; we will keep monitoring the situation carefully.
No Patches From Microsoft
When I received the email notice, I refrained from reporting on the issue until it was closer to fruition, and now it has come to pass, no updates from Microsoft this month! That doesn’t mean that you can relax your security efforts, it just means that Microsoft temporarily has. AVG has a new update available for PC users.
DRM
First a definition of DRM from Answers.com “ DRM (Digital Rights Management) A system for protecting the copyrights of digital content that is distributed online. It may also include the accounting for paying royalties to the authors of the material. In the music world, a DRM system provides a container format that includes album and track titles and a set of rules for enforcing copyright compliance that software and hardware players must support in order to play back the material.
Such systems can be configured for various distribution scenarios. For example, songs downloaded from a music service may only be played as long as the user maintains a subscription. Titles can be configured to expire after they have been played some number of times or on a particular date. Advanced audio coding (AAC) and Windows Media are two major formats that support DRM (see AAC and Windows Media Rights Manager).”
Apple Sneaks in Restrictions with iTunes Update
MacNN reports that Apple has included new restrictions on iTunes users within the latest update, iTunes 4.7.1/. According to the story, after installation of the update iTunes users sharing is limited to five unique computers daily regardless of any copyright protection (like Apple’s FairPlay Digital Rights Management AKA: DRM). This is an error on Apple’s part in my mind and another reason to begin looking at other alternatives for music listening. I can see where Apple feels that it has the right to block ‘too many’ users from accessing an individuals iTunes songs that are protected by Apple’s DRM, but to block you from sharing the other music within your iTunes library goes to far. I honestly feel that the entire DRM is becoming a deterrent to the Apple experience. If I am not mistaken, Apple is charging me a fee to buy the song and I should be free to use that song just as I can do if I purchase a CD at the local mall. When I purchase that CD at the mall, I am entitled to use it on my personal music player and even make a copy of the same for my own personal use. Now Apple is trying to restrict this right because I have chosen to use Apple’s iTunes as my music player, is that right? I think it sucks… I hope the bigwigs at Apple readjust their thinking caps and correct this restriction on the use of what we consumers have purchased, and have a legal right to use.
You can bypass the DRM by burning the songs to a CD then ripping them back to your hard drive, but this is time consuming. I found a tool by the Hymn Project named JHymn that will remove the DRM by converting the file first to a WAV file then to an mp3. I have to be honest with you, it makes me nervous talking about this given Apple’s recent track record in the courts. As I stated previously, if the music is purchased by an individual, that person should be free to use the tune as they see fit…
On a Happier Note: The Web site of the week is www.Barbaramanning.com/. I go to school with Barbara and she and her band the Go-Luckys just got back from shaking up Germany with their Indie rock sound. Check out the site and music; I hope to have Barbara as a guest soon.
Want A Gmail Account?
The first 75 people that send me an request via email at http://mailhide.recaptcha.net/d?k=01_CYdbG3G8Bh7MdskTeTP0w==&c=pKEf2yrBRdKaLmzwt1ln6WdZae-yMxuGo0u42mijLo8= and include the secret phrase disclosed during the podcast in the subject line will receive a Gmail account.
Show notes for Life in a Multiple Platforms World -- 2.23.05
Time for another edition of Life in a Multiple Platforms World…
Worms, Worms, There Making Us Squirm
It’s looking like the week of the worm and with so many striking at the same time it is hard to sort them all, hang on; here we go:
Assiral Worm: CNET and Sophos are reporting on a new wormed named Assiral that arrives in your email inbox with the phrase “LOV YA” in the subject line; if that sounds familiar it should, the same hook was used in an earlier virus named the Love Bug worm. Needless to say, don’t open the attachment that is enclosed with this email; it has the name: LOVE_LETTER.TXT.exe.
Virus Appears as Email From FBI: CNET is also carrying a report that details a statement from the FBI regarding a rash of phishing attempts using the federal agency as cover for their illegal activities. The message from the scammers claims to be from the FBI’s Internet Fraud Compliant Center and accuses the recipient of accessing “illegal Web sites.” In the article, the FBI stresses the fact that they would not send ‘unsolicited messages’ to private citizens and urges anyone that receives this message to not open the attachment that contains a virus.
Sober Worm Spreading Fast: PC World reports that the Sober worm was discovered in the wild on Monday and the new variant has been named: W32.Sober-K-mm/. The worm is infecting computers rapidly and has already earned a ‘High Risk’ rating according to security experts interviewed by PC World.
Apple Releases a New Security Update
Apple released a security update that addresses issues with Java according to Secunia. The security firm rates the flaw the patch corrects as “highly critical”. Remember to repair disk permissions before and after installing any updates on your Mac. Many experts advise waiting a week before installing updates in the event that bugs exist in the code. The patch was just released on February 22 and there are no user reports, I will keep you posted as usual.
Internet Explorer Alert – 249
Secunia is reporting yet another spoofing flaw in Internet Explorer, this time they have graded the threat ‘less critical’ and it effects Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 6 on PCs with the SP2 update installed. Secunia recommends, “Do not enter sensitive information in popups after following links from untrusted sources.” The aforementioned recommendation by Secunia should be a ‘no-brainer’, but just in case you are ever tempted to enter sensitive information in a pop-up: DON’T. You should only enter sensitive information to trusted sites (your bank, Amazon.com, the IRS), and then only when you are sure that a secure connection exists. To determine the connection type, look at the address bar displayed by the browser; if it starts with ‘https:’ you are using a secured Internet connection. Your browser will usually display a locked padlock icon when you visit a secured site. A site is not automatically trusted because a it has a secured connection (https) and anyone with a little tech knowledge can establish this connection, so caution is still necessary and it is still up to you to determine the validity of a site you’re visiting. The Multiple Platforms tip of the day from last week has recommendations on verifying a web site URL; click here for the how-to.
PowerBooks: Grumpy After Sleep
Some PowerBook users are experiencing scrambled displays after installing 10.3.8, the latest update from Apple. Most often, the display problems occur after waking the notebook from the sleep mode. So, who isn’t grumpy when they first wake up? The only work around reported is to shut down and restart. If you are experiencing these issues, MacFixIt requests you send them an email message, to learn more visit their web site.
Woz Weighs In
Apple’s co-founder, Steve Wozniak has offered to donate $1000 to the defense fund of a Canadian student being sued by Apple for ‘illegally distributing’ beta versions of the company’s new operating system, Tiger 10.4/. According to MacMinute, Woz wishes Apple would “… drop the matter.” The Woz’s wisdom shines through when he continues, “In this age of professional spammers and telemarketers making fortunes, we’re misusing our energies to pursue the types of small time wrongdoers.” Spoken like a man that may have bent a few rules himself on the way to his station in life. Way to go Woz!
New Plague Present?
An issue that initially seemed to be associated with Apple’s latest update, 10.3.8 has instead morphed into a more disturbing problem, pop-under ads that appear behind the browser and cannot be blocked. MacFixIt reports these ads began appearing last week, and Mozilla, OmniWeb, Camino, Firefox, and Safari users have all reported receiving these ads; MacFixIt has several suggestions to temporarily thwart this new annoyance.
New iPods Introduced, Some Price Cuts
Apple has introduced new members to the iPod family: a 6GB Mini, and two new iPod Photo devices with 30 and 60 gigabyte capacities respectively. The latter models will soon be able to connect directly to a digital camera with an adapter available in March. Apple lowered the price on the 4GB Mini to $199 (USD) and the company will no longer offer the 40GB iPods according to a story carried by CNET.
Open Source Updates are available daily at Multiple Platforms.com
Multiple Platforms Tip of the Day: Automatic Updates
You can schedule your Mac to check for updates automatically on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Open Systems Preferences and choose Software Update; if it isn’t already, check the option to Check for updates: and choose the frequency that suits your needs. You can also select the option to download the updates in the background. Windows XP users can set their PC for automatic updates using this path: Start/ Control Panel/ System/ Automatic Updates. I like to use the option: ‘Download the updates for me, but let me choose when to install them’; click on Apply and you are done.
What is Ripping?
According to Wikipedia, “Ripping is the process of copying the audio and/or videodata from one media form, such as Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) or Compact Disc (CD), to a hard disk. While the original media is typically digital, the extraction of analog media such as VHS video or vinyl records to a digital format can also be referred to as "ripping" by extension. The copied data, called "rips", are usually encoded in a compressed format such as MP3, WMA or Ogg Vorbis for audio or MPEG-2, MPEG-4 or DivX for video in order to conserve storage space.
For consumers of digital content, there are a number of practical uses for ripping. One is to allow the owners of CDs or DVDs to listen or watch their purchased content in a more flexible way. For example, ripping can allow users to listen to music from a number of different albums without having to change discs and to make customized playlists of the music. Ripping can also be used to allow music to be played on portable digital audio players. Creating a backup of purchased and copyrighted media is legal in some countries, including the United States.
Since the music or video is transferred to a data file, the files can be shared with other computer users over the Internet.”
Topic of the Day: Apple’s New iPod Introduction and why that’s important
Allows you to store your digital pictures on the iPod while away from home and see the pictures to insure there looking great; now you can leave the lap top out home. You can even store your Apple files on your iPod then use programs like Mediafour’s MacDrive 6 to read those files on any available PC.
Shipping my iBook back for new logic board, and what you should do first
Backup using .Mac, your external hard drive, or another Mac. De-authorize your iTunes and security software. Hope…
Carbon Copy Cloner from Mike Bombich is a great tool for backing up your Mac. Make sure you use the latest version if you have Panther. Donations accepted…
Site of the week: Multiple Platforms -- get a gmail account (limited to the first 35 people that respond). Listen to podcast for details
Here are the show notes from the February 16, 2005 podcast of Life in a Multiple Platforms World:
Microsoft to Users: Install Update
According to a story in PC World on Monday, Microsoft is urging Windows and Office users to download and install the updates released last week. I installed the updates on my main PC and have not encountered any conflicts; if you have any adverse experiences, drop us an email and let us know what happened. Remember to use spyware removal tools and check for viruses before applying these patches.
As for the Apple Update
I also applied the updates released by Apple without any ill affects. MacFixIt has reports on some Internet slow downs and iTunes connectivity issues post-update installation. The slow-down issue could be related to your router, particularly if you use one by Netgear. If you are experiencing any of the aforementioned issues, visit MacFixIt for some solutions.
Security Conference Started Monday
Driven by worries of phishing attacks and spyware threats, the 2005 RSA Conference that began Monday in San Francisco should draw record attendance according to a story carried by PC World. Most of the big names in the security field will be present and Microsoft’s Bill Gates will deliver the keynote speech.
Tuesday’s Lead stories included:
Make IM Safer
Two researchers from UC Berkeley have released free software that will make your IM communications more secure if both parties have application installed. According to the report from CNET, the program can verify who is on the receiving end of your IM and prevents crackers from viewing messages. The term for this technology is ‘perfect forward security’; it sounds good and the price is right.
Next Step for Red Hat Power PC
CNET has a good news story for open source users and multiple platform people; the next release from Red Hat will include a version of Fedora that will run on Power chips like the PowerPC found in Apple’s G5. Users would also be able to run multiple platforms simultaneously using Xen, an open source software.
GRAMMY Downloads Cheaper
Apple announced that the iTunes Music store would offer all albums with GRAMMY award winning tracks for $2 off the normal cost. You can also download a special version of “Across the Universe” performed by an all-star cast of musicians on the night of the awards for 99 cents; help support Multiple Platforms.com by purchasing your iTunes from the link to the Apple Music store found at our web site.
And the top story today is:
New Tune Has Better Chorus
Now he’s singing our song and though it may send shudders through the IT security industry, the latest tune from Microsoft’s Bill Gates regarding upcoming changes for Windows people is welcome news for beleaguered PC users. First, Microsoft will update Internet Exploder and make it harder for scammers to execute their crackers’ code. Gates also announced that the company will continue to offer Windows AntiSpyware free, and while this may not be great news for third-party anti-spyware producers, it should help the end users improve their PCs safety.
Check Multiple Platforms.com for daily open source update information.
Free Download from iTunes
You can download a free song from the Apple iTunes Music store and the artist changes every Tuesday. Get your free tune by clicking on the iTunes logo found at Multiple Platforms. You can help defer the operating costs of Multiple Platforms.com by purchasing your iTunes music through the link at the there. Thanks!
Tip of the Week:
Apple Tip: Keyboard Shortcut to Server
To quickly connect to other computers on your network you can use Command-K. This will launch the connect to server window and from there you can select any computer on your network.
PC Tip: Keyboard Shortcut
The PC tip of the day is another handy keyboard shortcut to open the My Computer window just click on the Windows logo key + E key.
What is a Fat Server?
This should have been the ‘What is’ question for February 8, 2005—Fat Tuesday; according to Answers.com a fat server is, “A server in a client/server environment that performs most or all of the application processing with little or none performed in the client. The counterpart to a fat server is a thin client.”
Web Site of the Week: Tom’s Hardware Guide
According to their web site description: “Tom's Hardware Guide, the Internet's premier resource for PC hardware reviews and news. Tom's Hardware Guide delivers hard-hitting articles and reports to tech-savvy IT professionals, technology innovators and early adopters looking to buy PC hardware products and services.
Launched in 1996 by Dr. Thomas Pabst (known to his legions of devotees as simply "Tom"), the site is now the best source for independent editorial reviews of cutting-edge computer hardware. Tom leads a team of veteran journalists and technology editors who are committed to maintaining the site's no-holds-barred brand of technology journalism. As a result, Tom's Hardware Guide readers have come to rely on the site for unbiased and authoritative articles on the products that matter to them and to help them make intelligent purchasing decisions.”
Follow-up from last weeks rant:
Was Bill Gates listening, or was the rumbling so loud he couldn’t ignore the roar.
What am I talking about, well mostly the about face from last weeks noise about how the consumer must take responsibility, blah, blah, blah…
The keynote speech delivered at the RSA Security conference sounded much better to our tin ear; how about yours?
After cooling off last week, I decided that there are things that we can we do: We can be proactive by: using a router and or firewall, regularly run multiple spyware applications, use a reliable anti-virus program, and update when new security issues demand it. How can we do this? Check out the bottom of the index page at Multiple Platforms.com or visit http://leoville.tv/radio/pmwiki.php and go to the tips section and read what Leo Laporte has to say about these issues. And keep visiting Multiple Platforms.com, that is one of the missions of this site; to keep you informed about the tech news that effects you and your Multiple Platforms systems.
Have you done the iPod Shuffle?
I love my new iPod Shuffle! I got the 512MB shuffle as I have several other flash drives to store data on and 512MB of tunes is a lot of music for someone that has been listening to the same dozen cassette tapes for the last year. I have a confession to make, even thought I have helped many Multiple Platforms visitors solve their iPod issues, I don’t actually own one. I am good at researching (that’s my job as a graduate student), and that is how I’ve been successful at solving your problems. But the iPod shuffle is what I was waiting for and compared my other mp3 player from iRiver, the iPod is a dream to load music onto. A brilliant move on Apple’s part was to format the shuffle as an MS-DOS volume making it compatible with Multiple Platforms users; PC users don’t have to fuss with special formatting, but will need to download and install Apples iTunes for Windows available free at the Apple web site.
I have done some informal surveys of the students in my class and they have all expressed satisfaction in the product. Like some reviewers, I have had some difficulty when trying to switch the shuffle to the first play position. I don’t find the lack of a screen a drawback; I just want to turn on the tunes and let them play and that’s what the shuffle delivers. It hasn’t had any distortion problems even during vigorous exercise.
I also purchased the Podwave from MacAlly to plug-into the shuffle, but the results aren’t worth the investment of $34.95; however, the Podwave did sound good when powered by a iPod mini.
My recommendation is buy to purchase the iPod shuffle if you are in the market for an mp3 player and don’t need the additional storage you can get with the iPod or the iPod mini.
I would love to hear from you so please send us an email at: http://mailhide.recaptcha.net/d?k=01_CYdbG3G8Bh7MdskTeTP0w==&c=pKEf2yrBRdKaLmzwt1ln6WdZae-yMxuGo0u42mijLo8=
Please tell your friends to visit our podcast. Thanks!
Show Notes: 2.9.05
Here are the top tech stories of the week:
Secunia Reports Flaw in Most Browsers
On Monday, Secunia issued a ‘moderately critical’ security warning for the following browsers: Firefox (0.x and 1.x), Mozilla 1.7.x/, Konqueror 3.x/, OmniWeb 5.x/, Opera 7.x/, and Safari 1.x/. Secunia recommends: “Don’t follow links from untrusted sources; Manually type the URL in the address bar.” Visit Multiple Platforms.com for Monday’s tip of the day to learn how to check the validity of a web site’s URL.
Pepsi Peek Can Yield Perk
The joint promotional effort by Pepsi and Apple that rewards lucky Pepsi drinkers with a free download from the Apple iTunes Music store has the same issue as last year, you can see if the soft-drink is a winner before opening the bottle. According to MacMerc, the same folks that revealed the flaw last year, with a tilt and sharp-eye eager wannabe winners can spot the prize. To learn the dirty details, visit the original post by MacMerc.
Missing Mail Messages Miff .Mac Members
MacFixIt reports that .Mac email messages are arriving sans the body of the message. Apparently, the problems started to surface last Wednesday, and there is some speculation that the glitch is related to filtering applied by Apple. Apple has yet to issue a response to this annoyance.
Multiple Platforms Tip of the Day: Using Printers
I have tried on a number of occasions to configure my printers connected to my Mac to work with my PC. The setup seemed easy, but I was not able to figure out the secret until prompted recently by a friend’s question about this issue. The solution is to use any driver but the driver for the printer you are connecting. On the PC, follow this path Start/ Control Panel/ Printers and Faxes/ Add Printer/ and then follow the Wizard directions (you can browse for the printer if it is powered up). When you are ready to install the driver, choose any driver but the one for your printer. I know this sounds counter-intuitive, but it works; a tip similar to this was carried by Mac OSX Hints last year.
Antivirus Firm Purchased by Microsoft
CNET reports that Microsoft will purchase the security firm Sybari, the third security related acquisition by MS in the past eighteen months. Most industry watchers expected Microsoft to make just such a move in a effort to package a product to battle the ever-increasing attacks on Windows based PCs. One would hope that MS would offer the antivirus application free, as they have thus far with their spyware software, but time and the greed factor will tell.
Open Source Updates
Remember to check Multiple Platforms daily for open source system updates at www.multipleplatforms.com
What is Phishing?
According to Answers.com, Phishing is, “… is a scam to steal valuable information such as credit cards, social security numbers, user IDs and passwords. Also known as "brand spoofing," an official-looking e-mail is sent to potential victims pretending to be from their ISP, retail store, etc., and that due to internal accounting errors or some other pretext, certain information must be updated to continue the service.
A link in the e-mail message directs the user to a Web page that asks for financial information. The page looks genuine, because it is easy to fake a valid Web site. Any HTML page on the Web can be copied and modified to suit the phishing scheme. Such e-mails can be sent to people on selected lists or to any list, expecting that some percentage of the recipients will actually have an account with the real organization. The term comes from "fishing," where bait is used to catch a fish. In phishing, e-mail is the bait.
A "phishing kit" is a set of software tools that help the novice phisher imitate a target Web site and make mass mailings. It may even include lists of e-mail addresses. How thoughtful of people to create these kits. So helpful.”
Topic of the Week: Security
This item was published on Tuesday:
Sixteen Issues Tackled by Microsoft Patch
PC World reports that the patch from Microsoft for February was the largest security fix since October 2003. Eight of the problems fixed are critical and the fixes include patches Internet Explorer, Windows Service Pack 2, and for a PNG (see below for definition) issue with MSN Messenger. Now that these vulnerabilities have been revealed look for an increase in attacks from crackers that have become adept at waiting for Microsoft to release these security patches and then using the information to hack PCs that have not installed the recent update...
Let’s go over items of importance I noted during the MS security webcast…
- Update within the next week if you use Outlook, MSN Messenger, or Office; as these have critical issues that will be targeted soon by crackers. A proof of concept code has been posted for the Office flaw; it is only a matter of time.
- Update to Windows Media Player 10 (WMP 9 okay for 2K, but must have latest SP installed)
- PGN exploit, like many had not been exploited by public due to lack of knowledge; now that the crackers know, look out.
- Many of the attacks occur at the MS server level but attackers code targets end user and runs as local code. MS suggests limiting user account privileges (don’t use admin as every day account)
- MS extended patch to NT servers, servers that have not been supported lately.
- Don’t accept IM from anyone that you don’t know and delete anyone in your contact book that you don’t recognize
- MS will acquire Sybari Software for virus scanning solution
Item from Tuesday:
Web Security is Your Responsibility
Taking the idea of an ownership society to a new level, EBay, Microsoft and others have proclaimed it is your responsibility to maintain Internet security. The story was carried by PC World on Monday, and while it carries a plausible message the overall message forwarded by these corporations flush with your cash is repulsive. The following quote was included in PC World’s article, "The customer has a responsibility to help protect information as well as the technology companies," said Scott Shipman, privacy counsel for EBay, of San Jose, California. The story also includes similar quotes from others playing the same theme song; it is the user’s responsibility to become a security expert. I agree that user education is important, and that is one of the major motivations behind this web site; but to expect everyone using a PC to become security pro is simply unrealistic. I learn and stay abreast of these issues because I have an interest in keeping my computers functioning and secure; likewise, I share that information with you in an effort to help you make computing, surfing and life easier. The major problem in the computing world today is operating systems and software that is susceptible to attacks and security issues from email phishing attacks. The easiest response from a consumer’s standpoint would be to abandon computers that are plagued with security issues (refer to the item above) and to stop using email. Meanwhile, I have some advice for the lame companies that issued this claim: Those who live in glass houses should refrain from throwing stones.
Apple Threat
Secunia bulletin: difference attack occurs locally
http://secunia.com/advisories/14188/
Netscape Threat
Secunia released warning to Netscape users
http://secunia.com/advisories/14206/
What do you think, who should be responsible for security?
Yes, we all need to be pro-active; but for the cost of Windows XP Home, should you have to supplement that with additional software to protect yourself from their bad coding? What can we do as consumers to let corporations that the idea of an ownership society is fine when it comes to our social responsibilities, but won’t cut the mustard when we are laying out good money for a bad product. What other product would we tolerate this type of instability from? Would you keep paying for your phone service if it only worked part of the time? Most of the work-arounds offered by Microsoft are above and beyond what most PC users are capable of and could cause more harm than good. Should we become proficient at reg editing or should we all switch open source or Apple? Where do you stand? Let me know by sending me an email at http://mailhide.recaptcha.net/d?k=01_CYdbG3G8Bh7MdskTeTP0w==&c=pKEf2yrBRdKaLmzwt1ln6WdZae-yMxuGo0u42mijLo8=
Site of the Week: iPod Lounge
This week our site of the week pick is the iPod Lounge. This is the site for iPod lovers and you can visit the site at www.ipodlounge.com
Have a great week!
It’s February 1, 2005 and these are tech stories of the day:
Security Firm Reports Mozilla and Firefox Flaw
Secunia has released a ‘moderately critical’ security bulletin regarding the Mozilla, Firefox, and Thunderbird applications. According to Secunia, the issues effect versions of Firefox before Firefox 1.0 and all Mozilla releases prior to 1.7.5. If you are using the latest versions of any of the above products, you are not at risk.
Windows Flaw Squashed
CNET is reporting that the major flaw discovered in MySQL database has stopped spreading after the servers responsible for the infection were isolated. The worm is called MySQL bot or SpoolCLL and cannot infect other computers without access to the servers according to security experts interviewed by CNET.
Problems With Latest Apple Update
Reports of problems after installation of the latest Apple update, Security Upgrade 2005-001 continue to trickle into MacFixIt. Some Mac-heads are experiencing problems launching various applications like Mail.app after installation of the update. Other issues include a conflict between iPod and iTunes. In some cases, iTunes crashes after connecting an iPod and in other instances the computer does not recognize the iPod. You should use the Repair Disk Permissions function found in Disk Utilities to remedy these problems. In fact, you should always repair permissions before and after installing any update.
What is a Podcast?
Wikipedia has this explanation for a podcast, “Podcasting involves the recording of internet radio or similar internet audio programs. These recordings are then made available for download to portable digital audio device. One can then listen to the podcast Internet radio program while you are away from your computer or at a different time than the original program was broadcast.
The term podcasting plays upon the terms broadcasting and webcasting and is derived from the name of the iPod portable music player, the playback device of choice of many early podcast listeners (though podcasting is not directly associated with Apple's iPod device or iTunes jukebox software.) Podcasting is similar to the use of digital video recorders (DVRs) such as TiVo, which let you record and store TV programs for later viewing.”
Apple, Open Source, and PC Tip of the Day: Podcast Software
Apple users that want to start automatically receiving podcasts have many choices including iPodderX, NetNewsWire, and PlayPod. I have tried all of the aforementioned products for Mac-heads; they are all good products and you can find links to these and more applications at Wikipedia. On the PC side, Doppler and Podfeeder are among the choices. Multiple Platforms and open source people can try iPodder, or Jäger. After you download and install any of the above programs, you will subscribe to a list of podcasts that you are interested in, and whenever a new podcast file release is detected, your computer will automatically download and save it to be enjoyed at your convenience.
Corrections:
Thanks for the email reminder that PC users do have a application similar to Garage Band, Acid. I meant to imply that as a package iLife would be hard to replicate on the PC-side of this Multiple Platforms world.
Some thank you acknowledgements to several people who helped me get my podcast going and they include:
Adam Christianson and MacCast blog and Podcast and you can find his blog at http://maccast.blogspot.com/ Adam has a great podcast and helped me with solve my bandwidth worries and showed me yet another way to use my .Mac account.
The Podcast Librarian, Chris McIntyre, from www.podcastalley.com for pointing me toward Feedburner and completing the last steps necessary to make the podcast official.
And, Dave Ruske for recent help with improving my work flow with a little java script help.
Thanks to others that helped indirectly include Leo Laporte, Adam Curry, and my favorite Podcaster, Matthew Bischoff.
Matthew Bischoff’s site: http://matthewbischoff.com/blog/
Other sites: Baffled Experts
Blogging Ethics
Blogging Ethics: Rconversation a blog at: http://rconversation.blogs.com/rconversation/2005/01/one_proposed_co.html
http://homepage.mac.com/mikeandleeann/mppodcast/020105podcast.mp3
Show Notes: 2.9.05
Here is the top tech stories of the week:
Secunia Reports Flaw in Most Browsers
On Monday, Secunia issued a ‘moderately critical’ security warning for the following browsers: Firefox (0.x and 1.x), Mozilla 1.7.x/, Konqueror 3.x/, OmniWeb 5.x/, Opera 7.x/, and Safari 1.x/. Secunia recommends: “Don’t follow links from untrusted sources; Manually type the URL in the address bar.” Visit Multiple Platforms.com for Monday’s tip of the day to learn how to check the validity of a web site’s URL.
Pepsi Peek Can Yield Perk
The joint promotional effort by Pepsi and Apple that rewards lucky Pepsi drinkers with a free download from the Apple iTunes Music store has the same issue as last year, you can see if the soft-drink is a winner before opening the bottle. According to MacMerc, the same folks that revealed the flaw last year, with a tilt and sharp-eye eager wannabe winners can spot the prize. To learn the dirty details, visit the original post by MacMerc.
Missing Mail Messages Miff .Mac Members
MacFixIt reports that .Mac email messages are arriving sans the body of the message. Apparently, the problems started to surface last Wednesday, and there is some speculation that the glitch is related to filtering applied by Apple. Apple has yet to issue a response to this annoyance.
Multiple Platforms Tip of the Day: Using Printers
I have tried on a number of occasions to configure my printers connected to my Mac to work with my PC. The setup seemed easy, but I was not able to figure out the secret until prompted recently by a friend’s question about this issue. The solution is to use any driver but the driver for the printer you are connecting. On the PC, follow this path Start/ Control Panel/ Printers and Faxes/ Add Printer/ and then follow the Wizard directions (you can browse for the printer if it is powered up). When you are ready to install the driver, choose any driver but the one for your printer. I know this sounds counter-intuitive, but it works; a tip similar to this was carried by Mac OSX Hints last year.
Antivirus Firm Purchased by Microsoft
CNET reports that Microsoft will purchase the security firm Sybari, the third security related acquisition by MS in the past eighteen months. Most industry watchers expected Microsoft to make just such a move in a effort to package a product to battle the ever-increasing attacks on Windows based PCs. One would hope that MS would offer the antivirus application free, as they have thus far with their spyware software, but time and the greed factor will tell.
Open Source Updates
Remember to check Multiple Platforms daily for open source system updates at www.multipleplatforms.com
What is Phishing?
According to Answers.com, Phishing is, “… is a scam to steal valuable information such as credit cards, social security numbers, user IDs and passwords. Also known as "brand spoofing," an official-looking e-mail is sent to potential victims pretending to be from their ISP, retail store, etc., and that due to internal accounting errors or some other pretext, certain information must be updated to continue the service.
A link in the e-mail message directs the user to a Web page that asks for financial information. The page looks genuine, because it is easy to fake a valid Web site. Any HTML page on the Web can be copied and modified to suit the phishing scheme. Such e-mails can be sent to people on selected lists or to any list, expecting that some percentage of the recipients will actually have an account with the real organization. The term comes from "fishing," where bait is used to catch a fish. In phishing, e-mail is the bait.
A "phishing kit" is a set of software tools that help the novice phisher imitate a target Web site and make mass mailings. It may even include lists of e-mail addresses. How thoughtful of people to create these kits. So helpful.”
Topic of the Week: Security
This item was published on Tuesday:
Sixteen Issues Tackled by Microsoft Patch
PC World reports that the patch from Microsoft for February was the largest security fix since October 2003. Eight of the problems fixed are critical and the fixes include patches Internet Explorer, Windows Service Pack 2, and for a PNG (see below for definition) issue with MSN Messenger. Now that these vulnerabilities have been revealed look for an increase in attacks from crackers that have become adept at waiting for Microsoft to release these security patches and then using the information to hack PCs that have not installed the recent update...
Let’s go over items of importance I noted during the MS security webcast…
- Update within the next week if you use Outlook, MSN Messenger, or Office; as these have critical issues that will be targeted soon by crackers. A proof of concept code has been posted for the Office flaw; it is only a matter of time.
- Update to Windows Media Player 10 (WMP 9 okay for 2K, but must have latest SP installed)
- PGN exploit, like many had not been exploited by public due to lack of knowledge; now that the crackers know, look out.
- Many of the attacks occur at the MS server level but attackers code targets end user and runs as local code. MS suggests limiting user account privileges (don’t use admin as every day account)
- MS extended patch to NT servers, servers that have not been supported lately.
- Don’t accept IM from anyone that you don’t know and delete anyone in your contact book that you don’t recognize
- MS will acquire Sybari Software for virus scanning solution
Item from Tuesday:
Web Security is Your Responsibility
Taking the idea of an ownership society to a new level, EBay, Microsoft and others have proclaimed it is your responsibility to maintain Internet security. The story was carried by PC World on Monday, and while it carries a plausible message the overall message forwarded by these corporations flush with your cash is repulsive. The following quote was included in PC World’s article, "The customer has a responsibility to help protect information as well as the technology companies," said Scott Shipman, privacy counsel for EBay, of San Jose, California. The story also includes similar quotes from others playing the same theme song; it is the user’s responsibility to become a security expert. I agree that user education is important, and that is one of the major motivations behind this web site; but to expect everyone using a PC to become security pro is simply unrealistic. I learn and stay abreast of these issues because I have an interest in keeping my computers functioning and secure; likewise, I share that information with you in an effort to help you make computing, surfing and life easier. The major problem in the computing world today is operating systems and software that is susceptible to attacks and security issues from email phishing attacks. The easiest response from a consumer’s standpoint would be to abandon computers that are plagued with security issues (refer to the item above) and to stop using email. Meanwhile, I have some advice for the lame companies that issued this claim: Those who live in glass houses should refrain from throwing stones.
Apple Threat
Secunia bulletin: difference attack occurs locally
http://secunia.com/advisories/14188/
Netscape Threat
Secunia released warning to Netscape users
http://secunia.com/advisories/14206/
What do you think, who should be responsible for security?
Yes, we all need to be pro-active; but for the cost of Windows XP Home, should you have to supplement that with additional software to protect yourself from their bad coding? What can we do as consumers to let corporations that the idea of an ownership society is fine when it comes to our social responsibilities, but won’t cut the mustard when we are laying out good money for a bad product. What other product would we tolerate this type of instability from? Would you keep paying for your phone service if it only worked part of the time? Most of the work-arounds offered by Microsoft are above and beyond what most PC users are capable of and could cause more harm than good. Should we become proficient at reg editing or should we all switch open source or Apple? Where do you stand? Let me know by sending me an email at http://mailhide.recaptcha.net/d?k=01_CYdbG3G8Bh7MdskTeTP0w==&c=pKEf2yrBRdKaLmzwt1ln6WdZae-yMxuGo0u42mijLo8=
Site of the Week: iPod Lounge
This week our site of the week pick is the iPod Lounge. This is the site for iPod lovers and you can visit the site at www.ipodlounge.com
Have a great week!
