Computer Blackmail

It seems that some virus writers are bored with just trying to mess up people's computers. It appears that their warped egos are no longer just interested in gaining a reputation among fellow hackers by writing the one code that screws up the most machines. Now, they want to make money off of their evil doings.

In that vein, one or more of them have moved into computer blackmail...that is extorting money from people who's computers they have just violated. Virus hunters have found a new Trojan that encrypts files on an infected computer and then demands $300 in ransom for a password that will uncrypt them. The Trojan, identified as "Cryzip", uses a commercial zip library to store the victim's documents inside a password-protected zip file and leaves step-by-step instructions on how to pay the ransom to retrieve the files.

It is not yet clear how the Trojan is being distributed, but security researchers say it was part of a small e-mail spam run that successfully evaded anti-virus scanners by staying below the radar. While this type of attack, known as "ransomware," is not entirely new, it points to an increasing level of sophistication among online thieves who use social engineering tactics to trick victims into installing malware.

The LURHQ Threat Intelligence Group, based in Chicago, was able to crack the encryption code used in the Cryzip Trojan and determine how the files are encrypted and the payment mechanism that has been set up to collect the $300 ransom. Cryzip searches an infected hard drive for a wide range of widely used file types, including Word, Excel, PDF and JPG images.

The Trojan then deletes all the files, leaving only the encrypted file with the original file name, followed by the "_CRYPT.ZIP" extension. A new directory named "AUTO_ZIP_REPORT.TXT" is created with specific instructions on how to use the E-Gold online currency and payment system to send ransom payments.

The instructions, which are marked by misspellings and poor grammar, contain the following text: "Your computer catched our software while browsing illigal porn pages, all your documents, text files, databases was archived with long enought password. You can not guess the password for your archived files - password lenght is more then 10 symbols that makes all password recovery programs fail to bruteforce it (guess password by trying all possible combinations)."

The Trojan author uses scores of E-Gold accounts simultaneously to get around potential shutdowns, according to LURHQ, which published the complete list of E-Gold accounts in their advisory. Officials from E-Gold, which operates out of the Caribbean island of Nevis, have not yet commented or taken any action.

Need To Find Your Way Around Mars?

The amazing search engine, Google, keeps adding to their repetoire. Their newest addition is Google Mars, a Web browser-based mapping tool that gives users an up-close, interactive view of the Red Planet with the click of a mouse.

While Google Mars doesn't provide driving directions, users can see the planet in three different formats: The Martian elevation map is color-coded by altitude; the visible-imagery map shows the surface in black-and-white pictures; the infrared map indicates temperature, with cooler areas dark and warmer areas bright.

Users can also zoom in on any of the three maps to view geographical features such as mountains, canyons, dunes and craters. The maps also pinpoint the locations of unmanned space probes that have landed on Mars. The up-to-date maps even include the locations of the NASA rovers Spirit and Opportunity, which have been exploring opposite ends of the planet since 2004 and are still on the move gathering data.

The Martian maps were made from images taken by the orbiting Mars Odyssey satellite and the Mars Global Surveyor satellite. And while there are any number of Mars images on the Web, the developers of Google Mars said this is the first time that members of the public can explore Mars on their own.

This is not Google's first exploration of off-earth worlds. Not too long ago, Google launched Google Moon, which shows the locations of all six Apollo moon landings.

Followup on Origami

A couple of days ago, I wrote about Origami, the new "ultramobile" computing devices coming as early as next month. As I mentioned in the article, the devices will have 7 inch screens, won't fit in the pocket, and have a battery life of 2.5-3 hours. I also mentioned that the device will probably sell for around $500.

Well, all that is mostly true. But a press release from Intel indicates that the first generation of Origami devices will likely be higher than $500. They also mentioned that sometime next year, the prices will likely be closer to the $500 price point, fit in the pocket, and have an all day battery life. Microsoft has now acknowledged that instead of being a mass-market hit riding a wave of prelaunch hype, these first devices are likely to appeal only to the most hard-core gadget fans.

It appears to me that if you were considering an Origami for yourself, you would be wise to wait a year or so before purchasing.

Swap Meet for DVD's and CD's

If you have a collection of movies on DVD's that you no longer watch, or music on CD's that you never listen to anymore, you might be interested in trading out these unused articles of entertainment for movies or music that you do want. Believe it or not, there are places on the Internet where you can do this.

The first, and very interesting place is BarterBee.com. Here you can swap out DVD's, CD's and video games. And the good news is you can trade out one form of media for another. For instance, if you want to trade a video for a game, you can do it. When you list your items on BarterBee, you don't list them with a price, you list them with points. You build up points when someone buys an item of yours...then you use your points to buy something you want. Each trade you make costs $1.00.

Another good site that is for DVD's only is Peerflix.com. Here, you list your unwanted DVD's and when someone buys them, you get credits. Then, you use your credits to again get what you want. Each trade is only $.99 cents. When you mail off your DVD, you don't mail it in the case, so postage is only one stamp. Membership is free, and when you join, you get a free DVD of your choice.

I've saved what may be the best one for last. It is TitleTrader.com. Here you can swap CD's DVD's, and video games...plus you have the added bonus of being able to swap videotapes, books and magazines. Trades are free...you only pay for postage. Again, after you list your items and people begin buying them, you get credits so you can purchase other items that are listed. You can also buy credits for a price. Membership is free.

Another interesting aspect of TitleTrader is that you rate sellers much like you do on eBay. And when you write your first rating, you get three items for free.

Check out each of these web sites and see how they work. You might find them to be very useful and an inexpensive way to get new music, movies, and even books.

Origami, the Newest Mobile Computing System

Microsoft has unveiled its 'Origami' project, a paperback-book sized portable computer, which is a hybrid between a laptop PC and a several mobile devices that the world's biggest software maker hopes will create an entirely new market. While Microsoft will not produce the hardware, they are the driving force behind getting this product to market.

Weighing between 2-2.5 pounds with a seven-inch touch-screen, the new "ultra-mobile" PCs (UMPC) use microprocessors from Intel and run a modified version of Microsoft's Windows XP Tablet PC Edition. It is expected that Samsung and others will release the first Origami computers sometime in April.

Manufacturers will position the UMPC as a handheld organizer, an MP3 portable music player, a mobile television receiver, an extra storage device for digital photographs, a games device and a notebook PC. In its statement, Samsung believes it will be more successful than the full-sized tablet notebook PC with touch screen, launched four years ago.

The new machines will connect wirelessly to the Internet and carry full-sized hard drives, but they are not intended to replace current PCs. The one thing missing is a keyboard. Instead, it uses a 7-inch touch-sensitive screen that responds to a stylus or the tap of a finger. However, there are USB ports, so a keyboard could be added if needed.

The battery averages about 2.5 to three hours, and it will have up to a 60-gigabyte hard drive. While it's not compact like an iPod, it does play music, store and display photos like a digital picture frame, and show films and TV shows. For someone sitting on a plane, some models have a stand in back to prop up the device for easier viewing. According to one analyst, the new unit will not appeal to technophiles, but it isn't designed to. It is being aimed at the consumer market. I am not sure that this unit will succeed as many manufacturers think it will. Several of the devices that it's supposed to replace are pocket size which are part of their appeal and their success. This unit will certainly not fit in anyone's pocket.


Microsoft was also the driving force behind the Tablet PC (both the original and the reborn types), and they have been less than successful. And history shows that the first version of any new Microsoft product has been less than stellar. On the positive side, it does offer many features under one roof so a user doesn't have to go out and buy several different products. No word on price yet, although Microsoft says it is shooting for the $500 price range.

Free Group Software to Organize Your Family

I've recently come across an excellent free software package that you just might find very useful. The package, called "MediaBee," is an Internet-based organization program for multiple users that you can download for free for every computer used by your family, plus those you use at work, or anywhere else, for that matter.

MediaBee includes group calendaring, individual and group to-do lists, journaling, and address books. In addition, you can write e-mails directly from the software without opening your regular e-mail software, send text messages to cell phones, get the news and weather, TV schedules, and more.

This is true group software at its best. When you sign up, you list the people by their first names who are part of the group. Then each person loads the software on as many computers as they wish. Then, the data relating to them and the entire group shows up on their screen(s).

The data is kept on servers at MediaBee and is private. The software accesses the data with its own screens, not through a web browser as other similar programs do. You can switch between calendars and lists, plus all the other informational screens. Creating new entries is fairly simple, although different than any other software program that I have ever used. For this reason, it takes some getting used to, but once you figure it out (by following examples and doing the tutorials), you will fly right along.

I must say I am very impressed with the package, although I am not 100% sure I will change over from what I have. But, I might use both because of the convenience of the group scheduling. I almost never know in advance what Susan is up to, so this may help. We usually have to sit down every so often and compare schedules. Then I make the entries in my own scheduling program. This program makes it much easier, if the data is kept up-to-date.

As mentioned above, this program is for families, but it is just as easy to use it for a small business or club activities or for any group that wants to have calendaring and lists available for its members.

I suggest you head over to their website and read more about it. If you like what you see, you can download it from there.

They are at http://www.mediabee.com

MAC Owners Beware!

In past blogs and in my old newsletter, I've covered Windows vulnerabilities and flaws on a fairly regular basis. My stories usually were on the real bad ones, since Windows has had so many flaws in the past that I probably could have written almost every day on newly discovered flaw. Over this same time, I have heard from many MAC users that their operating system is so much safer and better than Windows.

While I won't disagree with those comments, I thought I would pass along an amazing story on a MAC flaw that is a little scary if you own a MAC.

It seems that a fanatical MAC fan in Sweden wanted to prove to the world that MAC's are invulnerable to hackers. I might add at this point that most MAC owners seems to be, in my opinion, fanatically loyal to Apple, almost beyond reason sometimes. Anyway, in late February, this MAC owner set up his MAC Mini running the current OS X operating system as a server. He invited hackers to break through the computer's security and gain root control, which would allow the attacker to take charge of the computer and delete files and folders or install applications. Participants were given local client access to the target computer and invited to try their luck.

Within a few hours of going live, the competition was over. The hacker who won the challenge said he gained root control of the Mac in less than 30 minutes. "It probably took about 20 or 30 minutes to get root on the box. Initially, I tried looking around the box for certain misconfigurations and other obvious things, but then I decided to use some unpublished exploits, of which there are a lot for Mac OS X"

The hacker also said that while the MAC could have been better protected, it would not have stopped him because he exploited a vulnerability that has not yet been made public or patched by Apple Computer. The hacker concluded that OS X contains "easy pickings" when it comes to vulnerabilities that could allow hackers to break into Apple's operating system.

Apple's OS X has come under fire in recent weeks with the appearance of two viruses and a number of serious security flaws, which have since been patched by Apple. Earlier this year, a respected security researcher who has already been credited with finding numerous vulnerabilities in OS X, said that he knows of numerous security vulnerabilities in Apple's operating system that could be exploited by attackers.

Nothing is perfect, is it?

Cell Phones May Pose Danger to Airplanes

A new study conducted by a research team from Carnegie Mellon University says that the use of cell phones on airplanes in flight could potentially cause in-flight accidents.

Bill Strauss, an expert in aircraft electromagnetic compatibility at the Naval Air Warfare Center in Patuxent River, MD., and one of the researchers who conducted the study, said in a statement that radio emissions from cellular calls, and the resulting dangers, are higher than previously believed. "These devices can disrupt normal operation of key cockpit instruments, especially Global Positioning System receivers, which are increasingly vital for safe landings."

As part of the study, the research team filled their hand luggage with a broadband antenna and spectrum analyzer and boarded random airplanes crossing the Northeast United States. This equipment was designed to see if calls were being made on airplanes in flight. They found that despite the ban on in-flight cell phone use, an average of one to four calls are made on every U.S. commercial flight!

The tests were aimed primarily at tracking emissions from cell phones, but they showed that other electronic equipment used on planes, such as laptops and game devices, also send out potentially harmful signals. The report adds to the debate that was generated last June after the Federal Communications Commission proposed lifting its 1991 cell phone ban, letting passengers use their phones and other electronic devices while flying.

But the study concluded that lifting the ban is a bad idea. They recommended instead designing special tools for flight crews to track the use of electronic devices during critical stages of the flight.

The FCC said its move was triggered by the public's wish to make calls while flying, but not all air travelers agree. A National Consumers League survey last year showed that most passengers want to keep the ban in place, to avoid annoyance from yapping seat neighbors and trouble hearing emergency announcements.

The ban could be lifted as early as the end of this year.

Choosing a Digital SLR Camera

If you have thought about taking your photography up a notch, you should think about acquiring a digital single lens reflex camera (SLR). This is what professional photographers all use. An SLR allows you to view your image through the lens itself, so your eye sees almost exactly what the camera will see when it snaps the picture.

An SLR also allows you the freedom to use different lenses, like wide angles, telephotos, and macro lenses for extreme closeups of small objects. The lenses just twist off the camera and the new one just twists right on. Also SLR's allow you to shoot RAW images (and JPEG's also) that really can make a difference in your picture quality (see my blog on 11/7/05).

Normally, SLR cameras are quite a bit more expensive than the standard point-and-shoot cameras, because of their engineering and complexity. But that difference has diminished enormously lately. For instance, the new 8 megapixel Olympus E-500 is available at Costco for $699 after a $100 rebate. That includes not only the camera, but two lenses, a wide-angle-to-normal zoom lens and a zoom telephoto lens. And let me tell you, this camera is just outstanding. The pictures it takes will knock you socks off!!

Pentax also has one of their new digital SLR's on sale at Costco for $549. And, they also carry a Nikon D50 SLR with 2 lenses for $899. I don't know much about the Pentax, but I know the Nikon has also received great reviews.

By the way, I'm not trying to be a shill here for Costco, but I can't say enough good things about them. If I could buy everything in my life through them, I would. Besides the low prices, their service is fantastic. When my first digital camera developed sensor problems after 3 months, they gave me a new camera. I don't know any other company that would swap out a camera after three months.

Anyway, if you are thinking about buying a digital SLR, here is a link to an article in this month's PC Photo magazine on that very subject. It's a good in-depth article that should provide you some good guidance. By the way, PC Photo also has a good article on the top ten shooting tips for digital cameras that is also quite good.

Here are a few other articles that might help you select the right camera:

1. Digital Camera Headquarters
2. CNET - Guide to Buying a D-SLR
3. BetterPhotos.com - Best Digital Cameras
4. Digital Camera Reviews (the most in-depth analysis of cameras on the planet today)

New Pay-for-Spam Plan

This one has me scratching my head. Two of the world's biggest e-mail account providers, Yahoo and America Online, plan to introduce a new service that would charge senders a fee to route their e-mail directly to a user's mailbox without first passing through junk mail filters. To translate, this means that bulk e-mailers (spammers) can pay a fee to make sure you get their mail. And you don't have a choice!

The fees, which would range from 1/4 cent to 1 cent per e-mail, supposedly are the latest attempts by the companies to weed out unsolicited ads, commonly called spam, and identity-theft scams. In exchange for paying, e-mail senders will be guaranteed their messages won't be filtered and will bear a seal alerting recipients they're legitimate. Of course, this only applies to customers who have a Yahoo or AOL e-mail account.

Both companies have long filtered e-mail by searching for keywords commonly contained in spam and fraudulent e-mail. AOL also strips images and Web links from many messages to prevent the display of pornographic pictures and malicious Web addresses. Both practices sometimes falsely identify legitimate messages as junk mail, making life difficult for businesses that rely on e-mail.

As one might expect, this new plan has brought some opposition. The AFL-CIO, Tim O'Reilly, Gun Owners of America, the Democratic National Committee, the EFF, MoveOn.org, RightMarch and many others have all strongly come out against this new plan.

In an open letter to AOL, the diverse group of signatories contends: "A pay-to-send system won't help the fight against spam -- in fact, this plan assumes that spam will continue and that mass mailers will be willing to pay to have their e-mails bypass spam filters. And non-paying spammers will not reduce the amount of mail they throw at your filters simply because others pay to evade them. ... The bottom-line is that charging an 'e-mail tax' actually gives AOL a financial incentive to degrade e-mail for non-paying senders. This would disrupt the communications of millions who cannot afford to pay your fees -- including the non-profits, civic organizations, charities, small businesses, and community mailing lists that have arisen for every topic under the sun and that make e-mail so vital to your subscribers."

AOL and Yahoo said the program, which is being offered through a company called Goodmail Systems, will target banks, online retailers and other groups that send large amounts of e-mail. In exchange for a payment and a pledge to contact only people who have agreed to receive their messages, the companies would be ensured their e-mails aren't diverted to spam folders or have images or Web addresses filtered out.

I fully expect that some day these two companies will offer its users (for a fee, of course), the ability to block these messages. I reminds me of the automobile radar manufacturers that sell radar detectors to consumers, then sell police agencies countermeasurers to block these radar detectors.

Something Smells at Netflix

Some months ago, I wrote a series of blogs comparing on-line DVD rental companies Netflix to Blockbuster. As long-time readers may recall, Netflix won the battle hands down...and as a Netflix customer for many years, I raved about their outstanding service.

Well, a lot has changed since then. Their service has become a little slower, I have had to wait longer for some movies to be shipped, and there has been a higher number of difficulties with lost shipments and broken DVD's. That is not to say, that all has turned sour. I still get a fairly high number of films shipped to me overnight. It's just that their overall service is not as good as it was when I wrote my comparative blogs.

Well, I may have found the reason. Dan Briody, the Chief Information Officer at Insight has written an article in this week's edition of eWeek. In it, he states that Netflix has a policy of flagging customers who rent a higher-than-average number of movies each month. Then, they automatically slow down the number of films they get on-time. They give preference to slower renters on new movies and delay the shipment of films to the flagged customers.

The reason, of course, is profitability. The more films that I rent each month equals lower profits for Netflix. They make far more money on slow-pokes than quick turnaround customers. If each type of customer pays $17.99 per month, its obvious that less rentals equals greater profits.

Its just another example of making more money from bad service that seems to be pervasive in today's modern world. If invite you to read this informative, fairly short article if you are interested in on-line rentals. And while I am not thinking of changing my Netflix subscription right now, it does give one food for thought.

The Many Versions of Office 2007 and Windows Vista

Microsoft's plans for its two new major product releases is a little confusing for those of us folks who are out to simplify our lives. Here is what I mean: The gentle giant from Redmond is planning to release seven versions of the new Office 2007...and six versions of the new Windows Vista.

The new Office 2007 (formerly called Office 12, if that isn't confusing enough) will have versions for the student, the home user, small businesses, and really big companies. For most folks, the standard version will be fine, although it does not contain the Access database software. You have to upgrade to a higher version to get that. By the way, the list price for the standard version is $399, the same it has been for previous versions.

Here are a couple of major changes that I found interesting. Apparently Microsoft figured out that many non-students were buying the Student/Teacher Version of Office. So, in the new Student Version, Microsoft is removing Outlook as part of the package. To get Outlook, you will have to buy the Standard Version.

The other change I found interesting is that none of the new Office packages will include FrontPage, the web site design package that Microsoft has been selling for several years. Apparently they will still sell software separately for a while, but the plans are to delete the product completely from the Microsoft family.

FrontPage has fallen on hard times, saleswise, to other more powerful packages. Also web designers have figured out that people get angry with Web sites that can only use Internet Explorer to render the pages properly, which is what FrontPage does if you use their extensions. Microsoft is planning a new Web page designer called "Expression."

As for Vista, Microsoft expects Windows Vista Home Premium to be the best selling consumer product, allowing users to record and watch high-definition television, burn and author DVD's and perform other multimedia functions. It also incorporates Tablet PC technology to decipher handwriting to let users write notes on the computer.

Vista Home Premium will be the middle option for consumers, sandwiched between the high-end Windows Vista Ultimate, which also includes business-oriented features, and a bare-bones Windows Vista Home Basic without the multimedia capabilities.

For business users, Microsoft plans Windows Vista Business for small and medium-sized businesses...and Windows Vista Enterprise for the big companies. The sixth version is a stripped down version for emerging countries. Interestingly, unlike the current Windows XP, there will no versions designed specifically for advanced 64-bit computing, multimedia computers or Tablet PCs...at least for now.

Both of these products are scheduled for release sometime towards the end of the year. If you have any questions, don't call me. After writing this blog, I need to take two aspirin and lay down as my head is swimming.

Cameras, Cameras, and Cameras

As mentioned in my last blog, this is the weekend where camera manufacturers show off their new wares at the Photo Marketing Association annual show, this year in Orlando, Florida. And, as is the norm, there is no shortage of new products.

The two most interesting trends at this show are the inclusion of image stabilization in mid and low priced still cameras and the move to wide-screen format in some new camcorders. Today, I will focus on still cameras since it is the area I know best.

For those who don't know about image stabilization, it was a feature that first appeared in some of Canon's high priced lenses during the age of film cameras. It is an electronic component that renders the picture absolutely still, as if the camera is on tripod. I've seen several examples over the years of pictures that appeared perfect that were improved even more by image stabilization.

As I said, image stabilization appeared only in lenses...until last year anyway. Then, Konica Minolta came out with their first digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera...and it had image stabilization built into the entire camera, not just the lens. A great idea to say the least.

Now, Canon is releasing two new non-DSLR camera with image stabilization. Both are 6 megapixel cameras, which is good. The Canon SD700 IS is a compact style camera with a 6x zoom lens that will retail for around $500. The Canon Powershot S3 IS is a larger camera with a 12x zoom that will also retail for about $500. The S3 also features a higher ISO rating of up to 800, meaning it can take better pictures in low light situations, which is even more enhanced because of its built-in image stabilization. This camera won't be released until May.

Canon's lens shift-type optical Image Stabilizer counteracts the camera shake caused by slight hand movements. Vibration sensors detect the angle and speed of movement and send this information to a processor, allowing the camera to compensate. This adds stability to hand-held, telephoto or moving shots and enables shooting at shutter speeds of up to three stops slower with no noticeable increase in image blur.

Another non-DSLR camera that caught my eye was the Olympus SP-320, a 7 megapixel camera that will shoot both JPEG and RAW. As I explained in an earlier blog, RAW is my favorite way of shooting as it allows you to make so many corrections before you actually "develop" the shot in post processing. You can change exposure, color balance, contrast, sharpness, and other items quite easily to make your picture perfect. This camera will retail for $300, which is a bargain, in my estimation. As the owner of two Olympus cameras, I think they make an excellent product.

In the world of the more expensive DSLR cameras, the two new main entries were from Canon and Olympus. Canon introduced its new 8.2 megapixel EOS 30D, a performance-enhanced version of its excellent 20D model used by many professional photographers. This one will retail for about $1,500. I am thinking about this one myself.

Olympus announced its new E330, an upgrade of it E-300 model. Its main feature is that it is the first DSLR that allows you to look both through-the-lens and at the LCD screen to preview the picture. Up until now, DSLR's, like their film counterparts, used through-the-lens only. The E330 is 7.5 megapixel and takes excellent quality pictures.

If you would like to take a more in-depth look at the new products, I invite you to visit the following two Web sites: The CNET Web site and the Digital Photography Review web site. Lots of good information, especially at the DPR site.

Windows Vista Update

Sorry you haven't heard from me for a couple of days. As I mentioned in the last episode, I went to a photographic seminar in Seattle on Wednesday night. I stayed overnight as the seminar didn't end until 10:30 PM. On my way back home Thursday afternoon, I was stopped dead in my tracks on Interstate 90 by an avalanche that occurred a few minutes before I got to the area near mile post 45.

After sitting in my van for an hour in a very heavy snowstorm, the State Patrol finally directed us to an offramp and back toward Seattle. With no idea how long the road would be closed, I called Susan on my cell phone and had her book me another hotel on Hotwire.com. This time I stayed at the Sheraton Hotel in Bellevue for $54. I came home on Friday and am glad to be here. I may have gotten some really great deals on hotel rooms, but there is nothing like sleeping in one's own bed.

In today's news, Microsoft has released it's latest beta test version of the new Windows Vista operating system. This software is the successor to Windows XP and is scheduled to be released late this year. According to early reviews, this release is "feature-complete", meaning that all of the fundamental capabilities that Vista will eventually offer are now included.

The early reviews show this new build to be responsive and highly usable, though still far from bullet-proof (as is to be expected for beta software). Aside from some of the predictable problems with hardware-device support and still-buggy features, one particular problem was that Windows Explorer crashes frequently. To Microsoft's credit, these crashes were hardly dramatic, since Explorer managed to restart itself and resume each time.

If you would like a preview of the new Vista, here are a couple of Web sites you might like to check out. First, E-week magazine has put together an extensive slide show of screen shots of the new product so you can see many of the features. Second, the folks at CNET have put together a 2 1/2 minute video you might be interested in seeing.

Now that I am back home, I am extensively studying all the new photographic products being shown this weekend at the Photo Marketing Association annual trade show in Orlando, FL. This is the biggest photographic show of its kind and my next blog will feature some of the great new products that I am seeing.

A Couple of Followups

This morning, I'm off to Seattle for a photographic seminar. I decided to stay over tonight since the seminar does not end until 10:30 this evening. I booked my hotel through HotWire.com, a company I recommended to you in yesterday's blog on travel.

With their help, I booked a room at the SeaTac DoubleTree Hotel for $48. After booking it, I decided to check on what I could get the room for using both Orbitz.com and Hotels.com. Both sites offered me that same hotel for $159 per night. Quite a savings, I would say, using Hotwire. Just thought you might like to know.

Google Has China Problems

In a followup to my blog on how American companies are helping the government of China censor the Web, it turns out that the Chinese government is now investigating Google for not having a license to operate in China. On Tuesday, the Beijing News noted that Google.cn does not have the legitimate Internet content provider (ICP) license required of all Chinese-hosted Internet sites. Rather, the service seems to be sharing an ICP license with Ganji.com, a Chinese information Web site.

According to the article, "(Google.cn) has not obtained the ICP (Internet content provider) license needed to operate Internet content services in China. "Without a license, foreign capital is not allowed to engage in telecom business, including ICP operations."

Google disputes such characterizations. The company insists its Chinese operations are properly credentialed and that sharing an ICP license with a PRC company is a practice followed by many international companies operating in China. The Ministry of Information Industry, which regulates China's Internet, was "concerned" and investigating the problem, the newspaper said.

You would think that the Chinese would be rushing to Google with a license for all the help the company has given them in censoring the Internet. Instead, they attack them through the tightly controlled Beijing press. Hmmmm.

I am reminded of a quote from Shakespeare, "He must have a long spoon that must eat with the devil."

Great Travel Web Sites

I love to travel. In fact, I don't get to travel enough. Along the way, I've found an interesting collection of travel-related web sites and I thought I would pass along some of them to you for your future reference. Enjoy!

Ryan Air - If you ever head to Europe, you need to know about Ryan Air. It has to be the least expensive airline in the world. For instance, when I last flew from London to Rome, I paid $20 (with taxes) for a one-way ticket. In pursuing their web site today, I see you can fly from London to Venice for about $1.40. There are plenty of tickets available, so their prices are not some bait-and-switch scheme. And the aircraft and flights are very good.

SeatGuru.com - Believe it or not, you can do more than choose window or aisle seats when you book a flight. If you want to insure you're not stuck in a bad seat (one that doesn't recline, has no window, or worse, is located in the smell zone near a galley or lavatory), check out SeatGuru.com, which rates each seat on all the airplane models for the major carriers.

Airlinemeals.net - If you care about your airplane meal, check out this site. It will tell you if your flight have awful, just plain bad, or satisfactory food. There are photos and user reviews of the so-called food served on nearly every airline. And next time you travel, take a digital camera so that you can document your meal and add to the database.

JetBlue - They offer some pretty cheap flights from Seattle to many major American cities. For instance, today I found a one-way flight from Seattle to Boston for $79. Looks like they are trying to be the Ryan Air of America.

HotelClub.com - After doing a lot of web searches for my last trip to Europe, I found this website to offer the best rates. For instance, I saw the same hotel in Rome listed on several web sites and this site had the best price by far. You can get great prices around the world with Hotel Club.

Hotwire - I have found in the past that the major websites for hotels all show the same hotels at the same rates. Not true with Hotwire. I have found some much better bargains here than anywhere else. Try it sometime and see what I mean.

Affordable Travel Club - This is a special club for people over 40. Susan and I just joined and Susan's brother has been a member for some time. Through this club, you can stay in member's homes around the world for $20 a night. That usually includes breakfast. The flip side of this coin is that as a member, other members can stay in your home. They currently show 1300 homes in 30 countries available. Check it out if this appeals to you.

National Geographic Traveler - A good site for information and photographs from around the world.

The Lonely Planet - More good information about travel around the world. Lots of good reading here about far away places.

A Furor in Congress Over Chinese Censorship

Last week, the Big Four of Internet technology were called on the Congressional carpet over their participation in helping the Chinese government censor the Web. Politicians lashed out at Microsoft, Google, Yahoo and Cisco, accusing them of collaborating with China's "regime of repression" and pledging to enact a law soon to make such cooperation illegal.

"What Congress is looking for is real spine and willingness to stand up to the outrageous demands of a totalitarian regime," said Rep. Tom Lantos, a California Democrat and the co-chairman of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus. Chinese dissidents are "in the Chinese gulag because Yahoo chose to reveal their identities to the Chinese government."

Lantos' comments relate to several developments over the past few months, such as Microsoft's deletion of a journalist's blog, Yahoo's cooperation in turning over information about a Chinese journalist and Google's censored search service in China.

Republican Rep. Chris Smith, chairman of the House subcommittee on global human rights, produced a quote that should be engraved on the entrance of every stock exchange: "Cooperation with tyranny should not be embraced for the sake of profits."

Smith also likened cooperating with China's ruling Communist Party to aiding Adolf Hitler and Germany's Nazi party during the Second World War. During the Holocaust, Smith said, Jews were "marched off to incredible precision and the trains did run on time to the gas chambers," thanks to punched-card technology originating in the United States.

Google also drew the ire of Rep. Jim Leach, an Iowa Republican who called the search giant a "functionary of the Chinese government" after a long line of questioning about the company's tactics in restricting search results returned by its google.cn site.

In response, the technology companies said the decision to comply with censorship had been a difficult one that ultimately was justified by the notion that providing limited service to Chinese users was better than providing no service at all.

My personal response to that is that their decision to help the Chinese government was ultimately justified by making a profit. When it comes to human rights vs the almighty dollar, the buck wins every time. Humanity is not even a close second to the value of the "bottom line." Please don't feed me some hypocritical tripe about how you are trying to help the Chinese people.

Of course, Congress is far from flawless here also. U.S. leaders have been coddling China for years, and now they lead the way in attacking US companies for doing exactly the same thing. Nothing much is going to happen on this issue until someone stands up for the value of the human being over the dollar. Dream on, Jim.

ESPN and Censorship

Over the next couple of days, I will be writing a couple of blogs about Internet censorship. It has taken the foreground lately and it is an important subject. Today's subject is ESPN, which is one of the last places you would think that censorship would be in issue.

If you watched the Super Bowl or any sports television shows since then, you have probably seen ads for ESPN's new branded cell phone and service. Besides being a phone (that is not enough any more), the phone gives you access to scores, film clips from your favorite ESPN TV show and other sports information while you are away from home. In addition you can send text messages, receive e-mail's and browse the web.

Now that last item is where the rub comes in. If your interest in sports extends beyond just ESPN, you may be out of luck . According to Walter Mossberg, a senior statesman among gadget gurus, ESPN has crippled the phone's Web browser by blocking access to some sites. In the review that appeared on the web and in the Wall Street Journal, Mossberg writes, "When I tried to go to several sites, including those of competitors like Sports Illustrated, I got a screen that said ESPN only allows you to go to 'reviewed' sites it believes 'work well on your ESPN phone. That's an outrageous level of control, in my view"

According to Mossberg, a user can get around this iron fist by doing a Google search in the Web browser and then clicking on one of the links in the search. Oh and by the way, on a lesser note, if you try to the instant-messaging and email features, you will get a screen that says "coming soon."

ESPN concedes that it allows users to access only those Web sites it has approved, but says this is a temporary measure designed to protect its software from the "corruption" that it says can be introduced if users download programs from certain sites. The company says the restriction on visiting unapproved sites will be lifted later this year, though the phone will still prevent the download of unapproved software.

I think ESPN deserves a 15 yard penalty for interference!

FYI: The Mobile ESPN service costs between $34.99 and $224.99 a month for a two-year contract, depending on how many minutes of talk time you choose to buy.

My next blog will discuss a more serious instance of censorship...how some of America's most powerful technology companies are helping China censor the web.

Protection and Recovery from Identity Theft

I recently came across this article in the monthly newsletter from Sunbelt Software, makers of CounterSpy Software. This is the spyware software I personally use for all our computers. Never-the-less, this article about protecting yourself from identity theft is so good that I felt compelled to pass it along to you. I hope you find it useful.

--------------------------------------------

An Attorney's Advice - No Charge!

The following very helpful security information was provided by a corporate attorney for the employees in his company. Part 1 includes very helpful security measures. Part 2 is what to do if you lose your wallet. This is some very valuable information folks.

1. The next time you order checks have only your initials (instead of first name) and last name put on them. If someone takes your checkbook, they will not know if you sign your checks with just your initials or your first name, but your bank will know how you sign your checks.
2. Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put "PHOTO ID REQUIRED".
3. When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on the "For" line. Instead, just put the last four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of the number, and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes through all the check processing channels won't have access to it.
4. Put your work phone # on your checks instead of your home phone. If you have a PO Box, use that instead of your home address. If you do not have a PO Box, use your work address. Never have your SS# printed on your checks. (DUH!) You can add it if it is necessary. But if you have it printed, anyone can get it.
5. Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine. Do both sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will know what you had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call and cancel. Keep the photocopy in a safe place. I also carry a photocopy of my passport when I travel either here or abroad. We've all heard horror stories about fraud that's committed on us in stealing a name, address, Social Security number, credit cards.

Unfortunately, I, an attorney, have firsthand knowledge because my wallet was stolen last month. Within a week, the thieve(s) ordered an expensive monthly cell phone package, applied for a VISA credit card, had a credit line approved to buy a Gateway computer, received a PIN number from DMV to change my driving record information online, and more. But here's some critical information to limit the damage in case this happens to you or someone you know:

1. We have been told we should cancel our credit cards immediately. But the key is having the toll free numbers and your card numbers handy so you know whom to call. Keep those where you can find them.
2. File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where your credit cards, etc., were stolen. This proves to credit providers you were diligent, and this is a first step toward an investigation (if there ever is one). But here's what is perhaps most important of all: (I never even thought to do this.)
3. Call the 3 national credit reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and Social Security number. I had never heard of doing that until advised by a bank that called to tell me an application for credit was made over the Internet in my name. The alert means any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen, and they have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit.

By the time I was advised to do this, almost two weeks after the theft, all the damage had been done. There are records of all the credit checks initiated by the thieves' purchases, none of which I knew about before placing the alert. Since then, no additional damage has been done, and the thieves threw my wallet away. This weekend someone turned it in. It seems to have stopped them dead in their tracks.

Now, here are the numbers you always need to contact about your wallet, etc., has been stolen:

1. Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
2. Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742
3. Trans Union: 1-800-680-7289
4. Social Security Administration (fraud line): 1-800-269-0271

Web Links to Torino Winter Olympics

I must admit I am enjoying the Winter Olympics, more than usual. The reason is that I have been to Torino several times as that is where our Italian daughter, Elisa lives. For those who don't know, a few years ago we hosted Elisa as an exchange student for a year and she is as close to us as our own daughters.

Both Susan and I have gone to Torino to visit Elisa and her wonderful family as well as see the sights. So, we have come to know the city well. In fact, on our last trip, Elisa dropped me off at the airport to pick up a rental car (many miles away from her home). I was supposed to follow her back home but we were separated. I found my way back to her home up in the hills with no problems, so I guess you could say I know the city well.

So it is a great for us to see Torino again, even if only on TV. We have even visited some of the places in the Italian Alps where the alpine events are being held. We have walked all through the downtown area, including the piazza where NBC's anchor position is located. If you ever get to Italy, I hope you get a chance to see the city (and the nearby wine country of Piedmonte).

There is plenty of coverage of the games both on TV and on the Internet. A sort of competition has arisen on the Net, not only between the polished performances of seasoned commentators, but also against the new media world of blogs. A quick surf of the Net, and you find online diaries dedicated to individual athletes, random comments from people hanging out in Turin, and thousands of links to news stories and pictures.

Reading some entries, unedited and posted with just a click, people around the world can get a glimpse of the personal side of the Olympics, the behind-the-scenes experience of being here. It is almost as fun as being there (but not quite).

Anyway, for your information, here is a quick list of links to sites covering the Olympics. It's a good place to start:

Torino 2006

Schedules and results
Official program
NBC Universal TV scheduling
NBC Universal's full event schedules and results
Yahoo Sports event schedules
Main Yahoo Olympic Web site

Explanations of events
Torino 2006 animations

Video
NBC Universal event highlights (click on Video tab)
BBC (some video not accessible outside the U.K.)

Podcasts
U.S. Olympic team

Blogs
NBC's Torino Tracker
USA Today's SportsScope
Associated Press blogs

Bank and Credit Card Scandal Unfolding

Did you get an unexpected bank card or credit card in the mail lately? If not, and you do get one unexpectedly in the next few weeks...here is why. In what now appears to be a widening incident, Bank of America, MasterCard and Visa all announced this week that they have been informed of a potential security breach at a major U.S.-based retailer.

The name of the retailer has not officially been released. But, a spokesperson for Regions Financial Corp. confirmed that the bank reissued debit cards in late January after being informed by credit card processor CardSystems Inc. in November that some customer accounts were compromised in a security breach at....wait for it.....Wal-Mart and Sam's Club Stores.

Regions Financial has reissued 100,000 debit cards on Jan. 23 after the company was told that its customer information could have been exposed in a breach at the retail giant.

Meanwhile, officials at Bank of America confirmed last week that the company was also forced to reissue an undisclosed number of credit cards after a third-party company leaked the information. Bank of America was forced to shut down "numerous" debit cards as a precautionary measure against potential fraud. The bank has issued letters to all of the affected customers informing them that their cards were cancelled and to be aware of the threat of criminal activity on their accounts.

MasterCard International is also aware of a potential security breach at a U.S.-based retailer. The company notified banks that issue MasterCard cards to monitor for any suspicious account activity and take the necessary steps to protect cardholders, according to the statement.

Both Bank of America and Mastercard refused to name the retailer involved. We are in the early days of this scandal, so stay tuned for more info.

Hacks, Hacks, and Hacks

I must admit, without shame, that I am a pretty much a Google user at heart. I seldom use any other search engines, with the rare exception when Google doesn't give me what I am really looking for. But I may have to rethink that a little bit as Yahoo has come forward with some pretty cool improvements.

CNET has recently published some short articles on how to "hack" both Google and Yahoo. They may call it hacking, but I prefer to think of it as better ways to use existing tools. Included in the Yahoo hacks are sharing and personalization functions (that I am now looking forward to experimenting with), and how to compare Yahoo vs Google.

Here is the article on Yahoo Hacks. And, for the sake of fairness, here is an article on Google Hacks.

And, as an extra added attraction, here is an article on Firefox Hacks.

More Browser News and Reviews

Over the years, I’ve written a lot about web browsers in my newsletters and blogs. Using the Internet has become such a way of life for most of us that the Web browser is one of the most important pieces of software on our computers. So, knowing your options and finding the best browser for your needs is almost essential to make your Web use more productive.

With that in mind, PC Magazine has put together a review of the major web browsers. It is an interesting review, although I disagreed with them in giving Internet Explorer V6 one of their Editor’s Choices award. It is so out-of-date as compared to all the other browsers they reviewed. However, upon further review, I realized that their review was done almost four years ago when we didn’t have this many choices.

Nevertheless, it is a good article if you would like a review of your web browser choices all in one place. Go to:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1920465,00.asp

New Browser from Opera

Norwegian browser maker Opera Software has released a new preview version of its desktop software this week that will include support for the BitTorrent file-sharing system and lend the ability for users to build customized interface applications also known as widgets. The final version is scheduled for final release sometime before the end of 2006.

Some experts credit Opera as the first application to offer the "tabbed browsing" interface now being included in rival browsers such as Microsoft's Internet Explorer 7 and Firefox. Now, continuing that tradition, the new version will offer some interesting technological additions.
Widgets, first popularized in Apple's Mac OS X Tiger release, are applications built inside the browser (in Apple's case a computer's dashboard) that allow users to create a visual interface for viewing specific information stored on their computers. In Opera's case, the tools will give users the ability to view information such as sports scores or stock prices taken from Web sites in real-time, without needing to visit the sites the data is drawn from.

A spokesman said that Opera is hoping to make the widgets capable of working across many different types of devices, from PCs to mobiles and even consumer electronics.

BitTorrent, a file-sharing system that has previously drawn the ire of copyright watchdogs, is being remade as a legal enterprise. Opera said it hopes to improve the speed and efficiency of downloading large files in its browser. BitTorrent is an open-source, peer-to-peer protocol for distributing files designed to allow people to store and share large files across multiple computers rather than in one place. Under an agreement established between Opera and BitTorrent, the browser maker has integrated the file sharing system with its desktop application and will also allow users to search BitTorrent's content archives.

Other additions in the Opera 9 preview will be expanded tools for blocking pop-up advertising, as well as some new content-blocking features. The new Opera looks very interesting and I look forward to seeing the final version later this year. Opera’s web site is:

http://www.opera.com

Microsoft's New Protection Racket

Beginning in June, Microsoft will offer a new protection service to customers around the world to protect their computers from viruses, worms, spyware and other Internet attacks. The new service, called Windows OneCare Live, will cost $49.95 a year and will cover up to three computers.

This new service will compete with security products made by traditional Microsoft partners, including Symantec and McAfee. Microsoft insists that its aim is not to run those companies out of business. OneCare, which is already available for free in test form, aims to protect people running the most recent version of Windows against Internet attacks and intrusive spyware. It also promises to provide regular tuneups to help keep computers running smoothly, and offers users a way to back up and restore data.

Ryan Hamlin, general manager of Microsoft's Technology Care and Safety Group, said Microsoft is less concerned with converting people already using other products. Instead, Hamlin says Microsoft's goal is to provide protection for users who don't have any added or up-to-date security. He estimates that this group comprises 70 percent of consumer users.

You notice that in my headline, I called this a "protection racket." I did this on purpose because I agree with some other tech columnists that are comparing this new plan to a protection racket where gangsters charge you a fee for protecting you against them. While Microsoft is definitely not a group of gangsters, it is ironic that they want to charge money to protect you from the nasty malware that takes advantage of Microsoft's mistakes. In a way, you can't help but admire the effectiveness of selling both the problem and the solution.

Robert Vamosi, a senior columnist at CNET, calls this new service "SopranoCare." In his article he stated, "It's like Microsoft's saying to the customer, yeah, we wrote shoddy code, but pay us an annual fee, and we'll protect you from viruses and other malicious code."

He also didn't like the fact that this is an on-line protection service, meaning Microsoft will have even more control of one's computer behind the scenes.

FYI, Symantec is also working on a similar program called "Project Genesis", which will also offer on-line protection. No word on its release date yet. But, do look for other security vendors like MacAfee and Trend Micro to jump into the on-line protection business.

Piracy and the King of Bad Taste

This story makes me chuckle about life's ironies. In case you have never heard of Howard Stern, he is what is referred to on radio as a "shock jock." That is a radio announcer who goes out of his way to shock you with outrageous comments and borderline bad-taste materials. Howard Stern is the most famous shock jock of them all.

I have always found him to be totally repugnant, a purveyor of bad taste with no redeeming qualities what-so-ever, and an insult to my intelligence. Stern has often been the target of FCC scrutiny as much of his material skirts the legal issue of pornography on the air...and because of this, Stern has often attacked the FCC on his shows. The FCC in 2004 cited Stern's show on Clear Channel for "repeated graphic and explicit sexual descriptions."

Anyway, Mr. Stern was recently wooed away from radio and television to appear exclusively on the Sirius Satellite broadcasting group. He was given a five-year contract at about $100 million dollars per year, an outrageous sum, to say the least. Sirius, who is in a major battle with XM Satellite Radio for subscribers (and is way behind), took this major gamble to help them win the war.

Sirius claims that they have signed up 1.1 million new subscribers since he signed the contract. And while there are many, many Howard Stern fanatics out there, it looks like many of them have turned to piracy rather than pay Sirius $12.95 a month for a subscription.

According to BigChampagne, an online media measurement firm, Stern's shows are among the most popular media traded on the peer-to-peer networks...more popular than "Gilmore Girls" and just behind "The Simpsons." It seems that all of Stern's shows are available for free downloads on peer-to-peer networks like Kazaa.

As one might expect, Sirius is royally ticked that fans are sidestepping its $12.95-a-month subscription fee by illegally downloading the show. "We don't condone the stealing of Howard's show, or any of the content on our more than 125 channels," Sirius spokesman Patrick Reilly told the L.A. Times. "We vigorously protect our intellectual property rights and we will actively prosecute those who attempt to steal it." Not only that, pirate radio stations around the country are playing Stern's Sirius radio shows.

But, whom do you think that Sirius is complaining to? You got it...the FCC. Now, they want the governments help to stop this piracy and protect their rights. I find this ironically funny. Just call me warped.

Shameless Self Promotion

Sometime ago, late in the last century to be precise, I started writing a newsletter, which took on a life of its own and eventually morphed into the blog you see before you now. The reason I started writing the original newsletter was to keep friends and customers informed of the latest technologies that they might find useful…and to promote my computer store in Ephrata.

Of course, the store has long since closed its doors. I kept the newsletter/blog going because so many people found it useful and I love to write it. But, I haven’t used it much lately to promote myself.

However, having run into several old customers and acquaintances in the last few weeks who had no idea what I was doing now, I decided to deviate from my technology writing for one day and devote a blog to what I am doing these days.

Who knows, maybe you know someone who might be able to use one of my services and recommend me. So, here goes my very shameless self-promotion blog.

Artist – Most of you do probably know by now that I have been working as a full-time artist for the last couple of years. I exhibit at art shows all over the West Coast from May thru October. My work has been received well; both by juries that judge my work before allowing me in their shows…and by customers who continue to buy my work. My images have sold very well and have even been included in a book on Northwest Artists (available at The Bookery in Ephrata).

My work is termed “mixed media” by most art shows as I combine photography with digital painting to create a new media. I print my own work either on paper or limited edition canvas as I have a very large Epson 7600 printer that can print pictures up to 24” wide.

I have been a photographer since childhood, although I really got into it in my college days and eventually became an assistant teacher at the college level. Many years ago, with the advent of computers as a new kind of darkroom, I started experimenting with turning photographs into paintings. Over the years, my techniques have evolved and changed to the point that I became a full time artist. It is a good feeling to create works of art that people like well enough to purchase.

You can visit my web site and see many of my works. If you want to learn more about how I create my works, there is an article on my web site that will give you more information. I sell my works at art shows, galleries, and on my web site. There is also a listing on my site for upcoming art shows that I will do this year, although nothing has been officially booked at this time. I hope you will come by to one of them and say hello.

Wedding Photographer – Over the years I’ve photographed many weddings and other events. I have been out of it for several years after I moved to the Northwest. But, as I only do art shows for six months, I decided to go back into it and am happy with my decision. My techniques and abilities to work with people came back to me right away and it has felt quite natural…as it should.

I offer a very full range of services including proof books, paper and canvas prints of all sizes (remember I have that huge Epson 7600 printer), thank you cards, wedding albums, DVD’s with photos and music of wedding services (or other events), and on-line posting of pictures so friends and relative from all over the world can see the photos immediately after a wedding.

All work is done in-house for the greatest quality control and lower prices. I know of many photographers who send out their work to specialty print houses, which of course drive the prices higher and leave the photographer little control over how their work is finished, although some labs are quite good.

I have recently created a brand new web site for my wedding services at http://weddings.corkrum.com. It is still a work in progress, but it is getting there as I promote my services. Besides photography, I also help out with any services a customer might need to make the wedding work…from invitations to engraved champagne glasses. I am really going into this in a big way, so please mention me to anyone you might know who is going to have a wedding or any other event that requires a good photographer.

By the way, I have had several requests for portraits lately, so I am doing that also.

Printing Services – One of the unexpected benefits of getting my large printer was that other photographers and artists began asking me to do their print work for them, especially on canvas. I have been doing this for some time now and enjoy the challenge of turning out high quality prints as well as stretching large canvases for framing.

If you have some pictures that you might like a quality enlargement of on canvas or paper, drop me a line and I will help you out. My big printer is really amazing!

Special Commissions – Another service I offer is to take customer’s photographs, then turn them into paintings in the style of the paintings that I do of my own photographs. For instance, a customer last summer bought my sketch of the Roman Forum at a show, then contacted me to do the same style sketch of a photo they took of the Roman Forum. It turned out quite well and the two works now hang in their living room. Let me know if you have a photo you would like painted.

Web Site Development – I also develop web sites, having done so for businesses and other artists. It’s a fun sideline and a challenge to my creativity. But, this has become a minor sideline lately as the other services listed above keep me very busy.


Thanks for taking the time to read my self-promoting blog. Drop me an e-mail if I can be of any service to you. I promise my next blog will be back on the subject of technology.

Web Browser News

Firefox Update

If Firefox is your browser of choice, be aware Mozilla has released an update for Version 1.5 that fixes several security flaws and makes other changes aimed at improving the open-source Web browser. The update, Firefox version 1.5.0.1, patches a total of eight security vulnerabilities. Mozilla deems one “critical”, four are rated "moderate" risk, and three are tagged "low" risk. The more serious flaws could let an attacker take over a system running a vulnerable version of Firefox, according to Mozilla's security alerts.

Security monitoring company Secunia rates the Firefox update "highly critical." Mozilla recommends that all users switch over to this latest version, according to the Firefox update release notes.

To get the latest update, go to your "Help" drop-down menu at the top of the browser page, then click on "Check for Updates," and follow the directions on the screen.

Beta Test the New Internet Explorer 7

If you are a brave soul who likes to test out new products, why not try out the beta test version of Microsoft's new Internet Explorer 7 (IE). You can download from the Internet Explorer section of Microsoft's corporate Web site.

The latest version works only with Windows XP Service Pack 2 and includes many of the features Microsoft has been touting for months. Among them are tabbed browsing, a search box on the toolbar, new security and privacy protection capabilities such as mechanisms designed to combat phishing attacks, spyware and other threats.

Another new feature lets users clear their browsing history more easily and thus wipe out passwords, form data and cookies in one click. New printing enhancements and Shrink to Fit printing features enable users to adjust margins, change the page layout, remove headers or footers, and increase or decrease the print space.

Microsoft will release the final version of IE 7 later this year, around the time the company debuts the next version of its Windows operating system, Windows Vista. But, if you can't wait, give the beta a try. You can also watch a three-minute video demonstration of the new browser on the CNET Web Site.

New Google Tool Bar

Want to try another beta product? Google has released a beta version of its new Google Toolbar 4, an update to the search toolbar used by millions. With this version users can add custom buttons that will either search your favorite site without your having to go there or take you directly to it. A drop-down menu on the button itself can even reveal the latest headlines from that site.

With the public launch of this update, users will be able to install ready-made buttons from the Google Button Gallery. Web site owners will also be able to create custom buttons for their own sites that can be shared with visitors.

There is a new Send To button lets you share pages via blog (you need a Blogger.com account), e-mail (you need a Gmail account), or text message (SMS).

You can try out the new beta version toolbar by downloading it from the Google Toolbar Web page.

How the Phone Companies May Have Given Us the Shaft

Would it surprise you to learn that the United States is the 19th ranked nation in household broadband connectivity rate, just ahead of Slovenia? Want to know why? Because, according to telecom analyst Bruce Kushnick, the Bell Companies never delivered symmetrical fiber-optic connectivity to millions of Americans though they were paid more than $200 billion to do it.

According to Kushnick's book, "$200 Billion Broadband Scandal", during the buildup to the 1996 Telecommunications Reform Act, the major U.S. telephone companies promised to deliver fiber to 86 million households by 2006 (we're talking about fiber to the home, here). They asked for, and were given, some $200 billion in tax cuts and other incentives to pay for it. But the Bells didn't spend that money on fiber upgrades…they spent it on long distance, wireless and inferior DSL services. Here are some of the important points from Kushnick's book:

The Commitment:

• By 2006, 86 million households should have already been wired with a fiber (and coax), wire, capable of at least 45 Mbps in both directions, and could handle 500+ channels.


• Universal Broadband: This wiring was to be done in rich and poor neighborhoods, in rural, urban and suburban areas equally.


• Open to ALL Competition: These networks were to be open to ALL competitors, not a closed-in network or deployed only where the phone company desired.


• Each State: By 2006, 75% of the state of New Jersey was to be wired, Pennsylvania was to have 50% of households by 2004, California to have 5 million households by 2000, Texas claimed all schools, libraries, and hospitals. Virtually every state had commitments.


• Massive Financial Incentives: In exchange for building these networks, the Bell companies ALL received changes in state laws that gave these them excessive profits, tax savings, and other perks to be used in building these networks.


• This was not DSL, which travels over the old copper wiring and did not require new regulations.


• This is not Verizon's FIOS or SBC’s Lightspeed fiber optics, which are slower, can't handle 500 channels, are not open to competition, and are not being deployed equitably.


• This was NOT fiber somewhere in the network ether, but directly to homes.

The Harms and Outcome

• Costs to Customers: It is estimate that $206 billion dollars in excess profits and tax deductions were collected…over $2000 per household. (This is the low estimate.)


• Cost to the Country: About $5 trillion dollars to the economy. America lost a decade of technological innovation and economic growth, about $500 billion annually.


• Cost to the Country : America is now 16th in the world in broadband. While Korea and Japan have 40-100 Mbps at cheap prices, America is still at kilobyte speeds.


• The New Digital Divide: The phone companies’ current plans are to pick and choose where and when they want to deploy fiber services, if at all.


• Competitor Close Out: SBC, BellSouth and Verizon now claim that they can control who uses the networks and at what price, impacting everything from VOIP and municipality roll outs to new services from eBay and Google.

The Truth (according to Kushnick): This is a Fraud Case

• Fraud: There is a dark secret: the networks couldn't be built at the time the commitments were made and are still not available. If someone pays thousands of dollars for a service and doesn't get it, isn't that fraud?


• Collusion and Cover-up: TELE-TV and Americast, the Bell companies' fiber optic front groups, spent about $1 billion and were designed to make America believe these deployments were real in order to pass the Telecom Act of 1996 and enter long distance. How did every major phone company in America not know that these fiber-based services couldn't be built and were able to defraud over 40 states?


• The mergers killed fiber optic deployments in over 26 states and harmed competition. With every merger, the phone companies simply dropped all state commitments and harmed every state they merged with. Case in point: Verizon cut deployments to 13 states during the NYNEX-Bell Atlantic merger, not to mention GTE's 28 state deployments. SBC did the same in all 13 of its states, from California to Illinois. Worse, the mergers were based on the companies competing with each other and there is NO evidence they ever did any serious wire line residential competition.


• The Regulators Killed Competition and Broadband. Over the last 4 years, instead of continuing competition as ordered by the Telecom Act of 1996, the FCC has rewritten the laws close down Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that brought America to the Internet, as well as virtually all local competition. AT&T and MCI couldn't compete because they were regulated out of business and thus were sold off.


• Distortion of the Truth by the FCC. Virtually every piece of documentation presented in this work is missing from the FCC's Advanced Network Reports. The FCC defines broadband as 200 kilobytes per second in one direction — 225 times slower than what was promised in 1992.


• Cross-Subsidization: Instead of spending the money on these networks, the Bell companies used the money to enter long distance, rollout wireless and the inferior DSL services. The Bells also lost over $20 billion overseas and paid executives over a billion in stock options during the mergers.


• Bait and Switch: Customers paid for a fiber optic wire and got DSL over the old copper wiring — it's like ordering a Ferrari and getting a bicycle.

20 Year Analysis of Revenues, Profits, and Expenditures

According to the author, this book is based on a 20-year analysis of Bell-supplied data, Census Data and Business Week. Since 1984:

• Revenues are up 128%.


• Employees are down 65%, Construction is down 60%.


• $92.5 billion is missing in network upgrades.


• Profits based on failed fiber plans up 188% as compared to other utilities.

This is a damning list of indictments, to be sure. According to the book, we as taxpayers paid an estimated $2000 per household for fiber to the home and instead got DSL over the old copper wiring. As Kushnick notes, that's like ordering a Ferrari and getting a bicycle. If all this is true, the Bells phone companies and our government watchdogs should be ashamed. (Note: the opinions expressed here are those of the author of the book, Bruce Kushnick, and are published here for information purposes only. They do not necessarily represent the opinions of the author of this blog or those of owners of this Website.)

A Firefox Plugin You Shouldn't Be Without

This morning, I received my normal weekly newsletter from download.com. I get a lot of these types of newsletters to help keep me up to date with various aspects of technology for my own blog. Today's newsletter was about a product called SiteAdvisor that is a free add-on for my Firefox Web browser.

It sounded so go I decided to try it myself. And it was all that was advertised. SiteAdvisor protects you against dangerous web sites. They have a database of well over a million web sites that rates them according to safety, spyware, unwanted e-mails, and other items. It puts a little button on the bottom right of your browser that changes colors, depending on the Web site you visit. If you want to know more about the site, you can click on the button and their testing information pops up.

What's more, when you do a Google or Yahoo search, each web site listed on the search is rated for safety. It is definitely a tool you should have on your browser. If you use Firefox, you need to get this free plugin.

What follows is an excerpt from the Download.com newsletter written by Brian Satterfield that explains in more detail what Siteadvisor does.

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I recently came across another weapon in the war against spyware that's so useful I can't help myself from telling you about it.

In this era of drive-by installs and unannounced browser hijacks, surfing the Web can seem like tiptoeing across a minefield: one wrong step, and you've got serious problems. For the past couple of years, I have been hoping someone would develop a tool that tests Web sites for potential safety issues, so when I found a Firefox plug-in called SiteAdvisor, I was excited. Even better, once I started testing it this tiny add-on actually exceeded my expectations, which is rare.

The short story on SiteAdvisor is that it gives you the dirt on more than a million Web sites. Its test bots constantly check sites to see whether they send unsolicited e-mail, bury users under a blanket of pop-ups, and--perhaps most importantly--contain software that could compromise your privacy. Whenever you visit a URL, SiteAdvisor's browser icon flashes one of three colors: green (safe), yellow (caution), or red (extreme caution). Then, with a couple clicks, you can head to SiteAdvisor's home page for more detailed information. According to the company, about 90 percent of the sites tested so far have scored a green rating, whereas only 5 percent haved earned the red flag for bad behavior. My favorite part about the plug-in is that it rates sites directly from search engines such as Yahoo and Google, which reduces your chances of falling victim to a drive-by install.

It appears Download.com visitors are just as enthusiastic about the program as I am: SiteAdvisor netted more than 7,000 downloads in its first week on the site and has garnered consistently high user reviews. Look for the program's official launch March 1, which promises a number of enhancements over the already impressive beta version.