Cult of the Internet

Second security advisory issued for IE 7

2006-10-25T09:36:00.000-07:00

Description:A weakness has been discovered in Internet Explorer, which can be exploited by malicious people to conduct phishing attacks.The problem is that it's possible to display a popup with a somewhat spoofed address bar where a number of special characters have been appended to the URL. This makes it possible to only display a part of the address bar, which may trick users into performing certain unintended actions.

Internet Explorer 7 Popup Address Bar Spoofing Weakness - Advisories - Secunia

If you use Photoshop, check out Paint.NET

2006-10-23T08:14:00.000-07:00

If you use Photoshop regularly, check out the just released version 3.0 of Paint.NET (download it here). It is 3.6 MB download that handles most of the basic (and many of the advanced) functions of Photoshop. It’s free, and even better it loads in just a couple of seconds on a newish Windows PC. I tested it, and it does everything that I need - if it was usable on a Mac I’d switch from Photoshop based on the speed of the application alone. Earlier versions of Paint.NET were apparently very sluggish - but I can confirm that version 3.0 is very quick to load and very responsive in basic testing. Robert Scoble gives it a thumbs up, too, although he’s clearly been drinking all night. In fact, after reading his post I’m going to open a bottle of scotch, too.

Techcrunch » Blog Archive » If You Use PhotoShop, Check Out Paint.net

Learn ho to deliver the Truth

2006-09-03T18:55:00.000-07:00

You’ve seen An Inconvenient Truth. You’ve made changes in your life to reduce your carbon footprint. Looking for something else to do to help solve the climate crisis? How about learning how to give the presentation that is at the
heart of An Inconvenient Truth?
Starting this Fall, Al Gore and a team of renowned climate change scientists and educators will train more than 1,000 individuals to give a version of his presentation on the effects of - and solutions for - global warming, to community groups throughout the U.S.
Seven training sessions will be held in Nashville Tennessee from late September 2006 to January 2007. Each training session will be 2 days long, is free of charge (trainees are responsible for their transportation, accommodation and meals), and open to individuals of all ages, educational and technical backgrounds.
The two-day program is designed to familiarize trainees with the climate change science, equip them with new presentation skills, and develop a new dynamic online learning community for ongoing activities.

Pron news

2006-08-22T06:47:00.000-07:00

This is just too funny to pass up!

Sweden's state broadcaster SVT on Monday faced ridicule for mistakenly showing a porn movie in the background of a news broadcast over the weekend.
Viewers of a 5-minute news update at midnight Saturday could see explicit scenes from a Czech porn movie on a TV screen behind news anchor Peter Dahlgren.The monitor -- one of many on the wall of a control room visible behind the studio -- normally shows other news channels during broadcasts.
But staffers who earlier in the evening had watched a sports event on cable channel Canal Plus -- which often shows X-rated films after midnight -- had forgotten to switch it back, said news director Per Yng.
"This is highly embarrassing and unfortunate," Yng said. "It must not happen again."

CNN.com - Porn broadcast stuns news viewers - Aug 21, 2006

Untitled

2006-08-17T12:21:00.000-07:00

An article in the Austin American Statesman demonstrates the dangers of posting nude pictures online, but one has to wonder why the teacher who looked at the pictures on a school district computer hasn't also been persecuted.

Reading the article closely, I have to wonder if it has something to do with Tamara Hoover's girlfriend. And, what kind of message does it sent to society when posing for naked pictures gets a person fired?

Austin High art teacher who posed nude resigns

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/08/18hoover.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=52

Judge orders halt to NSA wiretapping

2006-08-17T11:46:00.000-07:00

The Bush administration suffered a stunning defeat Thursday as a federal judge in Detroit ruled that the National Security Agency's warrantless wiretapping program was unconstitutional, and ordered an immediate halt of all surveillance.
The ruling also seemed to indicate the program was an abuse of presidential power, possibly setting the stage for an Congressional investigation into President Bush's conduct surrounding the order to engage in domestic spying.
The case was brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, who filed a suit on behalf of journalists, scholars and others who frequently place calls to overseas contacts. The group says the program makes their jobs harder, and contacts are leery of divulging information for fear of surveillance from the federal government.
"This court is constrained to grant to Plaintiffs the Partial Summary Judgment requested, and holds that the TSP violates the APA; the Separation of Powers doctrine; the First and Fourth Amendments of the United States Constitution; and the statutory law," U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor said in the 43-page ruling.
Taylor also had harsh words for President Bush and members of his administration who argued that the president was within his powers as Commander in Chief to carry out the wiretapping program. She pointed out that the office itself was created by the Constitution, thus meaning all powers are derived from that document.
"There are no hereditary Kings in America and no powers not created by the Constitution," Taylor wrote. "So all 'inherent powers' must derive from that Constitution."
Neither the NSA nor the Bush administration had publicly commented on the ruling as of press time.
The ACLU did not win a complete victory, however; its claims of data mining by the NSA were rejected by Taylor, who said not enough evidence existed to prove such a charge. Additionally, an investigation into the accusations ran the risk of revealing state secrets, she ruled.

BetaNews | Judge Orders Halt to NSA Wiretapping

Girl take pic of herself every day for three years

2006-08-16T18:27:00.000-07:00

This is pretty cool. This girl takes a picture of herself every day for three years and then puts the pictures together to make a short film.

Me: Girl takes pic of herself every day for three years

Google launches free WiFi in Calif hometown

2006-08-16T09:25:00.000-07:00

After a beta period chock-full of Skype use among the nerd-elite, Google has finally opened up their free WiFi network to the 72,000 residents of Mountain View, CA. Speculation still abounds in regards to Google's eventual plans for world domination via municipal WiFi, but for now they claim their main reasons are to inspire other network providers, and so they can work on interoperability with WiFi devices. Google is a bit ahead of schedule with the network, which cost them $1 million to build, and covers 12 square miles with 380 light pole-mounted transceivers. Bandwidth tops out at 1 megabit per second, and Google is prepped to add more capacity if Mountain View types end up being heavy YouTube Google Video users. Google says their early launch was spurred by the positive feedback they received during the beta, and that they've been inundated with requests to join. There's no telling yet how Google's Mountain View network will compare to the relatively massive Google/Earthlink plans in San Francisco, especially since they're probably hoping making a bit of cash back on the latter, but for now Google is at least requiring a Google ID to join the party in their hometown of Mountain View.

Google busts out free WiFi for public in Mountain View - Engadget

Techie chic and sexy

2006-08-15T17:37:00.000-07:00

So techie chic! Perfect for those of us who love to lounge around in sexy undies all day AND have our music! Black lace panty with pink ribbon and removable pocket to hold iPod nano, money or other small personal items. Comes giftboxed and ready to give -- or receive ;-)

iGroove Panty for iPod nano

War, weather and demand to blame for high gas prices

2006-08-15T07:01:00.000-07:00

The last time the market was normal was in January 2003, according to Severin Borenstein, director of the University of California Energy Institute.

That was before the U.S. invasion of Iraq. The economy was still lukewarm and the price of a barrel of oil was in the $20s and forecast to stay that way for another 20 years.

The Iraq invasion led to a huge cutback in production there, eventually taking a million barrels a day off the market. At the same time, the U.S. and world economies improved and demand for oil increased.

Associated Press Business News: Economics 101: Demand Is the Demon - MSN Money

A new password can help keep you safe online

2006-08-15T05:09:00.000-07:00

Most businesses today rely on computers. In fact, most of us have even started to depend on some form of computer-like electronics in our daily lives.
Go to almost any grocery store and you’ll find a hopelessly lost husband — usually me — on a cell phone asking his wife which flavor of washing machine detergent he was sent to get. Our computers all have little electronic brains more complicated than the ones that send the Apollo space crafts to the moon, and thanks to ATMs, debt cards and direct deposit, I actually walk into the bank maybe once a month.
One could easily argue that all of this dependency on electronics and computers is a bad thing, but there is no denying that these machines have made our lives easier — at least until the power fails.
All of this got me to thinking about the security of using public wireless networks or computers. People do it all the time and think nothing of checking their e-mail accounts or logging into their bank account to check their balance.
A couple of years ago, I saw a commercial where a man was sitting at an Internet cafe, logged onto his bank account and using his debt card so he could show his buddy how his bank instantly tracks charges. I wonder if later he showed his buddy how the hacker sitting two tables over later emptied his bank account by using the password information from that public computer.
Using a public WiFi site or a public computer doesn’t mean that someone is going to steal all of your personal information, but you should always be cautious when you do and be aware of the dangers. Criminals can purchase keystroke logging devices for very little money, and they take only a few moments to install. These devices let them gather all the information typed on a computer from across the Internet.
Another piece of software that can be downloaded for free allows hackers to record information transmitted across a wireless network. If that information isn’t being encrypted, the criminal could have everything they need to get all of your personal data.There are several steps anyone can take to help protect their personal information, and the first is a good password.
A strong password should be something hard to guess even by your closest friends. It should be long — some recommend 14 characters or long — and it should have a combination of letters, numbers and symbols.Some common password mistakes to avoid are using a login name or the same password for every account. Also, don’t use birthdates or anniversaries that can easily be found out.Other things to avoid include using sequences of numbers or letters or names that go together such as using “river” as a password for the login “Guadalupe,” and never respond to e-mail requests for passwords. These usually are a scam.Some things to do that can help keep your data safe include changing your password often. How often really depends on what type of information it is protecting. Bank passwords need to be changed every 30 to 60 days, but administrative passwords on home computers can be changed less often depending on the number of users.
You also can create a pass phrase, a sentence that you’ll use for a password. Some systems let you used a full sentence. With others, you’ll have to keep it short and leave out the spaces.Use a different password for every login and make it something you can remember. You may want to write down passwords and keep them in a safe place.
And, if you ever have to give out your password, say to a friend or relative, make sure you change it as soon as they no longer need it. You wouldn’t want to be suspicious of that person if something comes up missing later.
There are some programs you can use on your home computer that will store all of your passwords and allow you to access them with one, master password. Another option is to use a USB jump drive.
If you want to check the strength of your passwords, Microsoft offers a safe password checker that will tell you if yours are too weak and easily cracked. You can try it out at www.microsoft.com/athome/security/privacy/password_checker.mspx.

Kerrville Daily Times

Rock you body with the ultimate iPod accessory

2006-08-14T19:23:00.000-07:00

The OhMiBod vibrator is a whole new way to enjoy your iPod® or any other music player. Everyone loves music. Everyone loves sex. OhMiBod combines music and pleasure to create the ultimate acsexsory™ to your iPod.

Simply plug OhMiBod into your iPod® or any music player and it automatically vibrates to the rhythm and intensity of the music. Let your body feel the vibrations as you get down with your favorite tunes. The combination of listening and feeling your music quickly transports you to a place where music, mind and body come together to create an unbeatable sexual experience.

OMB users can instantly (and anonymously) become part of a fun, hip community called CLUB VIBE (ohmibod.com/clubvibe), where other OMB aficionados write about their experience, trade tips, share their favorite playlists, and more. Log into iTunes and search "OhMiBod" under the iMix section and see what music is turning other people on and purchase those songs quickly and easily! Regardless of the musical genre you are sure to find new amazing music here. If you don't see something that tickles your fancy, upload your own iMix and share with others what works for you!

OhMiBod Music Powered Vibrator - OMB 411

Windows free online scanner now available worlwide

2006-08-14T18:09:00.000-07:00

The Windows Live OneCare safety scanner is now available around the world, Microsoft said in a statement Monday. The online scanner removes viruses and spyware, rids a hard drive of clutter, and runs defragmentation.
The service is similar to Trend Micro's House Call and McAfee's FreeScan, though those only remove malicious software.
The international launch is a precursor to a broader release of Windows Live OneCare. Beta versions of the consumer security software are scheduled to be available by year's end in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, and the U.K., Microsoft said.

Microsoft security tools go global | CNET News.com

Windows worm spreads over weekend

2006-08-14T13:47:00.000-07:00

Various security firms began warning of a new exploit that takes advantage of a vulnerability in Server Service function of Windows. The exploit involves the same advisory that Homeland Security warned computer users about late last week, and appears to be spreading as a worm like initially feared.
The virus is known by a host of names depending on security vendor: Backdoor.Win32.IRCBot.st through Kaspersky, Backdoor:Win32/Graweg through Microsoft, W32.Wargbot through Symantec, W32/Cuebot through Sophos, and WORM_IRCBOT through TrendMicro.
An infected PC would become part of a "botnet," or a group of computers infected with malware that allows them to be controlled remotely. In this case, commands are sent to compromised systems via IRC servers located in China. These botnets can be used to launch denial of service attacks, researchers say.Security firm Sophos says the exploit is being spread through AOL Instant Messenger, while others warned that new variants of the issue could appear at any time.
There is some disagreement as to which systems are potentially vulnerable, however all companies agree that the worm is a rather low-risk issue and affects machines running Windows 2000. However, some believe that the issue could be exploited in computers running Windows XP SP1 as well.In any case, for almost a day most antivirus software makers offered no protection to the problem, says Marc Maiffret of eEye Digital Security. "This illustrates yet again the reactive nature of anti-virus and the need for proactive protection that prevents the root of the problem, the vulnerability, rather than the after affect of the problem, the malware," he said.By Sunday afternoon, most major anti-malware companies including McAfee, Microsoft, Symantec, and Sophos had updated their virus definition files to include protection from the issue.
Microsoft Security Response Center researcher Stephen Toulouse provided more details on the worm's specifics Saturday night. "So far, this appears to be an extremely targeted attack, very much unlike what we have seen in the past with recent internet-wide worms," he said. "In fact, our initial investigation reveals this isn't a worm in the 'autospreading' classic sense, and it appears to target Windows 2000."All security firms recommend that consumers make sure antivirus software is installed and updated, and a firewall is active -- especially for those using Microsoft's six year-old server operating system.
Sophos senior technology consultant Graham Cluely said the latest exploit spoke to Microsoft's continuing struggle to keep its millions of users safe from viruses and worms. "This is a real headache for Microsoft as they try and reassure people that their operating system is becoming more secure," he said.

BetaNews | Windows Worm Spreads Over Weekend

art de toilette

2006-08-08T11:43:00.000-07:00

art de toilette - by wendy gold

Microsoft heads for another big patch

2006-08-04T18:38:00.000-07:00

August will be another substantial patch month for Microsoft, with the vendor releasing 12 security bulletins next Tuesday to fix holes in both its Windows OS and the Office productivity suite.
Ten of the August 8 patches will affect Windows, with at least one rated as a "critical" update. The other two security updates, at least one of which also is rated "critical," affect Office. Critical flaws are those than can be exploited by attackers to run unauthorized code on a PC without any user action.
The patches, some of which will require a restart, will be released as part of Microsoft's regularly scheduled monthly security update, which security researchers call "Patch Tuesday." Microsoft's advance note on the updates discusses the issues.

PC World - Microsoft Heads for Another Big Patch Tuesday

Advanced WindowsCare

2006-08-02T18:42:00.000-07:00

Advanced WindowsCare v2 Personal introduces a new way to maintain your computer: all work is done with one-click per day. With the advanced intuitive design and state-of-art computer technology, the user experience is made truly different.
* No more using various software and tools to take care of your computers. Advanced WindowsCare v2 Personal does all work for you.
* No need to be an IT expert or geek. Just one click.
* No more worrying about false operation or bad settings. Restore Center is always active to automatically backup all of your changes. Restore your system at any time if need be.
* No more long-time work. With X-FAST TM technology, Advanced WindowsCare v2 Personal finishes all work within 1 or 2 minutes.
* No more deleting system files and damaging registry entries. Using X-SAFE TM technology, Advanced WindowsCare v2 Personal identifies files and cleans your Windows in a smart and safe way.
* No more slowing down, freezing and crash. Advanced WindowsCare v2 Personal accurately detects and repairs the bottlenecks, dramatically speeds up your system.
* No need to discarding other well-working system utilities. Advanced WindowsCare v2 Personal only focus on what it is good at, leaving other professional tools do their jobs.
* No need to cost you dollars. Advanced WindowsCare v2 Personal is free of charge.

Advanced WindowsCare Personal - Features

Firefox Tops 200 Million Downloads

2006-08-02T06:26:00.000-07:00

Firefox Tops 200 Million Downloads

The Mozilla Corporation on Monday celebrated the 200 millionth download of its open source Firefox Web browser, with the community planning parties to commemorate the event. The milestone was hit one year and nine months after the debut of Firefox 1.0.

Linux enlists in hunt for subs

2006-08-01T19:48:00.000-07:00

The Linux operating system has been making gains in corporate environs for some time now, and it's also catching on with the military-industrial complex. Boeing has tapped Wind River's embedded version of the open-source software for deployment in the new P-8A Multi-Mission Maritime Aircraft, a 737 modified for use by the U.S. Navy to track submarines, among other surveillance tasks.

Image: Linux enlists in hunt for subs | CNET News.com

Nerds vs Geeks

2006-08-01T07:21:00.000-07:00

A nerd is one of those guys who is really studious, but still has a decent fashion sense and is clean.........a geek, not so clean, usually greasy hair, of course stays up all night playing Dungeons and Dragons or something similar and has no fashion sense. Usually seen at some kind of Con or Trek Convention (always in costume, and sometimes speaking Klingon).
Many times involved in the Society for Creative Annacronism (dressed as a Knight or a wizard, and beating up other geeks with a plastic stick)
I probably left some stuff out....but that is the basics.

Firefox Security and Stability Update

2006-07-31T11:36:00.000-07:00

As part of Mozilla Corporation's ongoing stability and security update process, Firefox 1.5.0.5 is now available for Windows, Mac, and Linux for free download from http://www.getfirefox.com. We strongly recommend that all users upgrade to this latest release. This update is available immediately in 39 languages including German, French, Spanish, Japanese, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Korean, and more.
If you already have Firefox 1.5, you will receive an automated update notification within 24 to 48 hours. This update can also be applied manually by selecting “Check for Updates…” from the Help menu at any time. Mozilla Corporation is also strongly recommending that Firefox 1.0 users upgrade to this latest release of Firefox 1.5 in order to take advantage of significant security and stability improvements. Firefox 1.5 includes an automated update mechanism that ensures users are always up to date with the very latest updates. For more information, please see: Firefox 1.5.0.5 Release Notes at http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/releases/1.5.0.5.html

Firefox 1.5.0.5 Security and Stability Update

Flock Internet Browser does what you want, not just what you need.

2006-07-31T07:57:00.000-07:00

It was the name of this software that first caught my attention, but after trying it out for a couple of weeks, the name is probably the least interesting thing about Flock. Actually, this browser is one of the best new applications I’ve tried in a while.
Flock is an open-source Web browser released last year based on Mozilla Firefox. It has all of the features I’ve come to expect in a browser, including tabbed browsing, a download manager, add-ons and extensions and RSS reader, and it’s cross-platform.If those were all of the features of this browser, it would still be worth a look, but Flock offers so much more.
To start with, Flock is designed to work seamlessly with the Web-based photo albums Flickr and Photobucket. It notifies you when your friends have posted new pictures and lets you view them directly in the photobar.You also can upload your own photos by dragging them to the photo icon in the tool bar.
Another handy feature on the tool bar is the My News icon. When you click on this button, Flock opens a window that shows the latest headlines from whatever news sites you have selected.The really cool thing about the My News feature is that you can subscribe to any Web site that has an RSS feed such as cnn.com, dailytimes.com or foxnews.com. Also, the feeds can be listed by category on the My News front page, making it easier to find what you’re interested in.
Flock also is perfect for any one who keeps a blog. Using this Web browser, when you see something you want to add to your blog, all you have to do is highlight the text and right-click with the mouse.Flock does the rest by posting the text along with a link to the blog you have selected. Flock works with a number of popular blogging sites, including Blogger, WordPress and LiveJournal.While these features are all worthy of attention, my favorite feature of Flock is one that at first seemed just like any other browser. Like most browsers, Flock has a built-in search box and like most browsers you can pick from a variety of browser engines, but Flock does much more. As you start typing into the Flock search box it shows you results from your favorites, your browsing history and the to five Web results from Yahoo in a drop-down menu.
If you see a match, you don’t even have to go to the search engine, you can just click on it in the menu. If you don’t see what you’re looking for there, the menu also gives you the option of picking another search engine there.
This is the third Internet browser we’ve looked at for Bits & Bytes, but unlike the previous two we looked at — Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 7 and Mozilla’s Firefox — the first and second most popular browsers according to usage worldwide, Flock doesn’t even make the top five.Of course, it is still relatively new, and I wouldn’t count it out of the race.The third most used browser, by the way, is Apple’s Safari. In the latest survey, Safari accounts for 2 percent of the browser usage worldwide and 3.7 percent of the usage in the United States.Those numbers pale compared with Internet Explorer and Firefox, 85 percent and 12 percent respectively, but Safari’s share is growing. By the way, we didn’t skip a review of Safari because of its low usage. We skipped it because every new Mac comes with Safari and Mac users are familar with this browser, and if you’ve got a PC you can’t get Safari.
We hope you’ll take at look at Flock, along with Internet Explorer 7 and Firefox, and let us know what you think. Also, if you’ve got a browser you think people should know about, send us a link to it at bitsandbytes@dailytimes.com.

Kerrville Daily Times

Cyborg Name Decoder

2006-04-17T20:20:00.000-07:00

The Human Clock

2006-04-12T19:42:00.000-07:00

Hours of fun for the whole family.

What Should I Read Next

2006-04-11T10:56:00.000-07:00

What have I read?
These are the 25 most popular overall books at What Should I Read Next?

I liked it!

I didn't like it!

I want to read it!

The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown

The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy - Douglas Adams

The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger

The Great Gatsby - F.Scott Fitzgerald

To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

1984 - George Orwell

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling

The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger

His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman

Animal Farm: A Fairy Story - George Orwell

The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien

Life of Pi - Yann Martel

Catch-22 - Joseph Heller

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon

Lord of the Flies - William Golding

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Slaughterhouse 5 - Kurt Vonnegut

The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden

Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card

The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien

Angels and Demons - Dan Brown

Fight Club - Chuck Palahniuk

Take the 'What have I read?' test now!
Eight different categories to try!
Buy your books at Amazon US or Amazon UK